Howling in the Streets{M} DamoniquexBrokecollege

[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."