Song For The Night

[Wolf_and_Bird]

She didn't want to be here.

Eleven months, nearly an entire year, Cynthia Shireman had been a lone wolf. She had traveled the country, never staying put, never settling down, keeping away from her own kind. She'd left home to escape pack politics. To escape the predetermined fate and walls closing in around her with every passing month.

She had had no intention of going back to that ever. She was free on the road. Just her and her Shadow. She needed no one. She could see the world, run free, the way they always wanted, and Shadow kept her safe. She trusted Shadow's instincts to run from danger and so long as Cyn stayed free Shadow didn't fight her control.

But she'd been at the wrong place at the wrong time. Dodged left when she should have run right, given into her curiosity about Chicago when she should have known to stay far away. An enforcer had caught sight of her and with all the trouble in the world she'd been close enough to feral (she wasn't. She knew she wasn't. She would *know* if it was Shadow in the driver's seat insted of navigating. Right?) that the enforcer had suggested she present herself to the Marrok rather strongly.

He'd been a dominant, much more dominant than she'd ever hoped to be, and she'd followed as told.

She felt out of place now, here walking into the lobby some well kept but old apartment building on the edge of Downtown Chicago. Her nose told her it had been a long time since a human went far past these doors. It should have put her at ease, she'd spent most of her time alone in the wild but the smell of many wolves passing through should have felt familiar.

It did feel like home. But that just made her want to run all the more.

She followed the enforcer into the elevator, trying to suppress her fear. No reason to give them an ad-

"It will be alright, little one." He told her, suddenly gentle. She tried not to growl at him. Her Shadow never liked being called little, no matter how her human form was short and wiry. She'd given up hope of one last growth sput long before she'd been attacked and turned the night before she turned twenty-two.

Still something in his smile told her he had an idea of what she was and she needed to get away. He was a dominant wolf. This was a wolf pack. She needed to get out of here.

If she met the Marrok it would all be over. Right?

When she stepped out of the elevator she knew she was in the wrong place. The penthouse floors of the building had been converted into common areas, the wealth and status of this pack showing in the care and quality of the spaces. Hardwood floors, nice furniture, a neat lobby area opening into spaces where she could see a handfull of wolves mingling around...

She could smell and *feel* the presence of the Marrok.

She wanted to tuck tail and run but insted she pulled her dark hair back into a high pony-tail and focused her eyes forward, posture straightening as she and Shadow resigned themselves to having to deal with this.

With Shadow as her co-pilot, and careful attention paid to her warnings, Cyn followed the enforcer out through the lobby, through a lounge like area, and up the stairs to what looked to Cyn to be a library. The enforcer knocked on a door on the far wall and waited. Cyn let her eyes roam, taking in shelves of books, artifacts sitting out in cases. The smell of wolves passing through here... Lingering.

At least she didn't smell fear. Her own or anyone else's.

 

[Nekrosilisk88]

John Baker was a dominant, and because of that he'd had to flee his home almost a year ago now. For years he'd kept it secret, sitting in the back and manipulating events to suit what he needed, but unfortunately his old Alpha had managed to sniff him out before his plane could come to fruition. The old bastard was paranoid, and had been making it a point to eliminate any other dominant that could challenge his power. And unfortunately the old saying that just because he was paranoid, doesn't mean they aren't out to get him was true. They all wanted him gone so the pack could grow and prosper again. but alas he'd failed, he'd taken too long, and had to run for his life.

Unfortunately some of that paranoia had rubbed off on him. He was afraid of trying to get into another pack now. Not because they wouldn't accept him, he could easily be sure he'd be accepted one way or the other, but because their alpha might be as bat-shit insane as his old one. so he traveled, from one town to the next, roughing it in the woods for the most part, only staying long enough to get supplies, or earn enough money to get him through the next leg of his journey.

Now he was in Chicago, and unfortunately this group of wolves just was not going to let him go. He'd tried talking his way out of this, but they were not going to let him go. No surprise since he wasn't the biggest guy on the planet. A little over five and a half feet, and a hundred and thirty pounds of wiry muscle. All of 24 years, and that's all he'd manage to grow.

"Look guys I'd really rather not get violent about this, I need to get a few things, and then I'm gone." He'd been trying to assert his dominance, not something he was particularly skilled at, but it was worth a shot. The larger of the three wolves started in on him. "Sorry kid, but no lone wolves here. you do what the Marrok says."

With a silent curse he slid into a fighting stance, and gave the approaching wolf a viscous cross. He didn't have anywhere to run, or he'd have tried that. in the ensuing fight, he manged to bloody them up pretty well before they got him pinned down, and forced his bruised and bloodied body into a car. "I wouldn't recommend trying that with the Marrok."

After the better part of an hour they forcibly dragged him into the apartments, one on either arm, and forced him into the elevators, before letting go. There was nothing to it now, and when the elevator stopped at the penthouse, he stepped out, not fighting it anymore. where was he going to go?

 

[Wolf_and_Bird]

Cyn caught the smell of blood from below a moment before the door opened. Shadow tensed and Cyn fought the urge to whine and look for cover. Her wolf was just about done with this whole dealing with dominant wolves as if she was one thing.

Beta or not without an alpha at days end she was a submissive.

"Hello there young one." The Marrok greeted her as he stepped out of the office. Tall, broad, strong... he smelled nice to her. Not of blood or fear like her Alpha had in the last few weeks. Something seemed disarming in his face but there was hardness in his brown eyes. "I am Elric Anderson." He didn't need to tell her he was the Marrok. "We seem to be getting a number of lone wolves passing through of late. Do not fear. You will be allowed to go on your way soon enough though you are welcome to stay and rest from your journies." He motioned for her to follow him as he led her down the stairs toward the lobby.

As they passed other werewolves paused, looking up to note them, but not interupting what they were doing except for one wolf stopped walking away until after the Marrok had passed.

"Tell me your name. What pack did you come from?" He must have smelled the hint of fear. "I will not send you back. With the upset of late I've learned those who run most often have reason to."

"Vermont." She stated. "But I've been gone for nearly a year. And I'm called Cynthia. Cyn."

He turned his attention away from her as they reached the lobby. "So you're the one causing trouble in my territory." The Marrok stated, the touch of gentleness given to Cyn icing over into a steel and sharp edge. He would take no nonsense from some lone Dominant Wolf making trouble for his pack.

 

[Nekrosilisk88]

John felt his heart racing. This guy was more dominant than he was, and the Marrok. Still he felt he hadn't done anything wrong. His hazel eyes were just as hard as the Marrok's, and he stopped just short of locking eyes with him, while still meeting his gaze. He knew better than to challenge this one, whoever he claimed to be. he jerked his thumb over his shoulder at the mooks who had drug him in. "Only when these jaggoffs wouldn't listen to reason. Tried talking my way out first. I don't pick fights unless theirs no other option. What do you expects going to happen when you back a dominant into a corner?"

Though his voice carried a biting tone, he was careful to keep it somewhat respectful. This was still the local alpha he was dealing with, not some wolf on a power trip. After he'd said his piece he stood up straight working out some of the kinks from the fight and being manhandled for the past hour.

he swept his eyes across the room, and he caught a look at Cyn. a low whistle escaped his lips. in trouble or not, he was still a guy, and well what could some one expect if a good looking woman caught a guy off guard. naturally the first thing that crossed his mind was whether or not she was tied to this guys pack. He raked his hand through his tangled mess of brown hair. Damn he was wishing he wasn't looking so disheveled at the moment.

 

[Wolf_and_Bird]

The Marrok watched John with a distinctly unimpressed look. This young wolf was not a challenge to him or his authority here. At least not when compared to the threats he'd face since his fa- since the last Marrok was killed. But he had other problems than two troubled young wolves and his patience wasn't what it had been before he found himself in this role.

"You don't seem like a new wolf." He stated. "So surely you must be aware it's pack law that should any wolf pass through another's territory they must present themselves to the alpha of that pack. Some acceptions are made for when the passing is so brief it goes unnoticed. However you were noticed." There was a hint of scolding in his tone, just enough force of will and bite behind it that had he been their direct alpha John would have likely felt slight physical pain from it.

Not directly under his rule John was insulated enough to feel only mild preassure. Those under his rule soon learned Elric rarely made use of that side of his power on those it would truely hurt.

"You will stay until you've given me a satisfactory acount for your invasion of my territory and for your actions against my men you will then be permitted to leave only two days after the last of their wounds have fully healed."

He turned his attention to Cyn without dismissing the other wolf, clear that John was not welcome to leave yet. Even as he turned his attitude shifted. "Cynthia, I will ask you to stay the night at least, and would like to know of your intentions here and after your departure. There was mention of concern of your control over the wolf that needs obersvation and I would know the cause for a young beta to be traveling without pack."

Cyn had watched the goings on with careful eyes, glad to find the Marrok knew how to shield those he was not displeased with from the power a alpha's wrath could have. She watched the guy with a mixture of distaste and interest. He smelled of blood and felt dominant and she needed no part in his troubles.

But he was a lone wolf and there was a hint of something wild to him that caught her Wolf's attention at the least.

With the Marrok's words Cyn nodded. "I'll stay the night." She answered simply enough.

 

[Nekrosilisk88]

John's eyes narrowed at the marrok's comment No he wasn't new, but that didn't mean he was experienced with handling other packs. No one from outside had been to their pack in years, for all he knew, the better part of the L.A. area had been deemed out of bounds. Their pack was dying because of the Alpha, and his attempt at fixing had failed forcing him into a world he knew little or nothing about.

Upon feeling the Marrok's pressure, he did something unusual, instead of speaking, or becoming defensive, he pulled his shirt off. His chest and back were covered in tribal tattoos. If the Marrok was as savvy about interpack politics as he seemed, he'd know withing a few minutes of looking at them that they declared his pack and status, though oddly they didn't mark him as a dominant. "I haven't been home in over a year. I've been in your territory for less than a day, and if your wolves hadn't happened to be at the stop and rob i was getting supplies at, I would've been gone by now."

His body was muscular, but not sculpted. your could seethe beginning of formation, but it was that of someone who was constantly engaged in physical activity, not someone who spent their days in the gym. One of the mooks who had drug him in shoved him from behind. "Show the Marrok respect."

John response was only to become quiet, too quiet as he turned to look at the wolf. "Touch me again, and you'll be lucky if the pain doesn't kill you." There was no hint of rage or anger his voice, only calm, like that which came before a storm hit. His eyes were cold, but one who was experience, would notice the storm building behind them.