Run This Town (Rory+Ishu)

Alright. Add that onto the list of reasons to dislike Haijime. Again, it was just another small thing, but when Ishu's brother stopped in the doorway and said that - as if Cade hadn't just offered to shoot and kill his own kind while looking out for HIS weak ass - it made the Gamatom bristle a little bit. Whatever. It wasn't as if they had to like each other.

Leaving the apartment, Cade stopped at the gate, his hackles raised defensively as he looked about, watching out for the brethren, every muscle in his lean body coiled and ready to attack on sight. No matter what, they weren't getting through here. He could smell the new signature on the gate and it was faint but recent. Dey. The dominant Gamatom's sweat hung like a whispy cloud outside the gate and it instantly put Cade on alert. He was getting involved in his business a lot lately... How the fuck did they find out where he was?

Didn't matter. If they came back, he'd send them a very clear message to "fuck off". Back in the grocery store again and ignoring the frightened look he got from a man walking out with his shopping bags, he caught Jennifer's eye and walked over to where she stood at the register.

Before he could say anything her eyes brightened and she gave him what he could only assume was a sly look. "Cane! Did Haijime give you my message?" and she shook a playful finger at him.

He gave her a scowl. "Cade, Jen. My name is fucking Cade. Get it right." He felt a little bad about the small wounded look she gave him, but he shoved the moment aside. "Message? About the gun shop you mean? I'm going to need some. It's for Ishu and Haijime."

She contemplated correcting him about the message but after he'd reprimanded her for saying his name wrong, she felt kind of stupid for even bringing it up in the first place. She'd thought it was a connection they had... she'd taught a Gamatom how to brush his teeth. "Uh, yeah, sure. My dad owns the shop. We could give you guys a gun or two."

The scowl left Cade's face but he still seemed distant and serious. "Can we go now? I need these before dark..." He didn't need to say why. And he also thought it'd be better if she went with him just to keep her father from...freaking out about a Gamatom coming to buy weapons from him.

Coming around the counter slow, Jennifer nodded her head morosely and tucked her hair behind her ear uncertainly before looking back up at Cade. "I have to ask you something, before we go..." she bit her lip and he gave her an impatient look but nodded his head for her to go ahead. "Why haven't you killed me?" It was what his people did to any women they encountered. At first she'd thought it was because she was special but more and more, Cade's dislike/tolerance of her made her re-think that.

There was a creased concern and anxiety in her eyes that caused him to blink at her blankly for a moment before looking away. Rubbing at the back of his neck and sneering at nothing in particular, he let out a breath. How to answer that... Was there really a reason, other than his newfound attempts to correct his own nature? She was the only female besides Ishu whom he really had any kind of relationship with and although he still occasionally felt the urge to hurt her - it was a quiet tickling in the back of his mind every now and again - it was more than just his altruism keeping him from doing so. "I don't know.. I guess I'm sort of fond of you..." It felt like the truth. He shrugged, looked her up and down breezily and tried not to sneer again.

Jen blushed and a smile bloomed on her face and suddenly she had her arms wrapped around Cade's middle and was hugging him tightly. A glare of annoyance painted itself across his face and he murmured a very deep, "Quit it." But for the 10 seconds longer that Jen stayed holding him, he didn't move to push her away or disengage himself from her at all. And she made note of it. Standing back to smile at him again, he asked in an irritated tone, "Are you done?" and she nodded happily while he rolled his eyes.


"Where did you go?" Quin asked softly. Dey had re-entered the master bedroom where the leader lounged on what was left of the bed, smoking in the shadows. As he turned from the double doors, their eyes met in the darkness. "I woke up and there was no one else in the house except fucking Rek. Where were you?"

Dey knew what he was asking, the paranoid tone in his voice clearly heard even in that smoke-ladden whisper. In truth, he felt a glimmer of guilt about his activities this afternoon because it had basically been him sneaking behind the other's back and taking control of the pack. But he told himself he was doing this for Quin. Cade was ruining everything and Dey couldn't help if he didn't know what was really going on. But he felt like he was no closer to the truth than he had been before.

"Just took the guys out for some fun. Everyone's been a bit uptight lately."

Walking towards the bed, Dey removed his jacket and shirt and kneeled to crawl to Quin's side. Gently, he kissed the leader's knee, letting his tongue trail up the man's thigh, but Quin's hand grabbing a fistful of his hair stopped him from going further. Nothing showed in Dey's face as he was forced to look at Quin again.

"You left without the trucks because you knew I would hear it and you took the strongest of our group. What are you up to? I don't like secrets brother."

What exactly was Quin accusing him of? Whatever it was, and after the emotional turmoil he'd been through all day worrying about what the clues he'd found actually meant, he wearily replied, "Neither do I."

Quin let him go and looked away, taking a deep drag on his cigarette, then massaged his forehead while letting it all out in a long breath. Dey waited patiently, not willing to fight about it anymore and imploring his brother to be honest with him. What was going on with Cade.

"He has a secret human lover," Quin finally said, his yellow green eyes falling back on Dey. "He told me about it and I let him keep it between us so he wouldn't be humiliated in front of the others. But now he's abusing my generosity."

Dey frowned and hesitantly asked, "And the paper birds? What do they mean?"

Quin let out a thin snake of smoke from his nostrils before answering. "I think he's planning to leave the pack. It's his way of saying goodbye because he knows I'll beat the shit out of him if he comes to me face-to-face." Obviously, Quin was unaware of the other birds Dey had found and since he'd just gotten back on his brother's good side, he wasn't going to tell him about the room in the library just yet.

So...a secret human lover. Wow...Cade had really fucking lost it. It explained everything though. The odd behavior. The folded birds. The room smelling like cum and cunt... And Quin had known? Why hadn't he taken more drastic measures? It was clear the elder Gamatom loved Cade and was trying to understanding, but this was unforgivable. It was impossible! IT was forbidden.

But Dey was through questioning his brother's judgment. Now that he knew the truth, he was going to help bring Cade to full justice and he knew exactly how to do that. "I can get him to come home," Dey said softly. "We'll bring his lover here and he'll come looking. I know where she lives."

Quin had been listening but all of a sudden his eyes went wide and he was grabbing Dey by the neck. "She??? What the fuck are you talking about?"

Ishu felt a terrible pain in her sleep, her spine and legs quivering as her hands groped at her dress. Haijime looked over at her and set up, using an elbow to keep his body propped up, "Ishu?" He lay a hand on the top of her head and ran his fingers through her hair. She looked like she was in pain but everything passed over soon. Uncertain of what was wrong, he kept over her, watching her features and limbs for any other sign of distorting or pain. He moved a hand over his face and sighed, swallowed the excess saliva that built up during the distress.

He lay back down next to her but kept his sharp green eyes on her, watching the air move out of her mouth each time she exhaled her breaths. It was soothing, his own eyes beginning to close as his heartbeat matched her breathing. Slow and calm... slow and calm... slow... and.... calm.............



There were about 30 minutes out of town now and the sun was starting to set. Eve carefully made her way to the back of the RV, avoiding flailing cabinet doors and pressing her back against the other wall as the bathroom door swung open, "Dammit!" She kicked the door shut, denting it a bit even. She pulled herself through the rest of the vehicle until she got to the back room.

She pushed the door to the side and looked around until she found JD clinging to the wall next to the door, "Hey! Come on! We need to get ready to load out. Once we get there we park and we bolt- got it!?"

JD groaned but nodded. He let go of the side of the RV and slid across the floor, his body lifting from it as they went over a pot hole. He heard Eve scream another profanity as the cupboards above the kitchenette swung open and leaked pots and pans everywhere. He put a hand over his mouth to stifle his snickering.

Cade reentered the apartment quietly, walking over to the couch with the bag he'd been given down on the floor before it. Opening it, he took out the semi-automatic rifle and began to load it in the way that Jennifer's father had shown him to, looking it over with a careful eye to make sure everything was as it should be.

It had been tough to get the weapons, especially when as soon as he'd walked through the door to the shop, Frank had pulled a gun on him. It took Jennifer practically hanging herself around Cade's neck for her father to notice that 1. she was even in the room and 2. that Cade was not a threat. Of course, Cade could have probably done well on his own, avoiding bullets while also disarming the guy, but it was not a good way to start a business transaction.

Even after things had calmed down, it had taken a LOT of convincing to get Frank to give in, but after his daughter said some things about Haijime, explaining the situation as she'd witnessed it - and Cade felt a little self-conscious that during his confrontation with Haijime, he really hadn't noticed that she'd been there. Finally, the older gentleman acquiesced begrudgingly. He warmed up a little bit when Cade began specifically inquiring about which gun would be best for quick and final kills. But even then, by the time Cade left with the bag of weapons they'd given him, he still felt like Frank was giving him a suspicious eye.

Cade ran a hand over the large gun as he set it aside and took out the other rifle he'd gotten, and put bullets in it as well. It had been Frank's advice, for Cade and apparently Haijime's particular skill-set, or lack thereof, to use weapons that would fire in rapid succession that relied less on aim and more on body-shots. Once the targets were down and not moving so quickly, headshots would be easier.

Setting that aside, he let out a sigh and glanced at the window, the light filtering through growing orange and dim. Almost time. It wasn't necessarily excitement that he felt but after worrying so much about what they were going to do to protect themselves, he felt a boost of confidence having these weapons and Frank's words of wisdom to guide him in their use. He knew what the brethren were capable of and from the outside looking in, it almost seemed hopeless. Now however, he no longer felt that way.

Eager to see Ishu and also needing to tell Haijime how to use the weapons he'd gotten, he rose smoothly from the couch and headed to the bedroom. "Haiji--" Instantly, in the fading light of the sun seeing the two lying in bed together and facing each other, Cade's dark eyes flared angrily and his hackles raised.

With the coming night filling his veins with power, he moved lightning quick from the door to the bed and was dragging Haijime up from it by his neck and slamming him into the wall. "As soon as I leave!" he growled hatefully in the man's face. "And you climb right into bed with her! After what I'm willing to do for you! To do for you both! Do you know what I'm sacrificing???" His thumb dug into a soft spot on the man's throat and as a soft choking sound came from Haijime's lips, Cade's dick hardened in response.

With a snarl, he pulled Haijime from the wall and tossed him across the floor staring down at him filled with an animal rage. "I don't care how fucking close you were before! I'm here now and I'm risking everything to keep you safe! I demand that you show me the respect I deserve or..." he panted slightly, feeling the sun as it inched below the horizon, adrenaline pumping through his veins and his fists clenching at his sides. "Or I'll find another way to get it from you." The urge to dominate the human was very strong, only tempered by the fact that Ishu was in the room.


"Once you're inside, don't get distracted," Quin said, standing in the hall before his men, all of them giving him wild eyed looks; barely men anymore now that night had almost fallen. "This is not a regular hunt. I want the girl. The description I have is that she smells of fruit and has pale white hair. Cade will most likely not be with her if he's still in touch with the bloodlust at all. If he is, I want him brought in as well."

Everything about their leader was beautiful, the height of his anger mixing with the bloodlust filling his muscled form, turning him into something akin to a beastly God. The men surrounding him stood naked, a few panting slightly like wild dogs, sharp teeth showing in slanted rows, practically dripping for the chance to feast.

"I want them both alive. Anyone who disobeys this order will in turn be killed. No exceptions. We might still be able to save him, but the girl is the key." Besides that, Quin wanted to see the little whore who'd stolen Cade from him, in all her cuntish glory. "Let's go." And a mass roar left the throats of these monstrous men as they filed out of the mansion and all climbed into the large black pickup truck.

There was something about Haijime's tone that did not encourage a rational response in Cade. Particularly the condescension in his last sentences. At least, that's the way Cade interpreted his words.

"Are you mocking me?" he asked, baring his teeth in a grimace. "No, I don't need a fucking steak, you piece of shit! Don't act like I'm stupid! I know what I saw!" Unable to help himself, the Gamatom stepped over Haijime and buried his fingers in the man's hair with a small sharp twist, forcing the man's head to angle up and look at him.

"I'M her lover, understand? You don't fucking touch her!" The man truly didn't get it? Or was he just playing ignorant? Either way, looking down at Haijime's current position of submission and feeling the hair on his crown in Cade's fingers, it was only exasperating his physical reactions to the situation. Crouching down low over Haijime, growls bubbling up from his throat as his eyes seered over the man's face hatefully he said, "Tell me: Do you want her?" His eyes trailed over the crimson stream flowing from Haijime's nostrils. He could smell it and it turned the hate burning in his eyes into something else. "Do you want me to hurt you...?"

His mouth hovered incredibly close wanting to taste a bit of that blood...wanting to taste Haijime's pain...wanting to own his mouth with his own...

When Ishu let out a harsh gasp, Cade opened his eyes wide and instantly let go of her brother, standing quickly away from him. Sense and dignity quickly returned to him, and he turned to Ishu, rushing to her side. "Ishu, what's wrong?" Crap. He'd let himself get carried away, exactly what he'd told himself NOT to do and he'd woken her up. Still, he was perfectly willing to blame Haijime for crossing the line into what he considered his turf. His property. Blood or no, he'd had her first.


The large pickup moved like a sleek, wet shadow in the last light of the sun, it's cargo grim and silent as they approached their destination. Stopping in the heart of the city at a cross-roads, the creatures disembarked, muscled bodies flowing like shadowed ghosts into the night. Given strength in the growing darkness and beast-like eyes glowing, they each vaulted the gate that had stood as a barrier earlier in the morn, completely unaware of what awaited them on the other side. Scents of nearby prey began to register as they ventured towards the buildings, growls leaving several throats.

Cade had pulled Ishu up to rest against his chest in a semi-sitting position with his arms around her, murmuring softly to her - attempting to comfort her as much as calm himself down - when the apartment was suddenly invaded by other humans. The smell of feminine and male hormones flooded his nostrils and dark eyes widened defensively, but he instantly zoomed in on the weaponry they carried and stayed frozen where he was sitting on the bed, holding Ishu just a little bit tighter.

When Haijime stepped forward to address those who'd entered their protected sphere, Cade tensed but quickly felt guilty about everything when it sounded as if he was attempting to protect him for some reason. "Haijime... what's going on? Who are these people?" His voice had taken on a bestial quality that he had no control over, practically spitting the word "people" and his teeth grimaced in the poor lighting, aching and ready to attack if necessary. The heart beats of the two women who had entered began to fill his skull achingly, drowning out almost everything else and he let out a heavy breath trying to focus on Ishu's pulse to keep the urges at bay.


Down below, the brethren stopped beside the first buildings, using the cover of shadows. Dey stepped towards his lover, Bast, putting a seducive hand at the back of his neck and pulling him close. Lifting up his hand, wedged between two fingers was the red paper crane and he held it to the young Gamatom's face. "Find her," he uttered in a voice contorted by guttural growls. As Bast dragged in every scent and signature from the worn and folded piece of paper, the other brethren stood close by, watching their surroundings warily.

A friend? And she was armed? The brief glance at her from the doorway wasn't enough; he needed to get a closer look at this. Gingerly, he set Ishu down, giving her a reassuring look and caressing her face softly before joining Haijime, standing at his back and looking over his shoulder into the other room. Despite the urge for blood running through his veins, a smile blossomed on his face as he watched the natural way the woman handled the weapons she carried. Vaguely, he pointed at her and turned that small grin to Haijime.

"She knows how to use those?" A woman! With guns! Imagine that! How entertaining and utterly brilliant! He had been completely unaware their females even knew how to operate the weapons. Needless to say...Cade wasn't experienced with it, never having needed them before and although he'd felt confident in his odds of fighting the brethren while being armed, now they had company who knew how to use them. Not only that but she'd been killing brethren "like a fire" she said! And there were others? MORE humans like this?

It was only slightly sobering to realize he might unintentionally become a target for attack, but Haijime had convinced her pretty easily. And suddenly, he was thankful. He felt giddy that they were here to help them protect Ishu from-- wait... "Why are you here?"

Then that other one spoke up and he restrained the sneer on his face only to have it leave immediately to hear what she had to say. The pack was making it's move. "You have to get out there now! You have to stop them!" he growled anxiously, light entering his dark eyes as he glared defensively. Idiots thinking their gate would keep them out. "We can't let them get in here." Ishu! They had to protect her and keep her safe!


"There are others out and about," Vernon muttered, sniffing off to the side of the buildings they were hiding behind after hearing the sound of music and distant voices. Valheru and Rek standing beside him both tensed.

Dey shook his head and cast him a razor-blade smile. "They probably think they're safe inside their little gate. We'll move past them, no problem and if they make a fuss, we'll kill them." Turning to Bast he asked, "Do you have the trail?"

"Yeah, got it," the young Gamatom said, actually serious and concentrating for once.

"Let's go," and they followed behind the short Gamatom as he galloped out in the open. Coming upon the parked vehicle in the middle of the complex, it drew their attention but they kept their distance, clinging to the shadows and moving like blurred wolves.

Cade was somewhat skeptical, his immediate excitement dying down now that the brethren were here and practically breathing down their necks. How many were there? An army? The pack was only 6 now with him gone, but Quin would be more than strong enough to take down a dozen men, guns or no guns. Then there was Dey and Valheru who weren't as strong but still formidable on their own. No doubt if they were here for him, Quin was done fucking around and had sent the whole pack. Could these humans really keep them at bay? And when two of them were female as well? How many women did they have on their side?

The hair on the back of his neck and the crown of his head stood on end as the one called "Michelle" scooted past him into the room and he stifled a groan as his head got locked in a vice with her heart beat passing so close. He could smell the slight tang of a little bit of sweat from her body...the blood in her veins calling to him with soft repetitive moans...

Shaking his head slightly and exhaling a labored breath, running a hand through hair that was growing wet with sweat. Gun fire echoing from below drew his attention and he gave a strained look at first Haijime and then the woman called Eve before drifting back to the bed to be near Ishu. Gathering her back up in his arms, he held her and kissed her softly, rocking slightly and trying to calm his breathing. Glancing in the direction of the woman with the electronic device, he made a face at her and then remembered something. Pulling from within his shirt, he took out the small pendant and looked at it. It helped to remind him that she was a person. They were all people. Including himself.


The Gamatoms moved swiftly out of the way of the gunfire as it came, splitting up their small line as some dashed one direction and the others hid against the walls elsewhere. There was a bit of confusion and anger that they would dare fire upon them and there was an instant reaction among them.

Rek and Vernon stayed off to one side and emitting rapid snarls from their throats as they circled the truck, bodies moving swiftly as they zig zagged, trying to get close to the humans while still avoiding their idiotic weapons.

Valheru went on with Dey and Bast, a roar like a bear ripping from his chest and throat when the black man charged him, dodging the chainsaw and attempting to swing huge, meaty fists out to catch him somewhere on his body. Dey watched for a moment, then glanced back the way they came. These humans...they weren't like others. They had weapons and they were stupid enough to challenge them. but the brethren were unprepared for this fight.

Grabbing onto Bast before he could rush ahead, still following the scent, he pulled him along and let out a short, loud growl, calling the others to follow him. Vernon and Rek made one final circle around the vehicle before veering off back towards the gate. Shoving Bast ahead of him, the younger Gamatom rushing swiftly out of sight, Dey paused and gave one final growl at Valheru. The large Gamatom refused to listen, intent now on disabling the man with the saw, and Dey left him to join the others.

Letting the pendant fall from his fingers back to hang around his neck, Cade looked down at Ishu when she grabbed him and grew concerned about the anxiety in her features. "Ishu? What's wrong? Please, talk to me." Was she scared about the attacking Gamatoms? "Don't worry. The brethren...they're not going to hurt you. I won't let them." He glanced up at the doorway to the other room where the others were and let his eyes trail to Michelle. "These humans know what they're doing."

He didn't necessarily believe that... he wanted to believe it, but so far, doubt still plagued him as more shots could be heard accompanied by distant growls. He wasn't going to tell Ishu about how he really felt though. If she was scared they were coming, he wanted her to feel like she was protected.

Wait...those growls... That was Valheru! And the other that his sharp ears picked up - that was Dey's call of distress. They were falling back. But there was still the sound of the larger Gamatom roaring his battle cries. Knowing Val... he was probably locked in berserker mode and wouldn't stop until the humans were dead. Or until he was.

A small pulse of loyalty filled him and he looked down at Ishu, caressing her face. As much as he'd been willing to kill the brethren if they came after her...it didn't seem fair for the others to abandon Val in the heat of battle, all because of him. He couldn't sit by and let this happen. Gently, he set her down once more, disengaging the hand that gripped his shirt and pressing her knuckles to his lips for a small kiss. Not having a moment to utter a last goodbye or reassure her that he'd be back, he left the room, flying to the door and quickly exiting the apartment.

Cade came to a halt as he met a man on the stairs who wielded another gun and he quickly held his hands out in a defensive gesture, ready to dodge if words proved ineffective. "Just let me through! I can get him to leave! Just let me pass!" He glanced back at the apartment he'd just left, rethinking possibly going back before looking back at the other man giving him an imploring look. "Nobody has to die tonight!"


Valheru heard the call like a distant ripple through his brain, coming through a fog of red. These humans! He would show them what happened when you dared to stand up to their Lords and Masters! As the one with the chainsaw was wounded, Val wanted to take the opportunity to disarm him, but the chainsaw was back, flinging him backwards a few feet. Bullets rained nearby and when Valheru became aware that he was a target he let out another deep roar, the sound shaking the buildings as he zoomed underneath the angle of fire and charged the RV. With a huge fist, he smashed it into the backside of the vehicle, a huge dent appearing in the side and causing the RV to swerve and rock violently, the front of it rapidly swinging towards the Gamatom. Then his other fist came out and smashed into the front, causing it to spin the other direction while also propelling the vehicle several feet away from him.


Back at the truck, Quin watched worriedly as the brethren jumped the fence and quickly clamored into the vehicle. Without hesitation, Quin had the thing quickly speeding away, Dey climbing into the front seat next to him, panting heavily.

"What was that?" Quin asked angrily. "There was gunfire. What the hell happened? And where--?" he glanced in the rearview to look at those in the bed of the pickup. "Where the fuck is Valheru?"

Catching his breath, Dey shook his head slightly. "Cade's got a bunch of humans protecting him. With guns and other weapons. I didn't know what he might have waiting upstairs so I took them out." He paused for a moment, watching out the front window as they sped through the city heading home. "Valheru didn't heed my call. He's probably dead." There was just the slightest hint of remorse in his words as he gave Quin a grim look.

The leader nodded slowly, gritting his teeth. "Looks like Cade intends to completely betray us for his new human friends." Wasn't it bad enough that he'd fucked a woman? Now he was turning his back on his own kin. "We'll go back to the nest and come up with a plan for this new development." Why was Cade doing this to him?

Cade didn't relax as the human responded to what he said, moving back the way he'd come allowing Cade to follow him. On the first landing, hearing yet another roar coming from outside, he didn't hesitate and swiftly bolted past the man, flying down the rest of the stairs, following the sound of gunfire.

Valheru moved to make another swipe at the vehicle but that annoying pest on top of it was firing at him again and he dodged swiftly to the right, dipping below the RV and up against it. He had to shake the human down on to the ground and get that gun away from him somehow! The human up top was moving fast and Valheru's large bulk wasn't hidden very well by the vehicle's bulk. So, without pausing a moment longer, he shoved his side against it, tipping the RV until it fell over on it's side.

That's when a familiar scent came to his nostrils and he turned just as Cade came into view. The first thing Cade saw was Valheru in the middle of the open area, but quickly his eyes fell to the black man with the chainsaw and he held up his hand in another defensive gesture while backing away from him a step.

"Cade!" Valheru roared, his voice warped by the guttural tone that possessed him when night fell like he had a large tiget in his throat talking for him. "Where's the bitch!?" he demanded, standing tall and keeping a peripheral eye out for the man who'd been shooting at him. He wasn't shooting now, but Valheru didn't know where he was.

Turning to the sound of his name, Cade frowned when Val mentioned Ishu - who else could he mean? - and clenched his fists at his side. "Get out of here, Valheru!" There was no longer the scent of the other brethren nearby but they'd left behind their faint signatures. Yes. It had been all of them coming for him. "The others are gone! Fall back before you get yourself killed!"

Valheru's eyes widened a little and he glanced around the court, finally noticing where the other man had fallen. He was right. He hadn't obeyed orders and he was in here alone. At least he had Cade. "Alright, let's go!" he growled, starting to back towards the gate, waving a thick arm for Cade to follow him. He stopped again when Cade didn't move.

Glancing again at the man with the chainsaw, he sighed and jogged towards the large Gamatom. "I'm not going back, alright? Just go." Both men with the guns had come back into view by now and he felt pressured to make him leave. "You're going to die."

Something guarded passed before Valheru's eyes as he looked down at the lean Gamatom whom he'd once considered a friend. In full night within a human gated homestead surrounded by people with guns and Cade was basically letting him know he was being targeted alone. That said everything didn't it? The large Gamatom kept that grim look on his face as he backed away a few steps before finally turning and running back for the gate.

Swallowing thickly and when he was sure Val was gone, Cade turned back to regard the humans - the rest of the "pack" that accompanied the weapon-toting cunt.

Cade wasn't really sure what else to do or what to say. He could have attempted to dodge the bullet that would have been fired into his brain but...it was really close-range. Gamatoms were fast - especially at night - but not THAT fast. So, he froze, not wanting to make any movements that might be considered threatening, until the woman from upstairs came into sight. Then he was turning his head to give her a strange look.

Was...was she issuing orders? To these men? Wait-wait-wait! Back up! Surveying the current situation, it seemed like something he was familiar with - the human women were ushered indoors where they would be safe while the human men stood guard outside to protect them. The only perceivable difference he'd been aware of was the fact that one of the women carried a gun herself and it wasn't too much of a leap to assume why. If the women at the orchard could have used guns as well, he was sure they would have.

But...the man whom he'd met on the stairs - Gabriel is how she addressed him - seemed like even though Cade had helped turn the last attacking Gamatom away, that he still had a problem with Cade being here and fully intended to "correct" the issue. But just a few orders from the woman and..he was obeying her. How fucking bizarre was that???

A little surprised and disturbed by such circumstances - relieved and thankful of course - Cade relaxed a little under the heated glare from the other. Thin ice. Got it. That meant no more attacking people because he was extremely jealous. As the others turned to follow their odd woman leader - what the hell did you call that? Alpha female??? - Cade turned to Gabriel feeling more comfortable addressing HIM as the leader of their group instead. It wasn't his fault. There was just no way in fucking hell he was going to ever consider the woman to be in a position of authority.

"You should know that there's another pack in the southern part of the city," he said, looking at Gabriel and ignoring the woman who issued orders. "9 brethren. When they come back - and they most certainly will; this kind of opposition cannot be tolerated - they will bring a larger group."

The other one...the...er, Michelle! Michelle, that was her name. She'd said they'd been cleaning up several different areas, hadn't she? "I'm sure you guys could handle it...but I'm willing to help any way I can."

There she was issuing orders again, and Cade imperceptibly tensed as he watched the two humans interact, frowning as Gabriel started to argue but eventually stepped down submissively. Well, so much for finding a dominant male within their group. Reluctantly, he looked at her sideways, attempting not to sneer rudely. Haijime said something about not making her cranky, hadn't he?

But then he was literally forced to look straight at her when she mentioned THAT! What!? Gabriel was--! That's right! Ishu had told him she had two brothers! Everything about Cade suddenly flared with a heated rage as he looked after the way Gabriel had gone - back up to the apartment...to see Ishu... He wanted to chase after the fucker and put himself firmly between the two siblings, but now he was remembering something else. Haijime had seemed not only surprised at the implication of a relationship with his sister - both times Cade accused him - but he'd seemed horrified by it as well.

Maybe it really was different for them... Besides, humans were soft and caring. In her current condition, Ishu wouldn't be ready for sex and if he cared about her at all, Gabriel would likely not attempt to take her. She'd be okay. She'd been untouched by them before and she would remain so. He needed to stop getting jealous over nothing. He was...part of their human pack now. Things were different and he had to remember that.

Even so, as he followed Eve, taking her advice not to get involved with the siblings right now, he scowled to himself about the situation and stifled the urge to get involved anyway. He wasn't obeying HER just because she said something to him about it. For one thing, it was a reasonable suggestion and he agreed with her. For another, if he saw them together...Cade wasn't sure he could help himself from causing a confrontation like he had with Haijime earlier. The guy had a gun - both brothers did, NOW, actually - and it was not a smart idea to let the beast nature within him do the decision making.

Standing just a few feet away from the other three, he looked at the black man sitting on the ground and cocked an eyebrow at his wound. A gun shot wound. "You shot your own?" he asked with a confused twist to his lips. He thought humans cared more for each other than that. They were in the same pack so why would one of them become a target for the other. And now the man seemed to be trying to help his fellow - it was not something Cade understood.

Shaking his head a little, he looked at the woman and jerked his head slightly at her. "Bitch," he refused to call her by name and it seemed a reasonable thing to call her instead to get her attention. It was better than "cunt" or "whore" which he knew were specific insults. "These men follow you as leader? That's not something I've ever seen before among the humans. Is there a reason for it?" Did she dominate them sexually...? That didn't seem physically possible... Maybe it was something else. "You have removed their balls, is that it?" Seemed more plausible although not much. How she could have physically bested them enough to make them afraid of her did not make sense either.

"JD doesn't pay attention when he fires. It's the downside to an automatic that spits out a hundred bullets a second." She looked over to Cade as she explained, "He was probably following the Gamatoms with his fire and Isaiah was in the line already." She looked back at the two and watched as Isaiah tried to grab JD and pull him off of his back. He didn't like when JD tried to fix his mistakes- especially when they were on Isaiah's own body.

When Cade called her a bitch, she tensed but calmed. No one had called her that and meant it in a while. She looked back at him again and listened as he spoke. "Yes..." When he asked if she had removed their balls, she couldn't help but smile at the prospect. "Metaphorically, yes, but no. They still have their sacks." She crossed her arms and put her weight onto her feet, "Gabriel and I both lead. It's... complicated. I do most of the work and we sort of take turns. Most of the time everyone turns to me for the answer. It's because I'm the best."

Looking over at JD and Isaiah, she began the breakdown, "JD has some medical know-how so he is the medic. He also has two arms so he can hold and point with a gun. His aim is shit. Isaiah has the brawn and he's good with cars. He also has this trick... Michelle is our hacker. She's keeps us in tune with the real world. She also gets maps and heat tracing- that's how we know when your kind is on the move and how many there are."

She looked over at the complex and continued, "Gabriel got the team together. He's also good with mechanics and he has guts. A lot of guts." She looked over at Cade. "So, who're you?"

Ah, an accident. That made more sense than it being intentional. Cade had yet to see these people fire anything, but from the overall attitude, he'd gotten the impression that they were professionals. Seemed they could make mistakes too. Wasn't any more of a comforting thought than the other assumption had been - would he rather be an unintentional target or have them fire at him on purpose? - but still...

It was also a relief to know that the men in her pack hadn't been physically mutilated but the fact that she was a woman and they followed her still didn't make sense to him. He supposed it was something specific about the humans and their culture. Her explanation of how she shared the authority with Gabriel was something he DID understand. It was a bit like how Quin and Dey worked, the elder brother leading most of the time with the younger brother working in concert.

Hmm...the two brothers were lovers. Did that mean that...? He didn't want to ask. The idea of the woman having sex with anyone did not appeal to him to think about and he wasn't interested in knowing the details further than that. He'd assume they were until it was proven otherwise.

When she began to give him an analysis of the different members of their pack he listened attentively, making note of the different attributes given to each and fitting it with what he'd seen so far. Then she'd turned to him and asked him that and...he didn't know how to answer.

Not in relation to everybody else's resumes in relation to the group as a whole. He'd officially gone rogue from his gang. That was it. He didn't like being put on the spot by her and bristled slightly giving her a defensive frown. "I'm Haijime's friend and Ishu's mate. I recently defected from my pack a few days ago..." Should he tell her straight up that he knew the others were after him and Ishu? Would they think it easier to throw him out to save themselves? Probably best if he didn't test that theory.

Cade knew what she was thinking as soon as she asked the following questions and once again, the gravity of everything fell upon him. And the oddest thing was, he felt the need to explain to her, to defend his position as if she were judging him.

"Yes, we're lovers," he said with a nod, pausing to think a moment. "She's...different from the rest of you." Other women, he meant. "She makes me feel different since I've been with her." THAT was for sure. Despite the fullness of night around them and the heart beat of this woman before him pounding in his head, the urge to hurt her was quiet for the moment. He still didn't like her very much and didn't respect her, but it wasn't like he was battling his own will to keep himself from tearing into her. Maybe the bloodlust was finally leaving? Maybe...

It was too early to really let his guard down in regards with it. Glancing at the apartment building, he reached out within himself for the sound of Ishu's heart, a warmth filling him when he caught hold of her gentle pulse echoing in his head. "I should be with her... She seemed really scared before I left... " she might not even be aware that he hadn't been caught in the gunfire. "Do you think it'd be alright for me to go up there now?" NOT that he was asking her permission! Just... he didn't want to get another gun pointed in his face tonight and was willing to step lightly around the brother if it meant he still got to be with her. Still after all this time, the slight ripple of scorn couldn't be shaken from his voice, so really, he was asking in a terse and sardonic tone anyway; it definitely wouldn't be misconstrued as respect or anything akin to it.

He tried not to see her advice to keep that information secret as an order, but it was difficult and a glare touched his features briefly before he fully turned away and headed back up to the apartment building. Walking through the door, his eyes widened briefly to see the two brothers together, feeling the tension in the room and tried not to add his own anxiety and awkwardness to it.

"I just...want to check on her..." he murmured as an explanation and moved past them to the bedroom doorway. Standing there looking at her lying in the bed, a weariness descended upon his shoulders. God... it'd been such a fucking long day. Everything...like an emotional rollercoaster. Even the hour or so he'd spent with her, giving her a bath and laying with her alone seemed like such an unfairly small moment compared to the rest of it. Never another moment to relax or let his guard down, the tension and pressure building in his shoulders until it collapsed upon him, right here and right now.

Leaving the doorway, Cade drifted to her side, shoulders slumped with fatigue as he reached out and caressed her, a soft smile coming to his lips as he looked at her.