Lemon Eyes

[Alena Wulf]

Tearing through gristle and bone, Alena ripped into what remained of her meal, consuming the last of the choice meat before standing to her full height. Blood glistened from her muzzle, and the mother of lycanthropy gazed down at the partial corpse at her feet, before making her way through sideroads and forests to get back to the den. She'd gone to two locations nearby where it seemed vampires had set up temporary posts, either to gain intel, or to prepare for a more permanent nest. Yet both locations had proven to be abandoned. After quickly clearing any possible hideouts in the vicinity of the two locations, Alena stopped for a snack. It felt good to run again; to be in her own skin and breathe the fresh air. She wanted to venture further; to return to Oslo to cleanse the area. To get her hands on Dane. The thought tickled her; she looked forward to her next encounter with that leech, but for now, she wouldn't stray too far from the den with repairs still underway.

Returning to the grounds before dusk, the queen of lycanthropy noted that Xhel's bike was still parked in front of the entrance. Meeting briefly with Evelyn, then Nero, Alena took to the woods, simply to feel the dirt between her toes. As the night drew closer, Alena could feel a couple of her pups reaching out to her: the hunter had finally risen from bed. Moving around the property, Alena watched as Xhel skirted the building, making his way to the front where he'd left his motorcycle. Fear not, Hunter. She thought, a wide, toothy grin covering her face. He would not be approached or hindered in any way, and she'd seen to it his bike remained untouched. Her pale eyes followed his movements, dropping slightly as he turned his back to her, around to the front. The poor man had slept most of the day away.

As Xhel drove off, quick movement in her periphery caught her attention. The wolf she'd charged with looking after the hunter sprinted toward her. Laughing, Alena opened her arms as the wolf neared, wrestling with it playfully before standing and scratching behind the beast's ears.

It was about time she started her night. Nero would soon wake his sister to hunt, and with Lucia away and distracted, she would allow Pablo his fresh air. Meeting with Damien and Adele, the werewolf queen informed them that Pablo would be allowed out on the property grounds, and encouraged the blonde girl to try to keep her friend in check. Damien's orders were more direct in the event Pablo attempted to flee, but Perrin's heirs would not be the only ones keeping an eye on the young man.

Taking the stairs down, Alena paused briefly in front of Pablo's room. She would try to determine the boy's state of mind, and if he seemed agreeable, she would let him out for a time tonight. Knocking twice as a courtesy, Alena opened the door, stepping within the room, her eyes resting on the young man. She was quiet for a moment before finally speaking, "Have you been sleeping well?"

[Pablo]

Thank you Shamir. That brought some amount of comfort. And a whole other set of questions. Why had Xhel spent most of the day in the mansion? It wasn’t a line of thought he wanted to follow. Sitting by the edge of the bed Pablo turned Xhel’s knife within his hands. If she hurt him, he’d… his head slumped. There was not much he could do. He was her prisoner and clearly they both lived at her mercy. Was that the message she had wanted to send? In any case, Xhel appeared to have been in one piece. According to Shamir. Who had known to watch because of Okello. He frowned. Despite what Pablo had said his friend still kept an eye out for him. But it had been warranted, hadn’t it? Xhel would hurt Lucia for his sake. There was someone at the door.

Pablo quickly hid Xhel’s knife beneath his pillow. The door opened, Alena in its entry. He scowled, he couldn’t help himself. Alena was at the very top of the list of people who had wronged him. She’d gone after family, the last of what he had. And then scent hit him. She smelt earthly, that was nearly always the case, the hint of blood, a wild animal’s, and then Xhel’s. She reeked of him, and of sex. Pablo nearly gaped, a fist closed tight by his side. She’d raped his cousin. There was little doubt in his mind. She could take what she wanted, here in the den her will was absolute. Xhel had been abused. The way Pablo had. They both existed, their lives, their bodies, at the whims of monsters far beyond their status and power. “D-did you come to gloat?” He tried to look at her, defiantly. But it broke him. The face of a loved one was now a traitors. She was no better than Catherine. He turned away falling back onto the bed, a tear in his eye. Using him for nothing more than sating her filthy desires. Lucia’s flashed in his mind. That was not the same… she.. she had loved him. And he had wanted her. But deep down a sliver of him knew the truth.

[Alena Wulf]

For as long as she'd lived; the centuries of war, bloodshed and loss; the heartbreak, and the decades of cumulative time she'd spent in chains or otherwise captive, the queen of lycanthropy found that the older she got, the new recruits of every new generation seemed to try her patience far more than anything else in the millennia past ever had. At least that seemed to be the case for many pups who'd started life as humans. A lot of newly bitten werewolves seemed to view themselves with great importance, believing perhaps that they were specially chosen for this life due to some extraordinary quality that possessed that had appealed to their sire. More often than not, these days, the pup had been only a passing fancy, bitten in a fit of passion without the guarantee of surviving their first transformation; or they were unintentional survivors of a younger werewolf's first months of frenzy. These newer generations of humans seemed so sensitive, and even those pups who'd shown promise and whom Alena had seen to further developing their talent could be so damn ungrateful. The last half a century, Alena, for the most part, had only taken on wards of lycan descent; Pablo having been the exception. Those born into the life had proven to be hardier, more willing to learn, and more loyal. Geoff, and Renn before him, had been the last two humans the wolf mother, herself, had brought into the life; and Geoff had proven to have had difficulty adapting to the life, even with her guidance.

Pablo's scowl did not go unnoticed, but Alena's neutral expressed remained unfazed. "Not at all." She watched as he fell face-first onto his bed; there was a growing temptation to just let him out, let her daughter have him so they could flee to wherever their childish whims took them. Yet this wasn't just about Lucia's hold on Pablo. The poor boy looked so angry and... was that heartache? Was he finally beginning to see? Poor kid; he'd been through so much lately. Simply watching her young lieutenant for a moment, the queen of werewolves remained by the door. She felt it might still be too early for even this limited amount of freedom, but she could always wrangle him back inside if things began to go poorly. "Your cousin convinced me to let you have a little fresh air." She watched the young man with cold eyes, looking for his reaction. "I came to see if you were feeling well enough to be under the stars."

[Pablo]

The lycan tensed waiting for Alena’s response, some half hearted apology, but received nothing instead, indifference. He and Xhel were of such little importance to her. Tools to be used. In the past it seemed liked she’d cared for him, genuinely. Where had that gone? Her voice was cold. He was tempted to accuse upfront, but would that resolve? He could smell Xhel on her, and the scent of sex, blood, but not human. What was he supposed to think? Did it matter? She’d gone after family. Xhel was off limits. It was more than tempting, to reach for Xhel’s blade, and seek poetic justice. She was in the doorway, there was no room to shift, he could take her, and then? The thought faded. They’d kill him, Xhel next, probably? And then Lucia would have no one. Heck she may be short in joining him in the afterlife with nobody left to protect her.

Alena spoke again. Pablo flinched at the mention of Xhel. She said she wasn’t here to gloat, but he felt taunted. He choked out a weak laugh. Is that what Xhel had done? Bartered for a night under the sky. It was gut wrenching. She was no better than the vampires. He wished to hear otherwise. There was some misunderstanding. If he’d just ask, but he knew the truth. And hearing it would only make him angry, and he’d throw away this opportunity. The thought of fresh air, the wind behind his back, the livelihood of the woods, and Lucia. If he was out there, he could get to her. Pablo remained still processing, he couldn’t seem too excited. Alena would know, and she would do anything to keep him from Lucia. “Okay.” He said sitting up, he didn’t meet Alena’s gaze. “I’d rather be anywhere else. Get me out of here.”

[Alena Wulf]

Alena could have smiled, and nearly did at Pablo's reaction, or lack-there-of, to her offer of fresh air. He hid it well for one so young; but she'd spent the past 6-odd years watching him grow. And he wasn't the first pup she'd had to help ween off of a hybrid's kiss; she knew what thoughts filled his mind.

Watching as the young man sat up, speaking, the queen of werewolves held the door open for him, standing aside to let him by. As he neared, Alena reached one hand out to grab him firmly by the chin, forcing him to meet her eyes. "I'll give you one hour to be under the stars this evening. It is my hope to give you more time outside in the coming days. But, my child, I advise you to remain on the Den's grounds." She held his gaze for a moment to get her meaning across. His time outside in the coming nights would depend on his behavior tonight. The wolf queen didn't expect the night to go off without a hitch, but hopefully his packmates would be able to help him see reason before she needed to step in.

"One hour, Pablo." Without another word, the wolf mother released her grip and let Pablo run off ahead.

[Pablo]

Pablo nearly flinched underneath Alena’s touch. It was a good thing he wasn’t carrying the knife. Her touch use to be soft and comforting, now it felt oppressive. He would have lashed out of her, instead he met her gaze. Only an hour? That wasn't fair. He nearly said it to Alena, but he knew her. No amount of protest would make a difference. Things would go the way she wanted. As always. He nodded. The night of fresh air his cousin brought him had quickly become an hour. It was cruel. But at the end it may not matter. If he could get to Lucia.

Without another word he turned and ran. Out of the basement, to the main floor and out of the foyer. Ignoring familiar and friendly faces. Front doors thrown up triumphantly as for the first time in what felt like weeks he breathed in fresh air. The earthly scent of the forest greeting him. He walked out towards the woods. Wondering if he should bound up his clothes. He would need some if they ran away together. He wanted to reach out to her now, but would that be too obvious? He knew Alena, she would have someone watching, someone’S even. But he only had an hour, and Lucia would need to be ready. Pablo breathed in, he reached out with his mind. She was always so easy to find, despite the extra static, and noise, the distractions, she was a beacon. One that wasn’t in the mansion, out somewhere in the forest. He felt his heart skip a beat. No, he couldn’t charge straight out her, instead he bound off to the side. The beast within lurching to escape. Soon. He thought. Soon.

[Adele Holst]

As much as she didn't want to see her best friend locked away and isolated from the rest of the pack and his friends, Adele couldn't help but wonder at Alena's decision to let him out tonight. Just last night, Pablo had tried cutting himself with a butter knife to get his blood to the hybrid who'd put him in this situation to start with. Worst of all, though, Alena had told her and Okello to make sure Pablo did not run off to Lucia while he was out. Adele never wanted to betray her friend's trust, and she didn't intend to; yet she couldn't help but feel that Alena had the right of things. At least as far as her daughter's influence on Pablo went.

Walking between the trees, branches crunching and snapping beneath her shoes, the young woman zipped up her hoodie, grabbing the ends of the sleeves to keep her hands warmer. The moon was high, although a slight crescent, shining some small amount of light through the canopy of the forest on the den's property; but it was still about 2 weeks until the moon shone at its fullest. Despite the moon not being at her full glory, the grounds were bustling with activity. Alena had ordered everyone to stay within Stockholm's city limits for now, letting only a few higher ranked lycans out to scout the country, northern Norway, and neighboring Finland. Many younger pups had opted, further, to stay within the den's property.

Alena's voice called out to Adele's mind, telling her that Pablo had been let out, and that he had an hour to enjoy the fresh air. The young werewolf sighed softly; only an hour. And yet, despite the short amount of time her friend had been granted, Adele knew it was still plenty of time for him to come up with a plan and potentionally act rashly. Rash was not normally how Adele would have described her best friend; but his actions of late had been concerning. She only hoped it wouldn't come down to having to physically restrain Pablo. If she had to, she would; if only to spare her friend from having to face Alena's intervention. Still, she didn't relish the thought.

Closing her golden eyes, Adele inhaled the night air, searching for her friend. He was already outside, although it appeared he'd exited the den through the front doors. Quickening her pace, Perrin's heir shivered slightly as she made her way toward Pablo. He seemed to be coming toward her as well, and soon enough, Adele saw him, running around the side of the building toward the woods. The young woman broke into a jog, catching up with Pablo easily. He didn't seem to notice her at first, but she ran toward him regardless, "Pablo! I can't," Adele slowed to match her friend's pace, "I can't believe she actually let you out." Her voice was light, expressing disbelief, yet happiness at her friend's short term freedom. Reaching out with a hand, Adele went to squeeze her friend's arm, but retracted it quickly, recalling what he'd yelled at her the previous day. She bit her lip, debating how to word what she wanted to say. "Pablo," her voice was soft, "is-- are you ok?" She knew the answer to that well enough, but she was asking given the context of their last interaction. "Yesterday when you told me to get out of your room..." Adele cast her golden gaze to the ground, "What happened? I don't... I just... Talk to me? Please?"

[Pablo]

He was there so close to the forest edge ready to don his true form after all this time, when her scent hit him. Catherine his heart raced and he whipped his head back, to see Adele running towards him. It was only Addy, thankfully. While Pablo was happy to be free, and to see his friend outside of that claustrophobic basement, she would prove to be trouble. Adele wouldn't let him go to Lucia would she? Not while she thought Lucia's bite was hurting him. Dammit. The lycan slowed as Adele caught him. He smiled. "You're not the only one. What ever Xhel uh did, it seemed to have worked. Though an hour doesn't seem fair. Maybe you could talk to Alena for me, I think she's around here somewhere." The smile on his lips faded as Adele retracted her arm. She wasn't a particularly touchy individual, but she rarely tried. Pulling her arm back that way. Was something wrong? Had something in fact happened? He only had the faintest memory.

"Yeah, I'm alright. I've been let out of my cage, fresh air, you're here, why wouldn't I be." He said slowing to a halt, and grabbing Adele, pulling her into a swift embrace, just to show her that was the case. "I... did something happen, Addy?" He listened to her ramble and frowned, letting her go, and giving her the space she cherished so.

The lycan frowned, rubbing the back of his head. "I'm sorry." Though that sounded familiar, he couldn't quite conjure the memory. "I must have been half asleep Addy. I-" When she gazed at the floor, and her hair fell before her eyes, he paused. It was not the moment to remember how pretty she was. How tempting it was to reach out and brush her hair behind her eyes. She was Damien's now, and he was with Lucia. "Hey, it's okay." He stepped towards her and hugged her once more. The lycan's scent conjuring images of Catherine in his mind once more. Though he couldn't remember, he thought he knew what had happened. Catherine lips waking him, her soft body oppressing his making demands of him. No, this scent was Adele's, she would never. He squeezed her tighter at that moment. "I must have been having a bad dream. But it's over now." She would never violate him that way, make him please her, and make him realize he liked it, no matter how wrong it was. He took in her scent. This was Addy's. He said to himself again. His best friend. She liked to hunt and give a hard time over his feelings for Alena, and worried too much about just about everything. But no matter what he tried Catherine's image was there. "I must have thought you were a vampire." He said with a half hearted laugh, letting her go and taking a step back.
"Now unless you want to see me get naked, I'd run along. I only have an hour, I need to take advantage of it. Go on now." He said smiling, shooing her away.

[Adele Holst]

Adele gave her friend a confused look when he mentioned that Xhel had arranged this brief reprieve from the basement for him. Yet she offered a sad smile to him when he suggested that she speak to Alena about getting him more time.

His initial, flippant response to her first general question wasn't entirely surprising; but it did confirm, as if there'd been any doubt, that he was going to try and abscond to Lucia. Adele sighed softly.

The blonde could feel a cold pit in her stomach turning uneasily as she fumbled with the words to ask Pablo what had happened. She prayed that what she suspected wasn't truly the case. Yet she felt a surprising amount of emotion surge in her chest when he pulled her into an embrace, telling her things were ok. She brought her arms up quickly to reciprocate, holding him tight. "Pablo," she listened quietly as he insisted he'd been having a bad dream. "It is over now." Addy agreed, pulling away slightly to look him in the face. To Hell with it, she thought; she'd just say it straight. "Pablo, you--" her voice was soft to avoid eavesdroppers, "were you raped?" She wanted to reassure him that it hadn't been his fault; he hadn't had a choice in any of the shit that'd happened to him over the last couple weeks. But she wanted to hear his response first. "That vampire, Catherine..." Adele pulled away a bit, tucking a strand of blonde hair away, "she seemed too comfortable with being... inappropriate." She shivered a little, remembering how that woman's hands had wandered so easily to her throat, and her lips to her neck. She almost felt ill thinking of it, and Adele had only spent a short amount of time in that monster's presence.

[Pablo]

The lycan tensed as his friend returned the embrace. It was more stiffening than he remembered. Once Adele’s hugs had been cherished if only for their rarity, she did not give them out regularly, which meant each one mattered to her. Pablo’s smile faded as Adele spoke. It didn’t seem like she was talking about this morning. His face pale as she continued. “I – what?” Was it so obvious? He knew things weren’t as she thought. It hadn’t been a moment of terror, or agony. She hadn’t tortured him. It was forced, but it had been a moment of relief, passion. His body aching, pained, and she had been a remedy. So soft, held so close, Adele’s embrace paled. He’d needed her, more than almost anything. Adele could never know. He tried to push the memory from his mind. Even as Adele spoke her name. She even knew a culprit. Still, he attempted to play it off. “Catherine with me?” He laughed weakly. “No, I thought she – I mean I thought you were her, trying to bite me.” Another weak laugh. It was true enough. As far as he could remember, he must have crossed scents again, thought Catherine was there. But would that have elicited such a response from him. If she was here in Addy’s place, could he say no?
He had never been the best liar, lying to Addy wasn’t something he’d ever tried much of to begin with. She didn’t believe him from the look in her eyes, and the attempt had been a sorry one from the start. “Yes.” The words came out softly. He wished she was holding him so closely yet kept his own embrace tight. “It was t he morning after the raid. She… she didn’t hurt me. She woke me up. I could, I could smell your scent on her. I thought she’d hurt you or worse.” He had been able to meet her gaze until that moment. “Catherine, she… made me, made me please her, to learn what had happened to you.” His voice was soft, a bit shaky. Somehow admitting it made it worse. He forced a smile. “I was so happy when she said you’d escaped.” It had been wrong, and yet his desire had run so rampant. There was something wrong with him. A deep shame washed over the lycan. And yet, despite having the capability and he was certain the willingness, she hadn’t hurt him, not the way Lucia had.
He shook his head. That wasn’t the same. “I’m sorry, Addy, I want to be alone for a while.” He said, finally letting her go. With Lucia there had been a misunderstanding. He loved the hybrid; it couldn’t be the same.