Fantasy Compliments and Conundrums : Private for Tarmagon and readysetstalk

[Tarmagon]

Ryan's mind went white with fear as the shape leapt into the RV. The limp form that was Sarah slowed his movements, and he was a heartbeat from abandoning the young woman, but he knew that neither he or Grace would ever forgive... Something resonated along the Bond he shared with Grace. Recognition, followed by a fierce determination slammed into Ryan like a freight train. Grace was, confronting whatever had entered the RV, and while she was nervous, she was also determined to help.

"Hey, hey.. Kathy? Kathy, it's okay... You're gonna be okay," Grace's voice said from inside the RV, followed by a growl that was full of pain and confusion. Grace spoke again, and Ryan recognized the timbre of her voice, even as he felt an odd tugging on their Bond, It was like... Grace was...

"Kathy, stop. Calm down. You. Are. Safe."

The Command voice rang out clearly from the interior of the RV, the force of the command pulling Sarah's attention from the horrors still attempting to claw their way towards her and Ryan. Ryan set Sarah down, and she immediately scrambled into the RV as Ryan dropped the clip from his pistol, pocketing the empty as he slammed a new one home. Shots rang out, this time targeted at shoulders and elbows. The horrors crawling towards the RV couldn't do anything but twitch in futile rage by the time Ryan's slide locked back empty. Reloading, Ryan headed up into the RV, nearly colliding with Sarah as she stood at the top of the stairs, staring at a blanket covered Kathy being rocked gently by Grace. He could also feel, another Pack Bond? Yes, Kathy was Pack, and there was only one way that could have happened. Grace had unknowingly made the connection when she had used Command voice on Kathy, and in her need, Kathy had reached out, to an Alpha. He wasn't Alpha alone. They were Alpha together, the Bond making the impossible, possible.

Ryan felt an immense swell of pride in his Mate as she comforted their newest Pack member, but there was no time.

"Sarah, Kathy," he said, his voice firm but compassionate. "Did either of you see anyone else on your way here?"

"N-n-no," Sarah stammered as Kathy shook her head mutely, and Ryan made a decision. They couldn't continue to put themselves at risk with injured companions.

"Grace?" he asked quietly as he reached down, helping both Kathy and Grace to their feet, noting Kathy's nudity in passing. "Could you take our Packmates into the back please? The two drawers on the right of the bed have my sweats and t-shirts in them. If you'd help them into something a bit more suitable than a hospital gown and a blanket, I'll get us moving towards the Cascades. Marissa can give me directions if I get turned around. When everyone's dressed, the bottom of the pantry has several large bags of jerky. I think Sarah and Kathy both need to eat, and soon. That should hold them until we can get back to the Cascades and find them something more substantial. And... I'm so proud of you love, that I could just burst."

Ryan moved up, taking the shotgun Grace had set aside with him as he settled himself into the drivers seat. Maneuvering carefully, he began to head out of town, hoping that their little sanctuary was still intact.

readysetstalk (Grace is as much Alpha as Ryan.(

 

[readysetstalk]

Gracelynn and Kathy both rose, though Kathy was still leaning into Grace once they were on their feet. Gracelynn made no hesitation in taing up the extra weight, keeping her arm tight around her waist. Her eyes looked over Sarah, who seemed to be pretty well off physically. Of course, mentally, everyone was going to be a little off. Right now, Gracelynn and Ryan seem to be the only ones keeping their bearings. Granted, they didn't see half of what these others had. Sarah was in the midst of it, running around. Kathy was at least able to transform into wolf and take off that way. Sarah probably didn't have a clue how to do that. She was still so fresh.

"Yes, of course," she spoke, her eyes locking with Ryan's. She could feel his sense of pride in her through the bond, and it drew a very small smile to her lips. Before he could walk towards the front, she grabbed his hand and pulled him down for a quick kiss. "Be careful," she spoke, her hand giving his a gentle squeeze. Their little exchange was quick. There were a lot of things demanding their attention. Ryan had the RV, and every obstacle that stood in their way back to The Cascades. She, on the other hand, had two rather naked women who were both injured and scared.

Gracelynn ushered the ladies to the back, sitting them both on the bed. She began rummaging through his drawers, pulling out an outfit for each of them. It was just sweats and t-shirts, but it was better than what they were currently in. She handed Sarah the clothing, and then worked to help Kathy get dressed. Kathy was still shaking, but Gracelynn worked to calm her. She spoke as she got her dressed, her touch tender and caring. In any other world, Gracelynn was the one who often needed taken care of. Things had been reversed. It was odd to Grace, but she was also welcoming it with ease.

Once the girls were dressed, she headed back out to the pantry area and dug around for the bags of jerky. She pulled them open, grabbed bottles of water, and then returned them back to the ladies in the back. Kathy was hesitant, but took the bag of jerky and the water. Sarah was more welcoming to the food. Hospital food was far from good.

"Is there anything else you guys need?" Grace asked, gathering up the hospital gown for the trash.

Kathy and Sarah both shook their heads, slumping down a little into the bed. Both of them were exhausted, and rightfully so.

"Alright.. I'm gonna go check on them.. You guys just rest back here." Grace offered a small smile before walking back out towards the front. She tossed the gown into the trash along her way before she positioned herself next to Ryan, though slightly behind. She leaned against the seat, her eyes peering out the large windows at the carnage before them.

"Talk about depressing," she sighed, her hand resting on his shoulder.

Tarmagon ((What a change that'll be for her. )

 

[Tarmagon]

Ryan allowed Grace to pull him down for a quick kiss before she headed into the back of the RV with Kathy and Sarah, smiling slightly as he settled into the driver's seat and began to slowly maneuver the RV through the ruined town. Marissa was writing strange symbols onto the dash in front of the passenger seat with what looked like a tube of lipstick. Ryan wanted to protest, but he knew better than to interrupt a witch while she was working. After a minute, Marissa capped the lipstick then held her hands out over the odd marks, which flared up with blue light, then vanished.

"There," she said tiredly, glancing at Ryan, "That should keep the zombies from noticing that there are living beings inside the RV. It won't do shit for someone looking in through the windows that isn't a zombie, but it's all I've got the energy for right now. Maybe later I can improve on it. Right now, I'm going to pass out."

With those words, Marissa's eyes rolled back in her head and she slumped forward, held in place by the seatbelt as her body sagged. Ryan would have been worried, but he could hear her breathing and heartbeat. Both were steady and strong. She had just passed out from exhausting herself magically. She'd recover. He could hear Grace talking to Sarah and Kathy, then the sounds of rummaging, tearing plastic and then soft footsteps approached. He was aware of Grace even before she touched his shoulder.

"Talk about depressing," she sighed.

"I know love," Ryan said softly. "Marissa's out. She exhausted herself casting something on the RV to make the zombies ignore it. I'm worried about Kathy. Those wounds should have healed by now, but I can still feel them. Something's interfering with her ability to heal, probably the same thing that kept Sarah from transforming. The fear we felt from her should have triggered an involuntary transformation, but she was running down the street in human form. Something is not right here. Which way?"

Grace pointed left, and Ryan swung the RV easily through the turn, then had to immediately swerve to avoid a pile of flaming debris.

"Woof!" he exclaimed. "Too close. I want to just put the town in our rear-view mirror, but I don't think that whomever did this would let us get away that easily. That's why I decided to head back to the Cascades. That should give us a place to let everyone recover a bit and then make a decision about what to do next. Unless you've got another idea about where we could hole up? You've lived here all your life, and I'm not afraid to admit ignorance."

readysetstalk (Ryan is open to ideas.)

 

[readysetstalk]

Grace's eyes shifted to Marissa, who was now slumped over in her seat. A small frown appeared on her lips, though she knew that she was just fine. It was obvious that Marissa was doing all she could to keep them safe. Now, it was her and Ryan's turn to make sure that they arrived to The Cascades all in one piece. So far, so good. Thankfully, Marissa's charm was working and they were driving through town relatively easily--aside from the occasional pile of debris.

Her fingers moved slightly, moving towards the back of his neck where they toyed with his hair idly. It was more of a calming thing for herself--something to keep her hands busy while everything else was going downhill into chaos. Her eyes shifted back to the road ahead, navigating Ryan as needed.

"I think The Cascades is probably our best bet, honestly. They have plenty of food, water, and a generator. I don't think any other place here in town is going to be set up that well. The Cascades has plenty of generators because they have to prepare for winter season, where the power goes out a little too often." Gracelynn trailed off, seeming to lose herself in thought just in case somewhere else might be a better spot. Shaking her head, she came back to reality. "The Cascades will be a safe haven. It's far enough on the outskirts of town, we shouldn't have to deal with too many zombie-things. No one walks out that far. And we'll have food and a way to prepare it." Her fingers still worked strands of his hair.

"Do you think there's some kind of... spell thing... keeping supernatural beings from being able to do what they would do naturally? Like, some kind of instinct blocker? Marissa seems to be doing well with magic, but that's sort of a learned thing, wouldn't you say?" Gracelynn was more or less spitballing. Something was definitely wrong in town. And it seemed like Marissa was unaffected. Kathy and Sarah on the other hand....

Tarmagon ((So sorry for the delay! My life has been a little crazy recently! ))

 

[Tarmagon]

Ryan moved one of his hands up to give Grace's a quick squeeze where it tangled itself in his hair before returning it to the wheel. The roads leading to the Cascades were narrow and winding, easy enough to navigate with a car, but a bit more challenging with something the size of the RV.

"I don't know much about magic," Ryan said slowly. "I haven't really had a lot to do with witches since, well, you know. I wonder..."

Ryan's voice trailed off thoughtfully, then he took one hand off of the wheel long enough to run a suddenly claw sporting finger across the back of his other hand. A thin line of blood formed, but the cut he made was already sealing itself closed before he had lifted the claw away and returned his hand to the wheel. Whatever was keeping Kathy from healing was obviously not affecting him in the slightest, and the presence of the claw indicated that his ability to transform, at least voluntarily, was unaffected as well.

"Okay," he said, nodding. "Whatever is going on here obviously passed me over for some reason. There are two possible reasons for that. The first is that I was too far away from whatever happened, after all, we were at the Cascades, and that's several miles out of town. The second possibility is this."

Ryan fished out the amulet Marissa had given him, the mate of which still graced Grace's neck, inspecting it for a moment before returning it to his shirt and his attention to the road.

"The strange thing is, Kathy was in wolf form, and she transformed back once you calmed her," Ryan said, his tone thoughtful. "It's almost like Kathy's wounds were made by silver. Those wounds heal slowly, and leave scars."

"They weren't caused by silver," Kathy said quietly from the back of the RV, her voice barely audible over the road noises. "It was... Joel. We were together when a wave of, something, passed over the town. It made us both a bit queasy, but that was all. We went outside to see what was going on... there were bodies... our neighbors and friends. The strange thing was, all the bodies were human. The Jackson's came out of their house, and they looked as confused as Joel and I were. Then... Carl and Hank came running from the direction of the center of town. They looked, wrong. Both were in hybrid form, and they ran, stiffly."

There was a stifled sob from behind them, and Ryan had to clamp down hard on the urge to run back and comfort a Pack member. He had to get them safely to their destination. He was certain that Grace would help out as best she could.

"Carl... ran up to the Jackson's," Kathy's voice came after a few moments, quavering around the edges. "He tore Ellen and Steve's throats out in one slash. No words, no warning. Hank was swinging at Joel and me. He'd have gotten us both, but Joel pushed me out of the way. I went hybrid on reflex, and managed to dodge Hank's next strikes, but then... Carl attacked me, along with Ellen and Steve. I dodged them, and transformed to wolf form to run, but as I ran, Joel grabbed me in hybrid form. He... tore me up before I managed to get away. After that, I don't remember anything until Grace calmed me."

Ryan would have said something, but he was busy navigating a tight turn. Once he was through the curve, he saw the Cascades ahead. The buildings seemed intact, though the few cars that had been present when they had left were gone. The lights were still on however, so the generator was still running.

"We're here," Ryan announced, pulling the RV around behind the main building, close to the cottage he and Grace had been sharing so blissfully mere hours before. They couldn't be seen from the road here, which was good. "Let's get Marissa, Sarah, and Kathy into the suite. The breakfast should still be good, if cold. Once we've got them barricaded, I, or preferably we, need to scout the grounds and do an inventory of resources."

readysetstalk (I hope your life is settling back down into something more reasonable. Take as much time as you need. I'll be here.)

 

[readysetstalk]

Gracelynn watched Ryan's moves carefully, watching that thin line of blood appear, and then just as quickly as it appeared, the wound he had self-inflicted vanished. The amulet might explain it, but it didn't give a full explanation. Gracelynn wanted to know what was going on. There were crazy things going on. Carl was an upstanding man, and werewolf. This was entirely out of character. And Hank. Hank had always been so humble. Gruff, but humble. Now, she stood listening to the horror stories and nightmares they were leaving behind in their wake. It was as if whatever was causing all of this, was causing them to act on animalistic instincts. But far worse. Something more sinister. Even instincts didn't tell animals to just kill for no reason.

Hearing the sobs broke her heart. She could tell Ryan was compelled to soothe, but was unable. Gracelynn let her hand slide from his hair and she moved back towards Sarah and Kathy. She sat between both women and wrapped her arms around them, pulling them in close. She had no words for them. Who could? Instead, she just held them close. Sarah was still crying softly, and Kathy was managing to work through her tears in order to try and paint a picture of what all had happened just a few minutes ago. It was horrifying. Truly horrifying. No wonder these two were so shaken. Gracelynn felt guilty. Here, she and Ryan, were off enjoying a honeymoon, and the townspeople were being ripped to shreds. The town was in ruins. The hardware store was gone, along with many other shops and businesses. If they could have been there... maybe there would be more survivors. Maybe they could have made an impact, a difference. Instead, they were busy making love and enjoying a breakfast fit for royalty. They were having the time of their life, while everyone else was afraid to lose theirs. It weighed heavy on Grace. These people were her family, and she didn't even help them. All through her life they had been there. But when they needed her? Nothing.

When they arrived at The Cascades, Grace rose to her feet, helping Sarah and Kathy do the same. Kathy's wounds needed attention as soon as they got into the suite, that was obvious. Gracelynn slid Kathy's arm up over her shoulders, allowing the older woman to lean into her for support.

"We've got a ton of food in there to help you guys heal.. It's definitely cold, but it'll help better than the jerky did." She offered a faint smile. It was hard to try and not be in a bad mood. Gracelynn wanted nothing more than to help them. But she also didn't feel like she was doing enough. She felt...lost, in a sense. Her body was following the motions, but her mind was telling her that she should do more, that she could do more. But there wasn't much else to be done. Gracelynn would do whatever Ryan asked, without hesitation.

"We should see if any of the workers stayed here at The Cascades. They'll know the grounds better than anyone else." Gracelynn helped Kathy navigate from the back of the RV, Sarah right on her heels. "And then we'll need to stockpile all nonperishables in the room." Gracelynn had a fear that eventually the shit-storm going on in town was going to make it to The Cascades. Once they ran out of things to do there, there was only a few other places to go. The Cascades wasn't the closest, but it was definitely something that could happen. That's how all horror movies worked, right? Eventually, the storm arrives; because the storm always arrives.

Gracelynn stood back, allowing Ryan to take lead and to make sure there weren't any signs of danger outside of the RV before she would help the ladies back into the suite, where Ryan and Grace had spent their morning in bliss.

Tarmagon ((Slowly but surely! ))

 

[Tarmagon]

Ryan watched as Grace helped Kathy and Sarah get ready to move. He knew she had to be just as freaked out by the turn of events as he was, but she was doing what any Alpha would, taking care of her Pack. Now, it was his turn to protect their little Pack. He started to head down the RV's steps, then paused. His senses were heightened far beyond a normal man's, but his wolfish senses were a magnitude greater. He took a moment to send a wave of reassurance to Grace along the Bond that they shared, then quickly shucked out of his clothes. Before anyone could get more than a glance, his form shimmered and twisted, leaving a midnight black wolf standing where Ryan's human form had been seconds before. Pushing the door open with his nose, he bounded down the steps and into the morning, it was still morning, air.

Ryan stood for a second, drinking in the smells and sounds of the area. The generator perfumed the air with fumes that made him want to sneeze, but he could ignore them. Fresh exhaust from the generator also mixed with lighter smells from the RV and at least four other vehicles. The grumble of the generator also made a constant background noise he had to ignore, but he was used to filtering out noise as well as smells. Nothing. Not even a radio or TV. Taking off at an easy lope, every sense on high alert, Ryan began to run around the perimeter of the Cascades. It took less than five minutes for him to determine that they were the only living human beings at the Cascades. There were a couple of cats roaming around, but they gave him a wide berth. Someone had at least thought to make certain that everything in the kitchen was turned off, since he didn't smell anything burning.

Ryan ended his circuit of the lodge and returned to the RV. He thought about changing back, but decided against it. Instead, he concentrated hard, thinking of Grace.

"Safe. Go to the room. I'll make one more run around the building and then return and meet you there."

readysetstalk (Sorry for the delay and shortness. There were many problems yesterday and today.)

 

[readysetstalk]

Gracelynn watched as Ryan changed, taking a moment to steal a glance of the outside world as he rushed through the door. She could sense him as he ran the perimeter of the resort. Kathy was still very rough, and she was very worried about her. Still, Gracelynn stood, holding up Kathy as much as she could. Sarah stood close to her heels, ready to move when necessary. Marissa, on the other hand, was still out cold, buckled into the front passenger seat of the RV. Ryan would have to bring her in. There was no way Gracelynn could safely drag her into the suite.

Once those words echoed through her head, Gracelynn gave a slight nod. "Alright, time to move. Ryan said it's safe. He's going to run around once more to double check," she spoke, glancing back at Sarah. Needless to say, Sarah didn't seem so sure of all this. Kathy was just as shaken still. Despite their worries, Gracelynn pushed open the door to the RV and glanced around. She took a deep breath of cool morning air before leading the two of them to the suite Ryan and she had occupied not too long ago. She made sure the door was completely shut, knowing the cloak was still on the RV. Hopefully nothing managed to go past it while they were away.

Quickly, Gracelynn took the two women into the room and situated them on the bed. The entire time they were outside, Sarah had held onto the beltloop of Grace's jeans. Once they were finally in the room, Sarah had dropped her hand and followed Grace further into the room. A feeling of safety seemed to wash over the three of them rather quickly. Gracelynn was relieved to finally be back, as were the other two. Kathy laid back on the bed, her eyes closing. Gracelynn couldn't even imagine the amount of exhaustion the two were feeling.

"Here, make sure you eat something before you take a nap, Kathy," Grace spoke, bringing over a large plate of pancakes, coupled with a decent pile of bacon. Kathy let out a soft groan, but knew Grace was right. She propped herself up and started working on the pancakes. Sarah was already digging into the food on the cart. There was plenty to go around.

Gracelynn stepped aside, moving to the window. She peered outside, focusing on Ryan and his movements outside. "Don't forget to bring Marissa in."

Tarmagon Hopefully everything worked out! Wouldn't be life without hiccups

 

[Tarmagon]

Ryan couldn't chuckle in wolf form, but he did in his mind as he pictured Grace trying to manhandle the unconscious Marissa in while also supporting Kathy. Yeah, that wasn't going to happen. Putting the image out of his mind, Ryan concentrated on what his senses were telling him. Nothing had changed since his first run around the hotel, except that a fox had decided to investigate the garbage behind the kitchen. Satisfied that for now at least, the area was safe, Ryan turned his steps to the RV, loping along easily along. Grace hadn't done him any favors by shutting the door of the RV, though he understood why she had. One last glance around, and Ryan shifted back to his human form, his very naked human form. Quickly darting into the RV, he found his clothing where he had left it, and began to dress with a sigh of relief, relief which vanished at a low whistle from the front of the RV.

"Damn," Marissa said, "That's almost good enough to turn me back onto men. But only almost."

"Errrr," Ryan stammered, "I thought you were still out."

"Until thirty seconds ago, I was," Marissa said, grinning at Ryan's burning cheeks. "Relax. I know you're Graces, just as she's yours. You do have quite the sexy body though."

In mid sentence Marissa seemed to sag, her eyes fluttering shut, then snapping back open.

"Yeah, pretty much spent still," she said ruefully. "I don't think I can walk yet if teasing you takes this much out of me. "

"I'll carry you," Ryan said. "But it's not going to be comfortable. Fireman's carry, so I can have my gun hand free. I checked the perimeter, but I know magic can cloak things, so I'm not taking any chances."

Marissa grimaced, but nodded. "I understand."

Ryan moved to the front of the RV and unfastened Marissa's seat belt, then knelt beside the seat. Marissa turned towards him, leaning forward until she was resting on his left shoulder. Ryan backed up, taking her weight and hooking his arm around her legs as he drew his pistol with his right hand.

"Ready?"

"No, but go ahead," Marissa said. "I'll shut the door as you exit. Let's make this quick."

"Here we go," Ryan said, standing smoothly. Marissa gave a quiet grunt as her weight settled onto his shoulder, but didn't protest, so Ryan moved, opening the RV door with a foot. Stepping down, he felt Marissa shifting and paused long enough to let her reach out and close the door, then he was moving, eyes and gun swiveling constantly as he headed for the suite.

"On our way, be ready to open the door. My hands are full, " he thought, hoping the strange communication he was sharing with Grace was still active.

readysetstalk (Great. Now Marissa is checking out the werewolf's rear. )

 

[readysetstalk]

Gracelynn continued to monitor Kathy and Sarah closely. Both of them were still munching away on the food that she and Ryan had ordered earlier in the morning. The fact that it was cold didn't seem to bother either of them. Kathy was eating much slower than Sarah, but eating nonetheless. Gracelynn hoped that Ryan had some sort of remedy to her wounds. It was obvious that something devious was going on. Ryan had no issue healing, but he was also protected by the pendant that Marissa had given the both of them just a day or two ago. It was a crazy turn of events since she had met Ryan. They had gone from complete strangers, to having a pack bond, to a mate bond, and then to a soul bond. And now they were married, looking after those who were being effected by whatever was cursing the town Gracelynn had grown up in. Beautifully tragic. All of it.

Grace was stacking a few sausages on Kathy's plate when Ryan's words echoed through her head. It was still strange to hear him that way, but it was comforting all in the same. Surely it had to do with the bond they shared. At least this way, they were able to keep contact even when they weren't together. It gave her a very safe feeling. If she were in trouble, she knew she could rely on that to reach out.

Once the sausages had been laid, Gracelynn headed to the door and waited for them to arrive. She was able to take a peak through the peephole. As soon as they were within distance, Gracelynn opened the door for the two of them, without Ryan having to break stride. Just as quick as the door had opened to let them in, it had closed behind them. Grace was quick to lock the doors, making sure everything was as safe as possible.

"Everything still check out?" she asked, looking at the scene of Ryan and Marissa before her. She had to hold back the laughter. "Plenty of food, too, for when she's up for it," she added.

Tarmagon Grace doesn't blame her.

 

[Tarmagon]

Ryan saw the door open as he headed towards it, Grace glancing around as she held it open for him. Once he had made it inside, the door shut and he heard the lock 'snick' home. He could feel waves of amusement coming off of Grace as she took in his burden and he desperately looked for a place to set Marissa down. After a moment, he chose one of the overstuffed chairs near the fireplace, and with a sigh of relief, holstered his pistol then eased the witch off of his shoulder and into the seat. Marissa flopped bonelessly in the chair, but her eyes were open and alert.

"That man of yours has a nice butt," she whispered, winking at Grace as Ryan blushed a deep crimson busying himself with collecting a plate of the cold breakfast. "Is the rest of him as fine?"

Ryan thought that he would spontaneously combust at Marissa's question, but then Grace giggled and replied "That's for me to know and you to wonder about."

"Well," he said, his voice choppy with embarrassment. "I guess I'm now living proof that you can't actually die of embarrassment. But if you ladies are quite done, could we turn to a less, prurient topic? Namely, what the hell happened to the town, and why is whatever happened keeping Kathy from healing and Sarah from Changing?"

Grace and Marissa immediately sobered, looking at Ryan expectantly, but after a moment it was Marissa who spoke.

"I think that there was some kind of Artifact placed in town," she said slowly. "And when it was triggered, it killed and then raised everyone in its area of effect as zombies."

"But Kathy said that only some of her neighbors died," Ryan pointed out. "Some survived, at least until what was left of Carl and Hank showed up."

"I know," Marissa said thoughtfully. "I think it had to do with distance from the source. Werewolves and Vampires have a bit of magic in their makeup. Nothing like witches, but your very nature is magical. I think that whoever or whatever set this in motion wanted witches for some reason. So, witches were excluded from the effect. As the whatever the hell it was got farther and farther away from its source, the weaker it became, and it lost the ability to differentiate between supernaturals and witches. There was enough magic in Kathy, Joel, and the Jacksons that the effect passed over them. I imagine Carl and Hank were closer to the source, and it overwhelmed the bit of magic they had."

"What does that mean for Kathy and Sarah?" Ryan asked. "They seem to have each lost a part of their nature. Kathy can transform but not heal, Sarah seemed healed but can't transform."

"I," Marissa started, then yawned mightily. "Going to lose me again here soon. I think that they'll recover what they've lost. The wave of whatever seems to have suppressed that part of them that wasn't active at the time. When I recover my strength, I'll see if I can speed the process along. For.... now... sleep."

Marissa's eyes closed and she sagged in the chair, obviously fast asleep. Ryan lifted her gently, settling her into the bed beside Kathy as Sarah hopped up and took the chair Marissa had just been in.

"Thanks," Ryan said to Sarah, then turned to Grace. "Until Kathy recovers, we need to treat these injuries. I only have a basic first aid kit in the RV, so we need to find some more serious supplies. Sarah? Can you use a shotgun?"

"Yeah," Sarah replied instantly. "I've been hunting since I was eight."

"Good. Grace, I'll go get the shotgun and shells, then Sarah can stand watch here while we look for supplies, both food and first aid. And, we need to figure out what you can use to defend yourself."

readysetstalk (Time to get down to the business of surviving.)

 

[readysetstalk]

Gracelynn enjoyed the little reprieve they received from poking fun at Ryan. The lightheartedness of it all seemed to relieve the stress momentarily. And the blushing on Ryan's cheeks had only made her smile grow wider. But soon, that little bit of relief was gone, and they were back to talking business, per Ryan's request. Things were only going to get more serious from now.

Grace listened intently to Marissa's explanation. There were so few people in HalfMoon Falls. Why would anyone choose this place? There were large cities that would have had a bigger effect. If they were trying to save witches, they would have at least picked a city that had more than just a handful of witches. Marissa was the biggest witch she was aware of. Whoever was behind this had a very set agenda. Gracelynn wondered if this was just a trial run before a bigger feat was attempted. It would make sense, in a way. If they wanted to test it out, why not pick a small town that no one was going to worry about?

"Do you think it's someone trying to pick Marissa out of the bunch specifically?" Grace asked, looking to Ryan as he carried the now sleeping Marissa over to the bed next to Kathy. "Or do you think maybe they're doing a trial run on the artifact? To make sure it works?" She glanced to Sarah, who was now in the chair behind her, her plate replenished with more food. Grace had a feeling that this was going to be one hell of a scavenger hunt. The town may be small, but it was in ruin right now. It would take a long time to find an artifact that was causing all of this. Especially if it was small.

"Alright, you go get the shotgun. And then we'll go hunt down some medical supplies. Guns aren't really my thing, but if I'm shown how to use it, I'll be fine." Grace folded her arms over her chest, her mind still reeling. There were a lot of possibilities on the motive for all of this. She was worried that whoever did this, was also capable of doing much worse. What if things went even further south? It was already pretty bad. She just wasn't sure how bad it could really get.

Tarmagon

 

[Tarmagon]

"That's a... disturbing idea," Ryan said slowly as Grace voiced her question about the carnage in town being nothing more than a trial run. "And I don't have any evidence that you're not right. None that you are right either, but... damn."

Ryan fell silent as the implications of Grace's question really hit home. Half-Moon Falls was a small town, but what if this thing, whatever it was, had been triggered in downtown Charlotte, or Washington. Hell, New York. As bad as things were here, those scenarios would be biblical compared to this. Shaking his head sharply, Ryan turned from speculation to the here and now. Shotgun. Backup gun and show Grace the basics. Explore the Cascades for resources. Get Sarah, Kathy, and Marissa able to move under their own power and get the hell out of here. They were in way over their heads through no fault of their own, and this time the damned Council would have to act. In fact.

Ryan moved to the phone and dialed for an outside line. Instead of a dial tone, all he got was a series of rapid beeps. Pulling out his cell, he glanced at the screen, taking in the 'No Service' message in the top corner.

"Well shit," he swore softly. "Land lines down. Cell service is down. I don't think we're going to be able to call for help. So, give me a minute to run get the shotgun and shells. Stay by the door love."

Ryan opened the suite door, glancing around before stepping out, pistol up and at the ready. He didn't sense anything, but as before, magic was involved, so he was taking no chances. He heard the door shut behind him, and the lock click home, so after one more look around, he made his way to the RV. Marissa hadn't managed to lock the door, but it had shut securely, and he didn't hear or smell anyone or anything, so he cautiously opened the door, checking the interior before stepping fully inside. Moving quickly he gathered up the shotgun and box of shells, then moved to the rear or the RV, opening the gun safe. There, his backup pistol. A smaller 9mm that should just fit Grace's smaller hands. It was a little too small for his hands, but it made a good backup. Grabbing a backpack from a high shelf, Ryan loaded several boxes of shotgun shells and 9mm pistol ammo into it, taking the time to reload his expended magazines. Reaching into the bottom of the safe, Ryan pulled out a harness that he slipped on over his shirt. Magazines went into holders on the harness, and his pistol slipped easily into its holster. An ankle holster came out of the safe as well, sized for the other 9mm pistol. What else? Oh yeah, one spare magazine for the little pistol. That was all he had. It would have to do.

Ryan closed and locked the safe, hefted the backpack, and headed down the steps out of the RV. Stopping yet again to look around and listen, smell, he still didn't detect anything out of the ordinary, so he locked the RV and headed back to the little suite that had been heaven, and was now their refuge from hell.

"I'm back love," he thought as he approached the door. "I've got a gun for you. Don't worry, I'll give you a quick lesson. Then we need to explore."

readysetstalk (Werewolf wasn't a boy scout, but he's prepared.)

 

[readysetstalk]

Gracelynn wasn't quite prepared to just sit and think about the What Ifs. There were far too many. Very easily this episode in Half-Moon Falls could have been launched somewhere bigger, leading to more catastrophic events. If this was just the start, it was hard telling just how crazy things could go. So many powerful beings turned into zombies? It was a recipe for disaster, and she was sure that whoever put this into motion knew very well what they were doing. But just as quickly as the subject had been brought up, Ryan changed the pace and focused on the here and now, which had Gracelynn slightly relieved.

"Alright." She wasn't at all surprised the land lines and cell towers were down. That's what happened in the movies, right? Only thing they could maybe do is look for a radio. It was likely that there was one somewhere in The Cascades because of the snow hill they operated in the winter. Gracelynn wouldn't have a clue on how to use it, but Ryan seemed to be well versed in the world of apocalypse. More so than she was, anyway. At this point, she hadn't even fired a gun. Living a sheltered, but safe, life seemed to be showing its downfalls right now.

Grace took up her spot by the door, waiting patiently for Ryan's return. As she waited, she watched the group they had collected. Marissa was out like a light, and Kathy had finally finished her plate. Just like Marissa, Kathy was about to hit sleepville with a hard crash. Sarah seemed to be doing well. Much better than the other two, anyway. Gracelynn was glad they were at least able to save a few. They weren't superheroes. They couldn't save them all, and she knew that. A large part of her wishes that they would have been able to help more, but things just didn't pan out that way. Instead, they were lucky to have the three that they did have. They were alive, and mostly well. Kathy was the worst off, with wounds that refused to heal. Sarah might have a little more mental damage, and Marissa had simply wiped herself clean of energy. Gracelynn was worried, but she knew they would pull through. They had to.

As Ryan approached the door, Gracelynn double-checked to make sure there wasn't anything within her sight and unlocked the door, swinging it open for him. Once he had entered, she quickly closed the door and replaced all locking mechanisms to their locked position. Her eyes glanced over Ryan, a faint smile pulling at her lips.

"If one didn't know any better, they might say you were a little too prepared for this," she spoke, her voice soft as to not wake any of the sleeping members of their party. "Crazy to think you had all that stashed away in an RV."

Tarmagon ((Grace has movie knowledge. And that's about all she brings to the table in this instance.))

 

[Tarmagon]

"I may not have had a Pack," Ryan said simply, "But I am Alpha. That means being ready to step up at a moments notice to help those in need. And right now, we're pretty damned needy. Besides, there's not as much in there as you think. I had two pistols, a shotgun, and a couple hundred rounds for each. That sounds like a lot, but I used nearly fifty rounds getting us out of town. We'll need more, and soon."

Ryan looked around, checking on their little group of refugees. Everyone was a well as could be expected, and he and Grace needed to explore the buildings here. Nodding to himself, he dropped the mag on the little 9mm, ejected the chamber round, then offered Grace the little pistol. She stared at it for a moment, then slowly took it, watching it like it would bite. Good.

"Like this love," he said, moving behind Grace and positioning her hands on the grip properly. "No safety on this model. 9 shots, then you have to reload..."

For the next half hour, Ryan used his words and his thoughts to give Grace the rudiments of pistol safety, loading, aiming, and firing. She seemed to grasp it, but until they could fire some live rounds they just wouldn't know. He had faith in his Mate though. She'd do whatever needed doing. When they'd done all they could, Ryan took the shotgun and three boxes of shells to Sarah.

"Lock the door behind us," he said. "Only open up for me or Grace. We're going scrounging."

Ryan moved to the door, handing Grace two full magazines for her pistol and checking his own.

"Ready love?"

readysetstalk (Time to explore. Up to you how good Grace is with her new gun. )

 

[readysetstalk]

Gracelynn couldn't help but feel the tension rise between them as he situated himself directly behind her. It was both of safety, and maybe something a little more specific to their relationship and bond. Though she had these feelings, she quickly pushed them aside and allowed him to show her the ins and outs of the 9mm. It seemed like a lot to learn for such a short amount of time, but Gracelynn managed to pick up on it easily. She can't speak on whether or not she'd be a good shot, but she could at least use the gun. Gracelynn tried to mentally take as many notes as she possibly could.

As Sarah took her place by the door, Gracelynn took her spot next to Ryan. "Ready as I can be," she spoke, taking a deep breath shortly after. She shoved the magazines into her pockets, silently cursing Kathy for packing the tightest pair of jeans she owned. And silently cursing herself for wearing them. Her hands shook just a little as Sarah pulled open the door, allowing them to exit once Ryan had cleared the immediate area. Gracelynn would be his shadow, in the most literal of senses. She would not travel far from him until they got into the main building of The Cascades.

The morning air was slowly warming up, but there was still that crispness. It hit her nostrils a little differently now that she was on high-alert. Her right hand gripped the 9mm a little tighter, her left going to the back of Ryan's shirt, not wanting to get separated from him whatsoever. She was scared. Who wouldn't be? But they were capable, and they needed to protect their little group. Kathy needed first aid immediately, and the food that they had wouldn't last forever. The guns and ammunition wouldn't last forever either. Finding any here at The Cascades was probably unlikely, but there were plenty of other supplies they could gather.

Tarmagon Go ahead and bash me with a sledgehammer for the delay. Pregnancy is exhausting.

 

[Tarmagon]

Ryan could feel Grace's nerves as the door shut behind them, but the pistol was steady in her hand, and while the hand gripping the back of his shirt might be a little tight, it was steady. Another wash of pride flooded through Ryan as they began to make their cautious way around the main building of the Cascades. Near the back of the building, the diesel generator grumbled away, flanked by two absolutely huge tanks. Ryan was no expert on generators, but just based on the sound of the engine, it didn't seem to be running very hard.

""Watch my back," he said to Grace, then moved up to examine the large, boxy machine. A few seconds examination revealed a control panel protected by a Plexiglas door. Engine temp, rpm's, voltage, oil levels. Everything looked good. Rpm's were low, backing up Ryan's guess that the generator wasn't working hard. The output dial peaked at 75kw, but the needle wasn't even a quarter of the way up. Good. Examining the two tanks flanking the generator, Ryan gave a low whistle. Two, 2500 gallon tanks, both nearly full. He wasn't certain how much fuel the generator was using, but unless it broke down, they would have power for a while.

"It looks like they were expecting a lot of time without power this winter," Ryan commented, patting the tanks. "As long as I can keep this guy running, we should have fuel. Let's head inside."

Suiting actions to words, Ryan led Grace into the main reception area, which was completely deserted. No clerk, no bellhop, not even a maid.

"Huh," he said. "It looks like everyone left, and in a hurry too. I'll check the registry, you look for radios, a passkey, and check to see if there're any security cameras."

Moving behind the desk, Ryan rummaged around until he found the guest registry. Flipping through it, he found that he and Grace were the only guests, though there were a couple of reservations two weeks down the road, right when hunting season opened. Shaking his head, Ryan replaced the large book where he had found it, starting to turn to help Grace when a glint of shiny red fabric caught his eye. Reaching into an alcove build into the reception desk, Ryan came up with a massive first aid kit.

"Got a first aid kit here," he called. "Big one. You find anything useful?"

readysetstalk (One item found. +5 survival points)

 

[readysetstalk]

If Grace had ever felt like she was living in a movie, it was right now. She stayed as close to Ryan as possible. She wasn't exactly fast, and she was terrified of being in a situation in which she had to outrun a zombie. Granted, she knew Ryan was there to protect her--without a doubt. But the idea was still not something she wanted to ever experience. If anything had ever truly terrified Gracelynn as a child, it was zombies. They were the one thing that just didn't make sense. Dead, but alive. Moving, but not alive. Hungry, but not alive. They were DEAD, but they acted as if they were rabid humans who just smoked way too much marijuana. It was horrifying.

Gracelynn turned her back to his as he examined the generator, her hand removing itself off of his shirt and to the pistol in her other hand. She was ready, somehow. She managed to pull herself together enough to at least keep herself focused on their surroundings. She was truly relieved when he stated that it was in good working order.

"The snow up here can get pretty crazy. They usually keep the generators upkept pretty well," she spoke, glancing over her shoulder at him. This wasn't a place where you could just call the power company and they would come out in a jiffy. If the power was out, the power was out for awhile. Sometimes it would be days, sometimes just a few hours. It all depended on who else was without power. Larger cities always came first.

Gracelynn replaced her hand on the back of his shirt and followed him inside. Once they were inside, she dropped her hand yet again, but still remained very close to Ryan. It was eerily quiet, and needless to say, Grace wasn't a fan. However, she mustered up the courage to step away from Ryan when asked. She laid the gun on the counter as she began rummaging through things, looking for radios and keycards. She would have went the "badass" route and put it in her pants, but Ryan had told her there was no safety. The last thing she needed was a shot to the butt.

It didn't take long before she found the master keycard that housekeeping used to get into the rooms. The kitchen and everything else should be unlocked. Should the freezer be locked, that key would probably be in the chef's office. Gracelynn had a hunch that it would all be unlocked. Surely they didn't have enough time or care to lock everything up before they left. There was some crazy shit going on outside. Who would take the time for that?

"Got the keycard." She moved on to the cabinets as she looked for radios. Gracelynn, thankfully, found the stash of radios rather quickly. There were a few walkie-talkies, which would come in handy. There was a more less-mobile radio for reaching out to further distances. Unless Ryan felt like lugging it back to the room, it might just stay where it was plugged in.

"The radio is old as hell, and just as bulky as the first television. So, I guess it's up to you on whether or not you wanna carry it back to the room.." Gracelynn looked over to Ryan, her arms full of walkie-talkies.

Tarmagon (It's like a horrifying scavenger hunt. Where you're on the menu. )

 

[Tarmagon]

"Nice and not right now," Ryan replied, smiling at Grace. "Hmm. Set those down on the counter here and grab the chargers. I saw a housekeeping cart in the hall as we came in. I'll grab that and we'll use it to haul our ill-gotten gains."

Ryan could feel Grace's nervousness as he slipped around the corner to retrieve the cart, but he could also feel her determination as well. He found the cart right where he remembered, and wheeled it back to the front desk just as Grace emerged with several black shapes trailing wires that ended in the ubiquitous wall-wart transformers. They quickly loaded the radios and chargers into the cart, then Ryan paused, sniffing the air with a thoughtful look on his face.

"Kitchens that way," he said, gesturing down the right hand corridor. "I don't smell anything burning, so I guess whomever was working in there at least turned everything off."

Moving cautiously, Ryan and Grace headed down the corridor after Ryan tucked the cart containing their scavenged equipment out of sight. About twenty feet down there were a pair of glass doors on the right side, opening into a modestly sized but well appointed dining room. Ryan ignored the dining room doors, instead heading down to another door on the right side of the hall with an 'employees only' sign on it. The door opened easily, and they found themselves in an industrial style kitchen filled with gleaming steel appliances, dark iron stovetops, and a truly massive industrial dishwasher. On the back wall of the kitchen there were a pair of obviously insulated doors with two massive refrigerators sitting nearby. Dry goods were stacked neatly on shelves along the left wall, and utensils hung from wire racks. There were a few bowls sitting out, mostly containing chopped vegetables and potatoes sitting under water. but nothing obviously perishable. It was as though the staff had been called away during meal prep, and had left out what wouldn't be hurt by sitting on a counter for a while.

"This, is odd." Ryan said slowly. "Why did everyone leave? The phones are not working, so except for the power outage, how did anyone know what was happening in town? And, if they did know, why would they leave? Did they head into town? Did they run for help? It's almost like the entire staff was just told to drop whatever they were doing and go somewhere else. There's no sign of a panicked rush to leave, everything is orderly, like they just cleaned up and walked away."

Ryan shook his head, his expression troubled. Things just weren't making any sense. Right now though, they had people who needed what they could scavenge.

"I'll grab the cart," Ryan said. "You can watch me from the door, then we'll see what we can put together quickly and head back to the room. Once everyone's recovered, at least as much as they can, we'll put our heads together and try to figure out our next move."

readysetstalk (Food supplies found, but why did everyone just up and walk away?)

 

[readysetstalk]

Gracelynn helped load everything onto the cart, trying to keep it somewhat organized so that they would fit more things on it more easily. She stuck close to him as they made their way back to the kitchen. She was honestly surprised that they were even prepping a meal. She and Ryan were the only guests, and it didn't look like anyone was going to come here for a quick bite to eat. The Cascades wasn't exactly the first choice in food sources. Most of the town stopped at the diner if they were going to be grabbing food.

"I can't answer a single one of those questions," she sighed, looking around at everything. It was almost like they all just agreed that it was time to go home. And so they did. At least, she hoped that they had just gone home.. She really hoped that whatever hit the town didn't just take longer to get to The Cascades. It didn't look like everything had been left in a panic, or frenzy--whichever tickles your fancy. Everything was neat, like Ryan had noted. Phones had been down, both landlines and cellular. Unless someone had radioed, she didn't see how they would have known what was going on. If that had been the case, she felt as if they would have said something as they dropped off their breakfast. Or maybe they were just letting them enjoy their honeymoon. Either way, it wasn't exactly gelling together very well.

Gracelynn made her way towards the door, knowing that Ryan would prefer her to keep a look out just in case anything happened. She'd allow him to grab all the necessary food. "Maybe someone was able to radio up here before all hell broke loose," she spoke finally, her eyes scanning the room just outside of the doors. "And maybe we just left before they could tell us... Who knows?" Gracelynn gripped the 9mm in her hand a little tighter, her body shifting slightly to lean against the doorframe. "What if they were all just zapped with some mind control thing to be superior zombies that had control over their bodies? You know, like, instead of just running rampant and all hungry, they're just super strong, super smart, dead people...." Maybe she should lay off the horror movies for a while.

Tarmagon (Grace's putting her money on higher level zombies.)

 

[Tarmagon]

Ryan could feel the tension rising in Grace. It seemed that she had watched one too many zombie flicks in the past. Of course, they were right in the middle of a zombie movie, but here there weren't going to be any calls of 'cut' and 'reset'. This was all too real. For right now, they were spread out and exposed, so grab their immediate needs and regroup. Once they were all fit to move, they could come back and explore in force. Ryan checked the bowls, finding cut of vegetables that appeared destined for a veggie tray. He dumped them all into a large bowl, then grabbed a larger bowl and filled the bottom with ice. The bowl of cut vegetables went in on top of the ice, along with a couple of bottles of various dressings from one of the massive fridges. The same fridge disgorged packages of sliced ham, turkey, pre-cooked bacon, salami, and various cheeses. A quick search revealed a largish cooler, and Ryan quickly grabbed all of the sliced meats and cheeses, along with a couple of bags of what appeared to be sub rolls, and various condiments, which went into the ice bowl with the dressings. Drinks made their appearance from the second fridge, and Ryan grabbed six packs without bothering to look, just grabbing as many colored cans as he could fit into the cooler. Bags of chips from the pantry joined the bowl and cooler on their little cart, loading it to capacity.

"This is the most immediately perishable and easiest to transport," Ryan said as he loaded their cart. "And we don't need to heat anything. Once everyone's in a little better shape, we'll come back in force. That way we can have people on overwatch while the rest do a proper inventory."

There was a lot of food in the fridges, pantry, and Ryan didn't doubt that the walk-in freezer was well stocked as well, but right now the time required to do a proper inventory was more than he was willing to leave the other members of their little Pack unprotected. Sure, they had the Pack Bond which would tell them if Sarah or Kathy were in trouble, and Sarah had the shotgun, but she was new, Kathy still injured, and Marissa out of it. No, they needed to head back.

"Let's take what we've got and head back," he said. "This is enough for now. If you'll take the cart, I'll provide cover, or I can take the cart and you can cover. Either way works for me."

Ryan wasn't certain Grace could feel his confidence in her abilities, despite her inexperience and nerves, but he certainly hoped she could. They'd get through this, and they'd drag their little Pack with them.

readysetstalk (Time to retreat to the safe haven.)

 

[readysetstalk]

Gracelynn was more than nervous with this whole thing. She was able to show it a little more now that it was just her and Ryan. With everyone else around, she had to keep a cool composure. She had to be strong for them. They were weak, and injured. She had to show that panicking wasn't going to get them anywhere. But deep inside, she was scared senseless. There were a lot of questions and hardly any answers. Now that it was her and Ryan, her guard was lowered. Gracelynn so badly wanted his comfort, but there was no time for that.

"I think I'll go ahead and man the cart," she spoke, looking over to him. "I don't think I'm gonna be a great shot, so it's better to have someone who won't miss.." That, and with him shooting, they wouldn't waste any ammo. Right now, they needed to keep as much as possible. They had no idea what was to come. There could be a horde coming their way and they wouldn't even know.

Gracelynn moved from her position at the door and walked over to the cart. She snagged a baby carrot from the bowl of veggies and popped it in her mouth, offering a faint smile before she placed her hands on the handle of the cart. "Lead the way, love," she spoke, nodding her head towards the door. She would follow him anywhere at this point. Grace didn't want to be alone, and definitely not in a situation like this.

Tarmagon Delayed, and short. My apologies.

 

[Tarmagon]

Ryan nodded and turned towards the door, then stopped. Two quick strides carried him to Grace's side, one hand gently tilting her chin up so that she had to look into his eyes.

"We'll get through this lover," he whispered quietly, then bent to kiss his wife of less than a day. It was perhaps a little bittersweet that kiss, but it held the magic of the night before and the unspoken promise that Ryan would do everything in his power to see them both safely through to the other side of this madness. Even though his senses were alert for any threat, in that moment Grace was the center of his universe, and it was as it should be. All too soon however, Sarah's nervousness began to make itself known through the Pack Bond, and Ryan released Grace's lips with a sigh. "Time to go."

Ryan moved to the door, slipping through and automatically clearing the hallway, even though his senses hadn't detected even a mouse. The hall was indeed clear, and he motioned for Grace to follow as he headed back towards the honeymoon suite. Only the sounds of the generator, a slight hum from the ventilation, the squeak of one of the carts wheels, and their own breathing accompanied them as they made their cautious way back to the suite that had become their refuge.

"Sarah?" Ryan called as they approached the door, "It's us. We've got some more food and supplies. Open up."

"Thank goodness," Sarah exclaimed as she opened the door, shotgun clutched loosely in one hand. "I was starting to get nervous. I, knew you were both okay somehow, but you were gone so long my nerves started to act up. How did I know you were okay? How..."

"Whoa little wolf," Ryan said gently, holding up one hand, then gesturing for Sarah to stand aside so Grace could wheel the cart into the suite. Sarah stepped back with a chagrined look on her face, and Grace quickly made her way inside, parking the cart in the middle of the room as Ryan closed and locked the door. Grace took a seat, and without thinking, Sarah scurried over to where Grace sat, setting the shotgun aside and sitting down on the floor by Grace's chair, one shoulder gently touching Grace's leg.

"Sarah can feel Grace's status as an Alpha, even if she isn't a werewolf," Ryan thought. "Just being around us comforts her."

"What you feel is called the Pack Bond," Ryan said, moving to settle a log onto the still smoldering fire. "You received a transfusion of my blood in order to save your leg after your accident, and since I'm an Alpha werewolf, there was a high chance that you'd become a werewolf."

"I'm a werewolf?!" Sarah exclaimed. "That's, actually kind of cool. And it explains how I was able to outrun those...things at the hospital. I shouldn't have been able to even walk."

Sarah's face clouded over as the memories of her accident took over her mind. Ryan could feel the fear, pain, and shock radiating off of Sarah, and by the tension in her shoulders, he could tell Grace did too. It wasn't only memories of the accident either, there was more going on. than just that. The sights and sounds at the hospital, the desperate run through the streets. Sarah's slight form began to tremble, and tears began to stream down her cheeks as her shoulders shook. She didn't make a sound though, and Ryan found himself on the floor beside Sarah even as Grace slid down out of her chair on the other side of the suddenly stricken young woman. They enfolded her in their arms, holding her between them as her body shook with silent sobs. In a moment, another presence made itself known as Kathy limped over to them. She sank to her knees and, despite her injuries, added her comfort and welcome even as she drank in the comfort Ryan and Grace were giving to Sarah. Without thinking, Ryan pulled her in as well, including her in the comfort and welcome he was offering Sarah. There were only four of them, but they would protect and support each other.

readysetstalk (Desperate circumstances build strong Pack Bonds.)

 

[readysetstalk]

Gracelynn seemed to be lost in the moment the second their lips joined. It was as if everything around them had washed away, and it was just them. It was as if the world wasn't coming to a screeching halt around them, burning and being destroyed by whatever was causing the uproar. In that moment, it was just her, and Ryan. It wasn't much, but it was just what she needed right now. Her body seemed to calm just slightly, her head giving a nod in reaction to his statement that it was time to go. Her hands gripped the handle on the cart and she prepared herself. It was unlikely that anything had made its way into The Cascades while they were gathering food, but she would rather be prepared than not. Soon, the two departed and set their ways to the honeymoon suite, where three others were awaiting their return.

It all went so fast. Soon, they were all safe and sound back in the suite. Sarah was still holding ground and though she was starting to get nervous, she still seemed capable to be brandishing that weapon she held onto. Grace was relieved. Stress and panic can do a lot to a person. She was glad to see Sarah was still strong.

Before long, however, the three of them found themselves on the floor of the honeymoon suite, arms wrapped around one another. It was...powerful, really. Everything Ryan and Grace could offer to Sarah, they gave. The comfort, the calmness. It washed over them and into Sarah, giving her exactly what she needed right now. And before long, Kathy, too, was there to soak up what Ryan and Grace were radiating. It warmed Grace's heart in a way she couldn't explain. All throughout her life, Kathy had been there for her. And now? Now she was returning the favor in a much bigger way. Their pack bond allowed them to sense emotions amongst each other. And Ryan and Grace were more than capable of offering a little bit of an oasis right now. A small smile formed on her lips, proud to be a part of something so great.

Before Gracelynn had ever met Ryan, she was unsure of her place in the world. She was just a woman, working her father's hardware store, living in a town full of werewolves and vampires as just a mere human. She didn't possess any powers. She didn't have many friends. She was often alone and had practically preferred it when she met Ryan. But now? Now she had a family. She had Ryan, her mate, and words couldn't even begin to describe how she felt about him. He was her everything and more. It wasn't just them anymore, either. They had Sarah, and Kathy. The four of them created a bond much greater than any normal human family could even imagine. It was in this moment that Grace felt most at home. This was where she was meant to be. Everything had fallen into place, even in the worst of times.

Tarmagon

 

[Tarmagon]

Ryan felt Grace's acceptance of her new role, and her willingness to give to their little Pack. He was so proud of her that under other circumstances he would have been shouting his exultation from the rooftops, but for now, he just let it flow into the love and support they were sharing. There was an undercurrent, a building tension in the Bond, then it was like something immaterial snapped into place, or perhaps a dam bursting. He could feel a flow of, strength? power? something, moving from himself and Grace to Sarah and Kathy. Almost immediately he could feel Kathy relax as the pain of her wounds began to fade, the preternaturally fast healing all weres enjoyed suddenly kicking into action, whatever strange effect that had kept it suppressed overcome by the power of the Pack Bond. Sarah let out a startled cry, nearly a yelp, and jumped to her feet, taking a couple of quick steps away before starting to turn in place, a frantic look on her face.

Ryan and Grace both rose, moving to flank the younger woman as her motions grew more frantic, unease now flowing off of her in waves as she became aware of her body in ways she hadn't ever been aware before.

"Calm down," Ryan said, his tone forcing Sarah to look at him momentarily. He held her eyes, willing calm to the young woman, and she stood still, but her eyes kept darting around frantically, then they settled on Grace.

"It's okay," Grace said, and Sarah visibly relaxed. For second Ryan wondered what was happening, then it hit him. Grace shared his Alpha traits now, and she was a known quantity to Sarah. For all that she could sense his power, Sarah really didn't know Ryan. She knew Grace.

"Keep her attention," Ryan thought, hoping Grace would understand. "Tell her that it will be fine, to watch you and listen to my voice."

"It's going to be alright Sarah," Grace said immediately. "Look at me, listen to Ryan."

Ryan moved closer to Grace so Sarah could see them both, though Sarah's gaze remained fixed on Grace. For her part, Grace kept her gaze on the young woman, radiating reassurance and confidence in Ryan that nearly took his breath away.

"It's your wolf," Ryan said softly, his voice calm and level. "Whatever was keeping you from Changing is broken, and your wolf wants to know it's safe. It's a part of you now, there to give you strength, to protect you. Don't be afraid of it. Close your eyes."

Casting one more glance at Grace, Sarah shut her eyes, then gasped.

"I... it's... right here," she said, her head tilting down like she was looking at something sitting in front of her. "It's... scary... fierce... lovely."

"Yes, it is." Ryan said, remembering the first time he had met his inner wolf. "And it wants to protect you, to protect your Pack. It's you. If you let it, it wants to see the world, to make certain we're all safe. Embrace it, let it see."

Ryan's voice had dropped to a low sing-song, the cadence almost hypnotic, and Sarah leaned forward, reaching out as though she were going to put her arms around something only she could see. As she leaned forward however, her body seemed to shimmer and twist, becoming almost liquid. Her hands were fully formed paws by the time they made contact with the floor, the borrowed shirt and sweats ripping free as silvery fur sprouted from her exposed skin. Where a slim young woman had been, a silver furred wolf with dark markings stood, looking around the room with a sense of, wonder radiating from it. Both Grace and Ryan could feel the astonishment Sarah was feeling as her sense awoke fully for the first time. It was nearly overwhelming her, but Grace and Ryan acted together, muting the sensory input, then slowly letting it resume as Sarah calmed, letting her instincts sort through the sounds and scents. In mere minutes, the new werewolf that was Sarah was bounding around the room, pausing to sniff at every door and window, then coming back to where Ryan and Grace stood, watching. The wolf rose up on it's hind legs, giving Grace's face a lick that left her spluttering and laughing before dropping down to rub against Ryan's leg before curling up in front of the fire.

"She'll be fine," Ryan said as Sarah began to snore. "The first change can be overwhelming, but she handled it well with two of us to support her. She'll probably Change in her sleep..."

Kathy rose smoothly from where she had been sitting, watching everything silently, and moved to the bed. She grabbed a blanket from the foot of the bed, then quickly moved to drape it over the sleeping wolf. She smiled down at her newest Packmate, then turned her smile on Grace and Ryan.

"My first change wasn't nearly that smooth," she said. "There's something about the two of you... It's like you're... never mind. I'm starving. You brought food?"

readysetstalk (Welcome back. I hope things are getting better for you.)