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Moonchild (Ninja and Amy)

"Stop holding back, dammit!" Even in human form his strikes were hard, but in her near-human form, she was much tougher, and it felt like she were wearing a heavy coat, his attacks on her dulled and didn't have as much sting. Rafe found he had more trouble simply shrugging off her blows in that form, but he remained in his human form. "A Beshilu will not hesitate to swarm you and bite at your neck! A Pure will not stop because you are a werewolf like them! Listen to your instincts, they're saying spine, lungs, liver, kidneys, heart, jugular, subclavian, carotid! All strong opponents have weak points! Joints! Eyes! Weak bones! No one cannot be hurt..." He lunged his whole body forward, moving this from merely punches and strikes, to full contact. He looped an arm around her form and brought her to him, wrapping a firm arm around her neck and squeezing it tightly, locking it with his other arm as he put her neck in a headlock. "If I were intending to kill you, your hesitation would've gotten you killed...now fight...or I'm going to kill you..."
 
She no longer enjoyed this lesson. She was clearly not doing as he wanted, and his heightened level of aggression was intimidating. But she herself felt a heightened aggression boiling inside her she held on to it by the metaphorical finger tips. She say his body lunge at her, and felt his thick arm wrap around her neck. She growled once before she lost control. His assault and threatening her death was the last straw. She knew Rafe was just teaching her deep down, but by instinct she could not help but feel betrayed and for that moment she thought she was going to die, and wasn't quite sure if Rafe was serious or not.

She heard more then felt the remainder of Rafe's clothing rip from her back. Her face shifted into a long snout teeth pushing their way through. She felt her back expand her legs grew wide and she felt power raging through her limbs. She lifted her self up, and violently shook her head before ducking down, whipping her head forward to dislodge Rafe from her neck. She growled quietly so low and deep in her body that it seemed to rumble the ground. She was aware of her movements and she had some say but most of it happened on it own. She knew she wanted Rafe off her back, but the how had been a blind wild instinctual thing. She charged at him, launching through the air to pin him to the ground she snapped her huge jaws in his face, not but an inch from his nose. She wanted to attack him, the rage bubbled up inside her, as did the power to do so, but there was enough of her left in there too keep from ripping his throat out, for now. She didn't know how much longer she could keep mild control of her self and the rage seemed to boiling hotter. She was growling in his face, lips raised revealing a mouth filled with long dangerous teeth. "Happy?" She managed to grumble out from her barely human mouth.
 
Rafe shifted to his near-animal form, a huge dire bear, splitting through his clothes and he swiftly struck at her with a ferocious swipe, raking his claws along her neck as the weight of his strength knocked her aside, allowing him to get a little space and recover. The claws dug deep, but her muscle and sinew were tough enough to protect anything vital. Rafe must've known that wouldn't endanger her, but fresh blood trickled down, even as the wound started to knit itself together. With a mighty roar, Rafe dug all four paws into the ground and started to charge right for her, lifting up on his hind legs to leap at her with his teeth and claws bared towards her, intending to throw his full weight behind the assault.
 
Vivian felt the wound on her neck, she knew it must have hurt, that she was bleeding but her animal rage did not allow her to stop. She ignored the wound as blood ran down her ruddy and grey fur. She growled at him lowering her self to the ground allowing her muscles to coils. It was serious that Rafe meant business. Her war form knew what to do more then she did. As he lunged at her her msucles release and and allowed her to doge the attack this time. She was quick on her feet in this form quicker then Rafe. She circled him doubling back nipping at the thick fur of his heels. She knew that if she locked him in a physical battle he would crush her. Instinct told her to attempt to ware him down if she wanted to have a chance. Her vision was clouded with red as truly let her self embrace her War form, she did not fight instinct any longer. If Rafe wanted a fight she would give her one. She jumped up quickly latching onto the thick fur of his collar sinking her teeth into his neck, but his muscle and dense fur also protected his vitals. She released him and began to circle once more.
 
Now the battle was turning. She was inflicting quick, decisive strikes and acting as if her life really were in danger. Rafe felt a bit of satisfaction with her, as his father surely did with him at one point. She was fighting, not just playing or lashing out at him, she was actually fighting. Rafe continued the mock battle with him landing deep and painful, powerful hits, and continuing to take her many more cunning and savage blows, until he was breathing harshly and he sensed her fury was more spent now. He shifted back to his near-human form, tall and proud and he walked towards he, his gait still strong, but no longer threatening. He was covered with cuts, bruises, a few gashes, but his body was healing. He reached out to her and pressed his thumb into a wound of her's, soaking the blood onto his digit.

"Flesh of my flesh, blood of my blood, once called stranger, now called kinsman." He took it and rubbed the blood onto one of his wounds so it mingled and then he gently suckled on the combined blood, ingesting it. Then he took one of her hands, pulling it towards him for her to do the same. "Accept this gift, and become as kin to the ancient clan of Magnus, the First Sturmbeorn."
 
The battle peaked and fell quicker then she realized. But soon she felt the rage of her War form sputtering, as it sank down back inside her. She really did not have to concentrate on the shift of forms, it happened more on its own as she found her self matching Rafe's shift to near-human form. When he walked directly to her she attempted to stand tall and strong but it was clear that the battle and her war form had taken a toll on her. She was bleeding from several places and bruised all over, an especially nasty looking one on her collar bone might have even suggested a small fracture. But she could feel her body beginning to repair it self.

She watched with a look of clear confusion as she watched Rafe prod one of her wounds. She was too tried and numb to do anything other then letting Rafe move her hand and have her mimic the procedure that he had just done. She knew the words, but she had no clue what they meant in context. Sturmbeorn was the only one that stuck out too her. "But...I'm not a bear...do I count?" She asked sounding silly young and tired. "What was that?" She asked once her mind cleared and she could form a more adult question about the words he had recited to her. She was healing quickly but it would appear slightly slower then Rafe did, but then again it would seem she had a far decent amount more then he did. She slumped slightly shifting once more back to human form. He towered over her while he was still in near-human. She looked tired but her face was still flush from the rush of excitement they had just finished.
 
Rafe chuckled lightly. "We are kin now, that's what it means. Doesn't matter if you're a bear or not, I like you and you're a good person. You don't really need to know too much about the history or the meaning, just that if you're going to hang around me like you say, you'll be kin to me. Just a ritual, but some rituals actually have power." He helped her to walk and started towards his cave again. "Maybe eating will help you, if you can manage to hunt something. Or you could get something easy in the city. I could go for some fish actually, if can catch some for both of us if you like." He smiled at her and kept her close to keep her on her feet. "We'll go into the city after we relax for a while. Don't worry, you'll feel ok in an hour or two. You understand why I did that, right...?"
 
Now in her human form she was once again bare, but this time she did not care, she was too tired to care. "Kin? like family?" She said her mind still lulled by the level of exhaustion she felt. She listened closely as she always seemed to do when Rafe was explaining things to her. "Did that ritual have power to it?" She asked wondering if it was just symbolic or if there was something greater going on underneath it all. She grinned from ear to ear, as Rafe suggested fish her stomach almost on cue erupted with a grumbling complaint. "That sounds wonderful." She said leaning in to him for support but finding that though still worn she was capable of forming sentences and felt more steady on her feet. Though she was very thankful that he stood so close and gave her support she still did not trust her wobbly fatigued legs from giving out underneath her.

"Not really? why did you?" She said peering up into his face. "Not that I am complaining of course, I am more then happy that you want to keep me around, I just could not fathom why." She said with a sarcastic laugh, why would and independent bear want a wolf pup hanging around all the time, a new untrained, almost uneducated wold pup sounds like a liability even to her. "Oh and sorry about you clothes, If i had known you were going to attack me I would have prepared by removing them before shifting." She said raising an eyebrow at him teasing about his unorthodox teaching style.
 
"Eh, don't worry about the clothes, I can get more. I tend to dress cheaply, even though my family is wealthy. They were importers and exporters from the old lands, Scandinavia, and they made a fortune shipping old world goods to the new world. Careful, conservative investments have made sure we don't really have to worry about money. But then, I don't worry about having not having it really, it just greases the wheels when I have to interact with the city. I'll get you more clothes, I'll get you your own place if you want." He smirked and playfully put her in a headlock, knocking on the top of her head lightly a few times. "You don't know? Silly...I want you around because I like having you around. I might be a bear, but I'm human too, just like you, and humans need to socialize. My father might like living alone, but he has the personality of a hunk of granite. I actually like some of the people in the city and I'd like to be able to talk to them more than just grunts and snide remarks. You make me laugh. You keep me grounded and sane. You needed me and you brought out a put of me I want to keep alive. So don't be silly, asking me why on stuff like that." He let her go and smiled. "No, that ritual is just for show. Real rituals....I know a few, but you could learn a lot more from Gale and her pack, they are practitioners of real werewolf magic."

Once they were at the cave, Rafe left, letting her come if she wanted, and he fished in his animal form, catching a good amount for both of them. He also brought a bush of red berries, carrying them in human form as he returned, setting the food down. He ate in his animal form, finding the taste better that way, and easier to tear the good parts from the junk.
 
She grinned up at him, her face lit up, hearing him say he wanted her around, that he liked her company made her happier then she would have every thought it would. "I am glad to be of service, I have always been a social person." She admitted not realizing how much her life thus far had reflected the personality of a wolf. When he locked her in a head lock it was much different then the one earlier. She laughed and shoved him playfully but not enough to dislodge his arm from around her bare shoulder. "I am glad I don't have to get you more, college student remember, I barely have enough money to eat sometimes." She laughed remembering the weekend her and her friends ate tuna every day so they had enough money to go out at night.

When the got back to the cave, she wanted to help Rafe but she needed to sit. She was even starting to doze off when he walked in in his human form carrying the food he had collected. She smiled weakly in thanks before adding "I'm starving." She followed his example and shifted to wolf form, she had preferred the taste of the small rabbits and squirrels she had caught earlier but she was so tired and hungry it tasted delicious. Once she had shifted she switched back to human form and asked if she could have some berries. She remembered how awful they had tasted in wolf form the last time she tried. But she popped them into her mouth one by one savoring the sweet taste. After eating she felt much much better. Vivian sat on her rump, hugging her knees close to her chest to try and cover some of her nakedness.
 
Rafe ate on the fish in his bear form. He gladly shared the berries, and in this form when he ate the berries, there was no pretense of subtlety. He got his mouth with the branches and stripped them, leaves and all, occasionally pushing a stick or few leaves from his mouth, but he didn't seem to mind swallowing whatever happened to get in his mouth. When he was done, he shifted back to his human form and looked at her, seeing her naked flesh healing up nicely. "I bet you feel much more human now. More than you have in a while. The beast is placated for the time being. You acknowledged it and it is sated for the moment."

He walked to her and brushed her bare shoulders softly. "Let's go to my car, I have new clothes in there, I always keep spares somewhere." He looked at her. "College is actually a good idea to pass the time at times. It's a social hub. You can meet people of all kinds, make contacts or friends, find others like us, and acquiring knowledge of all kinds is never a bad idea. Also, when you live a long life, just surviving isn't good enough. You need something to do. Let me ask you, how old are you? And how old do you think I am?"
 
She shivered slightly as her human form began to grow cold from the chilled air, but she was not so cold that it was uncomfortable. She was thankful at the sound of spare close. "Yeah college is a pretty cool place, so you think I should stay?" She had mentioned dropping out earlier, she thought it would be easier to handle all the changes she was going through if she wasn't dealing with term papers as well. But she would miss it, and her friends. "I definitely feel human alright, weak and clumsy and totally human." She said with a goofy smirk. But in truth she did feel better, more relaxed like tension inside of her had been eased by the release she felt calmed and centered. The only thing that knocked her off kilter was his soft touch across the soft bare skin of her shoulder. It gave her a chill of electricity down her back and made her hair stand on end, she bowed her head slightly to let the blush in her cheeks fade before looking at him once more.

"I am 21, my friends and I were celebrating one of their 21st birthdays the night you saved me." She said winching slightly at the violent memory. She studied his face he was older then her for sure but not that old. "Ummm I don't know late 20's....but based on the way you asked Im gunna guess your older." She said extremely curious, the idea of living longer then the normal human life span seemed like a pretty cool perk.
 
"Well...offhand, I'd say you should do want you want. If you're asking my recommendation though, take a semester or a year off. Get used to this life, then worry about adding to it. Remember, you haven't really been in the city yet, not like this. You haven't seen the city's shadow in the spirit world, it's twisted and strange. You can't trip that hard on any drug. And with your senses, the city might be a bit...intense. Smells and sounds...it'll be a bit disorientating, you'll have to learn to focus through it and tune it out. College is nice, and so are friends, but you just have to understand the liabilities and the benefits. I'm not saying to think like a machine...but sometimes it helps." He chuckled when she talked about feeling human. "With time, you'll go through your forms like breathing. The rage is kind of like an orgasm. At least a guy's orgasm. You experience it, and recovering takes a bit of time." He looked at her sternly. "But don't you ever lose yourself too it. Don't get to liking this sort of power too much. Like I told you before, you are a monster, but if you lose your humanity, the beast takes over and you become worse than a monster. You become...something else. There's another thing. Sometimes, when a good friend is killed, or hate totally overtakes you, you fall into the Black Rage, something that only blood can bring you out of. There's no telling friend and foe apart in the Black Rage."

He smirked at bit, like a teacher that had some secret knowledge that a pupil did not. "This year, I walk my seventy-second year on the world. My first battle was during the Vietnam War. My father is far older, he fought with Joan of Arc as a mercenary during the Hundred Years War. His father, fought the Muslims at the Battle of Tours and his brother sailed with Leif Erikson in the Vinlandsaga to Greenland and the New World." A certain amount of pride was in his voice.
 
She nodded in agreement "That's what I was thinking too." She said looking around her, event he cave seemed alightly overstimulating she could not imagine the city. "And I killed a hand full of people the otherday....I mean not saying those scumbags didn't diserve it, but still I don't know if I feel comfortable being so...dangerous around people I care about." She said just thinking about getting drunk with her friends and loosing control, or a fight braking out at a bar and shivered clearing the thought from her head. The idea of being in a rage with no control was a terrifying thought. When she had been battling Rafe she had barely hung on to her humanity the idea that the beast inside her could take complete control, the idea of it was horrifying and she hope she would never have to witness anything so awful and especially experience it.

Her mouth fell open and only proceeded to fall more as he continued to speak. "Seventy two...." She said in disbelief. She actually reached up and touched his face to see if it was real half expecting it to turn into wrinkles under her finger tips, but instead it remained firm and warm. "So If I am not killed by another were creature, or an evil spirit or a hunter or one of the other random things that might kill me, how long am I going to live?" She asked in disbelief. His father was still alive and that would mean that he was hundreds of years old. She huffed a laugh quick, "Well the pressures of getting my life in order have just faded away, I have plenty of time to enjoy myself." She said with the true air of a 21 year old. She heard the pride in his voice and smiled brightly "Very impressive family history you have there my friend." She said moving to stand, dusting her bottom off.
 
"Think of it as having a shotgun with you at all times. It can be very dangerous and easily lethal. But it can be a powerful weapon to protect those you love. The difference is control and training. The more you know about it, the better you and those around you are. Don't fear it, but don't relax completely." He grinned a bit when she poked his face and he suddenly thrust his face at her and make a scary face at her. "BWAHHH!" He laughed firmly as they approached his car. He popped the trunk open and handed her a fresh set of men's clothes. "The oldest I've ever heard of a lycanthrope living is a thousand years, but that was in legend. Seven or eight hundred years is more realistic, assuming you don't die an unnatural death...which is a common reality. But still, vampires can live as long as they can avoid their true death. Other creatures...I don't know that much about how long they live. You do have a lot of time, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't do today what you can. Take time to get things in order, but don't use it as an excuse." He smiled at her. "Just...live." Once they were dressed, he got into his car and once she was in, he started back towards the city. Dust, gas, oil, fluids, this machine was smelly now.
 
She jumped as he startled her with his face, but bursted out laughing once she regained her composure, she nudged him slightly "You big bully." She said teasingly. Vivian walked by Rafe's side and thankfully accepted his offer of clothing and pulled the shirt on first before stepping into his pants. She whistled at the idea of being 800 years old someday. And she had to agree with him about valuing each day even if there were many more too follow. "You are right, but more time does allow more time for fun." She said shoving him slightly before running off to get into the car first. Vivian had always been a care free silly spirit it was even nicer a feeling knowing that for a short time atleast she did not have to worry about stifling herself to fit mainstream views of acceptable adult behavior.

The car did reek. Comparing the fresh clean sweet smell of the wilderness to the dead metallic smell of a car was a harsh comparison. She buckled in and turned to Rafe once he had gotten into the drivers seat. "Thank you." She said she didn't know how many times she would say it but she knew that he had saved her life, saved her from what could have been the most terrifying years of her life into some of the most exciting. She sat back with a light smile permanently painted on her face, she was perfectly content. She was relaxed until she started to think about what lie she was going to have to tell her room mates. She gulped and pursed her lips in thought. It would be hard to explain her disappearance and her new masculine wardrobe to her friends back at her place. She did need to go and pick up some of her things though, and needed to let them know she was alive so they don't call the cops or something if they haven't already done so. "What should I tell my roommates?" She asked Rafe's advice.
 
Rafe shrugged his shoulders softly. "Anything you like, just don't tell them the truth. When you lie, people want to accept what is simple and easily plausible. Don't make up odd coincidences or outlandish stories, things not in your character. Just keep it simple. People like to believe simple things and happy endings."

Once they got into the city, the sensory experience was amplified many times. Sights were mostly the same, but smells and sounds were far more vivid, even through the car. She could almost bite into the air, so thick was the taste. Processed food, waste water, idle chattering, electronic voices, diesel exhaust, advertisements from TVs and radios, it was a barrage of sensory information. Rafe drove casually through it like it were nothing, but the truth was he had just learned to tune most of it out, like a person at a club manages to carry on through the music. The first place Rafe stopped was at a high-end shopping area. When he got out, he went to the trunk and lifted the lining on the interior, revealing a money clip. He pulled it out and put it into her pocket. "Greases the wheels, like I said. Get some clothes, get a lot of them. Wear what you like, just be aware you might tear through them, so I wouldn't get too attached. If you need stuff to help you move you can get that here too. There's a food court in there, meet me there in two hours, that should be more than enough time, understand?" Rafe walked up to the mall with her, ready for any more questions she might have.
 
She couldn't decide if it was the smell or sounds that overwhelmed her more. Most of teh scents in the city were harsh and grimy and made her stomach turn. But then the sounds were so loud, and she heard so many of them at once, a baby crying two blocks away an ambulance down the road the gears of the engine turning. She had to focus, and even still she could feel the beginnings of a head ache. She watched Rafe exit and followed him. When he stuffed the money in her pocket before she could deny it she rolled her eyes. She was about to return it but remembered what he had said about his family being very wealthy; and she definitely did not have enough clothes to her own name to be ripping them all the time. She sighed and accepted the large roll clip of money. "Thanks...I just can't repay you... I feel bad." She didn't mind borrowing money, it was not being able to pay it back which made her feel like she was taking advantage or that she now owed him.

She walked next to him till she reached the enterance of the Mall. "Two hours, got it." She smiled up at him. "You be safe now." She said sarcasticly knowing that if anyone had to worried about being safe it was her not him. She reached up on her tip toes and kissed his cheek in a playful and thankful way. She quickly headed to the door but then turned over her shoulder and winked before dashing off away from him. She liked teasing Rafe, she also liked how she had seen his serious walls come down ever so slightly as he now played along with her sometimes.

She looked around stores trying to get the best deals, feeling badly about spending too much of the money he had given her. She Bought more clothes then she had eve done in one day before. Jeans, tee shirts, blouses, sweatshirts, leggings, bras, undies, socks, even a few sundresses. She also bought some trash bags and boxes to help with moving like he said. In the first store she picked out some nice form fitting jeans and a cute long sleeve plain shirt as well as some slip on sneakers and changed into them folding Rafe's cloths and adding it to the bags of clothes she had acquired. She started making her way to the food court. The mall had been overwhelming as it was but the food court was another beast entirely. Vivian was a little early and so she set her bags down at a table and waited. But she spotted two of her friends. Moments after then spotted her as they ran up to her practically screaming. "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" "YOU SCARED US SHITLESS!" "HOW DID YOU BUY ALL THIS SHIT?!" She gulped and laughed nervously. "Yeah, yeah I am totally fine sorry I got separated the other night. And met up with a friend of the family." She said. simple. Just like Rafe had said. The girls sat down and Vivian looked around, she was unsure what to do, especially knowing that Rafe would be showing up soon. "Guys I...I think I am going to take a year off....I'll probably be picking up my stuff at some point today or tomorrow." She thought it would be better to lay it all out on the table. The ladies protested and asked questions but Viv politely answered but made her point clear.
 
"Cousin dear!" Rafe approached the table, looking like a totally different person. He was dressed in a fine suit that looked like he expected to do something expensive and formal tonight. He smiled as he walked to her. "Cousin Vivian, I saw you got caught up here. Are these your friends? Please introduce me!" Rafe was purposefully acting the complete opposite of his usual self to put on an illusion so her lie would pass off.
 
Vivian quickly picked up on the game after only a moment of hesitation. "Ladies this is my cousin Rafe, cousin this is Lilly and Sophia." She said pointing to. Short blond girl and a much taller girl with almost black hair. "I just finished explaining that I need a year off to them." She said filling Rafe in on her progress as well as pretending to make polite conversation. "See when I met up with Rafe the other night I realized how little I know about my family, because mom don't talk to any of them. I want meet my family so I'm going to spend a year traveling reconnecting and learning the things my Styron mom should have taught me." She said with a laugh. She hopped it wouldn't be to detailed a lie. But it was the only thing that fit her character. Vivian was not a stressful person, nor was she a quitter. But going on a random road trip to find Long lost family. That was a very Vivian move. "I wish I could be so care free about time. Aren't you worried about taking longer to graduate?" Asked the blonde Lilly. Vivian smiled "ya know what? I'm not. There are more important things."

The girls did their goodbyes and that they would miss her and that they should all still hang out. But in the end it was a goodbye. Once te left she turned to Rafe with a tentative smile as if asking how she had done. "You are a wonderful actor. Your should presue it." She laughed nudging him slightly.
 
Rafe smirked a bit and shrugged. "I thought about it when I was a lot younger, but most people in our position prefer to remain unrecognized. Still, some manage to lead a much more public double life. You just looked like you needed some help there. So is there anything else you want to do or get before we go? We're going to stop by Vivian's club before I drop you off."
 
"well If you change your mind, you would be a hit." She said with a playful wink. "And I think I am good for now, Id rather go when I know the girls wont be there, its easier." She said with a little bit of a sigh. "Sounds good." She said with a blush remembering the last time they had gone to the club together. She spread her arms showing him the new simple outfit she had gotten. She usually kept her clothing simple, cute but nothing to over the top. "What do you think, I look better now that I'm not in dude clothes I hope?" She said laughing handing him both the rest of the money she had not spent and his folded clothes in a bag of their own. She went to pick up all the bags she had with her, ready to leave the food court as it was beginning to be over stimulating to the degree that it gave her a head ache.
 
Rafe chuckled and shook his head. "Keep the money. My gift. You're kin, so don't worry about paying it back. If you want to stick with me and treat me like a pack, then we might as well act like one and share what we have." He smiled and her looked at her showing off her clothes. A playful smirk came over his face. "I don't know, I kind of like women in male clothing. Something about strong women that just makes them sexy..." He had a hearty laugh at that and playfully reached over and ruffled her hair. "You look fine, don't worry about it." He smiled and led her back to his car. "I'll drop you off at your place after we see Vee. I just like to keep up with my contacts once and a while, if you only drop by when you're in trouble, they look at you like you ARE the trouble."

Rafe drove calm and casually, matching his demeanor. He didn't rush or feel the need to speed, but he didn't feel the need to go faster when someone was behind him either or let himself be cut off. He was constant, defensive, and unassailable. Driving up to the club, his jaw and hands clenched, not noticeably, but it happened. Vee was a good friend and a deeply sensual, sexual being. Their relationship was ill-defined, he wasn't even sure if she was just a friend. But he was uncomfortable around vampires, they had strange powers of the mind and the way they fed was both alluring and disgusting to him. Still, he wasn't going to turn his back on her. Rafe climbed out and started for the door. The sun was still high in the sky, so any vampires would either be inside or taking precaution. The part about them being vulnerable to the sun wasn't fiction. But for no reason, his movement slowed. His eyes twitched and looked left and right, little movements of his head. That's when Vivian smelled it as well. People. Not just the ordinary mish-mash of riff-raff in the city. Adrenaline. Fear. Anger. Deadly intent in the air. Rafe's movements and his own scent were filled with alarm. Something was wrong. More smells. Strong ones. White oak. Explosives. Machine oil. Gunpowder. And something sharp that stung her nostrils. Something that made her ancient instincts scream in alarm. The ancient enemy, Silver.

Rafe started stepping faster, moving at a half-skip, two steps at a time. He then moved to a half-run to an emergency fire ladder on the back of the building an started climbing. "Hunters, they've found Vee." His voice was filled with fear, worry, concern, and hate. He moved up the ladder as fast as he could manage, running at full speed along the top of the building towards the emergency exit and then his speed vanished into a quiet little creep inside. They were in a backstage maintenance area. It was dark except for a few emergency lights. Rafe crouched low and stripped off his tie, dress coat, and button up shirt, then his fine leather shoes and socks, before switching to his near-human form. His pants were baggy enough to allow the change as he crept forward out into the club's main area, but they were high above it. It was almost pitch black and dead quiet, as Rafe crept along the gantries above the club where the lighting was. Yes, people were here, people with murderous intent.
 
At first Vivian did not notice what Rafe did it took her a moment long to recognized the sharp stinging smell in her nose as she had never been exposed to the characteristics of a hunter attack. But she was familiar enough with Rafe's character as she had spent every hour of the last few days with him. And when he went of the defensive she did as well. When he quickly moved away from the entrance and to the back it took Vivian a moment of delay until she followed him a quick instep run at his heels and she followed his lead. She paused at the bottom of the latter as Rafe climbed looking around her for anything suspicious and one watching them. "Hunters? why would anyone want to kill Vee she seemed well mannered." She asked remembering the overly sexual and flirtatious woman who had indeed had a strong grip over her but had not pressed her further then she wanted to be pressed.

As she watched him strip she wished she was still wearing his clothing she would have been able to do the same thing. Instead she had to fully undress leaving her new clothes in a pile before shifting. "What are we going to do?" She asked meeting him in the darkness above. She had not asked if he wanted help, she had not even suspected that he did not want it. Her mentality was that of a wolf, safety in numbers, teamwork and strategy. She was not about to let Rafe step into danger that she her self would not face. Her near human eyes saw clearly in the dark, though the club was overwhelming in scents and sights because her hunter instincts had kicked in she was able to shift through them with more ease, and focus on what mattered only. Vivian could not see them but she could sure smell them. The human gave of a putrid odor of violence mixed with the sharp clear smell of adrenaline, her nose wrinkled as she sniffed the air knowing the smell but not what to look for.
 
Rafe answered before they got inside. "Hunters don't need a reason. They're the ones that know about us, fear us, and hate us. The idea that such beings as us couldn't exist is what keeps us safe from the majority, but hard proof is still hard proof. Most hunters are people that were preyed upon by supernatural creatures, or lost people they loved. But survival is a survival. You try to hunt a wolf that knows about you...it's going to hunt you back."

Inside, the club was stone quiet, except for some footsteps. The lights were mostly out. Beneath, in the darkness, there were figures moving about. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, Vivian could see more details. The figures were well armed, and not just with conventional weapons. They were also wearing nightvision goggles over their heads. There were four of them moving about, two right beneath them and two more distant on he other side spread apart. Around the club there were a few human bodies on the floor, some dancers, some clientele. Along with them were piles of ash. Rafe crouched lower in attempt to stay out of sight for a moment. He looked at Vivian and motioned for the pair directly beneath them. The first strike. They had to move before they were spotted. Rafe slowly perched himself up on the handrail of the gantry and then with a roar, leapt downward right for one of the hunters beneath him. He quickly disarmed him of person of their submachine gun, grabbing their head in a powerful lock and swiftly breaking the neck. One of the more distant figures started to fire with a shotgun. Rafe headed for them using the dead hunter as a shield. The other distant hunter whistled loudly and shouted something incomprehensible.
 
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