Pride of the Species - Chapter One

So, my first chapter is done. You can read it all here on the blog, or go HERE and view it in a Google Doc. The sections separated by bold letters indicate who's perspective it is. (Tyken and Quinn, in this case.) My thoughts on this chapter will come in a bit. :)

Tyken - Dreams of Change
"NOOOOO!" I screamed awaken from the dream again in my bed, sweat soaking the sheets. Trying to slow down my breathing, I realized I had once again shaken the entire room unconsciously, with various items strewn from their original homes. I cursed under my breath, and sat up in bed for a moment, reflecting on the dream.


It was the same as every night, every night for the past month or so. The man I loved, being slowly tortured. His captors were trying to bend him to their will. I was always a little too late, finding his desecrated body on a vile altar. Next to his body, were the bodies of my family, though I knew they had been killed some twenty years ago. The sight of it all terrified me, shook me to my very core. My face was wet from the crying I had done in my sleep.

The thing was though, I wasn't in a relationship. I never had been. When my parents were killed when I was 10, I shunned the guardian life and sequestered myself alone from the world. In the dreams though, the man and I were like soul mates. The dreams were too real and too vivid to pass off as some unconscious desire. Though, I continued to ignore them. I was hoping that they would eventually just pass with time.

It was early morning, and I decided to brew some tea to get refreshed from the awful night of sleep. I would have my tea, meditate, then go running for a while before having breakfast. Not that I needed to try to keep in shape, I just loved to run. Being of the secret, supernatural world sometimes had its advantages, and I was glad that the fact my body would always keep itself in natural shape was one of them. I was just over six feet tall, and I had a sleek, muscular build. I had solid-white blond hair with red tips that was long enough now to tie-back into a pony tail, and soft blue eyes.

I poured the boiling water into the tea pot and I would let that brew while I got ready to meditate. I was just about to sit down, when there was a knock at my door. It was a knock I knew all too well. It was my grandmother. Before I could even stand up properly, the lock clicked and the door opened. My grandmother stepped inside my flat, but of course she didn't look like anyone else's grandmother. She might have been over 200 years old, but she looked no older than 40. She still had deep-red, curly hair that went down to about her waist. She had green eyes, and always wore something simple yet also showed off her curves.

My grandmother is from my father's side. They, much like all of their ancestors before them, were magi, practitioners of magic and sort of like the guardians of our world. When any one side risked revealing the secrets of our world, the magi would step-in and make things right before mortals ever knew. It's how my parents ended up getting killed. They died trying prevent a very powerful demon from taking over New York City. They died, trying desperately to save me.

My mother was another type of guardian, a cat priestess. They along with other half-animal creatures, protected those magical creatures who could not, or would not, protect themselves. Instead of pure arcane magic, they relied on the forces of nature as their weapons and shields. (Along with being incredibly skilled fighters.)

That of course, makes me a half-breed. I'm a blending of raw nature, and raw arcane. I can transform into a cat, live possibly hundreds of years, unnaturally control nature and conjure magic. Before my parents died, I was training to one day stand along with them, protecting our world. Since their deaths though, I had just about given up on any possibility of continuing. I'm sure Grams was here to, once again, try to remedy that.

"Ah! You've made tea! Enough for me, dear?" She asked, walking into the kitchen as gracefully and nonchalant as ever. I'm sure she saw my dream again.I never had much luck hiding anything from Grams.

"Hi Grams." I replied, as she got two cups from a shelf, and poured enough for both of us.

"Go ahead and sit down on the couch. I'll bring in the tea. We need to have a chat." She said cheerily. That would explain why she didn't call me before she popped-over. Grams had been increasingly interested in my troubles, to the point where I've almost tried to avoid her. Unfortunately, there's no running from Grams.

We sat down on the couch, and she was looking at me, appraisingly. "How are you Tyken?" She asked. Of course she already knew. She always knew. It was her common courtesy to ask anyways, since people generally felt uncomfortable when someone knew everything that was going on in their life."

"Fine, mostly." I replied, sipping some tea, trying to look as innocent as possible.

"Cut the crap, Ty." She said pleasantly. "I've seen the very same dreams you've been having. I would like to know why you're ignoring them?"

I put down my cup on the coffee table, giving her question and the dreams some thought again. They were all very similar. A strange, attractive man, wolves, demons, and death. I was involved, somehow, but the dreams kept changing, depending on how I thought about acting on them the day before. Of course I knew they were prophetic, but I was hoping not doing anything would make them all just go away.

I looked at Grams, who still had that look of love yet concern on her face. How could I not reveal what I was feeling. "I'm afraid of what they mean." I said simply, glancing away from her for a moment so I could try to remember the finer details. There were parts of the dreams that were fuzzy for me. I knew that I was specifically trying to block certain parts of them out. At this very moment though, I couldn't quite remember why, but I did feel that the man was part of it. "I don't know why I always have to revisit Mom and Dad's deaths again, either!" I cried.

She put her hands on mine, forcing me to look into her eyes. "Tyken Nox, for too long you've been alone, mourning losses that were simply not your fault. You were only ten years old, there was nothing you could have done. And that fake calm you put forth is a front, my grandson. You know I can see deep into the soul, and I see hurt and anger in yours. Perhaps, Gaia is trying to tell you that you need to sort out this thing, to sort out yourself." She gave a pause, choosing her next words carefully. "I also can't help but feel that you're trying to deny yourself... something or someone."

I almost growled at her. Grams knew how to pull at the deepest strings someone might try to bury. I could not be mad at her for something that I was indeed trying to cover up. Maybe for too long, I had sheltered myself from the pain of losing my parents, my family. While I certainly haven't been unhappy with my life, I couldn't deny that something felt like it was missing. No, it was someone. Yes, I could admit that was true.

Grams put her hands on my cheek and kissed me on top of the head. "I would like you to go and figure this out. Will you do that for me?" She asked in the sweetest of voices. The kind of voice no person could possibly resist.

I gave a quick smirk, "Sure, Grams." I said simply. For some reason, I let Grams get to me. Maybe it was just her unexpected arrival, or the fact I was rather tired of having the same dreams for months now. Something pulled at me. Something, intangible, told me now was the right time.

Her face lit up in a giant smile and she hugged me deeply. "Good. Now, give me a second or two for the finer details." She said, standing up and looking far into nothingness, taking a closer look at her visions. While she did her thing, I grabbed the empty cups and put them in the kitchen sink.

After a minute or two, she opened her eyes, and looked right at me with a hint of pleasant surprise on her face. "You're going to head east for the city of Montroy. There, you'll find club. Inside that club, you'll find the man of... err, I mean from your dreams. He will guide you to where you'll need to be." She said simply, with a slight smile on her face.

The man from my dreams. The piercing green eyes, the sculpted body. There was also something hidden about him. Something raw that I couldn't quite put my finger on. For a moment, I remembered how he always ended up dying in my dreams, and a shot of panic ran through me at the thought of meeting this man tonight.

"You're not backing out, are you?" Grams asked, noting the concern on my face.

I blushed at the realization of embarrassment. "No. I just... What if all of my dream comes to be?" I asked hesitantly, hoping she'd catch the meaning there without me having to go into further detail.

Grams gave a quick sigh, "I've told you this before, Ty. There are two types of fate in this world. There are minor types that have absolutely no being on how your life pans out. Then, there are the bigger ones, the ones you can't change, no matter how hard you try. I rather think that your dream has both types of fate in it, to serve as a warning. One way or another, I feel you're going to end up out in the world again. Whether or not that's with someone significant to you or not, is your choice."

I gave that some thought. I know that visions can often change, depending on how you act on them. I was afraid that I wouldn't be strong enough to save this man, my man. Why couldn't fate give me some more time?

She walked over to my laptop, pulling up an electronic map of the city, zeroing-in on the general location I'd be headed. "Fate rarely waits for you to be ready, Ty." I gave a simple nod and rolled my eyes at her mind-eavesdropping, as she showed me where I could safely shimmer. An abandoned warehouse not too far from the club I'd be going to, however reluctantly.

Before I could hesitate for a moment more, she again hugged me. "Ty, you know I can heal most wounds, cure most any curse. I can not cure your heart and soul, though. If I thought for even a moment that there was another way for you to get back on track, you know I'd tell you. I love you so much, but it's time you stop wasting your lives as if they had no meaning." She said softly, putting an emphasis on the word lives.

"I love you too, Grams." I said, giving her a big hug back. "I just hope I'm ready for this."

She broke the hug ever so slightly so she could look into my eyes. "You've never been more ready for this in your entire life. Now, get to packing. If you're not gone by sundown, I'll turn you into a pig!" She laughed.

I gave a smile, but I knew the threat was real. Skilled as I may have been once, I have yet to meet anyone who could undo one of Grams' own curses, not even myself.

----

While I didn't go running after all, I did quite a bit of pacing in my flat as I packed. I took an enormous amount of time picking out the clothes I'd wear, preparing for any number of different situations. After spending an hour alone on clothes, I decided that I'd just pack everything in the flat. I didn't know how long I was going to be gone, and decided I'd feel more comfortable with my own stuff around me, just in case. With a wave of my hand, I magically sent every item in my flat into my magical backpack. I was just about ready, but there was one thing I had to do.

An hour before sundown, I did take a while to sit in front of an alter, dedicated to my family. Silently, I asked for guidance and strength as I began this journey. I didn't know if anyone heard me, but I somehow felt better asking for the assistance, anyways.

Two minutes to sundown, I concentrated on the empty warehouse, and shimmered to it in an instant.

It was two stories, and I chose the second floor for a better view of my surroundings. I was a bit disappointed when the windows were covered with filth. The place had been abandoned for quite some time. Multiple layers of dust and filth on the floor, old machinery and dilapidated furniture lay everywhere with abandoned cobwebs. I smiled for a moment, remember this is exactly how my last flat was, until I did some 'renovation' to it. I figured I had a few hours, at least, until the clubs really started to get going on this Saturday night. So I rolled up my sleeves, and got to work.

First, I sealed the grounds of my temporary home, making sure that mortals weren't aware of my being here, but also sealing it against unwanted intruders. From the outside, it would still look like an abandoned warehouse. Inside though, it would be anything but. It took me a good couple of hours, but I had cleared all the dirt, cobwebs, and unwanted machinery. Downstairs was my living space, a loft. Complete with living room, kitchen, hug bathroom and bedroom. Upstairs, I decided to treat it as an open meditation area. I bewitched the ceiling to appear as if it opened to the sky, and had the entire second floor filled with nature. When you upstairs, it had the effect as if you were outside, but you weren't.

Satisfied with my work, I changed into clothes more suitable for a club, and headed into the cold, snowy night. It would only take me a short time to walk to the club Grams had pointed out; La Bete Savage. I shook my head as I understood the translation, The Savage Beast.


----
Quinn Alexander

I had to get away from the pack, if only for a short while. So, I decided to go to a club. I could use the thumping music and the numbing murmur of voices to drown out my own thoughts for a time.

After our defeat of Silas Prudome, our pack had almost six months of peace. Just about everyone had found a mate, except for me. I was fairly happy that my plans to form this pack was finally done and set, but of course Devin could tell that something else was off with me, personally. Everyone had found someone, save for me. I was starting to wonder if maybe I just wasn't destined to find a mate, and just be a part of the pack.

I had supposed though, that I could be happy with just that. A family, even if I didn't have a mate of my own. I had convinced myself that would just have to do. Though seeing others in love, it caused my heart to sometimes ache. Tonight especially, seeing Devin and Ryan together snuggled near the fire, something inside of me just snapped, and I had to get out for a while. Drown my sorrows in booze until my body inevitably took care of the toxins and I sobered up quicker than I wanted to.

Then, there were the strange occurrences in and around the city. Murders, kidnappings and strange fires. The police of course were baffled. We knew better though. Certainly the work of dark forces, but nothing had attacked us directly. It was like we were being taunted. Devin, not wanting to take any chances at any other warlocks coming after us after Silas, ordered the pack to keep on the look out, but not actively seek-out the trouble. He had Rose calling up her sources for assistance. One had answered her call, but was unsure when they would be able to arrive.

I was having a drink in a semi-dark corner of the club, when a man entered I had never seen before. Slightly shorter than myself, he had light blue eyes, strange white hair that almost seemed to shimmer in the low lights, and wore an outfit that anyone else would freeze in with the cold weather outside. The clothes showed off a fine build of a man though. I instinctively tried to take in his scent. It was strange, something I hadn't encountered before. It was a mix of woods and a piercingly clean smell. Not human, but I couldn't quite figure out what he was. Whatever, whoever he was, he had me totally and completely enraptured. I couldn't take my eyes off of him.

I watched as he went up to the bar, and decided to see if I could pick up his name with my exceptional hearing.

"Uh, hi." Stammered the bartender I knew as John.

"Greetings." The stranger said, giving a small smile. "Could I please have a rum and coke, with a twist of lime?"

"Sure!" John said, almost jumping at the chance to help the man. He quickly made the drink and placed it on the bar.

"How much?" The man asked, taking out his wallet.

"If I could get your number, it's on the house." John said sheepishly. I almost cursed under my breath at the thought of John getting to meet this man before me.

The man simply gave him a kind smile and said, "That's very generous, but I'm afraid I'm not looking for an encounter at this time." He said, and I gave a small sigh of relief. Maybe I could get a chance to meet him?

John gave a small frown of defeat, took the $10 the man gave him, and sulked-off to another customer. The man, meanwhile, stayed at the bar. Taking a sip from his drink and looking around. I was just about to go over to him, when three more strangers walked-in. It was obvious they didn't belong. They wore nothing but black, in heavy, dated materials and styles. The instant they walked in, I caught their scent and panic ran through me. I knew the scent of evil all too well, and was horrified as they walked right up to the man with the white hair.

The man seemed to also know the trio were dangerously, as he quickly turned his attention to them, but still had a calm smile on his face.

"You, what's your name?" Asked the leader of the group. The man had dark, spiked hair with dark eyes. He may not have been old, but his features were frail, wrinkled and without vigor. The white-haired man said nothing, but was still serenely smiling, surveying the trio. Angry, the leader stepped forward almost within inches of the man and grabbed him by the throat. "I said, what's your na...." He gasped, unable to speak and let go of the man. The other two quickly looked at their leader for something they could do to help, then looked furiously at the man as they understood the connection.

"Touch me again, and you'll spend eternity wondering why you bothered to ask me such a trivial question, demon." He said calmly, the serene smile now replaced with a stoic concentration.

Demons?! I thought to myself. What are demons doing in Montroy?!

"Are you here to help the werewolves, half-breed?!" Another one asked as the leader shot him a disapproving glance.

The man seemed taken aback by the question. A moment later, it was as if the light bulb had gone off over his head.. "What I do with my time, is certainly none of your concern. I would suggest you get out of my sight, before I send you where you belong."

The third of the trio whispered something into the ear of their leader. Something to the effect they were hungry, and the half-breed didn't seem know the situation, anyways. "We can always catch the older one later tonight." He said, and the three glanced over to my direction. Instinctively, I stiffened and gave a solid glare at them as they gave me an evil smirk back. The man gave a quick glance before quickly returning his attention to the demons.

The leader bowed his head to the man, who did not reciprocate. They left quietly as the man gulped down his drink, and headed quickly into the bathroom.

Quickly, I made a call to Devin to let him know I'd need an escort back, before rushing to the bathroom to catch the man, to try to talk to him. There was no one there though. The man had just... vanished.

I ran outside of the club, trying to catch his scent, but it was no where. The street was fairly quiet and eerily empty. I did catch the demon trio's scent, and it lead to a small park a couple blocks ahead. Worrying that the man may not realize how dangerous these demons were, I ran the few blocks to the park, but their scents too, had vanished.

Snow was falling silently as I walked-through the darkened park. It was far too quiet, and I realized I made a mistake leaving the security of the crowd. I quickly tried to run back before being tripped. Something... black, had grabbed my leg and pulled me back towards the center of the park.

"Leaving? So soon?" One of the trio cackled as I struggled furiously to get free. I was rewarded by being slammed up against a concrete wall, and saw stars for a moment. In my haze, three sharp pains hit my chest, and I started to go numb.

"The others are coming!" I tried to scream, but something had covered my mouth. It felt and smelled like dirty slime.

"Shhh!" Said the leader, coming closer to me. "It'll all be over soon! I believe I've waited long enough for my reward. It's time to drain you of all the life you have to give to us!" He smiled, revealing his rotted teeth. No longer was he a creepy-looking man. His skin was husked and black, as if he had been charred. His nails were two inches long, and looked incredibly sharp. Drool slowly poured out of his mouth and he looked at me with slowly-pulsating, deep-red eyes.

He came closer, and as he sucked-in air, I felt as though my soul was being taken in with it. I was just about to pass out, when I heard a roar from behind me. Immediately, the trio turned their attention to whatever it was. I thought it might be the pack, but the roar sounded... feline. I was immediately dropped as their attention was diverted. Glancing behind me, I saw what looked like a snow leopard with red ear tips and tail walked over to me, looking menacingly at the demons.

Instantly, he transformed, fully clothed. It was the man I saw in the bar. He knelt over to me, whispering, "Are you okay?" he asked. I tried to say 'no' but the pain and numbness was over-taking me. "Poison." The man answered his own question. He held both hands over my chest. A white glow appeared ever so quickly before it vanished again. The pain and numbness was quickly vanishing with the light. "Stay still, and stay out of the way." He whispered, before again turning his attention to the Demons.

"My name is Tyken Nox, and you will come to know it well." He shouted to the demons. "For when I'm finished with you, you'll be screaming it eternally in Hell!"

The leader didn't look impressed. "You'll pay for interfering, half-breed!" He gave one of this subordinates a nod, who instantly threw a huge ball of black fire at Tyken.

Tyken took a martial arts stance, swaying his arms behind him, giving me a wink, then raised a small boulder from the ground, throwing it back at the demon. It smacked the fire, combining with it, before hurtling back at the demon, pulverizing him into nothing but dust.

The leader, looking unhappy, nodded to his other subordinate. He stepped forward, doing a similar motion to Tyken, this time throwing blades from thin air. Tyken gave a small smile, again moving his hands back, instantly conjuring white light. His fingers played with it slightly, before he threw enough small balls of light to meet the blades. When they met, they both vanished into nothingness.

The two continued their dance, with Tyken looking back at me every so often to check and smile at me as I regained movement. At one point, he lost concentration, and one of the blades nicked his side, causing blood to soak his shirt. Angry at his mistake, he furiously threw more and more balls of light, and instead of meeting half-way between himself and the demon, they were getting closer and closer to the demon until several hit him in the chest, and he too exploded into dust.

Tyken then clutched his side in pain, with the same light briefly appearing to heal his wound.

The leader was clapping his hands slowly "How long has it been since I've had a proper challenge? You come close, Tyken, but like your parents, you too are weak!"

Instantly, the demon turned to me, throwing green-lit daggers. They were too fast for me to avoid. I braced myself for impact, but Tyken quickly hurled a wave of light in front of me as he dove to shield the daggers. The light destroyed most of the daggers on his dive to me, but several hit Tyken square in the chest, as he pushed me out of the way.

"Heal-through that, guardian!" The demon cackled as Tyken crumpled to the ground, and moved no more. I quickly ran over to him. He was still breathing, but unconscious and bleeding heavily through the wounds.

"Now..." The demon paused, "I'll finish what I started!" The demon threw another set of daggers. I closed my eyes, but opened them quickly again when another roar filled the air. Much louder than the first, it came from a much smaller snow leopard. The blades were shattered instantly as the sound wave hit them square-on, and the demon quickly vanished along with the cat. Howls then took over the air, as the pack streamed into the park. Everyone except Devin was in wolf form. They quickly circled Tyken angrily, as Devin helped me up on my feet.

"Are you okay?!" He asked frantically.

I was perfectly fine, actually. Whatever Tyken did, it cured the poison and cleared any mark I would have had on me. Impressive healing, especially coming from a werewolf.

"Guys!" I shouted at the pack circling Tyken Nox, "He's on our side! He saved my life!"

The pack almost instantly dropped their fury, but still sniffed Tyken, unsure. I couldn't blame them. Tyken smelled incredible to me, too.

"Devin, we need to get him back home. He's hurt, and I have a feeling no hospital will be able to help him." I said to Devin, who gave me a questioning look for a second, before realizing we weren't in any more danger, for the moment.

I ran over to Tyken, and picked him up in my arms in one fell swoop. Regaining consciousness for just a moment, his only word was, "Grams..." before he passed out again.



-----
Tyken - Into the Den

I was conscious again, but I still couldn't move, anything. My eyelids were closed, so I couldn't see anything. I could hear a buzz of commotion around me, but I couldn't quite pick up who it was. How could I have been so stupid?! Demon poison can't be self-cured. I could only help Grams heard my cry for help. I doubted very much that werewolves could know how to cure demon poison.

Werewolves, I half-laughed to myself. I bet Grams knew about that little tidbit of information.

Of course I did, dear. I heard a familiar voice in my head. It was Grams. She did hear me, after all. I'm on my way Ty! I'll bet rose will get a kick out of this! I heard her giggle.

I wish I could have rolled my eyes. I can see why left out a few major details. I would have gone tonight had I known I would have ended up laid-up in park at night, with the man of my dreams, literally, seeing me so... so... feeble.

After a few minutes, a blinding white light filled and left me in an instant. Grams had arrived. As soon as I could, I opened my eyes. Things were a bit blurry at first, but I could make out that I wasn't in the park anymore. It looked like I was in a bedroom. I saw Grams with a smile on her face, and the man from my dreams looking at my with hopeful concern. After a few seconds, I regained the ability to speak.

"Grams, you are so going to pay!" I shouted, sending everyone back about a foot except for the person I had intended to.

Grams gave a quick giggle, "He's back to his old self again, for sure. Rose, could you please bring me a damp towel or two?" She asked.

This time, I did roll my eyes at her, as I slowly felt my body back into my control. I almost wished I didn't though. I felt four or five painful holes in my body where the daggers had struck. Sure, they'd heal in a few minutes, but they still hurt like hell.

I was able to take-in more faces. There was at least six guys in the room. All incredibly beautiful. My eyes still looked to Quinn though. Still a bit banged-up from the demons, but perfect all the same. I couldn't help but feel a bit warmer just by his mere presence. As I smiled at him, he walked over carefully, looking down at my wounds as I did for the first time.

"Do they hurt?" He asked with honest concern.

I gave the best smile I could muster, "Not nearly as much as what I did to the demons tonight."

The other lady came back into the room. Grams gave her a quick look, before Rose handed the towels to Quinn. "Gentlemen, let's give these two a few moments, shall we?"

Grams placed a hand on Quinn's shoulder. "Just clean the wounds as best you can. Can you manage that, young man?" She asked with a smile. Quinn gave a quick nod, and everyone but Quinn and I left the room.

"Young Man..." Quinn rhetorically repeated.

"She's older than she looks." I said, trying to sit up in a bed before wincing in pain.

Quinn instantly tried to help, but was at a loss as to what to do.

"This isn't how I pictured meeting you." I said more to myself than to him, frustrated. Looking at his confused eyes for a moment, I decided to do this properly. I held out my hand to shake his, "Greetings. My name is Tyken Nox. It is a pleasure to meet you." I said, giving him a friendly smile.

He took my hand, shaking it, "Hello, Tyken Nox. My name is Quinn Alexander. And, the pleasure is all mine, I assure you." He said, smiling back. "I believe you could use some cleaning up though." He said, gently wiping the caked blood off my chest.

My wounds were fairly nasty, but I just felt nasty all over. What I really needed was a shower, but I didn't think I could quite manage on my own just yet. "Do you think, by chance, I could take a shower? I feel like I'm covered in dirt."

He gave me a big smirk, "I can help you with that, if you'd like." I saw the look in his eyes. He was attracted to me, then. I had always pictured my first date ever to be more of a dinner and a movie kind of thing, not a night of fighting demons and taking a shower together.

Totally and utterly embarrassed now, I figured we could meet mid-way. "I tell you what, how about you help me to the shower, and you can stay in there if you feel the need to?"

Quinn caught my blush, and realized he was being a bit too forward. He gave a quick nod, and carefully helped me out of bed throwing my arm over my shoulder, supporting me as we walked to the bathroom. When we finally go to the massive room that was the bathroom, it looked more like a Roman bath. There were multiple sinks, a massive tub, and a room filled with shower heads. There was no doubting this was a pack bathroom, and one specifically for gay werewolves.

"You wouldn't mind if I took a quick shower with you?" Quinn asked, blushing slightly. "I just need to get clean again."

I gave a big sigh, "Sure." I said, shrugging off my my tattered clothes. I caught Quinn catching a quick glance at me, and I'm sure I turned five shades of red all over my body. We both turned on the hot spray, and I focused on just getting clean.

We finished at the same time, with Quinn throwing me a big fluffy-white towel, being careful not to look at me head-on. As fast as I could, I got myself dry and wrapped the towel around my waist.

"Do you have any sweats I could borrow?" I asked, catching Quinn totally nude. God, he was gorgeous!

He gave a quick laugh, "If you don't mind smelling like a werewolf." He laughed and left the bathroom. I ransacked the cupboards, and found some appropriate dressing to put on what was left of my wounds. Quinn came back and threw me a sweatshirt and sweatpants along with some socks.

"Thank you, Quinn." I said as I shed my towel and threw the clothes on.

"You're welcome." He said kindly. "It smells like Rose is cooking for us downstairs. Are you hungry?"

"Yeah, and I could use a sti..." I caught myself, "... drink." I said, blushing again.

Quinn gave me a big smile and we headed downstairs together, Quinn being overly-helpful with helping me down the stairs.

----

As it turns out, Rose and Grams go back quite a few years. Over the late-night dinner, the two discussed how they first met. Apparently, Grams had stumbled, almost literally, on Rose when she was first learning about what werewolves were all about. Grams took the time to explain the basics, and provide support when Quinn was little. They had drifted apart to some extent, but always kept in touch every so often. It was Grams who heard Rose's call for help. She connected my dreams with the pack's situation, and knew I was meant to be here.

Devin, the pack leader, told the general gist of what was going on. There was some perverted warlock coven that the pack thought they had defeated. Apparently, some of them had escaped, and made a pact with demons to get revenge. That would explain all the weird crap that was going on in town, and explain why they didn't expect my appearance. Guardians typically only get involved if (a) things get out of hand or (b) it involves them directly. It certainly seemed like both applied here, at least now.

After dinner, and quite a few nightcaps, Grams departed for the night to do some research. She gave me an odd wink before she shimmered-out. A hint that I didn't quite understand. I needed some air, and excused myself to go outside a bit by myself.

The air was crisp and cold. Snow was still lightly falling in the pale light. I transformed into my cat form, without even really thinking of it. I had closed my eyes and pointed my head up to the heavens, just feeling the snow lightly fall on my fur.

I wasn't sure what I had been expecting to happen tonight, but I hadn't anticipated this. Meeting demons before I met Quinn, then getting sloppy and almost getting myself killed. It was clear I had to stay though. For a moment, I again pictured Quinn's dead body on the altar, and I shivered at the mere memory of it. Even more so now, because it was real, and happening in my life. But, how to proceed? I tried to remember the long-forgotten training my parents had me do every day. If I was going to be a guardian, I'd have to pick that back up again.

I didn't know how long I had been out there, but eventually I felt the presence of another. Warm, calm, but still strong. It was Quinn. I opened my eyes and turned around to see him in his wolf form. Even in animal, he was still beautiful, to the point where I couldn't look at him long before looking away.

Why does he do that, I wonder? I heard him ask in his mind.

I gave a sigh. Probably because you are so much more impressive in person, Quinn. I replied.

He gave a look of shock. You... you can hear me?! He asked.

I gave a small nod, walking very slowly to him, before sitting on all fours in front of him. It's what I get for being a half-breed. I can psychically communicate with people in my human form at-will, but it's an automatic thing when I'm in my cat form.

Quinn slowly walked over to me cautiously, sniffing my scent, detecting the wounds and gave me a quick nuzzle. You're still hurt. He said gently. We should get you back inside.

I wasn't cold, of course. Snow leopards could sleep in this kind of weather, in the snow, and be perfectly fine. Yet, Quinn was right that I was still hurting. Not so much from the physical pain, but from the trauma of what happened earlier. One of the few better aspects of my dreams, was sleeping in his arms. I wasn't ready for anything sexual though, especially not tonight.

You know I won't. He simply said. I... He trailed off.

I could hear what he was thinking though. One of the side effects of animal form I sometimes wished wasn't there. He had feelings for me already. I was, but wasn't ready for this though. Everything was happening so quickly. Yes, I did find Quinn extremely attractive, but the thought of that attraction terrified me. I was so afraid to let my guard down.

You don't have to be afraid. Quinn thought in his mind. And, I promise to behave myself. Please... let me help. He whined.

I had to admit, I needed someone tonight. The amount of emotions I was feeling was over-whelming. Plus, I had dreamed of this night for months now. But, I thought about his pack...

They won't mind, I promise. It can just be you and me tonight, if you wish. He said with a look of sadness on his face. How could I resist?

I gave a simple nod, and we walked to the now-darkened mansion. Our pace was slow as I limped with pain, but Quinn was right there with me, constantly looking to see if I needed help. As we got to the mansion, we both transformed. I was back into my sweats, but Quinn was of course naked. I couldn't help but think I'd need to help him with that, even if I did take a moment or two to enjoy the view.

He once again helped me up the stairs, and lead me to a darkened bedroom. We both got undressed and got into bed. He pulled me close to him as we snuggled and he gently brushed-back my hair. No motives, just to comfort as he pulled me close to him in the still of the night. I couldn't enjoy the moment though. Within a few moments, I was out. For the first night in months, I had no dreams. Just blissful sleep.


----
Somewhere, Dark
The dank, dark dungeon was rife with anticipation. A young man quietly sat on a twisted thrown in the center, carefully stroking the black diamond of a ring on his right hand. Tonight, he'd have the first portion of his revenge.

When the demon silently drifted into the room, the twisted man looked up, disappointed. "You seem to be missing three, Sivix. You promised me I'd have a wolf by now." The man carefully squeezed the ring, and in turn the demon writhed in pain.

When the man released his grip, the demon could speak, "And you didn't tell me a guardian would be involved, fool!" He hissed. The man looked confused. Sivix knew he was an amature, totally out of his league. "The powerful ones who guard the magics of our world."

The man squeezed the ring again in anger. "Of course I knew that!" The man lied.

The demon carefully picked himself from the ground. "You will need to give me more power if you want me to complete my task, mor... master." The demon carefully corrected himself and bowed.

The man gave it some thought. Two of the demon's transformed servants were destroyed, a powerful guardian and a still-complete pack of werewolves he couldn't hope to defeat himself. What choice did he have? He gently blew on the ring, and the demon instantly appeared slightly more vibrant, less charred. "Don't forget who you server, Sivix!" He angrily told the demon before shooing him out of his sight.

The demon obeyed, but muttered under his breath. "One day, the little brat will let his guard down. When he does, I'll have my ring and take my own revenge on the half-breed!" He cackled quietly, off to hunt for more victims, more materials for new servants, and fresh blood for his master to feast on.