Howling in the Streets{M} DamoniquexBrokecollege

[Damonique]

Lucent Mane reclined in the back of an understated black Lincoln limousine (http://www.ridefirstclass.com/nj-limo-fleet/Lincoln-Limo-Black/pictures/img03.JPG) as it rolled through the nearly-empty streets in an old part of the city. His features were calm and collected as he spoke in low tones to Khlia, sitting opposite him, her feet kicked up on the small fold-out bar situated between the opposite-facing seats. She seemed more agitated, a white-knuckled fist balled around a tumbler of scotch.

"I don't like it." She nearly growled in a low tone, for at least the fifth time. "Who are they to tell US what to do? The could come meet us at the penthouse, or my bar, literally anywhere. 'Come alone'? What kind of shit is that? If we wanted him dead he already would be. It's not like us to take orders." She continued on, pausing only to drain the last of her scotch and toss the glass flippantly aside.

"It's a show of good faith...and the secrecy is important. If the other packs find out what we're doing here, it could force them into action before everything in settled. As much as I admire your Fangs' talents, they don't exactly an acumen for subterfuge. It's better to keep this between ourselves for the time being." Lucent responded impassively, checking his fine suit for creases and slicking back is hair as the limo rolled to a stop in front of the ancient wrought-iron gate of a large graveyard dotted here-and there with gnarled cedars that cast long shadows in the pale moonlight.

"Well, enough talkinng about it. We'll know if this was a waste of time or not shortly, come on." Lucent added, opening the door and stepping out into the cool night air, leaning up to a window to give a few terse commands to the driver, who turned back the way they came the moment the pair were out of the car.

Khlia glanced around and sniffed the air tentatively before shifting her nose and mouth into a canine snout and taking a deep breath, soaking in the myriad scents of the night, nodding and walking towards the gate with an air of confidence. Just two recent wolf-scents, a male and a female. So far so good, no ambush tonight.

[brokecollege]

Elisabeth did not like the Mane Twins. She had never liked the Mane Twins. They were unpredictable. And if there was one thing Elisabeth did not like, it was unpredictable. So, when her Alpha informed her of the meeting they were to have with them she had immediately disapproved of it. Elisabeth tried everything she could to change her Alpha's mind, but he refused. She shouldn't have expected him to change his mind, of course. Why would a man--especially an Alpha--change his mind for a woman?

Elisabeth sighed in frustration while impatiently drumming her fingers against her leg. "They were supposed to be here fifteen minutes ago," she muttered in annoyance. Her Alpha, an aging redhead, took a moment to glance over at the brunette before he turned his attention back to the blank scene before them. "I know," came his cool reply. Elisabeth frowned. She didn't like this. She didn't like how calm her Alpha was, nor did she like this meeting or how late the twins were! She was almost about to voice how much she didn't like the situation when two bodies suddenly appeared in the distance. "Oh, finally." she breathed as she crossed her arms over her chest.

When the twins came to stop before Elisabeth and her Alpha, the young girl immediately bowed her head in respect. She may not have liked the twins, but their status was still above hers. If she did not show respect to them and to their position, then that was grounds for a fight. And Elisabeth doubted her Alpha would like it if she got into a brawl with the very people that he was trying to negotiate with. "Ah, Mr. and Ms. Mane, thank you for joining us tonight. I apologize for the secrecy regarding this meeting. But, well... what we hope to discuss is something of the utmost importance." Elisabeth's Alpha explained as he took a step forward. Elisabeth took one as well, though the purpose of her step was to protect the Alpha from any possible attack.

[Damonique]

The Manes walked between the rows of headstones in silence. Lucent appeared entirely unperturbed, his hands resting easily in the pockets of his jacket, a confident, genial smile on his face. Khlia was more aware, sea-green eyes roving around inquisitively, arms free and back arched, ready to pounce.

Before long they spotted two figures appear in the mist, one tall and red haired. Savic, leader of the Evertails, an older man, perhaps mid-forties, with a wild mane of red hair and a short salt-and pepper beard. His expression was unreadable, the barest curve of a smile that could mean anything. At his side was the one he'd chosen to bring as his second, Elisabeth. Neither Mane had met her, but she had garnered quite the reputation as an impressive up-and-coming warrior in the last few years.

Khlia wondered weather or not the girl had been chosen for her skills, if her position in the pack truly warranted such an honor. Or, she thought with chagrin, if Savic had taken her to keep things 'Fair', since Lucent had brought no protection besides herself, showing up with a male might have been seen as a power-play. If so, he was woefully mistaken. When she bowed at their approach, the female twin couldn't help but smile. At least she knew her pace. Khlia didn't even nod her head, though it would have been a fitting courtesy, since Lucent was the only other Alpha here, which she was sure annoyed Savic, but he was smart enough not to let it show. While she sized up the girl, Lucent began getting the pleasantries out of the way so they could get down to business, extending a hand for the older Wolf to shake.

"Ah, Savic, it's been a long time. Three years, if I'm not mistaken, I was almost a pup then. Blaise spoke most highly of you...before his untimely death. I cannot begin to express how pleased I've been that the Evertails have maintained the truce you two made between our packs. I'm sure it would please his spirit, as well." Lucent began in a refined tone, giving away nothing in his words, though everyone present would know the rumors. That after having acquired his position as the aging, childless Blaise Wulfram's second in command, Lucent had disposed of him in order to take power. It wasn't true, the accident had been just that, an accident, but it had served their purposes to let the rumors be to look more threatening to their early rivals.

It wasn't until after he had appropriately greeted the other Alpha that Lucent turned his attention to his accompaniment, cocking his head to get a good look at Elisabeth Vaughn. And while he covered it well, Khlia, at least, was perceptive enough to note the sharp intake of breath when he truly examined her for the first time. She was no doubt attractive, none would disagree. Smooth caramel skin that glistened in the moonlight, sultry almond eyes, full pink lips. Trailing down, shapely, pert breasts accented well by her blouse and a gently curving, well-toned figure that ended in long, shapely legs.

To Lucent, she was more than that. Beautiful. Perfect. Like all Alphas, he had no shortage of choice when it came to partners, every unclaimed female of his pack was at his disposal, and since the Manes had begun absorbing smaller packs into their own, he had made a habit of spending a few days with a female formerly belonged to a different pack as a sort of political gesture, to prove he was not playing favorites. But Elisabeth outshined the all. It took him a moment to realize he was gawking, a giddy smile playing across his lips, before he regained his composure and forced his attention back to Savic.

"I know why your here, it's not hard to guess. The Howlers on the east side, the South Central Freerunners. The Redmoons." He spit out that last pack name with vehemence. The Redmoons were the most powerful pack in the city by numbers, and the de-facto leaders of the opposition. "They hate us, and they hate you for not hating us enough. It's racism, xenophobia, prejudice, plain and simple. It's true, we've made some bold moves recently, but it's the way of our kind. The weak submit to the powerful, and through that, Wolf-kin as a whole are made stronger. The only difference is that we're us, outsiders, redskins, tribals. I truly hope your more open-minded than they are, Savic. Blaise was, he took us in, and you two were of the same breed."

[brokecollege]

Elisabeth almost frowned at the lack of courtesy Khlia expressed. She hadn't needed to show courtesy towards Elisabeth, but she could have at least expressed some level of courtesy and respect towards Savic. He was, after all, an Alpha. The young girl shifted in her spot, her eyes moving from Khlia to her brother as the true meaning of the meeting was revealed.

When Lucent mentioned the previous Alpha of his pack, Savic couldn't help but smile. He and Blaise had never really been friends so much as they had been competitive rivals. He couldn't remember a time when the two weren't fighting each other. And it didn't matter what they were fighting about, either, so long as one of them emerged as the victor. "Blaise was a good man and a good warrior," Savic nodded somberly. "I was saddened to hear of his passing. But I am glad that such a competent pair has taken over in his stead." A competent pair? Elisabeth almost scoffed in disagreement. She would've said that the two were anything but competent. But, she didn't say anything. Instead, she just nodded her head in time with her Alpha's words.

"Ah, our truce. Well, I saw no reason to put an end to it. To put an end to such a fine relationship would be a shame." Savic grinned as he crossed his arms over his chest. Elisabeth, of course, did not agree with him. The Manes ran a wild pack with many powerful enemies. To be at peace with them would mean to be at war with everyone else, and that was not something which Savic and his pack could afford. As well trained as they were, they lacked the manpower to defend themselves. Elisabeth glanced at the smile on her Alpha's face before she turned to look at the Mane Twins. More specifically, at Lucent. And she was surprised to find him looking at her as well.

She had thought he was just momentarily looking her over (as she had done to him and his sister), but his gaze lingered on her for far longer than it should have. It was almost as if he was studying her, though Elisabeth didn't know why that was. And the longer he stared at her, the wider the smile on his face became. Elisabeth frowned. What was it with these two? One lacked courtesy, and the other blatantly stared at people for no reason! She gave him an almost curious look just as he turned his attention back to Savic, resuming their previous discussion.

"I'm afraid that you're spot on," Savic sighed. "The truce that we have has put quite a strain on our relationship with the other packs. The Redmoons, especially. They've demanded that we either end our truce with you or go to war with them. And while I certainly wouldn't mind going to war with them, I'm afraid I simply lack the manpower to do so." he frowned, frustration evident on his face. He didn't like the situation he and his pack were in, and he was desperate for a way out. A way out that, hopefully, would be provided by the twins.

"We have a truce with you." Elisabeth suddenly spoke up. she looked between the twins, though ended up focusing her gaze on Lucent. "A good relationship that you are happy we have maintained. So, just this once we are asking you for help. We cannot take on the Redmoons alone. We could merge our packs together until the threat subsides--that way both of our packs have someone else to watch their backs. Or you could just send us some of your men to provide some help in our defence."

Savic nodded his head in agreement, though he quickly added, "Anything that you and your pack provided would help us immensely. But if we don't receive any kind of aid, then in order to preserve my pack I will have to put an end to our truce."

[Damonique]

While Lucent continued to exchange pleasantries with Savic, Khlia has stepped back to recline, quite irreverently, on a sturdy gravestone a few steps behind, flicking a butterfly knife out of her pocket to idly pick at her teeth with while Lucent did the talking, as per usual. Most conversation bored her. But what did interest her was the reaction her usually-stoic brother showed towards Elizabeth, and the female twin finally turned to examine the younger woman properly.

She was prettier than most, that was clear enough, but not in a willowy, fragile way. The girls body seemed nearly as honed an lethal as her own, though Khlia was generally broader. Still, there was nothing truly unique about the girl..but perhaps the way she carried herself in such distinguished and dangerous company. Fearless. She could be useful, or dangerous. Irregardless, her brothers little crush would be good for teasing him later.

Finally, Savic got to the point, and it was exactly what Lucent had already been expecting to hear, as he had already known of Damon Redmoon's little ultimatum to to the Evertails. His spies were clearly worth their pay. That was why he had accepted this surprise meeting so easily. Even Khlia had been in the dark about that, hence her concern, but while he loved his sister, she wasn't one to trusted not to brag about these holes in their enemies defenses he had found.

Lucent gave none of this away, looking genuinely intrigued as Savic set the stage, and was surprised with it was Elisabeth who stepped up to finally offer terms. That was bold of her, and he nodded gingerly in her direction, looking to find her to be the one staring at him, now, though was displeased to find the brunette wolf's expression to be more questioning that openly interested. Without skipping a beat, he drew up to his full, impressive height, and took on the steely, self-assured gaze he that struck equal part fear an awe into his subordinates. His Alpha look, holding her gaze for a moment before turning back to Savic, smiling genially.

"I'm glad to see you aren't so keen to bow to Damon Redmoon's will, my friend, though I sincerely doubt he would follow through with the threat. To make war against you would only invite us to attack him regardless, if not out of any special concern, but simply because of the opportunity provided. But coming to me personally with this, and your subordinate's.....candor, in supporting the arrangement speaks to you sincerity." The words were honeyed, setting the stage to let Savic think this had all been his idea all along, though Lucent had been trying to arrange something of the sort for a good while, knowing the older, more cautious Alpha just needed a firm push to agree to it, and Redmoon had so graciously provided just what he'd been waiting for. Hopefully, Lucent would be allowed to 'thank' him for it appropriately.

"Truly, the Evertail are one of the few packs my warriors hold no enmity towards, and hopefully your own feel the same way. Presenting a unified front against those who underestimate us both could be a turning in the balance of power. The Redmoon may have numbers, but his warriors are lazy, more used to their foes turning tail or showing their bellies at the slightest threat than fighting them tooth and nail. We, meanwhile, have both experience...and fresh talent..on our side." He was laying it on a bit thick now, but both he and Savic knew it was simply wordplay, though those last words were more for Elisabeths benifit, and he made sure she knew it, looking her way hungrily as he uttered the words. He turned to Khlia now, whose atention had finally been piqued by talk of bloodshed.

"What say you, sister? I'm inclined to agree to this alliance, but you know the hearts and minds...and other parts, of our best and bravest. Will they accept Evertail fangs and claws beside them?" It was a compliment accompanied by a lewd barb that elicited a chuckle from Savic and a low growl form the female Mane. It was well known that Khlia acted more as a male among their pack, choosing her partners more often than they chose her, and rarely keeping to one favorite for long. The jest was a necessary bit of theater, a way of including his Twin officially in the decision while still appealing to the older Alphas chauvinist streak.

"If they wish to hunt and kill beside us, my Fangs will welcome them." She finally stated after a moment of deliberation, hopping off the gravestone and sidling up to join the other three. Lucent nodded solemnly and raised his palm to his mouth, face contorting to transform into a canine muzzle, flawless white teeth becoming vicious fangs made for ripping and tearing. He ran the skin along them, deep crimson glistening in the moonlight as he offered for Savic to taste. Beside him, Khlia did the same, offering to Elisabeth, they bearing witness for the leaders.

It was a Pact, the only deal that meant a damn in their cutthroat society, sacred. After this, there was no going back until the contract was deemed complete by both parties or if all four of them were dead. Lucent did not trust the aging Alpha he regarded now with wolves eyes, but he would rather have him with him than against him.

[brokecollege]

When Lucent gave Elisabeth that look--that confident, self-assured Alpha look--she thought nothing of it. It was not unusual for an Alpha (or any higher status wolf) to display confident and cocky looks when around subordinates. Savic did it; Lucent did it, every Alpha in the world did it! So, she hadn't a reason to think that this particular look was any different from the other Alphas that she had encountered.

Elisabeth visibly relaxed when Lucent began to speak. As much as she hated to admit it, his words soothed her. As against this alliance, as she was, the Evertails did not have any other options. It was either they form an alliance with the dreaded Mane twins, or they face the wrath of the Redmoons and all of their allies.

Savic lifted his hand into the air and waved it as if to dismiss Lucent's concern. "Why, of course, we don't! My men hold you and your pack in the highest of regards--" Elisabeth looked away to the ground to hide the slight roll of her eyes. Savic spoke nothing but honeyed words. "--they will be delighted to learn of our new and improved alliance with you." he finished.

As soon as "fresh talent" was mentioned, Elisabeth lifted her head from the ground and looked to Lucent. She almost opened her mouth to mutter a quiet "thank you" for his honeyed words, but she stopped herself as soon as she realized the look he sent her way. Did he just.. no, he couldn't have. She bit down on the inside of her cheek, the conversation continuing despite her obvious withdrawal from it.

Was Lucent Mane interested in her? No, he couldn't have been. He was Lucent Mane, for God's sake! He wasn't interested in anyone but his own power status. But then, why else would he have given her that look? Well, whatever the reason was, Elisabeth decided that she didn't care. Even if he was interested in her, she wasn't interested in him. Not now, not ever.

By the time she had rejoined the conversation, the twins had officially agreed to join the two packs in alliance. And, to further show their agreement, they bit down into their palms and offered it to both Savic and Elisabeth. Ah, great--she had to share blood with the Mane twins, something she had been hoping to avoid.

Savic and Elisabeth both stepped forward, taking into their hands the palms that were offered to them. But while Savic licked the blood without hesitance, Elisabeth did so more gingerly. She hoped that that the Evertails wouldn't come to regret this decision. She hoped she wouldn't come to regret this decision. They then threw their heads back and howled in unison with the twins, sealing the alliance between the two packs.

[Damonique]

Lucent Mane made the closest approximation to a smirk one could with the face of a wolf as Savic licked the blood clean from his palm without reservation. Things couldn't have gone better for his plans. The Evertails had come to the Manes with the offer to accept their protection, and it had been granted in the most gracious and binding manner. No betrayal would come from this arrangement, and a possible rival had become their closest ally overnight.

And beyond that was the unexpected surprise. Elisabeth. She was a part of this, she'd lent her voice in support of the Pact and borne witness to it, shared in he and his sisters selfsame blood. By taking part in such a ritual, she had been granted a great honor, one that could create or destroy her future. Her choices and actions now reflected the honor of her pack and it's commitment to the agreement. She was tied to them...tied to him now. As he threw back his head and let out a blood-curdling howl towards the moon above, he didn't have to fake his elation.

Khlia smirked as Elisabeth turned her head down to accept her offering of blood. While she didn't get to experience the catharsis of an Alpha literally licking her palm, like her Brother, this was better, she was sure at this moment that Lucent would have given up that high honor in a heartbeat to be in her position right now as the younger female obediently cleaned the crimson from her scarred hand. Once that was done, she raised her own muzzle to the sky and added her practiced, piercing wail to the others, the chilling noise echoing into the night.

That pleased her too, knowing that any wolf in the city, from the lowest of the low to the Redmoons themselves, would sleep uneasily tonight after hearing that sound. Howls were a unique and practiced identifier, and even the slowest wolf would know the cries of the major players, and Savic and the Mane's howls would be well known, and their sounding together could only mean one thing. The game had changed and war was on the horizon.Eventually, after several minutes of lulls and crescendos, the noise subsided, the point made, and they all reverted fully to their human visages, still panting heavily. A good, long howl was it's own sort of exercise, winding you, bringing you closest to your most primal side. Exhilarating.

"It is done, we stand together, Savic, mutual risk for mutual gain. We can discuss matters of strategy and territorial claims at a later date, as I'm sure...." Lucent paused, and as if on cue, a multitude of answering howls broke out throughout the city. Some elated, some enraged, some fearful, the collective consciousness of Wolf-kin making it's multitude of opinions on this development known. "....our respective followers will want to hear firsthand what they just agreed to." He stated with a grin as pieces fell into place.

[brokecollege]

When their howling came to an end, the group stood in silence for a moment to catch their breath. As exhilarating as it was to howl for an extended period, it was also physically draining. But the exhaustion was worth the aftermath. Once their breath had been caught (or, at least, most of it), Lucent spoke. This time it was to mention strategies and territorial claims. Ah, yes. Now that they had a full-blown alliance, the Fangs and the Evertails would have to discuss plans to protect one another from the Redmoons. They would also have to decide which land belonged to which pack.

Lucent paused briefly in the middle of the conversation to allow for the sound of a handful of howls to fill the air. Each howl had Elisabeth sucking more and more air into her chest. Not too many of their brethren seemed too happy about this alliance. Most seemed fearful. Others, angry. "Yes, of course. I--" Savic began, though he was cut off by the ringing of his phone. He grunted and yanked it out from his pocket to look over the caller ID. When he realized exactly who it was that was calling him, he sighed and gestured towards it. "My apologies, I must take this. It is my mate." he quickly excused himself from the conversation and scurried off to the side to answer the call.

Elisabeth curiously watched after her Alpha before turning back to the Mane twins. Well, what now? Was she just to awkwardly stand there with the twins while her Alpha tended to the call from his lover? Was she to make small talk with them? Or, was she to make talk regarding what was to come? Oh, she hated her Alpha for leaving her alone with these two! "If you've other business to tend to, I can inform the Alpha after he is finished with his call. I'm sure he wouldn't mind, you two are a busy pair." she smiled politely (perhaps even too politely) at the pair as she took a step away from them. "And, regarding the meetings about territories and strategies... the Alpha and I will gather all the information that we can for you. We'd like for this professional--" she paused and gave a somewhat pointed-look to Lucent before she continued, "--relationship to be as open with information as possible."

[Damonique]

Lucent couldn't help but crack a smirk as Savic vanished to assuage his mate's no-doubt pressing concerns. It wasn't every day the one you were life-bonded with formed an alliance with the most hated Wolves the city had ever known. Still, he excused him with grace, too busy admiring the rise and fall of Elisabeth's chest, and the sultry sound of her catching her breath.

. His own pack's howls were the loudest and the longest, bloodthirsty and confident, competing with answering snarls form the direction of Redmoon territory. Khlia's Fangs were well-coached, when their leader called, they answered, with gusto. He only wished that the calls from the Evertail's part of the city were so promising. Aparently, few if any of them expected this. Perhaps they had expected their leader to side with the Redmoons. Surely the safer choice, but unwise in the long run. Bow to their demands once, and your days as an independent pack were numbered, and the Evertails, despite their size, had always been fiercely independent. Hopefully, one they shock wore off and they realized that the deal was one, that fierceness would show it's face.

These concerns were just as clear on Elisabeth's face, and Lucent gave the striking young warrior a sympathetic look, while Khlia did little more than scoff with derision. It was as he had feared, Savic's words about his packs respect and acceptance for the Mane's were just that, empty words. But reluctant or not, they would come to accept this arrangement simply because their Alpha demanded it. Glad for Savic's disappearance, the male twin turned his attention to more interesting pursuits than business, stepping up beside Elisabeth and placing a strong, and uninvited hand on her shoulder, looking her in the eyes, his expression unperturbed by these events.

"Don't look so disheartened. They''ll fall into line. You'll make them fall into line." He stated softly, the encouragement coming off as more of a demand, an unnerving gleam in his eye with that statement. He wished he could be there to see the younger wolf assert her dominance. Elisabeth was destined for more than what she was, otherwise, she wouldn't deserve the power over his attentions she seemed to steal without so much as trying.

Khlia, meanwhile, was furious. While her warriors had done their duty, the Evertails had betrayed their Alpha, betrayed themselves with their barks of fear and concern. They were being given opportunity to test themselves, to draw blood alongside the finest warriors ever born to the Wolf-Blood, and they scoffed at it, too wrapped up in petty fears for their safety. Wolves were not built for safety, and she would have to impress that upon this pathetic lot. Ignoring Lucent entirely, she stalked up to Elisabeth while her Alpha was too distracted by his bitch to do his job, her scorn showing plainly.

"You, and five of your best. Tommorow. Dusk. We kill. Prove yourself. Deserve my blood." She snarled, far beyond proper sentences, such was her outrage. Even Lucent tensed up, as his sisters moods could turn violent at the drop of a pin. Thankfully, she restrained herself to posturing for the time being. Lucent was conflicted, as sure he was of his instincts, he had to allow this to happen. If Elisabeth couldn't hold hold her own in this, she'd be too weak to stand beside him. Not to say he would lose all interest, she'd be a fun plaything regardless. But hopefully, she could be more. Much more.

[brokecollege]

To no surprise, Lucent completely disregarded all that Elisabeth had said. He closed what little distance there was between them and placed a strong, and very much uninvited, hand upon her shoulder. She looked at him with a mixture of curiosity and annoyance. She had never been too keen on uninvited touches from people. In fact, when people usually touched her without invitation, they ended up on the ground with her claws pressed against their throat. But Lucent was an Alpha, and if she did that to him, then she would surely regret it.

"Yes, Alpha Mane. I understand," she muttered before looking away from Lucent. Elisabeth would make her men fall into line even if they didn't support the alliance, even if they despised the Mane twins with their very beings. She would make sure they fell to the will of their Alpha. Khlia suddenly approached the pair, obviously not at all happy with how Elisabeth's men had responded to their alliance. But, what could she expect? If their reputation were better, then maybe Elisabeth's men would have responded to their alliance with more excitement.

With a scorn evident on her face, Khlia demanded that Elisabeth and five of her men prove themselves tomorrow at dusk. Elisabeth rose a brow--was Khlia doubting her people's abilities simply because they didn't agree with this alliance? They might've been a small pack, but she and her men could do more than just hold their own! "I thought you would never ask, Miss Mane. I look forward to shedding blood with you." Elisabeth hummed with a slight bow of her head. She would prove herself and her men to be just as fierce (if not more) as Khlia and her men. Her reputation and career quite literally depended upon it now.

Savic, having finished the phone call with his mate, approached the group once more. He greeted them with a smile as he carelessly shoved the phone into his pocket. "Now that everything is settled, it is time for us to return to our pack. We've many preparations to make, and many people to talk to. We'll get into contact with you as soon as possible to set up further meetings regarding territory claims and strategies against the Redmoons." He said as he gave the pair a slight, respectful bow of the head. He then turned to Elisabeth and gestured towards the nearby exit of the cemetery. "Let us go then, Lizzie."

Elisabeth nodded her head at her Alpha before she turned and bowed her head to the Mane twins, "I look forward to our alliance, and to the blood which we will shed." With that being said, Elisabeth followed her Alpha away from the Mane twins and towards the exit of the cemetery. Now all she had to do was gather five of her best men and save her reputation and career from falling into the mud. Easy, peasy.

[Damonique]

Lucent noticed the start of surprise in Elisabeth's features, and the instinct with which she coiled up to strike at this uninvited touch, but she fought back her instincts at the last moment, demurring to his authority. "Yes, Alpha Mane, I understand." Those words of submission he hoped to hear much of from the younger warrior in the future. His point made, he stepped back and feigned disinterest, watching how the brunette handled his sister.

Elisabeth had the perception not to shy away from his sisters demands like she had his, and her words were sweet but uncompromising. While her eagerness to prove herself so soon may have been feigned, Khlia seemed satisfied enough, stepping back and giving a nod and a growl of agreement, her deep green eyes so similar to her brothers, but also harder, crueler, transfixing the younger warrior, sizing her up once again.

Khlia didn't hate her, at least, not to the extent that Elisabeth clearly hated them. If the brunette warrior proved her mettle, Khlia could grudgingly accept her brothers...infatuation with the girl. If she proved weak, or worse, cowardly, an 'accident' could always take place in the heat of battle. Better that than allow her brother's invaluable attention be wasted on useless pursuits.

Once Savic returned from his call, Lucent turned his attention back to the older Alpha, once again concealing his disappointment at the Evertails lack-luster response to their call and taking the polite words offered at face value. While he was truly disappointed that even a pack he and his sister had never once attacked or offended still saw he and his sister with scorn and derision simply for being, he was not surprised. Hearts and minds were hard to change. At the moment, he didn't need their love, only their strength.

"Very well, Savic. Travel safely. With your agreement, I will have instruct my warriors to begin patrolling the outskirts of Evertail territory starting tonight. If any of your own men run into trouble, they'll only be a howl away. Redmoon will likely need time to consider and discuss our alliance with his own allies before he makes a move, but it's better to be cautious." Lucent answered, back to being completely businesslike now, running possible moves and counter-moves through his head. At least, until he turned his attention to Elisabeth when she gave her regards, she truly did know just what to say to the both of them, giving her a satisfied grin before she turned to follow after her Alpha.

He kept grinning as she walked away, admiring the curve of her shoulders, the toned muscleature of her back, and the sway of her hips as the vanished into the night. This reverie was only broken when Khlia suddenly punched him in the shoulder, hard enough to make him stumble to the side. Lucent turned to his sister to find her wearing a playful smirk.

"Focus, Brother. Fuck her later, we have work to do." She stated with a teasing roll of her eyes and turned on heel back the way they came, the limousine would be parked just down the block.

[brokecollege]

When the pair returned to their territory, they were immediately bombarded with questions, comments, and complaints. Why did they have to ally with the Mane twins? Didn't they know what they had done to their previous Alpha? What if the Mane twins betray them at their most desperate hour? Elisabeth helped the Alpha to silence the fears of the women and children with sweet, honeyed assurances. Nothing would go wrong, they promised. The Mane twins were an honorable pair that would defend the Evertails to the death.

After their fears were quieted, they all retreated into the homes. Well, except for the men, who had all been ordered by Elisabeth to stay for an "extra" talking to. When they had all gathered before her, she informed them from that point on they were to defend the Fangs just as much as they defended the Evertails. If not, then they would suffer at the hands of Khlia Mane herself. They agreed, although somewhat begrudgingly, to defend the Fangs as their own. They would not hesitate, they would not waver. They swore. Elisabeth then went on to tell them of the challenge Khlia had presented her with.

The men immediately jumped at the chance to prove themselves, though in the end only five of the best were chosen by Elisabeth. She sent the rest to patrol the borders and to train, while she and her best warriors prepared themselves for the bloody battle ahead. They trained for most of the night before Elisabeth sent them off to bed. As important as it was to train before a big fight, it was also important to sleep. Without sleep, their performance would drop. And that was the last thing that Elisabeth needed at this battle.

Elisabeth woke the following afternoon. She showered, dressed, and then prepared for her warriors a mighty breakfast. She couldn't let them go into battle with an empty stomach, now could she? The young girl called her five best into the dining room, and the six of them ate and laughed for a good few hours. They helped Elisabeth to clean (which Elisabeth demanded that they do, of course) before they gathered their things and walked to the edge of their territory.

"Do you know who we will be attacking?" one of her men questioned. Elisabeth shook her head. No, she didn't know who they were attacking. Honestly, she wasn't even sure if they were going to attack anyone. For all they knew, Khlia was going to fight Elisabeth and her men. But, she supposed that they were soon to find out. "No. But it doesn't matter. Each of you will perform your best, or I will make sure that you'll never see sunlight again." she warned. Her men nodded, never once doubting her threats. As kind as Elisabeth was, she could also be extremely brutal when needed. They had learned that the hard way.

Elisabeth's face contorted, changing into the furry muzzle of a wolf. She lifted her head into the air and howled loud and clear for Khlia to inform the Mane twin of her readiness. And, perhaps, to remind her that such a challenge was even taking place. When she was finished with her howl, her face returned to normal and dropped her head back down. "Now," she breathed as she crossed her arms over her chest, "We wait."

[Damonique]

The Manes returned to their limousine, windows open, noses attentive towards the scent of danger, though all seemed quiet for now. As soon as they crossed out of the neutral territory in the city center into their own section of the city, a half-dozen big black motorcycles appeared from alleyways, forming a convoy around the limo as they finally made their way to the heart of their operation.

The building was plain, at least on the outside, a six-story red-brick affair, nestled on an industrial street that no longer had any industry left, all boarded-up factories and condemned apartments. The nearby streets inhabited by humans were slums for the poorest of the poor, a blight on the urban landscape, beneath the interest of the police and thus perfect cover for their operations. If all went well with Lucent's plans, the humans would be gone in a year, paid off or...otherwise...incentivized to leave, the property bought up. Three years, and most of the worst buildings and homes would be demolished, the rest renovated, and inhabited entirely by the werewolves of his much-expanded pack. Five years, businesses would be created, owned and operated by and for werewolves. And so on, and so on.

That was his dream, a haven for their kind, where they could not just survive, but thrive. Build lives and families in safety. Live with wealth and luxury, and owe it all to himself. The street-wars and squabbles for influence and territory were just a prelude, as for his plans to come to fruition, the packs would have to submit, one by one, give up their old ways, their Alphas and their infighting, and become one, all encompassing wolf-kin. For now, he played his part, just one more leader among many, but one day, he would be the the only Alpha. The Mane. The leader.

The limousine parked in the underground garage of the abandoned factory across the street, cluttered with vehicles. Three limos, two-dozen motorcycles, and several large passenger vans, all top of the line, the Manes personal fleet. While many packs scorned automobiles as yet another 'human contraption', and only used them out of necessity, Lucent treated them as just another part of his logistics, a way to transport and deploy the Fangs wherever they were needed.

Past the garage doors, they reached the factory proper, the machinery had long-since been removed, the internal walls demolished to make room for a sheltered town. There were pre-fab FEMA trailers lining the walls, and a multitude of kiosks set away from them, distributing food and necessities free of charge to the inhabitants. Much of the pack lived here, the rest making their dens wherever they close in the abandoned buildings nearby, and the twins were assaulted by questions the moment they arrived. They lingered just long enough to make a few speeches and clarify details with the commons before crossing the street to their own abode.

The red-brick building, not much to look at from the outside, had once office space. Now it had been completely renovated to suit Lucent's expensive taste in deep cherry wood,listening chrome and glass, with meeting rooms, apartments, training spaces, and storage areas. This was where the upper echelon of their society lived and worked. The primary meeting room of the ground floor was packed to bursting, ad the twins spent hours their, huddled with not the just Khlia's elite Fangs, but Lucent's own favorites. Thinkers, strategists, logistics specialists, chosen for the mental acumen rather than martial prowess. Male and female, young and old, he required views and suggestions from every walk to pack life to plan his next moves.

Finally, exhausted, the twins made their way up to the top floor where they made their own abode. A single, massive bedroom divided into two halves, one for each twin and completely dissimilar, separated only by curtains for privacy. Lucents half was richly furnished and immaculately cleaned and organized, a large, plush four-poster bed flanked on one side by a maze of bookshelves, his personal library, surrounding an high-tech office space with computers, projectors, and a desk piled his with records and reports. On the other side was his relaxation area, a raised section of marble flooring set into which was a massive Jacuzzi, large enough to easily fit six, surrounded by comfortable chairs and a well-stocked bar counter.

Khlia's half of the room was a mess, her 'bed' simply a massive pile of blankets and cushions nestled into a corner, surrounded by a haphazard array of take-out containers and liquor bottles. A pool table sat askew on the other side, and a full-size boxing ring dominated a good part of the floor-space. The walls were porcupined with carelessly tossed darts and knives tossed at hastily spray-painted targets and silhouettes of humans and wolves. The room, was, truly a physical representation of how very different the two Mane Twins were.

They had a late-night meal at the large dining table situated between their rooms, and the carried out their nightly ritual, filling the Jacuzzi with a foot or so of steaming hot water, stripping down and reverting to their natural states, two black wolves, and lazed together in the water, grooming one another and speaking amongst themselves in familial growls as they had in the many natural hot-springs of Yellowstone as pups.

-----------

Elisabeth's first sign of Khlia's coming was the roaring of engines closing fast, joined by a multitude of answering howls as they approached, the six large Harley-Davidson's, five black and one a metallic blue, Khlias, arriving to ride circles around her an her warriors before finally stopping it unison. They were all dressed in denim and leather, three males and two females, every one showing scars of recent combat and also, most peculiarly, five deep claw-marks marring the left side of their faces, and token of their leaders esteem.

Khlia mane threw off her helmet into the waiting hands of one of her subordinates, stalking up to Elisabeth with a confident air, hands on her hips and clearly judging as the examined the Evertail warriors behind her one after the other before finally giving the barest nod of approval. They seemed competent enough, although tonight would show their true mettle. Almost as an afterthought, she extended a large hand to Elisabeth in greeting.

"Good, you made it." She stated bluntly, and motioned for the warriors behind her to step forward. "These five are Caine, Alec, Grigory, Lash, and Alicia. Each can count at least ten kills to their names, not counting humans, of course. They are Fangs, born in battle. Any one of them would die for me, my brother, our pack. Would yours do the same for you, and for us? If not, send them home." The question was rhetorical, surely Elisabeth could do naught but agree, but Khlia wanted to hear it from Elisabeth's own lips. If any of the Evertails showed cowardice, Khlia would kill them herself, and she needed to ensure that she had an excuse to do so.

[brokecollege]

When the roar of motorcycles and howls filled the forest, Elisabeth sucked in a quiet breath. She had been forced to prove herself many times in the previous years, but never before had she been nervous beforehand. Perhaps the reason was that instead of proving herself to a man, she was proving herself to a fearless woman. Elisabeth dropped her arms from over her chest as Khlia, and her warriors rode around the small group.

When they finally came to a stop, Khlia hopped off of her motorcycle and approached Elisabeth with a confidence that was brighter than any light. Elisabeth didn't think she had ever seen a more confident woman than Khlia and wondered if the girl had always been that confident. Elisabeth knew that she, herself, hadn't. "Ms. Mane." Elisabeth greeted as she shook the woman's hand. Khlia introduced Elisabeth to the warriors she had brought before, of course, taking a jab at the men Elisabeth had brought. Ah, she shouldn't have expected anything less from the famous Mane twin.

"It's sweet that you think your warriors are the only ones in the world who would die for their leaders." Elisabeth mused, her eyes momentarily flickering over to the men and women who had tagged along behind Khlia. They were all just as confident as their leader, and just as scarred too. Though, she noticed, they all bore an unusual scar on their face. All in the same position, and all the same size. How odd. Elisabeth's gaze returned to Khlia. "My men are as brutal as they are loyal, which is to say extremely. They will die for me, their Alpha, and anyone their Alpha deems worthy. Though, I'm sure our little arrangement will prove that soon enough." she paused to gesture to the line of men behind her.

"Before that, however, let me introduce you and your warriors to your new friends: Adam, Bryant, Caesar, Foster, and Kellan." Elisabeth pointed to each of her men as she spoke their names, who in turn bowed their heads when they were introduced. When she was finished, she turned back to Khlia with a smile. "Now that the introductions are over with, how about we get to the 'proving myself and my pack's abilities' thing? I hope you don't mind the rush, but I do have something to do after this is over." she explained. Khlia was confident. She oozed confidence.

So, if Elisabeth didn't share that same amount of confidence in her own pack and her own abilities, then Khlia would never take Elisabeth seriously as a warrior. She would never get the woman's respect or acknowledgement. Because of that, Elisabeth needed to display just as much confidence as the Mane twin. Though that wasn't necessarily hard, as she knew the abilities of her men very well. They might not have shed as much blood as Khlia and her men, but they were still strong and sturdy men who could defend themselves and their pack.

[Damonique]

Khlia turned up her nose and smirked at the younger woman's well-chosen response to her challenge, while her warriors spread out to at least do the courtesy of shaking hands and introducing themselves personally to their new allies. Despite her dismissive demeanor, Elisabeth and her men seemed to mean business, and she could recognize the evidence of past battles on some of them. And Elisabeth hadn't earned her reputation, and her position, for nothing. It was rare for a female not mated to the Alpha to rise to command men in a pack, and her warriors showed a loyalty and subservience that proved they followed her of their own volition.

"We shall see. And I wonder what business could be more pressing than a hunt." Khlia responded offhandedly at her suggestion that she had matters to attend to, genuinely curious. While she had been following Elisabeth Vaugns rise with interest, as she always did when another female rose above what was usually their station in this society, the girl's history and personal life was a mystery to her. And given her Brothers sudden interest in her, it was do well to fin out what her motivations were. But there would be time for idle talk later.

"I suppose you'll want to know what I have planned. The Whiteclaws." Elisabeth would know them, a smaller pack, unluckily placed. Their territory was a narrow strip deeper in these woods, on the outskirts of the city, sitting directly between Evertail and Fang land. The younger warrior would be able to guess where Khlia was going with this.
Small as they were, they only remained intact because neither Savic nor Lucent would let the other have such a direct and tactically advantageous route to the others territory. It was better to let them be, than risk war trying to annex them. But now things had changed.

"We already offered to allow them to join our alliance, but we didn't like the answer he gave. It was quite unflattering to my brother and I, the usual tripe about the cold-blooded mongrel and his savage slut of a sister. I don't know how the rest of it went because the messenger was missing a throat to speak with after than last comment. Lucent was most disappointed in me. But what's done is done." Khlia explained further, licking her lips at the mention of the messenger, and Elisabeth would be able to see a few flecks of blood she'd missed still spattered around the scarred warriors lips. She seemed to enjoy the taste.

[brokecollege]

Where Elisabeth had to be and what she had to do after this little rendezvous of theirs was no concern of Khlia's. So, Elisabeth didn't tell her. She watched from the corner of her eye as her men shook hands and made small talk with their new allies. For as much as they hated the Fang pack, they sure were getting along nicely with them. She almost smirked--what good boys. She would have to reward them for their polite display.

After a moment of silence had passed, Khlia informed Elisabeth of the intended target: the Whiteclaws. They were a small pack who had, up until this point, maintained relative peace with both the Fangs and the Evertails. For a time they had even traded goods with the Evertails, though that ended sometime before Elisabeth rose to her current position. Elisabeth opened her mouth to ask why they were attacking such a harmless pack when Khlia suddenly informed her of the situation.

According to her, she and her brother had tried to absorb the small pack into their numbers. To no surprise, the Whiteclaws refused. They may have been small, but like every other pack, they valued their independence. But rejecting the Fangs wasn't were their mistake lay. No, their mistake lay in the names degrading names they had called Khlia and her brother. Elisabeth slowly nodded her head, a small breath of air escaping her pink lips as she thought of the situation.

"I scouted the Whiteclaws' territory some weeks ago. Savic heard a rumor that they had planned to ally with the Redmoons, so he ordered me to keep an eye on them. From what I remember, the Whiteclaws have very little protection. And the all the protection they do have are placed on their patrol units. A few men patrol in the morning, a few a night, and then one or two in between the shifts." Elisabeth thought aloud, her eyes narrowing as she tried to recall every detail about the pack.

"If we take out their patrols, then we can eliminate the rest of the pack with little resistance. My men and I will take out the patrol units nice and quiet, to avoid alerting anyone. Then you and your men can slip inside, and we can all reek havoc throughout the pack. Does that sound like a plan?" Elisabeth questioned as she looked between her men, Khlia's men, and then Khlia herself. While her men seemed eager to go through with Elisabeth's plan, the brunette wasn't too sure what Khlia thought.

Khlia was confident, and dominating, and probably not at all used to taking orders from someone like Elisabeth. She was like a man, in that sense. Always in control, always on top, always the one people looked to for leadership and orders. But Khlia had wanted to see what Elisabeth and her men were made of, and what better way was there than to follow Elisabeth's plan?

[brokecollege]

Where Elisabeth had to be and what she had to do after this little rendezvous of theirs was no concern of Khlia's. So, Elisabeth didn't tell her. She watched from the corner of her eye as her men shook hands and made small talk with their new allies. For as much as they hated the Fang pack, they sure were getting along nicely with them. She almost smirked--what good boys. She would have to reward them for their polite display.

After a moment of silence had passed, Khlia informed Elisabeth of the intended target: the Whiteclaws. They were a small pack who had, up until this point, maintained relative peace with both the Fangs and the Evertails. For a time they had even traded goods with the Evertails, though that ended sometime before Elisabeth rose to her current position. Elisabeth opened her mouth to ask why they were attacking such a harmless pack when Khlia suddenly informed her of the situation.

According to her, she and her brother had tried to absorb the small pack into their numbers. To no surprise, the Whiteclaws refused. They may have been small, but like every other pack, they valued their independence. But rejecting the Fangs wasn't were their mistake lay. No, their mistake lay in the names degrading names they had called Khlia and her brother. Elisabeth slowly nodded her head, a small breath of air escaping her pink lips as she thought of the situation.

"I scouted the Whiteclaws' territory some weeks ago. Savic heard a rumor that they had planned to ally with the Redmoons, so he ordered me to keep an eye on them. From what I remember, the Whiteclaws have very little protection. And the all the protection they do have are placed on their patrol units. A few men patrol in the morning, a few a night, and then one or two in between the shifts." Elisabeth thought aloud, her eyes narrowing as she tried to recall every detail about the pack.

"If we take out their patrols, then we can eliminate the rest of the pack with little resistance. My men and I will take out the patrol units nice and quiet, to avoid alerting anyone. Then you and your men can slip inside, and we can all reek havoc throughout the pack. Does that sound like a plan?" Elisabeth questioned as she looked between her men, Khlia's men, and then Khlia herself. While her men seemed eager to go through with Elisabeth's plan, the brunette wasn't too sure what Khlia thought.

Khlia was confident, and dominating, and probably not at all used to taking orders from someone like Elisabeth. She was like a man, in that sense. Always in control, always on top, always the one people looked to for leadership and orders. But Khlia had wanted to see what Elisabeth and her men were made of, and what better way was there than to follow Elisabeth's plan?

[Damonique]

While Elisabeth might have expected another smirk or derogatory remark, as she laid out her plan to attack, she had Khlias full attention. Wordplay and mind games, keeping up appearances, were all well and good, but not now. This was business. While Lucent handled the politics and the day-to-day operations of the Fangs, warfare was Khlias sole responsibility, and she did it well. In the heat of battle, it didn't matter who you were, where you came from, the petty personal feelings one might have, all was decided by strategy, skill, an instinct. At the very least, Elisabeth had a good head for the first. Khlia nodded her approval.

"Straight and to the point. Efficient. I'd have some fun before snapping the jaws together, chase them through the woods for a bit, pick them off one by one, drink in the fear as they see the end approaching, but this is your show. What sort of test would it be if I gave you all the answers?" Khlia stated amicably, and then turned to her warriors, beaconing two of them forward, a broad-shouldered, bald headed male, and a lithe, black-haired female.

"Take Grigory and Lash with you, and give me two of yours. I want to see them in action. I assure you, my own will not disappoint." She stated bluntly, and then turned to two indicated warriors, who seemed uneasy about following a stranger, and fixed them with a cold stare that told them all they needed to know until they bowed their heads respectfully. Khlia then raised her nose to the air and changed it into a canine muzzle, inhaling deeply and flicking out her tongue to taste the air, wearing a savage grin when it changed back.

"Smells like one of those dusk patrols isn't too far off. I'll take them, loudly, should make your job easier if the think it's just me, you get rid of the rest. Howl when it's all clear to hit the den, and come join me fast as you can. Hopefully, I'll leave one two for you. I've been looking forward to seeing you in action as well." The larger raven-haired female stated in short, clipped sentences that brooked no debate, and immediately began stripping off her jacket, tank-top, and shorts into a pile beside her motorcycle, her warriors doing the same without a hint of modesty.

Almost ever inch of her body was scarred. Claw-marks, bites, stabs, gunshot wounds and burns all trailing together and overlapping to forma sort of mosaic pattern across her muscular form, the off-white scarring contrasting with deep reddish-tan skin, a living record of the life she led. While some of the individual wounds were ugly, together they meshing into something of surreal beauty. Noticing Elisabeth, and several of her warriors staring, she gave an amused cackle.

That laugh gave way to a snarl and she doubled over, sprouting a coat of long black fur, four paws tipped with three-inch razor fangs, and a muzzle full of ripping teeth, broad canine torso heaving as she panted with fervor and blood-lust, meeting Elisabeth's eyes with knowing, sea-green canine eyes before turning to the woods, her three remaining warriors padding up behind her, already in wolf-shape and waiting for whichever two Evertails Elisabeth chose to get the message.

The other two wolves, a huge male with a patchy coat that reflected his baldness in man shape, and a smaller, grey beast, stood at attention in front of Elisabeth. Their orders were clear, they were to follow and fight with this Evertail, and witness her talents with their own eyes. Determine weather she deserved to have their lives in her paws.

[brokecollege]

Elisabeth was (obviously) surprised when Khlia didn't dismiss her plan. Instead, she encouraged it. Who would've thought that the domineering Mane twin could do such a thing? After she gave a rather friendly comment regarding Elisabeth's plan, she called forth two of her warriors and informed Elisabeth that they would be tagging along with her. And, in turn, two of Elisabeth's men would be tagging along with Khlia.

Elisabeth nodded--that wasn't a bad idea. That way she could assess the abilities of Khlia's men while Khlia could evaluate the ability of her men. Khlia sniffed the air and informed Elisabeth of the dusk patrol that was wandering the area. She looked down at her watch--ah, just in time. By the time Elisabeth had looked up from her watch, Khlia and her warriors had all begun to undress.

They didn't let a moment go to waste, now did they? Khlia was the first among her men to tug off her shirt and reveal the array of scars on her body. It was insane just how many scars the woman had. She had so many that a lot of her scars overlapped others, creating a mesh of surreal beauty. Elisabeth wondered how the woman had received so many scars in her short span of life. And she wondered if she ever despised the look of them, as Elisabeth often did with her scars.

When Khlia cackled, Elisabeth snapped out of her thoughts and looked away from the woman. "Bryant. Caesar," she called. Two men, both of them equally tall and burly, stepped forward. "You two will follow Khlia. She gives an order, you two follow it. Understood?" she questioned. Both men nodded their heads in understanding before they turned and walked over to Khlia. They, like Khlia's men, then began to undress. Elisabeth turned to the men she was left with and spoke, "We find the patrols, and we get rid of them nice and quiet like. If we alert them too soon, then they alert the den." she reminded as she pulled off her shirt.

She tossed it to the ground as she continued, "Foster and Kellan, you two will remain in your human forms for the time being. The focus of today's event is to assess our ally's strengths, and I can't asses their strengths if two of my best are killing every target. When we're ready to hit the den, then you can join in." she unbuttoned and unzipped her pants before she pulled them off and tossed them aside. "Adam, you and Lash will dispose of the patrol on the South end. Grigory and I will handle the rest."

When she had relayed the last of her plans, Elisabeth finally transformed into her natural form. A short, and oh-so-small wolf that didn't look the least bit harmful. Her teeth were sharp, and long, and yearning for the blood which they had gone so long without. Her fur, a dark shade of brown, swayed in the passing wind. She shifted and cranked her neck from side to side before she ran off into the woods, her warriors following closely behind her.

It didn't take long for Elisabeth to find the first patrol. A group of three men, all of whom were laughing and talking as they made their rounds. What fools. When patrolling your grounds you were supposed to be alert, serious, and looking for signs of danger. Not frolicking about! Elisabeth waited for Adam and Lash to near their position before she lunged forward and tackled one of the men to the ground. Without the slightest of hesitance, she opened her mouth and tore out the pinned man's throat. As he choked on his own blood, she turned and tackled a second man before doing the same to him.

She would have moved onto the next man, but decided to let Grigory have the satisfaction of finishing him off. She was, after all, supposed to be assessing the strength of the Fang warriors. She waited for Grigory to finish getting rid of the third man (which he did quite efficiently, might she had) before she stepped back. That was the last of the dusk patrols. Well, that is if Adam, Lash, and Khlia, had correctly handled the patrols that they encountered. But she didn't really doubt that they had.

[Damonique]

Khlia and her warriors were off like a bullet, the Evertail men struggling to keep pace as they streaked through the woods, Khlia herself a black shadow, soundless despite her bulk, her paws leaving the ground as quickly as they struck it. It wasn't long before the Whiteclaw patrol came into view. Two were wearing human shape, but the leader wore the form of a scarred grey wolf, and smelled the before they were seen, barking and baring his fangs.

Khlia toyed with them a moment while she waited for the others to catch up, circling around a large tree trunk to catch one of them by the ankle from behind, cracking the bone easily with one snap of her powerful jaws, coiling around to use the sheer weight of one of her paws to slam him into the ground and deliver the killing glow with an efficient rake of her claws along the windpipe.

Then she darted back as Caine and one of Elisabeth's men, Bryant, took the leader between them, pouncing from each side. The Mane Twin was impressed with the coordination the displayed as they went down in a writhing, snapping mess of fur and teeth. Before long, the leader was dead, the mottled grey coat soaked in blood and mangled beyond recognition.

The last Whiteclaw warrior, a small male who couldn't have been more than twenty years old, had burst into wolf-shape, leaving the shredded scaps of his clothing on the ground and turned tail to run at the first sign of danger. Khlia was disgusted, he hadn't even waited until his leader was beyond saving to flee. But it had bought him time, and Khlia reared to give chase, to other warriors hot on her heels. Her quarry was smaller and new the lay of the land better, ducking under and vaulting over underbrush and thorn bushes that Khlia merely barreled through, at one point smashing straight through a rotten-tree trunk , just the force of her muscular shoulders shattering it to splinters.

She caught up with him a few feet into the clearing that surrounded the Whiteclaws den, a warren of branching tunnels dug out under an outcropping of rock, a true wolves-den, rather than the makeshift 'dens' made by city wolves in abandoned buildings, alleyways and sewers. With a six-foot leap, she rode the smaller wolf down into the dirt, pinning him by the shoulders, her claws dug into the muscle there, drawing blood, and allowing his pained moans and squeals to draw out the remaining Whiteclaws.

About a half-dozen warriors and a dozen more civilians, led by their Alpha, an older man with a wild mane of grey hair and a thick beard. A few of the warriors were already transformed, while the rest just stared as Khlia continued to savage the unlucky one beneath her. There was a heartbroken wail from a female towards the rear of the group, no doubt the pups mother, and several angry snarls from the same vicinity, brothers and cousins thirsty for vengeance.

Paying them no heed, Khlia transformed back to her nude human form, reaching down and snapping the bleeding, defeated wolves neck with her muscular forearms, and stared down the Alpha with her sea-green eyes, displaying neither pity nor rage as she slowly stood, balancing lightly on top of the corpse. The five from the fight in the clearing had finally tracked her here, and were spayed out behind, ready for battle, only waiting for a signal, and Elisabeth would be along shortly. Their ten would be outnumbered, but most of these left were not fighters, the young, elderly, and female. Still, if they all fought to the death, it could prove a challenge.

"See what your arrogance costs you, Whiteclaw? This..." She indicated the body beneath her, stepping off and casually grinding it's face into the ground with her foot. "...was not my doing. You, in the back, don't blame me for the death of your kin. We would have gladly let him, and those other warriors dead in the woods, to live and fight beside us. But your Alpha couldn't stomach it, put his pride before their lives. Your lives." She stated haughtily, and then spotted Elisabeth and her group approaching from across the clearing, and beaconed her over.

"The Evertail here were smarter, saw the plain truth that there is no fighting the Fangs, there is no fighting the Manes. And now we taste your blood together, sharing the sweet taste of victory as equals. You could have been with us, somewhere else, in another life. But not this one, not anymore."

[brokecollege]

Elisabeth took a moment to gather her composure before she lifted her muzzle into the air and howled. When she received two faint howls in return, the young girl dropped her head and looked over at her companion. With their portion of the plan now completed, she supposed it was time for all of them to meet Khlia inside of the den. Grigory, seemingly understanding this, took the lead in going to the den.

When they stepped into the center of the den, Elisabeth was unsurprised to see Khlia's naked and bloody form standing over a corpse. Surrounding her were the members of the Whiteclaws--the Alpha, the mothers, the pups, the elderly. And each of them looked angrier and more horrified than the last--no doubt because of the violent murder they had just witnessed. Elisabeth approached Khlia's side and took a seat, her cold gaze set on the weeping men and women. She remained relatively relaxed at Khlia's side, though when someone growled or made a movement, she was quick to look in their direction and assess the situation. When no threat was found, she relaxed and went about her business.

At the end of Khlia's little speech, two men in the crowd began to yell insults and profanities. While Elisabeth did turn and watch them, she made no move to stop them. It wasn't until one of them shifted and lunged towards Khlia did Elisabeth finally take action. Without the slightest bit of hesitance, Elisabeth jumped forward and knocked the wolf down in the middle of his lunge. They fell to the ground, both of them snarling and snapping at each other. The pair struggled against one another for nearly a minute before Elisabeth was finally able to clamp her mouth around his neck.

The attacker struggled to throw Elisabeth off, all the while he whimpered and whined in pain. He struggled, and struggled, and struggled before a loud crack sounded. Then silence. Elisabeth climbed from the attacker's now limp body, her teeth and muzzle soaked in his blood. Without giving the attacker another glance, she returned to Khlia's side and took her seat. The crowd looked at Elisabeth, absolutely horrified. Some fell to the ground and sobbed. Others looked away, their fists clenched in anger. But they couldn't blame Elisabeth. Nor could they blame Khlia. Because in the end, this was the life of a werewolf.

[Damonique]

Khlia retained her composure even as the lone fool charged her, observing his vain struggle against Elisabeth with amusement. She had to admit that the younger woman did have talent. When that was done, she turned back to the crowd gathered before her. Most of the civilians had already given up, falling to the ground or simply staring onward with the dead stare of defeat.

The remaining warriors looked to their Alpha, who hadn't moved from his position even as the brave soldier gave his life in vain, hands clenched in fists of impotent rage as it dawned on him that it was already over. The was no fighting, no bargaining. Just the end of his life, not with glory in battle or the contentment of seeing his chosen successor rise to leadership. Khlia smiled, self-satisfied.

"I'm feeling almost...generous. Or perhaps it's just pity. Those of you remaining, kill the old man. Tear him to shreds and piss of the corpse. He deserves it for gambling so carelessly with you lives. He isn't anyone's Alpha anymore, just look at him. Do this, and the warriors can scatter, go anywhere they please so long as it's somewhere else. The women and children may submit to your betters and be welcome as omegas." That last word was punctuated with all the derision it deserved. Little more than slaves, omegas served their superiors and lived off the scraps left to them. A life without value or honor, but still life.

It only took a moment for the words to sink in. The elderly Whiteclaw Alpha turned to his pack and prepared to bark on order, but never got the chance. One of the boldest warriors, who'd been snapping and snarling at the Fangs and Evertails moments before, tackled him to the ground, and four more, presumably that ones family, changed forms and joined in. And then more, each taking their turn inflicting a wound, and even once the Alpha was dead, they kept ripping and tearing, leaving a mangled corpse, just as requested. And then one of the hiked a leg, and then the next, the children following along at the encouragement of their mothers, inflicting the ultimate insult on the body of the man who had commanded their loyalty and respect moment ago.

And throughout it all, Khlia laughed...and laughed...and laughed, a wide, almost unhinged smile on her face as she saw it all unfold, laughing herself breathless. If Elisabeth had ever doubted for a moment Khlia Manes reputation, that was dispelled now. She was vicious, and dangerous, and at least slightly insane. Eventually the laughter died down and the woman regained her breath, turning to the younger female with a self-satisfied smile.

"You passed, take your pick of the prisoners. I'm sure Savic will be impressed when you present them to him."

[brokecollege]

Elisabeth couldn't believe just how brutal Khlia was. To kill the members of the Whiteclaw pack was brutal, but to order them to kill their Alpha and then submit themselves as Omegas was an entirely different kind of brutal. If nothing else, it was an insane kind of brutal. It didn't take long for the Whiteclaws to give into Khlia's orders. One by one, they all joined in to murder their Alpha. Before long, the poor old man was nothing but a heap of bloodied skin and bones on the ground.

The warriors who had joined in the attack scattered as soon as they finished the task, while the women and children remained glued to the ground. Elisabeth tore her gaze from the mess to look over at Khlia, who had finished laughing at the situation. She truly was a mad woman, wasn't she? Elisabeth transformed back into her human form, just as bloodied and nude as Khlia was. But, unlike Khlia, Elisabeth had a huge, bleeding bitemark on her shoulder. She, however, paid no mind to it. It hurt, of course, but she couldn't show the pain until she was alone.

Otherwise, she'd be seen as weak. And those who were seen as weak.. she glanced over at the Whiteclaws. Well, she saw what happened to those who were seen as weak. "I'll give my Alpha your regards." she hummed. She waved her men over before she gestured towards two women and a child. They were soaked in the blood of their Alpha, all three of them having been some of the first to join in attacking the man.

"Take them back to the pack grounds. They'll need to be examined and put into new clothes before being presented to the Alpha." she ordered. Her men nodded, grabbed the prisoners she had indicated, and dragged them from the grounds. The child fought with all his might against Elisabeth's men, while the women went along without struggle. They knew that struggling was useless, if not a fatal mistake. Even as they left the grounds, they could be heard attempting to quiet the sobbing and struggling child. Elisabeth gave Khlia and her warriors a final farewell before she followed her men back to their territory.

[Damonique]

When Elisabeth transformed back to her human form, Khlia studied her carefully, looking for her eyes to betray any hint of distaste at the Manes actions. And it was there, a well-concealed hint of fear and apprehension as the younger woman realized just who her Alpha had involved her with. Khlia didn't mind, so long as she kept her reservations to herself, Elisabeth could think what she wanted.

She turned her eyes to look the the brunette up and down now. While last night she had appeared composed and carefully put-together, this look seemed to her a more honest show of what Elisabeth Vaughn was. Not just the nudity, but the marring of dirt and blood on he caramel skin, the fresh wound on her shoulder made her seem more alive. Her brother would be jealous of the view.

"Farewell, Elisabeth Vaughn, until next time. Hunt-sister. Pack mate. You earned my blood." Khlia said in parting, and after her warriors had rounded up the rest of their new omegas, shifted back to wolf-shape and headed back the way they came to collect their clothing and motorcycles. Once she had her phone back, she'd call from Lucent to send a van and a few of the women to get the prisoners dressed, cleaned, and coached in their new duties.

Back at their compound, Khlia gave Lucent a full report of the evenings happening, and he couldn't be more pleased. Everything had gone according to plan, and while his sisters methods sometimes bothered even him, they the fear she instilled was a valuable asset. Her only orders had been to leave a few of the warriors alive to run to the Redmoons and the Freerunners and others who opposed them and spread the word, Khlia's own take on them had been even better.

Such a piece of showmanship, the trademark amorality of it all. And the Evertails had been witnessed, not just condoning, but assisting in and gaining from it. If it hadn't been before, their alliance was now set in stone...or written in blood, in this instance. Once word of this reached the rest of the Wolf-kin in the city, they would be hated as much as the Manes already were.

And of course, there was Elisabeth. While it was, as always, grudging, Khlia admitted that she and her warriors had handles themselves were and accepted the outcome without question. She had passed a test of not just strength and skill also of resolve and pragmatism.

-------

The next morning, a messenger arrived in Evertail territory. In fact, it was one of the captured Whiteclaw women, now dressed in a drab grey dress, a dog collar around her throat to indicate her station. While she was none too eager to meet with those who had helped in the destruction of her pack and the death of her kin so recently, she had no choice, and besides, it was what would be a rare opportunity to see her pack-mates that had been taken by the Evertail.

She humbly requested, on behalf of the Alpha Lucent Mane for his esteemed ally, the warrior Elisabeth Vaughn and a few of her chosen companions to join him for dinner. A limousine would arrive for her in the afternoon.

[brokecollege]

The rest of the night was spent informing the Alpha of the battle and organizing the prisoners into their new positions as Omegas. It was also spent, somewhat begrudgingly, bandaging up Elisabeth's wounds. She had never liked bandaging herself up, for she thought it to be even more painful than the wound itself. But when all was done, Elisabeth returned to her room in the packhouse where she passed out onto the bed.

The next morning went by as it usually would: Elisabeth went for her run, had a meeting with the Alpha, ate something for breakfast, and then gathered her men to do some training exercises. It was in the middle of those exercises when the Alpha, followed by a woman in a gray dress, approached her. She recognized the woman as one of the prisoners Khlia had took the day before. But, why was she here now? Elisabeth curiously crossed her arms over her chest as the woman relayed her message for the second time. "You're kidding," Elisabeth muttered with furrowed brows.

"He wants me to go to dinner with him? Me? Why?" she questioned. Savic shrugged his shoulders, being just as clueless as Elisabeth was. "I suppose the only way to find out is to go to dinner with him, Lizzie." the old man informed. He looked over at the Omega that they had sent and gave her a dismissive nod. "Thank you for the message. You may return to your pack." Then, he turned his attention back to Elisabeth. "He asked for you and a few of your companions. Perhaps he just wants to thank all of you for last night's battle," he suggested.

Elisabeth frowned. That might've been the case, but it didn't feel like it. She turned back to her men (who were still doing their usual routine) and raised a hand for them to stop. "I want Bryant, Adam, and Kellan to stop what you're doing and get ready for dinner with Lucent Mane." she called, "The rest of you will continue your routine with Foster as your guide. Do I make myself clear?" When her men had given back their reply, Elisabeth turned back to the Alpha. "I'll report to you after the dinner, sir."

Elisabeth then returned to her room and got ready for the dinner. She dressed in semi-casual clothing, as she had no idea exactly where they would be going to dinner. She didn't want to make a fool of herself by dressing too formally or too casually, so she supposed this would have to do. When she was finished, she joined her men outside of the packhouse. They, like her, dressed in semi-casual clothes. Though, unlike Elisabeth, they were excited about this dinner. They thought the meaning of it was to praise them for yesterday's performance. Elisabeth decided not to spoil their excitement by telling them that it wasn't.

After an hour or so, a limousine pulled up in front of the group. Her men began to practically jump up in down in excitement--none of them had ever been in a limousine before! They crammed into the limousine, giggling amongst themselves about the fanciness and beauty of it. When her men were settled into their seats, Elisabeth climbed in and shut the door. Here went nothing.

[Damonique]

The limo left wolf territory and entered the no-mans land of the city proper, too congested with the multitudes of humanity for their kind to operate openly, and beyond that, a richer part of it, buildings getting taller as if trying to outdo one another in their opulence. The luxury boutiques and up-scale malls that that served the well-to-do lining the streets.

After a slight delay for traffic, they reached their destination , a large and well-appointed Chinese establishment, built to resemble an oriental palace. No cut-rate buffet. The driver parked and let Elisabeth and her men out on the curb before speeding off to find parking. Inside, a smart-suited server opened the doors for them, looked the odd group over, and seeming to understand who they were, led them upstairs to a private room. While the humans dining in the main floor would be blind to it, to their more sensitive noses, the place was full of the smell of werewolf. But not their own European breed or the distinctly American scent of the Mane twins, but even more foreign, the white Siberian wolves of the east.

In the room, Lucent Mane was seated across the table with two of them, smaller Asian men with white hair in sleeveless tunics that displayed a multitude of calligraphic tattoo's covering their arms and necks, speaking to them in flawless Mandarin. Larger wolves stood at attention opposite one another at each end of the room, three of Lucent's Fangs on one side, two being the massive, bald Grigory and the female Lash who had fought beside Elisabeth yesterday, who nodded in greetings to the Evertails when they arrived. Across the room were three bulky warriors, similarly tattooed as their bosses who eyed the newcomers warily, suddenly finding themselves outnumbered, but relaxed when the leaders seemed unperturbed, standing and turning to look over Elisabeth and her men.

"Ah, Elisabeth, you finally join is. These here are Timur Jiang and Xian Chu, two of the three leaders of the Jurchen Clique, who have invited us to their fine establishment to discuss business of mutual interest. They were quite impressed with word of yesterday's victory." Lucent spoke in English, and the indicated Elisabeth and switched back to Mandarin, introducing her to their hosts. The two men gave the slightest bow in recognition at her introduction, examining the brunette until one cracked what was no doubt a joke concerning her appearance, from the chuckled of the other. Lucent didn't brother to translate, nor did he share in their amusement, instead giving a sharply pointed response in the same tongue.

Lucent found himself examining her as well. Even dressed plainly and unadorned as she was, Elisabeth was still a beauty, the white blouse contrasting well with her caramel skin,those amber eyes as sharp and inquisitive as ever. While he hadn't appreciated the tone of Jiang's comment, he had to admit it was accurate. After translating a few trifling pleasantries back and forth, he indicated the seat beside his own across from the Jurchen leaders for her to sit.

"Please, sit, make yourself comfortable. Food should be arriving soon, your men can join mine at the end of the table." He stated with a easy air, waiting patiently for Elisabeth to take her place, and shifted slightly in his seat to draw closer to her once she had, reaching up, quite uninvited, to brush aside a stray bang that had fallen across her cheek.

[brokecollege]

When they had finally arrived at the restaurant, Elisabeth was surprised by the elegance of it. She had expected for their dinner to be in something closer to an Apple Bee's than this, though she was in no way disappointed. It had been years since Elisabeth had dined at such a prestigious restaurant. She walked with her men inside of the restaurant, though as soon as they stepped inside, she froze. That scent--what was that scent? It wasn't her men, nor was it the scent of Lucent and his men. It was something else.

Elisabeth's eyes narrowed, and she warily looked around the restaurant. Whatever that scent was, she didn't like it. And neither did her men, though that was evident by their tense forms and furrowed brows. The same server who had opened the door for the group guided them up upstairs into a large, private room. While she had expected only to be met by Lucent and his men, she was surprised to find an entirely different group there as well. A group which bore the unfamiliar and unexpected scent she had picked up downstairs.

This wasn't just a dinner to commend their achievements, was it? It was a meeting. But if it was a meeting, then why hadn't Savic been informed? Why hadn't he been asked to tag along? She supposed she would have to ask Lucent those questions. "Alpha Mane." she greeted with a bow of her head. She then turned to the strange, tattooed men and offered them the same bow of the head. She gestured for her men to take their seats at the end of the table before she slowly, and cautiously, approached her designated seat.

As soon as she sat down, Lucent pulled himself closer towards her and then lifted a hand brush a strand of hair from her face. Elisabeth flinched in surprise, having not expected for Lucent to so boldly lay his hand on her. Even if he was interested her (which she was starting to believe more and more), she didn't think he would've touched her so openly in front of potential partners. The young girl cleared her throat before inching ever so slightly away from Lucent.

"If I may ask, Alpha Mane," Elisabeth began, her attention shifting from the table to the Alpha besides her. "Why were my men and I invited to this dinner tonight? A dinner like this seems fit for only leaders of a pack, not warriors like myself." She was no diplomat, no bussiness expert. She was only a warrior, a fighter, an enforcer. That was it. So why had she and her men been invited to this dinner in place of her Alpha?

[Damonique]

A knowing smile spread across Lucent Mane's handome features as Elisabeth questioned her involvement in this, cocking his head to one side as she moved to create a bit of distance between them, an eyebrow raised sidelong, questioning. As clever as the brunette could be, when she felt like it, she could be quite obstinate. Most in her positon would simply be thankful to be included.

"Because I want you here. Is any more reason required?" He stated dismissively, and then gave a shrug to indicate she didn't need to give an answer. "Savic has already been generally informed, but this negotiation is delicate. The Clique's do not operate like our Packs, there is no alpha. They choose their leaders in threes, one to deal in business and politics, one for warfare, and the last lives normally among the pack at all times, learning the hearts and minds of the multitude, acting as something of a spiritual advisor. They are truly the most civilized wolves I have ever met." He explained, then realized he hadn't exactly answered her question.

"Bringing another Alpha along would be an imbalance. I deal in politics, I needed a warrior to balance my views. And, well, you've met Khlia. Would you bring her to something like this? She lacks the patience to wait for a meal to be served, much less observe traditions out of courtesy. You seem more....refined. And speaking of traditions..." He trailed off just as the panel door to the private room swung open, and two slim young women, the same tatoo's and Asiatic features clashing with silver-blonde hair that defined the Siberian wolves, carrying between them a tray laid out with a exquisitely-carved jade teapot and four cups, placing one in from of Lucent and Elisabeth, and then the two Jurchen leaders and filling them to the brim.

Timur bowed his head and intoned a phrase, not in Mandarin Chinese, their trade language, but their natural tongue, Urghur, and Xian repeated it. Before he spoke the same himself, Lucent indicated for Elisabeth to follow along best she could. Then, together, they each took up their cups and drained them entirely. The 'tea', if one could even call it that, was scalding hot and almost chokingly bitter, though both lucent and hopefully, elisabeth, knew better than to show distaste.

Almost immediately after it had been consumed, a warm feeling spread from their stomachs outward. It felt as if the room had gone up ten degrees in a heartbeat, their muscles relaxed, and vision would begin to blur if one kept their eyes in one place for too long. Whatever the herbs the drink was brewed with, it was not for the flavor. While one could move, their bodies responded sluggishly, reflexes at half-speed. One couldn't help but relax, negative emotions seem to seep out of your thoughts.

Now it was clear why there was a need to bring bodyguards, none of the four who had tasted the drink would be worth anything in a fight now, not that one would want to fight when they were so at ease. Lucent had experienced this more than once and knew he detested it, hated giving up any sort of control over himself and his surroundings. But at the moment, he found it quite enjoyable, settling back into his chair and sharing idle chatter with the two Jurchen leaders before turning his gaze back to Elisabeth.

"They welcome all strangers with a cup of the Shueshui root. It makes it most difficult to lie, or become aggressive, among other things. Part of the reason why I couldn't bring Savic or Khlia...they both have too much pride to accept such a thing." He stated casually while the brunette warrior began to get used to the sensation..

[brokecollege]

Lucent's answer was... unsatisfactory and vague. One could even argue that it wasn't also an answer. She opened her mouth to speak and add her thoughts, but Lucent's dismissive shrug had her closing her mouth. The Alpha said to his response, explaining that the Clique did have just one leader. They had three leaders, each of which controlled a different aspect of the pack. There was a leader for politics, a leader for war, and a leader for the people. She nodded her head in understanding.

He then added his need for someone's knowledge of war, and how he couldn't bring his sister along because of her impatience and irrational ways. She nodded her head again. Ah, now she understood. As soon as Lucent mentioned "tradition," two blond women entered the private room. In their hands sat a tray, and placed neatly on that tray was a (rather beautiful) jade tea set. As soon as the women were close enough, they placed the jade cups in front of the four and then filled it to the brim with steaming tea. The leaders of the Clique, not paying any mind to the women, then spoke. But they were no longer speaking Mandarin.

Instead, they were speaking a language unfamiliar to Elisabeth. When Lucent began to speak it as well, Elisabeth followed suit. Unlike Lucent, her words were choppy and poorly spoken. But, at least she had tried. With the words now said, everyone, picked up their cups and downed the tea. It was hot and bitter, and almost made Elisabeth gag in disgust. She, however, refrained from doing so. If drinking this was a tradition (as Lucent had said), then she doubted they'd take too well to her gagging at the taste.

Besides, she reasoned, she had done and tasted a lot worse than this. She set the cup down onto the table, her cheeks becoming a bright red as her body began to heat up. Her body involuntarily relaxed, and her vision became blurry. What the hell?! She tried to move her body but found each movement she made to be slower than the last. Lucent, probably having sensed her surprise and distress, looked over at the young girl and explained why she was feeling so sluggish.

Apparently, the tradition they had just completed was the consumption of the Shueshui root, a root which made it difficult for one to lie or be aggressive. Great. That was exactly what she, lead warrior of her pack, needed. She slowly lifted her hands to her face to rub her eyes--he could have warned her about this. Then again, he could have warned her about this little meeting of his as well. "You are just full of surprises, aren't you, Mane?" she murmured.

The young girl leaned back into the chair before she tilted her head back with a quiet hum. Her dark hair, which had been left down, fell in time with which movement of her head. She wanted to be mad. Oh, she wanted to be furious. But this root--this damned root--prevented her from feeling anything but relaxed bliss. Her eyes closed somewhat involuntarily, while her pink lips parted to suck in a heavy breath. She felt so warm. Perhaps even too warm. "Is there anything else I should know about this root?" she quietly questioned. God, she hoped not. She did not want to be more vulnerable than she already was.

[Damonique]

The two Jurchen's were watching Elisabeth reactions with unrestrained amusement. While Lucent handled himself well despite the intoxicating effect, the Evertail lieutenant had no way to expect or prepare for this, and was still getting her bearings. He translated her question, and Xia said something and chuckled. Lucent seemed to agree before answering her question.

Just in their hosts amusement at her flushed and confused state, Elisabeth was doing her job, setting the white wolves at ease by her very presence there, a newcomer, someone interesting. Xian, especially, enjoyed meeting new people here so far from his home in Manchuria, and he tested out what few words and phrases of English he had learned form Lucent making small-talk with Elisabeth ad her men, fascinated by their every response, no matter how mundane.

"It is what it is, just as you are who you are, he said. Meaning it has a different effect on different people. Some sing, some laugh, some just fall asleep. And some find themselves...impassioned. Myself, it mostly just makes me giddy, or perhaps that's just you." He answered with a smile, and as if in demonstration, started laughing at his own barely-joke. His laugh didn't match his impressive frame and usually silky-smooth voice at all, a sound of genuine happiness that one could believe, unlike any of the words that came out of his mouth.

He and the Clique leaders got down to business, mostly just discussing and debating the ramifications of the Fang-Evertail alliance. Despite keeping themselves sequestered away from the usual pack infighting, hiding here in the heart of the city, the Jurchen seemed to know a little bit about everything that happened among the werewolves of the city, and were interested in how things might develop. Occasionally Elisabeth would be asked a question about her pack, it's territory, and most importantly, their resources, but was otherwise left alone, simply an ornament for Lucent's side of the table.

Before long, there guards joined them at the table when the food arrived, heaping platters of expertly-cooked dishes, meat and seafood of every variety suited to the canine diet, but also well seasoned and served with delectable sides. Several beverages were available, primarily imported beer and spirits. There was no end to the food, and their hosts made it free that if there was anything they or any of their men may especially want, it would be accommodated.

[brokecollege]

Elisabeth dropped her head to look at Lucent with furrowed brows. Had she heard him correctly? Her presence made him... giddy? She shook her head and told herself that, no, he didn't say that. Lucent laughed, and the confused Elisabeth became even more confused. In all the time she had dealt with Lucent, had he ever sounded so genuine? If he did, then she certainly didn't recall. The young girl lazily ran a hand through her hair as Lucent and the Clique leaders got down to business.

Elisabeth ignored most of the conversation, as she spent most of her time still trying to get her bearings. Occasionally they would ask her a question that she would be forced to answer, but other than that she pretty much kept to herself. Hours seemed to pass before the food finally arrived at the table. Elisabeth could hardly wait for them to set down the plates before she was digging in. She ate, and she drank to her heart's content.

By the time she had decided enough was enough, she had consumed her weight in both alcohol and food. Which, in hindsight, was probably a bad idea. Elisabeth was already vulnerable from drinking the root, but to add onto that, she had somehow managed to also drink her weight in alcohol. If she wasn't already gone after drinking the root, then she was certainly gone now. The young brunette suddenly stood from the table, a few giggles slipping passed her lips as she did so. "Thank you for the food. And for the drink. And for the conversation!" she beamed as she bowed her head.

"I normally don't enjoy attending these things.. they're so boring.." she trailed off as she lifted her head. She stumbled away from the table, nearly falling to the ground in the process. If it hadn't been for one of the bodyguards, Elisabeth would've fallen flat on her face. She giggled and pushed the bodyguard away, dismissively waving her hand at his attempts of steadying her. "But you guys are nice. And very, very fun. We should do this more often." she finally finished. If her sober mind could only see her now...

One of her men, Kellan, left his seat at the table to catch his fumbling and stumbling leader. "Hey, Liz, watch--" he quietly warned, though was interrupted by Elisabeth's sweet hums. "I should go. I-I don't think.." she paused to cover her mouth and giggle, "..I think I've had a little too much fun and drink. Whoops." she looked away from the table of surprised men and to Kellan, who was still desperately holding onto the brunette. "There you are, Kellan! Oh, would you be a dear and take me home?" she asked as she affectionately 'booped' the younger male's nose.

Bryant rushed to Kellan's side to respectfully bow to the leaders. "Our apologies for this. Elisabeth's usually very good at holding her liquor. She must've had more than usual. We'll get her home as soon as possible." he apologized. Kellan ushered Elisabeth back to her seat all the while muttering something about her needing to stay still. While Kellan ensured Elisabeth stayed seated and relatively quiet, Bryant rushed out of the room to call the limosuine back.

Elisabeth looked at the Clique leaders with a bright smile and rosy cheeks before she looked over at Lucent. She pointed at him and giggled. "You--" she leaned over to poke his shoulder. "You like me, don't you? I know you do. It's so obvious." Kellan muttered something to her (no doubt about her need to shut up), but Elisabeth ignored him. "But I'm going to be with somebody else, so you can't like me." she informed.

She pulled her hand away from him and leaned back into her seat just as Bryant returned. He approached Kellan before gesturing towards the giggling, drunk Elisabeth. "Do you want to carry her downstairs, or shall I?" he murmured. Kellan sighed and stood up before urging the girl to her feet. "I will."

[Damonique]

The beginning of evening went swimmingly. While it was still too early for guarantees, Lucent had a good eye for people, and the Jurchen could already see the possibilities of profiting from the new power bloc formed between the Fangs and Evertails. It would take more proof that they could make good on his promises before they would contemplate openly supporting them, but it would be a process. This meeting was only a preliminary, to set minds at ease in a neutral setting.

Elisabeth did well, at least at first, and when she get to drinking, she only got better. Under the influence, she was very much 'acting her age'. Given her status, skills in battle, and well-practiced manners, it was easy to forget that the brunette was barely into her twenties. She was open honest, charming and vivacious, laughing at each of Xian's badly-worded 'American jokes', answering questions and telling stories that, when translated, amused their hosts to no end. It was a good offset to Lucent's stern, businesslike demeanor and did wonders to lighten the mood.

This little colony of Siberians had been a recent find by Lucent. He had met Xian by accident on a trip to one of the upper-scale human boutiques for the full treatment, face, hands, and hair. It was vain of him, the Alpha Mane knew, but he prided himself on looking his best, and while werewolves were better than humans at most things, the area of beautification was not something most expended effort on. He had recognized the scent of another wolf immediately, and introductions became a conversation, and conversation led to a bar.

The amicable foreigner had not been in the city long, taking over operations here for his kin across the pacific only recently, and he was fascinated by the new sights and smells, and the 'americanisms' of his new friend. After a few such outings, he had finally trusted Lucent enough to allow him to meet with the his co-leader in an official capacity, and such a boon had come at just the right time with tensions rising between the packs and the recent alliance with the Evertail.

Lucent had gotten fairly tipsy himself, owing to the many toasts thrust upon him by their hosts, and ad drifted closer to Elisabeth throughout the night, taking any opportunity to brush up against her or deliver a choice compliment. If her warriors thought anything of this, they stayed wisely silent on the matter, but most were distracted by the feast set before them. Beyond the root and the alcohol, there was something intoxicating to him about her scent, and there was little doubt what it meant.

Even when Elisabeth got too drunk, it wasn't any faux pas. The whole point of such introduction was to get a feel for who people truly were, rather than what they pretended to be. And what Elisabeth was, was a young woman, still a girl in many ways, who's natural talents had thrust upon her a position that, while she was good at it, she was not quite ready for. Most lieutenants spent years as common soldiers before finally being taken into the ranks of the elites, and then it was usually years even decades before they had the opportunity to lead. Somehow, Elisabeth had made the rare accomplishment in breaking that pattern entirely, even more surprisingly, being female. Lucent had been intrigued and impressed by that alone before he had even met he, and everything she did since had only served to nurture that passing interest.

As they rose to part ways, Lucent had been struck by a strong compulsion to kiss her. The ruby lips contrasting with her caramel skin seeming so inviting, when she stumbled away from him at the last moment, eliciting a frown. That frown became deeper when she made her drunken announcement in that sweet-as-sugar voice of hers. That she was promised to another. That he couldn't like her. The easy smile he had worn all night, even after the root had run it's course, had vanished and he stood there for a moment, wordless, dumbstruck.

Now his features warred between disappointment, jealousy, and blind rage. He kept his emotions in check just long enough to say his goodbyes and clasp hands with the two Jurchen leaders, before following Elisabeth and her warriors out into the hallway, flanked by his own men. He caught up with the trio halfway down the stairs and shot out one of his strong arms, catching the small brunette by the shoulder, sharply enough to dig his well manicured nails into the still-fresh bite from last afternoon, whipping her around to face him, staring deeply into those pretty hazel eyes with his own stormy greens. In that look of cold fury, she would be able to see easily that despite their differences, he was still Khlia's twin.

The Evertail warriors moved on instinct to defend her, but stopped at the last moment, either because they remembered who he was and that their loyalty was pledged to Savic, who would not want their alliance put in jeopardy, or because they noticed Grigory towering over even Lucent's tall frame behind him, Lash at his side, making it clear that such a decision would be unwise. The third Fang Lucent had brought with him, a younger, brown-haired man who wasn't much to look at, had somehow found his way behind them in their surprise, blocking the other end of the strairway. At a dismissive flick of his alphas wrist, he wordlessly led the Evertail warriors down the stairs to the main floor, and Lash and Grigory followed suit, leaving Lucent alone with Elisabeth, only supported by the unflinching grip he had on her shoulder.

"Explain for me, Elisabeth, what gives you the right to tell me how I should feel towards you. And then, tell me what worthless cur could possibly deserve you more. I could kill you right now. Nobody would stop me, nobody would care. If you had rejected my sister like that, you'd already be dead. But I am not Khlia, and I still truly have hope for you. So I'm giving you the chance to explain." The words came out as barely more than a whisper, soaked with venom...but also something else. Longing. Desperation. It was clear in the manic look in those deep greens, and plain on his sharp features.

Hopefully, the gravity of the situation, and instinct for self-preservation, would serve to sober her up some, as the next words out of those plush lips had better be good, not just for Elisabeth's sake, but for her entire pack.

[brokecollege]

Kellan grabbed the young girl by the waist and, after bidding farewell to their hosts, guided her out of the private room. The remainder of Elisabeth's men tagged along behind the pair, both of them muttering about the insanity of Elisabeth's actions. They briefly wondered if they should even inform her tomorrow morning of how she behaved, though before her men could come to a decision, they were being pushed violently pushed aside.

In the time that it took for them to regain their footing, Elisabeth had been yanked from Kellan's grasp and pulled into the arms of Lucent Mane himself. Elisabeth's drunken mind wouldn't have cared for the change had Lucent not so painfully dug his fingernails into her wounded shoulder. She yelped in pain, her body automatically fighting against him to remove herself from the painful position. But no matter how much she moved, his hand remained. It didn't matter how much she whined, whimpered, or yelped; Lucent didn't move.

Elisabeth's men immediately took action to retrieve her but stopped when all of Lucent's men surrounded him. There was no way they were getting to Elisabeth without killing Lucent's men, and if Elisabeth were in her right mind, then that would be the last thing she wanted. So, they begrudgingly stepped down before eventually being forced to leave the hallway altogether. Was Lucent that mad at Elisabeth for getting drunk in front of the hosts, they wondered?

Elisabeth placed her hand onto Lucent's forearm and attempted to tug it from her shoulder, though the attempt proved to futile. Lucent wasn't going to move, at least not until Elisabeth gave him some answers. "Because you're an Alpha," she replied through clenched teeth. She tried to focus her vision on Lucent but found that when she did so, it only became blurry. She tilted her head back and squeezed her eyes shut. Oh, this pain was becoming unbearable.

"Do you know what I was, Lucent? Before I was a lieutenant of the Evertail pack?" she paused, as if to give the male some time to reply, before she finished. "I was an Omega." That was right. The mighty Elisabeth Vaughn had been an Omega before earning her current position. She, like her mother, had been at the lowest rank imaginable. But through blood, sweat, and a lot of tears, she managed to work her way up the ladder until she was at the very top. "So, you can't like me even if I wanted you to. Because an Alpha having a relationship with a former Omega.. well, that's just insane." she attempted, again, to pull his arm from her. When he didn't, she huffed.

The more they stood there with his nails digging into her fresh wound, the more the alcohol wore off. And the more the alcohol wore off, the more pain she was in. "As for who I'm promised to.. his name is Jude. He's a warrior, like me," she informed with a hiss. What a damned lie. There was no one Elisabeth was promised to. There was a Jude in her pack, but the boy was nothing more than a childhood friend of hers. She just spat out some lie to get the man's hands off of her. "If you even have a thought left of going after me, then you'll have to challenge him. And the last thing the mighty Lucent Mane would want to be seen doing is challenging someone for the hand of a former Omega."

When he threatened her, she smirked. "Is this how you get all your women, Lucent?" she questioned. "With threats of death and torture? Oh, I bet they all just fall to their knees and kiss your feet after being threatened like this." She shouldn't have expected anything less from Lucent Mane. He was, after all, Khlia's beloved twin brother. "You'd really kill someone you were interested in? My, you just get more interesting by the minute, don't you?" she bit down on her lower lip, her hand dropping from his forearm. "Alright, then. Kill me. Go ahead, do it. But I can't promise you that I won't go down without a fight."

[Damonique]

Lucent's grip lightened some as Elisabeth began to speak as he had requested, and finally stopped struggling, relaxing into something less harsh, though still firm He heard out her reasoning's and began to regret his rash action, the cold fury in his eyes softened, showing genuine concern. They could have discussed this in some other time or place, instead he had shattered what little trust or affection she may have been developing towards him, even this early.

Lucent loathed his temper, hated to lose control. It ran in the blood, he knew, but he had thought he had mastered it, kept it carefully in check at all tiems. His pack had never seem him so much as raise his voice in anger, even back in the days when he and Khlia had been nothing to them, outsiders taken in out of pity. Khlia would snap and snarl an bite the hand that fed. Not him, Lucent was quiet, and composed, and useful. Those traits had brought them both to the the high places they now held. But in the face of this girl...the thin veneer of civility and intellect meant nothing. It was the wolf, the animal in him that wanted her, and all the thinking in the world couldn't change it's mind.

Her explanation was not....unpleasant. His position intimidated the younger woman, she had no way of knowing how much her tale tugged at his heartstrings even as it raised more questions. A once-Omega who now led warriors, sat at her Alpha's right hand. It was unprecedented. But then, unprecedented things happened, the Mane Twins were proof of that. It was interesting to hear, but an excuse, and a bad one at that. Elisabeth would have to do better to get off the hook here.

"Surely you must realize from what I am, and the company I keep...." He indicated the building they stood in. What self-respecting Alpha would submit themselves to the traditions and rules of others, literally render themselves helpless without protest. "...that your history means nothing to me. I am born of the people, what your kind call tribals, savages. Just as the white man drove our two-legged kin from the land they had shared with us in peace, the werewolves that came with them drove us out as well, we called to them as kin, as pack-mates, to help us fight the humans with axes and torches, protect and share in our paradise as one great pack. Instead they chose the easy meals the humans herded for them to take at their leisure, the cattle, and their own petty squabbles. And we were driven west, and west, and west again." He explained, deciding the she'd require some background. Few wolves received an even rudimentary education, and an Omega would have gotten none at all. This would all be new to her.

"Despite that, the generational hatred an fear passed down, I've returned to this pile of stone and steel paved over a place once sacred to my people. Put aside my own disgust and forced others to give up theirs. Learned the ways of not just your kind, but the humans as well in order to carve out my place here. If I can do that, who should I care about your former station? If anything, I feel closer to you, admire you more for it. We are both self-made." As he spoke. Lucent became more impassioned. He needed Elisabeth to understand he and his sisters struggle and goals. He wanted her to be a part of them, wanted her to want to be a part of them, because until she had come along, that dream had been the only thing he ever loved.

"I'm not going to kill you....or this Jude of yours. I misstepped....let the Mane blood get the best of me. I can't stand the thought of losing you to something so trivial. I need you beside me, Elisabeth. I've never been more sure of anything before. An in time, you'll feel the same. I know it." And like that, the hand released Elisabeth, not just physically but metaphorically freeing her to fly away into the night, knowing he already had her, it was just a matter of convincing her that.

[brokecollege]

Lucent's grip on her shoulder relaxed, and for that she was thankful. To have received the bite mark was painful enough, but to have someone's nails digging into it before her blood could even settle was even worse. While Elisabeth thought her answers were reasonable, Lucent didn't seem to agree. Her past did not scare him away as she had hoped it would. If anything, it only seemed to make her all the more appealing to him.

Because like Elisabeth, he had started from the very bottom of the ladder. Perhaps he had started even lower than she had, as he was of native blood. Both of them had pulled themselves up from the bottom, and because of that commonality, Lucent felt even closer to her. Oh, but that was the exact opposite of what Elisabeth had wanted! Her admission of her lowly beginning status was meant to steer him away, not drive him towards her!

Lucent then informed the girl that he would be killing neither her nor Jude. Now, that, she expected. What she didn't expect was the apology that followed afterward. Lucent Mane apologizing for his actions? Had anyone ever heard of such a thing? She supposed she'd been witnessing a lot of Lucent Mane that no one else had ever dreamed of. "Losing me?" she repeated with a raised brow. "I don't recall you ever having me, Lucent."

As soon as Lucent let go of the girl, she took a step away from him and cleared her throat. "What we need sometimes isn't what we end up getting, Alpha Mane." she gave the man a slight bow of the head before she turned and made her way out of the restaurant. As soon as she was outside, her men approached her with worried faces. They looked her all over to ensure nothing had been done to her before ushering her into the limousine. When the last warrior was inside, the door was closed, and the limo took off.

----

Elisabeth woke the following morning with a raging headache and a vague recollection of the night before. She remembered being invited to dinner with Lucent Mane. And she remembered being introduced to the leaders of the Clique. She also remembered drinking a bitter tea that forced her into a relaxed state. Then.. well, after that things went blurry. The young girl pushed herself out of bed and into the kitchen where she was greeted by Savic.

"And there she is, Sleeping Beauty in the flesh. How was last night? You were too drunk and angry to tell me anything last night." Savic informed as the young girl sluggishly moved towards the medicine cabinet. "I would tell you if I could remember. I know that.." she opened the cabinet with one hand while the other tentatively touched her shoulder. "My shoulder is killing me. Did I do something to it last night?" Savic picked up his mug of coffee with a shrug. "Wouldn't know. You'll have to ask your boys about that one."

Elisabeth grabbed a bottle of medicine from the cabinet before she turned around to face her Alpha. "Have you set a meeting with the twins regarding the Whiteclaw territory?" she questioned. She opened the medicine and popped a few pills into her hands before she swallowed them. Savic shook his head, causing Elisabeth to frown. "No, I haven't. I thought you should have the honors. The twins seem to favor you than me. Especially that Lucent boy." he explained, amusement etched across his features.

A flashback from the night before suddenly came to Elisabeth, and the girl scowled. Oh, how could she have forgotten the little conversation between her and Lucent? She thought about telling her Alpha about it, but decided against it. If Savic knew that Lucent was truly interested in Elisabeth, then she would never hear the end of it. "You're the Alpha, Savic. You set the meeting with the twins. And this time, don't drag me along. I think I've had enough of them to last me a lifetime." she muttered before stepping out of the kitchen. Whether or not they had enough of her, however, was a different story.

[Damonique]

Lucent returned home in a foul mood, not even bothering to go through the usual business of the night, instead dismissing his officers to their homes, even though they had been waiting hours for his return. It could wait. Upstairs, Khlia was going toe to toe with the warrior Caine in the center of her fighting ring. They were fighting with blades this time, human weapons being the only human thing Khlia cared for. She wielded a viciously serrated machete, Caine an elegantly curved saber. The blades were sharp, as always, and they had clearly been going at it for some time from the several shallow but bleeding cuts they both had.

He watched for a while as they wheeled and parried, his sisters style was brutal and fast paced, like herself, Caine's more refined and acrobatic to counter her advantage in size and strength. He was not a small man, by any means, but still lacking half a foot on either of the Mane Twins. Eventually, their clashing broke for long enough for them to notice Lucent standing there, and upon seeing the look on his face, the Fang soldier quickly bowed and dismissed himself.

"I'd ask how it went, but I think I already know the answer to that. It was the girl, wasn't it? I know you wouldn't look so disappointed if it had just been the business that went sour." She commented dryly, raising her hand pointing to him and then herself, the universal gesture to 'bring it'. She used her middle finger. Lucent gave a rueful smile despite himself and threw off his shirt and jacket, collecting a roman gladius from the rack of weapons lining one wall of Khlias half of the room, vaulting the ropes(which were actually steel chains, after they had snapped too many ropes) that bordered the ring and immediately going on the offensive. They continued talking between blows.

"To bad, I actually liked Vaughn. Doesn't mean I won't kill her if it'll make you feel better about it....actually, that might even be fun, she looks like she could put up a fight." Khlia continued with a sharp cackle of amusement accompanied by a savage hack of her blade, and Lucent sidestepped the sweep expertly, and suddenly retaliated with a renewed ferocity, an angry gleam in his eyes as she clearly struck a nerve.

"You won't touch her, and there's nothing to feel better about. The meeting was a tentative success, the Jurchen enjoyed her company. She had too much to drink and said a few regrettable things, but it'll all be forgotten by morning anyway." Lucent responded between his own thrusts and cuts, each one expertly blocked or avoided by his sister. He was off his game tonight. While Lucent had never bested her twin at any physical exercise for as far back as he could remember, usually he could at least press her harder than this.

"Your usually such a gifted liar, brother, but that was pathetic. I've never known you to get so emotional, over a girl of all things. I mean, it's an impressive body, sure as hell, I've seen more of it than you, but you just wanted that, Savic would probably make have her delivered for taking out the Whiteclaw. He's been salivating over their territory for decades. Blaise didn't let him have it, you didn't let him have it, I'm sure it was getting to be something of an obsession. Elisabeth wouldn't have been scouting it just for fun. Or maybe she would, she is an odd one." Khlia rebutted, punctuating her words with a devastating flurry of blows that ended with Lucent's sord flying out of his hand and himself flat on his back courtesy of a sudden leg sweep, her machete raised in midair at the perfect angle to bisect his skull.

"Your dead, brother. That was even more pitiful that your usual showing. Remind me to double your guard next time you go out.'' She sated teasingly, tossing her weapon away carelessly and offering a hand to help him up. He accepted it and then walked over to Khlia's bed-pile, easily finding a half-empty bottle of jack propped up against the wall beside it, and took a large swig before passing her the bottle, finally beginning to relax. If nothing else, his sisters straightforwardness was a welcome familiarity.

"Odder than you think, actually. Apparently, Elisabeth used to be an Omega. Born one or taken as a child, one would presume." Lucent explained, tracing back to Khlias last statement before his ignoble defeat. This piqued Khlias interest as even she understood how rare it was for an omega to become a full member of a pack, much less and warrior and lieutenant. They discussed this and other oddities for another hour or so, finishing the bottle, and after their soak, Khlia disappeared.

Shortly, there was a knock on their door. Lucent's most recent favorite, Mishka, a stunning blonde-haired, blue eyed girl from another pack that had submitted itself to Mane rule, and done so peacefully, leading one of the captive Whiteclaw females, already freshly washed and stripped bare with the exception of her collar, hooked to a leash the blonde carried easily, yanking it sharply to force the omega to her knees. She seemed to enjoy the power.

In his inebriated state, Lucent couldn't help but see some macabre amusement there. Had things played out differently, the two could have ended up in completely opposite roles but still in the same place. Interestingly, the whiteclaw girl was tan, with dark hair and eyes, and even in her mid-twenties. Surely Khlia had chosen this one specifically. "Want to fuck an omega? I'll get you an omega." He could almost hear the words and accompanying cackle at her own little joke.

Lucent supposed there was some resemblance if he squinted, but the skin tone was all wrong, the hair too short, and her figure not nearly as honed as Elisabeth's. He looked her over for a moment, and then dismissed them both with a wave of his hand. The omega girl seemed terrified, groveling and insisting that she would serve him well as Mishka obediently dragged her from the room. Lucent drained the last dregs from the whisky bottle and tossed it carelessly across the room to shatter with a satisfying crash, and went to bed.

---------------------------

The next few days passed uneventfully, the Mane twins kept busy with a flurry of activity. As if to challenge the Fang-Evertail alliance, the Redmoons made a move of their own, annexing a smaller pack on the borders and formalized their alliance with the Howlers on the east end. If Lucent knew anything about Damon Redmoon, that 'alliance' would last perhaps a month before his power-hungry rival did away with the formality and annexed the outright.

At his first meeting with Savic, he paid Elisabeth's absence no mind, busy as he had been keeping Khlia, patrolling and skirmishing, the commander of the Evertail warriors was surely similarly occupied. But when a week passed with no sign of the young brunette Lucent was forced to once again sen a messenger, this time calling her to join him alone in the forest that had once been Whiteclaw land but was now divided between the Fangs and Evertails.

[brokecollege]

The following week went by within the blink of an eye. Elisabeth's time was mostly spent organizing and training her men, though occasionally she could be found patrolling the pack grounds by herself. During this time she had managed to avoid both Khlia and Lucent's presence--but that was all thanks to Savic, who had promised the young girl a well-deserved break from the twins. But, unfortunately, Elisabeth's break didn't last longer than a week.

"He wants me to join him?" Elisabeth frowned as she stared down the messenger. The messenger nodded her head. Elisabeth's frown deepened. "Well, did he say why I was to join him?" she questioned. The messenger shook her head, "No, ma'am. He said that he wanted you to join him, alone, in what used to be Whiteclaw land." In what used to be Whiteclaw land? Why in the world would he have her meet him there of all places? And why would he have her go alone?

Well, whatever reason he had, it must have had something to do with business. Unfortunately, what kind of business that was would remain unknown until Elisabeth joined him. "Alright." she sighed as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Thank you for the message. You may return to your pack." She waited for the girl to leave her sight before she turned on her heel and headed for what used to be the Whiteclaw territory. There was no point in dragging this out.

She would join Lucent in the woods, handle whatever business they had, and then return to her territory in time for dinner. When she finally reached the center of the Whiteclaw territory, she stopped and looked around. Where was Lucent? As far as she could tell, she was the only one there. There were faint scents here and there, but none of them were strong enough to indicate the presence of another wolf. The brunette huffed in frustration--what was the point in meeting him here if he wasn't even here?

[Damonique]

Lucent Mane stalked through the woods soundlessly, even in human form, his childhood roving through the wilds of Yellowstone and the Black Hills the moment his bare feet touched the grass. He took his time surveying his new territory, having not had the chance yet, the business of running his pack keeping him cooped up in the Fang compound recieving reports and giving orders.

He smelled Elisabeth before he saw her, her unique and appealing scent standing out more than that of any other wolf, and waited for her to cross from the Evertail part of the woods to the clearing around the abandoned den that divided their respective lands, and approached at a leisurely jog. Even with her sharp eyes, the brunette almost missed him when he appeared, dressed as he was.

Lucent had done away with the fine suit and jacket that was his norm, and was instead dressed in a mottled brown-and-green cloak-like garment that was folded and pinned in several places, shifting to soften his movements into something resembling leaves swaying in the breeze. Under it, he wore a simple buckskin vest and a loose tan trousers cinched at the waist with a supple rawhide belt. A bone-handled knife was cinched to it at his his belt.

He raised a hand in greeting and cleared the treeline, throwing back his hood to reveal the an relaxed smile so unlike the stern, commanding visage he usually wore. Out her, away from prying eyes, he was not the Alpha Mane, but just another wolf in the woods, again the excitable boy who once ran and played through fields and valleys beside his twin.

"Osiyo dohitsu, Elisabeth, I hope this little outing isn't distracting you from anything important. Surely, Savic and your warriors can handle things themselves for a day without you." He called out, using formal cherokee greeting as his long legs covered the soft ground between the easily, and leaned in, uninvited as always to place the softest of kisses upon her cheek, acting as if that night last week and the conversation they had in on the stairs never took place. For all he knew, she had forgotten entirely.

[brokecollege]

When Elisabeth suddenly sensed someone approaching from behind her, the young girl spun around and prepared to attack. When she realized who exactly it was, however, she grunted. Lucent? But how had he managed to come up behind her? She had neither heard him approaching nor smelled his scent until the very last second. She studied his relaxed appearance and loose smile. Perhaps he had used something to mask his scent--like his clothes, for example. It wasn't uncommon for a wolf to drench their clothes in an odor stronger than theirs to remain undetected.

But that was the thing--Elisabeth hadn't noticed any scent. Still thinking about what he could have done, Elisabeth was caught off guard by Lucent's lips pressing themselves against her cheek. She pulled back in surprise, her eyes just as wide as her mouth. Even after their conversation, he still insisted on chasing after her?! "Jude wouldn't like that." she quickly warned as she wiped his presence from her cheek with the back of her hand.

She hoped that comment of hers reminded him of their conversation (and of her lie), and made him take twenty steps away from her. "Of course they can be without me. If they couldn't, then I would have no use for them," she stated as she dropped her hand to her side. She looked around the wooded area as if surveying the land, before returning her attention to Lucent. She wondered if he had come alone, too, or if he had his men stalking them in the woods.

"For what business have I been called here, Alpha Mane?" she questioned. Whatever business it was, she hoped it was just that: business. She didn't want to have a repeat of last week's conversation. Especially not since her shoulder had just started to heal. She gestured towards the two of them. "You and I are very busy people, both with important things to do and lives to lead. So it is best to get this business out in the open so that we may get it done and over with."

[Damonique]

"Business? What business? I'm sure I told the messenger this was simply personal invitation from myself to you. Perhaps she became confused. No matter, your here now. What's wrong with two close allies getting to know one another. You spent an afternoon with my sister, doing what she enjoys most, I supposed you should do the same with me." He stated with feigned confusion at her questions, though he knew that his message could have meant literally anything specifically to ensure Elisabeth showed up.

"Personally, I needed the diversion, a break from being the Alpha. The power truly isn't worth the constant facade, it wears one thin giving orders all day, being bowed and scraped to when you would rather your subordinates just get on with it. If they weren't in my good graces already, they wouldn't be there, and all the groveling in the world won't keep them there, results will." He continued, pointedly disregarding that she had once again brought up her 'Jude'. Strange tat for all his supposed importance to her, he ha never appeared in her company.

Surely he was a warrior, he couldn't imagine Elisabeth with anyone less. She could have brought him along on the Whiteclaw raid, or to the meeting with the Jurchen leaders. Though perhaps in was prudence, Lucent had made his intentions towards the young Brunette clear, and she didn't want her to put her lover within claws-reach of the Fangs. But Lucent had promised the mans safety, in a fashion, sure as he was she would grow to welcome his intentions on her own through his words and actions. Hopefully not too much time. Hopefully he'd meet his 'competition' if some nobody soldier could even be called that, before long.

"I thought we might walk our new territories here, scout the woods, talk a while, perhaps take down and share some fresh game along the way. While the Whiteclaws insults and Khlia's rash choice to execute the messenger that delivered them forced my hand, I' had my eye on this place for a long time. It is what little is left undeveloped of a place my people once thought sacred and beautiful." He explained, turning his hands out as if beaconing her to look around them, take in the sights and sounds. It was a warm day, summer just beginning to give way to autumn. Birds were singing in the trees, their keen ears could detect the sound of wildlife deeper in the brush, and rain and scavengers had washed away all trace of the extreme violence Elisabeth and Khlia had committed here just last week.

[brokecollege]

Elisabeth's jaw clenched in distaste. There was no business? Well, if there was no business then why had Lucent gone through the trouble to request her presence?! "I didn't spend the afternoon with your sister because I wanted to, Alpha Mane. I spent the afternoon with her because she doubted my men's abilities as warriors." she corrected with a visible frown. She folded her arms over her chest in annoyance before continuing, "Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe I already spent an evening with you." An evening which, she remembered, ended with a very personal conversation between the two.

Ignoring her statement regarding Jude, Lucent went on to explain how he needed a much-needed break from his life. And he wanted that break to be filled with Elisabeth and the woods. If Elisabeth wasn't so frustrated with being deceived by him (er, or his messenger) then she might have thought of his words as kind and sweet. But she was too frustrated to think of them as anything but an annoyance. The young girl watched with the utmost annoyance as Lucent gestured towards the surrounding woods. This land, he said, was important to him. Sacred to his people. And he had wanted to claim it back for so very long.

The young girl looked around, her annoyed gaze softening some as the wind caressed her form. As annoyed and frustrated as she was, she had to admit that it was rather beautiful. The trees, the sounds, the sights... it all held a beauty that not many people stopped to enjoy. Not even Elisabeth. "Fine." Elisabeth suddenly agreed as she dropped her arms to her sides. "Fine. We'll walk the woods, scout the land, and talk. But don't forget what I told you last week. I am here with you as an ally and a warrior, nothing more."

[Damonique]

"The other night was business, your the one who decided to turn it into something else. I'm not angry, your were quite drunk, I'm simply...disappointed. Some conversations are not for the public eye." Lucent answered her opening questions in a conciliatory. He had hoped that that unpleasantness could be simply put behind them, but wasn't surprised that it couldn't be so easily.

He smiled broadly as her features began to soften, the brunette taking in the view around them as if for the first time, instead of of just as a battleground, a supply line, a place on on map, it was a vibrant piece of living wilderness that called to the wolves they were, rather than the people they pretended to be. That smile only cracked a little as she felt the need to reiterate, once again, that their relationship was purely professional even though the Mane Alpha knew deep down that neither of them really believed that.

"So now you know what I enjoy, and you know what Khlia enjoys. What you you enjoy, Elisabeth?" He asked in a tone soft tone of voice, as not to disturb nature as they carefully began waking along a ravine that ran through the woods, stopping now and then to cross the gently-flowing stream-bed to the other side. It occured to him that whilst he knew many facts about the object of his obsession, he didn't really know how she thought. Hopefully some insight into her views and desires would give him the knowledge he needed to win her over.

For now, he was content with the simple act of being near her, breathing in her intoxicating scent, in this place that he could finally walk without fear. He had stuck onto this land many times before to see what was left of the territory the elders of his tribe had spoken so often and fondly of, but always by night, and always on the lookout for Whiteclaw patrol. It was something else to be able to tread her by day and allow his guard down, truly, it was the greatest gift Elisabeth or Khlia could have possibly given him.

[brokecollege]

Lucent was, unsurprisingly, displeased to be reminded of his rejection. And even more so displeased to be reminded of how open and public it had been. But Elisabeth, while never having intending to do something so private in front of so many people, thought it was better this way. She had made her feelings known and her rejection clear, if not to Lucent then to the audience who had watched them. She turned and followed after Lucent as he slowly made his ways through the woods.

When he spoke, Elisabeth was brought to a pause. Not because the question was odd or because she hadn't expected it, but because she didn't know the answer. Elisabeth's entire life had been spent trying to get to her current position. And now that she had finally reached this position, she spent her life ensuring she didn't lose it. So there really was no room for her to pause and think about her happiness. There was only room for training, killing, and more training. Which was terribly sad, now that she thought about it.

"I don't know." she quietly responded as they crossed over a stream. "I've always been too busy training, or planning, or organizing my men to think about or do the things that make me happy." If she thought hard enough, she could remember things she enjoyed to do as a child: dancing, and singing, and playing the princess waiting for her prince charming. But nothing else. She shoved her hands into her pockets as they walked.

[Damonique]

Lucent raised an eyebrow at her response. He supposed he could have expected such an answer, after all, to claw ones way up from Omega to lieutenant in so short a time required an unparalleled work ethic, but even Khlia, who made leading and killing into a profession and then mastered it, had her martial arts for sport, and Lucent had his books and his jaunts into the wilderness. Everyone needed a hobby.

"What about your paramour, this....Jude. Does he do anything of interest? Surely he has to stand out from the pack to have captured your attention despite your commitment to your duties." The Mane Alpha asked without judgement. Even if the very idea that Elisabeth could have fallen for anyone else made him seethe inside, it was a delicate game he was playing that required some concessions to be made.

As he watched the brunette's long, and he knew from the other night, silkily textures hair frame her beautiful feature features in the breeze, her hips sway seductively without even trying as she walked, he recalled Khlia's words the other night, before she had sent Mishka and the brunette omega up to their room. If it were simply lust, if he thought that Elisabeth's body alone would sate his curiosity, he could have it.

She was Savic's property as all wolves were the property of their Alpha, and Lucent's alliance with the Evertail would make or break that pack. A word to him and Lucent could have her for whatever he desired, but such a degradation would never be forgotten by the brunette, and she would take no pleasure in the act, so he forced simple lust from his thoughts and resolved to play things slowly, have her come to love him in her heart an mind before surrendering that perfect form.

[brokecollege]

Elisabeth bit down on the inside of her cheek when Jude, her fake lover, was suddenly brought into the conversation. If she wanted Lucent to continue believing in this phony relationship of hers, then she had to sell it to him. But how could she, a woman who has never been in love before, sell a fake relationship as a real one? "Why are you suddenly interested in Jude?" the young girl curiously questioned.

She watched Lucent for only a moment longer before finally deciding to answer his question, "He is a painter, my Jude. He paints sceneries, mainly. Though, occasionally, he is inspired enough to paint the portrait of some lucky soul." she smiled as she continued, "We met when we were just children. He was the son of a Beta, and I the daughter of an Omega. Yet.. he never saw the difference in our titles. Even when the other kids spat at and shunned me, Jude remained."

The brunette adjusted the sleeves of her jacket. Jude had always been a friend, that was no lie. His soul had always been kind, his smile always bright. But in recent years, he and Elisabeth had become distant. She blamed it on her duties, but she supposed they weren't the only thing to blame. She was at fault, too. "He is kind, gentle, and true with his love. His kisses are always just as soft as his touch--"

She suddenly cut herself off, deciding that describing the way someone touched her probably wasn't the best decision in the world. Lucent had Khlia's temper; she had to remember that. "Jude loves me for me. Not for my title, or my appearance, or my strength. He loves me as Elisabeth, not as a lieutenant." Could Lucent relate, she wondered? Probably not. The Manes were obsessed with power. If Lucent didn't fancy her for her title, then he fancied her for her appearance. And if he didn't fancy her for her appearance, then he must've fancied her for her strength.

[Damonique]

Lucent regretted asking the question to moment Elisabeth started speaking. He couldn't fault her for taking the opportunity to gush about her lover, as he had opened the door, but the detail of her description seemed so caring and genuine. How was he to compete with a relationship that had lasted from childhood, crossing the barriers of caste that most Wolves rigorously adhered to?

If the Mane Alpha had known earlier what desire Elisabeth would inspire in him, he would have Jude disposed of, made it appear an accident, and used her grief to his advantage. But the time for that had passed, if anything happened to him, Elisabeth would know exactly who was to blame and it would earn him her enmity forevermore. He forced back the building jealousy and rage, adopting an expression of mere interest.

"A painter, eh? A distinctly human occupation, not one most wolves would take interest in. Perhaps I should commission a portrait of myself and my twin. If nothing else, being forced to stand still for hours would drive her up a wall." Lucent responded, trying to keep the conversation light and casual, though Elisabeth was making that difficult, he quickly changed the subject.

"What do you truly think of this alliance between our packs? I know it is a friendship borne of necessity more than choice. Savic could either bow to Redmoon, or take a gamble on us. So far, his gamble has paid off, but it is still early. I know many of the Evertail still bear the old prejudices against my people, and the reputation we have carefully cultivated for viciousness has brought us no love with the other packs." He explained softly. It was business talk, true, but he was asking for Elisabeth's genuine views. Such were hard to come by, as their more powerful enemies were open in their scorn and those who felt threatened lied out of necessity.

"My sister comes by her reputation honestly, you've seen it yourself. Violence is her calling in life, and she carries it out gleefully, no sound sweeter to her ears than the death throes of her enemies and the helpless cries of her inferiors. But myself....I act as an Alpha should act. Pursuing my own goals relentlessly while always having consideration for the wants and needs of my pack. My enemies are freely given the choice to become my friends, and yet so very few seem to accept my generosity, even though it's more than most Alphas would offer." He explained without pretense, truly eager for an answer. He could understand prejudice, he had been raised to both hate and fear the European wolves who had made this place own, but he had risen above that. Wolf was wolf, the sentiment of his ancestors when they offered an olive branch to the newcomers rang true to him.

[brokecollege]

If Lucent was enraged by Elisabeth's description of Jude, he kept it hidden from view. The only thing he commented on was Jude's unusual occupation, and how he might have been interested in commissioning a portrait of him and Khlia. Yeah, as if Elisabeth would ever let that idea come to fruition! "I think the idea of doing anything other than taking someone's throat would drive your sister up a wall," Elisabeth said.

When Lucent suddenly changed the topic of conversation, Elisabeth released a breath of relief. While she wasn't too thrilled to be discussing her opinions regarding the alliance, it was far better than discussing her fake relationship with her childhood friend. "I didn't agree with it." the brunette hesitantly admitted. She had, for a moment, thought about lying to Lucent. She thought about saying that she had fully supported the alliance. But she knew the man would see right through it, so she decided to tell the truth.

"I tried everything I could to change my Alpha's mind. But he refused. Said that allying with you was the only way to save ourselves from the Redmoons. And.. well, he was right." Unfortunately so. She took a moment to examine Lucent's response before she continued. "The reason I didn't agree with the alliance wasn't that you and your sister are natives. And it wasn't regarding the rumors of Alpha Blaise's demise. I didn't agree with it because of how unpredictable and power hungry you and your sister are."

"Your unpredictable nature is a threat to us. We are your allies for now, yes, but who is to say that you won't turn on us in the near future? Who is to say you won't hand us over to the Redmoons just to get farther in your own agenda?" she bit down on her tongue and frowned. "Perhaps I worry too much, and perhaps my worrying is all for nothing. And perhaps it isn't."

[Damonique]

Lucent heard her response to his question out with genuine interest, even despite the parts that bothered him, such as the fact that apparently, she had been one of the firmest voices against the alliance that had brought them together, such honesty was a breath of fresh air in the life he had chosen to lead. And he couldn't begrudge her concerns, it was true that the Mane's did things different that other packs in the city.

Usually, demands of subservience or disputes over territory were a delicate dance, packs spending months or even years posturing and skirmishing, testing one anothers strength, allowing their neighbors to weight in on one side or the other, usually resolving with very little actual change. For as long as anyone could remember, the city had been divided between two dozen or so major packs and nearly a hundred minor ones, the status quo changing rarely, most Alpha's content with the power they possessed and having little desire to risk losing it.

But Lucent and Khlias sudden ascent to power had turned this on it's head. Lucent had been Blaise's strong right hand for some time, but the aging Alpha was still healthy, expected to choose a worthy successor from his own people in due time, an that his 'pets', and the Mane Twins were often regarded, would obediently follow whoever he chose. Instead, overnight, news of the Alpha's death came alongside the announcement that Lucent mane was the undisputed leader of the Fangs.

That had been easy to arrange, Lucent had given his pack-mates an ultimatum. If they felt they could do the job better, they only had to make it through Khlia and the small cadre of loyalists she had raised to support his claim, mostly younger warriors eager for advancement, their loyalty bolstered by promises of more intimate rewards from the female twin if they were successful. Lucent had never had to ask nor thank his sister for this show of support. She thirsted for complete control of the pack's warriors, as Blaise's measured and cautious tactics disagreed with her temperament, and would have gladly fucked any of those strapping young soldiers if only they had the courage to ask. It was a win-win in her book, and could only be better if she had been able to assume control of the pack herself. But that was out of the question, while the Fangs would begrudgingly accept a native leader, they would never tolerate a female.

Quickly, main packs with power-hungry Alphas moved to oppose them, under the pretense of driving out the savages who did not deserve a place among their ranks, and concocting vile rumours that Lucent had been responsible for the too-trusting Alpha Blaise's death. With threats on all sides, in the interest of self-preservation, the Manes had made an example out of three of their nearest and most vocal enemies, on what was still whispered of as the 'Night of Blood'. Khlia and her warriors had hit each pack one after the other, killing every man, woman, and child, not even taking prisoners as Omegas. While it had been distasteful, it was no doubt effective. Most of the lesser packs changed their tune, confirming Lucent as a legitimate alpha for fear that they would be be next on his list, and many of the stronger ones carefully avoided their affairs.

His position was secure...but for Damon Redmoon, who had seen this shift in the balance of power as an opportunity, and begin acting in much the same way, annexing his neighbors under the pretense of protecting them from the pressing danger of the savage outsiders. If Lucent did not hate him so, he would be impressed with his resourcefulness. After that, it had become something of a cold war, each side trying to gain the upper hand on the other by any means necessary, forcing lesser packs to choose one side or the other or risk being caught defenseless between them. Yet always, the Manes were the ones cast in a negative light and blamed for this.

"So, I'm unpredictable, am I? Ill take that as a compliment. As a leader of warriors, surely you must know that the same plan only works once if your opponent is in any way worthy." He stated casually, not letting his anger at the injustice of it all reach his lips. Elisabeth was not to blame for believing the lies of others when she had no way of knowing any better.

"And you an Savic have nothing to worry about. You took our blood, accepted our protection. Despite how faithless our enemies make us out to be, that pact is sacred, as it should be to all true wolves. We are sworn to defend you and yours or risk dishonor in the eyes of all who hard our howls that night, so long as we or you draw breath." He continued, most offended that she would doubt his commitment to their agreement. Furthermore....Elisabeth's own fortune was tied to that of the Evertail, to fail them would be to fail her, and that would be unfathomable to Lucent, though that, he did not reveal. Again, he changed the subject, not truly needing any response to his re-affirmation of an intent that should have been taken for granted.

"Are you hungry, Elisabeth?" He asked out of nowhere, turning towards where he scented a deer, two hundred years to their east past a ridge-line, the bovine blissfully unaware of the presence of the deadly pair downwind. Surely, she scented it as well, stalking and taking such prey a part of their very nature as wolves, no matter how detached and 'civilized' they tried to keep from their primal selves.

[brokecollege]

While Elisabeth had not meant for her comment to be a compliment, Lucent appeared to take it that way. He then informed Elisabeth that she had nothing to worry about. The pact that their packs had made was a sacred pact, and because of that, it would not be broken. If it were, then the Fangs would face dishonor. Although she was hesitant to believe his words, the brunette still nodded her head in understanding.

Before any more could be discussed regarding the manner, Lucent changed the subject. She pursed her lips together--she was starting to notice how often and how quickly he changed the topic of conversation. "Hungry?" she repeated. For a moment she was confused as to why he changed the conversation to how hungry she was, though she realized it must've been because he sensed something nearby. And, sure enough, if Elisabeth focused her senses on their surroundings, she could make out the scent of a deer.

She wasn't all that hungry at the moment, but she figured if she used her energy to stalk and kill the deer then she would be hungry enough. "Sure, I'm hungry," Elisabeth said as she came to a stop. The brunette pulled off her shoes and set them aside before she tugged off her shirt. After she neatly folded it, Elisabeth placed it on top of her shoes. When she noticed Lucent not doing anything, she paused to smirk. "What? Are you too shy to undress in front of a girl?" she teased.

Perhaps the shy one should have been Elisabeth, as the man currently standing in front of her was also the man who was attracted to her. But even if she should have been shy and shielding herself from his sight, she didn't. Elisabeth unbuttoned her pants and shimmied her way out of them before she folded them up and placed them neatly on top of the rest of her clothes. Then she pushed the pile aside and transformed into her true and natural form--a small, brown wolf.

[Damonique]

Lucent gave a wry smile at Elisabeth's coy remark as to modesty, taking his inaction as shyness, though he'd simply be waiting for a decision to be made as to which one of them would take the kill. Lucent was more than capable of stalking and bringing the animal down in his human shape, masked and camouflaged as he was, with the serrated obsidian knife at his belt. A bow would been even easier, but he hadn't thought to bring one.

And before he could even get out a word, she was disrobed before him, her young body everything he imagined it to be, caramel skin smooth and defined, trailed from toned shoulders to medium, rounded breasts tipped with rosebud nipples, seemed to defy gravity by the wonders of youth. Her stomach was flat the barest suggestion of hard abs. The view was cut off far too short as the young woman was replaced with a small brown wolf, no less attractive to him but in a very different way.

Giving a wistful sigh as she darted off in the direction the deer had been scented, not even waiting to get a look at him out of mere curiosity, he loosed his vest to reveal even more reddish-copper skin and slipped it off, uncinching his belt to let the soft hide pants fall around his ankles, and transformed into his own natural shape. His wolf-form was less muscled that his twins, but was still big, jet-black and menacing.

He caught up with the smaller brown beast within moments, his long, loping gait covering ground faster at a run. The ducked low upon reaching the wood-line twenty-feet fro the still-oblivious deer grazing in a short-cropped field, exchange low growls and nods of the head to work out their strategy, Lucent would charge straight to startle the animal, and Elisabeth would flank around the side to cut off it's retreat.

The wind shifted early and the buck turned it's head up, slowly tracing it's eyes back and forth, having just barely detected them. Before it could panic and bolt, the chase was on, Lucent's black shadow launching itself through the air with a mighty leap while Elisabeth's more compact, brown self darted around, trying to anticipate with was the creature would go.

[brokecollege]

As soon as the transformation, Elisabeth bolted off in the direction of the deer. This was her favorite kind of hunt: not the hunt of her own kind, but the hunt of food. It felt more natural to her than any other kind of hunt, and she wished she was able to do it more often. But the only kind of hunts that she had been partaking in lately were hunts of her brothers and sisters.

As she neared the deer, a large and black mass ran up beside her. Lucent. He looked just like his sister, though she noticed his frame was slightly less muscled than hers. The two briefly relayed their plans to one another with grunts and growls before Lucent suddenly took off. While Lucent busied himself with attacking above, Elisabeth busied herself with ensuring the deer's demise. She darted around the frantic deer, and when it attempted to skid to the right to avoid Lucent's attack, she was able to prevent it by slamming her body against the deer's.

The deer tried to escape for a second time, though this time around it attempted to rear left. Elisabeth stopped this by clamping her teeth around its foot and pulling it back into place. The deer cried out in pain, and once its leg had been released it stumbled forward. But it was never able to catch its bearings, for just a second later Lucent was on top of the poor thing. Elisabeth slowed to a stop and attempted to catch her breath while Lucent ended the deer's life.

[Damonique]

Lucent broke off his charge and wheeled around suddenly when the smaller wolf ducked in around him from the side to cripple the fleeing animal with a sharp snap of her jaws, and then he dove back in for the kill whilst she stood back. The chase had been flawlessly executed, a work of art in the motion of fur and fangs, the two wolves acting in instinctive harmony.

He kept his jaws locked around it's throat, savoring the time it took for the last, frantic beats of the prey-animals heart forced out a gush of it's lifeblood in and around his muzzle, the metallic flavor of the hot blood sweet to the taste.When it was done, the large black wolf padded back to brown-furred female with a satisfied expression, gently brushing his glossy black nose against her own before taking a sea in the grass beside her, licking the blood from his chops, their flanks nearly touching.

He tipped his head towards the fresh kill, clearly offering her the sweetest first bites and choice parts before eating himself.

[brokecollege]

After he had finished killing the deer, Lucent turned around and returned to Elisabeth. She studied his disheveled appearance with interest. She had never seen the prim and proper Lucent Mane so bloodied and unkempt before. He was always so neat, always so put together, so seeing him like this was interesting. The older male brushed their noses together before he took a seat beside the brunette.

There was a moment of silence between the two before Lucent gestured towards the bloodied carcass. Was he, the Alpha of the Fangs, really giving her the first taste of his kill? How interesting. She wondered if he gave her the first few bites because he liked her. No, no. Not everything he did was because he liked her. He was just trying to be a gentleman. She bowed her head as a show of respect before she stood up and walked over to the deer's body.

She took a moment to thank the Gods for the deer before she bent down and buried her muzzle into its stomach. She tore through the deer's skin with one go before digging into the delicious meat. She took a handful of bites before forcing herself to take a few steps back. She had to remember that this kill was not just hers, but Lucent's as well. He was, after all, the one that delivered the final blow. She licked the blood from her teeth before she looked over at Lucent and gestured towards the body.

[Damonique]

Lucent watched Elisabeth with interest as she finally accepted his offer, walking over to tear out the deer's plump stomach to get at the tenderest organs while the carcass was still fresh and steaming. Lucent waited politely while she rooted among the entrails for the choicest bits of flesh, except the heart, that most delectable lump of meat and muscle always going to the killer.

The taste of blood on his teeth and smell of the fresh-kill made it hard to restrain himself, but the smaller wolf finally seemed to remember him and stepped back to allow him his share. Lucent attacked the corpse voraciously, the much larger wolf having an equally larger appetite than the small brown female. He devoured the heart in two large bites, and spent some time cracking the ribs with his powerful jaws, tossing a few of the shattered bones Elisabeth's way so she could get at the succulent marrow.

Lucent couldn't remember how long it had been since he had eaten raw meat, much less fresh-kill, so rarely was he able to be distracted from his duties to range far enough from the city to find wild game, and he would have to bring bodyguards at his sister's insistence that could be more use elsewhere. Khlia sometimes poached prey from the human parks by night, ducks and squirrels, but until now, the Manes had nowhere to hunt large game, so jealously had the Whiteclaw guarded their stretch of wilderness. But now the place could be a personal hunting preserve for the allied Fangs and Evertails.

After eating his fill, Lucent moved away from the mangled remains and allowed Elisabeth the opportunity to pick apart what remained, her smaller muzzle more suited to avoiding the entrails to get at the stringy muscle in the back without getting too much hair in her teeth, while Lucent calmly washed the better part of the blood he could reach on his front legs and paws with his tongue, and then padded over to a nice, mossy spot where the sun broke through the trees, trolling onto his side and basking in the warmth, beaconing Elisabeth over to join him on the mossy bed with a playful bark when she was finished with her meal.

Lucent had missed this, traipsing through the woods in wolf-shape, as he and his Twin had spent so much of their childhoods out west, taking game when they were hungry, drinking from streams and pools when they were thirsty, lazing away the heat of the day on beds of grass, moss, and flowers, not a care in the world. It was how wolf was meant to live. In accepting the ease of living among humans, the wolves here had given up that part of themselves that was still strong in the tribals.

[brokecollege]

As soon as she had taken a few steps back, Lucent lunged forward and attacked the corpse. He devoured the heart in what seemed to be a single bite before moving on to the juicy muscle. When he had eaten all that he could from the muscle, he turned his attention to the ribs. Elisabeth sat idly by and watched as Lucent broke off the ribs to reach the marrow. When the occasional bone was tossed in her direction, Elisabeth eagerly took it up to eat the marrow.

After Lucent had his fill, he stepped away from the deer's remains. Elisabeth took his place to feast on whatever part of the deer remained--though, admittedly, it wasn't much. But Elisabeth didn't mind, as this was Lucent's kill. As per their custom, he was given the best (and the most) parts of the body. When she had finished gathering the remains Lucent had left behind, she moved away from the deer and began to clean herself.

She hadn't noticed Lucent's absence until her paws and lips were clean of blood. And by the time she did notice, Lucent had called out to her with a playful bark. The brunette curiously followed after Lucent's call to where he lay on a mossy bed. He looked so innocent, laying there. It almost made her forget about his history and his intent. She pranced up to the wolf and took a seat beside him, though she wasn't nearly relaxed as he was.

[Damonique]

Lucent made the canine approximation of a genuine smile, his lips parting to reveal a full complement of gleaming fangs, tongue lolling out of his mouth, when she finally came to join him in the mossy clearing.Ruefully, he could help but note that she still showed some trepidation in her steps, watching the large black wolf warily, as if you were a snake she was just waiting to strike.

As if to make mock of her concerns, he adopted a demeanor of playful harmlessness, rolling over to bare his belly for her, something unprecedented to an Alpha to do for anyone, offering her such weakness, but it was only the two of them out here, no pack-mates to judge him for it. He didn't believe elisabeth's distaste for him would come to violence, she knew better than that, and he was much larger than her, which only made the sight of him waggling on his back, tail swishing back and forth before the much smaller wolf more comical.

Lucent had already gotten everything he wanted out of today. Elisabeth had gotten to see a part of him very different from the scheming, cold-hearted alpha she knew him to be. They had shared talk and a good meal in mutual amity, free from concern for their respective duties and pretenses. If wolves did anything resembling human 'dating', this one have been a good first one. The oonly shame was that it would eventually have to end, and they would return to their separate lives. Next they saw one another, no doubt for business, this pleasant evening would be but a memory.

He eventually rolled back on to his side beside her, craning his head to nuzzle into the short, finely textured ring of lighter brown fur around her neck and once again basking in the scent of her, made even more pleasant by the lingering scent of fresh meat and blood, and lay there for a while, his ragged breaths from the stimulation of the chase and meal subsiding into a more relaxed inhale and exhale matching her own.

[brokecollege]

As soon as Lucent noticed Elisabeth's semi-tense state he adopted an almost comical playfulness. He rolled around in the green moss, mimicking the movements of a small pup. He even went so far as to bare his belly to the brunette--something which undoubtedly shocked her. The baring of one's stomach was a sign of submission and weakness, an act which no Alpha would ever perform! So the fact that Lucent Mane, Alpha of the Fangs, had done it practically shocked the woman to her very core.

After he had finished his playful and childish display, Lucent rolled over onto his side and craned his head up so that his muzzle met the brown fur on Elisabeth's neck. He nuzzled as best as he could into her fur, the deep and ragged breaths he had been taking eventually turning into nothing more than quiets lulls. Elisabeth remained still until she realized their position, at which point she quickly shook him off with a loud huff.

The brunette took a step or two away from him, putting what she considered a good distance between the two. She was close enough to talk and to protect, but far enough to prevent anything like that from happening again. Not that he would like that, of course. Elisabeth then laid down on the ground, her dark eyes focusing on Lucent as she rested her head on the ground. She wondered, for a quiet moment, why Lucent was interested in her.

He was an Alpha. A powerful, strong, and determined Alpha who could have had anyone his heart desired. He could've had a much more beautiful, submissive, and delicate woman standing by his side. So, why had he set his sights on Elisabeth? There was nothing special about her, nothing that made her stand out from everyone else. So, why? Maybe he was just bored and looking for a challenge. She tilted her head slightly to the side as she stared the man down. And what would he do if he ever managed to obtain her?

Surely, he wouldn't mate her. Perhaps he would just play with her for a few weeks until a new, prettier thing came along. Then he would toss her aside like the rest of the women before her. Her nose scrunched up in opposition of the thought. She didn't want that. When she gave herself to someone, whoever that may be, she wanted to be with them for life. Not for a month, not for a year. Forever. Which is why she had all the more reason to reject Lucent Mane's affections.

[Damonique]

Lucent's joy in Elisabeth's momentary....lapse of judgement, he suppose she'd consider to to be was cut short all too soon when she seemed to suddenly remember who he was and stepped back to create distance between them. He decided not to press the subject and risk souring the leisurely mood, taking a break to watch the clouds drifting lazily by.

Truly, Lucent Mane didn't know what exactly he was doing this. The longer he remained away from his pack, the more work would pile up to be taken care of later. The more pressing matters, those of defense, he could leave to Khlia, but she lacked the temperament to deal with the tedious details of the day-to-day running of the Fangs. He had to specifically forbid her from deciding any matters of interpersonal conflict among the ranks, as her solution was always, inevitably, a fight to the death.

But he supposed, even despite her standoffish towards him, simply being in Elisabeth's presence made it worthwhile. Remaining for such a time in their wolf-forms was a blessing, as though were able to communicate, in a fashion, through body language and the occasion bark or growl for emphasis, deep conversation was beyond them, ensuring that neither of them, must mostly himself, couldn't say the wrong thing.

They spent some time there, basking in the sunlight, enjoying the cool breeze through their fur and the sounds of nature around them, wolves always lethargic after a good meal, but eventually, Lucent recalled that their time together here was limited, and stood, shaking stray leaves and nettles from his thick black fur as he did, and turned towards where their clothes remained where they had left them, a short jaunt away. He beaconed to Elisabeth with his muzzle, questioning.

[brokecollege]

The two lay there for however much longer (honestly, after ten minutes of gazing at the scenery Elisabeth lost track) before Lucent finally rose from the ground and gestured to where they had come from. What a pity. As rigid and tense as she was around Lucent, she had to admit that she did like lying there in the woods. It was relaxing. And if there was one thing Elisabeth never did, it was relaxing. The brunette pulled herself up from the ground with a heavy breath before starting in the direction of where they came from.

She walked slowly, obviously not too enthusiastic about returning to the duties of her pack. She knew that as soon as she entered the grounds she would be forced to return to her "lieutenant" mode. That meant training, and patrolling, and commanding, and doing everything except relaxing. When they did finally reach their destination, Elisabeth stopped at her pile of clothes and shook her body. When she was sure she had managed to get most of the dirt and leaves off of her, then she transformed back into a human.

Elisabeth stretched her hands high above her head and yawned, exhausted from both the hunt and large meal. How was she supposed to return to her work filled life after such an eventful day? Elisabeth dropped her arms from the air to brush her hands over her bare breasts and stomach, as if to wipe away any trace of dirt or leaves that might have been left behind. Then, she bent down and grabbed her pants.

She tugged the jeans onto her form before she grabbed her shirt and tugged it on. When she had finished adjusting her clothes, she looked over at Lucent and offered him a rare and genuine smile. One she never thought she would share with Lucent Mane. "As frustrated as I was with being dragged away from my work, I have to admit that I kind of enjoyed today. It has been... forever since I've gone on an actual hunt." she informed in a hum. "Thank you, Lucent."

[Damonique]

They made their back to where they had began their hunt in a comfortable silence, without hurry. Lucent had been glad to notice a gradual relaxation is Elisabeth as the time whiled away, and neither of them seemed to be eager to return to the everyday demands their stations imposed on them. But it couldn't be helped, the city was not a safe place for them at the moment, and their packs depended upon them for guidance.

All too soon, they reached thee place their hunt had begun, and Lucent carefully groomed himself same as his companion before finally transforming back into his two-legged self, crouched near to the ground. Elisabeth seemed at ease with his for the first time with the attention he paid her when she transformed back to her human self. She was beauty put to form, the slowly setting sun behind her turning her bronze skin to gleaming gold as she stretched out, displaying herself in the most provocative way.

A part of him wondered if she had displayed herself so for his benefit, he had expected the same shyness and hurry with which she had disrobed, but instead, she took her time dressing. If it was a reaction she desired, it had been achieved as he crossed his arms over his knees to cover the plain evidence of his arousal before quickly drawing the rawhide trousers about his waist, and then the buckskin vest about his broad shoulders, leaving it open to display his handsome, if not so muscular physique, trying to at least pretend at decorum even though his eyes were glued hungrily on the young brunette.

At her thanks for the afternoon, a confirmation that he had done rightly in her eyes, his spirit soared even despite the nearly instinctual way she mentioned that she had not joined him willingly but out of obligation. He couldn't help but agree, even without her, it would have been a day well-spent, a rare opportunity to be himself, and it was clear she felt the same.

"Sometimes we forget what we are. This was a reminder. Hopefully, we can steal the time to do so again." He answered, quite formally, already slipping into the refined and diplomatic facade he wore as Alpha. As far as anyone else was concerned, they had spent the day surveying their new territories for weakness and discussing future moves and counter in the ongoing conflict with the Redmoons. Only they two would be privy to the truth, that they had done nothing but be the wolves they were and act as such.

"Could I perchance escort you back to your own territory, Ms. Vaughn? The sun fades quickly, and we have many enemies eager to catch us off-guard." He inquired diplomatically, knowing the Elisabeth was smart enough not to refuse such a small request and risk insulting him when she was so close to being rid of him at last.

[brokecollege]

While Elisabeth didn't usually agree with the Mane twins, she had to agree with Lucent--sometimes wolves spent so much time playing human that they forgot who they truly were. "Yes, hopefully." she quietly agreed as she pushed her hair away from her face. When the strands fell back to their place, she huffed and moved them again. If her hair didn't behave, then she was going to have to chop it all off.

When Lucent offered to escort Elisabeth back to her territory, she hesitated. What if they coincidentally came across Jude in the process? How would Lucent react? He had promised to hurt neither Jude nor Elisabeth, but she had doubts that he would keep his promise when face to face with the man she was (not) seeing. After her moment of hesitation had passed, Elisabeth bowed her head in respect. "Of course, Alpha Mane." she agreed.

She gestured towards the general location of her pack territory before she headed in that direction herself. When they eventually reached her pack grounds, she turned to Lucent and offered him another respectful bow of the head. "Thank you, Alpha Mane. Would you like for me to get my Alpha for you before you leave?" she questioned. Since he was already here, it was only polite of Elisabeth to offer her Alpha to him for conversation. But just because it was respectful and polite didn't mean she wanted him to accept it. If anything, she wanted him to politely decline and be on his way.

[Damonique]

The moment she accepted his offer and they were on their way, the magic of afternoon was gone with the sunlight, Elisabeth slipping back into her respectful but standoffish ways, adressing him only as 'Alpha Mane' and keeping a healthy distance. He had expected at least some genial conversation, or perhaps a parting smile when they reached her own territory, but the brunette was all business now. It wouldn't do.

When she offered to fetch Savic, Lucent look down at himself, disheveled and dressed exactly like the uncivilized tribal all of the other Alphas expected him to be at heart, and shook his head. It wouldn't do to be seen like this by anyone. Anyone but Elisabeth, that was. She was different, she didn't judge him and would keep his secrets. She was perfect. With nothing left to be said, Lucent moved as if to turn back the way he came before stopping suddenly, as if rooted to the ground by something beyond his control.

He continued to stand there, his entire form tilted towards Elisabeth as if magnetically drawn to her. His vibrant sea-green eyes transfixed her own, his longing plain in his features, nostrils flaring as if to breath in as much of her scent, which has become so familiar in so short a time and he knew the world would be empty without, as possible. His hands were clenched at his sides as if he knew not what to do with them, manicured nails digging sharply into his palms almost hard enough to draw blood, as if the pain might shock him back to his senses.

It wasn't fair. He had done all he could to show Elisabeth his true self, been kind and even playful. Surely by now she had to know that his feelings towards her were genuine, it wasn't a matter of power or politics. There was no scheme to it, no plan. It was a blissful joining of instinct and emotion, the likes of which he had never experienced. But still, she treated him like nothing when he was the Alpha Mane, destined to be the only Alpha. He could, and would gladly give her the world for even the barest brush of those ruby lips against his own, the slightest taste of that caramel skin which was surely, after their adventure, tasted of nature and sweat.

He was fighting himself clearly losing, as the longing in his features gave way to sadness, and then anger. He took a halting step towards her, and then another, a hand beginning to extend towards her as if in slow motion. The object of his desire was so near, and he was so much stronger, towering over the girl with an expression that now showed no kindness, only animal lust. Elisabeth knew what trying to run or fight would mean fer her, her warriors, her pack, her Jude. But was clear that she had to say or do something quickly as Lucent leaned in towards her, the restraint he had carefully managed throughout the day breaking down before her very eyes.

[brokecollege]

Elisabeth was undeniably grateful for Lucent's response, as his response meant he would be leaving both her and the pack grounds. She bowed her head as a final show of respect as the older male turned to leave the grounds. But then, Lucent suddenly stopped. She stared Elisabeth down, his form just as tense and rigid as hers had been just hours before. Her eyes narrowed--was something wrong? Had Elisabeth done or said something to upset him?

She didn't think she had. She had been polite throughout the entire day--er, or as polite as she could be. Lucent's features were sad for a brief moment before they twisted into nothing but animal lust and rage. Her confusion turned into surprise, and then to panic. Oh, no. Oh, no, no, no. She was so close! He was so close! Why did he have to suddenly lose control over himself?! Elisabeth frantically looked around as she took a tiny step away from Lucent.

What did she do? If she ran or fought Lucent off, he'd probably declare war on her pack because of the embarrassment! But she couldn't let him do he wanted to do--especially not in front of her pack! "Lucent," she whispered as she took another tiny step away from him. "Lucent, what are you doing?" Why, he was doing what every male wolf consumed by lust did! Elisabeth searched for every possible way out of this situation before she grunted and grabbed the Alpha by his wrist.

If she was to handle the situation properly, she needed to get both of them away from the public eye. That way, should anything go wrong at least the only ones there would be the two of them! She dragged the Alpha a few hundred feet away to the side of the pack house (where very few people ever went) before she let go of his wrist and stepped away from him. "What is going on with you, Alpha Mane? Please, control your emotions. If anyone saw that.." she trailed off. Then they would get the wrong impression.

[Damonique]

Lucent seemed startled by Elisabeth's suddenly forceful reaction, blinking several times as if dazed, consciousness clawing it's way to the surface of roiling sea of lust and rage behind those deep green eyes. The way she said his name, his real name for once, with a combination of fear and anger, but also...disappointment, came to him like a command. Her very touch felt soothing, despite it's intentions, as she led him off to somewhere more private, on the outskirts of the Evertail camp.

The previously imposing Alpha male followed after her almost obediently, eyes wide, wondering where the brunette was taking him so insistently. Had she realized, finally, that she had no choice? That things would be so much easier if she accepted that it truly was meant to be, and simply wanted to submit on her own terms, in her own place? If Lucent had been truly listening to her words, he would know such was unlikely, but desire has a way of making one deny reality in favor of fantasy.

The moment they were alone, he reached up almost reverently, to place his hand on the side of her neck, long fingers splaying out to run themselves through her long, dark locks. When he did, some of the blood welling up into his palm from the five pinpricks where his nails had dug into skin transferred of to her cheek, leaving a glistening half-handprint there. Lucent liked that, it reminded him of the jagged scars Khlia left on the cheeks of her elites, marking them as extensions of herself.

"What am I doing? Taking what's mine, Elisabeth. You had to have known, since that first night, the moment we laid eyes on one another, that you had been chosen? How else could the great Alpha Mane, in all his power and resources, waste more than a moment of thought on you? Nothing more than a soldier. A former Omega, even. Despite all of that, the sight of you captivated me. The smell of you intoxicated me. Why would that happen if you weren't destined to be mine, and I yours?" He finally spoke in barely more than a whisper, rambling unbidden the barely concealed truth he had known since they had met.

Lucent had not been so patient, or gone to so great of lengths to impress a female since he had been but a boy. Since he had become Alpha, they didn't need impressing, they were thankful just to have his interest, if even for a night. And those few that didn't care for his intentions learned quickly and painfully that it was unwise to deny a Mane, as to insult one twin was to insult them both. A visit from his sister would have them meekly in his bed by sunrise, without Lucent having to say a word.

But somehow, they only one he had ever truly needed didn't care in the slightest about the power and pleasure he could lavish upon her, no fear the terrible retribution he could visit upon her. It was perplexing, it was infuriating, but most of all, it made him question himself. How could he love her so much, want her with every fiber of his being and yet she be so cold, so distant? He knew little about love, but in his mind, this was not how it was supposed to be.

[brokecollege]

Before Elisabeth could move away from him, Lucent had lifted his hand and placed it upon the young girl's cheeks. His touch was surprisingly gentle, despite the fire the burned behind his eyes. It was gentle, and... wet? When Lucent's hand fell from her face, she immediately lifted her hand to touch her cheek. She then pulled her hand away from her cheek and gazed down at her red fingertips. He eyes widened--blood? Was his hand soaked in blood?

The brunette then turned her attention to Lucent, who had begun to respond to Elisabeth's frantic questions. "Taking... Taking what's yours?" she repeated incredulously. Elisabeth didn't ever remember to being the property of Lucent Mane. "That I had been chosen to what, Lucent? To be your plaything until someone else more interesting came along?" she questioned with a hiss. When he began to praise himself and compare his strength to hers, Elisabeth scoffed and dropped her hand to her side. She had forgotten how humble Lucent Mane could be.

"There is no destiny here, Lucent! No intertwined fates, no cosmic energy pushing us together!" Elisabeth informed with a glare. She didn't want to believe that their destinies were mixed, and she didn't want to believe that the great Gods wanted them to be together. She didn't want to believe it; she refused to! "You are interested in me because I am a challenge to you. A challenge to be conquered and to be placed on your mantle for everyone else to see!"

She glared at Lucent for a few minutes longer before her eyes softened and she turned away. "I am not a challenge to be won, Lucent. I am a woman. I don't want to be tossed aside the moment you've 'won' me, and I don't want to be tossed aside the moment a new and more exciting challenge comes your way. I want to be loved. Truly, and genuinely loved. I want to be with someone for the remainder of my life, not just for a few weeks. And you.." she sighed and shook her head as she turned back around to face him.

"You can't provide that for me. So, I'm going to continue to reject you until you come to your senses and realize this. Either that or I'll continue to reject you until another woman has caught your interest." Which would be within the next couple of weeks, she hoped. The lieutenant wiped the bloody print from her cheek with the sleeve of her shirt before quietly adding, "You should get your hand bandaged before leaving. I'll grab the salutary wolf for you."

[Damonique]

Elisabeth seemed to soften at his caress, and Lucent had formed the beginnings of a smile, thinking his words had gotten through to her, made her realize what had always been plain as day to himself. But it was gone as soon as it quickly as it came, as she pulled back, suddenly furious. It was as if the Brunette would rather die than accept him.

She should have been terrified, one small, insignificant female with her back literally to a wall, facing down not just a man nearly twice her size but also the Mane Alpha. Instead, she balled her fists and spit vicious words right in his face. Never since he had risen the ranks of the Fangs had been talked to in such a way and allowed the offending wolf to live. Had they not been alone, he would have been forced to exact retribution regardless of his own feelings. Letting such an insult go unanswered would be end of him.

But strangely, inexplicable, he did nothing. Worse than that.....he flinched, recoiling under the tide of bitterness Elisabeth unleashed upon him, all the rage and lust he had worn a moment ago replaced a visage of shame and...not fear, something else. Submission. He, Lucent Mane, Alpha of the fangs, a killer so refined he never had to stoop so low as to do his own killing, who was whispered of throughout the city of being literally incapable of emotion, had been cowed by a female. His green eyes widened as he came to realize what he had done.

And then a panic set in, spurring that logical, remorseless part of his mind into action...what was he to do? Just as his love and lust had been uncontrollable and undeniable, so too was this. If she could achieve such a reaction once, she could do it again. It made her a threat to all the power he had clawed and scraped his way to acquire. The prudent thing would be to kill her, now, cover his tracks with lies. When the body was found it would be thought as retribution by the Redmoons. He could send Khlia to murder an unlucky patrol and pin the death on them, lay their corpses and Savic's feet as gift and proceed as if none of this had ever happened.

But he knew this was impossible. Somewhere between thought and motion, when he meant to reach for the stone knife still at his belt, he stopped. He was entirely at her mercy, if the brunette moved to shift her hand to a paw and rake out his throat, he would have let her,something in the back of his mind telling him he deserved to for even contemplating such a thing. Elisabeth was finally done speaking, and his mouth opened, once, twice, three times, only to close again, incapable of managing speech. What could be said? Only her mention of fetching a medic for his hand spurred him back to his senses.

"No. No-one else. No-one can know." He stated haltingly, not in anything resembling the usual commanding tone he used. It was more a request, if an insistent one. Lucent looked from side to side fearfully, making sure they were still alone, and letting out a bated breath in relief when he found there were no onlookers. But Elisabeth knew, and he turned back to her, questioning, trying to muster up some reserve of courage that didn't seem to come. She knew this secret, this shame, and she could use the knowledge of it to destroy him or to control him, and he had no way of stopping her.

[brokecollege]

Lucent immediately recoiled at Elisabeth's words, obviously not having expected her resistance. But Elisabeth was a stubborn woman--a stubborn woman who just so happened also to be frustrated with Lucent Mane and his interest in her. A minute or two of silence passed before Lucent spoke, refusing the offer for Elisabeth to retrieve help. No, he said. No one could know about today. No one could know about their conversation or the fact that she had brutally rejected him without retaliation.

She nodded her head. Elisabeth agreed. If anyone--Savic or the Fangs--ever discovered how she had treated Lucent.. well, then it would be the end of her career and perhaps her life. And if anyone ever discovered how Lucent hadn't retaliated, then he would lose all the respect of his people and his rivals. "You have my word, Alpha Mane." she quietly promised. When she noticed Lucent looking around the empty area, she looked around too.

"No one comes over here, Alpha Mane. That is why I pulled you over here," she informed. She bit down on her lower lip before she grabbed the end of her shirt and ripped off a piece of it. She then stepped forward, grabbed Lucent by his hand, and wrapped the fabric around his cuts. While she hadn't meant to frighten him, she was glad that she had. It seemed to knock some sense into his head. Perhaps now he would realize the two of them just weren't meant to be together. "I am sorry, Alpha Mane. But you are a stubborn man, and I have come to learn that the only way to get through to stubborn men is through firm action and tone." when she had finished patching him up, she took a step back and bowed her head. "Be safe on your journey home."

[Damonique]

Lucent took a few moments to allow his racing heart to calm, thankful for the assurance that Elisabeth would keep this unthinkable turn of events between themselves. He wanted to distrust her, but her voice was understanding, and honest. Distant, but not unkind. He knew that she had much to lose from this as well, but Elisabeth would be used to that. Growing up an Omega, she knew what it was to have nothing, and rather than break her, it had empowered her.

That was why neither his position nor has reputation scared her, she had been dealing with those more powerful than herself for as long as she could remember, and she knew better than to show weakness before them. If they killed her, so be it. Death was easy in the life of a wolf, it was living that was difficult. Lucent wondered how he hadn't seen it sooner. Perhaps at the Jurchen's resturant, but he had mistaken her innate bravery for mere intoxication.

When she moved to bandage his hand with a piece of her own shirt, Lucent felt uniquely humbled at the show of genuine care and concern she showed despite the vicious dressing-down she had delivered to him moments before. He knew that he should be furious, or afraid, or..anything but this, hanging on her every word like a lost pup. But those feelings were irresistible and unstoppable as the winds or the tides, and he could only come to accept them. If he was wise, Lucent would avoid the brunette from now on, this compulsion only happened in her presence. But he knew that she was like a flame, himself a moth.

"Thank you, Elisabeth, for a most....enlightening afternoon." He stated, as diplomatically as possible, and her farewell seemed to be enough to allow him to take control of himself again. Without it, he felt he would have stood there awaiting her leave until he collapsed. He gave her one last, longing look before turning on heel and disappearing into the night. Khlia would surely wonder what had kept him, and never could his sister know the truth. Lucent was her line to the power she enjoyed, owing her unique position solely to being his twin, even though she had truly done more to earn it than himself, and if such a threat were known to her, Elisabeth would die horribly.

[brokecollege]

When Lucent had disappeared from her sight, Elisabeth released an uneven breath and covered her face with her hands. That had been... an interesting and eventful afternoon, to say the least. She just hoped such an afternoon never happened again in the future. But the only way to do that, she suspected, was to keep her interactions with Lucent to the minimum. She remained standing there with her hands covering her face for who knows however long before finally deciding to return to her duties.

--

The next few days went by uneventfully. Though, in truth, Elisabeth was grateful for that. There was nothing better than returning to some form of normalcy. And things did kind of return to normal. Elisabeth tended to her duties, patrolled the area, and even had a few meetings with the Alpha. She laughed with her men, occasionally spent some time resting in her room, and made a point to avoid Jude and his men.

In truth, every time she saw Jude she grew into nothing more than a flustered mess. It wasn't because she liked him, but rather because she had just used the man (without his consent, mind you) to form a fake relationship to repel the very manic Lucent Mane. She was afraid that as soon as she spoke to him, she would immediately anger her childhood friend by confessing her sins to him. So, to avoid that, she simply avoided him.

"Things have been quiet." Savic mused as he patrolled the area with Elisabeth. Elisabeth, who had been deep in her thoughts, quickly snapped out of them to nod her head. Things have been quiet. There had been no news regarding the Redmoons, and the Fangs had been busy finalizing other alliances and such. There had been no attacks, no secret spy missions, no betrayals. Just silence. Which soothed Elisabeth, but scared Savic. "I feel as if something is headed our way." Savic sighed. Elisabeth rose a brow, "And what could possibly be headed our way, Alpha? We haven't had any trouble since partnering with the Fangs."

[Damonique]

Lucent returned home in a roundabout way, wandering to clear his head and come to terms with what had just happened. To divert suspicions, he joined up with the first Fang patrol he scented in their territory and made the rounds with them. The warriors were ecstatic, as it was rare to see their usually distant leader get his paws dirty with the rest of them.

They discussed warfare, and women, a few of them throwing questions his way about the time he had spent with Elisabeth. Thanks to Khlia, and the men who had been present at the meeting with the Clique leaders, his interest in the fiery young Evertail lieutenant was common knowledge. At least no man could fault him on his taste, even those who hadn't seen her in person knew she was attractive and a skilled fighter as well. At the very least, he could tell part of the truth, about how they had ran as wolves and taken a deer in once had once been Whiteclaw territory, and allowed the common soldiers to assume that such an outing would inevitably lead to sex.

While gossip of such assumption might make it's way to the Evertails in time, it was not like it was any big deal. Wolves paired up and broke off with regularity, and they would be just that, rumors. Owing to her position, Elisabeth could easily silence them among her warriors with a few words to the effect that she and the Mane Alpha would rather their personal lives not be bandied about carelessly.

When he returned to their abode, he threw himself straight into work, thankful that Khlia had a nighttime raid, an intimidation move against a smaller pack of little consequence, to conduct tonight and would be out even later than himself. His mid-ranks, the strategists and organizers that provided him with invaluable information and opinions, knew better than to waste time with idle chatter when they were already well behind, owing to Lucent's lengthy absence.

-----------

Lucent kept up in much the same way for several more days. Khlia was only passingly interested in his personal life and easily distracted by pursuits more to her liking, like conducting raids and skirmishes along the Redmoon border. None of these were of any consequence, really, the cold war between the two power blocs had actually grown colder since the Evertail-Fang alliance, neither side wishing to push the other into outright war, instead busying themselves figuring out where their nearer neighbors stood on the whole thing.

Most packs wished to be left alone, offering worthless words to both sides that they stood with them morally, but were unwilling to risk their warriors lives in a conflict that could go either way. Some took a harder stance, offering freedom off movement to whichever side they truly favored but reserving military support only to protecting their own borders from the other. While Lucent loathed the cowardice of this, he knew it was a wise position to take. If they were attacked, they could be sure of reinforcements without giving up their independence.

Others, mostly the smallest of packs, realized that war was coming to them weather they had interest in it or not, and submitted to whichever side scared them most, usually the one nearest to their lands. Lucent accepted what few allies this got him with magnanimity, their Alpha's becoming lieutenants with special privileges, primarily, that they submit only to Khlia in military matters and himself in all else, and would be left alone rather than properly integrated into the Fangs.

The alliance with the Evertails has served them well in this as well, as those packs who simply couldn't stomach bowing before the Manes could instead offer their submission to Savic, joining the Fang power bloc without having to deal with the tribals. The Evertail Alpha could not be more pleased with this, as he found his influence and territory grow more rapidly than ever before, allowing him to keep parity with his allies.

-----------------

A runner was allowed into Lucent's 'command center' without announcement, so urgent was his message, the young wolf haggard and out of breath. He was neither Fang or Evertail, but instead, a Moonhowl from the west end, a neutral pack of medium size. They had been attacked without warning by the bitter neighbors and rivals, the Stormfur. This alone would not be cause for concern, the two packs had been at 'war' more often than not for years. They would fight for a time until one side showed the slightest upper hand, and demands would be made and accepted. A few months later, the defeated pack would stop paying tribute and go on their own offensive and restore the status quo.

But this time it was different. The Stormfur warriors were joined, not by Damon Redmoon's warriors, as he was wise enough to avoid so bold an act and weaken his power elsewhere in a local conflict, but by those of the Freerunners, his closest ally, obviously intending to bring victory for the Stormful, acquire their own share of the spoils, and raise their status in the eyes of the Redmoon's all at once by proving they could stand on their own four paws.

While they had fought hard, the Moonhowls were outnumbered and desperate, offered their total subservience to the Fang's, on the condition, they not just drive their enemies from their lands, but make an example of them. Their Alpha, Jonas had died in the first attack, bravely beside the vanguard of his warriors, and it was his mate who had decided to make the offer, caring more about vengeance than anything else.

According to the runner, her exact words were "Go, return with Khlia mane and have her rip the heart from Wes Stormfur's chest, just as she has ripped out my heart by killing my Jonas, and lay it before me. For that, she and her brother may have anything." Khlia was touched by the recognition for her talent at ripping out hearts, and set off immediately with what Warriors she had on hand, stopping only at the edge of Evertail territory to request Elisabeth join her in battle. Her exact words were, "Find battle-sister. Invite to kill. Much glory. Much blood."

[brokecollege]

Elisabeth and Savic continued to talk and patrol the pack grounds before they were suddenly approached by a messenger. Oh, that was never good. And, sure enough, the news which the messenger brought them was not good. Khlia Mane was set to attack the Stormfur pack, with her main goal being to rip the heart out of Wes Stormfur's chest. But the messenger wasn't there to alert the Evertails of the situation (they usually found out about the Fang attacks sometime after it happened).

The messenger was there to request Elisabeth's presence on behalf of Khlia Mane herself. There would be much glory, the messenger promised. And oh-so-much blood. Savic, although not agreeing with the attack, agreed to allow Elisabeth to take part in it. The Fangs were the ones attacking, so while he didn't agree, he couldn't publically go against them. And because Elisabeth had been personally invited by one of the twins, he couldn't prevent it from happening.

Elisabeth excused herself from her Alpha's presence and rushed to the training area to find her men. She gathered only a handful of the men (her strongest included) before she informed them of the situation. Then, she ordered them to meet her on Moonhowl territory--where the Stormfurs were said to currently reside near. Elisabeth and her men undressed and transformed into the beasts they were before they took off in the direction of the Moonhowl territory.

When they finally arrived sometime later, they were met by Khlia Mane and the Fangs. Her men greeted Khlia and her men with a respectful bow of the head before they trodded up to receive their orders. While they would have normally taken orders from Elisabeth, they realized that this wasn't their attack. It was Khlia's attack. And so, to prevent themselves from upsetting Khlia, they looked to her for orders. Something which Elisabeth agreed with and even followed.

[Damonique]

Moonhowl territory comprised a few blocks of industrial wasteland in a run-down part of the city, separated from Stormfur land by an old rail line and train station flanked by twenty feet of overgrown grass and shrubs, dilapidated boxcars and freight containers covered in graffiti dotting the area. The two were always fighting because their resources were so both so meager for their considerable numbers, for once conflict between wolves coming from genuine need rather than simple ambition and one-upmanship.

The sudden and brutal assault by the combined Stormfur-Freerunner forces had driven the Moonhowl back to the very edge of their territory, and the last stand of the remaining thirty or so warriors, most wounded, and another fifty elders, mates, and children had still been underway when Khlia and her Fangs had arrived. Even the smallest of pups were in wolf-shape, no larger than dogs, forming a perimeter alongside the weaker females to protect the wounded, elderly, and nursing mothers.

Khlia and a dozen of her best arrived upon their roaring motorcycles, letting out a long, unified howl that made them sound like many more than their number that reached Elisabeth's ears as she and her men got underway. Lucent would be dispatching vans to collect more soldiers from their other allies and subjects join them at the battlefield, only a few from each pack. For all they knew, the Freerunners had started this conflict on Redmoons orders to weaken his enemies elsewhere for a broader strike.

The arrival of the dreaded Khlia Mane on the field, regardless of the numbers she brought with her, caused many of the meeker of their foes to break and run. Surely the Stormfur and Freerunner commanders would be busy rounding them back up for some time, providing a much-needed lull in the fighting for the embattled Moonhowls.

By the time Elisabeth and her men arrived, things seemed to have stabilized. Blood and bodies littered the street, women and children picking through the corpses, searching frantically from friends and kin lost in the fighting, recovering the wounded and delivering mercy to those beyond saving. Khlia Mane stood at the center of the carnage beside a tall and quite visibly pregnant red-haired woman, who carried herself proudly despite her condition and could be none other than the fallen Moonhowl Alpha's mate.

As soon as Elisabeth arrived, Khlia called her over, barking a few orders, sending the Evertail soldiers off in pairs with her own to where they were needed most. Despite the urgency, Grigory, Lash, and a few of the other warriors who had fought alongside them before paused to offer greetings to those they recognized, inviting those almost-friends to once again fight beside them. The unpleasantness at the Jurchen's resturant seemed to have been forgotten, as embarrassing as it had been for all involved.

---

"Elisabeth, good. I knew you would be eager to draw blood beside me again! This is Mallory, mate to brave Jonas, who hunts in the clouds, now. Mallory, this is Elisabeth Vaughn, of the Evertail, she fights well." Khlia finally spoke, introducing them once the orders had been given and they were alone with the woman who had called them here, but for those warriors they kept with them as bodyguards. From her warm greetings, it was clear she knew nothing of what transpired between her brother and Elisabeth.

The female Mane wore a long black jacket, zipped up to cover what wanted covering and nothing else, and one of her warriors offered a similar one to Elisabeth the moment she reverted to her human self to speak. It was more to keep them from distracting the Moonhowls or offending their host, who despite the battle around her was dressed finely in silks and furs. This woman was not a fighter, but a trophy mate, and no doubt privately found the two muscled and unkempt female fighters quite uncouth.

[brokecollege]

When it was clear that Elisabeth needn't be in her natural form, she transformed herself back into a human. She was immediately offered a long, black jacket very similar to the one Khlia had donned. Elisabeth gratefully accepted it and pulled it on over her naked form. She zipped it up before she turned her attention to Khlia and the woman who proudly stood before her--a fiery, pregnant redhead who wore nothing but silks and furs. The Alpha's mate.

Elisabeth bowed her head. "Luna Mallory." she greeted, "I am saddened to hear of the Alpha's death. He was a fine warrior and a fine man." She wondered what Mallory would do now, now that her mate had been brutally killed in the attack. Mates meant everything to a wolf. To be without them was like death itself. And yet, Mallory still managed to hold herself so high despite that. She was a strong woman, Elisabeth mused, and would probably end up leading this pack once all has settled. That is if the Fangs don't annex them into their pack.

Elisabeth glanced over at Khlia. She didn't seem mad at the woman, after all, she had invited her to this battle. So, then, Lucent hadn't told her of how she had brutally rejected him? If she had, then she supposed the only attack Elisabeth would be partaking in that night would be the attack on her. She released a breath. The brunette was grateful that Khlia didn't know, as death by her was guaranteed. But, knowing Elisabeth's luck, Khlia would find out soon enough.

The lieutenant adjusted the jacket around her as she surveyed their surroundings. "We will avenge your mate, Luna Mallory. And we will drive the Stormfurs from your rightful land. That, I promise you." Elisabeth spoke with the bow of her head.

[Damonique]

The Luna gave Elisabeth a curt nod at her greetings and kind words, appreciating them even if they were unlikely to be her genuine feelings towards her departed mate. Speaking ill of the dead, so long as they had died with honor, was simply not done in their society.

Khlia gave a bit of a huff at her 'rightful lands' comment, clearly the Brunette was unaware that the Luna had offered the Mane's everything, the pack, the land, and herself, in return for their assistance. It was a trifling matter, though, to be settled later. No doubt some arrangement could be made at a later time, when the battle was won. Lucent would decide such things, he always did.

Introductions made and respects paid, Khlia gestured for Elisabeth to follow as she made her way down the bloodstained street, flanked by her guards in wolf form, eyes, ears, and noses wary of danger. They could hear the sounds of combat further down, this sort of street-to-street fighting divided into dozens of smaller conflicts, ad-hoc hunting groups forming to search for vulnerable enemies, scattering to re-form later if they encountered stiff resistance. Battle-calls helped generally informed of what was going on, and the Evertails were making good account of themselves, their triumphant cries indicating that between them they had taken at least three lives already.

Khlia could see Elisabeth getting restless, her eyes turning to where her warriors battle-cries were coming from, itching to join them. The taller, raven-haired woman gave a rare and understanding smile towards the brunette, feeling the same itch to join her men in battle. But their men could handle themselves, and they had a more important task to accomplish, that would require them both in top form rather than worn out from fighting.

"We are same, battle calls to you. There will be more than enough to slake our thirst soon. But first, what my smart brother would do. Take one alive, torture, learn truth of the enemy, where one-who-is-already-dead can be found. We do this together." Khlia stated in the same rapid, broken way she always did when fighting was on her mind. It was from this that the rumors that the female Mane twin was not merely psychotic, but mentally deficient came from.

She knew this and didn't care. There was no reason to waste words, and she thought her way more open and honest than the way her Brother and his equals played with words, saying one thing but meaning another, sometimes being verbose simply to make themselves seem more refined without adding anything of value.

[brokecollege]

After the introductions had passed, Khlia turned to Elisabeth and vaguely gesture to somewhere in the distance. Then, she began to head in that direction. Elisabeth followed closely beside the woman, though she did end up pausing now and again when the sounds of her men's howls filled the air. She frowned. Why were they still walking and talking in their human forms? Shouldn't they be out there with their men fighting against the attackers?

Just as she was about to ask, Khlia spoke up. She could tell that Elisabeth was eager to enter the battle, and promised that she would be able to soon. But, before that happened, the two of them had something important they needed to do. In her broken and urgent speech, Khlia informed Elisabeth that they both needed to capture an attacking wolf and torture him for information regarding their true target, Wes Stormfur.

Elisabeth nodded her head in understanding. That was the proper thing to do, as their main goal was to capture and kill Wes Stormfur. But, oh, how Elisabeth wanted so badly to join her men. She was a warrior. Fighting was in her blood. So being unable to fight, and being forced to sit on the sidelines (even for a few minutes) did not at all sit well with her. "If he is smart, then Wes will not have given his location to his warriors. He knows your methods, Khlia." Elisabeth thought aloud.

"He will have confided his plans and his location to very few. His mate, his allies, and.. and perhaps even his lieutenants. If we want to really figure out his location, then we must capture one of his lieutenants." she finished. Then again, this thought of hers was assuming that Wes Stormfur was smart. If he wasn't smart, then he would have divulged every inch of his plan to everyone who passed by.

[Damonique]

Khlia turned her head from side to side, considering Elisabeth's words. If someone else, especially a man, had contradicted her like that, she would have likely scoffed at them and snapped to assert her dominance, but Elisabeth was different. Not just because she was another female, but something the Mane couldn't quite place her finger on made her want to believe the girl.

"This plan is good. You are not just fierce, but smart, like brother. Perhaps that is why you hunt in his dreams." Khlia finally stated with a smirk, that last statement unbidden and quite uncharacteristic for her to say, but it was a truth that she at least thought the brunette would be pleased to hear. The twins shared a face, a history...and also a bedroom. The curtains were thin, and names spoken in the night could be overheard. But before such a thing could be discussed, she was back to the business at hand.

"Same plan, just two times fun. Find soldier. Torture soldier, find lieutenant. Torture lieutenant, find Stormfur." She continued, that excited gleam in her eye every time she said the word 'torture' no doubt unnerving, lending truth to her saying it would be more fun this way. She raised her face, so similar to her brother, to the air and shifted it to an animal snout, sniffing deeply, ears becoming canine as well in order to hear the exact pitch and timbre of the various battle cries.

A moment later, she turned in place to face a direction where she had heard a commotion that fit her criteria. Two of her own Fangs and one of Elisabeth's Evertails, snapping and snarling at a trio of enemy warriors, clearly in the phase of battle where they sized one another up before an opening was found and the initial attack made. She tossed off her jacket, got a running start with her long, copper-tan legs, and leaped, in the form of a massive black wolf by time she touched the ground, bounding off in that direction. If they hurried, they could reach the spot before their warriors had finished of their foes.

[brokecollege]

Khlia thought over Elisabeth's thoughts before declaring how good they were. It was the kind of plan her brother would have come up with. Elisabeth opened her mouth to share her humble thanks, but before she could even get a word out, Khlia added something: she understood, now, why her twin dreamt of Elisabeth during the night. Elisabeth's eyes widened, and her cheeks visibly darkened a shade of two. Was that a joke? Or did Lucent actually dream of Elisabeth during the night? Even after the other night?

Elisabeth wanted to ask Khlia about her brazen statement, but by the time Elisabeth had gathered her thoughts to do so, Khlia had changed the subject. They were to catch two prisoners, then. One warrior, and one lieutenant. Elisabeth slowly nodded her head. That was smart--it doubled their chances of finding the Alpha's location. With that being said, Khlia stripped off her jacket a d ran in the direction of a handful of howls.

Elisabeth waited until Khlia had transformed before she followed suit. She stripped of the jacket, took a running start, and then leaped into the air before transforming into her natural wolf state. She followed after Khlia with ease, her agile form making it easy for her to manuver through the woods and keep up with the older, more experienced runner. It took a lot of energy and quite a bit of running, but eventually the pair were able to make it to where both the Fang and the Evertail warriors stood.

[Damonique]

Khlia arrived in a junction between alleyways where the two trios faced off, snapping and snarling at one another, her appearance startling one of the Stormfurs, a large mottled black-grey male, who while imposing enough, showed loose sags in his skin and a yellowing of his fangs that belied late middle age, who was quickly set upon by Caine, one of her warriors here, the smaller but stronger male making mincemeat of the older beast. Apparently, the Freerunners hadn't contributed as much as they had suspected to this war, the overwhelming numbers being provided by the Stormfur mobilizing not just the warriors, but the fitter elders, and perhaps older pups as well.

Despite appreciating the speed and skill Caine had displayed in the kill, Khlia took no joy in observing it, spitting on the ground disgustedly in the general direction of the Stormfur camp. While she respected the aging warriors bravery in heeding the call of his Alpha, it was foolish order for Wes to give, a waste of a life better suited to passing a lifetime of knowledge and skill to the next generation. Perhaps the Mane twin, brutal as she was, did not entirely lack a heart.

Their remaining enemies, seeing themselves outnumbered and disheartened by the sudden appearance of Khlia, began to look for a means of escape, but they were hemmed in by Caine, Elisabeth's warrior Foster, and another Fang on one side, and the two female lieutenants on the other. Apparently, they still thought the girls an easier challenge. Specifically, Elisabeth, by far the smallest wolf facing them, and charged her suddenly, hoping to overpower her quickly and perhaps escape before Khlia could stop them. The three of their own immediately rushed to defend the Evertail lieutenant, but Khlia barked an order for them to hold back and simply encircle. Unable to explain their plan in the time she had, the warriors seemed confused, and Foster especially seemed to be having trouble restraining himself as his commander fought alone.

That was, until Khlia jumped the the smaller brown wolves defense herself, bowling over the largest of the attackers, red-furred male and beginning to fight him at close quarters. The huge black-furred female could have killed him quickly, but instead restrained herself to batting him about with her large paws and slamming him with her shoulders, trying to tire him out without inflicting a mortal wound, though she took several cuts and scratches from her opponent, who had no such reservations.

[brokecollege]

The sight they approached was not a pretty one, and Khlia seemed to agree. They were proud of their wolves, of course. They just were not proud of who their wolves were killed, as they all appeared to be either too young or too old. Wes Stormfur had mobilized every wolf from his pack, it seemed. The old, the young, the healthy, the dying. And it was sad. Such a mobilization hadn't been needed, but Wes Stormfur was a greedy man too eager to please the Redmoons to care about anything else.

When they noticed the growing numbers of their opponents, the Stormfurs immediately set out to look for an escape. But every escape that they found was then blocked off by either Elisabeth of Khlia's men. So, they proceeded with the second best option: get rid of as many opponents as they could, starting with the smallest and weakest one. Which, of course, they thought to be Elisabeth. A handful of the Stormfurs lunged at Elisabeth. Thanks to her small frame, the brunette was able to avoid the first fatal attack.

However, she wasn't so lucky with the second attack. One of the wolves lunged forward a second time and latched his mouth around Elisabeth's shoulder. That wouldn't have been so bad, had the shoulder he'd chosen not been the same shoulder still in the process of healing. Elisabeth yelped in pain, and then in anger, she craned her neck up and clamped her mouth around the wolf's neck. Then, with all her might, she tossed him off of her and to the ground.

The brunette stumbled backward with a growl as the wolf's body fell into nothing more than a heap at on the cold, dirtied ground. Good. He would be there for a good minute or two, which gave Elisabeth more time to deal with the other attackers. She fought off the other attackers with relative ease--especially when Khlia jumped in and took the largest attacker to herself. She bit, and clawed, and tackled her attackers to the ground until they were whimpering and whining in defeat.

Then, she climbed off their bodies and shoved them in the direction of their waiting men. She gave them a brief order to watch (not kill) the attackers until otherwise stated by herself or Khlia. It was Khlia's decision as to who they took prisoner, so she wouldn't kill anyone until that happened. With her attackers now weak and under the watchful eye of their men, Elisabeth turned to help Khlia in her attack. She mirrored Khlia's actions--only ever swatting and snapping at the large attacker in an attempt to tire him out. Sometimes she would bite at his ankles, but other than that her actions only mirrored Khlia's to tire the male out more quickly.

[Damonique]

(BTW there are no trees, their fighting in a run-down street. It's no big deal, just a bit jarring to read.)

The battle was fast-paced and brutal, but the outcome was decided at the moment the attack began. The Stormfurs were outnumbered, overpowered by Khlia, outsped by Elisabeth, and out-skilled by all of them. Eventually, the weakest foes already surrounded and surrendered to their men, it was just the two females against the large red furred warrior, who could be commended at his tenacity.

The male apparently understood by now that they were not trying to kill him, an took full advantage of that, making risky, unconventional moves that would have gotten his throat ripped out or his stomach opened in a fight to the death, inflicting yet another shoulder wound on Elisabeth in the process.

Khlia was outraged by this and tiring of taking trifling wounds, letting out an angry roar and leapt at the warrior, and allowed her considerable bulk to land heavily on one of his legs. There was sickening crunch as the bones snapped in at least three places, and the large soldier thrashed around for a few minutes before laying still, exhausted and about to fall unconscious from the pain. That wouldn't do at all. Suddenly in human shape, Khlia stalked over to the injured foe and yanked his up by the collar, her muscular arms heaving him up against a brick wall at the side of the alleyway.

"Transform. Talk." She ordered angrily, moving up her leg to kick him in his injured leg when he didn't comply immediately. She kicked him again, and with an agonized sound the red-furred soldier was now a large, scarred, naked male, bleeding and bruised all over, his amber eyes regarding the scarred female that held him there widely, angry and terrified all at once.

Not to be faulted for a lack of bravery, the soldier spit out a tooth with a mouthful of blood and managed a laugh despite his position. If she were not so furious, Khlia would have been impressed. Instead, he beaconed over to Elizabeth, and pointed towards the two meek and injured wolves their men held captive, her expression cold and uncaring.

"Are these you kin? Your pup, perhaps? Nephews, cousins?" She asked rapidly, and only a flicker of concern in the pinned males eyes indicated that there was a truth to what the Mane twin said.

[brokecollege]

(whoops, my bad. i woke up from a nap, posted that, and then fell right back asleep. i went ahead and fixed it to fit the scene.)

The wolf was smart and realized that the techniques used by both Khlia and Elisabeth weren't meant to kill him. And he took advantage of that knowledge by performing certain lethal attacks that usually would've provoked an equally (if not more) lethal response. At one point, he even went so far as to attack Elisabeth's shoulder. After taking more damage to her shoulder, Elisabeth fell back in pain. What was with these attacks on her shoulder? Could these damned beasts sense that Elisabeth's shoulder was currently a weak spot?

Khlia, suddenly fed up with the wolf's antics, jumped onto the wolf. The beast fell to the ground, and a large crack! filled the air. Khlia waited for the wolf's pained cries and frantic thrashing to stop before she (now in her human form) grabbed him by his collar and heaved him up from the ground. Elisabeth shook off the pain of her shoulder as best as she could before she slowly approached Khlia's side.

Even though he had eventually obeyed Khlia's order to transform, he didn't obey anything else. When Khlia gestured towards two of the smaller wolves that their men held captive, Elisabeth went forth and retrieved them. She knew what Khlia planned to do, and while she didn't condone it, there was not much else she could do. They needed to the location of Wes Stormfur, and if getting that information out of this man meant torturing his family then.. well, so be it.

Elisabeth pushed the two meek wolves towards Khlia with her muzzle, though when that didn't make them move she used her head. When the three were finally beside Khlia, Elisabeth took her seat and waited for her next orders. She hoped that the man gave them what they wanted, so her next orders could be "let them go" and not "torture them until he speaks."

[Damonique]

Khlia didn't hesitate to even see if the male would give in without a fight, dropping him unceremoniously onto the concrete, eliciting another pained wail, and grabbed the nearest of the young warriors by the hair. Both were now in their human shapes, two naked, stringy teenagers who had probably never even known a woman yet. They seemed dumbstruck, in a daze, the unlucky one putting up no resistance and simply staring at the scarred, raven haired female that they had only heard of as a rumor. Khlia Mane, the tribal butcher, the mad dog of the Fangs.

Surely they had been ecstatic when their Alpha had offered them the opportunity to fight alongside their fathers and uncles at war, raised as they were under the state of constant small-scale conflict the Stormfur had with the Moonhowl. Perchance thought they would first bloody their claws in safety, striking where their rival was weak and returning to their homes to respect and acclaim. Instead, they had been thrust into hard reality and learned to their sorrow that all of the rumors were true.

"You, boy. What is this man to you?" Khlia questioned dispassionately, shaking the young mail by his hair carelessly, his form like a rag-doll owing to her strength. He let out a pained cry as some of his hair came up by the roots. When he didn't answer, Khlia slammed his face violently again the brick wall in front of her, eliciting an even louder wail.At her feet, the broken and bruised warrior cringed at the sight. Khlia was rearing up to repeat the motion when the young man finally spoke.

"He's Lars Owens, my mother's brother. I'm John Rast! I'll tell you anything, everything, please. Just don't kill us!" The boy finally answered, pleading, as if he didn't realize he an this Lars were already dead, and the other young warriors as well. Leaving orphans was foolish, as they would run straight to Redmoon. But even if his fate wasn't alredy sealed, the boy was unlikely to have anything to offer them. Instead, Khlia forced him to his knees before his crippled uncle, and shifted her free hand into a furry paw tipped with ripping claws, digging them into the flesh just behind the young mans neck and slowly, agonizingly slowly, working them down the skin, drawing forth both blood and pained cries that she not only ignored, but seemed to relish, her lips forming into that unhinged, animalistic smile Elisabeth would have known from when she was watching the Whiteclaws murder their Alpha for her.

Khlia mane truly thought nothing of these men. Didn't think of them a fellow werewolves, fathers, brothers, sons, but simply things. They had made the mistake of standing anywhere but beside her, and for that they were less than nothing. She glanced back down at the horrified man at her feet, still wearing that unhinged smile.

"Where is your Alpha? Where is Wes? I need his heart. Gave my word." Khlia stated bluntly.

[brokecollege]

Khlia carelessly dropped the man to the ground before she turned her attention to the young warriors beside her. She then reached forward and grabbed one of the boys by his hair. She used this newfound grip on the boy to pull him in front of her before she demanded to know his relationship to the beaten and bloodied warrior in front of them. When the boy didn't reply fast enough, Khlia shook him in anger.

But that wasn't nearly as bad as what she did next. She used her grip on the boy's hair to violently slam his face into the nearby brick wall, eliciting a terrible wail of pain from him. Elisabeth winced at the sight. Before Khlia could act a second time, the boy gave up his relation to the warrior. He was the man's nephew, John Rast. And he would tell Khlia everything she desired so long as he and his uncle were left unharmed.

Khlia dropped the boy to the ground before finally digging her claws into his neck and down to his stomach. The sight and the sounds that followed were so awful that Elisabeth had to close her eyes and look away. Elisabeth was a powerful lieutenant with dozens, if not hundreds, of confirmed kills. She had done things that even the strongest of men couldn't stomach doing. And yet... yet the sight before her was almost too much to handle.

He was just a boy. A child who was forced by his superiors to partake in this bloody battle of vicious wolves. So, then, why did he have to suffer? If he had never wanted this, to begin with, then why was he made to suffer? When Khlia spoke, Elisabeth transformed and stepped forward. They were going to die; there was nothing that could be done about it. But perhaps she could convince Khlia to give them a quick and painless death if they gave them their desired information.

"Khlia Mane does not leave survivors." she quietly informed the two. "You will die today. Whether or not your death is painful is decided by how quickly you give us the information we desire. Just tell us the location of Wes Stormfur." she bent down so she could look into their eyes more easily. "You have fought well, and brought honor to your pack. It is not every day where a warrior injuries a lieutenant. Now you must focus on you and your nephew, as both of your fates depend upon what you decide." she said as she stood back up.

[Damonique]

Elisabeth was lucky that Khlia was too distracted by the task in front of her to see her avert her eyes from her actions. That would have most displeased her. Instead, she was pleased by the brunette's words, which were the simple truth of the situation. The other young man, so far untouched, dropped to ground then, pleading pitifully for his life, pissing himself in terror. Some of the puddle found it's way onto the foot of the brown haired warrior Caine, who was guarding the boy. The soldier, who so far as Elisabeth had seen him, was quite level headed and reasonable, wrinkled his nose in disgust and struck him once in the back of the head, with the exact amount amount force and in the exact place to cause him to lose consciousness.

It was a mercy disguised as a simple reaction, as the young man would be spared having to see whatever happened next. If the captive warrior Lars proved difficult, he could always be woken up after the nephew in Khlia's strong grip had....expired. But that proved thankfully unnecessary. The already crippled warrior, perhaps recognizing Elisabeth's intention to be merciful, or simply reminded of who he was, a proud warrior, by her praise for his skill, mustered up what little energy he could, rising despite the pain on his broken leg to sitting position, turning his eyes to Elisabeth, pleading.

"You are Lieutenant Vaughn, of the Evertail. You serve Alpha Savic, not Khlia Mane. Allies. Equals. You have a choice." He stated solemnly, a fine spray of blood leaving the stalwart warriors lips, a sign of internal bleeding in the chest, likely a shattered rib from fighting Khlia. This man was more than likely dead no matter what they did. It was a tribute to his resolve that he was even still able to speak, but nonetheless, he continued.

"Alpha Wes leads from a building two blocks north of the old train station, just within our territory. Four stories tall, on the left. With him is Desmond, son of the Alpha Marcus, of the Freerunners. I tell you this freely, and ask in return that you spare these two boys. They have not yet killed, are still unblooded, not yet warriors. Captive. Harmless. There is no honor in killing them, you know this." The warrior finished, now deathly pale and breathing heavily, looking from Elisabeth to Khlia, who seemed to hardly be paying attention, her eyes glued north, where they now knew their quarry lay. Seeming to finally realize the wounded warrior was done speaking, she turned back to Elisabeth and their assembled forces, carelessly dropping the bleeding and traumatized Rast boy at the younger woman's feet, where he remained, staring up at her with fear in his eyes.

"Probably not lying, at least. Too easy. Almost boring." The clipped statements revealed nothing as to what the Mane Twin intended Elisabeth to do with their prisoners, though she could probably assume. The dying words of a man with nothing left to lose were no contract, Elisabeth hadn't actually agreed to anything. If Khlia gave her men the order to kill the boys, there was little the two Evertails there could do to stop them. But she didn't, instead she just stood there, tapping her foot impatiently, wanting to see what the Brunette was going to do. It was clear that whatever it was, she should probably do it quickly.

[brokecollege]

When the warrior turned to Elisabeth, the brunette was brought to a pause. She was not subordinate to Khlia Mane, he reminded. She was the woman's equal. And because of that, she had a choice. After he reminded her of this, the warrior turned to Khlia and told her everything that she needed to know. All he wanted in return, he said, were the guaranteed safety of his nephews. Khlia, uninterested in the man's plea, dropped his bleeding nephew to the ground while she grumbled about the easiness of it all.

Elisabeth sucked in a breath, her gaze shifting from the dying warrior to the two boys. Khlia was uninterested in what happened to the two boys, but she undoubtedly expected Elisabeth to kill them. If she didn't, she'd probably be displeased. But... Elisabeth couldn't bring herself to kill them. They reminded her too much of herself when she was their age: eager to go to war and prove herself, yet horrified by the reality which she found.

She placed a hand over her stomach, touching a noticeably large scar that ran from her bellybutton up to beneath her breasts. It was at that first battle where she received that scar, and it was at that battle that she decided to become someone stronger. The young girl bent down. "Your uncle is a strong warrior. Be proud of him." she murmured as she pat the boy's head. She then stood up and gestured for Foster to come over to her. Then, she pointed to the two boys. "Take the boys to our territory to be examined and clothed," she ordered.

She would test those boys in the following months. Test their strength, their resolve, their ability to fight. And if they proved worthy, then she would allow them to become warriors within her ranks. If not.. well, then she would have to do what she avoided that night and kill them. Foster bowed his head in understanding before he gathered the two boys in his arms and walked off. Elisabeth waited for them to be out of sight before she walked over to Lars and took his head in her hands. She had promised no pain if he gave them the information she desired, and she intended to keep that promise. "Rest easy now, soldier." and then with the quick shift of her hands, she snapped the man's neck.

[Damonique]

"Th.....thank you...Ms. Vaughn." The young John Rast finally managed, breathlessly, staring up at his savior with large blue eyes and he realized what had happened, that his uncle had somehow bought their lives from this strange woman, from the clutches of even Khlia Mane. His arms were tightly crossed over his bleeding torso, and when the orders were given, he went gladly with him, helping to carry his unconscious cousin away from this place.

While most of Khlia's men simply looked pointedly away from the scene of detestable mercy, same as their leader, Caine took a moment to look to Elisabeth, his eyes saying what couldn't be put to words. That the girl had done the unthinkable, claiming lives that by rights were Khlia Mane's. And that, oddly enough, the fierce woman seemed to let her.

"Savic may not be happy with you. And now we are down a fighter. At least he won't be stealing more worthy kills from me." The scarred woman stated bluntly, surprisingly at ease with the whole thing. Perhaps it was a shred of respect for the now-dead Lars, or for Elisabeth for challenging her without blinking, or for the sake of the affection Lucent seemed to have towards the girl, as her twin was the only person Khlia Mane mane cared about, or cared about her. Or perhaps she was simply bored of this place already, and looking forward to a greater challenge.

She beaconed Elisabeth and her forces along with a raised hand, and was in wolf form in an instead, streaking off towards a place nearby, here another pocket of their fighters were facing down the enemy. They could claim some more blood, weaken their foes, an free up more of their forces to create a distraction before going after the leaders. This was going to be fun, Desmond Freerunner was known to be a capable fighter, only twenty five and already his father's clear successor, with many kills to his name. Far more skilled that Wes Stormfur, and no doubt accompanied by some of his father's best.

[brokecollege]

Savic wouldn't be happy, Khlia informed. Elisabeth made sure that she had truly killed Lars before she stood up and faced Khlia. "And that is my burden to bear," she informed as she crossed her arms over her chest. When she mentioned how they were down a warrior, Elisabeth almost snorted. As if that mattered. Khlia was the strongest of any warrior there and could handle of their work with her eyes closed!

Still, she apologized. "My apologies, Khlia," she muttered with the bow of her head. Khlia, seemingly done with the conversation, lifted her hand into the air and beckoned Elisabeth and their men on to their final destination: Wes Stormfur's hideout. Elisabeth transformed back into her agile form before she took off, following Khlia Mane away from that small alleyway and onto the building Wes Stormfru was said to be hiding in.

As they neared their destination, they came across a group of warriors--a combination of Khlia's and Elisabeth's on one side, and then a mixture of attackers on the others. Although their men were greatly outnumbered, they seemed to be winning the fight. Elisabeth couldn't deny the pride that she felt upon seeing them. All that work, all that training, all those harsh days and nights spent pushing her men to the boundaries.. it all seemed to pay off. Elisabeth stood beside Khlia, eager to jump in and help. But she held back, waiting for orders.

[Damonique]

Khlia surveyed the scene with green canine eyes with pride as well. Her own Fangs, distinct due to their scarred cheeks, visible even in wolf-form, the Evertail warriors, and even a few of the Moonhowls who had somehow made it through the initial onslaught still fit for combat, were making good account of themselves despite being outnumbered. A few of their fellows lay dead or severely wounded, but their kills were double their losses.

But this pride contorted into a cold fury when she saw something. Grigory, her huge, patchy-furred enforcer was standing defensively over a small golden-furred form that she recognized immediately, the blonde Alicia, as deadly as she was beautiful, who had willingly allowed her perfect face to be marred by Khlia's claws in order to join the ranks of her elites. With a blood-curdling scream, the large black wolf dove into the fray, tearing madly through Stormfur and Freerunner alike, inflicting wounds where she could but most determined to break through to where her warrior lay, trusting Elisabeth and the others to be hot on her heels.

As soon as she reached them, she nodded to Grigory, ho dove into battle with blood-lust in his eyes, turning the defense of his brave battle-sister to Khlia, who looked her over with genuine concern, and found, to her relief, that she was not dead, only unconscious. But her arm(or in this form, her right foreleg)...it was bent at an impossible angle, and bloodied from knee to ankle, skin missing in strips where it had been caught and savaged...likely by the dead foe lying a few steps away, crumpled and broken under Grigory's unrestrained strength and fury.

A bloody rag, some piece of refuse chance found on the battlefield, was wrapped tightly above the wound to stem the bleeding. Wolves healed swiftly and more fully that humans, and the girl was strong, but Khlia knew she would never walk at more than a limp on four legs again. No longer a warrior. If the wound had been any more severe or disfiguring, Khlia would have delivered her death as a mercy without a thought, but in human form, she would still be whole but for a lame arm, still beautiful and rich in honor, able to live, and mate, and bear pups she could rear to become warriors for her pack in their own time.

Within moments, her man Caine arrived to replace his leader, blood on his teeth, sorrow and anger in his eyes as he took his turn looking over Alicia's wounded form. Khlia growled some promise to the both of them and charged into the fray, looking to exact a bloody toll for having one of her treasured Fangs metaphorically ripped from her mouth.

[brokecollege]

After gazing upon the battle, Khlia grew rigid. And then, she grew angry. The seasoned warrior jumped into the fight with an angry cry, tearing through the horde of attackers with determination and ease. Elisabeth jumped in after her, ensuring that those warriors who were knocked down by Khlia's attacks remained on the ground. When they reached the area that had caught Khlia's attention, Elisabeth was surprised to find a wounded fang.

Not mortally wounded, mind you, but indeed gravely wounded. The unfortunate thing's right foreleg was broken and mangled, with skin and fur missing in certain areas. With the proper attention and a dose of luck, the leg would heal, and the warrior would only be left with a limp and a scar. But... But, even if it were healed, she would never be able to stand beside Khlia again. Not as a warrior, at least. And that, perhaps, was a fate worse than any death.

Khlia seemed to know this, as her mixed emotions showed a clear sense of sadness and remorse. Say what you will about the crazy Khlia Mane, but she cared about her elites. They had been with her through thick and through thin, through peace and blood. Losing one of them must have felt like an indescribable loss. When Khlia took off, Elisabeth followed--but not before ordering Caine to drag the wounded warrior to more safer ground. Khlia had already lost a warrior; she didn't need to lose a packmate.

They charged through the mass of warriors, with Khlia knocking down anyone that stood in her way. Elisabeth remained closely behind the woman, though her focus was to protect Khlia from attacks that threatened her. If she focused on protecting Khlia, then Khlia's only focus needed to be on the revenge which she so desperately sought.

[Damonique]

Khlia and Grigory fought like one enormous, two-headed beast. Some of the largest wolves to fight for any pack in the city, alone, either of them was more than a match for three lesser enemies, but together, they were nigh unstoppable. They took wounds, yes, their rage making them heedless to danger, but thanks to Elisabeth and some of the other warriors that had joined in to guard them, these were mostly superficial.

Within two minutes that could have easily been two hours, as none were able to tell time in the heat of battle, between them they killed five Stormfur warriors, three more of the Freerunners, and maimed or stunned six more that were dispatched by Elisabeth and her other allies. When only eight remained standing of what had once been nearly thirty wolves that had been arrayed against them when they had arrived, they broke, scattering and fleeing back towards Stormfur territory at a dead run.

Khlia loped off after them to give chase, but before she had gone too far she stopped to release a victorious howl at their backs and returned to the battlefield, stalking agitatedly. While their mission was not complete, herself, Elisabeth, and their warriors would be needed to tend to and protect the wounded, at least until more of their fighters and Moonhowl civilians showed up to relieve them.

Khlia found Caine sitting in an small alcove off the main street, in human shape with Alicia's golden-furred canine form propped up on his leg, breathing shallowly, still unconscious. The Mane twin padded over and softly began to lick the blood from her wound, laying on saliva thickly, to help prevent infection. Khlia had lost warriors before, she'd even killed a few of her own men when it became necessary, but her woman-warriors, Lash and Alicia and Dahlia were different. When her brother had become Alpha of the Fangs, six years ago, they had just been young females of the pack, but Khlia had seen potential in them when she watched them play at fighting with the juvenile males. They fought to win, with skill and speed and dirty tricks when they had to. She took them in, along with many other girls, set them on a brutal training regimen that pushed them to their limits. Most failed, some died, but for those three that earned their places, no favoritism granted.

Eventually, she noticed Elisabeth had found them in the chaos, and gave the younger woman a rare look that shared the depths of her pain, grief, and rage. Not a look she would give to any male. Or, she thought, most females, either. And then she was off, back to being her blunt self, giving orders, establishing a perimeter of fighters to keep the wounded safe and sending runners back to the Moonhowl camp to fetch assistance.

It wasn't long in coming, one of Lucent's Vans had arrived to deliver reinforcements, and was diverted to to the battlefield under guard, disgorging the fresh fighters who seemed eager to prove themselves and their disparate packs worthiness in battle, and taking on the most seriously injured, including Alicia, to be taken to Evertail territory, their closest true camp, to be tended by Savic's medics.

[brokecollege]

The next couple of minutes were spent thinning out the crowd of attackers. Those who had not been mowed down by Khlia and Grigory's efforts were handled by Elisabeth and her men. And those who were not taken care of by Elisabeth were running off into the night, their howls of terror sounding like a grand orchestra of music to Elisabeth and her warriors. Khlia chased away those that ran before she howled, turned around, and then returned to the sight of her wounded warrior.

Elisabeth stayed back to ensure that those who had been attacked were either dead or too wounded to put up any other fight. When she was sure none of those on the ground posed a threat, then she trotted over to where Khlia and the rest of her elites were huddled. As soon as Elisabeth had approached, Khlia turned to Elisabeth and looked at her with sadness in her eyes. But it wasn't just sadness. It was pain. It was despair. And it was grief.

It was the mixed emotions of a woman suffering from a great loss. Even if her warrior survived and healed, she would never again fight by Khlia's side. And that hurt the young lieutenant. But she didn't let the pain show for longer than a second, and soon enough she was back to shouting and barking out orders to the unwounded men who surrounded them. Elisabeth followed suit, barking her orders and commands to ensure their safety and survival until reinforcements arrived.

When reinforcements did finally arrive, those who were wounded were gathered into the van and rushed off to be tended to. Khlia's warrior was on the first ride back--both Khlia and Elisabeth had ensured it. The fresh-faced warriors greeted Elisabeth and Khlia with a bow of their heads before asking the pair where they were needed most. Elisabeth directed them to certain positions--tend to the stragglers, guard the wounded, push onward and kill every man that wasn't their own. When the last fresh-faced warrior had been given his orders, Elisabeth turned to Khlia. Now that their men had gone to their positions, it was their turn to do the same.

[Damonique]

"No more play. We end this now, Elisabeth. Gather three of your finest. I'll bring Caine, Grigory..." She turned to the assembled warriors, her eyes settling on Lash for a moment before moving on from the small, midnight back warrior to settle on the nondescript, brown-furred male that had so easily slipped past Elisabeth's guards that night at the Jurchen resturant. He hadn't been with her elites long, the deep claw-mark on his cheek still pink and healing, but his stealthy and speedy fighting style, more assassin than fighter, would fit Lash's place in her retinue.

"...and Bale." She finished, beaconing the indicated three over. Lash seemed surprised by her leaders choice as well, a flash of aggravation passing through the girl's features but attempting to suppress it before Khlia took note. The Mane twin did, realize though, calling her over as well.

"A dozen from among the fresh meat, neither Mane nor Evertail, led by one of each of ours to stiffen them. I'll send my Lash to whip them into shape, you choose who you wish." She continued, and the other woman seemed satisfied that she at least had a place in their leaders plan.

Once this ad-hoc war party had been assembled, orders given and received, the twenty of them set off in wolf-shape, pushing into and then past the edge of Moonhowl territory, pausing for a moment south of the old train station and railway. That field, dotted as it was with dilapidated rail-cars and shipping containers, would be the perfect place for an ambush. And their noses would not help them detect one, either, as so many warriors had passed through this strip of land that you couldn't make out the fresh from the old, nor one warriors scent from another. It simply smelled of wolf.

They spread out, a ragged line of four-legged shadows, none too far away from their neighbor to lend aid, but not too close as to confuse one anothers senses, and progressed with haste across the fields. They were almost a third of the way across when a Stormfur warrior leapt from atop one such shipping container, riding one of their recruits to the ground and killing his winded prey before he could even try to react. That unlucky ones two neighbors pounced at the shadow, but it was gone as quickly as it came, rolling under a rotting rail-car in a flash, before vanishing into the thick grass. He was small and skilled, and clearly knew this place better than any of them.

Before any of their warriors could give chase, Khlia barked for them to move closer together and keep ranks. This one wasn't playing around, and to have them perusing him heedlessly was probably exactly what he wanted. More slowly and warily, the proceeded, and they made it another ten feet before the shadow struck again, skulking in low around a stack of discarded railroad ties to dive in and try to hamstring one of the warriors at the far edges of their line with his teeth. Luckily, this one was more ready than the first and dodged, rearing up to counterattack, but the shadow vanishing any of them could even pinpoint exactly where it was.

[brokecollege]

Khlia gave Elisabeth the brief order to gather three of her finest men before she turned around and picked her men. Elisabeth nodded before she turned to her men. "Caesar, Kellan, and Bryant. You're with me." her men stepped forward, eager to assist Elisabeth in the final portion of the battle. When she was ordered to choose another man to organize the fresh meat, she turned to face the only man she had left. "Adam!" she called. Adam, a tall and burly brunette, stepped forth to hear his orders.

Elisabeth gestured vaguely in Lash's direction. "Follow Lash to organize the new warriors," she ordered. Then, she paused and gave an additional order. "And, please, try not to get on Lash's nerves too much. I know how you can get with other warriors." Adam was one of her best warriors, but he also just so happened to be the most aggravating. What could she say? Every man had his strengths and his weaknesses--Adam's weakness just so happened to be his aggravating personality.

With their top warriors in position, they transformed and were off. Elisabeth sensed danger as soon as they reached the clustered field. The field itself was filled with a mixture of dilapidated railway cars and shipping containers, both of which had probably been there for years. They were covered in muck, and overgrown weeds, and graffiti done by the local kids. But it wasn't their state that worried Elisabeth; it was their positions.

Someone could easily use the positions of the railway cars and the shipping containers as a means to attack the group from above. And, sure enough, that was precisely what happened. A Stormfur warrior, having jumped off of a nearby container, landed on top of their warriors. Elisabeth moved to react (as everyone had), but the Stormfur killed him and fled before anyone could move. Smart. When it happened a second time, Elisabeth growled and looked to Bryant.

She gave him a look, and the more massive wolf bowed his head before rushing off. He climbed onto one of the nearest shipping containers and, from that point on, followed the group that way. Now, at least, they had someone to look out for them above. If not to protect them, then just to warn them. Elisabeth, trying to add on the protection, then lagged behind the rest of the group, ensuring that no one warrior was picked off by the Stormfur warrior.

[Damonique]

While this game of cat-and-mouse progressed over the next few tense minutes, nobody paid much heed to Bale, who, at a glance from Khlia carefully slipped out of the line, as invisible to their own warriors as he had been to their enemies. He ranged out ahead of them, and found himself a nice, sheltered spot for a good angle further down, the sort of place he would think to launch an ambush on them from himself, and waited.

Elisabeth's man Bryant did his job well, spoiling the ambusher's attacks before they happened by noticing movement in the brush and flashes of teeth in the gathering moonlight and calling out with clipped howls to warn them beforehand, forcing him to re-position and try again from somewhere else. Eventually, there was a startled yelp when their sneaky foe stumbled right into Bale, a short scuffle, and then silence,, Khlia's assassin walking proudly back to rejoin them, blood on his muzzle.

That threat dealt with, the group formed up and made it's way the last dozen feet or so to the other side of the rail yard, entering Stormfur territory proper, and then split up, Lash and Adam leading their force recruits right down the broadest street as if they owned the place, intentionally being as loud and boisterous as possible, towards the thickest concentration of Stormfur scent. They were heading right for what civilians hadn't been conscripted into the invasion, sure to provoke a reaction, as the Stormfur warriors not still embattled on Moonhowl land would not sit idly by while their mates and pups were in danger.

Khlia and Elisabeth, meanwhile, made their way stealthily down the block, headed for the building the brave, dead warrior Lars had told them the attack was being coordinated from. The roof of the multi-leveled office would have a good view of the rail yard and outlying streets across from it that would be the site of the initial battle, allowing the leaders to coordinate their troops movements, deploying them where they were hardest pressed. It would also give them a good view of the new threat that had just appeared in the form of their diversionary force.

From a nearby alleyway, they spotted two guards at the main entrance of the building, looking out the long-since broken windows fronting the office lobby, so far blissfully unaware of the danger nearing them. Khlia turned to Elisabeth, gave her a knowing smile and turning her nose in that direction whilst dropping into a hunter's crouch, the meaning clear. The two of them would take the guards silently, and when the leaders and their companions made to leave the building to confront the new threat, they would find them waiting rather than their own guards.

[brokecollege]

With Bryant's watchful eye, the Stormfur warrior was unable to successfully attack the group again. And then, suddenly, the warrior was no longer a threat. He had been caught and killed by one of Khlia's elite warriors (Bale, she believed his name was), forever eliminating the threat of an overhead attack. With the threat removed, Bryant returned to the ground, and Elisabeth caught up with those in the front of the group.

When they reached the end of the rail yard, the group split into two. The group led by Lash and Adam headed in the direction of the strongest concentration of Stormfur scent while Elisabeth and Khlia made their way towards the location of Wes Stormfur. Unlike the group that they had just departed from, both Elisabeth and Khlia remained quiet and under the radar. For their plan to work, they needed to stay unseen.

In an alleyway near their target building, Elisabeth and Khlia spotted two guards at the main entrance. Khlia crouched, and so did Elisabeth. Kill them quietly--that was the goal. Kill them quietly so that the true targets of this attack would be unaware and, then, surprised. Elisabeth nodded to Khlia, signaling that she understood the plan. Then, she moved forward. Her movements were slow and quiet, and so very cautious.

When she approached the building, she stayed pressed against the wall so that the guards would remain unaware of her presence. As soon as she was underneath the broken window, she stopped. She heard the men on the other side of the window shifting around, and when the shifting stopped she jumped through the window and tackled him to the ground. Before he could put up a fight or even make a sound, Elisabeth wrapped her mouth around his throat and ripped it out.

[Damonique]

Khlia's movement's shadowed those of Elisabeth beside her, glossy black fur vanishing into the shadows, soundless despite her size, crouching low under the eaves of the windows. The sound of her weight shifting to vault the low barrier would surely alert their enemies to her presence, so she waited for the smaller brown beast to make her move, and then followed suit.

She landed heavily on the second guards back where he had turned to see what the commotion was with his companion, whom Elisabeth had dispatched. She brough a paw down on the back her trapped prey's neck, resulting in a sharp crack, and then silence. The wathers gone, their chosen six moved up to join them, and they waited. From the direction of the stairwell, they could hear voices, one shrill and angry, another calm and almost bored as Wes Stormfur argued with Lieutenant Desmond of the Freerunners, discussing what to do about the sudden incursion into their territory.

Apparently, the Stormfur had been promised a short, bloody conflict followed by total victory by their Freerunner 'allies', and not expected or been prepared for the sudden involvement of the Fangs and Evertails. Perhaps they thought them not bold enough to fight against the Freerunners knowing they had the support of Damon Redmoon, or that the Moonhowl would be willing to stoop to requesting their aid in the first place. And, truly, had Alpha Jonas not been killed, they wouldn't have, the brave Moonhowl leader known most of all for his fierce independence against even impossible odds. Thankfully for his pack, his Mate cared more about revenge than pride.

Khlia and Elisabeth waited at the center of the lobby, their fur and muzzles still matted with the blood of the dead sentries, simply waiting to enjoy the looks on the leaders faces when they found their most hated enemies lying in wait for them. Better yet that they would be slain by 'mere' females. And they WOULD be slain. Khlia had given her word, and that, she kept. Finally, the arguing stopped and a mass of wolves could be heard making their way down the stairs, stopping short on the floor above, finally realizing the smell of blood and non-packmates downstairs. Khia shifted into human form, in a lo crouch, and turned her eyes towards the stairs, a violent gleam in her deep green eyes.

"Come on, Wes Stormfur. You as well, Desmond of Freerunner. Khlia Mane has come, as promised, to claw into you a bloody vengeance for Alpha Jonas. You come down, or I come up. Does not matter." She intoned gravely, and in a flash, she was the large black wolf again, punctuating the words with a deep, long howl that woud surely carry all the way back to the ears of Luna Mallory back in the Moonhowl camp.

[brokecollege]

With the two guards disposed of, Elisabeth and Khlia were free to make their presence known. Elisabeth climbed off of the guard's body before nudging it aside--the last thing she wanted was for the body to get in the way of any future fight. She then took a seat behind Khlia and listened to the distant conversation of Wes Stormfur and Lieutenant Desmond of the Freerunners. Their conversation wasn't all that interesting, save for the tone of voice which was used by Wes Stormfur.

He was frantic, frustrated, and desperate to emerge from this with his pack still intact. But that wouldn't happen. Khlia Mane and Elisabeth Vaughn would ensure it. The frantic voices and frustrated arguing came to an abrupt stop before a mass of wolves rushed down the staircase. Ah, they had finally realized who was in their presence. Khlia returned to her human form to deliver a short speech--one that voiced a promise of death--before turning back into her wolf form. Then, she howled.

Elisabeth stood from where she had been sitting to growl at the mass of wolves that separated them from their true targets. She didn't want to waste her energy on these wolves just to get to Wes Stormfur, but that didn't mean she wouldn't if need be. If Wes and Jonas were honorable men, then they wouldn't continue to hide behind their men. They would come forth and face their fate. But she doubted these men would do anything of the sort. So, Elisabeth huffed and made her way towards the stairs.

[Damonique]

They were eight on eight, Wes Stormfur accompanied by two of his pack-mates, both imposing, and the Freerunner son flanked by three of his own elite fighters, lean, scarred wolves that Khlia had to admit that she would be proud to count among her own ranks, and also, a female, his mate. Khlia knew of this one, Danica Behr, daughter of John Behr, one of the most celebrated warriors of the Freerunner pack, and no less imposing than any man.

Khlia couldn't help but give the fellow woman-warrior a nod, as they had met before, years ago, when her brother negotiated with the other packs early in his reign. At the time, she had simply been a silent girl standing at her fathers side, but she had clearly clewed her way up to their heights of the pack, helped along by her fathers influence and her new mates position. The gesture was returned in kind by the red-furred she-wolf. It would be a shame to kill that one, but circumstance had robbed them of the chance to be allies. It would still be a joy to fight her.

The tense standoff lasted for a few moments, before Wes Stormfur shouted an order and both of his bodyguards charged in obediently. It was a foolish decision inspired by panic, the lobby was wide and open, good ground for open battle, while the stairwell would be easily held. Desmond knew better, and he sent two of his Freerunners to assist with a sigh, while himself, his mate, and their other two stood their ground beside the Stormfur Alpha.

The first attackers chose to go after what they saw as the weakest prey. This was, as always, Elisabeth. Khlia wondered if these ones would bite her shoulder too, that would put the young woman at three for three in the time they had fought together. Such flippant thoughts vanished as quickly as they came as Khlia ignored the four onrushers entirely, letting her soldiers Caine and Grigory clear her a path so she could bolt straight for Wes Stormfur, despite his strong position and formidable protectors.

She very nearly reached him, but was stopped at the last moment as the remaining Freerunner warrior tackled her back down the stairs. The two wolves rolled down to the landing in a ball of snapping jaws and flashing claws, barely inflicting any injuries so close together and falling, and then broke apart and faced one another down, ignorant of any of the fighting going on around them while the trio above looked down with interest.

They crashed and broke apart like this two, three more times. Khlia had to admit, this bodyguard was a stern foe, fighting not just hard, but smart, expertly avoiding her more lethal blows while rolling with her lighter ones to come back up still battle-ready, but inevitably, size and skill on out and the jet black Mane Twin gained the upper hand. She was about to strike the killing blow when a flash of orange came to the corner of her eye, and she rolled away to find Danica Behr challenging her, the fierce she-wold nudging the winded guard back towards the stairs to guard her mate. Khlia, likewise, shooed off Bale, who she saw creeping up to blindside her opponent, seeking to fight this one fairly. He flashed off to aid Elisabeth and her warriors.

Khlia spared a second to glance up to find Wes Stormfur slack-jawed at the sight as both his allies and enemies set aside logic and tactics so easily, and turned to Desmond as if ask why he was letting his woman alone when together they could perhaps end the dreaded Khlia mane. For his part, the Freerunner son just appeared proud.

[brokecollege]

Wes Stormfur, being the complete idiot that he was, chose not to surrender. Instead, he chose to fight. Or, should she say, he chose for his men to fight. With one order, his guards attacked. The first attackers chose to, of course, target Elisabeth. She was a relatively small, and small size was always equated with weakness. Oh, but that was where they were wrong. She managed to take down the first attacker with relative ease. He had charged at her with arrogance, and his attacks reflected it. They weren't quick and to the point, but rather large and exaggerated, not doing so much damage as they did annoyance. As if he was putting on a show for his Alpha.

Elisabeth was able to locate the weak points in those attacks and, then, turn those weaknesses against him. He fell to the ground in no time, and Elisabeth moved onto the next foe without thought. The second and third attackers were much smarter than the first, as their attacks were both quicker and more lethal. They targeted Elisabeth's legs, her neck, and (of course) her injured shoulder. And while they did manage to get in a good few attacks, they too proved no match for the young Lieutenant.

When she had finished disposing of the guards, she turned to face Khlia. And, to her surprise, she found Khlia being challenged by Danica Behr. She thought the challenge might have been in response to an attack against her mate, but when she looked up at the staircase, she found Lieutenant Desmond just.. standing there. She grunted--was this man going to let his mate go against Khlia Mane? Had he not heard of the stories regarding Khlia's ruthlessness in battle?

He had to have heard the stories, if not just a fraction of them. Elisabeth couldn't think much on the matter, however, because she still needed to handle the remaining bodyguards. With the aid of their men, Elisabeth was able to finish off the remaining guards. Now, she mused, all that needed to be handled was Danica Behr. A fierce warrior with a will just as strong as Elisabeth's and as Khlia's. It was a shame that she had to die, as women warriors as fine as her were so rare.

[Damonique]

Khlia and Danica wasted no time with the traditional growling and snapping, circling and feints, and got right down to it. At this point, it was truly an honor game. The foe were all dead, but for West Stormfur, Danica, Desmond and his man whom she had saved. If the Fang and Evertail warriors wanted, they could rush them and have it over in moments, but none were restless, enthralled as they were by the fight in front of them.

And an impressive display it was. The two she-wolves were a storm of black and orange, meeting and parting almost too fast for the eye to track. While both gave their all, neither appeared to be able to pin the other long enough to inflict more than superficial wounds. Khlia lost the tip of her left ear to a bite, Danica was slashed along the leg by her foes claws. What the red wolf lacked in strength she made up for in speed, always keeping herself well out of the way of the savage but slow strikes Khlia used to incapacitate lesser foes with her sheer weight of muscle.

But slowly, steadily, Khlia took the advantage, pushing the younger woman further and further back, landing blows that did not maim, but surely exhausted. Just as she closed in for a kill, Danica rolled out of the way, and was in her human shape. Not an attractive woman as one would expect to find a mate of such high position, she was quite homely, freckled all over, with long, gangly limbs, a small pug nose, and only the barest suggestion of breasts showing on her muscular torso. Truly, Danica Behr took very much after her father, in both appearance and ability. But what did that matter, when she could fight Khlia Mane herself so evenly for so long?

"I....I thought I could beat you. Only reason I came along on this gods-forsaken failure of an expedition, was that I knew you'd come. No-one believed me, but I've been watching you since I heard it was a woman that scared the Redmoons so. You wouldn't pass this up...." The girl forced out between haggard breaths. Blood flowed easily from the fresh wounds Khlia had delivered to her. She turned to her Mate on the stairs, who's proud expression had given way to one of concern and frustration as he saw what was going to happen. Khlia bared her fangs and stalked forward, but didn't move to kill, not yet, too interested in what the girl had to say.

"I'm sorry, Desmond. It has truly been the time of my life. At least it will be said I that no man ever bested me." She muttered, turning her arms out invitingly to offer a good angle for a clean kill at her throat or heart, whichever Khlia preferred, showing no fear or anger, simply acceptance of the inevitable. It could not be said she faced her death without honor, either. Khlia mane stalked up to the girl, cocked her head to the side, and then saw something out of corner of her eye, and whipped around suddenly.

Either fed up with watching this pageantry while doing nothing, or simply terrified, Wes Stormfur was fleeing up the stairs. He didn't make it far, Khlia's large form butting past the Freerunner son and his man to catch him, slamming the Alpha savagely down onto the steps and pinning him there. Shifting back into her human shape just long enough to turn and deliver a message, seemingly per-rehearsed, to the startled Desmond.

"My brother, Alpha of the Fangs, would rather I not escalate this conflict by slaying the favored son of your father, Alpha Marcus. Gather up your remaining men and go, the Stormfur will be no more by morning. Return to your father with the regards of Lucent Mane, and tale of this hopefully...sobering experience." She turned back to the once-intimidating but now pitiful-appearing Wes to attend to the task at hand, before turning against to offer and more personal message.

"And you'd better fuck the brains out of your mate there, every night. She deserves it. Hopefully, next we meet, she'll pose an even better challenge." She stated, and with a most maniacal laugh that trailed off to laugh-like growls, she back in wolf-form, as-promised tearing the heart from Wes Stormfur's body, using her teeth and claws more like surgical implements to ensure the organ remained recognizable for what it was.

Truly, Khlia mane was on a streak when it came to sparing lives lately. First the Whiteclaws, then the two brats that were now Elisabeth's responsibility, and now this. True, Lucent had told her that if an opportunity presented itself, to not antagonize the free-runners too much, as this was not war between their packs. Not yet, only a war they had joined as third parties, but she could have easily killed Danica then and there and maimed Desmond before sending him home. Oh well, it wasn't as if blood was hard to come by in this city, and she'd get plenty more before long, the way things were going.

[brokecollege]

Elisabeth watched Khlia's fight with as much interest as everybody else--which was, to say, a lot. This woman, Danica Behr, was a worthy opponent. She was strong and quick, and so decisive with her attacks. She never paused, never hesitated, never stopped. Elisabeth admired her fighting style and her drive, and she most definitely was not afraid to admit it. And, yet, despite her abilities, Khlia was still able to best her.

Before long, Danica was pushed to the brink of death. Her body was maimed with scratches and bite marks alike, blood covering just about every inch of her skin. Just when Khlia was about to deliver the final blow, Danica transformed back into a human. And, surprisingly, Khlia pulled back. She patiently waited as Danica gave Khlia her farewell and her praise. Her final act was to extend her neck out, offering the Mane twin the cleanest kill.

But Khlia didn't kill her. Wes Stormfur, realizing what was happening, rushed up the staircase in an attempt to flee the scene. And though Elisabeth could have caught him, Khlia broke from her position to tackle the man on the stairs. She transformed into a human to deliver a few choice words to the Freerunner Lieutenant before she transformed back into a wolf and tore through the Alpha's chest. She had been asked to deliver Wes Stormfur's heart, and she planned to deliver.

Elisabeth transformed into a human and tiredly placed her hand upon her aching and bleeding shoulder. Desmond, along with his men and his mate, fled the scene. They could have acted against Khlia's advice and stayed to fight to the death, but they didn't. How smart of them. "Are you alright?" Kellan muttered as he approached his leader from behind. Elisabeth slowly nodded her head as she finally pulled her eyes away from Khlia. "Yes." she quietly replied. She was beaten, bloody, and bruised, but she would survive.

[Damonique]

Khlia walked back down the stairs in human guise, her already scarred body showing several fresh scars-in-the-making, the savage bite on her left ear the most unsightly. It would heal, partially, but it's tip would always be missing a crescent of flesh. She paid it no matter, Khlia mane had never been one to care about appearances, and she'd proudly be able to say that Danica Behr gave her that wound.

She hummed a merry tune as she tossed the heart she had relieved from the torn corpse of Wes behind her, a good savaging always put her in a good mood, and looked over their assembled fighters. While many were scratched up and bloody, including Elisabeth, but for Bael, who seemed to always succeed in getting through every fight without a scratch, they were all whole and hale, and seemed quite proud of themselves. As they should. In one fell sweep, they had ended the Stormfur-Moonhowl conflict once and for all, and gained an ally in the process.

"I promised you glory and blood, hunt-sister, and you got it. I'm glad Savic was smart enough to accept my brother's offer. The old man's a bore, but you...you've been just a riot." The older woman said, swinging an arm lazily over Elisabeth's shoulders, carefully as to avoid the bloody mess on her shoulder. Apparently, unwanted familiarity when it came to touching ran in the family along with the temper.

"I suppose we should best get back to Mallory with her present. The warriors should be just about finished up with the Stormfur women and pups. Hopefully they submitted to be omegas before we killed too many of them, those boys you've saddled yourself with would whine if we killed their mother." She continued, the first mention Khia had made of the lives Elisabeth had spared in the streets earlier. While Khlia would never have done the same, she had to admit that Elisabeth being there had been useful, the Stormfur warrior giving his Alpha's location so quickly surely wouldn't have happened if it had been the Mane Twin alone.

[brokecollege]

When she had finished tearing Wes Stormfur to shreds, Khlia stood up and turned around with the brightest of smiles. She tossed the man's heart in the air, and Elisabeth watched as blood splattered on the ground as it landed back in her hand. Khlia approached Elisabeth and, with her free hand, threw her arm over the brunette's shoulders. Elisabeth sucked in a breath--and there was another thing to link Khlia to her brother.

When she mentioned the boys and their mother, Elisabeth sighed. If their mother had died during the attack, then that would be tragic. But it would teach them a valuable lesson that Elisabeth was forced to learn at a young age: life is unforgivable. Life is hard, and it is cruel. And life will take everything from you if you do not protect it yourself. "Our way of life is marked by loss. They will learn." she quietly informed. She dropped her hand from her bloody shoulder and, with her head held high, followed their warriors out of the building and towards the Moonhowl camp.

Her job was done, and so it was time to return home. Time to bathe, bandage herself, and start another day. When she did finally reach the Moonhowl territory, the first thing she did was grab organize the men. She had half a dozen gathering their wounded, another half a dozen gathering their dead. She had some men go to Savic to deliver information regarding the attack, and she had others rush around the camp to deliver whatever aid was necessary. And when that was done, she left the Moonhowl camp to find herself some water to wash off in.

Lucky enough for her, she didn't have to walk long to find that. About a half a mile or so from the camp sat a lovely little pond surrounded by a mixture of trees and shrubbery. It was small and secluded, and the perfect place for Elisabeth to wash herself and gather her thoughts. The lieutenant ran a tired hand through her hair as she approached the water before she slowly eased into it. The water was cold--almost freezing, in fact--but it felt good against her aching body. She hummed in content as she allowed the water to surround her. After all that had happened, this was exactly what she needed.

[Damonique]

When they reached the Moonhowl encampment, Khlia went straight for Mallory, turning down any attempts to clean or treat her injuries. There were others who needed aid more, those who would care weather their wounds healed ugly or clean. A few more scars more or less meant less than nothing to the Mane Twin, and the more serious they seemed, the more threatening she looked. She like threatening. In a quite un-Khlialike gesture, she bent down respectfully before the pregnant Luna, and placed the hunk of flesh she had carried back from Stormfur territory at the woman's feet, gesturing back in that direction.

"For you. Your mate is avenged. When his whelp grows up, tell him it was Khlia mane who did the deed." She intoned solemnly to the Luna, who stood for a moment before doing something unexpected. She dropped to her knees, and wrapped her arms around the scarred warrior-woman, letting tears that she had kept well-hidden until now into the Mane Twin's deep black hair.

"They spit on your name. Called you a monster. A savage, a killer without peer, and also without remorse. But sometimes, you need a monster. You need a savage. And you are also a woman. I know you are unmated, but they say you and your brother share a soul. If that's true, than what Wes Stormfur did to me, taking away my Jonas, would be if a man killed your brother. You would stop at nothing for revenge. But I am not a woman like you, no fighter, so I had to pass the burden onto another. I had to send for you." The woman gave the speech with a sort of roundabout-way, pausing here and there to sniffle, owing to her grief, and then finally released her. Khlia didn't know what to say, or what to think. She found it easier to just leave.

Lucent would make the decisions when it came to Moonhowl territory. It was closer to Evertail land than their own, it may be prudent to let Savic handle their defense, at least for now, bolstered by Fang soldiers. For now, she left a guard of fighters from various packs to keep guard here until the matter could be settled. She asked one of Elisabeth's men, Kellan, where the Lieutenant could be found, and he directed her down the path leading to Evertail territory. Khlia gathered those of her men who were uninjured, letting those who needed attention ride double on the motorcycles, and headed that way. It wasn't long until tracking the scent of the brunettes blood led her to the pond. She directed all her soldiers but a few guards to proceed on the the Evertail den. That was where Alicia was, so that was where she was going.

Khlia paused to watch the brunette soak and clean her wound for awhile. Once again, her combination of beauty and resilience surprised her. Khlia was attractive, she knew, but not in that way. Elisabeth succeeded in retaining the sort of femininity that male's liked to see in a woman, curves instead of angles. At least her brother had taste, although he could have picked someone besides his closest rivals trusted lietenant. Unless he had picked her for exactly that reason. Savic had proved equitable in their relatinship so far, but if that were to change....well, that would be for Lucent to decide and for her to execute.

Khlia considered simply letting her be, but decided that now was a chance for her to get to know the unusual Evertail lieutenant as a person, rather than just a fighter at her side. The heat of battle was exhilirating, but it left little time for talk besides that of who and how they were going to kill next. Tossing off the long coat she had replaced when she reached the Moonhowl camp, Khlia stalked over to the edge of the pond and jumped in, startling Elisabeth from her thoughts, as intended. The water was cold, but it was clean, and her body quickly acclimated to the temperature.

"Didn't expect to find you here, instead of heading right back to Savic to report for duty. Good on you, he can wait, my brother too. We're the ones who put in the work tonight." She stated, doing a few laps in the shallow waters before moving to recline on the opposite side of the pond from Elisabeth.

[brokecollege]

Elisabeth could've stayed in that pond for hours. Had she the time, she probably would have. But, alas, Elisabeth did not have the time and or the luxury to relax for such an extended period. Oh, but how she wished she did. The brunette scooped the cold water onto her bleeding and bruised shoulder, a soft hiss of pain escaping her lips as she did so. For her shoulder's sake, she hoped that she didn't have to fight for a couple of weeks.

Elisabeth prepared to slip out of the pond and head on her merry way but stopped when someone suddenly jumped into the water. She stood to attack the intruder but relaxed upon realizing who it was. Khlia. She slowly sat back down, her body once more becoming relaxed against the water's touch. Khlia did a few short laps in the pond before she relaxed against the opposite end of it. She was surprised, she said. Surprised that Elisabeth hadn't immediately returned to Savic.

"And I'm surprised you haven't immediately returned to your brother." Elisabeth countered. The two were close. Elisabeth figured that Khlia would've rushed back to her brother to deliver the good news--but that apparently wasn't the case. She cupped some water in the palms of her hands and brought it up to wash the blood from the cuts on her face. "When I heard the rumors about you and your brother, I thought you two were an interesting pair. An interesting, unpredictable, and dangerous pair. But interacting with you two in person has just proven that you're more interesting and unusual than I thought." she mused.

[Damonique]

"Hah, that's rich. 'Interesting'. By which you mean, we're as different as night and day, one of us a genius who will do anything for a dream that keeps seem to be getting bigger, the other a vicious killer who doesn't care, would be happy anywhere she could get blood on her teeth, but sticks around so he doesn't get his ass killed." Khlia answered with a short peal of laughter. She really was in a good mood to be opening up like this. It might have has something to do with how the Luna had greeted her.

It was rare that Khlia was....appreciated, for the fact that her talents and inclinations could occasionally be put to good use. Wes Stormfur wasn't like his father, the worst combination of ambition and cowardice of an Alpha that could ever be thrust upon a pack. If they hadn't taken care of him, someone else would have had to. This way, his pack didn't have to suffer any longer for it. True, they were Omegas now, but Elisabeth herself was living proof that even one so low could rise through effort and honor.

"Since you mentioned him.....what's happening between you two. He won't talk about it, not even to me, and that's not right. We're close, closer than some think is proper. Twenty-Seven years old and we still can't stand to sleep in separate rooms. He thinks he's distracting me with errands, but we're going to talk about it eventually, but if I'm not going to like what I hear...well, it would be smart of you to tell me your side before that happens." She stated, the nonchalant air suddenly cooling. While they had a budding friendship, Khlia would still kill Elisabeth without a second thought, if it protected her brother from pain. When they were six, she had killed a boy because he made her brother cry. They may be older, but she would still take the same action for the same reason.

[Damonique]

(Double posted because of the downtime, disregard)

[brokecollege]

Elisabeth looked down at the water as Khlia spoke. She probably should have told Khlia what happened--their walk, their hunt, and their fight. Probably. But, she decided against it. She had promised Lucent to keep their fight a secret, and she was going to keep that promise. Even if keeping that promise meant avoiding the one conversation that could have probably saved her life. Elisabeth eased further into the water with a frown.

"Your brother is unlike any other man I've encountered. He is as handsome as he is smart and stubborn. He is arrogant, but not arrogant enough for it to be his downfall. And he is a leader--a true, genuine leader. The Fangs are lucky to be able to call such a man their Alpha." she mused. She moved her hand back and forth in the water. "With that being said, it is not my place to tell you what happened between us. If you want to know, then he will have to tell you."

Elisabeth wondered what would happen once Khlia discovered the truth. She probably either beat Elisabeth to a pulp or kill the poor thing. But Elisabeth really deserve such an end? All she had done was reject an Alpha's affections--and her rejection wasn't because she couldn't develop feelings for him! If she tried, she would have eventually come to feel deeply for Lucent. She had only rejected him because of their difference in status, and because his affections weren't genuine.

That was it! If she was to die by Khlia's end, Elisabeth decided, then she would not go without a fight. The brunette suddenly stood and climbed out of the pond. I should return to Savic and deliver my report. Elisabeth bowed her head before she turned and walked off towards the Evertail territory. As soon as she arrived, she donned some clothes and went to find Savic.

[Damonique]

Khlia tilted her head to the side, listening intently to the brunette's words. Weighing them, judging her...before cracking a wolfish smile. If the worst she had to say about her brother was that he was arrogant, she was either stupid, or really felt something towards him. And Elisabeth wasn't stupid. As for whatever secret her brother was keeping from her, if she was willing to risk her life to defend their secrets, whatever it was couldn't have been that bad.

Lucent would open up when he felt like it, probably just too wrapped up in his own head to remember that his twin actually cared about such trivial things as his personal romances. She gave a sigh, saw Elisabeth rising up out of the water, and smirked. The sight of that perfect ass made her sure the despite the men's gossip, there was no way Lucent had fucked her yet. Elisabeth wouldn't be giving that away so easily. Hell, that was probably what he thought was a big secret. Ever since they had been children, Lucent had been easily embarrassed. He kept it hidden out of necessity these days, being Alpha, but in many ways, he was still the shy little boy hiding behind his mean, scary sister.

"Don't let the facade fool you, he got more of mom than I did. So he's sweet, deep down, and you seem like you go for that." Khlia said in parting, deciding to do them both a favor. And with that, she slipped out of the pool and changed to wolf-shape to shake herself dry, letting Elisabeth get a ways ahead of her before joining her troops, making their way to the Evertail camp themselves, to check on Alicia.

When they got there, the blonde was awake, but not in great shape. To do what they had to in order to save her arm, the Evertail medics had had to strip away even more of the flesh from her arm, and while it was bandaged, the white linens were already soaking through with pink, almost ready to be changed again. It would be weeks before she could walk as a wolf again, and months of pain and sweat before she'd be able to fight at all with such limited dexterity.

And Khlia couldn't bear to lie to her, but she would never have a place amongst their elites again, she couldn't risk all of their lives on a weak link. The blonde would still be able to lead line warriors, train recruits, and would always keep the scar on her face and the bed she had earned in the Fang's den. But in the field, she'd only be with them in spirit.

-----------------------------------------

This next few weeks passed by like a blur, most of the Fang-Evertail bloc busy reinforcing their new territories, warding off Redmoon scouting parties, and otherwise putting out the many fires that always flared up after a sudden and unexpected change in the balance of power. There had been surprisingly little word of the Freerunners. Their fighters were still seen training and patrolling alongside the Redmoon, but they were a rare sight anywhere near former Stormfur or Moonhowl territory. Lucent's message had, apparently, been received and regarded by Alpha Marcus.

Eventually, it was decided a proper conference needed to be held. A lot of territory had changed hands, but not without cost, and every leader who'd sent men into the fray wanted a seat at the table to discuss present and future claims and rewards for service, and Lucent grew tired of dealing with a new emissary from a different group every other day. Lucent set the Jurchen resturant, neutral and far from any pack's territory as the location, and invitations were sent, and security planned, for everyone of consequence to meet there and be formally introduced and work out their differing wants and needs in person.

A new fleet of Limousines were purchased, and Lucent sent one as a gift to each former Alpha who had submitted peacefully. Owing to his status, Alpha Savic received not only a limo, but also three passenger vans for transporting his own forces across their now-sprawling territories, and Elisabeth received seven motorcycles and a few Fangs to teach her and her men how to ride them. One with a large, purple Harley with lightning-bolts embossed on the side in silver, for the Lieutenant herself, a gift from Khlia Mane.

The all congregated at the impressive establishment at noon, and each and every wolf present had to go through the shock of meeting the white Siberian wolves in person, an army of servers leading them to their tables. The whole upper floor had been cleared out for their use, food enough for so many wolves slaved over for over a week and sure to still not be enough. Lucent had two different catering services on call to make up the difference. The whole affair had cost a small fortune, but it sent a clear message. They weren't a rabble of city wolves fighting in alleys over scraps any more. They ran with the Fangs and were afforded the every luxury that meant.

[brokecollege]

"Do we have to wear these shirts, Lieutenant?" Kellan frowned as he adjusted the cuffs of his white dress shirt. Elisabeth, who was wearing an equally formal shirt (https://data.whicdn.com/images/321253198/large.jpg), nodded her head. "The Alpha wants his warriors to appear refined in front of the other packs, so you will all just have to bear with it," she explained. Kellan grunted, and so did the other four elites. They were warriors, what need was there for them to appear refined when all that truly mattered were their skills?

Elisabeth ignored her men's public complaints and, instead, chose to face her motorcycle. While Elisabeth was still new to riding a motorcycle and would have preferred taking a car to the restaurant, Savic insisted that she and her men take their bikes. It was good practice, he said. But that isn't the reason he insisted on this mode of transportation--he insisted because it made his people look just like the Fang warriors.

She climbed onto the motorcycle and prepared to start it up when Savic suddenly appeared in front of her. The brunette leaned back with a brow raised, "Yes?" she hummed. "Have you chosen the men who'll be joining us?" Savic questioned as he crossed his arms over his chest. Elisabeth nodded, "Yes, and they've been loaded--" "I've added a few more." Savic interrupted. Elisabeth's brow rose. It was unusual for Savic to go against her decisions like this. "Oh? And who have you added?"

"Jude," Savic informed. The color from Elisabeth's face drained--Jude? But Lucent was going to be at the restaurant; she couldn't have Jude there too! She cleared her throat, "And, uh, who else?" "Josiah, Mason, and Logan. They've all not seen battle yet, so I figured now was the perfect time to introduce them to it." Savic gestured towards the van. "They've been informed and are loading into the van, but I wanted to let you know before you took off," Savic said as he stepped away from the motorcycle.

Elisabeth slowly nodded her head. Great. As if this meeting wasn't stressful enough, now she had to worry about keeping her fake boyfriend away from Lucent. But, hopefully, it wouldn't be too hard. It had been a while since she had seen Lucent, so perhaps his interest in her had faded since then. "We'll uh.. we'll see you at the restaurant, then." with that being said, Elisabeth started up her motorcycle and took off. Her elites followed suit, following their leader out of their compound and onto the road.

It didn't take long for the group to arrive at the restaurant, nor did it take long for them to park their bikes and head inside. Though, she supposed she had their earliness to thank for that. "Bryant and Caesar, you two will be posted at the exit. If anyone uninvited comes through that door, then it will be your heads." she ordered just before the hostess approached them. Bryant and Caesar bowed their heads and then rushed off while Elisabeth and the three other elites were led up the staircase and into the private room.

[Damonique]

The curtains that separated the dining rooms in the upper floors had been mostly removed, dividing it into three rooms. The largest one, in the center, dominated by a massive, well-polished teak-wood table carved with intricate portrayals of wolves traveling, howling, fighting, mating. It was something of a history of the Jurchen clans, from their nomadic days on the steppes, to their migration into the interior of China, to their present lives, hiding in plain sight, the wolves being depicted more often in man-shape, being bowed to by humans and trading goods.

Lucent was helping translate for Xian Chu as he explained just this to a small group of clearly bored but politely listening once-Alphas when they noticed Elisabeth walk in. And Savic, he supposed. The Brunette was dressed well, in a ruffled white blouse that accentuated her bust and bared her midriff. Her warriors were impeccably dressed as well. While Lucent locked onto Elisabeth immediately, waving away the the much-relived listeners, it was actually Xian who made his way to her first, the personable white-haired Asian man immediately reaching to shake her hand.

"Friend Elisabeth, the american girl, much fun with you last time! I practice English, understand better." He exclaimed, finally releasing her and going to fetch a few of his fellow Jurchen wolves from the crowd to introduce to her. Apparently, any faux-pas she had committed last time she was here in her drunken state had been forgotten in favor of the pleasant, if confusing evening that preceded it. Xian had been quite drunk himself and probably thought the whole thing was some bit of humor he didn't understand.

Seizing the temporary opening, with Savic still busy introducing himself to some of the minor leaders he hadn't met yet, Lucent strutted up to Elisabeth as if nothing was amiss. The Fang leader was as impeccably dressed as always, perhaps even moreso, in a black jacket over a vest slashed with red silk, several rings adorning his fingers, a silver pocket-watch chain hooked to his breast pocket vanishing inside the jacket. His long black hair was slicked and oiled, tied back with a intricately-carved jade ring, a gift from the Jurchen.

"Ms. Vaughn." He stated simply, the most formal he had ever been around her. As he drew closer, his swagger seemed to diminish some, his smile slipping from the confident mask to something more genuine. His deep green eyes met her amber, and he had to force himself to stop at arms length, subduing his desire to reach out and touch her. It wasn't the place, and the...incident...at the Evertail camp had never been resolved between them.

"I wanted to thank you personally, for joining my sister against the Stormfur. She seemed...quite appreciative of you and your warriors. Inordinately so, actually." He said casually, looking around in vain for somewhere that they could got that would be more private, but the place was wall-to-wall wolves, mostly congregating around the appetizers and open bar available along one side of the room, and as the host of this gathering, he couldn't exactly leave with his allies lieutenant without raising a few eyebrows.

[brokecollege]

As soon as they entered the room, Elisabeth turned to Kellan and gestured towards the staircase they had just used. "Guard the staircase and greet everyone who arrives," she ordered. Elisabeth might have seemed a little paranoid setting her men up in different places of the restaurant; she thought she was reasonably cautious. This was a gathering of not only the Fangs and the Evertails, but also their close allies and subordinates.

It wasn't unreasonable to think that an attack against them--while they were all gathered together in one place--would occur. Elisabeth then took one or two steps further into the private room but stopped when she was approached by one of the Jurchen leaders. She greeted him with a bow of her head and politely shook his hand. Xian seemed to be enthusiastic about her presence despite her drunken ramble, and for that Elisabeth was relieved.

"That makes two of us, then, for I have been practicing Mandarin!" Elisabeth grinned. Xian released her hand and was off, promising to return to Elisabeth with a handful of people he wanted her to meet. Elisabeth folded her hands in front of her and waited for Xian's return, though when she noticed who else was headed in her direction she tensed. Lucent approached her slowly, his tone of voice remaining surprisingly formal as he greeted her.

Perhaps Elisabeth had been right, perhaps Lucent's feelings for her had vanished. She relaxed and greeted him with a respectful bow of the head. "Alpha Mane," she responded. Lucent then, still in a formal manner, thanked Elisabeth for fighting alongside his sister. Khlia was happy to have been able to fight with her, and because of her happiness, Lucent was also happy. "Of course, Alpha Mane. It was an honor to be able to fight alongside Khlia once more. She is an exceptional warrior, and I hope to learn much from her in our coming battles."

Elisabeth noticed Lucent looking around the room, but thought nothing of it. He was an Alpha who was hosting a grand party with a lot of guests. If anything, he was probably looking around to see who he had and had not greeted yet. "Elisabeth," Kellan called. Elisabeth glanced over her shoulder and at Kellan, who then gestured downstairs. "The others have arrived. They want to know their positions," he informed. Elisabeth nodded before she looked back to Lucent. "If you'll excuse me, Alpha Mane." she bowed her head before she turned around and walked back down the staircase.

[Damonique]

The great table in the largest room was set aside for those who made decisions, the Alpha's Lucent and Savic sitting side-by-side at the head of the table, and arraying out from them were the leaders of sub-groups, most of them formerly Alpha's themselves who still commanded their packs loyalties despite ostensibly now being part of the Fangs or the Evertails.

Flanking this table were two smaller ones on each side. One of them was set aside for mates, the pregnant Luna Mallory presiding over it it, beside Savic's own mate. The Luna had, thanks to her political acumen, and more importantly, the friendship of Khlia Man, retained her packs' integrity under herself, under the condition that after her child was born, she would choose a suitable unmated male, with no legitimate children of his own, to take her herself and the unborn Moonhowl heir under their protection. Jonas, her husband, had been one of the few Alpha's to be widely well-liked, so focused as he was on his grudge with the Stormfur.

And the third table, by far the most rowdy, was for warriors-in-command, presided over by none other than Khlia Mane herself, with a chair set aside beside her for Elisabeth. It surely must have chafed on the male-dominated warriors caste to be represented entirely by females, but with Khlia Mane there beside what members of her elite group could be spared from protection detail, it wasn't like anyone would be foolish enough to object to that. And besides, their total victory over the Stormfur had earned the brunette lieutenant a good deal of both fear and respect for herself. Her little act of 'mercy' in the alleyways had been omitted from the story told to the general public, so as far as anyone was aware, she was as ruthless as the rest of them.

This way, once they got down to business, nothing would have to be said more than once. If anyone in the room had concerns, they could voice them to the heads of their own tables, who had a right to the floor equal to that of any of the leaders at the great table.

It was most efficient, equitable, and, Elisabeth would have to have noticed, distinctly similar to the way she had been told the Jurchen, who Lucent had described as the 'most civilized wolves' did things, with a bit of Lucent's own flair tacked on. Hidden behind all of the extravagance was a purpose, the first step towards distancing this little empire of his from the endless cycle of intercanine warfare and petty grudges that had plagued it for so long. Right now, it was fear of the Redmoon that kept them together, but Lucent hoped that by time this war was done, they'd be used to his leadership and continue to follow it from pure inertia. And if they didn't..well, there could always be another war.

Once Elisabeth had shown her party to their seats, Xien had returned with a handfull of the tatooed, silver-blonde haired eastern wolves to show her off to, and between that and introducing them to Savic through an intereperenter took the better part of an hour. Finally, Elisabeth got the opportunity to steal off to her seat at the head of the warriors table. Which was, she wouldn't have failed to note, not far and easily seen from where Lucent himself would be seated.

[brokecollege]

Elisabeth rushed down the stairs and approached her men with a firm expression. She directed her most experienced men to areas which would most likely be targeted before ordering for the less experienced to join everyone upstairs. Well, except for Jude. She ordered him to guard the back door alongside Bryant and Caesar. She couldn't avoid Jude's presence there, but she could Jude's contact with Lucent. After her men were in their positions, she returned to the private room up the stairs.

The brunette made sure her men were all quietly seated before she moved towards her seat, though before she reached it, she was approached by one of the Jurchen leaders. Ah, that's right, she had almost forgotten! She greeted the man with a smile and politely introduced herself to everyone that was brought forward. The introductions lasted for quite some time (it felt like forever, honestly) before Elisabeth was finally able to take her seat beside Khlia.

When she was settled in her seat, she took a moment to survey her surroundings. It was then that she noticed the proximity of her seat to Lucent's. She considered the possibility of it being Lucent's doing, but then quickly shook the thought away. Lucent was the host of the event, and far too busy to be situating Elisabeth closer to himself. Besides, his affections for her had faded since their last meeting. Khlia probably saved this seat for her, and it just so happened to be near her brother. Yeah, that was right.

Elisabeth nodded her head as if to reassure herself of this, before she relaxed back into her seat. Now that she was seated and her men were in place, all that there was left to do was sit back and wait for this meeting to be over. She was already thinking of the things she needed to do once they returned to their territory. Well, for one, she needed to shed these clothes and get into something more comfortable. And then she needed to work out that night's patrol team.. she tilted her head to the side and furrowed her brow in thought.

[Damonique]

"What's gotten into you, the shoulder acting up?" Khlia asked when she noticed Elisabeth deep in thought. She got enough brooding silences from her brother, she didn't need any more of them. The scarred she-wolf kicked her legs up on the table in the most unladlylike manner(as if anything she did was ladylike), and snapped her fingers at a server. not one of the Jurchen's, as there weren't enough of them to support this sort of crowd, but an Omega.

There were several of these, still visibly collared, but all dressed up quite provocative maids outfits, black and white with a low-cut blouse and too-short skirt. The eye candy would keep the less....intellectually inclined males nice and distracted while business was conducted. Khlia was dressed provocatively as well, just to spit in the face of her brother trying for a dignified air about the place, in a weathered denim jacket, grey tank-top with the words 'Mad Bitch' written in red marker across the front, and a short leather skirt that the warriors further down the table appeared to be enjoying the view up. Khlia didn't care.

This was the other side of the female Mane. Just like her famous brutality, her lasciviousness was equally famous, though such tales were less openly discusses. While the rumors differed, that she had been the late Alpha Blaise's mistress at sixteen to his sixty, that his 'accident', which none knew the details of, was a heart attack in bed, that she'd won her Brother's place by fucking half the Fang warriors in a night, that she wanted the Fangs to keep absorbing packs because she was running out of people she hadn't already slept with, it was clear to anyone they bore some truth.

"I think I know something that'll cheer you right up. Good job on the outfit. If I were you I'd flaunt a little more of that caramel your made of, but it gets the point...or, 'points' across well enough. Sex is a weapon, makes the males even dumber and slower than they already were. Even easier to kill. Isn't that right, Lash?" She rattled off conversationally, nudging the Black-Haired female warrior, who was dressed all in studded leather and looking for all the world like a dominatrix, following her leaders example.

The server she'd snapped at earlier rushed back with a bottle of scotch that had to have been expensive and two glasses that she'd moved pour it into before the Mane Twin unceremoniously snatched the bottle away, shifted her fingernails into claws, pried out the cork and tossed it carelessly over her shoulder before taking a long drought and passing the bottle on to the brunette. Or not so carelessly, as it landed with a clink right in Lucent's own wine-glass a ways away, drawing his attention to them. He gave his sister a rueful smile that seemed to brighten immediately when he noticed Elisabeth in her company, and extricated himself from the press of hangers-on to approach them.

"Ah, my dear brother, man of the hour. I know you love the fawning, but I bet you'd rather be seated here with these delectably dangerous ladies. Too bad for you, they're all mine." The scarred twin stated with a smirk, stretching out the syllables in 'all' and throwing out her arms around them as if to emphasize her point, her eyes darting over to Elisabeth no more than three times throughout. It was hard to tell if Khlia was already drunk, or just being herself, as the two were quite similar.

When she didn't have her mind on killing, his sister reverted to her teenage self, specifically going out of her way to confound his efforts at propriety and generally make herself a nuisance, making a scene and enjoying every moment of the attention. And worst of all, he had to let her, and they both knew it. Not just because he loved his sister, but because he needed her, for both her skills and her reputation, and so rules simply didn't apply.

Lucent gave a groan and glanced at Elisabeth, with a look that could be construed as embarrassment over Khlia's behavior, or, if you knew the truth the two of them did, concern for where this might lead. What had the brunette told his sister, what did she know, and what did she think she knew. Lucent knew his best course of action would be to excuse himself and depart their company as quickly as possible, but once he was caught in Elisabeth's amber eyes he just....stopped, like a deer that's forgotten how to run as you bare down on it. Slowly, he found his words, trying to cover for the pause which to him had felt like days.

"At least the two of you are getting along. Better....whatever this is, than ripping out each others throats or anyone elses. Trust me, we'll get to discussing who's throats deserve ripping the most before too long." He stated, trying for a joke that elicited only a few chuckles for respect's sake from the other Fang warriors, despite guffaws and raucous laughter from those newcomers who had never witnessed their banter before. 'Khlia Likes to Kill People' had been a genre of comedy that had long since become passe among his pack. It was just too easy.

[brokecollege]

"Hm?" Elisabeth snapped out of her thoughts and her aimless gaze and turned her attention to the woman beside her. Her shoulder? She briefly tore her attention from Khlia to look at her now-healed shoulder. Then, she shook her head. "No, I was just thinking about what I needed to do once this meeting was over," she explained. Khlia snapped at a nearby, scantily clad Omega before returning her attention to the conversation with Elisabeth.

She praised her on the outfit she had chosen for the event, and Elisabeth smiled. Khlia was right--dressing like this made it easier to kill the men. When greeted by a female Lieutenant, men naturally began to doubt the strength and stability of the pack. But if they were greeted by a Lieutenant dressed like Elisabeth, then they would think of her not as a fellow warrior, but as a piece of meat. Then, whenever they were entangled in a fight, they would go easy on her. After all, they were only fighting a woman. A woman with soft skin, pretty hair, and emotional eyes.

After their attacks and their defenses were lowered, it only took seconds to kill them. "Looks like my little secret isn't that much of a secret." Elisabeth hummed as she leaned forward onto the table, her arms coming up to rest against the fine cloth. The Omega approached Khlia with a bottle of Scotch in hand, though before she could pour the woman a glass Khlia had snatched the bottle from her hands and popped it open herself. She took a long drink before she tossed the bottle's cork in Elisabeth's direction.

The cork, however, had other plans. Instead of landing in front of Elisabeth, it landed quite a ways away in front of Lucent Mane. Oh, no. Elisabeth pushed herself off of the table as Lucent stood from his seat and walked over to the warriors. Khlia greeted him enthusiastically before informing her brother that, although he would've loved to sit at their table, all the women there belonged to Khlia. Elisabeth looked at Khlia with surprise--what? Why the Mane twins have such a thing with owning people?!

Lucent groaned and looked to Elisabeth with a look that could only be described as an embarrassment. Utter, and complete embarrassment. So, even Lucent Mane himself could grow tired of his beloved twin sister, who would have thought! The silence between them lingered, with Lucent staring directly into the brunette's eyes. But she couldn't distinguish any emotions from them. It was as if he was staring at her, but not at her.

Lucent then, realizing he had been staring, made an attempt at a joke, but not many people at the table laughed. Elisabeth was far too focused on how he had been staring at her to even think about laughing. What was that about? Did Lucent still like her? No, no. He couldn't have. Right? She looked at Lucent with an obviously curious expression, her lips opening to form what appeared to be a question. But, instead what came out was an order to a nearby Omega. "Excuse me? Could I have a bottle of vodka? Thank you." As much as she wanted to ask Lucent, she knew she couldn't. So, she chose to focus her mind on other things. Like alcohol.

[Damonique]

(Quibbles, quibbles, I know, but it was the cork, not the bottle Khlia tossed. Though thanks for the imagery of a full bottle of scotch somehow being tossed across a room without spilling on everyone and shattering, causing a hilarious incident at an event Lucent was trying to hard to keep formal.)

Lucent finally regained some of his composure, realizing that people were watching. Not many openly, the wiser ones knew to act as if nothing was out of the ordinary, but they were all interested in figuring out what their new leader was about. Khlia was one thing, could do as she liked, and his verbal sparring with her was just another thing everyone else there knew that that he could do that they couldn't. But Elisabeth was something else entirely. If people knew they could get to him through her, they would exploit that. And that was unfathomable. So he pulled himself together, determined to be both polite and in control.

"Elisabeth, feel free to have a drink or three, but I...and, I'm sure, Alpha Savic, would prefer you sober and attentive. I'm going to...no, we're going to make history. And it starts tonight." He stated, not being able to help himself from accenting the 'we'. Elisabeth had a part to play in all of this. The gods wouldn't make her irresistible, make every effort to place her beside him, if it weren't so. Adressing the server himself and requesting she bring out, not the already tastefully-expensive Vodka available to the guests, but a bottle of Vendevicht' Ryazan honey from the cellar. It was about three-hundred dollars a bottle and tasted like every penny.

He leaned forward to share a truly private word with Elisabeth, but was stopped before he had the chance by a new arrival that immediately gathered all of the attention available at the table. It was Alicia, but not as Elisabeth had seen her before. Neither the confident and capable warrior fighting beside her and Khlia against the Whiteclaws, not the broken, defeated thing the had found on the battlefield in Moonhowl territory.

Her golden hair was tied up in ringlets to proudly display the five-line scar that marked her as one of Khlia's elite, the distinctive marking doing little to diminish her features when displayed with such confidence. Though less openly-displayed was her right arm, clearly in a sling, though that and the bandages were expertly concealed under a vivid aquamarine half-cape covering that side of her body.

The rest of her wore a deep green dress that hugged her every dip and , slit open on one side to display a generous amount of leg whenever she took a step. those long, toned legs ended in a pair of rich brown leather high-heels that helped to accentuate her untouchablity. Lash was wearing a broad smile at the sight, and Lucent shared the stare that just about every male in the room wore as she made her way across the floor, though his bore an undertone of guilt that one would have to be paying very close attention to see. Khlia, for her part, let out a long, genuine wolf-whistle that ensured that anyone who wasn't already looking, was now.

"So this is what took you so long, Allie? I was just telling Elisabeth here how we can kill with looks when we feel like it, and here you are proving it. Take you seat, join on in, we just finished flustering my brother into sending for the real good stuff. I'm sure if you tried looking like that, you could get him to throw in keg of some overpriced beer from Austria for the boys." Khlia stated offhandedly, gesturing towards the unoccupied sea to Elisabeth's left, which she took with elegance. Lucent looked around, noticed all eyes upon him, and then turned back to his sister, who was wearing a knowing smirk.

She was getting her kicks in, true, but his sister was also, as always, doing him a favor. While plenty of attention was on them now, without context, it was simply Lucent Mane, surrounded by beautiful women eager for his attention. Passing up business in favor of more...lively pursuits was nothing to be ashamed of, but instead a mark of virility and pride, another example of how Lucent Mane only had the best of everything....yet the look he gave Elisabeth upon putting together those pieces still held it's fair share of shame. It as Alicia, though, rather than Elisabeth, that saved him from this travesty.

"Surely, the Mane Alpha has more important people to occupy his valuable time with here. He can always...inspect the troops, as it were, another time." The blonde stated in a tone as icy has her eyes, despite a trilling laugh. Lash raised an eyebrow. Khlia seemed, for once, as if she was out of words. Lucent took the opportunity, taking a step back form the table, with a sidelong glance at Alicia, and a longer one at Elisabeth, as if he could express through glances alone that they needed to find the opportunity to talk. He cleared his throat.

"Perhaps between you and Elisabeth here, my sister might finally learn her priorities. I will send a keg, though. Killing Stormfurs is thirsty work, I believe they've earned it." He stated, back to his 'Alpha' tone, once again, and what parts of the conversation didn't fly over the assembled fighters skulls. Specifically, 'Keg' 'Killing Stormfurs' and 'Earned', elicited a round of applause on which Lucent could gracefully turn on heel. As promised, Elisabeth's Vodka and the Men's keg(which Khlia made her own dent in the contents of) arrived, and Lucent made it a point to stay as far from that power-keg of a table as possible from there on out.

If Lucent was skilled at nothing else, it was wearing a mask, a lie, so well that he could almost believe it himself, and thoroughly convince anyone else. So within moments of retreating into the crowd, he was back to his 'usual' self. Approachable enough while still maintaining an aloof air of confidence, letting whoever he was speaking to convince themselves that he was entirely on their side despite never making any actual promises. It wasn't until he had settled into his place a the head of the table, waiting for the milling throng of wolves to take their own seats, that he spared another glance towards the head of the warriors table. Savic noticed, the Evertail Alpha hadn't reached such a height by being inattentive.

"Word from the old and mated to the young and restless, Lucent, though it's not my place to tell you how to run your pack. Young, fiery women are well and good company for the night, but takes more than a nice body and a sharp tongue to make a Luna, and your going to need one. Can't spend forever waiting for a mate to come along, some never find theirs. I just got lucky." The older Alpha stated with a glance towards his own mate at the head of the women's table, enjoying a conversation with Mallory Moonhowl and a few of the other high-ranking mates, so different than the raucous din of the warriors table.

[brokecollege]

We're going to make history, Lucent said. Not him--them. Lucent leaned forward as if to get closer to Elisabeth before someone's grand entrance forced him to lean back. But it wasn't just anyone's grand entrance--it was Alicia's grand entrance. Elisabeth was surprised to see the woman attending such grand events so soon after the attack. If she had been in the woman's position, she would've taken a few months to recover.

Khlia whistled at Alicia's stunning appearance before she went on to inform the blond of the conversation they were having. Alicia took a seat beside Elisabeth and, in a rather icy tone, stated that the Alpha surely had more important people to tend to. Elisabeth didn't like the tone of the woman's voice, nor did she like the statement she had made. But she didn't say anything. Instead, she turned her attention to the fine clothed table.

Lucent shared a final parting word with the table before he left to tend to his duties, leaving Elisabeth alone with the elite warriors and Khlia. When the vodka finally arrived, Elisabeth poured herself a big glass and downed it all. She was beginning to hate these kinds of meetings more and more. Once she'd finished off what was in her glass, she set it down onto the table and looked over at Alicia. She was pretty, with long blond hair and delicate features. Even with the Khlia's mark on her face, she was the prettiest in the room. And the most elegant, too.

Elisabeth wasn't elegant, nor graceful, and so she envied Alicia in that sense. It was hard for a woman to be a warrior and still retain that beautiful elegance. "How are you feeling?" Elisabeth suddenly asked as she leaned back into her seat. She crossed her arms over her chest as she continued, "I figured you would want to rest until your arm has finished healing. But, I am glad you are here. And I am sure Khlia is, too. You've definitely earned your position among her elites." she complimented with a smile.

whoopsie. i fixed it!

[Damonique]

"Elisabeth, the Evertail. You showed up with Khlia after....it happened. Glad you made the Stormfur bastards pay. I know a man may have chosen death, but life is full of such interesting possibilities. After all, it's like Khlia always said. A beautiful woman can be a dangerous thing. I may not be as suited to fighting anymore, but I can still be dangerous." The blonde remarked airily, pausing to treat herself to a glass of the vodka, taking a small sip that elicited a smile before taking a larger one.

"You know what I'm talking about, don't you, Elisabeth? Of course you do, a woman doesn't get to where you are from where you were without putting in a little extra blood and sweat." She added with a wink, tipping her head towards the main table, specifically, towards Lucent, and then Savic. Between that and the emphasis, she knew, or thought she knew something about them, and about her. Lash settled back in her chair, eyes trained on Elisabeth as well, seeming almost predatory. Her place here was starting to feel a good bit less welcoming than it had a moment before. Khlia, at least, seemed to have her back, rolling her eyes at the statement.

"Lay off her, Ice Queen, and you don't start, Lash I think I remember telling you bitches to play nice. She's proved her worth to me, wouldn't be alive otherwise. She's here now, so how she got here doesn't matter. How any of us got here doesn't matter." The scarred woman punctuated her words with a low rumble of a growl before she finished chugging her beer and tossing the glass to one of the Fang men for a refill.

"I remember you telling us bitches to play nice on the bloody kind of battlefield. Not this one. I was just curious about your new best friend." Alicia snapped back, and Khlia nudged Elisabeth with her shoulder, indicating that now would be a good time to speak for herself.

[brokecollege]

Elisabeth didn't like what Alicia's words implied, nor did she like Lash's predatory gaze. She had thought that, as Khlia's elites, these women would not stoop as low as the men. She was wrong, apparently. When Khlia nudged the brunette, she sighed and filled her glass with vodka. "I thought you would be at least half as smart as you are beautiful, Alicia. But it appears I was mistaken." she sighed in faux disappointment before she lifted her glass to her lips and took a sip. Then, she continued.

"Why are you, a woman under Khlia Mane's control, so concerned with another Lieutenant's history? Are you perhaps jealous that I've become your Lieutenant's 'best friend'? Your words, not mine." she hummed as she swirled the vodka in her glass. "But, fine, you're right. I got my position through someone's bed. I was thirteen and an Omega. He was twenty and a warrior. He tried to rape me, and so I killed him with my bare hands. My Alpha offered me a position as a warrior, and I accepted. And I've been killing doubters like you ever since."

Elisabeth didn't like being accused of using sex to reach her position. She did not kill her attacker, train day and night for seven years, and ruthlessly kill dozens of men to be accused of such a thing! She took another sip from her glass before she set it down onto the table. The smile from her face had suddenly dropped, and was replaced by a deep frown. "If you and Lash don't like me, then that is fine. I don't live to please people like you. But if you continue to question my authority and my position, then I'll be forced to tear out your pretty little throat."

With that being said, Elisabeth stood up and bowed her head at Khlia. "My apologies, Khlia--" she wasn't sorry, but she figured if she didn't apologize for how she'd spoken to the woman's warriors, then there would be trouble. "--But if you'll excuse me, I'm going to check on my warriors and see if they need anything." After she had excused herself, Elisabeth made her way out of the private room and down the stairs.

[Damonique]

Alicia looked like she'd been slapped. Rarely did anyone dare who bore the mark of Khlia Mane on their cheek get talked back to by anyone who didn't, knowing they had the full force of the Fangs and it's terrifying leader standing behind them. They did and said what they wanted, when they wanted, to whoever they wanted, and neither of the Mane Twins would care.

Perhaps they had gotten too used to being without equals, because the blonde waited too long to think of comeback before Elisabeth was coolly off on her way, and realized that saying anything more would just cost her more face. There was a moment of silence, followed by a short hissing sound barely escaping Lash's lips. The Ice Queen just got burned. A few of the Fang men sniggered, but were quickly silenced by a glare that could cut through metal.

"Should have played nice, Allie. She would have. A difference between you two, Elisabeth doesn't show her fangs until she's sure got her prey cornered. You should take a lesson." Khlia said with a smirk as the brunette walked away. Alicia huffed but didn't really have a comeback. Lash stayed notably silent on the matter, other that allow her much darker blue eyes to continue to follow the brunette out of the room. Her fingers traced along the soft leather handle of the whip from which she derived her chosen name.

"Jaded. Emotional. Feisty. Not sure weather that's good or bad. Interesting, though. Worth watching." She stated simply, about the longest sentence one could expect from Lash under any circumstance. The two had an interesting duality. Alicia never shut up. Lash barely spoke,each of them picking up very different mannerisms from her. Khlia liked that, showed they understand they while each of them could be half of her, neither of them could actually be her.

Lucent watched his commotion from the head of the main table with a well-guarded fascination, his attempts to read lips in vain thanks to the numerous people walking by, allowing him to only catch snippets. Savic only paused his conversation with someone else when Elisabeth finally walked off, giving a smirk.

"Doesn't seem like your girls are being very nice to my Elisabeth. Wonder what could be the cause of that..." The other red-haired Alpha trailed off, wearing an expression of amusement as Lucent tried to formulate an answer to the question, throwing up a hand as to say it wasn't necessary. "No apologies necessary. My lieutenant can handle herself. And you can keep borrowing her now and again, as long as it doesn't keep her away from more pressing duties to the Evertail, and return her in working order" He added with a chuckle, and Lucent gave a wry smile that didn't speak to the elation he truly felt at that. She would have little reason to deny seeing him next he decided to come calling. An 'I don't mind' from one Alpha to another was as good as an order to a subordinate.

That left only this Jude. The name had become something of an obsession for Lucent, and he'd finally set a few spies to the task of tracking him down. He existed, an Evertail warrior of middling skill from a middling family who appeared to have little in the way of both friends and enemies. Elisabeth's story was confirmed, they had been known to have a strong friendship as children, but hadn't been seen much in each others company recently. though that could well be more to do with secrecy on their part. But why? There was a chance Savic might have the answer, but there was no chance of Lucent asking him. It was better for all involved if his interest in her seemed only a passing fancy until they were both in agreement.

[brokecollege]

As soon as Elisabeth was downstairs, she released a heavy breath and tilted her head back. If she had to sit next to Alicia for the entirety of the evening, then Elisabeth wasn't too sure she wanted to go back upstairs. Unfortunately, Elisabeth didn't have a choice. She had to represent her pack's warriors and to do that she needed to be there sitting at that table. The brunette stretched her arms high above her head before she headed to the back of the restaurant.

"How are you guys doing out here?" the Lieutenant as she approached her (obviously bored) warriors. "Pretty good, I'd say. We saw a rat drinking out of a Coca-Cola can not too long ago." Bryant beamed as he pushed himself off of the wall near the back entrance. "How is the party?" Caesar questioned, his tone not as bright and cheery as Bryant's. But that was to be expected--compared to the other boys, Caesar had always been calm and quiet. "Just as fun as you would imagine." Elisabeth sighed.

Jude, who had been kicking around an empty can, looked up to see the frustration on Elisabeth's face. When she noticed him looking at her, she quickly looked away. She had forgotten how handsome Jude was. Even when the two were kids, his appearance had always mesmerized her. Perhaps it was because their appearances were the polar opposite. Where her hair was dark, his hair was as light as the sun. Where her hair was long, his hair was always kept short-cut and clean. Where her eyes were of an amber-hue, his eyes matched the sea.

And his skin--oh, his skin--it was the softest white Elisabeth had ever seen. If there ever were a sun God, Elisabeth would have imagined him to look exactly like Jude. "Is something wrong, Elisabeth?" the older male questioned as he slowly approached the girl. Elisabeth shook her head, "What? No, nothing is wrong." she lied. But Jude saw right through her. He always had. "What happened?" he prodded. "Nothing. I promise, Jude. You guys just keep up the good work and I'll save some food for you, okay?" she hummed. Before Jude could prod any further, Elisabeth was rushing inside and towards the bathrooms.

God, it felt like she was on the run. First from Lucent, then from Alicia and Lash, and now from one of her own warriors. When she reached the hallways with the bathrooms, Elisabeth paused to groan. Why was she doing all this running? She was a warrior, a Lieutenant for God's sake! She was supposed to stand her ground and be firm. She wasn't supposed to let anyone knock her down or sway her mind. But, God, it was so hard.

[Damonique]

Xien approached Lucent to let him know that preparations would soon be made for food to be served, and he used his Jurchen friend as a convenient way to excuse himself from the suddenly-stifling room. While it had been a grand idea, he would be glad to be rid of the press of the crowd, the endless stream of hands to be shaken and names to remember, and the constant attempts by those who were only thee out of courtesy to assert themselves.

He had twenty-three in this room that had once held the title of Alpha, and while little had changed for them in truth, they still ran their packs as they saw fit, simply losing the title made them nervous, and they all reacted to this differently. Some lashed out, some feigned indifference while seething within, which made them more dangerous that the those that voiced their anger, as they would bear a grudge far longer. At least three fights had been started over perceived slights from old rivals and enemies who now found themselves forced to be under the same roof. These were easily handled by his Fangs, the more peaceable leaders, or in the direst circumstances, by Khlia so much as rising from her seat when an argument got loud enough to annoy her.

And the weakest, the cowardly, the unfit. Those whose positions were inherited from their fathers and maintained by a cadre of those same father's most loyal retainers. These became fawning, practically tripping over one another trying to get Lucent or Savic's attention, talking behind their rivals backs, hoping to flatter their way to the heights of power. Such men would need to be disposed of, along with the most grasping and ambitious, once enough time had passed for their warriors loyalty to drift to the Fangs. In a year or two, Lucent would need a much smaller table, as at present, he supposed about a third of the people in this room would be dead. Khlia would see to it. An unfortunate placement in battle, an accident, an assassination that would clearly point to the Redmoons as the culprit. Only those with the right combination of intelligence and independent thought tempered by loyalty and respect would be allowed to lead in the future.

The Mane Alpha wandered the halls with his hands in his pockets. He supposed he was looking for Elisabeth, just as a part of him was always looking for her, now, but his main goal had just been to get away. But he found her nevertheless, standing in a hallway, looking to be trying to compose herself. Perhaps crowds didn't sit well with her, either.

"Looking for fresh air? I know, it's a madhouse up there. But trust me, the main event will be worth the wait." He stated just loud enough for her to hear, still keeping his distance, trying to be amicable.

[brokecollege]

Elisabeth was so lost in her thoughts that she almost didn't hear someone speaking to her. And when she did realize someone had spoken to her, she thought it to be Jude. He had always been a noisy person, so it didn't surprise her that he would follow her into the building so that he could poke and prod some more. But when she looked over in the direction of who had spoken, she found it wasn't Jude. Instead, it was Lucent.

He stood some ways away from Elisabeth, yet their distance was close enough to be considered friendly. Their distance matched his words: warm, amicable, kind. Elisabeth turned and rested her back against the wall with a sigh and a nod. "I would rather go into battle than deal with that madhouse for a moment longer. I don't know how you do it--the polite conversation, the endless introductions, the arguments, the senseless flattery. You make it look easy," she admitted.

Elisabeth had known for a long time that being an Alpha was a dangerous job with serious duties. But, it was starting to seem like it was even harder than she had initially thought. "And here, I thought my job was hard." she mused with a light laugh and shake of her head. "I'm hoping the main event will be worth it, otherwise I will be very disappointed." the brunette warned, her hands almost subconsciously moving to fold in front of her.

[Damonique]

Simply the fact that Elisabeth was giving him the time of day, rather than pricking him with insults or simply leaving, was a good sign. They hadn't actually discussed what had happened between them in Evertail territory a few weeks ago, and as memory of the event sat and festered, Lucent knew less and less what to make of it, and none to turn to for answers, not even his Twin, his only confidant, could know what had transpired.

"I noticed Khlia's girls giving you a hard time. Those two are....interesting, to say the least. Don't fault Allie too much though....she's still figuring out where she stands in things after what happened. Doesn't like change, and your just another change to her." He stated simply, the use of the same affectionate nickname as his sister indicating some history there, and there was. When Lucent and Khlia had first joined the Fangs, they had been but girls. But her rise to warrior, then lieutenant, had awed them, and they had been invaluable since, both on and off the battlefield. Willing pawns in the great game Lucent had been playing, and winning, against his many opponents. Their loyalty and sacrifices had to be recognized.

"I didn't hear much, but caught enough to get the gist of it, and there was one good point to be taken from that. She's right that this is a different kind of battlefield than the one your used to, with two sides clearly marked. There are a hundred different sides up there. Half the wolves here were actively trying to kill each other or planning for when they would have to, and they all ended up here for their own reasons." As he spoke, Lucent drew closer to Elisabeth, one step, then another. By time he paused, he was nearly beside her, sea-green eyes transfixed on her own.

"They all know your history, and they'll have their own biases. You have a direct line to power, and the stronger will want to replace you, and the weaker will want to use you. And you won't be able to handle all of them so easily, with a few harsh words and a strategic retreat. That'll just make you enemies, and for every one of those you'll need to find two new friends to keep them in check." He continued, voice lowering. For all her struggles, Elisabeth was still naive to the position she'd accepted when she joined their Pact in the graveyard. It was a unique opportunity that brought with it unique dangers. On this battlefield, at least, Lucent could help her.

He'd always had a talent for reading people, learning their motivations and using them against them. Part of what made the brunette so interesting is that she seemed to be entirely without ulterior motives. Serving her Alpha and leading her men was enough for her. But it wasn't enough for him. She needed to start thinking the way he did, bigger than Evertail or Fang. Already, Lucent had told her more of the pieces of his plan than most, she just had to put them together, realize what he wanted, and want the same thing.

[brokecollege]

Don't fault Alicia too much, Lucent said. Elisabeth scowled. How could she not blame her when the woman questioned both her authority and her position? Lucent continued, saying that while he had not heard the entire conversation, he had listened to some of it. And, he admitted, that Alicia had made a good point. Elisabeth scoffed and looked away from him--and what 'good point' was that, she wondered? Was it Alicia's declaration that a woman of Elisabeth's standing would never have been able to reach her position without the use of sex?

As Lucent spoke his opinions, he drew closer and closer to Elisabeth. But she was far too focused on his opinions to notice the closing gap between them. "A direct line of power?" she repeated. Elisabeth had no direct line of power--she controlled her pack's warriors, sure, but that was it! There was no reason why anyone weaker or stronger than she should want to replace or use her. But, apparently, Lucent did not agree. Maybe he saw something which she did not.

"I am nothing but a Lieutenant for my Alpha. If people truly wanted to get ahead, then they would go after my Alpha's advisors, wouldn't they? I don't do much advising. I train the troops, and when the Alpha wants someone dead we kill them. That is it." she explained. "If anyone does see me as a threat or as a tool to be used, then I'll just.." she sucked in a breath and shrugged her shoulders. "Then I'll just kill them." Not the best thing she could do, but it was the only thing she knew how to do.

[Damonique]

Lucent took on an amused expression as he heard out her answers. Truly, this girl didn't realize how much she could be worth. To her pack, and also to himself. Her warriors didn't just follow her because her Alpha commanded them to, that may have been how it was at first, but now they followed her because she'd proven herself smart and capable of leading them to victory. And so far, she just kept on winning. Add to that a strong relationship with the Mane Twins to leverage, she was on track to become not just useful, but invaluable, and thus, influential. At her half-hearted conclusion, Lucent couldn't help but let out a chuckle.

"You'll just kill them, will you? All of them, the former Alpha's with warriors at their command, the storied warriors with a lifetime of favors to call in? The mates, brothers, and sons who come after you for vengeance? Sounds like something my sister would say...but we both know that isn't you." He stated, the amusement, the smirk, suddenly gone, replaced with something else. Understanding and....genuine concern.

"I know what you did for those two Stormfur boys. Khlia helped cover it up, but she tells me everything. That wasn't just a one-time act of mercy, it's who you are. You care about people, and in this life, that can be a bad thing. What happens when they don't just go after you? You have family, friends...Jude" His voice hardened at that last name, staring her right in the amber eyes, trying to see into the inner workings of her mind, when the implications of his words finally sunk in. Elisabeth was confident in her ability to take on any challenge, but was she willing to let other people die for her actions? People who had never agreed to any of this?

Lucent didn't think so....and he was a little worried for himself as well. Until now, he and his twin had been each other had, with noone to use against them because there wasn't anyone else they cared about. But then, just as they raised the stakes again, along came Elisabeth, who had never played into his plans, had never been more than a curiosity that occasionally appeared in reports. But in the flesh, she was perplexing, endearing, unexpected, and important. He needed to know she wouldn't bring the whole house of cards tumbling down before she even knew how to play the game.

[brokecollege]

While Lucent did not agree with her answer, he did seem to find it amusing. He asked if she would kill all of them, and Elisabeth nodded her head. Yes, she would kill all of them. All of those who sought to undermine or use her, she would kill. But, the more Lucent spoke the more Elisabeth found herself doubting her own answer. Lucent was right. Her enemies wouldn't be alone. They would be backed by armies, favors, and their families. She couldn't take them on even in her dreams.

And then there was the possibility of her enemies coming after not just her, but also those she cared for: her friends, her family, and Jude. As soon Jude was mentioned, Elisabeth immediately tore her gaze from Lucent's and cast it to the ground. She was quiet for a long moment before deciding to speak. "So, then, what do you expect me to do, Lucent?" she murmured. "If I can't shut them down with harsh words, and if I can't kill them the moment they turn against me, then what am I to do? Sit there and let it happen?"

Elisabeth was a leader of war. She knew how to conduct and execute strategies of war, but that was it. She knew not how to deal with these confusing political relationships that Lucent knew so much about. "All I want to do is lead my men and my pack to victory. I never meant to get tangled in this political nonsense, nor did I mean to convey myself as someone who has a 'direct power line'. I just want to be Lieutenant. That is it."

[Damonique]

Lucent waited patiently as Elisabeth eventually, if a bit slowly, worked through what he was trying to tell her, but still didn't seem to understand quite meant. Still, it was a start, and her usual resistance to him probably made it hard for her to reconcile that he was genuinely trying to help her here, and not just for her own good, either. The way she looked at her feet when she mentioned Jude was...interesting. Was that shame? Or something else.

"Oh, some of them will back down if you say the right thing in the right way. And some of them will be better off dead. But for most...you play the game. Find out who you can trust, what you can do for them, and what they can do for you in return. Even if you just want to be the Lieutenant, you'd be better off at least pretending to be more ambitious than that....they'll respect you more for it." Lucent explained further, his tone suggesting that he found it all very elementary. To him, this came as easily as fighting did to his sister, been playing it as long as he could remember, starting small and working his way up, with no plans on stopping anywhere but at the top.

By the time the brunette looked up from her thoughts, they were standing very close together, Lucent leaning against the wall, angled towards her, eyes locked upon hers. With anyone else, it would have been a power play, a way to assert dominance, but towards her, it was just instinctive. He wanted to be near her...very near. The only thing keeping him from getting and closer, touching her, was the memory of the night they still hadn't talked about. The way she had reversed things so easily, the way he had let her.

"You can deny it all you like, but you're in a unique position to be a part of the big decisions, an if you really want to help people, make things better for everyone, you should embrace it. Savic trusts you, Khlia respects you, and that's a rare thing, and I...." He trailed off, trying to find the right words. Wanted her? Loved her? Maybe even feared her. He stopped, shaking his head and finally, with difficulty, breaking off the intent stare he had been holding her in. Some thoughts shouldn't be given voice. Not yet, at least.

[brokecollege]

Lucent explained to Elisabeth that some of her enemies would back down with words. Others, however, would only back down when they were dead. But, he said that for most of her enemies she would need to play "the game." She needed to find out who she could trust, who wanted something from her, and what she could get from others. She may have wanted to remain a Lieutenant, but she needed to seem more ambitious. They would like that. She nodded her head slowly in understanding--alright, she needed to get to know her enemies and she needed to seem more ambitious.

The conversation came to a pause, and for the first time, Elisabeth realized just how close the two were. Lucent could've very easily closed the remaining distance between them and touched her to his heart's content. But he didn't. Elisabeth wondered if it was due, in part, to the conversation beside the Evertail packhouse. Lucent, having gathered his thoughts, continued their conversation. She was in a unique position, and she should embrace it. He was right. If she embraced her "unique" position, she could probably make a real difference. A good difference. But how did she do such a thing?

Savic trusted her, Khlia respected her, and Lucent... he trailed off. How did Lucent feel towards Elisabeth? Did he like her? Did he hate her? Did he feel a mixture of the two? She wanted to know, but Lucent never said. Instead, he just shook his head and broke off their intense stare. Lucent probably didn't even know his own feelings towards the brunette. Elisabeth opened her mouth, and though she hesitated she still spoke the words that were on her mind. "Do you still like me, Lucent?" her words were soft enough to remain between them--she didn't want anyone who wasn't supposed to hear them, accidentally hear them.

[Damonique]

When Elisabeth asked her question, simply on the outside but full of implications, Lucent wanted to be angry. Did she truly think so little of him that his intentions, that he had gone so far to make clear to her, threatened he life over, nearly stopped to begging for her to return, would change so easily in such a short time? Perhaps if she were just anyone, that would be the case. Relationships, of the romantic sort, were not the sort of thing Lucent Mane spent much thought on.

He had seduced, and allowed himself to be seduced, by those who's affection and loyalty could be valuable to him, only to cast them aside when they became inconvenient. And some girls had genuinely fallen for him, with his attractive features, fine tastes, and aura of danger and confidence...until they learned how much of that was simply an act, that outside of calculated gestures he was a man consumed by work and ambition who would never give them more than the barest minimum of his time he set aside for frivolous pursuits.

In this, too, Elisabeth was unique. While the absolute confidence of a love-struck girl who so happened to sit at the right hand of his closest ally and rival, one in the same, Savic, would have proved useful, she had dashed any hope of that in her earlier rejections. And even so, he had kept at it, set aside a day that he could have spent doing a million other things trying to woo her, and when that hadn't worked, he had tried to simply enforce her submission from a position of power....and failed, completely and utterly. Perhaps that should have been enough to change his mind. But still he found himself drawn to her, and there had to be some reason for it.

"Dearest Elisabeth, nothing has changed since that night...." He started, and then leaned in, burying his face in the chocolate river of her hair in order to speak directly into her ear, taking in a deep breath of her oh-so familiar scent that stood out even through the sea of perfumes, colognes, and pheromones that choked their air upstairs, and gave him the utmost confidence in what he was about to say. "..I showed you weakness, and if I didn't think I might love you, I'd have to hate you for it. And if I hated you, you'd already be dead." He whispered softly, with finality, placing the barest kiss on the crook of her neck. And then, suddenly, the moment was gone. He pulled back, with much difficulty, from that compromising position, and turned on heel, heading back towards the stairs.

"Keep that in mind, Mrs. Vaughn. Food will be served soon, and then the show starts." He called back, very formally, over his shoulder, all business. And still not indicating what was so special about whatever was going to happen next, but leaving no doubt that tonight was about more than formal introductions and civil discussion.

[brokecollege]

Lucent informed Elisabeth that, despite what she thought, nothing had changed since that night. So, even after everything she had told him that night, he had still retained his feelings for her? Lucent leaned forward, closing any distance that was left between the two by burying his face in the brunette's hair. Her body froze, and her eyes became wide with surprise. What was he doing?! Why was he doing this?! And what if someone saw them like this?!

Lucent quietly informed Elisabeth that if he didn't think he loved her, he would've killed her after his display of weakness. Wait.. he felt that he might he love her? Elisabeth tried to form a reply through her jumbled thoughts, but her mind only became more scattered when Lucent placed a skin against the crook of her neck. He then pulled back, told Elisabeth when the food would be ready, and then walked away. Elisabeth stood there for who knows how long, just staring at the wall with wide eyes and flushed cheeks.

Oh, God, she really should have kept her mouth shut. When the blush had faded from her cheeks and the surprise had (somewhat) drained from her eyes, Elisabeth thought it best to head back upstairs. She made sure that both her hair and her outfit were in pristine condition before she rushed out of the hallway and back upstairs. The room was as she had left it--a wild mess with hundreds of different conversations happening all at once.

But no table was rowdier than Khlia's table--of course. Anywhere Khlia Mane was sitting was no doubt the rowdiest. Elisabeth greeted those who greeted her before she made her way to the elite's table and took her seat back besides the Mane twin. As soon as she was seated, she picked up her glass of vodka and drank what was left of the cup. After what happened downstairs, she needed all the vodka she could get.

[Damonique]

Things had gotten even more chaotic in the short time since they had been gone, and this was in the main room. Who knew what may be going on in the side rooms set aside for the less prestigious guests. The drinks had flowed and with it came the usual problems associated with too much alcohol and competing egos. There was, though, a bubble of calm and decorum around Savic at the head of the main table and extending to the Luna's table, courtesy of a goodly number of Fang, Evertail, and Jurchen guards posted around, but apparently, the goings-on elsewhere they weren't concerned with.

Khlia seemed to be enjoying herself, and in this case, that fun was a male that would have been imposing, if he wasn't currently kneeling at her feet, being forced to look up at her by Alicia's uninjured hand in his hair, several bloody tears in the back of his suit, courtesy of Lash's whip. Lucent's twin was holding one of the Omega servers by the collar, pressing the terrified-looking girl towards the man and speaking rough words that, as she drew nearer, Elisabeth could make out.

"See the symbol? Fang mark, Fang property. Mine. Not for you. Looking? Fine. Ask Alpha Lucent, ask me, with respect? Maybe we'd have let you borrow her. Not now though. Bad warrior touches without permission." Khlia stated in a drunken tone, anger evident, but from the rough and careless way she flung the Omega behind her when her point was made, it wasn't really for the girls sake that she was doing this. It was about respect and also her own amusement. Khlia finally noticed Elisabeth's return, and also that of her brother, who was having to deal with the concerns of the man's leader, who seemed torn between prickled honor at one of his fighters being treated so by a woman, and apologies out of fear that the man's actions would reflect badly on himself.

She, Alicia, and Lash returned to their table after Lucent snapped his fingers and gave an order, having the man taken away. He wouldn't be punished, Khlia had already given him a harsh enough lesson, but he would be forced to spend the rest of the night in one of the side rooms. His leader was advised to teach his subordinates better manners in a tone that said Lucent would only ask nicely once, honestly relieved that Khlia hadn't killed him outright for the sport of it. That would have been less easily resolved.

"Have a good talk with my brother? Is good, he needed a break from all of this." Khlia stated more than asked, in a neutral tone, having clearly found that Lucent's own disappearance shortly after the brunette stormed off suspicious, and Alicia leaned over with a gleam in her eye, suddenly interested. Lash was too busy wiping the blood off the finely oiled leather of her whip with a napkin to care.

"Really, after our dear Lucent, are you? That's bold of you, Elisabeth. No faulting you on taste, naturally, we do adore him so, but he can be quite difficult." Alicia said in a way that made it difficult to tell if she was being sincere or mocking towards the brunette. Khlia gave a snort of derision and rolled her eyes.

"Ice Queen means that he's immune to her, so there must be something wrong with him. Probably because she was mine first, and we've never been ones for sharing toys. He took care of his things, I broke mine. Not much has changed." The scarred woman stated with a chuckle.

[brokecollege]

Elisabeth wasn't surprised that, upon their return to the table, Khlia and Alicia began to poke and prod about her conversation with Lucent. Elisabeth, of course, was not going to answer any of their questions truthfully. She couldn't tell Khlia and her finest warriors that their Alpha--their darling Alpha--had buried his face in her hair and muttered about how he might have loved her, and how that was the only reason she had survived after his display of weakness.

"Yes, we had a nice talk," Elisabeth stated as she set down her empty cup on the table. It had been a nice talk at first, but towards the end, it did nothing but leave Elisabeth a jumbled and flustered mess. When Alicia butted in, Elisabeth bit down on her tongue and smiled. She had already snapped at Alicia once in front of Khlia; she couldn't do it again. She didn't think Khlia would let her live if she disrespected her warrior twice in one night. "Oh, is that jealousy I hear?" Elisabeth hummed as she toyed with her cup.

Khlia then informed Elisabeth that Alicia had tried to seduce Lucent, but failed because he was "immune" to her. Khlia's reason for his immunity towards Alicia's beauty was because she had a taste of the girl first, and whenever she played with something she always broke it. Well, that explained a lot. "We only talked about tonight's event," Elisabeth explained as she leaned back into her chair. "The Alpha said he had something planned. He didn't tell me what it was, though. Just that it would be worth the wait. And then he went back upstairs, and I finished talking to my warriors." she lied with a slight shrug.

[Damonique]

"Sometimes broken is better." Lash interjected, suddenly paying attention, though that cryptic statement was all she added for now, having finally finished with her whip and snapping it experimentally towards server whilst holding out her wine glass for a refill. It was done immediately, an the small woman smiled, as if proving her point.

"Jealousy? No, not at all. True, I've set my eye on the less Masculine mane before, but it's not as if you'll be keeping him long." Alicia started, and smirked at the low growl Khlia made at the little barb that could have been directed at either of the twins. It was an easy shot to make, and not inaccurate, for all they shared a face and eyes, the Manes were quite different, and often the reverse of what one would expect.

"I'm not opposed to letting another woman try her hand...or other bits...at keeping his attention. Just don't be disappointed when he cares more about his books and business more than you. What I don't understand is how he can have so much power but have so little fun with it. How very boring. Khlia, any idea?" She continued, to which the female twin just gave a shrug. She knew more about her brother's plans than most, but that didn't make them make any more sense to her. He planned, she just executed.

Lucent, for his part, was putting the finished touches on a plan at just that moment with Savic. They had agreed in general on what was going to happen tonight, but as his partner and fellow Alpha, the older man needed to be in unanimous agreement, show a united front with him. Usually, Khlia would be in the loop, but not for this. She'd prefer something less discreet.

[brokecollege]

Alicia was not jealous. Besides, even if Elisabeth did somehow manage to rope Lucent into her arms, it was not as if she would keep him interested for long. Well, at least there was one thing Elisabeth and Alicia agreed on. That was one of the major reasons why she refused to submit to Lucent--she did not want to be used by him and then tossed aside after a few weeks when something newer caught his attention.

Alicia then warned Elisabeth not to get too upset when Lucent paid more attention to his books and his business than her. Oh, if only she knew how much that wouldn't upset her. If Lucent were focused more on his duties than he was on her, then that would solve at least half of her problems. But Khlia and her elite women did not need to know that. "And who is to say that I will share the same problems you faced? Maybe my talents will interest him more than yours," she mused with a smirk.

She waited for Alicia's reaction to pass before she continued, "Anyway, you can relax. I'm too focused on my duties as Lieutenant to pursue a relationship with Alpha Mane. Besides, I would think he is too busy organizing everything to think about a relationship." she informed. That was a lie. Even though he probably was insanely busy with his plans and his allies, Lucent still somehow managed to find a way to make time for Elisabeth. Even if it was just enough time to fluster her in the hallway.

Deciding she had enough of the current conversation, Elisabeth yawned and stretched her hands high above her head. "Oh, I'm so hungry. When is the food going to come out?" she questioned as she slowly dropped her hands onto her lap.

[Damonique]

Finally, it was time. Xian showed up to inform Lucent that all preparations had been completed, and he had a few last minute words with individuals who he had dispersed throughout the crowd, people noone really knew, who had worked their way into various entourages, to the sides of several notables, watching and listening for him.

Mishka was one of them, scantily dressed and leading several other young women of his pack in in using their charms to pry away secrets, while he had conscripted several of the more discreet fang males to do the same by plying their targets with alcohol. One by one, they disappeared, their part done. No-one would remember them or the fake names they worked under by tomorrow, with any luck. A few last words with Savic, and also the Luna Mallory, who proven a quite adept politician in the short time Lucent had known her, and it was decided and settled.

Lucent stood from the head table, turned up his head, and transformed it into that of a wolf, and let out a howl that cut through the din, silencing the room and drawing all eyes towards him, remaining in that partially shifted shape long enough to let his predatory green eyes pass over the crowd that now watched him intently before returning to his human visage, seeming pleased with himself, basking in the attention. Savic stood as well, for appearances sake, but the older wolf didn't take part of the theatrics, instead just looking self-assured and amused.

"Friends, allies, pack-mates old and new, I hope you've enjoyed my hospitality so far...' At this, a number of Khlia's warriors, minor notables, and the simply drunk began to bang their hands on their tables, creating a din of applause and shouting their approval, as if on cue, and he waited for it to die down before continuing. "....you haven't even seen the half of it, yet. food is soon to be served, in quality and quantity enough to sate the appetites of any wolf." More cheering, a few thankful grumbles. right now, Lucent was just setting the stage, making a well-rehearsed address. A little bit of Antony here, some Lincoln there, all carefully designed to dispose the crowd toward him and leave no doubts that they owed this, all of this, to Alpha Lucent of the Fangs.

"But first, while I have your attention, I'd like to say a few words for myself, as your host. First, a question. What are we? Are we Evertail, or Fang? Moonhowl, Windpelt, Skyclaw, Proudrunner, Nightwalker..." He went on like this for a long while, naming from memory and giving a slight nod towards the men seated here who had once led those myriad packs and many more, until all had been accounted for. It was a touching, if inexplicable gesture. Those were lost-names, no longer packs, all of them were now either Fang or Evertail, having given their submissions to either Lucent or Savic, yet they were still important to those who had once borne them. The once-alphas puffed out their chests with pride, and their warriors recited old battle-verses when they were called.

"They are good names, old names, just as worthy as Evertail or Fang. But we are not simply our names, we are WOLVES! I once thought myself apart from you, and you from me, but here we are. Every one of us knows the taste of blood in our teeth, wind in our fur. That is what we are." He intoned solemnly, many were enraptured by Lucent's words, if only because of the way he said them, feeding into the collective ego in this room that was an unstoppable force when it wasn't divided against itself.

"There are no outsiders, no enemies under this roof, and together, as wolves, we are unstoppable. We have tasted nothing but victories, faced no defeats. Subdued the Whiteclaw, avenged Jonas of the Moonhowl, sent the Freerunners off bloodied to abandon their so-called 'allies' in the Stormfur to defeat and disgrace and run back to Damon Redmoon, who didn't lift a paw to aid them. Those are no allies, no friends, no brothers. Not as we are, and so we will always defeat them." He finished, clasping Savic's hand in his and raising it symbolically, to applause and clanging on tables, especially from the warriors, this time feeding into the drive for battle and thirst for victory, superiority. It was a dramatization, and abstraction, very nearly a pack of lies, and most them would know it. But they also wouldn't care, because he was telling them everything what they wanted to hear. Even those he knew hated him couldn't deny these successes and couldn't help but cheer along.

"Now for the food. After that, business must be concluded, and then the entertainment, and I think you'll all be awed and humbled by what I have in store." He concluded with a short bow, the possible double meaning of that last turn of phrase lost in the largest cheer yet, which was not unwarranted, as a feast was rolled through the doors that set even the one Elisabeth had gotten to attend with the Jurchen leaders to shame. Lucent and Savic took their seats, and the older, red-haired Alpha gave him a long look, studying him.

"Lucent, my boy, you love that more than anything, don't you? The vindication, the validation of their hanging on your every pretty word. Just remember that they aren't actually cheering for either of us. It's for themselves, for the pat on the back and the free dinner. Nothing more." The man stated with a shrug that said it didn't matter to him, it's not as if any of this would be laid at his feet, so much did they love to hate the Manes. Savic could always blame the Pact.

Lucent just kept grinning as their meal was served, because the old Alpha had him all wrong. Momentary adoration went nothing for him, but he'd planted the ideas he wanted to in their heads. They didn't have to all love them for the plan to work, they just had to believe they were better off with him than against him.

[brokecollege]

At long last, it was time for the food--or, time for the speech before the meal. After Lucent had successfully captured everyone's attention with a howl, he began his long and roar-invoking speech. Every word that he said elicited some sort of response from a handful of wolves. Most of the times the responses were cheers, other times it was nods of approvals. Even his enemies--those Alpha's and former Lieutenants who had resisted giving into the Fangs and the Evertails--seemed to agree with his passionate words and declarations.

Elisabeth leaned forward in her seat, her head slightly tilted in interest as she watched Lucent deliver the final lines of his speech. If Lucent had been born a human, she mused, he could have become an excellent politician. He had a talent for whispering honeyed words and an even bigger talent for getting people to believe them. When his speech and symbolic display of unity was over, the meal was finally presented to the hungry wolves.

And, my, what a meal it was! Elisabeth didn't think she had ever seen this much food all in one place at the same time! As soon as the food was placed down in front of them, everyone dug in. There were no manners, no "please pass this" or "please hand me that." You took what you could get, and if you couldn't get it, then that was your fault. But that was to be expected, after all. This was a group of wolves, not humans. They knew no manners, and if they did, then they merely chose not to express them.

Once her plate was filled to the brim with food, Elisabeth dug in. The food was, of course, delicious. And never-ending, it seemed. Whenever even the slightest of dents were made among the dozens of entrees, it was simply replaced with another plate. She ate what she could, and what she couldn't eat she saved for her warriors downstairs. When she had finally finished, Elisabeth leaned back to watch the others stuff their mouths with food.

[Damonique]

Khlia seemed to take genuine pride in her brother as she rallied the claps and cheers to his speech among her warriors. Recognizing their old names appealed to the former leaders, the dignified and experienced, the extolling of their past victories and promises of victories to come appealing to you young and restless, those hungry for blood and glory. And the voice, the practiced, confident tone that ran counter to his soft-spoken nature that he had perfected for moments just like this.

Moments like this reminded her why she had done everything,even the things he didn't now about, that she had to do to put him here in this room, to do what he did best. For however she little cared about the grand dreams and strategies to make them reality that he composed in that ever racing mind of his, she knew it would be worth it just to see her beloved brother finally achieve them and let the racing stop to appreciate it. She turned to Elisabeth, catching a glimpse of similar admiration, if a bit more tempered, in her almond eyes.

"My brother, like a warrior who fights with words for claws and smiles for fangs. More Redmoons will die because of that speech than any of us could kill on our own. Look at them..." She turned her attention towards the warriors lining the table, digging in with vigor, talking amongst themselves, about past triumphs and future glories, all comrades here despite the feuds that had stood between some of their packs for generations. "...yours, mine, a dozen others, young, strong, thirsting for the same blood. One pack, one digaltin. It is good, and I will lead them." She finished with a gleam in her eye, and tore into another rack of ribs.

"A lot of them will die. Fast. Without ever tasting a kill." Lash stated simply, as she idly as she took idle bites from each platter before sending it down the line to the ever-voracious warriors and called for another, either looking for something that deserved her attention or just trying to be a nuisance to the servers. Alicia was too busy further down, feet kicked up on the table, arms at her sides, letting an attractive young male(who Elisabeth would be chagrined to tell was one of hers) feed her morsels from his own plate, chatting all the while about nothing and everything, but most pointedly fishing for information on Elisabeth.

"That is the way, the weak die, the strong fight harder for revenge. At least they don't die for nothing." Khlia responded to Lash's statement.

[brokecollege]

Khlia turned to Elisabeth after the ruckus had settled some and proudly stated that her brother's words were like claws while his smiles resembled fangs. Elisabeth nodded in agreement. It amazed her how similar and yet how different the twins were. Not only in appearance and personality, but in specialties as well. Both had a fire and passion for battle--the only difference was the kind of battle they were passionate about.

Khlia favored the battle of fangs and claws, while Lucent favored the battle of tongues. Combined, they were unstoppable. Elisabeth waved down an Omega and had her replace her empty bottle of vodka before she returned her attention to Khlia. Because of her brother's speech, every man in that room would fight against the Redmoons. And Khlia, well, she would lead them. Elisabeth hummed softly--she wondered how all of those former Alphas and former Lieutenants would feel about that.

"Of course, Lieutenant Mane." the young girl agreed just as the Omega returned with her bottle. She poured herself a large cup, her gaze momentarily flickering over towards Alicia and the pathetic man who fed her. Oh, and of course, it had to be her pathetic man. She made sure to remember his face so that she may punish him when they returned to their territory. She would not have her men, her seasoned warriors, behave in such a humiliating manner.

"You've any idea what your brother has in store for us tonight, Khlia?" Elisabeth questioned as she tore her gaze from Alicia. "He bragged about how the 'main event' was soon to come and how it would be well worth the wait, but he hasn't let anyone know even the slightest bit of detail," she explained as she lifted her glass to her lips. She took a sip from the cup before she set it back down onto the table and sighed. "I think it'll be something to rally the men more. Omega women for them to indulge in, probably."

[Damonique]

Khlia snorted, as if she found Elisabeth's remark humorous. Lucent would never let such a vulgar display sully his 'coronation', as he'd been calling tonight for some time. She had to make one of his pet thinkers tell her what it meant, too embarrassed to ask herself. Apparently, it meant 'becoming a king'. She didn't know why he wanted to be a king when he was already an Alpha, but she supposed he could be both.

"Not a bad idea. Men are fiercer after a good fuck. But strange, coming from you. You were Omega once. You stabbed a man you didn't want for trying to fuck you, wouldn't you want them to do the same? Some warriors would die, if they did that, and many girls. A waste." Khlia answered, taking the statement at face value and completely missing the subtlety of the intended slight towards her twin. She had been trying to treat the omegas better, knowing Elisabeth had been one, but that was difficult. They had submitted, become property. If they didn't want the things that came with that, they would have fought and died instead.

"I don't know what he means to do, but probably not that. Isn't his style. Don't know why he didn't tell me, might be I won't like it. We'll know soon enough, moon is getting high. Important things always happen under the full moon. We met you under one." Khlia continued, remembering that night. It had been important, not just because of their meeting but because their pact had laid the framework for everything they were doing now. She had been skeptical at the time, but it had turned out for the best, like most of Lucent's idea, won their pack an ally and herself a hunt-sister.

[brokecollege]

Khlia admitted that while it was a good idea, the fact that it came from Elisabeth surprised her. She was, after all, a former Omega. Even more, she was a former Omega who had murdered a warrior who had tried to take her innocence. "They chose to live this life, Khila. If they thought life as an Omega was too hard and too tiresome, then they could've died. Whereas I was born into my status and therefore had no choice in the matter."

If she ever had the choice, she would have chosen death. Because death, in her eyes, was far better than the constant abuse. But many women didn't agree. She watched the Omegas move about the room, a frown on her pretty pink lips. "If they wish to rebel, then who am I to discourage or stop them? But with that comes the risk of death, and that is a risk none of them will take. They're too meek, too afraid." she tapped her fingertip against the table.

"If one day, there is another Omega who rebels as I once did, then I will take her under my wing." as if she had finally said enough on the matter, Elisabeth sucked in a breath and shook her head. "Well, let us hope that the moon rises faster tonight. I'm tired, my shoulder aches, and I have much to do back at the Evertail territory," she admitted before taking another drink from her glass. She really just wanted the event to be over so she could pass out in her bed.

[Damonique]

Khlia considered Elisabeth's words for longer than would be expected. Truly, she reminded her of Lucent, in many ways, presenting more nuanced opinions, but explaining them in a manner that wouldn't irk her pride. On one hand, the brunette agreed with her, if a life of servitude was unpalatable to them, a quick death was always within reach. But she had also lived another side of things, those unfortunate enough to be taken as children or born into their positions. But Lash interjected before she could form a response.

"I train our Omegas. Teach them that they should take joy in serving the pack, that our strength is their strength, that the only shame is in weakness. None have ever disobeyed. Your trainer was a fool. Had I trained you, you life would have been very different. Not worse, but different." The pale girl stated simply, using probably the most words Elisabeth would ever hear from her in one go, in a tone that was neither mocking nor condescending, but only as an indisputable fact, and the way her sapphire-blue eyes settled hungrily on the brunette at the thought of such a thing would make her glad she couldn't see what was going on in her head.

"Not yours, Lash. I doubt even you could break her. Elisabeth is unique, Lucent says. I agree." Khlia shot back at that, Lash shrugging in response, though her eyes said she would have taken that bet, ignoring them both and returning to her meal and her thoughts. The serving was winding down, and while food was still being provided almost as quickly as it was consumed, the feeding frenzy was over, many wolves having eaten their fill and returned to their drinks, waiting expectantly for whatever was supposed to happen next.

[brokecollege]

Khlia mulled over Elisabeth's explanation with serious thought, and just as she was about to voice her own opinions Lash interjected. It was her duty to train the Omegas, and she taught them unity was strength. If Elisabeth had been under Lash's leadership, then she wouldn't have rebelled as she had. Her life would've been different because of it. Elisabeth chuckled and shook her head--an interesting thought, but not one she agreed with in the least.

No amount of propaganda thought could've changed how Elisabeth felt under her status. And, Khlia seemed to agree. Lash shrugged her shoulders in response, though Elisabeth could tell there was more she could have said. Lash was truly an interesting character. She spoke very little, and when she did speak it was at the most unusual times. Maybe that was a part of her charm. "I agree with Khlia. The best trainer in the world could have trained me, and I still would have murdered that boy."

By that point, the room had quieted down significantly. Most of the men had eaten their fill and were now lounging back in their chairs as they indulged in subtle conversation here and there. Others were drinking and laughing with their friends and fellow packmates. But those who were curious about the main event--the promised spectacular main event--sat waiting in anticipation. Elisabeth waved down one of her warriors--one of the ones who'd been indulging in quiet conversation--and ordered for him to take plates of food to the warriors down below. He nodded, bowed his head, and left to complete the task.

[Damonique]

Alicia eventually grew bored of her game with the young Evertail warrior, rising suddenly and placing the barest kiss on the boys cheek, pausing to whisper a few words in his ear, context obvious from the flush of his cheeks, and returned to her place beside Elisabeth, an easy smile on her face, glancing between her, Khlia, and Lash, wondering what conversation had happened in her absence to make them all suddenly so quiet.

"I like your boy Caff, Elisabeth, perhaps you could lend him to me for a bit? Don't worry, I'll take very good care of him." The blonde stated casually, with a wink. Before the brunette could respond not only no, but hell no, the whole rooms attention was once again gathered by a howl from Lucent, standing from the main table. Servers rushed to collect remaining dishes and refill drinks one last time so they wouldn't be in the way.

"Good food, shared with friends What more could one want?" He asked with a laugh, tossing back the last sip of his scotch and surveying the crowd. His theatrics from earlier had left them wanting more, and they hung on his every word. Lucent let himself enjoy their adoration for a bit longer. And then, his easy smile took on a darker set, there was an imperceptible change in his tone, suddenly a deal less accommodating.

"Oh yes, one could want less false friends at his table. I've spoken to many of you tonight, heard out the praises you have heaped upon me, the insults you freely heap upon Damon Redmoon at the slightest prompting....and it comes to me that two months is such a short time for such a dramatic change of heart....so instead I let you talk to me, indirectly. And I discovered the most interesting inconsistencies between what you tell me, and what you tell each other." There were sidelong glances between neighbors, trying to figure out who he was threatening, a sudden nervousness had taken those who knew without a doubt they could be counted as such, and only a few still sat easily after this brazen statement.

"The Alpha Savic is wise enough to tell me the truth, that he doesn't love me, nor do any of you. And that's fine, I want your loyalty, not your love. The harsh truth, not the comforting lies. So please, I invite any of you to tell me what you really think. Don't be shy, I already know your answers." Suddenly, the prevalence of guards became more obvious, most pointedly, the staggered circle of them around the Luna's table, where many of their notables mates were seated. Several Alphas glanced at their warriors to find them for the most part drunk, confused, and outnumbered three to one by Fangs and Evertails.

[brokecollege]

Alicia returned to Elisabeth's side just moments later to inform the Lieutenant about her interest in her warrior. She asked Elisabeth if she could borrow him for a bit, and even though Elisabeth wanted to say "there is no way in hell I would lend him to you", she couldn't. As soon as she opened her mouth, Lucent stood up from his seat and howled. So, Elisabeth closed her mouth with a grunt and directed her attention to the standing Mane twin.

Lucent's introduction was light enough, filled with laughter and smiles. But after the introduction had passed, his tone became different. Elisabeth could now guess what this "main event" was all about. And it wasn't good--at least not for those who he was targeting. Elisabeth turned her attention from Lucent and towards the quaking guests. Some, like the Evertail and Fang warriors, looked around at their fellows in drunken bliss. Others looked around with paranoia and fear.

When Savic was mentioned, Elisabeth looked over at him. Who would've thought that Lucent would've been pleased with the unpleasant truth rather than a blissful lie? Savic had, obviously. And that was the reason why he was sitting at the main table, and not at the tables in front of them. Elisabeth hummed quietly in thought as she turned her attention back to Lucent. He already knew everyone's answers? She wondered how.

[Damonique]

"I have, with the assistance of Savic, whom some of you owe far more than they could ever repay, assembled three lists. Whichever your name falls into will decide your status in the future of the greater pack we are founding here. That's right, none of you are going to die, at least not tonight." There was another flurry of hushed conversation and confusion. Some of the raw fear had abated, as some had come to the realization that Lucent was in a position to have as many of them as he liked killed right here and now.

They had been lured in by gifts and promises, and now he had them right where he wanted them. While most had brought a decent retinue of soldiers and guards with them, they were all in separate rooms, still drinking and feasting, totally unaware of whatever might befall their leaders here. Only their elites and lieutenants were allowed at the Warriors' table, and only one or two for each of them. Together, perhaps, they could all fight their way out, but many were more curious than fearful, now. The few who knew this reorganization could be nothing but a bad thing for them knew it was wiser to keep their heads down, for fear the promise of their safety might be revoked.

"I meant what I said before, we are all Wolves. Kin. And while not all pack-mates are equal, we are still family. I welcomed you under my protection, and intent to maintain that promise, but in my own way. Sometimes, the best thing to do with an unruly child is to send them away, out of sight, out of mind. That's what I intend to do with this first group, who have proven themselves simply too difficult to be worth keeping around. When your names are called, you will leave, alone. The vehicles that you arrived in will be waiting to take you, under guard, outside of pack territory. Your mates, children, and followers will be well taken care of, so long as you are never seen nor scented here, ever again, and if any truly wish to join you in exile, they will be released in due time. Don't make a fuss, don't beg or fight, all has been decided and arranged. The best you can do is accept my generosity, as it is the last time it will be offered." Lucent explained all of this slowly, and calmly, in a tone that brooked no argument. He was not going to bother explaining the myriad reasons that he needed these individuals gone, there was no point in argument or discussion. They knew what they had done, they knew the consequences could be much worse than the exile he was offering.

And he began to read off names, one by one, about a dozen of them, almost boredly. It was as if they had simply ceased to matter, which was his whole point, neutralizing potential enemies without having to deal with the bad blood of outright killing them, or letting the off with a warning to scheme any further. None of them were major leaders with any real power or influence, or were known for any great deeds or cunning that would inspire inordinate loyalty among their packs. With little protest, they left, one by one.

He waited until those were gone and order restored, everyone at the main table looking at their newly-diminished numbers. In one fell sweep, nearly a quarter of the chairs were empty. Lucent raised a hand and beaconed those further back to take up the empty places left, both literally and figuratively moving up in the world. A few exchanged smiles, while others were still wary, after all, Lucent had said there were three lists.

"And then there are those of you who have no more nor less than could be asked of you. You follow orders, your soldiers fight beside ours, if not gladly, than at least without complaint. You have no invested interest in me, but you either respect Savic or dislike the Redmoons enough that you would not betray us. Do not take any insult in my assessment, after all, we wolves are prideful creatures. Change does not come easily, but given time, you'll see that this is best for us all." Again, there was a list of names, a few of those called seeming disappointed, but most were relieved, realizing that they could have just as likely been in the previous group. Those remaining were smiling, having been able to figure out that the best had been saved for last. There would be some reward for those who had been most trustworthy.

Many of those few remaining to be called had either been submitted to the Fangs for several years now, or were set apart from their fellows by something that made them unique, such as their own reputation, size of their following or by having shown notable intelligence and adaptability in the face of the dramatic changes that had taken place recently. Not all of them actually had Lucent's trust, yet, but tonight would hopefully make them more likely to want to prove they deserved it...and ensure they didn't have much of a choice.

[brokecollege]

Elisabeth was just as surprised as everyone else in the room. Instead of killing off the opposers, as one would have expected, he exiled them. The brunette watched alongside everyone else as Lucent read the names off of his prepared list. Those who were called stood from their seats with a mixture of shock and rage but did nothing to stop Lucent. But what could they do? Lucent was backed not only by the Fangs but also the Evertails.

And he was also backed by his sister, the feared Khlia Mane. There was nothing they could do but stomp out of the room and into their waiting cars. When everyone on the list had left the room, and when the initial surprise of the situation passed, Lucent moved onto the second list. This list was not made of the opposers, but rather the neutrals. They neither really hurt nor helped the Fangs and the Evertails, and therefore they could stay.

Everyone who had been called on that list seemed relieved. Disappointed, perhaps, but definitely relieved. At least they, unlike the first list, were not being exiled from their packs. And then there was the final list of people--those who had not been called on either the first or second list. They were the happiest of the bunch, as their positions and statuses seemed to be stable. Elisabeth hummed softly as she leaned forward, her arms resting themselves on the table. "Wow. Your brother certainly doesn't disappoint." she murmured.

[Damonique]

"I would have killed them. Still might, if they don't make it too far away before I get the chance to do some hunting. Smart of him not to tell me, I wouldn't let it go. If they aren't worth having with us, they aren't worth having alive. And he hurt their pride, some will come back, cause trouble....well, at least we have hostages." Khlia stated in response to Elisabeth statement, clearly not seeing the bigger picture. In one fell swoop, Lucent had cut the head off of the opposition while getting to keep their territory, their followers, and most importantly, their warriors. The individual leaders, regardless of their influence or talents, were still just single wolves. By time anyone loyal to them knew what had happened, they would realize that they were outnumbered and lucky to be alive, and fall into line.

Some of those who's leaders had been exiled were seated there, further down the table from Khlia and Elisabeth, and most seemed dejected. A few seemed angry, though none voiced this. They were just upset at the damage having followed a traitor would have on their prestige, though in time, many of them might come to appreciate the openings in the upper ranks Lucent had left to them. Lucent raised an arm for silence, beaconing Savic to stand beside him now. While the Evertail leader was spared any blame for the punishment Lucent doled out, he would receive equal part in rewarding and elevating those that remained. It had been the nature of their relationship for some time. Lucent remained the mad dog, the tribal, unpredictable, while Savic was moderating influence. It was an unequal arrangement, but it served, for now.

"Two months ago, this city heard a howl that signed the union of Fang and Evertail. That night shaped everything that happened since, put most of you in this room, and opened the door for the victories we have won and the opportunities that lay before us if we're bold enough to take them, together." He started, once again back to that easy, alluring, confident tone he had used when he made his speech before the meal. And once again, they were eating it up despite how clearly he had shown his mood could shift. Whatever came next could only be good for them.

"Our territory is vast, me and Savic alone only have so much time to spare, so many warriors to handle everything, and I need leaders who can act independently,with both the intelligence and authority to solve problems without either of us having to bother with runners and emmisaries. I want to show, once and for all, that we are better than Redmoon, who offers subservience or death as the only options for his enemies. I offer a third path, advancement through loyalty." He let those words hang for a moment, eliciting confusion. They had expected territorial concession, first rights to the spoils of war, gifts and tokens of esteem, but there was nowhere for them to go forward, was there? They were no longer Alpha, they had traded that unique position for protection. They were Betas now pack-members in good standing, and barring extreme circumstances, would never have the chance to become anything more than that.

But Lucent seemed to think otherwise, snapping his fingers at the door. Immediately, two females, one Fang, one Evertail, entered, carrying a large metal bowl, engraved with designs of wolves. It was placed before he and Savic at the head of the table, and then at another snap, this one to Xian, the lights dimmed, and with a mechanical whirr, a skylight opened above them, bathing the gathered wolves in the soft glow of the full moon, just the sight and feel of it high in sky filling them with a primal elation. Truly, Khlia had been right, things of significance happened under the full moon. Though Elisabeth could tell the female Twin beside her was less than pleased, snarling at her brother. This was not right, this honor was not his to share. But here he was, giving it away freely.

"I praised your old names, your lines, your histories before. I don't believe that submitting to be part of a whole should mean erasing those so hallowed traditions. So much of the infighting among us is caused by the idea that there must one Alpha of each pack, and that each pack must be separate, each Alpha independent, so much proud, brave wolf blood spilled over names and little else. I am outsider, yes, but one who has done his reading...." There were a few chuckles at that well-timed pause, Lucent Mane, the wolf who reads. It was by far the least insulting of his peculiarities for them to poke fun at, and it lightened the mood in the room considerably.

"The five of you who's names have not been called, for you, I have reserved a singular honor. I wish to return your names. Noah Proudrunner, Davit Nightwalker, Mauric Skyclaw, Roland Windpelt, Jameson Thunderhowl. Your names sit highly in the rolls of the earliest wolves to settle here, many packs are here are simply offshoots, the children of feuding brothers and second sons that came originally from your blood. And individually, you represent all of the traits that are desired in a wolf. Cunning without falseness. Ambition without greed. Prowess on both the battlefield and at parley. Of all our number, you deserve to be lead, and submission has not changed you. It's clear that either we restore the honor now, or wait for you to try to take it, as for men like us, there is no other choice." It was a pretty pack of lies. Their names were old, but many of those he had carelessly dismissed had been no lower in status, historically, than these, and simply weathered the decades worse, but it wasn't as if any of them would do the research to find out. Nor did all of them live up to the praises he spoke towards their character and ability. But none of that mattered. What did matter was that he needed their loyalty, their forces, and the stability their leadership could provide, and they needed it now.

"The howl of just two packs started this, left Damon Redmoon shaking in his fur. What would a howl of seven mean? Not just to him, but his followers? They who chose him over us will regret it the moment we make our voices heard, realized that they may have had the opportunity to join their forces to ours, and chose to be his servants instead." Lucent finished the speech, and both he and Savic reached up, shifting their teeth to fangs and slashing their palms in unision, reacing forward to let the blood drip and settle, mingled together, in the chalice before them, meaning clear.

"And so we offer you stand beside us. Rule your own territories, now much expanded thanks to my expulsion of the weak among us. You mates will be Lunas, you sons may rise to rule in their own time as you followed after your fathers. Sit at our councils, have a say in all important decisions. In making this Pact, taking this blood, you will be agreeing that Fang and Evertail are inviolate, that Redmoon is anathema, and that we all stand together until his power is broken and the city as a while is divided in seven parts between us." Lucent was breaking out the big words and the dramatic language, now, trying to make it seem as if he were making equals when it was a lie. He was making buffers, puppets, officers to fight even his war for him with a vested interest in the outcome. But any gift so given could just as easily be revoked at some later, more advantageous time. In the meantime, those unlucky enough to receive this honor would suddenly find a strong incentive to show loyalty and form bonds with their chosen protectors, be they Fang or Evertail, for fear they be thrown to their larger neighbors.

But all they saw was the idea of being Alphas again, soothing their rankled pride with the knowledge that they stood again as masters of their own domains, and that despite the truth of the matter, they had earned their position. One by one, the chosen Alphas stood proudly, formed a circle, accepted the chalice, drank their portion, waited until all had agreed, some proudly, others with trepidation, and others because they had no other choice, and unleashed their Howl. It was a glorious sound to spread into the night, full of change.

Lucent smiled, when it was finished. The first step had been completed, by time this arrangement, untenable from the start, began to collapse, he would have a whole new crop of schemes brewing, and would be owed a favor by every player worth paying attention to.

[brokecollege]

While Lucent seemed pleased with the event, Khlia wasn't. But, of course, she wasn't. She was Khlia Mane, the woman who took no survivors and left no doubters. If she had it her way, she would have made a public display of those men's deaths to diminish any lingering doubts about her rule. And that was why Lucent was the politician, and not her. "They and their followers may be upset with being exiled, true, but they are undoubtedly less upset than they would have been if they'd been sentenced to death." Elisabeth quietly pointed out.

With the attendees now divided into their separate lists, Lucent began the second portion of his main event. This portion of the event, unlike the first, was focused on the unification of everyone that was left. Lucent made a grand (and extremely long) speech about their unity, a speech which Elisabeth zoned out of about halfway through. She did, however, regain her interest when the former Alphas were named. And when Lucent mentioned reinstating their statuses, her mouth almost dropped to the ground.

He wasn't going to give them their statuses back, was he? The great and power-hungry Lucent Mane was going to return the power he'd taken from these men? She looked to Khlia with surprised eyes before she turned to look at the smiling Alpha. Not only was he giving their statuses back to them, but he was also offering them a position in a council of which they would have an equal say in! The former Alphas, of course, agreed to the proposal without hesitation.

But this couldn't have been happening. Lucent and Khlia Mane had worked so hard for all of the power they had--they'd spent months absorbing packs, fighting the Redmoons, and dismantling their enemies to get to where they were. How could Lucent give that power up so easily, especially without the knowledge of his twin sister? There had to have been more to the proposal he offered, Elisabeth refused to believe otherwise.

They all happily drank from the chalice before joining both Savic and Lucent in a mighty howl. "Well.." Elisabeth sighed as she pushed herself off of the table. "Your brother is just filled with surprises tonight, isn't he?" she stood from her seat and gestured towards a few of her men who had wandered in from the separate rooms--no doubt to see what all the fuss was about. She ordered them to stop their drinking and their partying to watch a few other warriors--specifically those whose leaders had been exiled. And then, she shooed them off.

[Damonique]

Lucent released a breath that he's been careful not to let show he was even holding in, the moment he was finally able to relax back into his seat. This had been the tricky part. None of the exiles trying to start a riot, even if it meant their lives, had been uncertain. Getting Savic to agree to this at all had been it's own chore, only attained through promises that t would all work out to their advantage in the end, and that any difficulties presented would be dealt with.

And then there was Khlia. While the slightest glance towards his sister told him she was unhappy, apparently, she wasn't unhappy enough to start killing, if only to remind him that he wasn't her boss. He wouldn't put it past her, and unlike anyone else in this room, Khlia truly wasn't beholden to him or anyone else, and any action she took to prove that would only permanently damage his reputation, and everything he was trying to build on it.

All had gone as well as Lucent could possibly hope, and what came after was the easy part. He redistributed the territories and populations of the packs who's leaders he'd exiled to his new Alphas, and also granted a few of them command of those who had been chosen for neither exile nor advancement those who wouldn't remain under the direct leadership of himself or Savic. And they spent a while discussing strategy, before finally departing, one by one, warriors detailed to hep them collect their new subjects, oblivious to what had happened, without a fuss until all could be explained.

The new arrangement of their alliance had been chosen specifically to cover all gaps in the defense of their territories, the new Alphas forming a buffer zone between the core of Fang/Evertail territory and the rest of the city. And now that defending that territory was their own responsibility, not so many of he and Savic's forces would be wasted leading patrols and scouting the borderline. If any of them failed in this duty, the fighting would leave the other packs untouched and ready to counterattack, a potential rival to them all would be eliminated. None of them would mind that.

"There will be blood over this. Alpha's want everything, never settle for less. Not even Lucent can change that." Khlia stated in ow tones to Elisabeth, still seething over her brothers decision. It ran counter to what she thought was the whole point. Lucent becoming THE Alpha, the only authority, herself second to him. She supposed at least she'd have a greater challenge when it finally came time to deal with these new claimants, but even Khlia Mane knew she couldn't fight everyone at once, and still didn't trust Savic, though she would never say this Elisabeth's face. How long before this new band of 'equals' decided they would be better off without 'savages' in their number? It troubled her. Lash chose this moment to give up a few of her precious words, very quietly.

"Whatever your thinking, Lucent knows. He has plans, and plans behind those plans. It's his way. The best servants are those who think they serve only themselves when doing your bidding." The smaller female stated bluntly and Khlia considered this. Still, there would be an argument later. Her brother should now to trust her, by now. And yet somehow, Elisabeth had gotten more hints as to what was about to happen than she had.

Eventually, everyone was gone but a much-diminished contingent of Fangs and Evertails, Lucent speaking quietly to Savic about particulars. Evetually, the two leaders shook hands and moved to collect their people and return to their territories, but before that, Lucent walked over to Elisabeth, gesturing towards the side door. Clearly, he wanted a word alone with the fiery lieutenant while his counterpart was busy discussing the nights events with his mate.

[brokecollege]

As Lucent and the newly reinstated Alphas discussed the distribution of land, Khlia sat fuming beside Elisabeth. She quietly informed Elisabeth of the blood that would be shed because of tonight. Alphas, she said, wanted everything and wouldn't settle for less. That was something that not even Lucent could change. Well, she wasn't wrong about that. For the time being, they may settle with what little land Lucent gives them, but in the future, they would no doubt want more.

Lash, deciding to speak up, reminded Khlia of her brother's plans behind his plans. While Khlia seemed less irritated after Lash's interjection, she was still irritated. No doubt the brother and sister would spend the rest of the night arguing about what both of them thought was right and wrong. After all of the land had been distributed, the newly reinstated Alphas gathered their drunken men and bid farewell to Lucent and Savic.

Elisabeth stood by and watched them as they happily pranced out of the room before her attention turned to her men. Most of them were drunk, and those who weren't were desperately trying to safely guide their packmates out of the rooms and down the stairs. She made a mental note to start their training an hour later tomorrow. Just as she was about to leave the private room herself, she was stopped by Lucent. He gestured towards the nearby sidedoor, and although reluctant Elisabeth followed him through the door. "Yes, Alpha Mane?"

[Damonique]

Lucent led Elisabeth a short ways down the hall before finally stopping and letting out a deep breath, tilting back to rest his head back against the wall, and reaching up to loosen his tie, which suddenly felt like it was choking him. The ever-imaculate Lucent Mane seemed haggard, as if somehow diminished by the night events. Usually, he wouldn't let himself be seen like this, but Elisabeth had already seen him far weaker.

"Well, the boards been set, now it's a matter of where the pieces fall. We're in no worse position now than before those packs first joined us, but Khlia might turn out right after all. Not that I can tell her that." He stated almost to himself, clearly just venting, but simply being near her helped him relax. Just the barest change, breath evening, tension slipping from his features. He took a deep breath of her scent, and cocked his head to look at her.

"I have something for you. An important duty, your Alpha has already been informed. Luna Mallory and several of the hostages, mostly mates. They'll accompany you back to Evertail territory tonight. The pups will arrive as well over the next few days. Keep them close, and comfortable. They're an important bargaining chip, weather the exiles keep to their promises or not. Khlia might not see it that way, if someone does something....rash." He stated flatly, his eyes saying everything Elisabeth needed to know. His own guards would be worthless at protecting anyone from his twin. But she liked Elisabeth, respected her, and knew better than to risk their pact with the Evertail. That should be enough.

[brokecollege]

As soon as they were alone, Lucent loosened his tie and dropped his serious facade. He spoke about the meeting and how well it had all gone, though Elisabeth had the feeling he was talking more to himself than he was to her. But she didn't mind. She patiently stood by and listened as the older male recounted the night's events before he eventually turned the conversation towards Elisabeth. He had a task for her. An important duty, he said.

Elisabeth expected it to be something along the lines of spying on the enemy but was disappointed to find that wasn't the case. Lucent's big task for Elisabeth turned out to be a babysitting job. As in, she was needed to babysit Luna Mallory and some of the hostages. Her brows furrowed--was he really giving her babysitting duty? Her, the great Lieutenant of the Evertail warriors? Although it was clear Elisabeth wasn't too pleased with the job, she knew she couldn't decline.

"Yes, Alpha Mane. Of course." she agreed with a slight bow of her head, "I'll see to it that the Luna and the hostages are both safe and comfortable." Already, she was thinking of the easiest way to achieve her goals. Luna Mallory would be left in the pack house with two personal guards. And she would divide the hostages. Half would be kept in the pack house (which was always closely guarded) with their detail, while the other half would be kept in a separate house. Both of these groups would be watched and guarded by an extra detail of security that would change at random points in the day. And Elisabeth would divide her time between helping out and training the rest of her men. Yes, that sounded good. "Did you need anything else, Alpha Mane?"

[Damonique]

Alpha Mane, again and again. He tightened his jaw after the third time, irked by this. They were alone, she was allowed to drop the act of formality. She also didn't seem too pleased with the duty he charged her with, even though it was actually important. If only Elisabeth would realize that fighters, even great ones, were easy to come by in this society, but someone trustworthy was a rare gem.

"You can dispense with the feigned deference, Elisabeth, and say what you mean. I'm not just the Alpha Mane to you, if I every was, and your more than just a lieutenant anymore. And I'm giving you a job that I thought you would be good at, perhaps even enjoy. The hostages are confused, angry, but most of all, afraid. They need someone to give them faith that there's a future, someone who's faced adversity, someone who knows how to be good. That isn't Khlia, or me, either. But it might be you." Lucent stated quietly, shifting to rest a hand on Elisabeth's shoulder ever so lightly, green eyes focused on her which was part sincerity, and part something else, almost pleading. Almost.

"We have enough fighters and followers, we need a moderator. Someone who can juggle trust and respect without losing either, and you've been doing just that for longer than anyone. Your warriors don't follow you out of simple duty, I've seen how they respond to you, and it's not fear, either. They have a devotion to you, a respect. Even Savic trusts you more than he probably should. It's a rare gift I can't allow you to waste." He continued, meaning every word. Lucent saw it more and more, in the way Elisabeth treated her people, as true comrades. Not weapons, extensions of self, like Khlia, or pieces on a board to be moved and sacrificed, like Lucent. She took care of them, checked on them, saw to their needs, and they did the same for her. If only she could feel the same for him.

[brokecollege]

The more she spoke, the more irritated Lucent seemed to become. Finally, he ordered Elisabeth to drop her "feigned deference." He had never been just 'Alpha Mane' to her. Well, then, if he wasn't just 'Alpha Mane' to her, then what was he? A man who stubbornly refused to give up his feelings for her? When he mentioned how she was more than a Lieutenant, the brunette rose a brow. More than a Lieutenant? Since when did that happen? Elisabeth's only duty was to be the Lieutenant of her warriors!

And then he turned the conversation to the hostages. The scared, angry, and hopeless hostages who needed to be comforted. Her eyes dropped to the ground. They needed to be comforted and helped by someone who had faced adversity and who knew how to be good. They needed to be helped by her. Or, so, that's what Lucent believed. "Fine." she murmured as she finally looked up from the ground. "Fine, fine. I'll protect and help them."

The more time Lucent spent around her, the easier it became for him to talk her in and out of things. She didn't know if that was good, or if that was bad. Good for Lucent, probably, but not so much for her. "I think you only praise me so much because of how you feel for me." she quietly admitted. There was a pause before she continued, though she spoke of an entirely different topic. "Before you go, Lucent, you should know that your sister isn't happy with what you've done. You should talk to her."

[Damonique]

After a long moment of consideration and a series of shifting expression that came and went so fast that even Lucent, practiced as he was at reading people was at a loss to what she was thinking, Elisabeth came to decide that this wasn't yet another battle that she wanted to to fight with him, and acceded to the charge he had given her. The Alpha smiled at that, believing, or perhaps just hoping, that she was finally accepting how things were.

But before he could thank her, the brunette couldn't help herself from taking a little parting jab at his intentions, questioning the sincerity of his assessment of her. At this point, Lucent expected no less....whatever he said, Elisabeth would find a way to turn it against him. It irked him, as it always did, but for once, Lucent couldn't summon up for the fire to be even be offended, much less angry. Instead, he just breathed out a deep sigh of exasperation and settled back to let the wall, and also Elisabeth, hold more of his weight, looking utterly haggard, spent, and in the depths of his sea-green eyes almost...hurt. Perhaps Elisabeth wasn't the only one learning to pick their battles.

"Ancestors above, you're utterly impossible. Fine....believe what you want about me, and about yourself. I'm tired of spending every moment I steal with you fighting over nothing and everything...." He started with all the sincerity he could manage. It was true, Lucent was giving up, at least on trying to control her when it was clear his incentives, threats, and flattery all meant little and less to the Evertail Lieutenant. She had his number, so he'd have to try a different tact. To appeal to the common decency that she tried to hide behind a self-assured facade. He knew it was there, because he was exactly the same way...he'd just kept the mask on longer, until it almost became him. Almost too far gone, but not quite.

"At least understand that I meant every word I said in there, to every wolf willing to listen. That they deserve better than the predation and poverty generations of conflict between their so-called Alphas have left to them, and that I mean to make an end to it, once and for all...and to replace it with something better. At least believe in the dream, if not the dreamer, and work with me to make it a reality. Can you do that, Elisabeth?" Lucent finished, dropping his arm from her shoulder and standing straight, smoothing out his suit and fixing his tie to be presentable for the walk down to the lobby, clearly intent on leaving. There didn't seem to be much more to say.

[brokecollege]

Lucent, clearly upset with how Elisabeth had responded to him, breathed out a deep sigh before muttering about how impossible the girl could be. Well, he wasn't wrong. Elisabeth was just as stubborn and strong-willed as she was fierce and devoted--which is to say, a lot. But then if he knew how impossible was, or if he was at least starting to see how impossible she could be, then why not just give up on her? Why did the man insist on pursuing her? Could it be that he held some level of genuine feeling towards her? Elisabeth pursed her lips in thought, and then mentally shook her head. No, that couldn't be.

Lucent then, after a moment of silence, urged Elisabeth to believe in the dream, if not the dreamer. And while she did not completely understand his dreams or his intentions, she wanted to believe it. Lucent was a good man. He could be dangerous and he could be power-hungry, but if she condemned him for those characteristics alone then she would have to condemn every other Alpha in their world, including her own. He was a good man, with seemingly good intentions. And if what he spoke of was true, and what he was working towards was exactly what he told everyone, then she wanted this dream of his to come true.

She nodded her head and quietly spoke, "I understand. I'll be leaving, then." she gave the man a respectful bow of her head before she turned and made her way down to the lobby. She was greeted by a handful of her warriors--Caesar, Jude, Mason, Josiah, and Logan--who greeted their leader with a slight bow of their heads. "There's been a change of plans. Caesar, Josiah, and Logan, you three will be guarding a few hostages on our journey back to Evertail territory. Be gentle with them--our goal is to protect them, not strike fear into them. And..." she trailed off as her attention towards her last two men. "Jude and Mason, you two will be guarding Luna Mallory with me. Is that understood?" she questioned.

They looked between themselves and then Elisabeth before nodding their heads. "Good. Once the Fangs have handed us the hostages, we'll take separate cars back. I would rather not have all of the hostages all gathered in one vehicle." she stated, though she murmured the last part. Then if they got ambushed, it would be easier to take out the hostages. If, however, they drove separately--well, it lessened the chances of hostage losses.

[Damonique]

"Glad we're on the same page about something for once, Elisabeth. Now, I have to go soothe my sister before she finds something to kill besides another bottle of scotch...." Lucent stated in way of parting with a wink and one of those rare, somber smiles that he seemed to reserve only for her, heading back the way he came to the sounds of snarls and breaking glass behind them.

Elisabeth had made an understatement. Khlia was more than unhappy, she was furious, but had thus far restrained herself to drinking, raging, and breaking a good number of expensive things belonging to the Jurchen Clique...Xian Chu was there, shouting himself out of breath in his broken English at Lash, Caine, and the other Fang warriors there to restrain their leader, but none of them were willing to do more than watch. Without orders, their hands were tied when it came to his irrational twin....probably for the best, as trying to stop her venting would just give her something else to take her anger out on.

Casually, careless of the danger, Lucent walked across the room towards where his twin was slashing a beautiful tapestry to ribbons with one clawed hand while taking a generous swig from a bottle with the other and placed a gentle hand upon her shoulder. She whipped around, ready to put an end to this annoyance, only stopping at the last moment mid-swipe when she realized who it was. That didn't stop her from punching him in the face at about half-strength. Lucent fell back like a ragdoll at the impact and struck the floor heavily, seeing flashes of light and tasting blood in his mouth from a busted lip. This finally spurred the other Fangs to action, as they moved quickly to check on their collapsed leader and place themselves between the two. It was unnecessary, Khlia stopped her growling and just stared down regretfully.

"Your a sentimental fool, brother. Smart as you are, you don't realize is that everyone else isn't....you might think your offering them a choice to be better, if by that you mean 'more like you'." She huffed, still upset but visibly calming, and then knelt down to help him up with a strong forearm. "But really, you're just giving them the opportunity to sharpen their claws and wait for a chance stab you in the back with them. And now we have to work twice as hard to make sure they don't get that chance. Thanks for that, great leadership." She added with a smirk as she helped him up. Lucent just gave her a queer smile, nodded, and gestured towards the door. It was well past time he got some sleep.

"Ass..." His twin muttered as she helped walk him out.

---------------------------------------------------------

Down in the garage, Luna Mallory was waiting by the Evertail's cars, speaking with Alpha Savic and his mate, accompanied by a gaggle of nervous looking females and their pups. It was a strange look, seeing the Lunas bedecked in all their finery appearing so vulnerable. The children were a sadder sight, the older boys trying hard to act brave for their mothers and sisters, the younger ones nearly in tears, having been dragged out of bed in the middle of the night by unfamiliar warriors and told their fathers were traitors, that they wouldn't be going back home. That they didn't have homes.

"Ah, finally, Lizzie....perhaps you can shed some light as to precisely why our esteemed ally Lucent Mane had decided to saddle us with a pack-load of fussy females and squalling babes. True, I'm humbled by the show of trust, and my better half is ecstatic at the idea of having some more...refined houseguests..." He muttered, indicating his Luna where she was still engrossed in conversation with Mallory Moonhowl. "...but this whole event was his idea, you'd think he'd keep his bargaining chips close at hand."

[brokecollege]

When Elisabeth and her men stepped into the garage, she had only been expecting a few Fang guards and the hostages. Instead, she got the hostages as well as Alpha Savic and the Luna. Her men, although surprised by the Alpha's appearance, did not let his presence stop them from getting straight to work. The first three--Caesar, Josiah, and Logan, that is--gathered a few of the women and children before ushering them to one of the provided cars. The other two--Jude and Mason--worked to gather the remaining bundle of hostages, though they visibly hesitated when they reached Luna Mallory.

Not because it was Luna Mallory, but because their own Luna was so engrossed in conversation with the woman that they feared breaking it up. So, they didn't. Instead, they stood behind Luna Mallory, patiently waiting for the conversation to end. Or, until Elisabeth came up beside them and interrupted it. Elisabeth looked between the hostages to her Alpha, who was apparently not too delighted to be handling Lucent's hostages.

He wanted to know why they had been given such a task, though Elisabeth wasn't too sure herself. Lucent had said that the hostages were an important bargaining chip and that he knew that they would be safe under Elisabeth's care, but she wasn't sure how true his words were. For all she knew, there may have been another reason behind everything. "Our men have shown him that they are capable warriors, and I believe him handing off the hostages is a show of his trust and belief in us. All we have to do is keep them safe a few days. That shouldn't be too hard to handle."

Though, Elisabeth knew more than anyone that even the simplest of tasks always had hiccups. Which was why she planned on doing everything she could to account for every possible hiccup--though she wasn't too sure how good she would be at predicting and preventing them. "We should get going, Alpha Savic. I do not want to keep the hostages here for very long," she added. With that being said, Elisabeth walked over to the two chatting women and, as politely as she could, ended their conversation.

With the remainder of the hostages gathered into the second car, Elisabeth climbed in and closed the door. Then, she gave the go for the cars to begin the travel back to their territory.

[Damonique]

"If you say so. They say the sisters the mad one, but truth be told, I think that boy might actually be the crazier of the two. The look he gets sometimes when he's talking. Manic, like he really believes his own lies. I'm sure you'd know more better than I, though..." The Evertail Alpha trailed off in that usual disinterested manner he took on whenever they discussed the Mane Twins. If there was a single individual in the city that wasn't afraid of either of them, it was Savic...because while their fortunes rose together, they didn't necessarily have to fall together.

While their Pact forced them to keep faith with the Fangs, that was only for so long as the Mane Twins held up their end of the bargain...if Lucent were to make a misstep, overplayed his hand and his whole new order came tumbling down, it would be left to calculating, reliable Savic Evertail to pick up the pieces as the only voice of authority left. And he knew Lucent knew this just as well as he did, which kept him on his best behavior as far as his allies were concerned.

Before they could discuss this further, it was time to go....Savic didn't waste time second-guessing his lieutenant when it come to security, and so he and his mate absconded into their limousine with the warriors assigned to protect them, leaving Elisabeth to take care of making arrangements for their new 'guests'. Getting the hostages into the cars they had been assigned was it's own trial....some of the Luna's couldn't stand to be in the presence of those from packs that had bad blood with their own, and the children were obstinate by their very nature. But eventually, with a combination of cajoling and kind words, and sterner orders and straight-up manhandling where those failed, they were loaded up and on their way.

Once they were in a car together, the heavily-pregnant Moonhowl Luna seated herself beside Elisabeth. If anyone besides Lucent seemed truly pleased by the nights events, it was she, and she immediately struck up a conversation with Elisabeth along those lines, after once again thanking her for her actions in defending her pack and avenging her mate, and delving right into gossip.

"Khlia, she's one thing...uncouth and crass and dangerous in her best mood, but fearless and true to her word as well. She'd be a legend, a hero if only she were born male...but as a woman, she's as much an abberation at the old Behr's little girl in the Freerunners. No surprise she cavorts with those vicious little bitches of hers, what man would admit to taking such to mate?" The redhead was saying, honestly perplexed and seemed to think Elsabeth would agree. Sure, the Evertail Lieutenant was a female fighter, but she was at least soft-spoken and feminine. Surely, her career as a fighter and leader was simply a symptom of youth and restlessness, and before long, some male would catch her eye and she'd give up her position to devote herself wholly to the family life, better able to protect and raise strong warrior sons, owing to her experience. Which led to the next topic.

"And that Lucent.....He got the brains and the looks in that family...throw in the ambition, and that's a man worth watching. Now he's no hero, not like my Jonas was, but then, if my love hadn't been such a brave fool, which is all a hero is, perhaps he'd be still be with me, with us...." She trailed off, shedding a momentary tear and taking a moment to regain her composure. And then she leaned in to Elisabeth and spoke in a lower tone, the sort girls would use to spread the most salacious of confessions.

"I offered myself to him, you know...after you and Khlia delivered me that Stormfur cur's heart. I felt it only fair, and heart for a heart, and it seemed a fitting match. I've lost my mate, he's never had one, and an Alpha needs a Luna, after all. The mothers need a voice. He rejected me, if not unkindly. Not surprising, I'm not the beauty I was ten years ago and pregnant besides...not the makings of a thrilling honeymoon. But he did see the value of my offer, gave me that seat at the table. And I mean to make the most of it." It was clear now why Mallory was so in favor of Lucent Mane. He'd offered her respect, position, and protection for her unborn child and proven that he could keep his word on that. And so he'd made her his.

[brokecollege]

Elisabeth could barely get comfortable in her seat before Luna Mallory was speaking--first to thank her for avenging her fallen mate, and then to discuss the Mane twins. She first spoke of Khlia, and how she was a mixture of both dangerous and fearless. She would be a legend, Luna Mallory said, a hero--but only if she was male. That was true. If Khlia had been born as a white man, then she would be hailed by others as a hero and a legend. Both men and their pups alike would strive to be what she was. But, that was not the case. Khlia was a woman, and a native, and so she was looked down at as a savage and a beast.

Half insane, and completely deadly. What Elisabeth did not agree with was what Luna Mallory said next. Khlia was many things, but unlovable was not one of them. Her strength, her fierceness, her devotion to her pack and to her family, in Elisabeth's eyes at least, were all things that only made her more worthy as a partner. Khlia would one day be loved by another, just as they all eventually would. There was no doubt in Elisabeth's mind about it.

The Luna then moved onto Lucent, who she seemed to favor much more. Lucent, according to her, had received both the brains and the looks in the family. Well, Lucent was definitely more strategic and calculating than his twin was. And he certainly was an attractive man--but, that did not mean that Khlia was neither attractive nor smart. She was just attractive and smart in a different kind of way. Luna Mallory mentioned something about her mate before she suddenly leaned towards Elisabeth and lowered her tone.

Elisabeth knew that Luna Mallory's sudden drop in her tone meant that she was going to tell a secret of sorts about the twins, though the secret that she told had not been one that Elisabeth was expecting. Apparently, Luna Mallory had offered herself to Lucent. Elisabeth's eyes widened--why would she do such a thing?! Not that Elisabeth cared or anything, because she certainly didn't... Elisabeth shifted in her seat.

Oh, hell. Was Luna Mallory's confession actually bothering her? No, no. That was insanity! She didn't like Lucent, not in that way. He was an ally, someone who she was even borderline friends with. But she did not like him. Did she? Elisabeth chewed on the inside of her lip, only snapping back into reality when the Luna explained that Lucent had actually rejected her offer.

Which was kind of surprising, but then at the same time not surprising, to Elisabeth. It was surprising because the match was an advantageous one, and Lucent was rare to turn down something that benefited him. But, at the same time, it was not surprising because he had previously made his desire for Elisabeth very strong. But would he really turn down such an offer just because he wanted Elisabeth?

Finally, Elisabeth spoke. "The twins are..." she sucked in a breath, "Both unique in personality, appearance, and even desires. But they have both proven to me, and obviously to you, that they are good people. Their intentions and their desires are not always clear nor direct, but... I think that they do mean to improve lives. And not just their own. I was initially hesitant about my people allying with them, but they've both proven to be useful allies and even, decent friends."

[Damonique]

Luna Mallory had been in pack politics for a long time, it wasn't just for her looks that she'd become Alpha Jonas's mate and partner. While her late mate may have been a terror on the battlefield, she was no less formidable in her own area of expertise, using kind smiles and gentle words to soothe and flatter and manipulate those in power into acting in the interests of her and her pack.

So when Elisabeth averted her gaze and flushed in the cheeks at her words, she took note, listening politely as Elisabeth made her hesitant declaration declaration, while only paying attention to that which wasn't said. Allies, Intentions, Friends. Impersonal words meant to distance herself from the subject discussed. But Luna Mallory wasn't here to interfere with the personal romances of her inferiors, when she'd have her hands full managing the affairs of the hostages with which they had been entrusted.

"As you say, Lieutenant Vaughn...it's an interesting time to be alive. The whole cities gone mad, it seems...everyone has to choose who to fear between the Fangs and the Redmoons, and gods save those who choose wrong. As for those of us who have already made our choice, or had it made for us....well, we do our part. You Evertails are lucky...I've known Savic long enough to know that man means to die in his bed at hundred. Whatever may come, he'll make sure he's on the winning side." The Luna continued, making it clear that it was more than perfunctory flattery towards Elisabeth's leader....and there was also the suggestion that while he had her favor now, she wasn't placing all her hopes in Lucent Mane's plans quite yet.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Lucent was utterly relieved when he, Khlia, and their escort finally reached their own territory, and wished he could just retire to bed immediately....but the night's work wasn't quite over yet. A flurry of reports awaited him in the makeshift command center in the base of their red brick tower....each of his new-made, or at least, re-made Alphas had their own fires to put out as they moved swiftly to secure the exile's territory. Most encountered little resistance...with their leaders scattered and the Elite Warriors having witnessed the new Pact first-hand, line members were simply glad to have emerged with their own status intact.

But there were always trouble spots...in particular, Lorne Sharptooth, one of the exiled leaders, had murdered the detail meant to take him out of the city, stolen the vehicle, returned to his territory, collected as many warriors as would follow him and led them straight over to to make common cause with the Redmoons. The warriors who arrived to seize control of his pack found only a collection of women, children, and the elderly that had been left behind. The coward had chosen to bring only warriors with him, surely knowing Damon Redmoon would have little interest in useless mouths to feed. Despite their misfortune, those ones would have to be made Omega...and the Mate, son, and two daughters that the Evertail had charge of would have to be made examples of soon. Lucent idly wondered how Elisabeth would handle that distasteful task...not well, he feared, but it imperative she and Savic were seen as willing participants in doling out punishment for the breach of faith.

It was half past three when Lucent finally excused himself to the top floor, where his twin was already snoring contentedly in her 'den' in the corner of her side of the room, no doubt dreaming happily thoughts of the conflicts to come. He would have liked to have their soak together, but wouldn't wake her....while his twin had calmed down considerably, she hadn't yet forgiven him for keeping his plans from her, and the last thing he wanted was to get into an argument with her when he was nearly done with this long, chaotic day.

Past the divider, he was surprised to find the drapes drawn around his four-poster bed...but when he pushed them aside, he was less surprised to find Alicia there, the aquamarine dress she had worn to the resturant splayed open to reveal matching lingerie underneath. The half-cape was gone, as was the sling, leaving her mangled, bandaged right arm unbound at her side. She was dozing herself...clearly, this 'display' had been meant for him to find somewhat earlier in the night. Lucent was frozen, considering what he should do....he was on the cusp of simply turning around and either going back to work until he collapsed at his desk, or curling up beside his twin as the two had been wont to do as children.

But either the sound of his breathing or the light from the open window through the curtains robbed him of that opportunity, as the blonde in his bed stirred, let out of a cute, clipped yawn, and half-opened her bright blue eyes, adopting a smile that was equal parts serene and lustful at the sight of her imposing leader looming above her. She cocked her head to one side and didn't bother to sit up, instead just opening her legs a bit wider, showing off more of the nearly-translucent strip of fabric that stood in for panties in her well-chosen outfit, capped with a well-trimmed strip of silvery fur that teased what lay slightly further down.

"Lu-lu.....haven't you kept me waiting long enough? Important Alpha business, I'm sure...you work so hard, and take such good care of us...." She trailed off into a seductive purr, reaching over with her one good arm to help shrug her shoulders out of the dress and open the front clasp of her bra, setting her hand between two perfect milk-white breasts and waggling a finger between them. The words and gestures were perfectly chosen, the of familiarity in the nickname, one few dared to speak since he had become Alpha, combined with the respect for his station and and appreciation of his efforts. Lucent continued to stand at the foot of the bed, conflicted between exhaustion, arousal, and more than one kind of guilt. Seeing his hesitation, Alicia gave a pouty look and batted her eyelashes.

"...word is that you've turned away poor little Mishka night after night, even after she brought you a brand-new toy. She's beside herself wondering what she did to upset you. At first, we all thought you were satisfying yourself with a piece of Ever-tail....but a big snoring birdie tells me that one's been stringing you along like she's too good for you. Which means you've gone without for....how long?" She continued with a knowing smirk. Lucent felt...inordinately upset at the even minor slight towards Elisabeth, but Alicia had a point. The Evertail Lieutenant had spurned his affection at every opportunity, and yet he had neglected his own needs for...what, exactly? While he debated this with himself, Alicia kept up her seductive display, tweaking a rosebud nipple between her fingers before gliding them down her toned torso to gentling fondling herself through the silken material of her panties, letting out a sultry moan. The sound, the sight, the smell, which to a werewolf was the single most powerful sense.....it was all too much.

"Too Long." Lucent finally whispered, and took a hesitant step towards the bed, then another, shedding his jacket and vest as he went to display his muscled, unblemished red-copper torso, eliciting an appreciative, uniquely wolfish sigh from Alicia as she scooted up towards him, basking in his presence, daintily extending a foot to caress his hardening manhood as he disposed of the rest of his clothing and rolled onto the bed, careful of her maimed arm, lifting her petite form atop him.

"Now was that so hard, Alpha Mane? I mean, I know this is..." She muttered playfully as she settled back into his strong arms as they carefully settled her down onto him, and settled him into her, releasing a series of shuddering breaths, slowly working up a rhythm. "...yes, oh yes, that's it. You take care of the pack, and let me take care of you..." She went on in a sultry tone. And from there, there was no words but for the occasional whisper lost between panting, moaning, and cries of ecstasy.

Later, as Lucent reclined to stare up at the stars though the glass ceiling of their room with the blonde once-warrior cradled in the crook of his arm, snoring contentedly into his ear, he was wondering where Elisabeth was, what she was doing....and also which hell he was going to end up in.

[brokecollege]

When they eventually reached the packhouse sometime later, the hostages were divided evenly and sent to separate parts of the territory. Luna Mallory's group was, naturally, placed within the packhouse. Elisabeth did not think that the Luna would forgive her if she placed her darling friend, Luna Mallory, in some tiny house with half a dozen children and no one to talk to. Luna Mallory's group was also guarded by Elisabeth's best men, though not by Elisabeth herself. She did not think she could handle another hour of Luna Mallory's incessant compliments and whispered political views.

So Elisabeth opted to guard the other group, which was also guarded by some of her best--Jude included. Though, she hadn't originally intended to have him guard the hostages alongside her. But this hostage situation had her men spread thin, and she couldn't exactly begin to pull men from their assigned patrols. So, she would have to suffer through the night guarding the hostages alongside her childhood friend. Which of course wouldn't have been too bad, had she not been using him as an excuse to avoid Lucent's advances.

"You never change." a sudden voice spoke from beside the brunette. Elisabeth released a sigh and then smirked. "And neither have you, Jude." she cooly replied. She tore her gaze from the sky to look at her old childhood friend, who stood there with that charming smile of his. She wondered, if only for a brief moment, why she couldn't have attracted the attention of someone like Jude. Or, even Jude himself. He was a kind soul, always had been. And so funny! Some of Elisabeth's earliest memories were of Jude's jokes, of his laugh. How sad that the two once inseparable friends now barely saw one another.

"What's wrong?" Jude questioned as he stepped closer to the girl. Elisabeth huffed and dropped her gaze to the ground. He could always see through her, even when she didn't want him to. What was wrong? What wasn't wrong? All Elisabeth had wanted to do was to defend them, and lead them to victory in her Alpha's name. And instead.. instead she somehow got entangled with the Mane twins. And no matter what she did or how she did it, her life only became more entangled with theirs. "I'm just..." what was she even? Tired? Confused? Frustrated?

Perhaps, she was all three. "You know me, Jude. Ever since I was a little girl, I've only had my mind on one thing. I-I skipped birthdays, and holidays, and feasts and.. and everything in pursuit of my goal. I don't... I don't know anything else besides being a warrior. And this.. this business with Lucent is just, it's throwing my mind into a mix and I don't know what to do, or how to react, or..." she trailed off, and as soon as she did Jude interrupted.

"Wait, what do you mean? What's going on between you and Alpha Mane?" he questioned with a furrowed brow and worried gaze. Elisabeth looked up to look her friend over, and then she turned her gaze back to the ground. What wasn't going on between them? "He wants me." she quietly explained. "As his mate, or as a temporary fix, I don't know." Jude held a sort of thoughtful expression for a moment before he spoke. "So, he likes you. Do you like him?"

Did she like him? Wasn't that the question of the century. And the answer was, she didn't know. Lucent was a good man. He was handsome and clever and obviously devoted to his cause. He truly seemed to respect her, which was more than what half of the other Alphas could say. But... but, she didn't want to be used. She didn't want to be some plaything of his that he was only interested in because she was a challenge, and she did not want to be someone he wanted to be with because it was politically advantageous.

She wanted to be with someone because it was meant to be because the Gods decided it. Not because of any other reason. Although, she wondered if such a thing was ever truly possible. Everyone had an angle in this world. "Ah, we've been talking too much. It's time to switch." she hummed, completely disregarding Jude's previous question. But he didn't persist on receiving an answer. Instead, he just smiled and nodded his head in time with her orders. "Yes, Lieutenant."

But, just because she didn't answer Jude did not mean his question did not stop repeating in her head. Did she like Lucent?
A little.

[Damonique]

By time Lucent awoke the next morning, Alicia had departed, leaving only the smell of her mingled sweat and perfume on his bed-sheets and, he didn't fail to note, a pair of translucent blue panties that couldn't have possibly been left there by accident. She didn't waste time marking her territory. The Mane Alpha let out a sigh and began to dress, thinking back wistfully.

Alicia was somewhat younger than Lucent and Khlia, closer to girl than woman when he and his twin had first arrived in the city and been taken in by Alpha Blaise of the Fangs, but she'd been precocious and curious about the newcomers in their midst, rather than fearing or shunning them as many of her pack-mate's had at first. She made them feel like they belonged, and for that, earned their everlasting gratitude. The three became nigh inseparable around camp.

Khlia taught her how to hunt and fight...and also how to kiss, and when she was older, how to tease and tempt men to get what she wanted. Lucent, meanwhile, enthralled her with stories of their childhood with their tribe at Yellowstone, and when she was older, become the target for her to try out those 'lessons' his sister had taught her, amused by how flustered and tongue-tied that shyer, less experienced Lucent Mane would become when she did. At the time, he'd thought little of it, just some joke Khlia had put her up to, another thing to make fun of him for. Only later did he realize that perhaps she had been hoping he would stop blushing and stammering and do something.

But that idle youth had passed too quickly, as Lucent's ambitions came into their fullness...leaving no time for anything or anyone else....even childhood friends. If Lucent wasn't plotting with Alpha Blaise, he was poring over strategies and winning over the important friends he would need for everything to fall into place, and after he took power, it wasn't long before Khlia began the brutal training regimen that had resulted in her Scarred Elites....and Alicia returned as one of them, a completely different person that the giggling, vivacious girl he had known before. She still enjoyed teasing him, but then it was more of a party trick, as she knew their shared history meant she could get away with it.

She offered herself to him freely, but now that he was Alpha, that didn't set her apart from any of the dozens of young females vying for his attention, and he decided to turn her down....he didn't fraternize with anyone he might send off to their deaths, and as one of Khlia's fangs, she'd be putting herself in danger at every opportunity. It was better that way. Despite his cold-hearted facade, Lucent was still very sensitive, empathic, caring...but those traits were a liability in the dangerous game he was playing. If he hesitated to give an order he needed to, trying to protect any one individual he cared about....it could be his undoing.

But that excuse was gone, now. Alicia was a cripple, no longer fit for the front lines, and Lucent knew he was partly to blame for that. That guilt gnawed at him every time he saw cover her arm or wince in pain when she jostled it, and gaze longingly out the doors when the sound of motorcycle engines signaled Khlia and her Elites coming or going on some mission. She'd sacrificed a part of herself for him, and deserved a reward, and if the reward she wanted was his long-withheld affection, who was he to deny it to her?

As far as excuses went, it was a good one...but that didn't keep Lucent from feeling dirty at the thought, because he knew deep down lust and obligation weren't a replacement for love. That she'd never be a replacement for Elisabeth. Thankfully, before that whole new line of thinking could drive him mad, a distraction came in the form of Khlia sidling up to him as he made his way towards the elevator to start his day, whistling a merry tune, the previous nights enmity seemingly forgotten.

"So, Ice Queen finally melted on you, did she? I knew it was coming." Khlia asked teasingly, wrinkling her nose back towards his bed. Regardless of weather or not she heard anything the night before, the evidence was wafting all around the room. "So how cold was it, down between those pretty lily-white legs of hers?" She added with a smirk, as they waited for the Elevator to rise. Lucent half-hoped someone would get on soon after them if only to save him from this conversation.

"You know as well as I do that she's warm, very warm. It's just her eyes and her attitude that are made of ice." He answered, adopting an expression of flippant self-satisfaction, even cracking a smile. That's exactly what he knew Khlia would want to see, in her simplified view of the world, there was little a man could be troubled by that couldn't be solved by a round of strenuous exercise. And so she could call his recent emotional issues 'solved' and she wouldn't have to concern herself about it any further...and Lucent would prefer that himself. They both had more than enough to deal with.

Downstairs was a madhouse. Lucent had slept late, nearly to noon...apparently Alicia had turned off the alarm, and noone was brave enough to risk his displeasure by waking him up. There were some downsides to being as much feared as he was respected, as the workings of his vastly expanded alliance had slowed to a crawl in the absence of his personal involvement. At least today, of all days, he was almost glad for their incompetence, as it allowed him to forget himself and delve right into the affairs of the pack.

[brokecollege]

Elisabeth spent the next several days practically glued to the hostages. Wherever they went, she went. If they wanted to go outside to feel the breeze and see the sun, then she was there watching them as they did it. If one group wanted to travel to the other group for a quick visit, then she was there walking alongside them. She was there for everything that they did, and everything that they didn't do.

But there were some times, usually late at night, when Elisabeth would slip away from her duties to tend her own needs. It was during those things when she would change, or shower, or even share a quiet conversation with Jude. Most of the time, though, it was she who spoke and Jude who listened. He would sometimes ask a question or interrupt her for some clarification, but other than that he remained pretty quiet.

And even though he didn't speak much (if at all), his presence and kind smile really helped her. It had been a long time since Elisabeth has had a friend--since she has let herself have a friend. She shared almost everything with Jude. In fact, the only thing that she did not share with him was how, for the past month or two, she had been using him as an excuse to stay away from Lucent.

She would eventually, though. When the time was right. Elisabeth chewed the inside of her cheek as she absentmindedly watched the children bounce around the front yard. The mothers did not like to keep them cooped up in the house for too long, and since it was Elisabeth's job to make them feel just as comfortable as they did safe, then she had to allow them some time out. Which she did not mind--she preferred the outside to a cramped house, anyway.

"Hey, Lieutenant," Caesar spoke as he approached the woman. Elisabeth momentarily tore her gaze away from the children to glance over at her warrior before it returned to the children. "Why have you broken your post?" she questioned in that flat tone of hers. "We've all just been wondering, how long are we going to keep on babysitting for those twins?" he questioned.

Elisabeth hummed--she had that same question. "Until they say otherwise, Caesar. Now unless you want to get punishment for dropping your post, I suggest you get back to work." Elisabeth ordered with a wave of her hand. Caesar grunted, but nodded his head in understanding. "Yes, ma'am."

[Damonique]

Lucent didn't get out much over the next few days, at Khlia's insistence....a few Redmoon-aligned spies, or assassins, had been caught trying to cross the various borders into their allied territory, which meant at least a few had gotten through, and the already-considerable price for Lucent's head had been tripled. He only left the Fang compound on the most important business, visiting his other Alphas, and then under heavy guard. At least two of Khlia's elites and another half-dozen line warriors shadowed him everywhere, and trips were lengthened by street changes and pauses to scent out possible ambushes. It was driving him slowly and steadily stir-crazy.

Not even his twin was around often to keep him company, as Khlia was as free as ever. Her bounty was just as large, but she went out each day just hoping that someone fool would try to claim it. So far, there hadn't been any takers. That frustrated Lucent more than anything, that fact that everyone, including his own people, knew that he wasn't half the fighter his sister was. It wasn't that Lucent lacked the strength or skill, but that he was a hesitant killer...at least as far as his own claws were concerned, making him a liability in any fight to the death.

That left him with only his 'thinkers', lieutenants, and books for company....well, not only. There was Alicia. While she was neither his mate nor his Luna, that he had made perfectly clear after the first rumors, no doubt started by the blonde herself, started circulating. But still she kept herself close at hand, and while he'd expected her to become an egotistical nightmare, it hadn't happened yet. For the time being, it seemed, she was content with having 'won' him, and was almost behaving herself. It was a shame that outside of the bedroom, she was so very dull. It wasn't that she was stupid...just wholly disinterested in the bigger picture that consumed Lucent's waking thoughts.

More and more, he found himself thinking missing Elisabeth...while the time apart had given him some perspective as to the implications of their relationship...his interest hadn't vanised, simply become more nuanced. Instead of a driving need, it had become a sort of unhurried inevitability, something that simply was. But he knew the moment he saw or scented her, the insanity would return. And that inevitability eventually came sooner than he had expected, if later than some parts of him might have liked. Though the circumstances were less than ideal.

Another exile had crawled back into the city...this time Jon Huntsworn. It was little surprise, the only hostage kin of his they had in hand were younger siblings, the brutal young Alpha had no mate or pups. It wasn't even an inconvenience...he had no pack, no warriors, just himself and his pride to offer to Damon Redmoon. But that didn't mean what hostages they had, two brothers and a sister, wouldn't have to pay the price for his disobedience. Along with the three Sharptooth's...there were seven hostages who's lives were forfeit, and to delay their judgement any longer would only be a show of weakness.

Lucent sent word to Savic to have those to be judged separated from the rest, chained outside, and held for trial at sunset, and Lucent invited whichever those other Alphas in their now loosened alliance to attend. He dressed for a public appearance and had his guard make ready to head to the Evertail camp by way of the taken Whiteclaw territories.

[brokecollege]

Lucent eventually sent word to Savic that the seven hostages who were to be judged were to be chained outside and held for trial at sunset. But it wasn't just to be a trial, Elisabeth knew. It was to be an event. Their trial was meant to be a display of what happened when someone under the order of Lucent Mane disobeyed. And while Elisabeth did not wish to see the trial and execution of those who were technically innocent, their fates were not in her hands.

All she could do was execute the orders that were given to her. And so, that is exactly what she did. The seven hostages were separated from the others, and as Lucent had ordered, they were chained just outside of the packhouse. They had with them a total of eight guards--just to ensure that none of them attempted to orchestrate a rebellion. The rest of the guards were sent out on their patrols, except for a group of Elisabeth's best who were sent the guard the other hostages.

Elisabeth herself then prepared for the trial. She did not really want to attend it, but as the Lieutenant of the Evertails it was part of her duty to attend events exactly like these. After she had dressed for the event, she greeted a group of her men outside with a nod of her head. "Are all of the entrances secured?" she questioned. Mason looked between himself and the two others, before nodding his head. "Yes, ma'am. Will the Fangs be in attendance tonight?"

She bit the inside of her cheek and nodded her head, though she did not give them a verbal answer. "And what about the other hostages? Are they secured in their room?" she questioned, changing the topic. Mason nodded his head again. "Yes, ma'am," he replied. Elisabeth released a breath--good. Everything was going according to plan, then. At least, for now. "You two--" she pointed to Mason and the warrior standing beside him. "Join the patrol on the south side of the compound. And you--" she gestured to the last warrior, a whelp by the name of Lucas.

"You will stay with me and the Alpha as we greet the guests. Everyone has their orders, so go now." she ordered with a wave of her hand. The three men bowed their heads in farewell before they turned on their heels and rushed to go to their new positions--well, except for Lucas, who followed Elisabeth towards the packhouse.

[Damonique]

Lucent, Khlia, and their small retinue traveled on foot for once, ambling unhurriedly through the overgrown wilderness separating their territory from that of the Evertail. It had been something of a whim on Lucent's part. The trip took a bit longer, and wasn't quite as classy as traveling by limo, but it was worth it for the much-needed change of scenery. The others seemed to enjoy the trek is well...it was rare that city wolves spent any amount of time in real nature.

"Our land, our place....and us, here. If only mother could see us now." Stated Khlia in an almost reverent tone as she sidled up beside him. They had both been weaned on the same tales of their people's long-lost packgrounds, and to walk here in the footsteps of their ancestors was a fulfilling experience for the both of them. Lucent smiled somberly and placed an arm on his sister's shoulder, looking up the pink-tinged sky.

"Oh, she does, from somewhere up there." He stated quietly, his smile becoming a frown as he remembered where they were going and why...and knowing the kind woman they'd lost too soon would never approve. While Lucent had convinced himself that the ends were noble, he was under no illusions about the means by which he achieved them. The blood shed tonight would be innocent. While it may be necessary, and it was surely within their laws, that didn't make it right. Lucent knew what he would say, how he would pretend to wash his hands of it, lay blame solely on the heads of those that chose personal vendetta over their families, that would mean little and less to those who paid the price.

"Come on, we're almost there...we may as well get this over with." Lucent stated, hurrying his pace, suddenly uninterested in conversation. Khlia just snorted, perhaps sensing his mood, and shortly thereafter they crossed the border into Evertail territory proper...by the smell, they'd just missed a recent patrol....some would perceive a slight that Elisabeth kept troops on the border they shared with the Fangs, but he wouldn't be surprised if Savic would want to know if there were warriors, allies or not, roaming free in his territory as not to be caught unawares.

They reached the south side of the Evertail compound in short order....startling the two warriors guarding that entrance, who immediately assumed challenging postures before they realized who they were facing. Khlia greeted the warrior Foster with a boisterous slap on the back, teasing him mercilessly with banter about his odds of taking her in a fight, and inquired as to where his leader and lieutenant could be found.

Lucent walked by stoically, waving off his security now that they were on friendly lands, and found himself at the place where he had made his ill-fated proposition to Elisabeth, behind the packhouse...remembering that regrettable night, and the pleasant day that preceded it vividly. How fool he had been to think that he could simply bully her into submission....Elisabeth Vaughn had spent her life resisting the advances of men who sought to make her property, knowing one moment of weakness would spell her end. If he wanted her with him, it would be as an equal, something Lucent wasn't used to having.

[brokecollege]

As Elisabeth and her warrior approached the packhouse they saw, in the distance, the unmistakable burly outlines of the Fangs. When he realized who it was that they were nearing, Lucas became visibly excited--and a little bit frightened, as well. Not all of Elisabeth's men had the opportunity to fight with, or even to meet, the infamous Fang elites or their leaders. So far, it had only been Elisabeth's best who had had the pleasure. Whelps like Lucas, who was still in the midst of training and proving himself, did not get such an opportunity.

"Rule number one, Lucas. Do not show fear." Elisabeth reminded, though she never tore her gaze from the nearing figures. Lucas looked over at his leader before he pursed his lips and nodded his head. Right. The first rule of being a warrior--don't show fear, no matter how afraid you might really be. Your fear could be used against you, your fear powered their actions.

"Alpha Mane. I'm glad to see that you and Khlia made it safely." Elisabeth greeted as she approached the older male. He, like her, was dressed in formal attire to fit the occasion. But he did not wear that same confident and professional smile that he always did. Instead, he seemed more somber, quieter. Why did she even notice that? Gods, she needed to stop talking to Jude about everything. Elisabeth bowed her head, and Lucas followed suit.

Out of the corner of her eye, Elisabeth spotted Khlia laughing and chatting with both Fang and Evertail warriors. Lucas saw the woman, too, and became noticeably nervous. But Elisabeth did not address her whelp's increasing nervousness. Rather, she turned back towards Lucent. "The hostages have been chained outside the packhouse, as per your orders. They've always been given detail of guards to eliminate the chances of rebellion," she informed.

[Damonique]

Lucent was caught deep in thought when the brunette approached him, until her voice broke his reverie and he glanced up at her, breaking into an involuntary smile.

For once, Elisabeth seemed happy to see him...or at least, not as exasperated or annoyed as she usually was, and he took that for a good sign, favoring her with one of his rare smiles. She was dressed prim and proper for the occasion, and accompanied by a stripling he didn't recognize, and nodded to the both of them.

"Lieutenant Vaughn, it good to see you again as well. And I see our you've been dutifully expanding our ranks. What's your name, boy?" The Alpha inquired, and the young man answered with a hint of trepidation that he was called Lucas. Lucent nodded and went so far as to offer his hand to shake.

"Be proud, Lucas. Alpha Savic deserves your service, and you've got a worthy mentor...my sister says there's no Wolf she'd rather have at her side in a fight, and getting a compliment out of her is like pulling teeth." He commented amicably, enjoying the humbled way the boy looking up to him, and then from the dreaded Khlia Mane to his Lieutenant, as if seeing the brunette in a new light.

"Go on, introduce yourself, she doesn't bite friends... usually. And if she does it means she likes you. I'd like a private word with Elisabeth." He added in a tone that brooked no argument, waving the boy off to where the senior warriors were trading greetings and good-natured barbs. The whelp scampered off with just a hint of trepidation, and Lucent turned to Elisabeth, gesturing for her to walk with him.

"So, what do you think? Two out of a dozen to disobey is good odds...the other Exiles haven't been seen or scented since. Give it a few months, and their packs will forget they ever mattered...Wolves don't follow cowards." Lucent stated with feighned optimism, disappointed all they had to discuss was business. But he needed some outside validation that he'd done the right thing, that the loves spared in the long run would outweigh those that would have to be sacrificed.

[brokecollege]

Lucas was visibly caught off guard when Lucent turned from Elisabeth and spoke to him. He had not expected for the man to even notice his existence, and yet the man had turned to him and roped him into the conversation! He gave the man a hurried bow of his head before he introduced himself as Lucas Wilder. Lucent seemed to nod thoughtfully at the man before they shook hands, and then gifted the Lieutenant a compliment regarding her worthiness as a warrior.

But just as soon as it started, the conversation ended. Lucent urged the young warrior to go and greet Khlia and the others, as he had some matters that needed to be discussed with his leader. He was a bit hesitant to leave Elisabeth without her orders, though when he caught her gaze he immediately turned and shuffled off towards the nearby Fang group. Rule number two, don't disrespect those who are ranks above you.

Once the whelp had gone, Lucent turned towards Elisabeth and gestured for a walk, to which Elisabeth nodded her head. She walked alongside the young Alpha, her arms crossed loosely over her chest as they slowly made their way passed the packhouse. "Two out of a dozen is definitely better than three or four. But, just because we have not spotted either of them yet does not mean you and Khlia should not be cautious," she warned.

There was a moment of silence between them before Elisabeth spoke again, though this time her voice was softer than before. "I heard from Savic that there was another price for your head. A nice one, too," she glanced over at the older male with a look that could almost be taken for as worry, "The dream that you have is big and ambitious, and something that I would like to see come to reality. But that will not happen if you are dead, Lucent."

She bit the inside of her cheek as she continued, "All that I ask is that you watch where you step, and who you put your trust in. Your dream is not worth anything if you are not alive to see it through. Although, I'm sure Khlia has already warned you of the dangers that you face. If not even just a little." she murmured. Then, in a louder tone, she said, "I'll send Khlia a few of my best to add to your detail, and a few to add to her own. I've heard there is also a new price on her head--though, I'm sure that only makes her happier to hear."

[Damonique]

Elisabeth heard him out, and after some consideration, cautioned him against the risks of his plan...and the open threats made against his life by the Redmoons.

It wasn't the easy reassurances that he had been fishing for...but it was what he needed to hear. Elisabeth wasn't the type to waste words telling anyone what they wanted to hear...part of the reason she'd achieved a place of trust beside her Alpha.

"I'll be glad to take a few of yours, if only to give my usual detail some time off. I doubt they'll appreciate the duty, though, unless they enjoy endless meetings about politics and strategy." He answers, acceding to her offer with a bit of self-deprication. The seemingly genuine concern for his safety, was touching.

"As for my sister....best not say it like that. But if you told her some of your warriors were eager to draw blood beside the feared and fearless Khlia Mane, she might be more receptive to the offer..." He added with a smirk, looking to where his twin was busy giving young Lucas Wilder a vehement dressing-down for having the nerve to interrupt his betters just to introduce his scrawny self, while the boy tried to explain her was there at the behest of her brother. Lucent shared a smirk and even the barest chuckle with Elisabeth at the sight.

"I do wonder how Savic would feel about you putting Evertail fighters under Fang command. When I talk to him, I'll be sure to suggest it was my idea...that should stroke his ego a bit...he likes to think I need him." The Fang Alpha continued, not sparing Elisabeth that last dig at her Alpha....Lucent respected Savic, even admired him...buy if he wanted Elisabeth to eventually be his own, he'd have to start eroding her long-held faith in the elder leader.

[brokecollege]

Lucent accepted Elisabeth's offer, though not without comment. Except, the comment was in regards to his own self, and not Elisabeth. Endless meetings about politics and strategy, he said. Elisabeth cracked a partial smile. While her men certainly would not care for those endless meetings of his, they would endure it. If they didn't, then they would hear from both Khlia and Elisabeth.

Lucent then warned Elisabeth to word her offer differently to Khlia. And Elisabeth understood completely. Khlia could take it wrong if Elisabeth offered her own men up to protect the Alpha. But, she wouldn't take it wrong if Elisabeth said that her men were craving to draw some blood beside Khlia Mane. The two glanced over at his twin sister, only to discover that the woman was scolding Lucas. Elisabeth's smile widened at the sight--ah, but of course. Would Khlia really be Khlia Mane if she did not purposefully terrify the newcomers?

The young Alpha then turned the topic of conversation to Savic, and how he would react to Elisabeth putting a few of their men under the Mane's control. But he said that when the two spoke, he would tell the man that it was his, and not Elisabeth's, idea to do that. It would stroke his ego, he said. Elisabeth almost snorted--he knew the old man so well. Perhaps even better than Savic realized.

Savic was like any man--he loved to fight, he loved to drink, and he loved when he was seen as superior compared to everyone else. That was maybe why he and Lucent got along so well. The only things Lucent seemed to whisper to the man when they were together were honeyed words and faux compliments. But Savic ate it up, every single time. He was very malleable in that sense. A few sweet words in the right place, and he could be swayed on almost any topic.

But Lucent.. she glanced over at the older man. He was different from Savic, in every sense of the word. He was far more ambitious, direct, determined, and even maybe more charming than the old man. "Savic would like that. He always does." she agreed. "He should be down soon enough. You know him, though, he always arrives at the last moment. Though, I do not think the Luna will be coming tonight. She has never cared for events like these," she explained. Elisabeth doesn't, either.

She sucked in a breath, her arms dropping from her chest to rest by her sides. "I should.." she looked back towards the warriors, and then to Lucent with a faint smile. "I should get back to my men, now. But I wish you luck tonight, Lucent. These events are always..." she trailed off. Always hard to deal with, even for an Alpha as hardened as Savic or Lucent.

[Damonique]

Elisabeth agreed with his assessment of her leader in the most general, neutral terms...the sort that could not be taken as some sort of insult. Savic liked compliments, it was a simple fact that any could plainly see. Lucent gave her a knowing look that said what they were both thinking. That such could be a weakness could be taken advantage of by the right person, such as Lucent...there was more there than the words themselves.

Sadly, the distasteful business they were set to today had put a pall over the otherwise easy and amicable conversation they had been having so far. The Evertail Luna would not be in attendance. Lucent was unsurprised, Savic's trophy mate who he so doted on was many things, but she wasn't cold-hearted, or even pragmatic. Perhaps that was why he had chosen her, Lucent mused....it would explain many things, including the elder Alpha's fondness for Elisabeth. He knew how well a moral compass was to find in their kill-or-die world.

The young lieutenant tried to break off their conversation, excusing herself to be with her men, but before she could turn around, Lucent took hold of her hand in his own, holding her in place. The contact was electric, at least to Lucent, and he paused for a moment to rub his thumb over her silk-smooth palm. When she turned back, he was looking her in the eye, wearing an questioning expression as his gold-rimmed green eyes made contact with her own.

"I was just wondering how the two Stormfurs you took in are faring.....will they pass, do you think? Become productive and loyal to a pack that is not theirs by blood? You did, but like in so much else, you are unique." He trailed off, knowing the question would be taken as coming out of the blue. The answer was actually quite important to him, as an outsider who had willingly joined a people who shared neither blood, nor culture, nor even appearance with himself and his sister. How much could they adapt, in a year, or in a decade? The elders were too far-gone, he knew, but the next generation was so full of promise and possibility...if they were raised on the values he meant to impart on their society, little by little.

[brokecollege]

Elisabeth turned to walk away from Lucent and towards her men, though before she could take even a step away from him the young Alpha reached forward and took her by the hand. His touch was soft, and gentle, as it almost always was. And even though there was a part of her that clawed to pull her hand from his, she didn't. She turned back towards the older male, her gaze shifting from their joined hands to his gentle eyes.

Lucent's thumb ran back and forth over her palm, and for some odd reason, it soothed her. She wanted to blame Jude for her sudden complaisant behavior, but she knew it was the conversations, and not Jude, that had started to change how she thought, and even how she acted. When she realized that Lucent had spoken, she snapped out of her thoughts and straightened up some. Dammit, now she was dazing off in the middle of conversations?

She closed her eyes and spoke, repeating a phrase which had been ingrained into her mind in her youth, "The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb." The brunette opened her eyes, her gaze once more meeting the Lucent's gaze. "That was one of the first things that I learned as a warrior, and it is something that they too will learn. If not now, then in time."

"The Evertails will become their family, just as they became mine. There will be moments, though, when they doubt their loyalty. When they think about what would have happened if their Uncle had overcome Khlia, or if the Stormfurs had won. But in the end, they will realize, just as I did, that their family does not lie in the past where things cannot be changed or shifted." she tilted her head to the side ever so slightly and continued, "Just as you realized, too."

[Damonique]

Elisabeth's reaction to his taking her hand was....interesting, to say the least, trying to pull away at first, before, as if remembering something, relaxing to his touch. Perhaps she realized that, for once, his intentions were truly without ulterior motive, that it was not some power-play to dominate her, but simply a gesture that he wanted her to stay with him, that the question was more important to him than words might suggest and that he desired her honest opinion. And when she gave it, he considered for a long moment.

He hoped she was right about her new charges, that while their past would stay with them always, they coud grow past it, take lessons from it, and become brave and loyal warriors even to those they had so much reason to despise...well, if they could do that, than surely there was a chance for redemption of those too young to even realize what their fathers and brothers warred for in the first place. Her last statement though, about himself....Lucent didn't know how to take, pondering the many possible facets of his life she could mean. Finally, he shook his head, suddenly resolute.

"No, dearest Elisabeth, you have me wrong. I don't move on....from anything, or anyone. If I don't like something, I change it....even if it takes years, decades, or a lifetime. There's more to my father's blood than fury...there's a madness and an inspiration there that keeps me trapped in a personal hell, trying to sort out the whole world. And I do it because if I don't, noone else will." He stated softly, but firmly, and if the sudden mania in his eyes and voice would cause her to pull away, well, he just tightened his grip...not violently, but insistently. This was something she needed to hear and realize, a reminder that he was no more done with her than he was with everything and everyone else.

He would have gone on, but he was cut off, and Elisabeth was saved, but a sharp whistle and a few crude suggestions as to what the Alpha and Lieutenant might be up to from Khlia. Apparently, their extended absence had been noticed, and the others were eager to got on with the whole affair. Lucent gave the brunette an intense look, the sort that said this as one of the now very many conversations she would have to keep as a secret between them. He then released her hand, smoothed a few nonexistent wrinkles out his suit, and was back to his aloof, untouchable self.

[brokecollege]

Elisabeth was wrong, Lucent said. He did not move on from anyone, or anything. It did not matter if it took minutes, days, or years. If he did not like something, then he changed it. It was his father's blood, he said, that left him with this personal hell of his. Everything that he did, he did because he had to. Everything that he did, he did because no one else would step up to the plate and do it for him.

He spoke with such passion and intenseness that would have made anyone recoil from him. But, Elisabeth didn't. She wasn't like Alicia, where she had been around the twins for most of their lives. But, she had been around them long enough to know and be familiar with their passionate and intense personalities. It did not scare her. It worried her sometimes, but only because she worried that their passion would be their downfall.

Their conversation was cut short when a whistle cut through the air. Elisabeth automatically looked towards Khlia and the other warriors--ah, their absence had been noticed by everyone. Elisabeth looked back towards Lucent, who gave her that infamous look of his before finally pulling his hand away from her own. Back to business. Elisabeth watched the man for a minute, taking note of how his stature tensed and his eyes took on a hardened, Alpha look.

Finally, Elisabeth bowed her head and stepped away from him. She turned and made her way over to Khlia, before giving the older girl a smile and bow of her head. "Khlia. It's been a while." she hummed. "I see you've met my newest whelp, Lucas. I hope he didn't bother you too much while Alpha Mane and I spoke." she chuckled. She gestured for Lucas to return to her side, and after the boy gave everyone a slight bow of his head he returned to his leader's side without question.

"Ah, and before I forget, would you mind taking a few of my warriors back to Fang territory after the trial? I'm afraid we haven't been able to spill much blood lately due to the hostages, and I think they're becoming a bit restless because of it. I think it will do them good to be with the Fangs for a day--gives them the opportunity to not only spill some blood but also to learn from Khlia Mane and her elites." she said as she crossed her arms over her chest.

[Damonique]

Whatever conversation....presumably, about them, that had started up in their absence died off as Lucent and Elisabeth rounded the packhouse, seperate, casual, and completely businesslike. Stoking the fires of any further rumors about them was in neither of their best interests...not when half the line fighters in both packs were convinced there was something going on there...mostly his own fault, Lucent was chagrined to recall.

Khlia, for her part, did the most to diffuse any remaining tension, refusing to accept Elisabeth's standoffish greetings and enveloping her a hug that entirely enveloped the slighter woman's form...and cracked her back while she was at it, lifting up and spinning the Evertail Lieutenant around like she weighed nothing before setting her back down, to everyone's surprise. Unlike her brother, there was no guesswork required when one wondered how they stood with Khlia Mane.

"A while? Too long, hunt-sister. I don't mind your pup, he's braver than most...only pissed himself a little when I wagered I could fit his head in my mouth. Not that I'd try, all that hair would get stuck in my teeth....it's also a liability. Have my brother teach him how to braid it, the way he does mine." Khlia shot off, swishing her waist-length braid from side to side and eliciting a rare blush from her twin, as it was true. Khlia couldn't stand her hair in her eyes, couldn't cut it, as by tribal custom one's braid was to be kept intact as an offering to a worthy foe who'd bested them, and yet didn't have the patience to do it herself. Thus every time she shifted from woman to wolf and back, it would be up to Lucent to do it back up in the intricate weave they both wore. She immediately shifted topic to Elisabeth's politely...and flatteringly made request for her to take up extra security.

"Ah, your boys tire of playing babysitter to mates and pups when there's more worthy prey afoot. I'll give them action..just don't blame me if a few don't come back. But those that live might see themselves well-rewarded for their service." The more martial Mane Twin concluded, pausing to accent that double-entendre with a batting of her prominent dark eyelashes at Foster. Lucent had to admit that the red-haired Evertail elite had appointed himself well in the previous fights against the Whiteclaws and Stormfurs, and Elisabeth spoke highly of him. And if he were to read more into Khlia's passing infatuation...well, that was just another pawn in Savic's camp to be leveraged later.

[brokecollege]

Khlia, not even half satisfied with the greeting Elisabeth had given, stepped forward to envelop the girl in a hug. But, she didn't stop there. She squeezed the girl in her embrace and, quite literally, swept her off her feet. The two spun around for only a minute, with Elisabeth laughing once or twice before the older woman finally set her down on the ground. Elisabeth fixed both her hair and outfit as the female twin explained that she liked the whelp.

He was brave, having only pissed himself a little at Khlia's teasing. Though it was just that--teasing. She would never do the things she had threatened to, as it was both an inconvenience and a liability. And for that, Lucas seemed grateful. She then suggested that the boy braid his hair, just as she did with hers. Well, at least, as Lucent did for hers. Elisabeth glanced at Lucent from the corner of her eye, a bit surprised to hear that the man was the one to tend to his sister's hair.

Though she shouldn't have been all that surprised--Khlia did not seem like the type who would have learned how to perfect hairstyles when she was younger. "It's much appreciated, Khlia. I don't know if I could stand their complaining for another minute," she admitted as she lifted her hand to push some of her hair back behind her ear. When Khlia's gaze shifted elsewhere, Elisabeth's followed. And when she found that Khlia's gaze landed on Foster, she smirked.

"Foster, Mason, and Caesar will be the first three to join you after tonight. And I'm sure they'll all be eagerly competing for that reward of yours." she hummed almost teasingly. "I'll send the others up in the morning, once all the patrols have been completed for the night. Until then.." she trailed off and glanced at her men--Foster included. "Get back to your positions." Her men bowed their heads to their superiors before they returned to their duties, leaving Khlia and her Fangs alone with Elisabeth.

She gestured faintly towards the packhouse as she spoke, "I've told your brother already, but the hostages are chained and ready for their trial. Unless we are going to be joined by others, then all that we are waiting for is Savic to join us," she explained. Really, what Elisabeth wanted to do was get this trial (and possible execution) over with. The sooner that it was over with, the sooner she could forget about it happening.

[Damonique]

"This one here, and the other two braves as well? You sure know how to spoil a girl, Liz....but if decided I like them, I may not be so eager to give them back." Khlia jested with a wolf-whistle as Elisabeth named three of her most capable...and desirable elites to the be among the first to join the 'Honor Guard' of sorts the Evertail lieutenant insisted upon. Lucent was surprised as well...those three, along with the somewhat younger Adam and older Bryant, were rarely far from Elisabeth's side. Lucent grimaced slightly, as not it was turn to be concerned for Elisabeth's safety. While the brunette was not a named target in-and-of herself, Savic was, and his chief lieutenant would be in the way of any would-be attempts on her leaders life.

Lucent silently decided for himself that when he spoke with his opposite number, he would insist on a trade of warriors....a few of his Fangs to even out the Evertails that would be residing in his own camp, and in doing so sneak in someone special to keep an eye on Elisabeth...to protect her, of course. The only question was who? He considered Caine...the russet-haired male had a good deal in common with the young lieutenant, when it came to values and temperament, Lucent hadn't failed to not. He was brave on the battlefield...but not bloodthirsty. Perhaps too much in common... Snuck in the irrational, jealous thought, Jude non-withstanding. And Caine talked...constantly, about everything and everyone...and that wouldn't do.

Instead, he turned to his next-best choice....Lash, glancing over to where the stoic, raven-haired young fighter stood silently in Khlia's shadow, blending in, seeming neither interested nor bored with the conversations around her. Ears open, mouth shut....and whip at the ready. Having such a shadow behind her would do Elisabeth good in more ways than one, especially considering her current exasperating task of keeping the hostages in line...and would spare her the need to dole out any punishments warranted personally....lash did so enjoy using her whip. And another woman was more likely to be allowed to remain close to her in more personal settings, bathing and sleeping...so long as Lash knew well enough not to share too much of her philosophy when it came to the Omegas she trained.

Scheming still occupying his mind, Lucent made some vague statement of agreement with Elisabeth and indicated for his entourage to follow after them to the main courtyard of the Evertail compound, where withnesses were beginning to gather and observe the unlucky souls marked for punishment. Savic was there, deep in discussion with two of their new subordinate Alphas, old Davit Nightwalker, and his nephew through a younger sister, Mauric Skyclaw. Lucent wondered if they'd be joined by Windpelt, Proudrunner, or Thunderhowl as well.

Whatever conversation the three Alphas had been engrossed in died back as Lucent and his Fangs made their entrance. It was a delicate balance to show them both the authority he possessed and the respect they deserved. So he did not increase his pace, as not to appear too eager, keeping to a measured walk, flanked by his twin on one side and the massive Grigori on the other. When he reached them, he favored Savic with a friendly greeting, but waited for the other two to make some show of recognition, a handshake, a nod of the head, before offering them the same. A reminder that while they were all ostensibly equals, some of them were more equal than others.

[brokecollege]

Khlia seemed delighted with who Elisabeth had chosen for her detail, and she let the young Lieutenant know. In fact, if Khlia came to like them enough then she might even half trouble sending her men back to her. Elisabeth chuckled and shook her head at the woman's jests. With all joking aside, the group turned and made their way to the front of the packhouse where everyone, Savic included, was gathered for the trial.

Savic had been enjoying a lighthearted conversation with his fellow Alphas when, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the Mane twins walking over towards them. What perfect timing they had. The conversation that he had been apart of drifted off into silence just as Lucent and his sister approached the three. "Ah, Lucent, how good to see you!" Savic greeted, the corners of his eyes creasing as he greeted the younger male with a friendly smile. He glanced over at Khlia, extending the woman the same smile.

But while Lucent had extended Savic a friendly greeting, he did not do the same to Davit and Mauric. Instead, he waited for them to make their greeting first. And they did, if not somewhat reluctantly. Only after they did, did Lucent extend the same respect to them. "I was just speaking with Davit and Mauric here about Jon Huntsworn, and what a shame his betrayal is," Savic explained as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"He was a good man and a good warrior. Just did not have enough sense, apparently." Savic muttered with a disappointed shake of his head. Hopefully, the others would not lack as much sense as Huntsworn did. He would hate to see another fellow Alpha fall as his old friend had. Though, with how things were so rapidly changing... "You've spoken with my Lieutenant already, I assume. I've yet to speak to her today. My Liliana has hardly let me leave her side these last few days." he sighed. Though, he supposed her worries were not without reason. Since he has allied with the Fangs, there has been a hefty price placed on the older man's head.

And even though his Lieutenant always made sure her best were watching him, his mate still worried. Even more so now that they had a handful of hostages on their watch, and Elisabeth spread out so thin.

[Damonique]

Once Lucent's point had been made and pleasantries taken care of, he waved his off his entourage so that he and the other Alphas could get down to business....and quite a bit of business there was. Lucent took in all of Savic's statements and questions, deciding to start at the bottom of the list, at the mention of his Luna's fears, and work back upwards from there.

"Ah, yes, the bounties....empty words, I'm sure. If Redmoon had the means or the nerve to see us dead, we already would be. So he postures and threatens and hopes that somehow we'll just go away if he wishes hard enough. Still, if it would set your dearest Luna at ease, I'd be glad to offer some additional protection for her and our dearest Luna Mallory..." Lucent trailed off, looking about for the fiery redhead and finding her not in attendance....a passing server informed him that the Luna had resigned herself to bed-rest to wait out the final few weeks of her pregnancy. That was....less than ideal. Lucent had been counting on the Moonhowl Luna, and the favors she owed him, to sway some minds in deciding what was to be done tonight...but there was nothing for it.

The next matter, the one on everyones mind, was Jon Huntsworn paradoxical return to the city. While Lorne Sharptooth's actions on the night of his exile in taking his fighters over to the enemy had seemed understandable...the man had seen one final opportunity to remain the leader of anything and had been bold enough to take it, Huntsworn and his vendetta alone would be of no great value to Damon Redmoon or his plans.

While wounded pride could make a man irrational, if at all, then why now? Such foolish decisions were usually made immediately, while the blood was hot, not over a week later, after time to reflext. There was some piece missing there that Lucent didn't know...and the thought bothered him. He asked his fellow Alphas their view, and they at least claimed to know no more than himself. Frustrated, Lucent lifted a hand to call a pause to their discussion and heading for the center of the main camp, where the prisoners waited, washed and dressed according to their stations, but also chained wrist and ankle to posts, as if being offered up in sacrifice.

He tried not to look too hard at their downcast faces until he found the one he was looking for...young Avory Huntsworn, Jon's younger brother....fourteen and staring sullenly ahead with the sort of stupid resolve only a boy who thought himself a man could have. Lucent looked him up and down, and then gestured for Lash to come over, a command she dutifully noticed and obeyed, as if she had just been waiting for it to be given. All eyes were on him now, wondering what precisely the Alpha mane meant to do with the unlucky whelp.

[brokecollege]

Lucent made sure to put both Savic and the other Alphas' worries and fears to rest with a few assurances and well-placed words. And once their fears had been dealt with, Lucent then addressed Jon Huntsworn's appearance and possible reasons for why the man had suddenly reappeared after his long absence. But neither Savic nor Davit or Mauric had a good theory as to why that was.

But just because they didn't have a good theory did not mean they didn't have theories. Davit and Mauric had plenty--and so did Savic, though his differed greatly from theirs. Whereas their theories centered around revenge or the desire to save his family, Savic's theories centered around it all being a trap. Why else would Jon suddenly reappear after his betrayal weeks earlier? Lucent excused himself in the middle of the conversation and wandered off towards the hostages.

Elisabeth, who had been discussing the position of the hostages with Bryant, spotted Lucent walking towards the hostages out of the corner of her eye. She gestured for Bryant to follow her before she, too, headed in that direction. But whereas Lucent walked directly up to the hostages, Elisabeth did not. Instead, she hung back and watched as Lucent slowly walked by the line of trembling women and children.

Lucent eventually came to a stop in front of Avory Huntsworn, the teenaged brother of Alpha Huntsworn. For all the time that he had been under Elisabeth's care, the boy had barely uttered a full sentence. He ate what they gave him, slept where they told him to, and did what was asked of him. No more, and no less. Lucent studied the boy for a moment before he turned slightly and gestured for Lash to step forward.

Elisabeth sucked in a quiet breath, her eyes narrowing as she watched the two. She wanted to go over there, to stop Lash from doing what she knew Lucent was going to order her to do. But, she couldn't do that. Nor could she blame Lucent for whatever order he was about to give the woman. The life of a werewolf was neither easy nor without guilt. And innocence and youth were an all but fleeing thing.

"What do you think he's doing Lieutenant?" Bryant suddenly questioned, breaking the long silence between them. Elisabeth frowned, tearing her gaze away from Lucent to momentarily glance at the male beside her. Honestly? She didn't know. But, she had a feeling that it was tied in with Jon Huntsworn's sudden reappearance. "I suppose we'll find out once he's done." Elisabeth quietly answered.

[Damonique]

The immaculate Alpha paused for a moment, studying the boy. A grey-eyed, brown haired youth who was extremely plain in both appearance and stature...if one passed him on the street or in a crowd, they wouldn't give him a second thought. Just another listless teenager who'd drawn the short end of the stick when it came to the family he was born into....Lucent could pity him, but that would only make doing what had to be done more difficult.

For his part, the younger Huntsworn was either absolutely fearless of had been so afraid for so long that it no longer showed, looking Lucent Mane, decider of his fate straight in the eye, unblinking, neither pleading for mercy nor offering up any sort of resistance. He simply was. Off to the side, Lash clicked her tongue in annoyance, glancing her leaders way and rolling her thumb over the leather handle of her whip, just waiting for the word. Lucent didn't give it, just keeping up the staring contest, before finally giving a dismissive shrug.

"Your name?" Lucent asked in an almost bored tone, as if he didn't already know. If the boy was going to pretend he didn't care who he was, he would do the same. The youth obliged to answer, and Lucent went on to ask several more questions, about his elder brother, his pack, their loyalties and general makeup. Avory answered each one without emotion, in as few words as possible, usually just 'Yes', 'No', or 'I don't know'....there was a lot of the last one, and little that led him any closer to any real answers. There were some grumbles in the 'audience' of sorts that was watching the proceedings intently...most had come for a bloody spectacle of the sort the Mane Twins were known for, and instead they were getting tedious courtroom minutiae. Lucent gave an exasperated sigh, already regretting what he was going to be forced into.

"Do you know who I am?" Lucent asked, waving his arm to indicate the question was rhetorical. To his chagrin, the boy answered anyway.

"You're Lucent Mane. Tribal. Mongrel..." Lash acted as if on instinct the moment that last word left the boys mouth, without even consulting Lucent, her well-oiled whip sailing through the air with a screech to fall across the Huntsworn heir's chest, cutting right through the loose grey garments he had been provided with and drawing blood and a scream. To his credit, it was cut short to a snarl so that he could continue. Lucent was somehow both sad and glad that this one would never come of age...he would have been an exceptional warrior, and ferocious adversary.

"Lucent Mane, usurper of the Fang, who had a man who treated him like a son killed to seize his place. Who whores out his own sister for power and thinks he's too good to get blood on his shiny black suit..." Lash struck again, more sharply when Khlia was mentioned, this time slicing the boy's leg open from hip to ankle. The Huntsworn heir dropped to his knees and let out a scream that he couldn't bite back...but that slowly transitioned into a low chuckle. He looked the Alpha before him in the eyes, wearing an unhinged smile, and in that look of hate, Lucent saw a familiar blend of pride, madness, and determination.

"Lucent Mane, who's standing here letting a twisted girl hurt a chained child for having the audacity to tell the truth about him. And all of you pathetic so called Alpha's just watch like it's something to be proud of, like it's justice..." Avory turned his attention then towards Savic and the other two, spitting in their direction in disgust. "...as if it won't be your own families in chains the moment he finds you inconvenient." The bold, stupid...absolutely correct stripling finished, and then cocked his head to the side, giving Lucent a look, one that said 'I Win'.

[brokecollege]

The exchange between the two started out simple enough: Lucent asked a series of questions, and Avory answered them. Well, that is if his short responses could have even been considered as answers. At the end of it all, Lucent asked whether or not Avory knew who he was. And Avory, without fear or hesitance, responded that he did. Lucent, he said, was a tribal. A mongrel.

Then, without consulting her Alpha, Lash stepped forward and cracked her whip on the boy. Elisabeth winced and looked away, but Bryant did not. He stood there beside his Lieutenant, his dark eyes watching as the young lad let out a scream, which was then replaced by a low snarl. Hm. "He is strong." he quietly noted. Elisabeth nodded, all the while not looking back at the scene before her.

Yes, he was strong. Strong, and stupid. Stupid enough to continue speaking, even though Lash had so very clearly cracked her whip to get him to shut up. He threw a jab at Lucent and the Alpha whom he had replaced, before shifting his attention to Khlia. Or, as he so kindly called her, Lucent's whore sister. Lash did not like that one bit, and she cracked her whip on him a second time.

Even though she wasn't looking, the sound of the whip still made Elisabeth tense. She did not like this. She wished it would end--and she didn't care how, either. She just wanted the poor boy's screams to stop, and the questions to cease. But the boy didn't stop. Not for her sake, or even his own. He continued, taking yet another jab at Lucent before he turned towards the nearby Alphas.

Savic looked from the boy to Lucent, and then to his Lieutenant before his eyes drifted back to the boy. And he frowned. Not because the sight was upsetting to see, or because he was upset at the jab that had been tossed in his direction. He was upset because he knew that Avory was right. Lucent was mad with determination, and he was willing to sacrifice almost anything in the name of his dream. Even if that meant sacrificing the other Alphas, Savic included.

But... his gaze drifted back to Elisabeth, who stood with her gaze directed towards the dirt. But Savic had something the other Alphas did not: a playing card. He studied his Lieutenant for a moment before his gaze returned to Lucent and the young man, whose blood had begun to stain the dirt beneath him. "And what about your brother, Huntsworn? Would he not gladly stand in our position if he had the chance? Would he not force us onto our knees if he could?" Savic questioned.

"You are young and idealistic. You've yet to realize that nothing in our world is perfect, and everything is completely arbitrary. Though you might have come to realize that eventually, had your brother not betrayed his people and his family. If anyone is to blame for the position that you are in, it is your brother." he huffed. He stepped back, "May the Gods have mercy on you."

Elisabeth had, by that point, looked up from the ground and back to the scene in front of her. She watched how her Alpha reacted to Avory's words, and then watched as silence filled the void afterward. She moved to step forward, but Bryant quickly took his Lieutenant by the upper arm and gently pulled her back towards him. "Let him handle it, Lieutenant," he muttered to her. Elisabeth frowned but did not resist.

Bryant was right. This was between the Alphas and Avory. She shouldn't step in, not until she was asked by one of them. She sighed and shook the man's grip from her arm before she crossed her arms over her chest.

[Damonique]

Lucent fought hard to retain his composure despite the unending stream of vitriol the brave youth had unleashed upon his name, holding up a hand to keep Lash and her whip at bay, lest he lend further truth to the accusations. Looking at the other Alphas, only Savic seemed unperturbed by any of it, while Nightwalker and Skyclaw traded nervous glances between them.

The Fang Alpha cursed his hubris, the drive for validation...or perhaps some remaining shred of honor, that had driven him to personally face those he might sentence to death. He wondered how long Avory Huntsworn had been seething, waiting to turn Lucent's own favored weapon, the power of words, against him. He was busy trying to formulate just the right response when Savic stepped up in his...defense, for lack of a better word...accompanied by a cold understanding behind them that was clearly leveled at he alone.

That if the Evertail Alpha went along with Lucent's plans, it was only because it suited his needs for the moment...and if his needs changed, so would their 'arrangement'. Lucent then did exactly what Avory Huntsworn thought he wanted, and gave up the starting contest between them, turning on heel to face the Evertail Alpha, putting the wounded boy out of sight, out of mind, and robbing him of the importance the attention gave him. The adults were talking now, and he could wait bleeding in the corner, full of impotent rage. He looked at Savic, and then to Elisabeth, off to the side and found her staring forlornly at her feet, unwilling to watch what she thought was going to happen next...in that moment, he knew how to both save face before his peers and redeem himself in her eyes.

"Well said, Savic...though I'll admit to having something of a soft spot for the young and idealistic. After all, youth is the time of greatest change, and ideals, misguided or not, are the foundation of ambition. You are right that we in power have the right to be arbitrary. " He said to begin a fresh speech, come up with from thin air, careful to use every one of the Evertail's own words, to make whatever he decided to do seem like Savic had suggested it. After all, wasn't this a equal partnership?

"To persue freedom is to be Wolf. How much of it you have is what sets Alpha apart from the Beta, and the Beta from the Omega...." He continued, enunciating that last word to get Elisabeth's attention, waiting for her to look up to regard him, to see him utter the next part, brash and confident. "...as an Alpha, I do as I like. And I'd very much like to prove you wrong, Huntsworn. Not just the gods can show mercy." Lucent carefully extended a foot and placed it under Avory's chin and raise it up so he was looking down into his eyes.

"....chin up, boy. You'll live, at least today, while I'm feeling generous." He finished with that same smile his young adversary had worn almost minutes before. He gestured to a few of the surprised Evertail guards. "Have him cleaned, patched up, and returned to neutral ground unharmed. From there, he can either go to join his traitor brother or come try to kill me when he's feeling better. Lash, Grigory, make sure the men know to let him through if he tries...this one deserves a fair shot." He stated with finality, and then turned to walk away, shrugging his shoulders dismissively. After a few moments of silence, the whispers started again from the incredulous crowd. Was that it, really? And if so, why? What game was Mane playing? He cut them off by suddenly turning to look over his shoulder to where the callow youth was being dragged off.

"See you soon, Avory Huntsworn...and just so you have some incentive, I'm taking your little sister home with me. No matter what poison you and your brother have filled her head with, I'm sure she'll never want to leave my bedroom within a week." He added, keeping the smile and turning a predatory gaze at the unmentioned second Huntsworn hostage...a meek, brown-haired stick of a girl by the mane of Elvira, who was still reeling from the shock of seeing her brothers sure death-sentence commuted in the most unlikely manner. She went pale, her brother shouted a string of curses, and the mutters resumed, but with something new to discuss...Lucent Mane was known to like his women, and they were known to like them. He winked in the direction of Elisabeth for good measure, although he hoped she knew him well enough by now to realize that forcing himself on a thirteen-year-old fit nowhere into his plans. He would find some use for her, surely...perhaps the girl was good at braiding hair.

[brokecollege]

After a moment of silence, Lucent turned away from Avory and looked at Alpha Savic. Lucent, he said, had a soft spot for the young and idealistic. Well, that wasn't wrong. He liked Elisabeth, and Elisabeth was young and almost as idealistic as young Avory Huntsworn. And to pursue freedom, was to be a wolf. How much freedom, he said, set apart the Alpha from the Beta, and the Beta from the Omega.

And Elisabeth agreed with that, just as much as she agreed with everything else he had said before that. But then, in a surprising turn of events, Lucent declared that the boy was to live another day. Elisabeth's mouth almost dropped to the ground in surprise. But, he wasn't just letting the boy live. He was setting him free in neutral territory, where neither the Fangs nor the Evertails could scoop him up and claim him as a hostage.

But, the surprises did not end there. He was going to let the boy have a shot at killing him. He even ordered for Khlia's elites to let the boy onto their territory, should he ever actually come. And if he hadn't planned on coming to Fang territory upon his release, then Lucent was going to give him some incentive to do so: by taking the boy's younger sister for his own personal pleasure.

Had she not been as close to the Mane twins as she was, Elisabeth might have been mortified by Lucent's little incentive for the boy. But, she was close to the twins, and she knew when Lucent spoke the truth, and when he spoke directly out of his ass. He was going to do no such thing to the poor girl--if anything, he would just force her to clean and do chores alongside the Omegas.

So, that part did not bother her. What did bother her, was Lucent's order for him to let Avory Huntsworn in for a "fair" shot at killing him. The brunette waited until Huntsworn had been dragged away by the guards before she rushed over to Lucent. Not even Bryant could stop her from going over to him. "Lucent, have you gone mad? I know he's just a boy, but that doesn't mean he won't come back to you fully equipped and with allies behind him." she frowned.

Elisabeth knew that Lucent wasn't incapable of handling himself. He had shown how capable he was to Elisabeth when they had first hunted together, all those months ago. He was just as much of a warrior as he was an Alpha--even if he didn't always show it. But, that didn't mean that he could defend himself from every single threat that crossed his path. "I'm assigning Bryant to your guard." she declared. "He'll be sent over tonight, along with a few others."

[Damonique]

Lucent couldn't keep from smirking as everything clicked into place around him...the spectacle surrounding Avory Huntsworn had been so enthralling that there weren't even calls for punishment concerning his fellow hostages, they would live another day. Lucent had made his point without bloodshed....that his word from law, and that he could be as harsh or as lenient as suited his mood.

He was off to head off his sisters inevitable fury at his decision, but before he could even reach Khlia, there was another irate female to contend with first. Elisabeth had broken decorum and moved to confront him immediately about his abrupt decision...with prying eyes all around, he had to be firm...or at least what passed for it when he was dealing with the headstrong Evertail lieutenant. Lucent rose to his full height from his usually easy gait to accentuate their difference in stature, and placing a gentle hand on her shoulder in an almost patronizing manner, meeting her gaze and taking it as a challenge.

"Lieutenant Vaughn, your concern for my safety is...touching. But my offer was for the boy, and he along. Any friends he finds will die at the border like any others. Do you really think I have any reason to fear that...pup?" He stated with something akin to amusement, eliciting a few bemused chuckles from a few of the gathered warriors. What gave a mere lieutenant, a female no less, the right to tell an Alpha what he meant to do? It hurt Lucent to encourage such derision on the younger woman, but it was something that he had to do, or risk losing face.

Khlia, though, was having none of this confrontation She stalked up to stand behind Elisabeth with a snarl, lending the younger woman her support. She knew her twin would be able to kill young Avory in a straight fight...but had concerns as to weather or not he would. She knew the truth, that the Huntsworn heirs words, and the truth behind them, had cut Lucent deeper than he let show...that while he'd played it off as a demonstration of power, his gift of mercy may have just as easily be given out of some sense of guilt or shame. It was...concerning, and something the two...no, three of them, she was surprised to realize it was now, would need to discuss. But not here.

"Let the boys play their silly games, Hunt-sister. My brother sees so little action from up on his throne...this gives him something to look forward to." She stated with a dismissive snort, gently nudging the brunette away from the center of attention, hoping to cut the tension before either Lucent or Elisabeth said anything damning. Khlia was scandalized by the idea of herself as a peace-maker of any sort, but she was the only one able the volatile combination before her in check. Her brother and her friend could bring out the worst in one another as easily as the best.

[brokecollege]

While Elisabeth had expected for Lucent to be somewhat unhappy with her demands, she certainly hadn't expected for him to respond in the way that he had. He placed a patronizing hand upon her shoulder and, in a voice that reminded her all too much of her critics, stated that he didn't need protection because he had no reason to fear that pup. Her eyes narrowed as a few nearby warriors began to laugh--and they certainly weren't laughing with her.

Lucent had always treated Elisabeth as a sort of equal. He had always asked for her advice or her thoughts on the matter. Why just a few minutes ago he had asked her thoughts about the Alphas! And now... now he was treating her like everyone before him had. Like a woman who did not know what she was talking about, nor what she was doing. And it infuriated her, perhaps even more than it should have. Had the words of her critics ever infuriated her as much as this did? No, never.

She opened her mouth to snap back, to demand that he cut the act and start treating her with respect again, but a snarl from behind her stopped her. Khlia. Elisabeth thought for a moment that Khlia had stepped in to defend her brother, and so was surprised by what the woman said next. The young brunette glanced over her shoulder and at the woman, her tense from relaxing some as she slowly nodded her head.

"Fine," she muttered as her gaze returned to Lucent. She then gave the man the most sarcastic and exaggerated bow of her head that she could muster, before adding a sickeningly sweet and formal farewell, "Goodbye, Alpha Mane." and then she was being nudged off by Khlia, though that was probably for the best. If Elisabeth stayed another moment she might have just bit the man's head off.

Elisabeth returned to Bryant's side, though obviously still fuming from her encounter with Lucent. And Bryant could tell--which is why he wasn't too surprised by the woman's next orders. "You, me, training room, now." she snapped before she was storming off and in the direction of their training courtyard. Bryant watched his Lieutenant for a moment before he turned back towards the warriors and Alphas.

He gave them all a brief bow of his head before he silently gestured for the remaining warriors to gather the hostages and return them to their rooms. Then, he turned and quietly followed in the footsteps of his Lieutenant.

[Damonique]

However Elisabeth had expected him to respond to this unprompted and public confrontation, his casual dismissal of she and her concerns was not it, and only served to fuel her righteous indignation. Honestly, Lucent expected no less of the fiery young lieutenant, and in most circumstances, it was one of her most attractive qualities. There was a fire in her amber eyes that he couldn't help but lose himself in...and not as a contest of dominance. But he had to break the spell out of pure will alone.

Lucent lamented that despite all he had tried to tell and show her, Elisabeth hadn't yet learned to play the game, how to seperate their true selves that shared the few private moments between them from the characters they had to play for the public eye. Lucent and Elisabeth were much different people than the Alpha Mane and the Lieutenant Vaughn. However much Lucent despised the narrow-minded class and sex-based hierarchy held by much of their race, it was a society he was working to change from within....he didn't just have to meet it's expectations, he had to exceed them until the time was right. And that time was not today.

It wasn't even that Elisabeth was merely a Female challenging a Male, or merely a Lieutenant challenging an Alpha....it was that she was an Evertail challenging a Fang...the Fang. Her words and actions, and Lucent's responses to them, reflected on the power dynamic of their Alliance. To give her even this small, well-meant gesture meant admitting a need and weakness on his part towards Savic. As Elisabeth turned to leave, he caught the older russet-haired Alpha watching intently, wearing the sort of chilling smile that meant he either knew something, or thought he did.

Lucent met his eyes and maintained a neutral expression but for the slightest cock of an eyebrow...something that would translate to 'I know you know, and I don't care' It was the most he could do without giving anything away. He then turned back to where Elisabeth was stalking off, intent upon loosing her frustrations on her hapless man Bryant. The Mane Alpha found Lash He made a few gestures toward her, and turned back to Alpha Savic, but made sure his words were loud enough for Elisabeth to hear.

"I'm leaving my Lash to protect the Luna's and enforce discipline among the captives. A few may be....convinced, that they would rather live on our terms than suffer on those of their faithless fathers and mates. She can be very persuasive...." Lucent stated with a even look at his pale shadow, exactly where he had left her at his side, looking as distant as ever...but for her dark eyes following the brunette with unmistakable curiosity. She cracked her whip to emphasize his statement, with a genuine smile of her face that was twisted into something ugly by the five-line scar Khlia's claws had marked her with. While Savic might not have wanted her in his camp, a member of the Fang Elites was not a gift one could reject without giving insult.

"Tonight I've been lenient, sentimental, even....but let none mistake that for weakness. It's just that killing women of children brings no harm to our true enemies, Damon Redmoon and those that feast on his scraps. Alphas Davit and Mauric...." He stated, turning to regard to two that had shown the grace to accept his invitation, who showed momentary surprise at their inclusion in the conversation considering the uncertainty of their station under Lucent Mane, and quickly puffed out their chests to look able and proud."...Know this, I meant what I said when I raised you back up. That we are a family, a Pack of Packs. And just as any family has it's idiot cousins, it has it's scarred veterans and promising youths." He stated with a surprising amount of grace, tailoring compliments to stroke each man, the elder and the youngers, respective egos in such a way that they couldn't have realized he was only singling them out for praise because they happened to be the ones there at the moment.

"Your respective packs prosper and grow large, and so should your territories. And as Alphas, it is only right that you seize them with claw and fang. Train, prepare, coordinate your forces, and when next the moon goes black...be ready. It will be for you to have the honor of crossing the river and spilling first blood on Redmoon soil. I will give you no orders...Fang, Evertail, and all the others will fight beside you, but elsewhere, close enough to give aid but far enough as to not interfere. All glory and gains you make will be yours, and you will know it to be earned, not given." Lucent went on to explain, causing a stir in the crowd. Lucent was known for his meticulous management of time and place...this was not usually his way. But it was what they wanted to hear, and more importantly...it meant the traitor he suspected might be in their midst would know no more than they. If the Redmoon were prepared on the night of moon, it confirmed his suspicion. And if the outcome was a defeat...well, that wasn't his fault, the Nightwalkers and Skyclaw's should have fought harder. Lucent clapped his hands and rounded up his entourage, minus Lash, signaling that he was prepared to depart. Before he did, he turned to Savic, who seemed more animated that usual at this news...perhaps because it gave the other Alphas a goal to persue and robbed him of the opportunity to play on the concerns raised about Lucent. Or not. Either way, it kept him guessing. He then turned to his sister beside him, gesturing in the direction Elisabeth had gone.

"Dear sister, I believe Lieutenant Vaughn mentioned some warriors eager to join your nightly hunts, and other...nightly...activities. I'm sure she and Alpha Savic would like to give them a few inspiring words before sending them off." He added, almost as an aside of little importance, as to suggest that surely his friend and ally had approved such an exchange beforehand. Lucent greatly enjoyed the flash of confusion followed by a transition to anger that his counterpart adopted upon realizing what had been said.

--------------------

Khlia did not entirely understand the true nature of her brother's relationship with Elisabeth, nor did she care enough to make sense of the of the game of double-meanings and false smiles he played with the others Alphas. It was all extraneous to her real interests, such as weather she'd have time to take some wild game on the way back through the woods to fang land, finding out new and inventive ways to murder Redmoon spies, and how best to lord her new 'gifts' from Elisabeth over Alicia, who would have been able to share them with her if only she hadn't sunk her claws into Lucent first.

But she did know her brother, that the Mane blood ran just as thick in him as it did in her, and that the earlier confrontation, regardless of Elisabeth's intent, had wounded her usually calculating twin keenly. And that whatever he was scheming, be it with or against Savic, was his own confounding way of doing what any wounded animal would do, what she would do...biting back. She trudged off towards the building she knew by the smell of blood and sweat to be the Evertail warriors' den, where she knew she would find the aggrieved brunette.

[brokecollege]

Bryant could barely kick off his shoes and pull off his coat before Elisabeth was pulling the older male onto the mat and tossing a few throws in his directions. He managed to dodge them for the most part, though she still managed to get in a few good hits, even with all the dodging he'd done. The older male grunted and stumbled back, his hand immediately reaching up to touch the now tender spot on his chest. "Damn, Liz," he muttered.

"If you can't take them, then learn how to dodge." Elisabeth snapped, though she did not mean to. It wasn't Bryant who had angered her so, it was Lucent. And yet, Bryant was the only one there for Elisabeth to take her anger out on. She just... the woman huffed, her fists tightening as Bryant adjusted his footing. The world in which they lived was a cruel one, but it was especially cruel to women. It always had been.

Elisabeth had faced criticism and skepticism from every which direction... except for, of course, when it came to Lucent. And she had always been grateful for that--even if she never said it. But now.. she huffed, and swiftly dodged a throw that Bryant had aimed at her bad shoulder. Hmph. She supposed he wanted to get back at her for the throw she'd tossed into his chest. "Your form," she warned before subsequently tripping him. "If you don't watch your form you become an easy target. I've told you this before, Bryant. Now, get up." she ordered with a wave of her hand.

Bryant muttered a curse beneath his breath before he slowly pushed himself up from the ground. Elisabeth was normally an opponent to be reckoned with, but she was somehow always just a little more brutal when she was angry. Which was why he absolutely hated training with the brunette when she was angry. She wondered, was all that respect and courtesy he showed her just because he had wanted to get into her pants? Did he only treat her like an equal because he wanted more from her?

And if it wasn't like that, if he truly respected her and saw her as an equal, then why did he treat her like that in front of everyone? In front of her warriors, the Alphas, and even the hostages? Whatever the reason was, Elisabeth had worked hard for her position. She had spent years of blood, sweat, and tears clawing her way through the ranks to get where she was today. She deserved respect just like he and all of their warriors did--whether they were alone, or in front of a massive group like they were today.

Elisabeth stumbled back with a groan as Bryant landed a hit right in the middle of her stomach. She would have fallen to the ground, too, had she not grasped hold of a nearby wall to steady herself. Dammit. Once she had steadied herself, Elisabeth prepared to give back to Bryant what he'd so generously gifted to her, but the sight of a door opening stopped her. Elisabeth raised her hand, signaling for a pause, and then crossed her arms over her chest.

Khlia. Of course, it was Khlia. Lucent would never come to apologize, not so soon after a disagreement. Though, she wondered why Khlia was there. She wasn't exactly the kind of friend who sat down with you and talked about your feelings. Maybe, then, she was here for the men she'd been promised. "Khlia." she greeted with a sigh as she stepped off the training mat. "Have you come for Foster and the others? I assume they're all still outside with their patrols."

Elisabeth gestured vaguely outside. "I'll have Bryant gather them for you if you'd like. But, they have their orders. And that is to follow your word without question. Though, I hope you won't use that against them." she teased with a faint smile. Just because she was angry with one Mane twin, didn't mean she was angry with the other. Actually, she was kind of grateful for Khlia.

Who knew what would have happened had the woman not stepped up and separated Elisabeth and Lucent. Well, Elisabeth knew--and it wasn't pretty. "I'll send word if I need them back. But until then, please give them all the blood that they've been craving. Ah, and I'll send the others tonight. Hopefully, they won't drive you as crazy as they've been driving me."

[Damonique]

Khlia had stood in the cracked doorway for several moments, witnessing the the unlucky Bryant play the role of punching-bag for his frustrated Lieutenant, who was far more aggressive here than she'd ever seen her on the battlefield, where she was all about quick kills and reversals, always on her feet. Boxing, she stood straight-backed and threw out hammer-blow punches with precision, replacing any defense with exaggerated offense....which worked until clear distraction forced an opening and her fighter finally scored a solid strike. It was not good, that frustrations over something as trivial as Lucent being an ass could throw her so far off her game.

Finally, Elisabeth noticed the tribal woman looming in the doorway, and drove right into what she assumed Khlia was here for...clearly trying to appease her and get back to her brooding, rather than face the conversation that she surely knew was coming. Khlia crossed the length of the gym area in a long, loping stride and when she was close enough, cast her cold green eyes on Bryant.

"You, go get your hunt-brothers, and wait at the south entrance." She stated to the male, who admirably looked to his lieutenant for guidance rather than leave her alone with the usually less-than-reasonable twin so shortly after the earlier confrontation. Khlia mane had killed men for giving Lucent the wrong look...why would a woman insinuating cowardice get any lesser reaction? Khlia didn't know herself, truly...but was willing the give the woman to whom she was so very similar and different from at once the benefit of the doubt. She snarled at the impudent Bryant, but he held firm. She turned her gaze back to Elisabeth, a few paces away.

"Send him along, Elisabeth. If I wanted you dead, he'd already be on his way to the stars for standing between us. We will fight, though, and talk. Perhaps punching this face will make you feel better." She added, gesturing around her features...a very near replica of her brothers, with the same high cheekbones, broad nose, copper-gold skin, and piercing green eyes. Somewhere between a feminine pretty and masculine handsome, same as he. The difference was in the the battle injuries...while Lucent was flawless, in look if not in personality, Khlia proudly wore an assortment of off-white scars on her cheeks, neck, and brow, and her nose was crooked, having been broken in one direction and re-broken the other way in seperate fights. She smiled, and slowly raised her fists, as if to prove she was serious.

"Lucent and Savic are waiting for me to fetch you...but I'm a bitch, no whipped dog following orders. They can wait and say nice things to each other that they don't mean, and talk about who they'll make kill who for them. Why them, not us? I kill good, you lead good. Better team than they will ever be." She stated in her usual blunt and stilted manner that still managed to be profound. She loved her brother, but found his way of thinking as tedious as it was brilliant. She understood that Savic had been a fighter of renown in his day, but the sun was starting to set on his day.

For all he doted on his Luna, she had never given him a son...and age said she never would. That was why so many thought he kept Elisabeth as his lieutenant...the same reason Alpha Blaise had taken Lucent on as his, with Khlia's 'assistance'. An heirless and aging Alpha was always in danger of being overthrown by some younger, bolder man with the support of the warriors. But a woman, or a hated tribal? Surely neither posed a threat...or so they thought. If it weren't for Lucent's interference, Elisabeth had been on track to be the first Lunalpha the city had ever seen. Maybe she still could be....such a shame she was such a loyal little soldier. But if Savic died...well...

[brokecollege]

Khlia closed the distance between her and Elisabeth before she finally cast her gaze to Bryant, and ordered for him to grab the others and head to the south entrance. But, he did not move even an inch. Instead, he turned to look at Elisabeth, as if waiting for her approval on the matter. Khlia snarled at this, obviously displeased with being ignored. She then turned to Elisabeth and told her to send him along.

Elisabeth snickered at the woman's comment before she looked over her shoulder at Bryant, who stood there in a tense position with a firm gaze. She was a lucky Lieutenant, to be blessed with the few loyal men that she had. Even when she was angry, and even when she took her anger out on them, they remained loyally under her command. "Go." she commanded softly, "Get the others and wait at the south entrance. I will be there soon to bid you all farewell."

Bryant, although still visibly hesitant, nodded in understanding and bowed his head. He gathered his coat and his shoes at the edge of the mat before he was off, and heading outside into the evening breeze. Once the door had been shut, Elisabeth dropped her arms from over her chest and turned her attention back to the tall, tribal woman in front of her. "We will fight," Elisabeth agreed, "But not because your face reminds me of his."

She turned suddenly, and slowly made her way back to the middle of the mat. "We fight because, if I win, I want the bragging rights." Though, if they were to win she truly doubted that she would win. At least, she doubted that she would win this fight. Her mind was not in the right place, and when a fighter's mind was not aligned with their body then they could not fight to the best of their ability--as so proven when Bryant had managed to jab her in the gut.

But, perhaps a few punches from Khlia could fix that for her. The Lieutenant rose a brow when the woman stated that she had actually come to fetch Elisabeth for Lucent and Savic? What could those two possibly want? Savic probably wanted to discuss matters regarding the hostages and the patrol units, and Lucent... Elisabeth frowned. She did not want to think about Lucent right now, nor what he wanted from her.

Khlia continued, saying that while she may have been a bitch she was no dog, and she wouldn't be ordered around by them. Elisabeth chuckled and shook her head--she could count on Khlia to never change her attitude. She always only had two things on her mind: fucking and fighting. And it never changed, at least not in the time Elisabeth had known the brunette.

"Because they are men." Elisabeth reminded. "As good as we are together, the world will never accept us as much as they accept them." Elisabeth and Khlia were a good team, and have proven it on multiple occasions. But even with all of the good work that they did, they'd never be acknowledged or accepted as much as Savic and Lucent were. She pursed her lips in thought before she sighed and shook her head.

"Shall we fight, then?" she questioned as she adjusted her feet on the mat, "Hurry now, darling Khlia, we haven't got all day. It won't be long before the feared Alphas burst in here looking for us." she warned teasingly.

[Damonique]

"Sad facts...I've wondered myself how things would be if I been the one to come out with a cock between my legs....when we were little, few could tell the two of us apart. We'd dress in one anothers clothes and go to each others lessons with no one the wiser. It's how he learned to braid hair, stitch wounds, and raise up pup, and I learned to fight and hunt and hide my feelings. But then these came in..." She stated, gesturing around her ample bust in an exaggerated manner.

"..,and put a stop to that. And oh how they came in...hat's when I learned that men were dumb, but had their uses." She continued with an amused snort, enjoying the banter that, for her, passed for 'girl talk' for a bit longer before the younger woman gave her the teasing invitation to get on with it. So she did just that, and true to form, Khlia was not one for pulling her punches.

With over a foot of height and at least thirty pounds of muscle over Elisabeth, she used that reach and power to her advantage. She threw left and right hooks with so much weight behind them that the brunette was forced to dodge instead of block, leaving her always on the back foot while the Mane twin drove her inexorably towards the wall. Even between the flurry of hammer-blow punches, Khlia found the breath to keep talking...or at least, what passed for it, when her focus was in the fight.

"You should not have spoken as you did to brother. You care, and worry. That makes you good. But good was..." She wrinkled her brow in thought, looking for a word that wasn't 'Bad'. Khlia knew bad...and Elisabeth was not that. "...not-good, there, then. He could not take your kindness, show thanks, show emotion. Can't let it look like he has any, not where the world can see....not anymore. I was big and mean and bad, so he coud be who he was. Quiet and gentle and good....until I wasn't there. Then he had to learn to be not-good." She went on in a roundabout way, showing a surprising amount of emotion in the plain regret that seeped into her features at the later statement...and for once, Khlia Mane let her own emotions get the best of her, reacting too slow to block one of her opponents increasingly furious, and desperate, counters.

Elisabeth's fist caught Khlia square on lip, and momentum raked it with the knuckle,just so to split it with a sudden spray of crimson that quickly ebbed off to a slow trickle. It was a graze, nothing more...but it was still blood. The elder woman held still for a moment, wide nostrils flaring like a bulls at the copper tang she smelled, tongue flicking out to taste it, the whites of her eyes fading to yellow, large green pupils narrowing to canine slits as she reared back and tensed her long fingers and they became sharp nails, readying to make a move that would never belong in a sparring match.

[brokecollege]

What would have been different, Khlia wondered out loud, if she had been with a cock between her legs. That was something that Elisabeth, too, wondered often about. How different would her life have been if her mother had given birth to a son, and not a daughter? Perhaps, she would have risen to her current rank much more quickly. And, perhaps she would be dead.

Khlia explained that when the twins were little, few could tell them apart. And so they did what every pair of twins did--they swapped clothes and go to each other's lessons. That was why they had turned out the way that they had, with Khlia as a warrior and Lucent as the leader behind the scenes. They continued to fool everyone around them for years, she said, until her breasts developed. Then.. well, things changed.

Elisabeth smirked as the conversation ended, and Khlia followed after her to the center of the mat. The fight began with much warning, though Elisabeth didn't really expect one. Khlia wasn't known to follow anyone's rules but her own, so she doubted that the woman followed the rules of sparring. The older woman towered over Elisabeth, throwing punch after punch.

Elisabeth could barely dodge one punch before the next one was heading her way. Which was why she was surprised when, in the middle of throwing all of her punches, Khlia had enough breath to speak. But only to scold Elisabeth, of course. She shouldn't have spoken to Lucent as she had, she stated in between her punches. Elisabeth cared, and worried, which was both good and bad. Lucent couldn't have possibly accepted her offer in public. Not when everyone was out there, watching them.

Elisabeth pursed her lips as she dodged yet another powerful punch. When Khlia put it that way... well, she was probably right. If Lucent had accepted Elisabeth's offer of protection in front of the Alphas, and the warriors, then he would be looked down upon. What kind of Alpha accepts help from a Lieutenant, much less a woman? But, that didn't mean he had to treat her as he had. He hadn't had to talk down to her, to be so condescending in front of everyone.

Or, at least, that's what she thought. An opening suddenly emerged between Khlia's powerful punches, and Elisabeth took advantage of it. She threw a half-hearted punch, though was not expecting for it to actually hit Khlia. So when it did, she was just as stunned as Khlia. Khlia took a moment to assess the damage by licking over her now bloodied lip before her features darkened.

Oh, shit. Elisabeth took a few steps backward, her dark eyes watching as Khlia's fingers turned into sharp and dangerous nails. Oh shit, indeed. Elisabeth would have reminded the woman that they were only in a sparring match, not an actual battle if she thought that would have mattered to the woman. But Khlia didn't obey the rules of anyone--sparring match included.

"Khlia." Elisabeth quietly warned as she lifted her fists up in preparation of what was no doubt about to begin, "Don't do it."

[Damonique]

Neither of them could have expected anything they did to each other here to spill blood, the match was meant in good faith between friends, the split lip an accident of angle, momentum, and most of all Khlia's own careless distraction. But she was unprepared for it, and all of that reasoning meant little and less when the blood and pain registered. The smell of any blood in the air was enough to start Khlia on the path towards gleeful massacre, but for it to be her own blood was something else. Challenge, danger, a threat to the people...a threat to be ended.

It was a good thing Elisabeth's own warrior instinct to defend herself had kicked in, as the enraged tribal threw herself at the source of the danger, claws swinging in a wild arc that, unless something was done, would sink them right into the brunette's throat. But at the last second of the brunette's final warning, they stopped,. The mad dash became an awkward stumble that sent the larger woman careening into Elisabeth, the two colliding heavily and falling in a tangle of limbs on the thankfully-padded flooring of the training room.

Even in an addled state, Khlia responded to the new situation in moments, flipping to regain the initiative, place herself on top, and pinning one of Elisabeth's legs with a knee and bringing a broad forearm to lock her shoulder. But it was an improvement, wrestling over bloodshed. They scuffled for a moment as muscle fought muscle until either Khlia secured her grapple or Elisabeth ceased resisting, and the larger woman finally looked down at her quarry with half-canine eyes, panting heavily as she inhaled deeply of the mingled sweat and fear-scent, head cocked to one side so her braid, loosened and tangled in the fighting, fell across one predatory green eye...but the visible one was softening as understanding sunk in.

"Evertail. Ally. Elisabeth. For Brother. No Kill." She muttered, each word coming between deep breaths, and closed her eyes for a moment before reopening them mostly-human again, wearing a puzzled expression as she looked over their surrounding and then back to Elisabeth. And then, perplexingly, she smiled...after all, it was not in Khlia Mane to show remorse or make apologies, deserved or not.

"I win, Elisabeth. Mane proves the stronger. Still, bloody lip is no small feat for large man to achieve, much less small woman. Take pride." She stated with a smirk and rolled to her side, shaking her head several times to get her hair back behind her eyes and rising unsteadily to her feet, offering a hand to the stunned Evertail Lieutenant. Elisabeth would recognize this peculiar Mane behavior from Lucent....simply pretending that something they didn't like had never happened at all. It was a frustrating, unhealthy habit they shared...but one it was usually prudent to play along with.

[brokecollege]

Khlia lunged for what Elisabeth knew was her throat but hesitated at the last moment. Her lunge became a stumble, and then suddenly both she and Elisabeth were on the ground with the wind knocked out of them. Elisabeth thought that she had gotten through to Khlia at the last moment of the woman's attack. She thought that perhaps the woman had snapped out of it and realized who she was with and what she was about to do.

She had thought, but she was wrong. Immediately after breath was back in her lungs, Khlia flipped the two so she was now on top. And Elisabeth... well, she just fought to keep herself alive at this point. First, she tried to get herself out from under Khlia. But if Khlia knew how to do one thing in a fight, it was to trap her prey. And that's exactly what she did to Elisabeth. When she saw that Elisabeth tried to use her legs, Khlia pinned them down with her knee.

And when Elisabeth attempted to use her upper body strength, Khlia broad down one of her broad arms to lock her shoulder. Shit, fuck, shit. But, that did not stop Elisabeth from fighting against the older woman. She fought and fought, struggling beneath her until she could no longer gather the energy to do so. Her eyes met Khlia's half-canine ones, and she prepared herself for the worst.

Except, nothing came. Khlia's eyes softened and, in between deep and labored breaths, she began to mutter to herself. It was so quiet, that Elisabeth could hardly make out what she said. Ally, definitely. Something about Elisabeth, something about Lucent, and then... she stopped, and a smile curled on her lips. She won. Elisabeth released a breath of relief and closed her eyes as her head dropped back onto the mat.

Khlia rolled off of Elisabeth, and the woman lifted a hand to her forehead in obvious relief. Never again did she want to be on the wrong side of Khlia Mane's wrath. The woman was unstoppable in the face of her rage. Elisabeth pushed herself up into a sitting position just as Khlia stood to her feet. Khlia mentioned the cut lip Elisabeth had gifted her with, but not the rage Khlia had felt as a result, or the toss and tumble they'd just had.

She huffed and placed her hand in Khlia's to pull herself up. Yet another similarity between Khlia and her brother. If they did not like something that had happened, then they did not discuss it because to them, it did not exist. But she didn't really mind it this time around. She would gladly forget the time when Khlia nearly killed her during a sparring match. Elisabeth ran her hands through her messy hair as if to tame it some before she pulled it into a loose bun.

The young Lieutenant then turned to Khlia, whose hair was just as messy and wild as Elisabeth's had been. Pieces of her brown hair had been pulled from its usually tight braid, and a good portion of her hair hung over her eyes, leaving only one of them visible. And yet, Khlia did not seem to mind it a single bit. "I am proud." Elisabeth stated with a smirk, "I fought you, and survived. Not many can say the same."

Elisabeth adjusted her shirt before she made her way off the mat and towards the door. "Shall we go see the Alphas now? I'm sure they're positively fuming at how long you've taken to fetch me." She doubted that--if anything, the two were probably using this time to discuss this strategy and that strategy, figuring out what next move would prove to be more beneficial to them. "And we don't want to keep Bryant waiting too long. I'm sure he's gathered the others by now," she added in a hum.

[Damonique]

While Khlia would never go so far as to apologize, there was a subtle flash of relief, and perhaps even the slightest bit of remorse in her expression as she helped haul Elisabeth back to her feet, and heard the brunette offer praise for the compliment rather than condemnation for what had just taken place...and with a sincerity that proved it wasn't merely out of fear of what her aggressor might do next. Again, Elisabeth Vaughn proved herself so very different.

Herself, Khlia could never imagine allowing such mistreatment to pass without immediate, and inevitably violent retaliation, but Elisabeth let it pass as another fact of life. A lifetime of fighting and clawing her way against the odds, rising above prejudice towards her sex and station had left the Evertail with a seemingly, hopefully, infinite reserve of patience. And if there was anything her beloved brother needed, it was patience. She kept her gaze on the woman's amber eyes for several wordless moments, refusing to release her hand...though the grip was more pleading that forceful.

"Brother does not deserve you, Elisabeth. No man does. I will not tell you to love...but to care, to support. That could you do? A storm is coming, blood and death. I smell it on the wind. He will need strength during, and healing after. If any of us survive." Khlia finally intoned, solemnly, and immediately broke the contact between both their eyes and hands, as if physically recoiling from showing such pitiful emotion openly, distracting herself with a half-hearted attempt to set her mangled braid back into place and only making it worse in the process. Something to note there was that it would be the first time Elisabeth had ever seen the words 'blood' or 'death' come out of the redoubtable Khlia Mane's mouth without putting a smile on her face.

There was a momentary, awkward silence as Khlia waited an answer, but before Elisabeth could give one, she shrugged her shoulders, rejecting it, and began stalking off towards the open door. Whatever took place between her friend and brother now would be between the two of them. A few steps in, she beaconed behind her for Elisabeth to walk beside her. Whatever the so-called leaders, even her dear brother, thought, was of little consequence. What could they say or do to them, now? She and Elisabeth would be needed, out there, fighting their wars for them. If they won, all would be forgiven. If they died, nothing that happened before or after would matter.

[brokecollege]

Khlia suddenly took hold of Elisabeth's hand and, in a sort of solemn voice, stated that Lucent did not deserve her. No man deserved her, she said. Elisabeth's lips parted slightly--where was this coming from? And, more importantly, why did Khlia seem to think that? Elisabeth may have been worlds different from the Mane twins, but even still that did not mean she was perfect.

Elisabeth was as imperfect as any other being in the world--wolf, or human. Khlia would not tell Elisabeth to love him, she added, but to care and support him. A storm was coming, and Lucent would need the strength and healing of another if any of them were to survive. Elisabeth's lips opened more as if to respond to her friend's sudden solemn words, but nothing came out. What could Elisabeth say?

Everything that Khlia had said, and the way in which it had all been said, was surprising. Elisabeth would have had to take several minutes to think everything over before she could even begin to formulate an actual, coherent response. But Khlia didn't wait for Elisabeth's response. Instead, she released the girl's hand and then walked over to the door. But, she only got a few steps away before she turned to Elisabeth to gesture for the woman to follow her.

The young Lieutenant snapped out of her thoughts to clear her throat and nod her head before catching up to Khlia. She walked with the older woman across the Evertail territory, with little to no words being spoken between them. However, Elisabeth didn't mind the silence. It was just what she needed after both their fight and the sudden emotional conversation Khlia had with her.

The pair found Savic and Lucent not too far from where Elisabeth had last seen them; lingering around the area in which the hostages had been chained. But the hostages were now gone, much like the crowd who had once surrounded them. Now it was only Lucent, Savic, and a few warriors meant to act as their guards as the two men discussed this and that. "Savic," Elisabeth greeted with a bow of her head. She gave Lucent the same (if not a little more hesitant) bow of her head but did not greet him. "You wished to speak with me?"

She was still mad. Still upset, still frustrated. And yet, she was not entirely as mad as she had been before. She had Khlia to thank for that.

[Damonique]

Simply so she wouldn't be surprised, Khlia spent the time it took to walk back to the center of the camp explaining to Elisabeth in the simplest possible terms what Lucent had been up to after she had stormed off in a huff,....the joint Nightwaker/Skyclaw attack into the nearest Redmoon territories he had planned, and how she imagined Fang and Evertail fighters might play into it. They came upon the leaders standing where they had been left, speaking privately with only their own guards, the other two Alphas having departing to make preparations in their own territory.

"...of course I won't leave those two entirely unsupervised. I've already spoken to Jameson Thunderhowl...he and his men will be close. If the fighting turns against us, he'll be there to blunt any counterattack. And if it goes too well, he'll dive in and take a share of the credit and territory." Lucent was explaining to Savic. Of course it was just like him to make a grand show of blessing Mauric and Davit with his complete trust, only to later reveal he had been hedging his bets from the outset. Savic would enjoy the irony.

Their plotting was interrupted by the arrival of their respective lieutenants, and neither could hide their surprise at how Khlia and Elisabeth's battered appearances...frankly, they both looked like hell, like they'd been attacked. But their shared smiles said all Lucent needed to know about what they had been up to, and he let out an exasperated sigh. Savic, who had been fully prepared to publicly lay into his lieutenant for going behind his back about the warriors, only seemed further perplexed. Khlia interrupted before either Alpha could get a word out, not even bothering with even the most cursory show of respect upon their approach, scowling slightly when the younger woman beside her did the opposite, giving every courtesy and show of supplication. She was not surprised, though...evading conflict was her way as much as seeking it out was Khlias.

"I knew your talk would bore me, borrowed your lieutenant for something productive. Good challenge hard to come by, 'lizbeth did not disappoint. Will not apologize, but brother can for me, if he likes. He should apologize more, keeps him humble." She stated bluntly, slipping in a not-so-veiled barb for those in know, her words for the both of them but aimed squarely at Lucent, who seemed taken aback, even embarrassed at being chided so abruptly. Even Lash, usually ever-so-quiet off to the side, let out an barely-audible giggle at the reversal. It was clear who's corner Khlia was in when it came to the dominance games he was playing with Elisabeth, and it wasn't his. He shouldn't have been surprised by that.

"Seems I can't send my sister to do anything without her finding a way to fight someone over something. I never could keep her from her play, though this time, it appears she bit of nearly more than she could chew in your girl." Lucent stated with all the grace he could muster, that being little speaking to Savic but keeping his eyes fixed squarely on Elisabeth. Bedraggled as she was, the brunette seemed quite content with herself.

[brokecollege]

Before Savic could scold Elisabeth, as he so desperately seemed to want to do, Khlia informed the two Alphas that she had borrowed Elisabeth for something more productive than quiet, strategic conversation. A good challenge was hard to come by, she said, and Elisabeth had proven to be quite the challenge. But as much of a challenge as Elisabeth had proven to be in their scramble, Khlia still came out on top. Though, Elisabeth was surprised when Khlia didn't mention her win.

Her surprise for what Khlia had lacked to speak about was quickly outshined though by the surprise of what the woman said next. Elisabeth knew that while the twins were close, they did not agree on everything. In fact, she didn't think they agreed on much. But, Elisabeth thought that Khlia would always defend her brother in the end, no matter what. So to have Khlia toss a barb at her brother in Elisabeth's defense was.. surprising. She wondered if Khlia was trying to break the record for how many times she could surprise a person in one day.

Even Lash, who stood quietly off to the side watching the interaction, was even surprised (and amused) by the interaction. So amused, in fact, that she actually let out a giggle. Elisabeth didn't even know the woman was capable of such a joyful sound until now. Savic looked between the three as the tensions between them (more specifically, the twins) rose.

Such an interesting, and so very perplexing, situation. Interesting because Khlia had publically taken a jab at her brother, and perplexing for that very same reason. Even when the twins disagreed about things, Savic had never known them to publicly poke at one another. And yet when the issue seemed to concern Elisabeth... he pursed his lips and looked towards his young, and rather disheveled, Lieutenant.

He wondered what it was about her that affected the twins so. Lucent was attracted to her because she was a woman, and Khlia was attracted (though, he felt her attraction was more platonic than her brother's) to her because she was a female warrior. But, it had to go beyond that. There was something more about Elisabeth that made the twins act the way that they did, at least where it concerned her.

While Elisabeth pursed her lips at Lucent's comment, Savic grunted. He and Khlia both. "As most usually do with her," he replied as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Lieutenant--" Savic spoke, causing Elisabeth's gaze to immediately shift from Lucent to her Alpha. "Were you ever planning to come and speak to me about sending my warriors off with the Fangs?" he questioned.

Elisabeth opened her mouth to respond, but Savic quickly pulled a hand from his chest and held it in the air. A signal for Elisabeth to remain quiet, and one she listened to without question. "Not now, Elisabeth. We'll have this conversation later when everyone's gone home. In the meantime, the Fangs will have the warriors that you promised them," he informed. Elisabeth bit the inside of her cheek, and then slowly bowed her head. "Yes, sir." she murmured.

Savic stared down his Lieutenant for a moment longer before his attention returned to Lucent. "Things seem to be going according to plan for now. But, do send word if you hear that things are turning south. I would like to remain ahead of the problems for as long as we can." he explained. Though how long they could do that, he didn't know. Things could only go your way for so long before things began to unfold in your hands--that's what Savic had always thought, at least.

"And I'll keep watch of Mauric and Davit, as well as the others on my end. They trust my judgment, for now, so I'll take advantage of that while I still can," he informed with quiet breath. Then, he turned back to Elisabeth. "I'll leave it to you to escort the Fangs then, Elisabeth. Come to my study as soon as you're available. We've still some matters to discuss before the night's end." Savic ordered. Oh, joy. That's just what Elisabeth wanted--to end an exhausting day with work that could bore her to sleep!

And then with a dismissive wave, Savic was off and heading back into his house, leaving the trio standing in the growing dark. Elisabeth waited until Savic had disappeared in his house before she turned back towards the twins. She was quiet for a moment as if thinking about what to say and what to do before she turned to Khlia and smiled. "I enjoyed our conversation. And our fight. I'll have to challenge you to a rematch soon." she hummed before continuing, "Should we go and meet with Bryant and the others at the South gate?"

[Damonique]

Lucent had been preparing for this conversation to go another way. He'd intentionally struck a nerve in Savic by implying his ever-so-trusted lieutenant would go behind his back for the benefit of Lucent and the Fangs, predicting the elder Alpha to berate her, to which Lucent would magnanimously come to her defense, getting back on her good side while trying to drive a wedge between the two that could only serve to push her closer to them.

Lucent had been playing such confidence games, quite successfully, for a long while. But as always when it came to the object of his attention, things had a way of unraveling. And now his sister was taking an active part in confounding him. Elisabeth would surely still get some censure from Savic, if only to assert dominance. But after this display, it would be overshadowed by the reminder that she was his most valuable asset, a unique card he should keep her happy and close at hand in case he need to play it...because none of them knew exactly how things would go if Elisabeth was set against them by her leader. Whatever fondness she might feel for the twins, personally, she was Evertail, not Fang, and betrayal was not in her nature.

"It's good that we agree in these things, Savic. The beauty in this...arrangement, with the once-and-now Alphas, is ensuring that so long as we stand together we are too strong for any of the others, individually or together, to challenge our dominance, and we must keep it that way. Until the next time, friend." Lucent stated in way of parting, offering a slight bow of recognition before he turned away, knowing all present to hear it knew such an codependence cut both ways. Unless they kept faith with each other, their own allies would tear them down for a chance to replace them.

When Elisabeth stated her intention to join the Fang party to see off her wrriors at the gate, Lucent was quick to sidle up beside her on the other side from his twin, and wave off Grigory and Lash to follow at a respectful distance so the three could speak with at least the impression of privacy. Not that the other two wouldn't be listening, but the massive veteran was Fang, through and through, and Lash would never spill their secrets, if only because that would require starting a conversation in the first place. He sighed and turned towards Elisabeth as they started off.

"Damn her, but Khlia is right. I should apologize...not for what I meant, but how I said it was uncalled for. But next time, think about appearances, Elisabeth. Everything that I, that we are trying to achieve..." Lucent started off, already making it clear that this apology wouldn't be much of one...and also raising the question of when precisely Elisabeth had joined that nebulous 'we' that went beyond the Twins or even the Fangs.

"...turns on making them buy into the legend of the man that fool Huntsworn boy raged against. Lucent Mane, savage, soulless, and utterly without scruples. Savic's too smart to fall for it, but the rest are eating it up. Let them, and enjoy being one of the favored few who knows better." He finished....coming from anyone else, it would sound like the height of egotism, this savior complex that Lucent Mane showed in every word and deed. But Elisabeth also knew that he believed every word of it. His twin, for her part, was less impressed...it was hard for her to seperate the scared little boy she remembered from the man he'd grown into.

"Could have just said 'sorry', brother. Quick, easy, to the point. But that's not you." She stated with a derisive snort as they approached the south entrance, where Khlia's chief subordinate Bryant and her four 'Braves', as Khlia called them, Foster, Mason, and Ceasar were waiting, accompanied by Lucent's chained 'prize', the young Elvira Huntsworn, who had finally cried herself out and was simply standing there, quivering like a leaf, numb to the worl. For all their loyalty, even Elisabeth's Evertail Elites seemed uncomfortable with the task of keeping her upright.

[brokecollege]

When Lucent realized that Elisabeth had intended to leave, he quickly shifted positions so that he was on the other side of her. Elisabeth wasn't too happy with his new position, but she didn't stop him. The three then turned and made their way towards the south entrance of the Evertail territory, though what Elisabeth had hoped would turn out to be a quiet walk was not.

Lucent almost immediately spoke, with the first thing coming out of his mouth being a curse directed towards Khlia. And then, an... apology? Elisabeth turned her head to look at Lucent in surprise as he delivered (what some might refer to as) a poor excuse of an apology. But even if it was a poor apology, it was still an apology. And that was much more than Lucent had ever given her in their previous fights and disagreements.

While Elisabeth seemed somewhat moved by it, Khlia did not. She snorted as she informed her brother that he could have simply given the girl a single "sorry," it was simple and to the point. But, that wasn't Lucent. Elisabeth glanced over at Khlia before she placed a gentle hand on the older woman's back as if to quietly tell her that it was alright. Then, she turned back to Lucent and nodded her head. "I accept your apology." she murmured. "But treat me like that again, Lucent, and I can't promise that I won't bite back."

Elisabeth dropped her hand from Khlia's back just as the trio arrived at the south gate. Along with four of Elisabeth's best stood Elvira Huntsworn--well, she wasn't standing so much as she was being held up by Caesar and Mason. When the four warriors noticed Elisabeth (and the twins standing beside her), they immediately paused what they were doing to bow their heads in respect.

Elisabeth stepped forward and crossed her arms back over her chest. "If you have not already heard your orders from Bryant, then here they are: you are to follow the orders of the Mane twins without question. If they say to kill, you kill. If they say to sleep, you sleep. And if they say to fuck--" she glanced over her shoulder and at Khlia with a teasing smirk, before turning her attention back to her men. "--then you fuck. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, ma'am." came their unified response. "How long will we be under the Fangs for?" Caesar, ever the one to question everything, asked. He briefly adjusted his grip on the girl that he held--but not to keep her up, but rather push her slightly away from him. He had never liked children, especially teenagers. So, holding a hostage child up who had been crying for the last hour was the last thing he wanted to do. "For a few days, after you've all stretched out your claws and tasted some blood. Then, I will send word for you four to return," she informed. Caesar nodded his head in understanding, and as soon as he did Elisabeth spun back around to face the twins.

"Alright, they're ready for you." Elisabeth stated as her arms dropped to her sides. "Do take good care of them, Khlia. They are some of my best." she requested with a smile.

[Damonique]

Elisabeth seemed genuinely mollified by Lucent's best attempt at an apology, accepting it for what it was without hesitation despite Khlia's objections. And it wasn't that Lucent didn't genuinely want to be kinder to her...she knew well by now that 'friendly' didn't even begin to describe the manner if relationship he wanted. But the brunette had made it perfectly clear she was disinterested, if not dead-set against the idea. For now, at least they would carry on as allies, confidants, perhaps even friends. No more or less.

Without breaking stride, perhaps emboldened by spending too much talking to Khlia, Elisabeth couldn't help herself from adding that that she wasn't about to give him a full pardon for his behavior, promising that the next time he tried to treat her as his inferior, she wasn't going to roll over quite so easily. Lucent could expect nothing less, personally surprised they hadn't come closer to blows themselves earlier. Now that would have been a disaster.

"I wouldn't have it any other way...but next time, just bottle up your righteous indignation to unleash on me all at once, one on one. I'm never far. Say your going hunting and cross into former Whiteclaw territory, give three short howls...yours is quite distinct, someone will hear and tell me. I'll come." Lucent promised, and meant it...in fact, he didn't know if he could keep himself from coming when Elisabeth came calling even if he wanted to. Khlia gave two two of them a knowing smirk, and clapped Elisabeth on the shoulder, clearly pleased by this development. From her straightforward point of view, the Alpha and Lieutenant were just being silly, dancing around the inevitable.

They walked together in a happy semisilence broken up only by idle chatter about goings-on in their respective packs until they reached the assembled Evertail warriors, and Elisabeth detached herself from the Mane twins and was back to her usual persona as a leader of men. Lucent couldn't deny that she was very good in her current role, tough to her men, but never unreasonable and they responded to that with freely-given obedience and even affection. She and Khlia's discussion earlier held true...if only she had been a man, she would have been leading the Evertail pack by now. When Elisabeth turned her soldiers over to Khlia and stepped aside, the tribal woman decided it was only fitting to give them a few of her own words.

"You heard my hunt-sister. Until she says different, you are mine. I've seen you fight, against Whiteclaw and Stormfur and Freerunner. I know your worth. If you were Fangs, I would be glad to gift you each my mark this very night..." She stated, opening with praise and gesturing to the five-line scars worn by Lash and Grigori behind her, the token of esteem that set them apart from the line warriors. She suddenly grew serious. "...I am fair, but I can be harsh. I will not stand for cowardice, nor laziness, nor infighting over kills and women and prizes. We fight together, celebrate together, mourn together. That is my way, and now it is yours." She finished, inspecting over each of Elisbeth's redoubtable warriors in turn and seeming pleased with her assessment.

It was going to be a fun few days, she thought. The only one that gave her pause was the blonde one, Caesar. He was handsome enough, and seemed to know it, that roguish grin had surely won him a girl or ten. But she didn't like the way he spoke to Elisabeth. It was a shame Lucent had traded Lash for them....she could have 'rewarded' that one with a night with the raven-haired sadist, and all that machismo and confidence would be gone by sunrise. Speaking of which, she turned to Elisabeth, bringing aclawed to her lips and letting out a trilling three-note whistle. Lash dropped all pretense of her usual standoffish demeanor, went rigid and flew into motion, at her leaders side in an instant, cool blue eyes regarding Elisabeth intensely.

"Lucent tells me he will be giving you my Lash. She will be a silent shadow, eyes open and whip at the ready, just that whistle away. You should have little trouble with your prisoners and Omegas, with her by your side. Just find cause to use her often enough to keep her entertained, and you'll get along famously. Give it a try." She implored Elisabeth, demonstrating the three fingers she had used to whistle that pitch...her eyes saying it was important to remember to whistle.

[brokecollege]

Lucent wouldn't have it any other way, he said. But he would rather she unleashed her anger on him all at once, one on one. Would Khlia allow that, she wondered? If she ever wanted to, though, all she had to do was go out onto what was once Whiteclaw territory and give three, short howls. Someone would hear them and report them to Lucent. And then, Lucent would arrive shortly after. Well... Elisabeth just might take him up on that offer sometime.

Once Elisabeth's orders had been given to her men, Khlia stepped up to give her own. Though, they weren't so much orders as they were warnings. Warnings which each of Elisabeth's men would need to heed if they wanted to return to their pack and their people alive. Bryant seemed the least worried about Khlia's warnings--they were easy enough to follow, really. Don't be a coward, and do as you were told.

Foster didn't mind too much, either. It was Caesar and Mason who seemed the least receptive of the orders. But regardless of whether or not the four men listened to, or worried about these new orders, they still nodded their heads and released another unified, "Yes, ma'am." Khlia took another moment to look each warrior over before she turned to Elisabeth. She lifted her fingers to her lips and let out a trilling whistle.

Lash, who had been standing nearby, was at her leader's side in a second. How well trained she was. Elisabeth's men were good, and they followed orders without question (for the most part, anyway) but none were so trained that they would be at Elisabeth's side in under a second if she whistled. She wondered how Khlia had trained Lash like that, and if all of her elites were trained in the same way.

Elisabeth was to receive Lash, she said. Lucent's orders. Elisabeth's eyes widened slightly in surprise--since when? Perhaps this new development had formed when Elisabeth had stormed off with Bryant, right before Khlia had joined her for a fight. Or, maybe it was before they had even stepped onto Evertail territory. Elisabeth glanced curiously over at Lucent while Khlia gave Elisabeth instructions regarding the girl.

Elisabeth didn't mind receiving one of Khlia's elites--they were odd wolves, each and every one of them, but they were entertaining and a good fight. But, why must she receive the one who never uttered a word, and who was known to train Omegas in their ways? Were the twins trying to make the woman feel uncomfortable? With a bit of hesitation, Elisabeth lifted three fingers to her lips and let out a whistle.

[Damonique]

Even though she surely had to be expecting it, Lash seemed startled by the trilling sound that issued forth from Elisabeth's lips, and in a maneuver that would put an ballerina to shame, turned on the tip of one stilletto heel and took three steps back to stand beside and slightly behind the Evertail Lieutenant.

Her half-lidded blue eyes regarded Elisabeth cool, considering and judging her new, temporary mistress. But whatever reservations she had didn't stop her from lowering her head in a gesture of complete and total obsciescence.

"Understand what we're trusting you with, Elisabeth, and keep your people well out of her way. She doesn't like being touched." Lucent stated to Elisabeth with a slight edge to his tone for emphasis, and gestured for his party to get moving.

"'Until next time, 'Lisbeth. Hopefully your boys will come back with stories to tell." Khlia said in parting before turning to follow, while her men finally bundled up Elvira Huntsworn, who was refusing to walk, and they all disappeared into the thickening trees, leaving Elisabeth and Lash alone at the gate.

" Miss them already..." The girl said in a tone that made it both a statement and a question in one, nudging the brunette with her elbow.

[brokecollege]

When she whistled, an obviously startled Lash turned on her heel so that she was standing beside, and ever so slightly behind, Elisabeth. The young Lieutenant glanced over her shoulder and at the esteemed warrior as she dropped her hand back to her side. It was so very interesting to see the extent of Lash's obedience. From what she could tell, it truly knew no bounds.

Lucent was the next of the trio to speak, but only to tell her to keep her people out of Lash's way. She doesn't like to be touched. Well, Lash didn't have to worry. Elisabeth wasn't going to be touching the woman any time soon. And, she would make sure her men did the same. With everything having been said, Lucent ordered for his group to depart. Khlia gave her own farewell to Elisabeth before they were off, leaving her and Lash alone.

Once the group had disappeared through the trees, Lash gave Elisabeth a gentle nudge with her elbow and spoke. Miss them already, she said, though it came out as both a statement and a question. Elisabeth released a sigh as she lifted a hand to her head--she didn't know. She didn't know what she felt, or how often she felt it. "You'll be sleeping in the Alpha's house tonight, in the room opposite of Luna Mallory's," Elisabeth informed as she turned to the warrior.

"Training starts at five in the morning. Since you aren't technically my warrior, you're not required to attend. You can participate if you'd like, or you can watch. But if you would prefer to do neither, then you'll be assigned to guard a portion of the hostages. And..." she sucked in a breath as she continued, "And if someone is misbehaving, then you'll be the first wolf notified to give them an attitude readjustment. Understood?"

[Damonique]

"Guard. Train. Teach." The younger woman said with the slightest nod to say she understood and would do all the things mentioned, totally without emotion but for the barest curve of a smile gracing her lips when Elisabeth explained that she would be the one delivering necessary punishments from this point forward. And so, with the dynamic and extent of their 'relationship' set, she proceeded to follow on Elisabeth's heels for the rest of the night, gliding along with a catlike grace. A silent shadow, just as Lucent had said...but whenever the Lieutenant turned around, there she'd be, staring at her as if trying to see directly into her soul.

Whenever Elisabeth stopped to speak with someone or perform some task, she would find the nearest corner and wait there invisibly until the brunette was on the move again. Eventually, when everything that she could do to put it off had been, she was forced to go meet with Savic, who surely had more than a few words to say about the days developments. While it could be assumed that the Alpha would want to speak to the lieutenant alone, Lash followed anyway, waiting patiently in the corner, wondering which, or either of them, would send her away.

------------------

The combined group of Fang and Evertail warriors forged through the former Whiteclaw packlands and crossed into Lucent's territory. At the border, a patrol of his warriors seemed to materialize out of thin air to greet and join them, no doubt drawn by the unfamiliar scents of Evertail and Huntsworn. Allies or not, the Fangs still guarded all of their borders, it seemed....or perhaps Lucent had arranged this show ahead of time precisely to give that impression, who could say?

And so Bryant, Foster, Mason, and Caesar got their first look at the beating heart of Lucent's ever-growing empire. While the Evertails own compound, and most of the other dens that they had seen were usually rustic and haphazard structures being expanded and added over the generations, the wide boulevard the Fangs occupied was clean, well-ordered, and built to plan like everything Lucent designed. Many buildings were being demolished a rebuilt further down on each side of the street as Lucent slowly bought it all up with the profits of his various, often unsavory side-businesses.

A group of Omegas finally relieved the Evertail warriors of their young burden, and proceeded with Lucent to the multi-story red brick building that was his command center, while Khlia led the fighters down a side street to what she called, and could only be, 'her place'. It was a bar, of course, it was always going to be a bar...and it was the seediest dive that one could imagine, clashing harshly with it's clean and well-ordered surroundings.

Over a dozen large motorcycles were parked haphazardly out front, loud music blared out into the street. Every window was shattered, and hadn't been replaced because they would just be broken again anyway. The flickering neon sign above the door just seemed to be every dirty word in the dictionary, one after the other with no spaces between them. Before they went inside, Khlia turned around and threw her arms out in front of the gathered warriors, beaconing them forward, and shouting over the bass beat, almost deafening even out here, so that she could be heard.

"You, Elisabeth's boss-boy, Bryant, join me in the back. The rest of you, have fun. Drink a beer or five, fuck a girl or three, get to know your battle-brothers, all is free to friends of Khlia Mane. At moon's height, we howl and hunt and kill!" She said with increasing fervor, and then pushed past where two Omegas were hauling off a passed-out, or perhaps dead warrior, and through the doors. There was no bartender, just cases of booze stolen from one warehouse or another littering the inside. In a chained-off ring in the center, two bruised and bloody warriors were trading blows while spectators called bets using fist-fulls of human currency. It was absolutely worthless to them, but didn't stop them from getting enraged and their losses and gloating about their winnings. Flanking it were stages where females, and even a few males, were performing scandalous routines in various stages of transformation, from nude human shape to furry hybrid to full-on wolf. Some were collared and chained Omegas, while others were free, unmated wolves of the various packs that were just enjoying the unrestrained hedonism of it all.

[brokecollege]

The night progressed rather smoothly after that. Elisabeth went about her usual routine without much trouble, performing this task and that task (which mostly concerned her warriors, of course). The actual only difference in her routine was the fact that Lash followed her through every task, watching her from the shadows with her piercing gaze. It was an uncomfortable feeling to have the woman's eyes on her constantly, at every turn and every stop.

She wondered how Lucent and Khlia were able to do it. Did they just block out the feeling, did Lash eventually just become background noise? But, how could she with that intense gaze of hers? When all of her chores and tasks had been finished, and when all the patrols and warriors had been checked and then doubled checked, Elisabeth finally made her way towards the Alpha's house. And, of course, Lash followed.

Elisabeth greeted the old man in his study, though before she could actually step into the room he was standing up and gesturing for her to stop. "The Fang warrior," he spoke as he rounded his desk towards Elisabeth. "Why don't you have her check out her room while we speak?" he questioned. Elisabeth paused and then turned to the silent and lurking warrior behind her. "Go ahead and examine your room, Lash. See if it's up to your standards. It's just down the hall to the right--should be the only door that's open." she informed.

With the Fang woman having been dismissed, Savic finally allowed Elisabeth to step inside before he closed the door behind her. "You know, that warrior wouldn't be following you if you hadn't offered Lucent your best." he casually informed. Elisabeth crossed her arms over her chest as she walked over to the chairs in front of his desk and took a seat. Savic, meanwhile, remained standing.

"I know Lucent. He only gave us Lash because he did not want to take everything, and give nothing. It's all politics with him." Elisabeth sighed as she relaxed in the chair. Savic shrugged his shoulders, "Perhaps. But, either way, you only have yourself to blame for that shadow of yours. And, by the way, I know that the man has a price on his head, but we all do. Did you really have to offer him our warriors?" he questioned as he finally made his way back to his seat behind the desk.

"The man is protected by Khlia Mane, the impenetrable shield. The last thing he needs is more protection," he complained. Elisabeth released a huff of laughter--impenetrable shield? Well, he certainly wasn't wrong. "It's only for a few days, Savic. Then we will have them back. They were getting antsy, anyways. Guarding all these hostages." she explained, "It's good for them to get out, get some blood. Better that than have them upset."

Savic pursed his lips and then sighed. What was done was done, he supposed. No use in complaining about it--but, he still probably would. At least, only to Elisabeth and his Liliana.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

The men had all heard tales of the Fang territory, of the blood that covered it and the bodies that masked it. But nothing that they heard compared to what they actually saw. And it wasn't filled with death or with gore, either. It was actually beautiful! Far beautiful than their own territory, or any other territory that they'd seen. They took in everything with awe, with a few quiet remarks being made among the four.

The only one who wasn't all that impressed was Bryant. But he was older than the rest, more experienced. He had seen things that the others could only dream of, and so a sight like this was not all that remarkable to him. But, it was impressive, he'd give them that. After they'd handed off the girl to the Omegas, the four followed Khlia down a side street where, near the very end, sat a building far different than the rest.

It was old, broken, and barely standing. Why, it looked like it would collapse right then and there if the men walked inside of it! The famed Fang motorcycles were parked (or more like drunkenly tossed) around in the parking places. The windows of the building were completely shattered, with sharp little points in the corners or on the edges. And the music--oh, the music! It was loud, so loud that they could hardly hear themselves think.

But Khlia Mane did not seem to care. Once they were gathered by the front door, Khlia spun around and gave a little speech. Everyone was free to do whatever they wanted--they could drink, they could fight, and they could fuck to their heart's content. The only one who wasn't free to do those things was Bryant, who was supposed to meet with Khlia in the back. But at the moon's height, she said, they would fight.

And then they were all stepping inside, to a place that could have very well been their Heaven just as much as their Hell. And they went wild. Caesar first went to the woman--or, at least, the ones who weren't already being occupied. Mason and Foster, meanwhile, rushed over to the beer to get themselves the biggest glass they could find. Elisabeth wasn't strict when it came to what they could and couldn't do, but she would never let them do something like this.

They almost felt like children in a candy store. Except for Bryant, who obediently followed Khlia to the back of the bar where the pounding bass was less loud.

[Damonique]

"Lash. It's Lash." The 'Fang Warrior' in question answered immediately just an octave over a whisper when Savic addressed her so. When one chose their own name, it had more meaning behind it than even one give at birth. She liked the way it sounded, short and sharp and visceral, and hearing the different inflections that people could put on it depending on who they were and how they knew her. Usually it was fear, but occasionally there was some hatred, disgust....even the occasional endearment, from the Manes and her fellow Fangs. So long as it wasn't pity, it was all the same to her.

At least the Evertail Alpha had the courtesy to have Elisabeth shoo her off, and with a perfunctory nod, she was off to take a look at what Elisabeth claimed was 'Her' room. She looked in the door, found it vaguely acceptable, given she was unlikely to spend much, if any time there. Her first instinct was to return directly to Elisabeth's side, but she had no orders one way or the other, and she was well within hearing distance if she was needed, so she followed the pup-milk smell already exuding from the room of the heavily-pregnant Luna Mallory.

Protecting the Moonhowl mistress was one of her stated duties...even if she personally found the trophy mate vain and useless. Lash intended to simply hover outside the door until Elisabeth returned, but the door was cracked and some part of her or her shadow must have been visible, as a voice called out to her, asking who it was. Lash awkwardly moved to look through the crack in the door so she could be seen.

"Oh, I didn't know that the Fangs were still visiting...I would have come to see justice done, but the pup had others plans for me. Are you here with one of the Twins?" The red-haired woman asked, wincing and placing a hand on her swollen belly in response to another kick. The boy, and while Wolves did not use human medicine to confirm such things, she simply knew it was a boy, was large and getting larger, and may very well come early. In answer to her question, Lash just shook her head.

"Oh yes, I remember you. Khlia's girl, the quiet one with the whip. Well, do come in, any of you who fought for us that night have the Moonhowls gratitude....and I've gotten little in the way of visitors besides Liliana. Men do get so scarce around a pregnant woman...I don't think they like to be reminded what their favorite bits of ours are actually for. Or perhaps it's just the yelling." The Luna continued, paying no mind to the fact that Lash had not said a word in reply, and was in fact, not only disinterested but actively hostile to the idea of joining in on this conversation. She didn't touch the door, but stood there patiently getting talked at. It was a way to pass the time until Elisabeth returned.

----------------------------

While the rest of his men immediately dove right into the 'entertainment' available to them, Khlia led Bryant through a tattered curtain into the back hallway of the bar...it reeked of piss, blood, and cum. Khlia thought it was a good smell...some might disagree. Most of the doors led to rooms with only one obvious use, small cushioned rooms for intimate encounters among those too shy to do their coupling in the open...but their destination was further down, through a large wooden door in the very back that was clean and well-appointed.

There was a minibar, several red leather couches, even a pool table. The walls were lined with a vast array of weaponry. If the humans produced it and it could kill, it seemed Khlia owned several. Even all manner of firearms, though the packs had long-since agreed that to kill at a distance was the ultimate act of cowardice. The tribal woman made straight for the bar, pouring two glasses to the brim with tequila and collapsed into one of the couches to lounge with her toned legs up in the air, proffering one to her companion. At least before she started drinking, Khlia could be quite civilized...after her own fashion.

"You are my hunt-sisters most experienced, yes?" She asked, more stating the fact than actually asking as she looked over the scarred veteran. While most of the Evertail Elites were in their prime, Bryant was beginning to pass his. He had likely known and fought beside Savic even before he had become Alpha, under his father before him. But he wore the sort of stoic self-confidence of a man who knew his place in the world, both his abilities and his limitations...she found it odd that such a man would still be on the front lines, rather than back at camp with a mate, pups, perhaps even grand-pups.

"Must ask, why her, not you, who is Savic's Lieutenant? Bad blood between you and he, or is there some dishonor in your past disqualifying you? Perhaps he feared you'd replace him. Perhaps you tried, once." Khlia continued, before taking a goodly shot of her liquor and exhaling deeply as it burned down her throat, and gesturing that he should do the same. Khlia had heard rumors about this one, his prowess in battle, his famous professionalism...but also a few more...interesting accounts, that were not entirely trustworthy.

[brokecollege]

She and Savic spoke for a good ten more minutes, though they spoke of nothing really important. Savic complained for most of the ten minutes, though his complaints were not centered on just one thing. He would get started on complaining about Lucent, for example, which would then turn into his complaints about Elisabeth's inability to speak with him before making decisions, which would then lead to the lack of guard they now had.

This trail of complaints and muttered annoyances was his own way of punishing Elisabeth, as it always was. But his complaints did not affect her the same way they did before. Still, that did not stop him from giving them to her. Once he had finally finished delivering every complaint and every grumbled word he could think of, Savic turned his attention to the more important matters: patrols, battles, and possible outcomes of that day's events.

Though, even then the conversation wasn't one that was too important. All Savic did (besides state the numerous things that could happen from Lucent's actions) was to order Elisabeth to put out more patrols, and finish training her current whelps so they would have more men to go out on said patrols. And then, finally, the long, seemingly never-ending conversation was done.

Elisabeth left the room as soon as Savic finished his farewells--she knew all too well that if she lingered, the man would find something else to discuss. She made her way down the hallway and to Lash's room, expecting to find the woman lingering somewhere inside. But, instead, she found the woman hovering outside of Luna Mallory's room. What was more interesting, was that she could actually hear Luna Mallory speaking to the woman through the crack of the door.

Gods, that woman loved to talk. "Lash." Elisabeth greeted as she approached the woman, "You've looked at your room already? If you see that there's something that's not there that shouldn't be, let the Omegas know." she explained.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Khlia led Bryant through a torn and tattered curtain and then down a long, dark hallway. It was obvious by the combined smell of piss and cum that the back of the bar, as well as the rest of it, rarely (if ever) saw a mop and a bucket. How did Khlia, or even the rest of the Fangs, stand such rancid smells? They passed a few doors as they made their way down the hall, though none of the doors seemed to lead to very important rooms.

In the ones that were open, Bryant spotted a few blankets, some empty beer bottles, and a few dozen cushions. Private rooms, no doubt. And then finally, after enduring the rancid smell of piss and blood for what seemed like far too long, the pair arrived at a wooden door at the end of the hall. He hoped that whatever this room was, it didn't smell as bad as this hallway.

The door opened, and inside was the dream of every warrior he'd ever known: guns, liquor, and a pool table. The only thing that was missing was a woman, though he was sure all Khlia had to do to get that was to whistle. Bryant followed the woman inside and, although he didn't normally drink, accepted the glass which she had handed to him. He took a seat on the couch opposite of Khlia just as she spoke.

He nodded--yes, he liked to think he was. Khlia was quiet for a bit as if taking a moment just to study the man. He was definitely of the older kind, with gray hair to prove it. He was not entirely gray, mind you, but there were visible streaks that cut through his brown hair. Even in his beard, which he kept neatly trimmed at all times, there were some grays. But he had stopped caring about his grays long ago, and so did not bother to hide them. He was old, no use in hiding it.

But just because he was old, did not mean he was lacking. His was a fit man, even for his age, with muscled shoulders and thick thighs. His body was heavily scarred; his neck especially. Scars which he'd once regarded as trophies, but now hid behind clothes. Not out of regret or sorrow, but rather exhaustion. Every scar that he had was a story, stories which the young warriors wanted to hear over and over again.

And in his youth, he was more than happy to retell such stories, but not now. Instead, he preferred the quiet. After she'd thoroughly looked the man over, she spoke a question that had been asked all too often, but that he nor Elisabeth had ever addressed. Why was Elisabeth, and not him, holding the rank as Lieutenant? Not only was he a man, but he was older, more experienced, and he had the scars to prove it.

But, he didn't want to lead. He had never wanted to lead, even when he was in his prime. He was a warrior through and through, and that was all he had ever wanted to be. But Elisabeth, that girl had always wanted to be more. Even when she was a pup, and just barely into her training, she wanted more. More experience, more blood, more title to her name. There was no competing with her, even if he'd wanted to.

"I am a warrior, not a leader." he finally explained. "Elisabeth is both." It was a simple answer, perhaps the most simple one could have given, but it was the truth. Bryant did not want a greater title or the responsibilities that came with it. He only wanted to fight, to taste blood and revel in the victories of his people. And Elisabeth let him do just that, while also giving him a little more. "Not everyone wants to climb to the top," he added before taking a sip from his glass.

[Damonique]

Luna Mallory had not seen fit to stop talking to her captive audience for the entire time Elisabeth was in her meeting...much of what she said were the usual tedious complaints of a woman heavy with child, aches and pains and bodily changes that made the raven-haired warrior shudder slightly with disgust, glad that she would never have to suffer such weakness herself.

But not all of the talk was useless....the Luna was well-informed in all manner of subjects, especially her host. Savic's mate, the Luna Lilliana, was and always would be the mans weakness....he shared so much of his plans and opinions with her, and much of that talk made it back to her friend Mallory as gossip. Distrust of Lucent, fears concerning Khlia's unprofessional temper, these she knew, and also much about Elisabeth. Lash knew well, better than most, that every word concerning the brunette would be of particular interest to her Alpha. Finally, Elisabeth returned to rescue her.

"It serves. I don't sleep much." The small, deadly woman stated in answer to Elisabeth's question, and closer inspection would reveal the suggestion of dark rings around her piercing blue eyes that lent truth to that statement, and then gestured down the hall, beaconing the brunette to lead on to wherever she might be going, nodding and waving to Luna Mallory as they departed. Lash continued to follow Elisabeth throughout her nightly duties in much the same manner as before, attracting several odd looks and the occasional comment, but nothing that seemed to phase her...until one did.

----------------------------------------------------------

Khlia kept her attention solely and respectfully on the older veteran that sat across from her as he answered her questions, explaining who he was and his place in his pack. A man without the ambition to become more than he already was, that was a rare thing in their society. Elisabeth was lucky to have this one as her strong right hand, as lucky as Khlia and Lucent were to have the grizzled giant Grigori as theirs...an experienced mentor/father figure to the men who might be less receptive to taking orders from those they considered young upstarts.

"Elisabeth is unique. I knew it the moment I laid eyes on her. She is lucky to have you, and you her. The stories you must have, of that one when young!" Khlia said as he spoke of the young woman he served, a light coming into her green eyes just talking about her, a peculiar infatuation that both twins shared. Khlia would not deny feeling some lust for the caramel brunette, but it was tempered by respect for both her friend and her brother. But she shook her head before asking for some such stories, she had brought Briant here to talk of himself and his warriors, not his leader.

"So, you so noble warrior...what do you live for, besides the thrill of battle-glory? Pups, some lucky mate back home...I wonder how she feels to know the savage slut has stolen you from her tonight." Khlia teased with a smirk and a sultry wink, knocking back a further third of her drink as she did and prising her legs slightly further apart on the back of the couch, showing a greater expanse of her toned copper thighs, eyes glittering with amusement as she tried to fluster the older man.

It was not all games though...Bryant held a more than passing resemblance to a man she had loved, once, who had been older even than this one. Khlia did not discriminate....young and old, brash and shy, cruel and romantic....she took all kinds, and they took her. All that mattered was the experience.

[brokecollege]

Lash seemed neither happy nor upset with the room she had been given. But that was only because she didn't sleep much, she said. Well, as long as she wasn't upset with the room she had been given, then everything was fine. Lash lifted a hand to gesture down the hall, as if telling Elisabeth to resume her duties, and so that's exactly what the brunette did. She spun around on her heel and, after adjusting herself, made her way out of the Alpha's house.

And then the night went on, with Elisabeth tending to the other half of her duties. Though, they really weren't much different from her first half. In fact, the only difference between what she had been doing before and what she was doing now was the fact that she was focusing more on the whelps that she--well, she and her elites--had been training for the last couple of weeks. But now that her elites were gone (well, all except Kellan and Adam), most of the training had to be done by Elisabeth.

But, she wasn't entirely alone. She had Josiah and Logan to help teach, and then there was Lash, who stood silently in the background watching as Elisabeth walked around the room, adjusting someone's pose or offering a different technique. But just because she stood silently in the background, did not mean she went unnoticed.

In fact, the whelps seemed to notice the woman as soon as she entered the building behind Elisabeth. And even though their attention should have been on Elisabeth or her warriors, it wasn't. Instead, it was on the mysterious shadow of a woman, whose eyes rarely seemed to leave their Lieutenant.

Elisabeth noticed how their attention seemed to focus on the mysterious Fang, but she didn't think anything of it. So long as they participated and learned what she and the others were trying to teach, Elisabeth didn't see any harm. At least, not until the whelps began to talk and whisper amongst each other.

"She's a Fang elite," Lucas muttered to another whelp, Harry, as the two threw punches at one another. Harry dodged the throw that Lucas had tossed, before countering with his own. "Bullshit," he replied in a voice just as quiet as Lucas's. "Why would a Fang elite be here when her Alpha's gone?" he questioned. Lucas attempted to dodge the punch, but his inability to move quickly enough made it all too easy for Harry's fist to connect with his gunt.

The younger of the two grunted and stumbled back, his brow furrowing as he heard Elisabeth shout from behind him. Don't hesitate. That was something he had yet to learn, as did most of the whelps. He shook the pain off before he stepped forward, his fists lifting into the air again. "I saw her earlier, with Khlia Mane. Trust me, she's an elite. Want her to prove it?" he teased. Harry smirked.

"I was talking with Ben--" another whelp, though older and more experienced than the both of them, "--and he said she was the worst one to get in a fight with. Will kill you without a word, and then drink up your blood like its water. And that whip of hers--" he was cut off when Harry threw another punch, though this time he managed to dodge it. Just barely.

"Rumors, all of it," Harry muttered with a dismissive shake of his head. "I bet I could take her on, easy. She's a woman. They're easy to beat." the man stated in a matter-of-factly tone. Lucas couldn't help but pause. "Oh, really? So, you're saying you could take on her and the Lieutenant, no problem?" he questioned.

Harry dropped his fists with a smirk and a nod of his head. "Just you watch. In two months, I'll be able to take both of them down. Elite, Lieutenant, it doesn't matter. If it's a woman, then I'll have her pinned under me begging for mercy. Who knows, maybe Savic'll replace the Lieutenant with me." he hummed.

But while Harry seemed confident in his abilities, Lucas looked at him as if he was the stupidest man on the planet. And, he probably was. "Yeah," Lucas chuckled before throwing another (failed) punch. "And I'm actually the Queen of England."

------------------------------------------

Bryant's lips turned upwards at the barest semblance of a smile when the younger woman mentioned how unique his leader was. She was certainly something, his Lieutenant. Always had been, even when she was just a pup and barely into her training. At the mention of stories, Bryant almost chuckled. He had more stories of the woman than he could count on his fingers. Though that was only proper, seeing as how he'd been around the girl nearly her whole life.

He had been there when she first entered the Evertail pack as an Omega, and he had been there when (only a couple of years later) she squeezed the life out of that warrior. He had been there through everything the girl had experienced--which was why she probably counted him among her closest warriors (alongside Foster and Adam who, while much younger than him, were fierce in their own right).

When the conversation returned to Bryant, he cleared his throat and scratched the back of his head. Bryant didn't really like to speak about himself or his past to others, especially those he did not know. He had always been like that, though more so in his later years. He watched as the younger warrior offered him a sultry wink before she took a gulp from her glass and then eased her legs open some.

What had Elisabeth gotten him into? "No, I've no mate," he admitted as he set his glass down on at the table in front of him. But he'd had one, some couple of decades back. A pretty redhead named Irene, whose green eyes and pale skin had captured his heart just as much as it had other parts of him. She had been the total opposite of him, a pacifist who praised the Lunar goddess and read books all day.

He shared six great years with his Irene before she died giving birth to their daughter, Selene. Bryant had experienced a great many deals of pain as a warrior. He had been stabbed, clawed at, bitten, thrown against a tree and concrete. He'd had skin ripped from his body, and nearly all of his bones broken. And yet, none of the pain he experienced as a warrior even compared to when his Irene died.

The only thing that kept him going after her death, was their daughter. His beautiful little Selene. "But I have a daughter. Selene. Though, she's no pup. Hasn't been for quite some time." he explained. Yes, his little Selene was no longer a little pup who clung to her father's side. She was a woman, eager to begin her life away from the security of her father.

[Damonique]

While her assignment would have kept her glued to Elisabeth's side irregardless, Lash found herself far more interested in observing the Evertail Lieutenant than she expected...if only to puzzle out what it was about her than had both Mane Twins tripping over themselves to show her special treatment. Se was undeniably attractive, the younger warrior would have to be blind not to admit that, but appearance had never seemed all that important to either of them. Khlia cared mostly about strength, Lucent about how one could benefit himself and his pack.

As Savic's most trusted, it was practical for them to try to win her over...but if winning her favor was all they wanted, Lucent had an odd way of going about it. Lash knew more than most, more than Khlia, likely, about his blundering attempts to romance the brunette. She smiled at the thought, both because she liked knowing what others didn't, and because it was so rare than one got to see the smart, suave Alpha Mane rendered so utterly helpless, much less by a woman nearly half his size.

Sadly, her little self-indulgent musing was interrupted by some chatter she picked up from the junior warriors Elisabeth was putting through their paces. At first, the conversation had been merely background noise, the bluster and bravado of unblooded buys that believed themselves men. At first, she only noticed because she liked the hints of fear and respect shown by the one whelp..but one of them had a tone that she very much misliked. Idle delusions were one thing, but even ever she could tolerate the sexism of the first comment, none should be speaking like so of their leader. Elisabeth had done more killing than every boy in this room combined...and this one needed reminding of that fact.

Elisabeth was on the other side of the room, correcting another whelps abysmal form, and so Lash decided that she should handle the matter herself. She strutted up to where the two chatterers were trading blows, directly behind the uncouth one. The boy who could see her prepared to open his mouth, but Lash placed a single finger to her pale lips and fixed him with dead-eyed glare while her other hand dropped to the handle of her whip, so he said nothing. The other whelp, oblivious, saw only his sparring partners hesitance and reared back and arm for another swing....it never got the chance to connect.

Lashes namesake weapon cut through the air with a keening sound and wrapped half it's length around the boy's forearm, stopping it dead, and a twist of her wrist redirected the momentum of the interrupted punch to spin him around on one foot while the other left the ground, if only for a moment. Lash was short, thin, underweight...not a strong woman, and knew it. But years of training with Khlia Mane and Grigory had taught her how to handle even the largest and heaviest opponents by using their own strength against them. She moved closer and hooked her ankle around the foot that the whelp was now supporting his whole weight on, dragged it back, and he went down heavily on his back, staring up with eyes full of confusion and fury at the pale shadow standing over him. Before he could move, or utter a word, she raised a dainty foot to place the tip of one wickedly pointed high-heel directly over his throat, herself perfectly balanced on theother.

"Bad boy, talking instead of training. I could fix that...vocal cords are right here." She whispered softly, adjusting the spike a few millimeters to one side, raising an eyebrow, as if just begging her prey to try to take wolf-shape. It was too close...the added girth would put it straight into his neck. Lash knew better than to damage one of Elisabeth's warriors without permission...but if he hurt himself, who could blame her for that?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Khlia enjoyed this talk...it was rare that she got to sit down and speak as equals. The unquestioning obedience she demanded from her own Fangs made it difficult for them to speak their minds, and as for the rest of the wolves in the city, they usually either feared her, hated her, or both. And if they were men, they wanted to fuck her irregardless. But Bryant seemed to harbor none of those thoughts....to him, she was just another warrior.

He went on to say he lacked a mate, which made her wonder why he was playing so coy about her unsubtle advances. She was about to make a quip that he might fear his heart would go out the second he was inside her, but then he mentioned a daughter with sadness in his eyes, Khlia understood. Unmated wolves did not have children...and so he'd lost his better half, and would not dishonor her memory by taking another. It explained much about his career, what man would force his pack to suffer an Alpha who would not produce an heir, leaving a void upon their death. She decided to change the subject, emotions were not her strong suit.

"Selene, is good name...does she take after you? I know Savic rarely makes woman-warriors, but under me, things are different. She could go far, with your blood." Khlia had been bothering Lucent to broach this subject with Savic for some time....Elisabeth was an exception in her pack, but visiting their grounds, she had seen more than a few girls older than children but too young to mother. If there was a time to hone them, it would be now, and if this war became half as bloody as Khlia expected, there would be many dead fathers and brothers to replace. Why not with daughters?

Khlia did not know if that last statement would translate properly....in the city, the lines were muddled, but in the tribes, blood was everything....warriors begat warriors, healers begat healers, leaders began leaders, and generations of selective breeding among their much-diminished numbers had made such lineages almost instinctual affinities. Manes were Warriors....which only made Lucent even more the black sheep, with his temperament.

[brokecollege]

"Your form, Declan. Watch your form." Elisabeth warned as she approached two sparring blondes. She watched the shorter one, a lad by the name of Declan, as he twisted his feet this way and that way, seemingly unable to pick a stance and keep it. Though the stance he seemed to regularly return to was one with his legs pushed together, and his arms pulled close to his chest.

Elisabeth suddenly stepped between the two, bringing their sparring match to an immediate halt. She used her foot to push his feet apart, positioning them so that they were slightly staggered and slightly wider than his hips. Then, she bent down and moved his feet so that they were slightly angeled, with his knees facing in the same direction. She then urged his rear heel up some, before finally standing to her feet.

Then, she pushed at his chest. He swayed some in response but remained firmly on the ground. Elisabeth's pursed lips turned into a smile. "Better." she murmured. She lifted her arms some, prepared to show him the next step in perfecting his form, but was stopped by distant sight of Lash standing over one of her whelps. Elisabeth's hands returned to her sides, and she looked from her fallen whelp to the two whelps beside her.

They, too, had seemed to realize what was going on a short distance away, just as everyone else had. Ah, fuck. "What are you doing?" she shouted to her whelps as she made her way over towards Lash. "No one told you to stop sparring."

Lucas knew that Harry would've received some kind of punishment if Elisabeth (or even Lash) had overheard how he had been speaking, but he just hadn't expected his punishment to come as swiftly and scarily as it had. He stumbled back in surprise when the older warrior managed to, quite easily, knock his friend to the ground. And before Harry could even think to get up, she had lifted one of her heels from the ground and placed it directly over his throat in that ever so taunting manner of hers.

If Elisabeth hadn't rushed over to the trio, Lucas thought Lash really might have killed him. Or, at least, hurt him enough to keep him out of a few training sessions. "Lash," Elisabeth grunted as she approached the three. "Would you like to explain to me why you have my whelp under your heel?" Elisabeth knew that Lash wouldn't do something as bold as attacking her whelps without reason--though, she wasn't too clear as to exactly what that reason of hers was.

Harry opened his mouth to explain (not honestly, of course) what had happened, but Elisabeth stopped him with a raise of her hand. Lucas tried to speak, too, but she stopped him just as quickly as she had Harry. "Lucas, join Declan and Jaxson in their match," she ordered. Lucas looked between his friend and Lash before he gave a hesitant nod and rushed off, joining the two distant blondes in their half-hearted attempt at a sparring match.

"Foot off of him, Lash," she ordered the female warrior. "And then explain to me why you interrupted their training session to knock him to the ground."

--------------------------------------------------------------

The conversation quickly changed, and for that Bryant was grateful. He didn't care much for emotional conversations--not he was sure Khlia felt the same. Selene was a good name, she said. He smiled and nodded his head in agreement. Of course, it was a good name, Irene had chosen it immediately after discovering they were to have a girl. To honor the Goddess, she had said, for gifting us with a baby girl.

Though when the younger woman asked if she took after him, he chuckled and shook his head. No, his little Selen was nothing like her father. They were similar in appearance, perhaps, but nothing else. His daughter took after her mother, with her kind and generous personality, to her pacifist ideals. It both saddened and delighted him, how much she took after her mother.

"No, Selene is not fit for the life of a warrior." he admitted, "She is too sweet, too trusting. The others would eat her up alive if they had the chance." He scratched at the scruff along his jaw in thought before continuing, "Besides, she's never showed an interest in the fight. She loves pups. Loves teaching them, playing with them. She told me once that she wants to become a teacher, just so she can be around them more."

He dropped his hand into his lap with a sigh, before leaning back into his seat. "You are right, though. In all the time that Savic has led our people, Elisabeth is the first woman-warrior that he's made. I thought that, after her, he would have welcomed more women into his ranks. And maybe he is willing too. But, few women seem interested in being a warrior."

[Damonique]

Lash toyed with the boy beneath her foot for a bit longer, moving her heel around and explaining oh-so-clinically unpleasant things that happened when one of those spikes went through this artery or that nerve. Lash knew her biology, having spent more than one afternoon as a child cutting open small animals to see what made them move and breathe and bleed.

But Elisabeth showed up to spoil her fun before too much time had passed, and Lash gave a disappointed sigh before removing her foot from the whelp as ordered. She had considered just refusing, but that would just make the brunette whistle...and if it was one thing she didn't want, it was revealing such weakness to a crowd of gawking teenagers.

"Badtalk. Badthink. About you, me, women. He will tell you himself!" Lash stated with utter conviction in answer to Elisabeth's question, punctuating the sentence with a crack of her whip that struck the floor just beside his ear when he didn't comply fast enough for her liking.

-----------------------------------------------

"Is true, many would make bad fighters. But more just don't consider, fear what boys may say or do. Take five together, train away from boys. Some may fail, rest will train harder not to." Khlia stated in response to the older males excuses...it was true, one could not just throw girls and boys into training together and expect the same results. For the first year or so, the freshest male whelp would beat a girl, trained or not...but after, drive and experience meant more. A lazy boy would fall behind, a dedicated girl would pull ahead.

Khlia went on to explain that she was not one for equality for it's own sake, only opportunity. To send one not cut out for it to war was a a kind of murder she disliked...but if the weak boys were allowed, why would strong girls be denied? Better to give unfit men some other duty than throw them away in battle.

"Most males would disagree. Many males are fools. Are you one of them, Bryant of the Evertail?" The tribal woman finished with a cackle, tossing back the last of her tequila and reaching across the space between them to click her empty glass against hardly-touched one on the table, making a point of stretching in a way that made her loose top fall to reveal one shoulder and a generous amount of cleavage.

"Elisabeth said to do as I say. I say drink up, big man. Good to have hot blood for a hunt, won't make you fuck me, so tequila will have to do." She added with a smile that said the offer wasn't off the table. But she could respect his loyalty to his beloved, dead or not.

[brokecollege]

Lash, although obviously disappointed at Elisabeth's order, did as she was told and removed her heel from the whelp's throat. As soon as the threat had been removed, Harry released a shaky breath and sat up some, lifting one of his hands to tenderly rub his throat. Though when Lash cracked her whip, he immediately pulled his hand away from his throat to shield himself from the woman's wrath.

"L-Lieutenant, I.." Harry began to stammer out an explanation, but Elisabeth stopped him midsentence with a wave of her hand. Harry didn't have to tell her what he had said for Elisabeth to know. She wasn't dumb. She knew which of her men truly followed her, and which men only did so now to take her down in the future. "Harry, up," she ordered. Harry opened his mouth in an attempt to speak again, but one look from Elisabeth had him stumbling up onto his shaky legs. "Go shake it off with three laps around the compound," she ordered.

Although he clearly hesitated, Harry turned on his heel and rushed out of the building, the chattering of his teeth practically echoing throughout the room as he went. Elisabeth was almost surprised he didn't leave a trail of piss behind him as he went. That probably would have made Lash happy, and certainly taught Harry a lesson about badmouthing his superiors.

Elisabeth crossed her arms over her chest before she turned her attention back to Lash. And she smiled. Even though Lash was her own unique person, and so very different from Khlia, the woman's influence on her was clear--almost blindingly so. "I appreciate your attempts to fix his attitude, Lash. But, not every opinion can be changed at the point of a knife." she quietly stated. Some opinions needed much more than fear to change. Some needed guidance, examples, evidence. Not to say that fear wasn't entirely unnecessary, of course.

She then lifted her hand to gesture back towards the Alpha's house. "I know you don't sleep much, but try to get some rest at least. Training is almost over for the night, and you have got a busy day with the Omegas tomorrow," she informed. Then she turned and faced the rest of her whelps who, despite her earlier orders to resume their sparring sessions, had stopped to watch the situation unfold. She clapped her hands together, "Alright, every one, one lap around the compound and then back to the barracks for the night."

"I'll see you all tomorrow morning, bright and early at five o'clock. If you're late even a second, then you'll be punished along with Harry. Now, go." she waved them off with a shoo of her hand, and they scattered to do as they were told.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

That was why the women needed to be trained away from the boys, Khlia said. Some of the girls would fail, of course, but those who didn't would only try harder. He supposed she would know more than he did in that sense. After all, she was the one who had trained her women elites, all of whom were just as fierce and brutal as she was. She then explained why she thought women should be fighters.

It was an interesting opinion, and not one he entirely disagreed with. Though he agreed that most men would just disagree with it entirely, and for that they were fools. The woman finished her opinion with a cackle before she finished off what little drink remained in her glass, and then set it down onto the table in front of them. Elisabeth had given him an order to follow Khlia's orders, and so she gave him this one: to drink.

Her last suggestive statement made Bryant almost chuckle. An interesting woman Khlia was, perhaps even more interesting than Elisabeth. He leaned forward and took his glass up in his hand, downing the remaining liquor inside of it. He wasn't interested in fucking, but he was interested in hunting. And if drinking all the liquor she wanted meant that they could go on a hunt, then he would do it.

[Damonique]

Lash watched the young man, Harry, scamper off to perform Elisabeth's pitiful excuse for a punishment. She didn't know what she had expected, but something....more, surely. Khlia would have set Lash to work on the boy...Elisabeth probably didn't have any desire to know what that entailed, but at the very least, she could have given him a sharp lesson in respect. The sort that left marks.

And then Elisabeth explained why she relented,, that there was nothing that could be done by violence to change the whelps attitude. Lash at least had the grace to wait until the rest of the boys had left the training room before she laughed right in the Evertail Lieutenant's face. The laugh was chilling, malicious....and utterly sincere. It went on and ob, trailing off very slowly. And then, the younger woman gave the brunette a look of utter confusion, so perplexed she was that a girl who knew so little had made it to her position.

"Silly Lizzie, you change bodies with the knife. You change minds with the whip. You just have to know how." She stated in a deadpan that said it was something she thought that everyone should know these things, like she was telling a newborn pup that fire was hot. Whatever fury she showed in battle, Elisabeth was utterly naive. Lash was beginning to understand why Lucent handed over to her over to his little crush...unless she broke some of these habits of hers, the Alphas would eat her alive.

"I could demonstrate to you...." Lash offered, moving her wrist in slow circles to make the whip in her hand writhe like a snake preparing to strike, smiling a vicious cheshire grin, clearly enjoying the way the brunette was drinking up her words, and then dropped her voice to a sultry whisper. "...or on you. You might cry a little. Or a lot. But by the end you'll thank me." She added boldly, knowing know that she was walking on thin ice...and not caring in the slightest. Whatever Elisabeth could do to her, she had endured a hundred times worse.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Khlia nodded respectfully to Bryant when the aged warrior finally downed his drink as commanded, and shifted back into a more normal sitting position, dropping the flirtatious pretense as a lost cause and deciding to get down to business. With the Evertail Elites and her own Fangs combined, she was in command of the largest corps of Veterans in the city, and while Lucent had forbidden all-out war until his allies had coordinated their attacks, she still meant to have some fun with them.

"Not all women can be warriors, but that doesn't mean they can't help kill our enemies. Lucent's pretty ones, Mishka and her friends, have been screwing information out of Redmoon's more gullible men for weeks. Cocks slide in, secrets slip out. I know where patrols will be, all along the river, when they check in, when they change over...opportunity, if we move fast." She explained in a self-satisfied manner...some men would think less of those ladies for their distasteful service, but Khlia Mane would call them soldiers in silk and lace. A sweaty half-hour was more than worth a foe dead in the field.

"We'll have to cross the river....need a distraction at one of the bridges so we can slip past the others. Motorcycles for mobility, hope you people ride well. Radios and watches to synchronize attacks. Hit fast, hit hard....regroup and fight our way back to friendly ground. Return as heroes with bloody claws." She went on to explain, once again proving the point that her straightforwardness should never be mistaken for stupidity. he didn't lead the Fangs intp battle because she was Lucent's twin, or even because she could kill anyone in a straight up fight...it was that she was clever and audacious enough to win fights noone else would even pick.

[brokecollege]

As soon as her whelps were out of the building, Lash laughed. Right in Elisabeth's face, too. Silly Lizzie, she chided, bodies are changed with a knife. Minds are changed with a whip. If that was true, then why had Elisabeth not submitted as an Omega? They had used every kind of knife, whip, or bludgeoned object to get Elisabeth to obey, and nothing they did would work. They just didn't realize that until she killed one of their warriors.

Lash even offered to demonstrate it for Elisabeth or (if she truly desired) on her. She warned Elisabeth that she might cry at first, but afterward, she would thank her. Elisabeth's eyes narrowed, and her hands drop to rest at her sides. She didn't like what Lash had said, and she certainly didn't like the way in which she said it. And perhaps if she had been someone else, and not Khlia's favorite, she would have punched her straight in the jaw.

Then, the stomach. And when she was on the ground writhing in pain, she would kick her. And kick her, and kick her, and kick her until only blood, and not air, splattered through her lips. But she wasn't someone else, and so she did nothing. Not because she didn't want to (because, boy, did she want to) but because she knew that the moment she did, the twins would declare war on her and her people.

"The only reason I'm tolerating your presence, Lash, is because you belong to a dear friend of mine. But don't think my respect for Khlia won't stop me from breaking both of your hands in several places if you even try to touch me," she warned in a low tone. She couldn't kill Lash, but what was stopping her from teaching Lash a little lesson? Elisabeth stood there for only a moment or two longer before she turned on her heel and walked towards the door.

"Now get the fuck to your room, Lash. I don't want to see you until five o'clock tomorrow morning," she ordered.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Khlia suddenly dropped her flirtatious attitude in favor of a more serious one and, after she leaned forward back some, explained that Lucent's Omegas had been screwing information out of Redmoon's weaker men. Because of this, Khlia knew exactly where their patrols were going to be, and when they were going to be there. If they moved fast enough, then they might have a real chance at hurting the Redmoons.

Which Bryant, of course, was all too eager to do. He, like the others, had been getting somewhat frustrated with the hostage only duties. So, to have a chance to be actually doing some fighting--the kind that actually helped, even--was amazing. He listened to Khlia's plan and nodded in understanding and agreement. Already, he was thinking of plenty of different possible distractions. Which ones would work, which ones required the least amount of things.

"Understood." he finally said. "Tell me when to gather the other Evertails, and we'll be ready and at your command."

[Damonique]

Lash had been fishing for a reaction, any reaction, and got even more than she was hoping for in the fury and fire that filled the Lieutenant's amber eyes in response to her taunting. It was almost too easy...idly, the Fang wondered why it was so easy for Elisabeth to bare her teeth to her, but not to her own subordinates. Some idealistic nonsense, she was very nearly sure.

"Before you start breaking my delicate little fingers, consider for a moment why Lucent thought you might need me. He knows you, he l-o-o-o-ves you, and he knows exactly what I am. But I'm here anyway " The raven-haired woman said with a smile sweet as could be, drawing out each and every syllable of the word 'love', utterly unperturbed by the hardly-veiled threat. Elisabeth wouldn't attack her, and it had nothing to do with Khlia...it was because if she let something as small as words drive her to violence, she'd be admitting they weren't so different after all. And wouldn't that be a cutting realization for the brunette?

"Five o'clock. You won't see me." The younger woman added in an unexpectedly civil tone, and began to loop her whip back around itself at her hip.the point had been made, the nerve touched. Elisabeth would do the rest in her head, considering and reconsidering the words and what they might mean, and how much Lash might know about her supposedly 'secret' trysts with the Alpha mane.

After she left, Lash headed straight for the main house and checked in on Luna Mallory before returning to 'her' room, locked the door, and carefully stripped off and folded her clothing at the foot of the bed before taking a quick shower. She changed into a fluffy robe that Elisabeth had been kind enough to provide, wrapping her whip around her waist like a belt, and went exploring.

--------------------------------------------------------

"Don't trouble yourself, I'm good at getting a rooms attention. Moon is getting high anyway." Khlia stated in answer to her counterpart's question, and stood up to stretch before heading for the door. She stopped on the way out to pull a double-barreled shotgun off the wall and check to make sure it was loaded, and gestured for Bryant to follow her out into the back of the bar. The curtained-off nooks along the walls had filled up as the night went on, echoing with a symphony of passion and pleasure.

Khlia stopped to enjoy it for a moment before firing the weapon up at the ceiling, interrupting the rutting wolves, including Caesar, who seemed to have found himself with no less than two petty young ones, stumbling out into the hall cursing up a storm. Rather than stopping to address the many half-dressed pairs that were filing out into the hall, Khlia just waved for them to collect whatever clothing they felt they needed and follow her out into the bar proper.

Once there, she vaulted onto one of the stages, occupied by an Omega female in a state of half-transformation who was dancing her fuzzy-tailed little ass of for a crowd of drunk and rowdy fighters, and once again fired the shotgun upwards, raining plaster down on their heads. If one looked up, the myriad scores and holes in the ceiling tiles showed this was a not-uncommon occurrence, and some attentive servant took it as signal to turn on the lights and cut off the music, the sudden light and silence jarring some of the drunker men out of their stupor and their attention to the cause of it.

And if that didn't work, what Khlia did next surely did. The startled, half-deafened Omega was moving to clear the stage, but the tribal woman caught her by the dog collar that was her only adornment and pulled her into a deep, rough kiss that surely tasted of stale blood and fresh tequila, and elicited scattered applause and lewd suggestions from the men watching. The girl submitted to her embrace, and even after the kiss broke remained hanging off of Khlia's arm as an ornament of sorts...for an omega, any physical contact with Khlia Mane that wasn't with the back of her hand or the heel of her foot was a rare treat.

"Fangs and Evertail friends! The moon grows high, the hunt grows near....but not just any hunt. Tonight, we do not satisfy our thirst with sneaks and cowards, but cross the river to spill the first Redmoon blood on Redmoon soil! My brother meant this honor for Davit Nightwalker and Mauric Skyclaw....an old man and a green boy. I say otherwise, and who is it that leads you, who kills at bleeds beside you in battle!?" Khlia both explained and asked, making it clear that this little ambush of her was to be planned and executed without Lucent's knowledge or consent. Perhaps some payback for how she had been slighted at the pack summit, not being told of the Alphas her brother meant to remake. But the way she said it prompted the Fangs(and, inevitably, the Evertails) to break out into a chorus of a and 'Khlia!,Khlia!" and 'She-Mane!,She-Mane!' that she drank up greedily. For all their differences, both Twins did attention and fanfare.

[brokecollege]

Although she hated to admit, Elisabeth was curious as to why Lucent had chosen Lash, out of all of his elites, to stay with Elisabeth. He knew Elisabeth, and he knew Lash. He knew both of their stories, their differences. So, why send Lash to be with someone who was the polar opposite of her? The only reason which she could think up, was because Lucent wanted to punish Elisabeth.

When Lash left the building, Elisabeth closed her eyes and released a quiet sigh. How much longer was she going to have to deal with Lash, and how much longer was Lash going to have to deal with Elisabeth? For both of their sanities, hopefully not much longer. If not for Lash's sanity, then her own. Elisabeth lifted her hands to run them over her face in exhaustion--just as a familiar voice sounded from behind her.

"You look upset." Jude hummed as he approached the young Lieutenant. "It's because I am." came Elisabeth's muffled reply. "What's wrong, Liz? Is it about what happened earlier today, with the Alpha?" he questioned. Elisabeth lowered her hands from her face to her sides as she glanced over at her friend. "Aren't you supposed to be on patrol duty?" she questioned, completely disregarding his question.

Jude shook his head, "No, my shift just ended. Now it's Kellan's turn to watch the road." he informed. "Now that I've answered your question, want to answer mine? Why the furrowed brow?" he persisted as he crossed his arms over his chest. Elisabeth huffed--why? Because of Lucent, and of the insane woman he had left in her care. "It's just not my day, is all." Elisabeth finally replied as she moved about the training room, picking up the weights and training equipment that had been left behind.

Jude followed after her, helping her to pick up things here and there. "I heard you have a new warrior in your ranks for a while. Lash, was it? She's the Fang elite that carries that whip around with her, isn't she?" he hummed. Elisabeth nodded her head with that same, frustrated furrowed brow of hers. "If you're not upset with what happened with Alpha Mane, then did she upset you?" Jude asked as he bent down a picked up a weight from the ground.

"I really don't want to talk about this, Jude. Can't we talk about something else?" Elisabeth suddenly huffed. Jude paused, looked Elisabeth over, and then nodded his head. "Sure. What do you want to talk about? We never finished our conversation the other night about Alpha Mane, and how you feel about him. You come to terms with it, yet?"

Elisabeth grunted. Goddess, could Jude ever talk about something other than her feelings or what effected them? She wouldn't even mind talking about the weather, so long as it didn't involve the Mane twins or anything associated with them! "Come to terms with what? How annoying you've been these last few days?" Elisabeth muttered as she grabbed the last thing from the floor. She set everything that she had gathered off to the side of the mat, before smoothing out her shirt.

"Well, no. I was thinking more along the lines of coming to terms with your feelings for Lucent." Jude informed as he set all the weights he had gathered besides Elisabeth's. "What feelings? I don't have any feelings. He's a friend, and that's it. A friend, and an ally." Elisabeth explained. Jude smirked and nodded his head. "Sure, alright. He's a friend and an ally. But I don't think that's it. I know you, Liz. I know you like him."

"Jude, can we not talk about this right now? It's been a long day, and I can already tell it's going to be a long day tomorrow. Could we just... push this conversation to the side for now? Just until I have figured everything out." Elisabeth pleaded. Jude sighed, clearly not wanting to drop the topic, but after a moment he gave a reluctant nod of his head. "Fine, fine. You don't want to talk about it now, we don't have to. Let me walk you to your house, at least. I have some questions regarding tomorrow's patrol schedule, anyway."

Elisabeth pursed her lips, hesitant to trust her friend in doing as she asked, but she ended up nodding her head in agreement, "Alright, fine, Let's go."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Khlia grabbed a double-barreled shotgun from the wall, Bryant followed after her out of pure curiosity. He thought she might have taken the shotgun just as a way to threaten those that disobeyed, and so was caught completely off guard when she suddenly shot it into the roof. He stumbled back in surprise, as did the Evertail warriors who piled out of the rooms in the hallway.

After all that mattered were out of the hallway, Khlia made her way into the main area of the bar and then jumped onto one of the occupied stages. She fired the shotgun for a second time, surprising Bryant (as well as all of the other drunks) for a second time. Bryant half expected her to shoot it a third time just for good measure, but Khlia didn't do that. Instead, she grabbed the nearest Omega she could find (in this case, the girl who had been dancing on the stage) and pulled her in for a toothy kiss.

Men and women alike cheered at the sight of it, with some even patting each other on the back and murmuring dirty things to each other. Bryant crossed his arms over his chest as he watched, and listened, to the speech that Khlia delivered. Oh? So then, this little raid of hers really was authorized by no one but herself? Bryant and his men would follow her authorized or not, but.. he wondered how everything would pan out after this little attack of hers.

Her brother would be mad, probably. Savic, definitely. Elisabeth... he doubted she would care much. As long as they all returned to her alive and well, Bryant didn't think it mattered much to his Lieutenant. When the cheering of the drunken warriors faded off into drunken rambling and yelling, Bryant went around the bar and gathered the other Evertails--just to make sure that hadn't stumbled off after Khlia's speech and into the arms of another Omega, or the bottle of another drink.

[Damonique]

While everything else was going on, Lucent was still seated in the comfortable armchair that served as his 'throne' at the head of the table in his command center, giving orders and recieving reports. Elvira Huntsworn was seated on the floor beside him, ignored and unmentioned, as she had been since they had first arrived...her impressions of the formidable Lucent Mane were probably beginning to change from fear and fascination to utter boredom as he oversaw the tedium of running so many packs from one place. At it's core, it was all numbers and politics, knowing what people wanted and what had to offer.

There was a bit of excitement, as only moments after the uproar in the 'Profanity Bar', word of his sisters plans filtered in...subtlety was not Khlia's strong suit, and she should have realized that if Lucent's spies could feed him information from the other side of the river, they could surely inform him of what she meant to do with his warriors. But he let it slide with a smile, said to let Khlia run and play and kill....whatever kept her distracted and self-satisfied. And this way, when Nightwalker and Skyclaw inevitably came to complain about being pre-empted, Lucent could shrug his shoulders and ask which one of them wanted to be the first to voice their displeasure to her face.

After that...well, Lucent grew impatient with the tedium of business as usual....a fight was about to happen, but not one in which he could participate or affect in any meaningful way. His twin would taste blood and win glory, and at best, he could sit and wait for a play-by-play of the nights events to trickle in, much-delayed and second-hand. Too late to do much of anything at all. So he left orders for his sister to be sent up at once upon her glorious return, to get the details directly from the source, and retired to the elevator up to their room.

Elvira followed after with a sort of depressed acceptance. If her childish dreams of her brother returning to single-handedly kill her captor and rescue her were ever going to come true, they would have already. As floors ticked past, Lucent could imagine the girl mentally steeling herself for what she had been led to expect was about to happen..he would have tried to comfort her in some way, but he knew it was useless. He was a monster in the child's eyes, and would be until time and familiarity proved otherwise.

The door opened, and he was confronted but an unsurprising sight, in the corner of 'his' side of the room, Alicia reclining in a chair beside the heated bathing pool, dressed in a near-translucent negligee, allowing one Omega to wash and change the bandages on her slowly-but-surely-healing arm, and another to paint her toenails a cheerful pink. She opened her eyes lazily and waved off the two attendants, who disappeared into the elevator as quickly as Lucent and Elvira stepped out of it.

"Ahh, here I was, daydreaming about you, and here you are....before midnight, even, that's a rare treat. And who's this but little Elvira Huntsworn....I'd heard she'd be joining us. Such a delicate little thing...and scared half to death, thinking your the big bad wolf. Your a big wolf, no denying, but we both know you were never bad, Lucy." The blonde teased, catching onto exactly what was really going on without any need for prompting...making Lucent feel slightly less dirty about the whole affair. It had been an idea that had come on in the spur of the moment, and perhaps selfish at its core....trying to create another way to live with himself.

The vitriol, the hatred, the righteous anger that he'd been shown by resolute young Avory Huntsworn...it had gotten to Lucent. It had driven the mercy he'd disguised as a challenge to the brother, and this other kindness he had disguised as cruelty towards his sister. Elvira and her brother both been raised on the same hatred that so many city wolves had for the natives, with their strange looks, names, and religion. How deep did such hatred run, and how hard to break? Was it in the blood, as his elders had taught him as a youth, an immutable characteristic of these pale invaders? Lucent hoped not, and so here he was.

While he allowed only the barest inkling of these thoughts to reach his eyes, it was enough for Alicia to latch onto, and see an opportunity to put the charisma and misplaced-empathy she usually used on childish games to good use. She stood and almost glided across the floor on bare feet, dropping to her knees before the numb, grey-eyed girl who was prepared for everything but this, smiling that smile of hers that seemed as if it could light up the world...only to plunge it into darkness when she decided to take it away. A whole life spent turning others into putty in her hands...she could handle one frightened teenager.

"Hello Elvira...my names Alicia...let me be the first to welcome you to your new home. I know your scared, after all, your brothers made a very bad choice...they stood against the future. Against the Manes. But that was their choice, it doesn't have to be yours. Look at him, really look..." The blonde started in a sing-song voice, placing a hand on the young girl's cheek and gently nudging her to look up at Lucent, who was standing off the the side wearing an expression of utter exhaustion and sullen introspection, yes, but not the slightest hint of either violence or lust.

"...he's not a monster. He's your savior....because believe me, that future is coming fast. And when it does, you'll be glad to be here with us and not out there with them." She finished, indicating the panoramic view of the city offered by the thick glass windows that lined the penthouse, utterly convinced. Though Alicia hardly understood why Lucent did the things that he did, she had a blind faith that it must be important for him to be doing it. It was a childish, black-and-white perspective...but it didn't make her wrong. A storm was coming, and there would be few truly safe places to hide from it before long.

Almost as if on cue, the point was punctuated by the roaring engines and blinding lights of two-dozen overbuilt Harleys storming down the wide thoroughfare out of Fang territory, joined by a massed, echoing howl that cut through the night.

[brokecollege]

True to his word, Jude did not bring up any matter regarding Lash, Lucent, or even Khlia Mane. And for that, Elisabeth was extremely grateful. Instead, he spoke about the weather, about how awfully boring the patrol had been, and whether Elisabeth would be able to trade Jude's morning shift with a night shift instead. Any questions that he had were answered, any requests thoughtfully delivered and denied. As boring of a conversation as it might have seemed, it was exactly the kind she needed.

When they eventually reached Elisabeth's house, Jude bid his friend farewell and a night of good sleep. And Elisabeth did the same to him before she turned around and disappeared inside. Jude waited until the door was completely shut before he turned on his heel and began to make his way back towards the Alpha's house. Just because his night of patrol was over did not mean all of his duties were over.

He still had a few more things to tend to--none of which were terribly important, but also none of which that could be avoided. Jude stepped into the Alpha's house and, after discovering an Omega on the staircase, handed her a letter which Kellan had ordered for him to give to Savic. But because it was so late into the night, he doubted Savic would appreciate him barging into his room and handing over a letter (which really only contained information regarding the evening patrol).

"Could you get this to the Alpha in the morning?" he questioned curiously. The Omega looked from Jude, down to the letter, and then back to Jude before she stuffed it into her back pocket. "Of course. Who do I tell him it's from?" she asked. "Say it's from Jude. Or Kellan. Just, any warrior should catch his attention." he explained with a dismissive shrug of his shoulders. The Omega nodded, and Jude gave her his thanks before he turned and headed towards the front door.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bryant had seen dozens of battles in his time. Some were bloodier than others, and some were more successful than others. But none, he thought, could compare to the battle in which he and his fellow, drunken elites fought alongside the even drunker, and more crazier Fang elites. Though, he should have realized that this would have been a fight to remember when, on the way there, Caesar nearly fell off the motorcycle he'd been clinging to.

But even with their drunkness and dishevelment, they still managed to hit the Redmoons hard, and fast. They even managed to give the Redmoons a proper distraction, just as Khlia had wanted to. Though, he couldn't remember the kind of distraction that they had used. All Bryant knew was, as soon as the distraction was set he and his group made their way across the river and to the first line of patrols.

Bryant was the first in his group to kill someone. The leader of the patrol, he thinks. Or, at least, someone who had enough bravery to shout orders before Bryant managed to rip his throat out. Once Bryant had killed, everyone jumped in after him to get their paws wrapped in the mix. After that, things became a little blurry. If not for Bryant, then for everyone in the group.

How different this all was, from their usual calculated and carefully planned attacks. And yet, it was still so very fun. Bryant knew that, once the dust and the blood had settled and they all returned to their respective packs, he would have to tell Elisabeth about this. He knew she would find it interesting, how wild her men went on their drunken hunt. Interesting, and hilarious.

Bryant grunted as he pushed down the last of the patrol to the ground. Though before he could actually sink his teeth into his skin, Caesar was coming up behind him and snatching the kill for himself. The drunken fool. If Bryant hadn't been a little tipsy himself, he might've snapped at Caesar just to show him his place. But, he didn't. Foster and Bryant dragged the bodies of the Redmoon patrol to the bushes, ensuring that every man that they had attacked was truly dead.

Then, and only then, did they turn around to regroup with Khlia.

[Damonique]

Lash stalked through the Evertail camp with bare feet like a ghost in the night as she familiarized herself with the place an the wolves that inhabited it. She'd been here before, twice, in fact, but she'd never had free reign of the place. She wasn't spying, precisely, but she picked up the careless words of those that didn't know they were being overheard...idle chatter, for the most part, but it was still interesting to have an unseen finger on the pulse of a community to which she did not belong.

She was lounging on the awning above the door of the Alpha house, paying attention to comings and goings, when a name she knew all-too-well reached her ears....Jude. Now wasn't that a pleasant surprise? While the as-yet unseen warrior conversed with an Omega inside, Lash hopped down from her perch to land with a cat's grace just in front of the door, smoothing down her silken robe, putting on a disarming smile. She didn't have to wait long for the door to open, and couldn't help but smile wider when the male jumped back on instinct at her sudden appearance, looking almost embarrassed when he recovered himself and realized the source of his panic was a young lady in naught but a bathrobe.

"You are Jude." She stated abruptly, knowing she had the right man....he fit Elisabeth's description of her beau perfectly, with long blonde hair, pale silk-smooth skin and chiseled features that made him look as if he were carved of marble, and soft blue eyes that gave a glimpse of the soul beneath. It was a shame that this fine specimen would surely become a casualty of the war for the Evertail Lieutenants affection. Lucent Mane wanted her, badly, and if this one stood in the way....it would go badly for him, one way or another. These musings did not show on the surface, though, as Lash studied the male intensely with her pale blue eyes, and, biting back a hint of revulsion, offering him a well-manicured hand.

"They call me Lash. Elisabeth speaks well of you, and my leader says her friends should be mine as well." She added politely to go with the formal introduction. Nothing in the sentence truly a lie...Elisabeth had gushed about her man great detail within Lash's hearing, weather she knew it or not, and Khlia had said something to that effect when she went on about the Evertail Lieutenant and her future as the linchpin of the Fang-Evertail Alliance.

----------------------------------------------------

[brokecollege]

Jude opened the door, fully expecting to be greeted with the bright moon and the cool, flowing breeze. Instead, he walked almost straight into a woman who had been standing on the other side. The young blonde jumped back, having been so surprised by the woman's presence that his heart nearly burst from his chest. Though when he recovered from the surprise some moments later, he looked thoroughly embarrassed at having been so surprised by someone so small.

He opened his mouth to utter some sort of apology, but she beat him to it. And, again, he was surprised. How did she know his name? Jude, although a good man, certainly was no memorable warrior. Not like Elisabeth, or even Bryant and Foster. Perhaps, the woman had heard him speaking to the Omega just moments before? Well, that had to have been the reason. There was no other way that she could have known his name. He nodded his head and smiled.

The woman offered him a manicured hand and explained that she was Lash--ah, right. The Fang elite who had been chosen to stay by Lucent Mane himself. "Miss Lash." Jude greeted as he took the woman by her hand and shook it. "I've heard much about you. Well, you and the other Fang elites. It's a pleasure to be able to finally put a face to the name." Jude smiled as he pulled his hand back from hers.

"You gave me quite a start," Jude admitted with a soft laugh. "I wasn't expecting you to be on the other side of the door. I was just about to return to the barracks," he explained.

[Damonique]

Lash smiled knowingly when the warrior claimed some knowledge of her, and then corrected himself to say he knew of her merely in the context of being one of Khlia's Fang Elites. It was fairly obvious he had no idea who or what she was, because knowing how Elisabeth felt about her, it was unlikely the male would be being so friendly if she had gone into any detail. Or maybe he just thought his Lieutenant had to have been exaggerating...half the stories one heard about the Mane Twins and their odd cadre of loyalists were unbelievable until you saw it for yourself.

"At least you admit it. Honest fear keeps you alive longer than bravado." She stated nonchalantly in response when he admitted she had startled him, unable to keep herself from turning it into a lesson. It was an automatic response, Lash didn't like wasting words without a point to them. Anything was a teachable moment, if ones eyes were open....a shame Elisabeth seemed intent to keep hers closed. Perhaps she'd take advice better from someone like Jude, if Lash could plant the seed in his thoughts. She stepped out of the way when he claimed he was returning to the barracks, and, quite uninvited, moved to follow. They walked for a while under the moon in an uncomfortable silence, while she considered the best use of her next words.

"You and the Lieutenant are close, yes?" Lash 'asked' out of left field, as if she wasn't already aware, and waited for him to answer, nodding along with his inevitable affirmative before continuing. "Lucent, Savic, the Alphas, the war. It's bigger than you or her or me....no time to be playing games. A....good friend would try to tell her that." She finished as they approached the large building that the Evertail warriors made their den, and stopped not too far from the door and waving a goodbye to Jude, and almost feeling sorry for playing him like a pawn. Almost.

She waited until he said what he had to say and meandered her way back to the Alpha's House, whistling a merry tune that seemed so out of place coming from her ever-so-stoic self. It hadn't been the most productive day, but she and Elisabeth had avoided coming to blows yet, and the Evertails were getting used to her presence...a few more days, and just like the Fangs, they would stop taking notice of her entirely until she acted or spoke, becoming an ever-present piece of the scenery. Lash liked it better that way....unlike the twins, she had no need for acclaim and recognition. She was like a tool, unnoticed and hardly relevant until needed, and then very good to have on hand...or at least, that was how she liked to think of herself.

[brokecollege]

Honest fear keeps you alive more than bravado, Lash stated with a shrug of her shoulders. Interesting that a Fang elite would admit such a thing to be true. Weren't the Fang elites, or even just the Mane twins, all about not showing fear and weakness? Lash moved out of the way from the door and Jude thanked her with a smile before he stepped through it. He expected them to part ways there, but they didn't.

Instead, Lash followed Jude as he made his way towards the barracks. He thought to ask her why but decided against it at the last moment. If she was following him, it must have been for a reason--if not just to see him squirm as she trailed beside him. After a few moments of silence, Lash spoke to ask about his relationship with Elisabeth. He smiled and nodded his head. "Yes, we are. We were close when we were kids," he explained.

Lash nodded before she mentioned everyone--Lucent, the Alphas, him, her, Elisabeth--and how the war they were all partaking in was much bigger than anyone even realized. A good friend, she said, would tell Elisabeth that. Hmph. He wasn't surprised to hear that Elisabeth wasn't thinking about the bigger picture of things. She thought only at that moment and acted only at that moment as well. Though, if she was going to make it out of this alive then she would have to change, to adapt both how she thought, and how she acted.

Whether or not she would, however, was an entirely different topic. The two finally reached the barracks, and Lash gave him a friendly wave goodbye. Jude returned the wave with a smile before he turned on his heel and headed inside. Perhaps he would talk to Elisabeth tomorrow, maybe when they got a moment alone after training.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Like every morning before, Elisabeth woke up just shy of three o'clock in the morning. And like every morning before that one, Elisabeth was out of her house by three-thirty and making her rounds around the compound. She ensured that the patrol shifts were changing, that the hostages were asleep and guarded, and that Savic and his mate were safe and sound within their home.

By four-thirty, she was in the training room training by herself. Usually, she would have dragged Bryant or Adam along to train with her, but because of their current situation, she had to resort to training alone. Which, she didn't entirely mind. It gave her time to think. Not only about the unfortunate situation that had happened with Lash, but about the brief conversation she had shared with Jude.

You come to terms with it, yet? She pursed her lips in thought as she stretched her arms high above her head, before bending down to touch her toes. She had brushed off the question when Jude asked it, but that didn't stop it from dominating her mind and her thoughts. And the truth was, she hadn't come to terms with it. She didn't want to admit that she liked Lucent.

What good would it do if she did? If anything, her publicly admitting her feelings for Lucent would only bring trouble. So, for now, she wasn't going to admit anything--well, except for the fact that she and Jude weren't in a relationship. She had to admit that--but, only because she felt wrong for using Jude without his knowledge. When she would get the chance to admit that it was a lie, though, she didn't know.

Elisabeth turned on her heel to grab some training gear, though as soon as she turned she realized her whelps had begun to trickle inside of the building. She frowned--dammit. Had she really spent the entire half-hour stretching and contemplating? Useless! These feelings were rendering her useless!

[Damonique]

Khlia was in high spirits as she made good her third kill of the night, pouncing in wolf-shape to land heavily on a fleeing warrior, riding him to the ground and then laying into him mercilessly with tooth and claw. She finished her crippled prey, snapping his neck between her massive jaws, and letting out a triumphant howl before turning feral green eyes back towards of the mid-sized pack of Fangs and Evertails she had led across the river.

Two had already fallen on the way in, neither of them Elizabeth's, thankfully, but none of the others were unbloodied, either, which was just the way she liked it. While to utterly dominate ones enemies, to make naught but prey and playthings of them was a thrill her Lash might enjoy, the She-Mane would rather strive fang-to-claw against a brave foe, cornered and desperate and deadly. That showed the true mettle, and separated the strong from the stronger.

And despite the wounds they'd taken, the Evertail Warriors had not disappointed in the slightest. The two young braves, Foster and Kellan, had claimed two kills in single combat and just shared a fifth between them as they'd joined her in broinging her Brother's war into enemy territory, tracking down and delivering death to Redmoon and Freerunner patrols alike, making the night sing songs of fear and woe, calls for reinforcements that would never come fast enough to save them.

But as the moon started to dip in the sky, and those calls began to be answered by distant battle-cries, and Elasebeth's strong right hand's baritone howl found her ears from too far away, even Khlia Mane knew she was out of time and out of place, having pushed too deep in the thrill of the hunt. She gathered her warriors about her in formation and started at a dead sprint down a side-street, heading southwards, towards where Bryant called to them, hoping to make it to the safety of numbers before Redmoon pursuers overtook them. And they very nearly succeeded.

At the intersection of two side-streets they ran into a problem. It was a gate, no more or less than that. Wrought iron, nearly reaching the rooftops, and topped with twisted spikes, placed by some human to form a garage of sorts for their vehicle, to protect it from less-determined hooligans. Not an impossible climb to make with a boost from someone else....at least on two legs. On four, without the benefit of opposable thumbs, it was an impassable obstacle. And thus Khlia and her half-dozen warriors were confronted with the werewolves worst dilemma....to be forced to bare their vulnerable human guise, naked and unarmed, in the midst of known enemies.

If she were an ounce less proud, Khlia may have sent up a call of distress, calling Bryant and Grigori's detachments to cover her retreat, but such a thing wasn't considered. Instead the she-Mane edged up as close to the fence as she could in wolf shape before spitting a curse that started as canine growl and ended as fully-intelligible profanity, dropping to her knee and offering her broad and scarred shoulders as a stepladder for whoever went to climb first. The yowls of Redmoon forces were drawing closer, but they would make it with time to spare.

Or they would have made it with time to spare, if the owner of gate and automobile both, roused by the racket outside his back door, made his appearance, shotgun in hand like any red-blooded American. And there, he came upon the most peculiar sight. A human tower of sorts, composed entirely of very fit individuals, none of whom were wearing a stitch of clothing and all of whom were bleeding from somewhere.

Confused, surprised, and wanting absolutely nothing to do with whatever this was, he brandished his weapon, shouted something to the effect of 'Bwaah', and fired once.

BANG

He really should have saved his ammunition for the four very large, very angry wolves chasing the scent of these unwelcome nudists blood straight back to where he was unlucky enough to be.

-------------------------------------------

[brokecollege]

Things had been going fine, great even. Foster and Kellan had always enjoyed a good fight, one that brought out their true and deepest inner beasts. To be able to fight and kill, and to do so along with such a great warrior as Khlia, was truly exciting. But the battle quickly changed, as it often did, and not in their favor. Reinforcements were called to assist those that they'd taken down, and before long they were forced to make a retreat.
In tight formation, the group of wolves dashed through the trees. They stopped at nothing, weaving in and out of the trees as their escape became more desperate in nature. Fuck, shit, fuck. Kellan could hear his heart beating in his chest, feel the stinging in his chest as he exasperated his lungs. Foster, meanwhile, was having the time of his life. The thrill drove him on, the desperation making him even faster.
Soon enough they came upon a wall--and quite literally, too. With nowhere else to go or turn, the group was forced to shift at that moment. Naked, bleeding, and exhausted beyond all belief, they climbed over the gate and into the yard. All appeared to be well, and for a moment they thought themselves safe enough to breathe. And then...
Bang.
Foster let out a pained curse, hand flying to his abdomen as he toppled to the ground. Kellan stood there for a moment, disoriented and surprised as he stared at the confused human. He growled, fists clenching before a nearby howl caught his attention. Shit. "Khlia," he called out to the woman as he helped his friend up from the ground. "Foster's been hit! It's bad, Khlia!" then, with a barely conscious Foster, Kellan proceeded to continue to attempt their escape.

[Damonique]

Khlia Mane was rarely taken so utterly by surprise...most of her life, all she had to do was rely on scent and sound and the barest prickle of hairs rising at the nape of her neck to see a threat coming from far away, and end it with prejudice when it finally appeared. But the smell of human no longer registered after so long living in the midst of them. Humans were slow, they were weak, they could hardly smell and hardly hear and couldn't even stomach raw meat anymore, making them nothing more than unappealing prey.

But just one of them, armed, at just the wrong moment turned momentary misstep into disaster in a heartbeat. A deafening bang, a bright flash, the acrid smell of gunsmoke mingling with fresh-spilled blood, very distinctly Evertail-blood, and Kellan's panicked shouting told her it was Elisabeth's other brave, Foster, who had caught the buckshot. It was bad, he said, and from the quantity alone Khlia could tell it was an understatement, neither man's hands doing much to staunch the flow. Torso, left side, low. Nasty wound. Likely as not, the warrior had a perforated stomach and would be dead by daybreak.

She loosed another string of curses as she looked upon his face, twisted into a grimace of shock and pain. A crying shame it had to be Foster, with his hair afire, his smart mouth, and the handsome face that made it somehow endearing...Khlia had been looking forward to ending the night savoring the taste of their enemies blood off that one's lips. And worse than that, these warriors had been a gift from her hunt-sister, a token of the young lieutenant's trust and a misplaced but...deeply touching concern for the Mane Twins.

Elisabeth, who loved as fiercely as she fought, and above all loved the warriors under her command, as if they were of her own blood...if Lucent truly meant to join her blood to theirs, Khlia could do no less herself, and stayed her strong hands from delivering the sharp twist followed by silence that would have been the Gift of Mercy to a mortally wounded warrior. There might still be time to save him....if she bought it. First things first, she struck the still-shocked Kellan sharply across the face with the back of her hand, to get him back into action.

Second, she took care of the impudent human that had interfered in affairs he should have left alone, turning to the lit doorway with a snarl, diving left to avoid the hurried second shot he fired, turning Wolf mid-roll, then leaping to ride him down, tearing out his throat. In a flash, she was in human-shape again, fresh blood still covering her lips and chin as she barked her orders.

"Kellan, Caine." She named the Evertail man and her own blonde-headed elite bluntly. "Go. Carry him, the rest will guard you. Make the bridge, steal a car, get him to Brother. Fast. Fast. Might be he'll live." As her words sank in, there were voices and growls of dissent that Khlia fixed with a glare, her meaning clear. The howling and baying of Redmoon wolves drawing closer left no time for dissent. This was not a debate. They would all go. And she would stay, and face them, and either win, or die. As was her way.

[brokecollege]

Foster's blood-soaked Kellan's hand as he desperately tried to apply pressure to the wound. But no amount of pressure was enough, and Kellan knew it wouldn't be long before not even a healer could help. His helpless gaze met Khlia's as she approached, though it was quickly replaced by a look of surprise upon being slapped by her. He shook his head a bit, the sharp stinging in his cheek somehow calming him some.
Then, Khlia turned to face the human, who stood some ways away just as surprised as they were. Khlia moved to approach the human, easily dodging an aimed shot before proceeding to shift and tear out his throat. It was a sight that Kellan relished--and Foster would have too, if not for the fact that he was barely conscious. With the human dead and twitching on the ground, Khlia returned to her human form and began to give orders.
They were to cross the bridge, steal a car, and return to her brother. And if they did all of that fast enough, Foster just might make it. Distant howling caught Kellan's attention, and he briefly glanced in the direction they'd come from. He knew by Khlia's orders that she intended to stay and fight. She was a fierce warrior, damn near obsessed with the fight and all the blood that came with it. He had no doubt that she could hold herself against their enemies.
He just didn't know for how long she'd be able to do it. But, still, he'd been given orders and he sure as hell wasn't going to go against them. With the help of Caine, they ran off with Foster in their arms. The next twenty minutes were nothing if not chaotic--a bunch of naked and bloodied men running around what looked to be a suburban neighborhood, waking up family dogs and causing at least two car alarms to sound. But eventually, they found a car and were racing down the street at what felt like the speed of light. By the time they arrived in Mane territory, Foster had passed out. He was limp and pale--but still breathing. With Caine's aid, Kellan dragged his friend's limp body out of the car.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Something wasn't right. Bryant's howl had only been responded to by Grigori and his men. Khlia and the others were nowhere to be found--not even a howl had been heard from them. It could be that Khlia and her men were overwhelmed. Bryant would have been himself, had Grigori and his detachment not shown up to lend aid. For that reason, it was decided that they would head deeper into Redmoon territory. If Khlia and her men truly had been overrun, then they wouldn't make it without help.
They aimed to comb the area as they went, which would hopefully lead to a scent that they could track. And for the most part, it worked out pretty well. Grigori managed to catch the very faint scent of his leader--but it was all that Grigori needed. With a deep howl, he began to follow the scent. Bryant and his men fanned out and followed.
As Khlia's scent grew stronger, so too did the familiar sounds of fighting, and it wasn't long before they were deeply embroiled in a battle. There had to be at least a dozen wolves--reinforcements for the Redmoons, no doubt. Luckily for them, Khlia Mane stood at the center of it all. And so they fought, killing as many wolves as they could as quickly as they could. A few of their own men fell in the process--a couple just from their wounds, and a couple because of death. But they faired far better in comparison to the Redmoon reinforcements, who fell dead one after the other.