Crosshairs (closed)

Elise smiled at James's comments. He wasn't wrong. It had been, undoubtedly, the best sex. A myriad of factors had contributed to constant fireworks that had been exploding between them all night. The most obvious was their bond, of course. That had made for the most intense feelings Elise had ever experienced. Their own sensations had maximized each others', so it had been a constant trading of euphoria. The attraction and feelings they felt for each other, wolves aside, had also been a factor. Throw in the supernatural nature of their beings and they probably could have set world records.


"You'll have to let me know how that insurance claim goes," she said softly. "I'm sure that's not a call the adjusters get every day."


Feeling him move, Elise reluctantly untangled herself from James's body. As he brought her to a sit with him, she groaned quietly. Sitting up was unwelcome. Her wolf, tired and satisfied, wanted nothing more than to lay and revel in the feelings that her mate had given her. Unfortunately Elise knew that was not possible. Even if the house didn't need cleaning, there were many other things to be done.


"I don't think Robert could invoke that strength," she said with a suggestive grin. "But maybe he'll at least be too uncomfortable to say anything about it."


Elise looked around, pushing her fingers through her blonde curls. She needed a shower, which meant she needed to get to her room. It would take some work to piece together enough of her clothes to make herself decent. She wasn't even sure where they all were anymore. Rather than waste time and effort doing this, the she wolf grabbed the sheet that was covering her and took it with her as she stood up from bed. She wrapped it around herself like some long, Grecian robe and looked at James from over her bare shoulder. Having robbed him of his cover, she took in the sight of him and her wolf growled happily.


"I'm going to take a much needed shower." She informed him. "I would tell you to join me, but tile isn't cheap to fix."


She gave him a wink and then made her way out of his room. She hastily and stealthily traveled down the hall and to her room, where a glorious shower awaited.

The Alpha was less than pleased as his she wolf rose from the bed. Watching her bare before wrapping herself made his wolf whine. While James was exhausted, his wolf was back up and ready for another day of...playing. As she sauntered out of his room, he watched with half-closed eyes, overall in a very content mood. Realizing he couldn't stay in bed all day, as much as they both may have wanted it, he forced himself up as well, in agreement with the need for a shower.


Some time later he emerged from his room, clean and dressed, with only a satisfied look on his face as evident for the night prior. As he headed to the stair case he was met by Anthony who was coming out of his own room. He looked at James briefly, a knowing smile spreading on his face as the two moved, now in step.


"Glad to see she left you in one piece, boss," Tony joked, nudging him in the side with his elbow. "When we came home to the desolate ruins of World War 3, we weren't sure if you'd made it out alive."


James was just about to open his mouth to defend that it hadn't been that bad as they began down the stairs. The splintered banter caught his attention and he shut his mouth quickly. Everything looked so much more intense now that it was light and the wine had faded out. The two came to a halt at the kitchen and he looked between Marcus and Tony.


"So...um..." he worked hard to change the topic to anything except the disaster their physical attraction had caused to the house, "How was the movie?"


Anthony coughed, looking up and pretending he was fixated on the ceiling. He was clearly signalling he was not going to be the one to break the news, if anyone was. Instead he avoided eye contact, as childish as it was.

Marcus had been downstairs, just finishing sweeping up the shambles of lamp on the floor. His mind was very purposely blank in this task. He really didn't want to imagine what precise position had resulted in the end of the poor lamp's life. He had managed to make it through the process and was now in the kitchen, emptying the broken pieces into the trash. He turned his head just as James was stopping in the doorway. The Brit held a small smile for the Alpha. He had the same knowing gaze as everyone else.


"Surely not as exciting as your evening," he answered in his usual calm manner. He very skillfully avoided details of the movie. "Really, J... even if Angel hadn't spilled the beans, you failed miserably at keeping your endeavors a secret."


He teased his Alpha with that easy good nature he seemed to hold most of the time. After he had finished disposing of the lamp, he walked over to James and placed the broom in one of his hands, and the dust pan in the other. With his hands now free, he patted the younger male on the shoulder.


"Hope you still have some energy left, lover boy. You have quite the mess to clean up."


He flashed James a toothy grin before turning back into the kitchen to make himself a much needed cup of coffee.

James offered a sheepish smile at Marcus and his comments, leaning against the door frame and glancing around. While the others may have viewed the setting as a disaster or be amazed, the Alpha stood, looking from the kitchen to the den with a sense of pride. Shrugging his shoulders, he set to straightening up the kitchen and the contents that had been tossed around in the midst of urgent passion.


"Is it safe to sit here?" Tony asked, picking up a stool that had tipped over and pointing at it. James rolled his eyes and nodded as the large man perched, slightly awkwardly, on the stool, watching him with a smirk plastered on his face.


"Everywhere's safe. I think..." James said, filling up the dish washer with what was used last night, he silently appreciated it for the first time, as the machine allowed him free to work on the remainder of the mess. Glancing at the counters and floors, he began filling a bucket with water and cleaner.


"The railing," he thought aloud, giving the opportunity to offer input, "How hard do you think that'll be to fix?"

"Probably not as easy as it was to break it," Marcus answered from the coffee pot.


"And not nearly as fun." Tony added with a grin.


Marcus had to admit, it was fun to having something other than their impending doom to talk about. Even if James was the brunt of the teasing, it was nice to not be talking strategy and the best way to kill a vampire. After the Keurig finished pouring his cup of java, the blonde Brit turned to face the others. He leaned against the counter behind him and brought the steaming cup to his lips. His first drink of black coffee was like an instant recharge to his battery. He grinned over the rim of the cup.


"So... when will we hear wedding bells and the happy cries of little pups?"


The Brit had gathered that the two had formed some intense bond. He had heard the talk of imprinting and, while he didn't know if he believed it himself, he couldn't deny that something incredible had happened between the Alpha and their fierce she wolf. It was very obvious to everyone else. Their bond was so strong it was nearly tangible. Marcus had heard Valentino's thoughts on the matter, too, and according to the other Alpha, the two would never be separated. Marcus had a feeling that last night's consummation only solidified that bond and sealed it with a quite literal kiss.

The unexpected question caused James to suddenly lose his grip on the bottle he was holding. Thankfully it toppled into the bucket instead of all over the floor. Hurriedly picking it up, he stuttered while trying to digest the words.


"W-w-wed...what?" He leaned up against the counter, bracing himself. His cheeks undeniably flushed as he thought over the seemingly ridiculous proposition. He had never thought of anything so deep or advanced as a relationship on that level, with Elise or anyone at all.


Did he think he was in any shape to be a stable provider for another? Absolutely not. Did he feel he could raise another life form when it took a lot of self control and effort to still raise himself, essentially? You've got to be kidding. He was a complete mess and he knew it, even if he could clean up well enough and pull the small pack together and through things. Having a family or a child was completely different. Wasn't it?


"I don't..." he began but paused to exhale, not wanting it to another case of him failing horribly to speak. "We haven't discussed anything and I don't know if we will. I mean I- wait, why am I even talking to you guys about this?"


He threw a dish towel at Marcus, just barely grazing his arm, his aim horribly off. James wouldn't say it aloud, but mulling it over, he also didn't think Elise would like the idea of 'settling down'. She was more of a kick ass, take names, and leave type than a nose-wiping, bedtime stories motherly type. He'd already told her that he didn't expect her to change and he meant it.

Marcus got the exact reaction he was expecting. He chuckled and took another satisfying sip of his coffee. Tony had to appreciate the fact that this was evening happening. He didn't think that anyone else would have had the gall to so casually ask James a question like that. He watched the exchange between the two with a smile on his face. Marcus simply watched the towel as it barely offended his arm. He shook his head a little from side to side and clicked his tongue at James.


"So what, you're just going to shag like rabbits for the rest of your lives and not expect anything else?" He took a step away from the counter. "You would be alright if she just got up one day and decided to settle down with someone else?"


The Brit watched James's reaction. He could sense his inner wolf bristling at the thought. No... of course not. Tony, who had been thinking this over, saw a point in what Marcus was saying. He mulled it over for a few moments, though. He wasn't quite sure if he should open his mouth or not. It would probably make things worse and make James feel like he was being cornered. Luckily, Marcus continued so Tony decided to keep quiet.


"What do you expect will happen, my friend? Generally when people are as enamored with each other as you two undoubtedly are, they wish to spend the rest of their lives that way." Marcus placed a hand on his younger friend's shoulder. "Just because we are wolves does not mean we have to deny ourselves those human pleasures. Love, marriage, children... we are deserving of those things, too. Now... clean this place up."


Marcus offered a smile before sliding his hand away from the Alpha's shoulder. With his coffee in hand, he moved out of the room so he could have the peace and quiet needed to make some phone calls. The Flaviani pack was set to move tomorrow morning, and he needed to make sure everything was in order. Tony was left to sit awkwardly in the kitchen, somehow feeling the weight of Marcus's words falling on his shoulders as they were James's.

The Brits initial comment about repeating their previous sexual experience brought a proud grin to the Alpha's face which promptly dropped into a thoughtful gaze as he went on. Would he want Elise with anyone else? Of course not. The very thought made him uneasy and, as the others undoubtedly sensed, his wolf agreed that it was unacceptable. Seeing her with anyone else would cause his insides to twist and turn, grinding painfully every time he thought of her - and he happened to think of her constantly.


Marcus disappearing left James in a temporary stupor, absorbed in the words of his elder and now also his own thoughts. The provocative statements of losing his mate to something other than death made his wolf pace nervously, as if demanding something were done immediately to stop this from happening. James leaned on the counter, gathering himself. He had never seen Marcus doing any of what he had just preached about...but maybe that made his words have even more of a meaning?


"I can't just bring up a subject like that, can I?" he asked, looking to Tony who shrugged his shoulders in response. "I mean really, in any situation, to jump from, " he gestured around to the remnants of their night prior, "To talk about picket fences and the whole nine yards the next morning...isn't that a bit abnormal? And could possibly seem psychotic?"


The older Kistler brother chuckled, rubbing his chin in thought. "I don't know what to tell you J, other than normality really isn't a thing around here."

Completely oblivious to the very not typical of men conversations happening downstairs, Elise completed her restorative process upstairs. After showering, changing, and doing the essentials when it came to hair and what not, she tidied up what she could on the upper level. This made her feel a little less guilty as well as helped her to avoid the others for a little while longer. Unfortunately, she couldn't stay up there forever. So, she soon made her way downstairs. She winced at the broken banister as she walked by it and promptly chuckled at the memory that had caused it. She descended the bottom step and fixed the couch when she walked by it. She threw a blanket over the arm of the sofa for... obvious reasons.


Unconsciously, she followed the scent and the tugging pull from her Alpha and found herself where he was. She arrived in the kitchen, wearing a pair of black leggings and a deep red sweater that came to about mid-thigh. Her long blonde curls were neat and flowing down her back, not at all the messy vision they had been this morning. Despite her sore and fatigued body, she had a glow about her and a warm energy radiating from inside. Even Tony could feel it. She was a fierce, glorious vision. Seeing the look on the big guy's face, she held up a hand.


"Yes, Anthony, yes.... I know. Sex jokes. All of them hilarious I'm sure." His smile fell and turned into a pout. "Maybe you and Robert can exchange jokes later when you're jerking each other off."


She gave him a smile and patted him on the shoulder before moving past him to make a cup of coffee of her own.

He did have a point, James would have to admit. Normality was not at all anyone's strong suit around here, least of all being the fact they would periodically run around on all fours barking. Even so, he still felt that it wouldn't be an appropriate question for any woman to be asked, let alone one as strongly independent as his she wolf. Sensing the approach of Elise, James climbed out of his unstable thoughts, eyes falling on her as she entered.


Sunlight trickling in through the windows seemed to know exactly where to fall, on her soft cheeks and weaving through her hair. His worry melted away to make way for the look of wonder that often decorated his face in her presence. She was just as captivating in moonlight or sunlight, and he found himself staring, unable to take in enough of her presence. His wolf bounced up and down gleefully, spinning in circles like a playful pup.


"Don't worry, I think I've absorbed the worst of it," he offered once he was able to will himself to speak. "And good morning." His gaze lingered on her, Tony catching it and biting his tongue as long as he could to avoid commenting.

Elise's rash attitude and behavior came in quite handy in the situation. She had swooped in like a superhero to rescue her mate from ridicule. When it came to the verbal game, Elise could play it better than anyone. She had a sharp tongue and even sharper wit, and it was all the others could do to keep up with her. Tony was able to recognize that this was her means of protecting her mate, which only made his attempts at biting his tongue that much more difficult. The great Alpha standing behind his growling, snapping she wolf. What a vision. Still, it was sweet in its own right. This was how Elise expressed her care and protectiveness.


"Good morning," Elise said with a smile in her voice. There were no comments needed to state just how good of a morning it was.


Coffee being brewed, she opened the fridge and rummaged inside for something to eat. Tony had to very pointedly not look at her backside as she was bent halfway into the fridge. He didn't think the Alpha would take too kindly to him staring at his mate's ass. Elise, famished, grabbed an entire plate of pre-cooked sausage and threw it all into the microwave. Her stomach growled at the smell of the meat. She closed the fridge and went to her coffee.


"I will help clean this disaster," she promised, "just as soon as I eat. Because I might start chewing on table legs if I don't."


"Okay... now you're just setting me up!" Tony exclaimed. "This is... not fair."

James followed her movements with his eyes, finding he was hungry himself, although it wasn't for sausage. Unlike Tony, he thoroughly enjoyed the view of her hunched over, summoning thoughts of similarities from the night prior. His eyes diverted as she began to move, although his thoughts stayed put. He temporarily busied himself with rearranging a canister that held a variety of cooking utensils until she spoke.


"It's fine, you can eat and rest," he shook his head, giving her a half smile. "I'm pretty sure I'm responsible for most of this, anyways. Besides, the worst I think is handled, or what can be for now." The banister would most likely be waiting until another date as he remembered he would need to be preparing fairly soon for the entourage of their fellow wolves.

Elise stood before the microwave, anxiously awaiting the timer to count down to zero. Her metabolism was screaming at her for a recharge. As soon as the timer hit zero, she opened the door before the machine could even ding. Coffee in one hand, she held the hot plate in the other and set it down on the counter. Closing the microwave door, she looked at James.


"You have Alpha duties to prepare for," she argued. "I'll handle it."


"Uck," Tony made a sickening sound. "I liked it way better when you hated him." He said, looking at Elise.


She rolled her eyes but said nothing. She busied herself with eating instead, and non-verbally scooting James out of the cleaning zone. She had bee serious about handling it so he could attend to other matters. She knew that it would be very important for him to make a good impression for the entire pack that was to be coming into his territory. He had to put his Alpha pants on, and she was pretty sure those pants didn't belong scrubbing down the kitchen.


Her wolf secretly delighted the thought of her mate having to co-manage so many other wolves. It was a sign of strength that the inner animal so craved in a mate. She wouldn't have accepted anything less.

James briefly considered continuing the argument with her, before accepting that it would most likely end up being more draining than the previous nights activities. Nodding, he looked to the doorway to leave before back to Elise hunched over devouring her sausages. As much as he had gathered she wasn't a fan of displaying affection privately, he couldn't help but feel the tugging toward her, missing the close proximity to her. His drifted down her face, pausing on her lips.


"Oh for fucks' sake, just kiss her already," Tony grumbled from the chair. While he couldn't read his Alphas thought, it was too painfully obvious what was going on in his head.


James grinned at the encouragement, moving to stand beside Elise. Reaching down he lifted her chin up, opening her face to his. Leaning his head down, he paused, a minuscule distances separating them. His eyes gazed into hers for a moment before he winked, pulling his head back and biting off a chunk of the sausage he had weaseled while her focus was on him.


"Let me know if you change your mind and want help," he said with the shrug of his shoulders, a mischievous grin plastered on his face while he chewed away, disappearing out of the kitchen.

Hearing Tony's words, Elise looked up to see the expression that James wore. She felt herself grow warm and her cheeks flush ever so slightly. She could feel his want for proximity, and she wanted it too. When he did come over to her, playing his cruel game just to score himself a piece of food, she looked at him slacked jawed and feigning offense.


"You're a no good crook, James Cooper." She told him as he was walking away. "I'll remember this!"


She huffed and shook her head. Left alone with Tony, she looked at him to notice the expression he wore. This was all just so amusing to him. She would have thrown a piece of sausage at him if she didn't think it was a waste of good food. Instead, she tossed him a look.


"Say anything and I'll make you help me clean. Oh, and that stool?" She nodded to the seat he was in "Totally not safe."


She winked at him. It was, of course, safe, but he didn't need to know that she was just being an ass. Instead, she smiled and poked the last few pieces of meat onto her fork. She finished it up before taking her plate to the sink and allowing it to soak while the loaded dishwasher ran quietly. As promised, she straightened up what was left of the mess they had left behind the previous night. Every act of cleaning brought back the memory of what had messed an area up in the first place. She felt a pleasurable ache in her core at the thoughts.


The day was allowed to wane on without much excitement. While the majority of the Flaviani's were packing up and ready to head out, a couple of them were already in town. Thankfully, Victor had gone back to make the move with the rest while Valentino and a couple of the others had come ahead to make sure everything was in order. No one seemed to know about the exchange that had taken place between Elise and the other Alpha's brother. It was perhaps for the best for now. They didn't need any unneeded tensions going into things in a couple of days. There was already enough anxious energy as everyone grew restless for the inevitable fight.


With Robert doing perimeter scouts more frequently, Elise had satiated her urge for training with his larger brother while Angel had undergone some lessons from the very skilled Marcus. He had come to be a better teacher for her. His style was more appropriate for her build. Things like his submission maneuvers he had exhibited at the movie theater the night before were easier for the young girl to do rather than try to ignore the clear size difference she would face against most opponents. The pack, albeit small in number, had grown in strength considerably over the past few weeks. There was no doubt that they would bring a hell of a fight to the table.

Signalling for the fighting to stop, Angel bent over catching her breath. While she never would have expected it, Marcus was without a doubt the one pushing her the most while training. He was relentless and expected her to be the same. Each fight was followed by detailed instructions on what she needed to change and demonstrations. Thankfully, she was a sponge to his knowledge, eagerly absorbing any information he tossed to her. Now, however she needed a break. The sparring lessons had gone on for a considerable time and she was feeling her seemingly endless energy hit a level of nearly empty.


"Alright, I have an idea," she offered, straightening up and looking at Marcus seriously. "Instead of us forming a wolf army to attack, let's just send James and Elise in. They can have a date night in the building next door and bam, Clay and his hideout will be destroyed."

The four of them had been occupying the same sparring space in the basement, which was probably quite dangerous in itself but it seemed like a good idea for Angel to see many different things at once. The four wolf auras had formed a strong bubble that could be felt everywhere else in the house. They also helped to create a comfort zone for the wolves that were down there training, putting them in a sort of zone surrounded by others. While Marcus had allowed Angel to catch her breath, Elise and Tony decided to take a breather, too.


"Hey!" Elise threw a sweaty towel at Angel. "I'm right here."


But the younger female would be able to feel that there was no anger in Elise's words or actions, despite the glare she was feigning. Marcus chuckled as he took a drink of water before handing the bottle to Angel. The young girl was absorbing his lessons rather well. They challenged her mind just as much as her body, and he found that was better for her and her ADD-like energy.


"Clay is rather particular about his big, fancy things." Marcus thought aloud. "It would cause quite a blow to break down a few doors."


"Oh, God... not you too." Elise huffed at Marcus before looking at Tony. "I suddenly find myself ready to start punching you again. Let's go."


She took a fighting stance and jumped right back into it with the exasperated brute. Marcus watched them for a moment before turning his attention back to Angel. She had received training from the brothers, James, Elise, and now him. This was good. She was learning many different fighting styles and finding which ones were more appropriate for her mind and body.

Creasing out final details left James occupied later into the night than normal, something he had anticipated but not looked forward to. As formalities finished, he went in search of his pack, leaving Valentino and his wolves to settle in for the night. He found them with ease by the grunts and and thuds of their fighting, but also the warm aura that pulled him in. Robert, just returning from the perimeter run, followed after him into the basements.


He watched them with prideful eyes, leaning against the door frame. While they were small in numbers, he knew they had better fighters than a lot of the Flaviani clan, something he fought the urge to boast about. The young Alpha was proud of them, as individuals and a group. They were stronger than he could hope. As much as he had tried not to be, he was becoming hopeful for their impeding battle.

The wolves, feeling the presence of their Alpha, came to a collective stop after they had noticed he was watching them. Elise used the back of her hand to wipe sweat from her brow. She wished she hadn't thrown that towel at Elise. Perspiration had dripped down the front of her chest and made for some discomfort between her breasts. She grabbed her sports bra and shifted it to try and ease some of the problem area. Robert, not as keen as holding his tongue at his brother, said something.


"Sorry I missed the show," he said at Elise. She shot him a look. "Hey, you don't get to do that,' he nodded toward her hand placement, "and expect me not to say anything."


"You're lucky your brother is a better training partner than you," she teased him back. "Otherwise I might not be too tired to beat your ass."


Marcus, appearing calm despite his body's reaction to the training, kept his eyes on James. The eldest of the pack kept his mind as sharp as his body, and he was able to sense the hopeful pride beaming from the young Alpha. Despite what James may have thought, this was a good thing. He needed to be confident in his pack, otherwise he would spend too much time worrying about them and lose focus.


"I trust everything is going well?" Marcus asked, hands on his hips in an attempt to allow his lungs to breathe. "I sense Valentino and a few others will be staying for the evening. That Gabe of his... I fear he may talk more than Angel."


Among the small group, had been the talkative and energetic though friendly Gabriel, who Valentino had seemed reluctant to bring with him. It was better than sticking him in a metal crate with the rest of the pack though, so it had been decided he would come ahead. Everyone had collectively agreed that he could give Angel a run for her money when it came to words per minute.

James nodded to Marcus, choosing to let Elise's sharp tongue defend herself as it did so well. The wolf he mentioned had just been sent upstairs (after a twenty minute long one sided conversation with Valentino) and he agreed with the others that he was..interesting. Unlike the Flavianis who seemed tired of his unceasing rambling though, the young Alpha accepted it, perhaps adapted from a life now with Angel.


"Maybe, but he means well," he stated with a shrug. Angel had perked up at the sound of her name looking around.


"Who?" she asked, slightly confused. Deliberately, James had kept her separate from Gabe after meeting him, for the simple sake of everyone's sanity. That and he wasn't sure how well she would be around other wolves in general, especially after Elise's encounter of her standing up to Victor so brashly. He didn't want to cause a ripple in what were currently calm waters.


"Don't worry about it, little wolf," Anthony nudged her with a grin, "They're just saying someone is gonna take your chatterbox title away from you."


The small wolf scoffed, rolling her eyes and nudging him back. "Hmpf, challenge accepted." James chuckled, shaking his head. Never a dull moment in his house of wolves.

At James's insistence that Gabe meant well, Marcus chuckled to himself. He remembered a conversation he'd had with Nathaniel, before everything that'd happened. He said that Gabe had spent an entire day taking the teeth off of a bear trap so he could set it in Samuel's room and have the other wolf step on it-- not getting hurt, but having the living daylights scared out of him. Samuel had spent the entire night trying to catch the small male in an attempt to beat the shit out of him. They called him Loki for a reason.


"I do not recommend engaging," Marcus told Angel. "For all of our sake."


"So, when will they be here?" Elise spoke up, the one being serious for a change.


Her eyes were on her mate. While the usual fire she held for him still burned calmly in the background, her gaze was filled with drive and passion for the upcoming fight at the moment. She was ready. They all were. James could very clearly see that as he surveyed them earlier. His she wolf, perhaps more than the others, had that intense ferocity in her lavender hues. She felt empowered, in sound body but also in sound mind... something she hadn't bee able to achieve for some time. She was eager to harness this controlled power and use it to her advantage.

Angel waved Marcus' comment away with her hand, interested in someone on her level for once. It would be quite the change to have a conversation where another person participated. She looked forward to meeting this Gabe. Crossing her small arms over her chest, she fought the urge to disappear and shower, knowing that she must stay and listen, like a pup trained to pay attention, hard as it may be.


"Valentino and the few others are upstairs already," he answered his anxious she wolf, feeding off of her anticipation more than the others. "The remainder will be arriving tomorrow around 10 AM. They are waiting for the cover of sun before leaving, just as a precautionary measure."


Discussions had been heated still when discussing the transportation and several Flaviani members expressed their disinterest of a repeat of the last time their clan worked to travel with James'. A morning departure would place them at the manor safely prior to noon, giving the entourage plenty of time to assemble and attack while light kept them confined to the building.

Sensing Angel's restlessness, Elise sat down on the floor and pulled the girl to a sit next to her. The blonde sat with her knees slightly bent, feet flat on the floor in front of her. She wrapped her arms around her legs and listened as James and Marcus discussed facts and strategy. Her mind whirred. This was all happening faster than she had thought it would. She was glad about it, but there was a small part of her that harbored a fraction of fear. They had talked over their strategies time and time again. She needed to trust in that, but there was still some anxiety about it all.


The she wolf had come to value each of her pack members. Their lives were important to her, and she cared for them deeply, despite her attempts not to. The protective nature of both her and her wolf wanted to see them safe. They were her family now, and she knew she couldn't lose them in trying to avenge her family that she had lost. It was a delicate balancing act that she would be doing, and at times she was intimidated by it. She had to trust that she would be able to do it. Over the past couple of weeks, she had gotten a very good handle on her wolf. She had to believe that she would be able to control it when the time came.


"We need to hope that Clay will be in the building, but we also need to anticipate that he might not be," Marcus was saying. "In that event, we take out as many as his heavy hitters as we can. I don't care how old he is, he won't be a match for us without his army."


"Right... but ideally we want to cut off the serpent's head." Robert said from where he stood near James.


"Ideally, yes..." Marcus agreed with a nod. "But we will have enough numbers on our side with the Flaviani's help that we'll be able to put a sizable dent in Clay's forces. We cannot abandon that goal just because we can't find him. Not everything has to be done at once."


"Yes it does," Elise said firmly. Everyone looked at her, thinking she was about to go into one of her revenge rants. Much to their surprise, he had something more logical to say. "We won't get this opportunity again. It's not like we can leave and come back the next day. The only thing we have on our side right now is the element of surprise. Once that is gone, it will be a hell of a lot harder of a fight."


Releasing one arm from around her legs, Elise pushed her fingers through her hair which she had taken out of its ponytail. She took a moment to think, to recollect her thoughts, then continued.


"In the off chance that Clay's not there, we have to do everything we can to make sure he doesn't have the numbers to retaliate come nightfall."


It had been decided that each group, though entering at separate locations and going through separate areas of the building, would have ultimate goal of find Clay and kill him, and kill any vampire they encountered on their way. The lesser blood suckers, newly turned fledglings, should not be pursued if they ran. It would do the wolves no good to waste time on them, because after all was said and done they would likely scatter anyway. It was the older, more experienced leeches that held greater loyalty to Clay and would come back like cockroaches if given the chance.

Angel dutifully took up a cross-legged seat next to the other female, eyes flickering to the others as they spoke. While she had been eagerly listening to the information and strategies she had been taught this far, she had never done anything even remotely similar to their attack in her life. Her most planned thoughts were limited to the most beneficial route when planning and executing a shopping spree. This was basically the same concept, she had concluded, just with heartless vampires, a slightly raised chance at death, and no shoes.


As the discussion continued, James nodded at the general consensus. They would be focused on causing as much damage as they could, shattering the foundation of Clay's empire and hopefully, Clay himself. While they had no reason to believe he wouldn't be present, they were braced for all possibilities. The potential counter-attack that could follow had been brought up briefly in previous discussions, and it bristled his wolfs fur to think of any of the vampires entering his territory. He had decided this was beyond revenge, but instead aimed to prevent future deaths of any of his pack or their new allies.


"Alright," he finally spoke, straightening up and nodding to the stair case. "Enough planning for tonight. You're all starting to smell and we need to rest up. Tomorrow's gonna be one hell of a day."


Angel scowled at the comment of smelling, about to retort when she realized he was right. They were all doused in hours of sweat and it was adding up.

The sparring quartet hadn't seemed to notice their growing scents because they had been used to each other by now. It wasn't until James had brought it to their attention that they realized it was indeed time to take showers. While there were multiple bathrooms, the water heater could only take so much as a time. Given this face, Tony was the first to hop up and yell dibs like a child before rushing upstairs. Elise shook her head and then turned her gaze to Angel.


"Go ahead," she nudged the younger female with her elbow. "No using up all the water."


She offered Angel a smile in an attempt to ease some of the more serious thoughts that were undoubtedly rattling around in the young woman's head. She gave Angel's shoulder a gentle squeeze, emanating that big sisterly bond that had been present since yesterday. Thought movement took over the others, Elise stayed put. Her body felt like lead due to last night's acrobats combined with tonight's training session. She sat on the mat and released a heavy breath.


"If anyone wants to dump a tub of hot water on me, feel free." She was greeted by silence. "No? No takers? Hmph..."


The she wolf fell back onto her back on the mat, arms out at her sides and hair spread beneath her head. She stared up at the basement ceiling and listened to the sound of her own pulse beating in her ears. Even at this distance, she could feel James's rhythm matching her own, and it brought her peace. Turning her head, she looked to see her Alpha, whom she knew was still present. She gave him a smile.


"So this is it, huh?"