Moon, Blood, and Wolf's Bane

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Marette froze like a deer in headlights behind the trees, the sound of voices punctuating the air. It was hard for her at this distance to make out distinct words, she could tell that one sounded angry, and that it sounded masculine. The other voice seemed softer, not so angry and maybe female. Marette couldn't help but strain her hearing to figure out what they were saying, but she could only make out a few words, mostly angry ones from the man that were disjointed and made no sense.

As the voice snapped, a few of the words stood out enough for Marette to jump to the conclusion that they were talking about the fiasco by the fountain, hearing something about "Zack's mess". Marette tried to move slowly, quietly away when the softer voice carried "...pack.... stupidass fuckup..." glancing around, Marette tried to hurry back along the way she had come to make sense of things at home, or maybe to go again to the bar. She wasn't sure which.

The scent of water was carried on the breeze, the natural muddy scent surrounding it as well. It was peaceful out here and Marette was feeling such a kaleidoscope of emotions she could not tell what exactly was dominating. She was feeling sad still, alone here, some twinge of jealousy left over, and maybe some resentment at their being people on the path she liked to walk when she was feeling blue. The whole day had been too confusing, too much. Maybe she would just go sleep..
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A warm tingle spread outward from the cheek Natasha touched, through the bartender's body, effortlessly painting a pleased smile on his lips. The sensation of her fingers in his hair relaxed the brown-haired young man further from those daily tensions which possessed him and said that this was alright. Pressure from the gentle hold she had on his shoulder acted as a calm catalyst, bringing those already smiling lips to meet hers for that first time.

Her lips felt so delicate under his, flavored flower petals that tasted with the purity of fond memories as every one the following kisses flowed in their own stream of time. A clock's purpose was lost on the two exploring these new sensations that love had found. Each time was similar to taking a drink when one was thirsty. Except that with every shy sip that Natasha took of his lips, Jason's thirst to drink of hers grew stronger.

She kept clinging to him with a fierceness that demanded a masculine response of some sort of him. But nothing about it showed weakness on her part so much as a willingness. As Natasha's body twitched and writhed Jason found his own tightening up or in some places growing rather stiff. Both of his arms held her restless, vulnerable form with such a passionate protectiveness that if it were not for their different clothes one would not have guessed they were two separate beings desperately trying to become one without quite knowing how. Through the layers of cloth which made them civilized Jason could feel every contour of her body that pressed against him. More than anything he could feel the heat of her and it made the fire inside start to burn even hotter.

Only her hand cupping his cheek broke the spell long enough to make his eye open to look at hers with a deep yearning. A lone orb of jade resting on fresh snow gazed at two sparkling emerald marbles set in strikingly pure white eggshells that had not a single crack. Her facial features held such a delicate nature that reminded him of tissue paper. No that wasn't right. More like smooth wrapping paper, the kind one actually did not want to rip and tear away so violently in a mindless state of selfishness. Jason already knew of one thing underneath it. . . but today seemed to say that there still remained plenty of surprises inside.

Nuzzling her in return, Jason sound found himself once again swimming in the river of kisses that spilled from their mouths so easily. Part of him could hear her heart beating, realizing in turn that his own was pounding from the way their bodies pressed together. The Bartender did not want any of this to end and had ceased to keep track of the fact his shift had not ended. Despite how right it felt, a tinge of red came to his cheeks upon realizing that with this closeness she might notice something all her affection had ignited.

When she nuzzled him again, a playful, loving nature entered the action without any thought. Until she did something which brought out of Jason a reaction never knew could happen. Natasha's voice entered his ear in a way no one had ever spoken to him before. Less than a few seconds had passed until the Were spoke.

"Natasha. . ."

Opposite of a breathless whisper, her name was spoken on the intake of a gasp. Sensations brought on by the way she had spoken brought the borderline erotic sound out of him. The Bartender didn't know if it was the whisper's breathless tone, or the warmth of her breath cascading across his ear but it sparked a deep fire inside that no torch could carry. But instead of an explosion, it sent an icy tingle along his spine that ended with a change in the way his affections came.


Rather than drinking even further of her delicious lips, his own lips found their way to the smooth milky skin of Natasha's neck. Their nuzzling had placed his face in just the right way to do so without warning. A hand that had remained in her silky soft hair, lightly grasped the back of her head to gently tilt it further. Jason could taste her skin on his lips without even licking them. The fresh scent of her hair was filling his nose completely to a point his mind registered that was beyond even the strongest stuff he served in the bar. Perfume. . . shampoo. . . whatever it was. . . it was her.

Instincts of the animal side kicked in suddenly, saying that they could not just stay standing like this forever. She wanted more and so did he, instincts screaming that for that to happen they needed something stable. The lone eye opened halfway, peering around behind Natasha to see if something was nearby. A tree or just about anything would suffice including the ground beneath their feet if she didn't mind. Where was something that fit such a lenient description?! Jason's jade gaze flicked around the landscape in a search fueled by his yearning for this time with Natasha to continue further. One of his legs started to move, but it was without a definite direction.

Where should he move them to?
 
Remmi realized that her and Alex had been talking for a while and the evening was getting later so she had decided it better to excuse herself from him. Remmi needed to prove that she could keep this job as she just rolled in and started straight to work. It was funny how working and talking to Alex had distracted her from the fact that she still hadn't eaten. Faintly she had wondered if Rion had brought her car to town as Sara had instructed him to do, but he didn't seem like the kind of guy yo take orders well.

Sighing as she brushed her loose hair out of her face, her legs were feeling slightly shaky, Remmi decided to go to the back room for a few minutes to sit down. Pulling her hair of of the pony tail she brushed it over her right shoulder playing with it idly as she found an empty milk crate to sit on. Resting her head on her hand perched up on her knee she closed her eyes and tried to remember everyone that she had met but only four had stuck. It was clearly going to take her a while to get everyone down. Wrapping her free hand around her stomach Remmi decided to sit on the crate for a few more minutes. It sure was nice to have some resemblance of normality in her life again. This really wasn't too bad, well so far.
 
"Natasha..."

The gasp caused her to stifle a moan. Everything that they were doing was only making the yearning stronger. Her breathing was in the form of uneven, quick-paced panting now, and she writhed against Jason as he kissed her neck. The feeling of his lips there seemed to set her off and she seemed to sense his search for a stable place.... Or at least she thought.... it wasn't just her... that was feeling that she wanted more, right?

She whimpered slightly, keening, nipping Jason's neck very lightly as she searched wordlessly. But yet, all she wanted in that moment, was not to care about anything else, just..... start... right there...

She looked up at Jason silently, then took a step back, carefully shrugging out of the jacket, happy that her shoulder didn't hurt nearly as much as it did. She ran her fingertips over the stitches and dried blood for a moment before looking up at Jason silently, kissing him again. She wanted him so badly that it ached. She wanted to feel his skin under her hands, she wanted more.

She shyly swiped a lick over his lips, then kissed a trail to his right ear, her hands suddenly gently alighting on his shoulder and head, holding him stead while she nipped and licked at his earlobe. She took a glance at his face for a moment before continuing. Was she doing this right? Did he want her like she wanted him? She was absolutely clueless, but going purely by smell, she knew by hormones that he had to be feeling the same way, at least physically. That was enough.

"Jason....I love you..." The second time saying it, and her voice didn't shake at all this time, yet, it was still a husky breathless whisper. Was it just hormones? Chemicals? Reactions? IT WAS love, right? It had to be.... Had to...

She stretched out a leg behind herself, toeing her jacket, trying to straighten it out, spread it out. Something to lay on. She looked up at Jason all the while, her eyes searching his. Unspoken questions lay within. Now? Did he? Was that ok? She finished straightening out the jacket and then looked up at him again before kissing him again, her body felt like it was on fire. She needed him. She wanted him. She only hoped he felt the same.

She slowly lowered herself, gently pulling him down with her, not wanting to be apart from him for even a second. Instincts had her wrapping her arms around him, kissing him again, a certain fierceness was starting to grow with each one. Almost a dominant energy, possessive. Each kiss felt like a claim to her property. Hers. This felt odd to her, but, she hoped it was natural. Her brain had all but shut down as her corporal being sought out a tighter embrace in which clothes had no part of. Something much more natural. Something ingrained into the core of their beings.

She shrugged out of her shirt, her body seeming to grow hotter with every article that was removed. She looked up at Jason, love and innocence purely shone in her eyes as she lay there, her heart hammering away in her chest.

"Please.... love me."

It was the only way she could say it. She hated swearing. And saying something carnal such as "I want you" didn't suit her.

She waited, the fire in her core raged in ways she didn't quite understand....

And she craved more...
 
For some reason it came as a surprise when those soft lips of hers pressed against his neck just barely before she nipped ever so lightly in way which tingled his shoulder into moving in a slow rotation of pure pleasure. Inhaling deeply, it made his grip on her tighten slightly as a sign of how much more her actions made his blood pump before breathing out quickly. His body pressed tightly against her writhing body through the possessive force his arms exerted. When she took a step back, he watched as she carefully shrugged out of the jacket to reveal that shoulder wound from last night. Jason had all but forgotten about that injury in the heat of the moment and was mentally thankful he had not accidentally harmed it in their intimacy.

Every moment she stood only a step away impulses to reach out and pull her close again flowed freely inside.

Her kiss was returned without hesitation as his eye closed in temporary bliss only for it to open a moment later. Slight shock at the smooth feeling from her lick of his lips made them start to part in anticipation. Instead he only felt a trail of kisses, mouth watering as the journey continued along to his earlobe. Shivers of small pleasure brought tension and relaxation at the exact same moment alongside a soft smile. Both hands slid sensually up underneath the back of her shirt in the search to feel her bare skin underneath his fingertips as her hands rested upon him once more. Every muscle in his face extended the honest truth that Natasha had done absolutely nothing wrong so far. If anything she could take some sort of pride in knowing she had put that look there all by herself.

Outside his body remained strong, but alive and awakened to newly found desires all stemming from a single fact: He wanted her more than anything else in the world. Wanted to have her near, as he started holding her closer, wanted to see her, as he stood looking at her beautiful face, wanted to smell her, as the scent of her own hormones intoxicated him, wanted to hear her, as the sound of her breathing grew so intense, wanted to taste her, as the flavor of her saliva still lingered on his lips when he licked them. Everything brought on by her presence only fueled the burning desire inside.

"Jason....I love you..."

Breathlessly whispered, to hear those words for the second time come after his name brought so much joy into his heart it exploded every barrier of protection. He knew she would never lie about something so important as love. He knew she felt the same way about him now. Did she have any doubts about him? As if he could feel any other emotion now. So what if it was the first time he had ever felt this way?! How could it be anything else but love? Nothing else could possibly be so powerful. Before he had gotten choked up from sheer shock and relied on his eye to speak for him. . . but now his mouth finally found the words. And he spoke them clearly without a whisper.

"I love you too. . . Natasha. . ."

Every inch of his being burning with desire, with lips that felt ready to burst into flame he kissed Natasha every second as she gently pulled him down with her onto the ground. Sparking with each kiss, her possessive passion kept igniting his own, lips laying claim to her mouth again and again with a romantic yet ravenous rapture. From her back, both of his hands slid down her perfectly proportioned sides as she removed the shirt covering the silky soft skin currently caressed underneath his exploring touch that ended with a dominant grip on her hips. Underneath his own clothes existed a body belonging to a warrior, toned from a fight-filed youth often spent protecting the one beneath him.

All the while his jade green eye gazed upon her snowy, slender body before looking into her eyes with nothing but pure love reserved solely for those who were a first love. Warmth beamed from that lone eye of such an intensity that it could melt steel. But even more than that. . . for her his heart would pound with such a blind madness as it did now for no one else beyond her.

"Please.... love me."

Natasha's words held the wonderfully innocent quality that Jason realized made her even more attractive to her. He wanted to show her how much he loved her. But he did not plunge wordlessly into sheer lust at her request. He knew what her words meant, but they deserved a reply beyond consummation of what they both wanted. The only words he could say were not even thought out completely before saying them from sheer reflex without a single doubt. It was just such a moment.

"I'll always love you."

Uncaged at last, the truth set free an animal of passion desperately clawing from inside to reach his beloved Natasha's yielding form. He wanted her so badly that just imagining the taste on his lips was not enough. He feasted once again on her lips with kisses driven by a hunger strong enough to leave a full grown moose nothing more than a blood-soaked skeleton. Trailing away from her mouth, along her jawline, down her neck, the feverish kisses continued across her throat all the way to her collarbone on the opposite side of her injury. Masculine yet soft lips pressed against the soft skin before suddenly jumping up to her ear lobe. He wanted her to know just what it felt like when she had done it earlier. Nipping and licking the hopefully sensitive spot, Jason ended the contact it by sucking somewhat sensually.

Both hands now thoroughly explored her body that no clothes could have contained the heat of, running along her hips to sensually stroke the front of her slender thighs before returning upward along the back of her legs. Breathing a little heavily, nerves tried to peek in when those hands rose up to the level of her rear. Lightly grazing along it at first, both hands squeezed in a playful yet loving way. Redness crept onto his cheeks. . . it was the first time he had ever done that.

Once more his mouth lunged, this time shallowly taking her throat into his mouth as if to conceal his tongue licking at the supple skin. A hand at her rear had risen to tangle itself in her silky hair, using the grip to dominate the movement of her head and allow more access. Did she mind that he was getting more aggressive? Blushing in pure pleasure, he tried lightly sucking on her skin. It felt like the inferno blazing inside was assuaged in some strange way for a few moments as he indulged. Base instinct moved him there unless her touch moved him somewhere else. Her skin tasted different than her mouth, but not less satisfying by any means.

Their scents were still distinct from each other, yet with every second of intimacy Jason got more of Natasha's scent on his body and she got more of his as well. Why should either one care? Jason wanted her to get his scent on her. . . it would be even further proof to that animal side she belonged to him and no one else in the pack. Let alone any random human in town.

Slowly but surely, his mouth moved down to the base of her throat before those lips found themselves quickly planting light kisses in a trail leading south. Every inch closer increased the heaviness of the way his lips pressed against her skin as his hunger grew again. Was there a need to get some type of 'ok' signal to go further? After all she had made it as clear as her modesty would allow that she wanted his love right now as badly he wanted hers. Jason never stopped letting his affection flow freely, with instincts and heightened senses trying to aid the Were in making up for what he lacked in experience. Some part of the male knew the area he was nearing, caught up in the heat of the moment his lips grazed along the very top of her chest.

Then, wanting even more, his mouth went lower. . .
 
"I'll always love you."

The words echoed through Natasha's head, as did his other proclamation of love. It both stunned her and made her react even more.

It reverberated and echoed in her head. It was reassurance and at the same time, it laid her thoughts across her mind, scattering them. Everything was purely sensory and instinct. All she knew now was the other were's touch and kisses. She felt the heat of his passion through his surprisingly soft lips. As Jason gave her sensitive earlobe some attention, as she had done for him, she found out just how good it felt. Her whole body tingled and a flash of heat ran over her body as little gasps and moans escaped her. As he sucked her earlobe, she gasped and her breathing grew jagged and uneven, her eyes seemed to glaze over, unfocused as she whimpered Jason's name, wanting more, which was soon given.

As Jason's hands roamed her sensitive skin, she traced kisses over his cheek, down his neck, along his jaw-line. Anywhere she could reach. She trembled slightly as his touch grazed over her thighs, her body tensing slightly, the muscles under the skin reacting, becoming hardened, taut. Within moments, as his hands reached the backs of her legs, she had an inclination to suddenly wrap them around Jason's waist, but even then, her modesty restrained her. But that all changed when the man she loved -and now knew loved her back- laid his hands upon her bottom, and he had caressed it and.... squeezed it.... a whimper rose up in her throat and her legs suddenly locked around his waist in a almost feral attempt to keep him locked there not wanting him to stop. Every where Jason touched, pleasure seemed to be immediate.

She looked up at Jason innocently, watching him as he lowered his mouth to her neck, her eyes shut tightly as she keened and moaned, her lip suddenly caught between her teeth again. Gods, did he know how good that felt? How intoxicated he was making her? She enjoyed the grazing touch as he moved a hand to wriggle its way into her hair, using it to pull her in a way to give him more room, which she was entirely comfortable with. His mouth on her skin.... his body so close to her own.... It was almost too much for her. All modesty was pushed aside in the moment, her hips raising and falling, undulating in some confusing matter that she didn't quite understand .... brushing against Jason, again.... and again as she kept her legs locked around his waist. For some reason, some relief was gained out of that simple movement, and so she did it again. And again, with enough pressure to feel the seems of her own pants pressed hard against her skin as she sought out a way to keep the madness at bay. A needful groan tore from her lips.

The smell of him was enough to drive her nuts. She wanted to be his, she wanted him to be hers. She wanted to dominate him and be dominated. She wanted something so basic and primal, yet she wanted so badly to keep feeling the love that she felt was flowing through Jason's touch. She never wanted to smell anything other than her dear Jason's scent anymore. This heat and passion was all consuming, leaving Natasha near to trembling in it's wake. She had never wanted or needed anything so badly as she had now.

And then his lips trailed down her throat to her chest. For some unknown reason, her body tensed up and then relaxed each time Jason kissed her feverish skin. Her breath was light and quick, small gasps. And his mouth went lower as she suddenly remembered the presence of her damned bra. She clumsily removed it with shaking hands, tossing it aside before looking down, watching Jason quietly.

She bit her lip again, that odd, primal instinct screaming in her head as her awareness of certain needs in her body were suddenly known, and she understood all at once. She raised her hips up against Jason's body, undulating again, her innocent form struggling in it's hunger. She wanted nothing more than to be naked before Jason now. She wanted to peel off every stitch of clothing she had on now, and the same for Jason. She wanted to feel more of his skin pressed against hers. She grinned sheepishly slightly before reaching down as she unlocked her legs from around Jason's waist, her fingers trembling as she fought with the button of her pants, then finally managed to get it undone, pulling the zipper down slowly. She paused for a moment, her breathing erratic as a response to Jason's ministrations. She then moved her hands to the waistband of her pants, pushing them them down, fighting to get free of the clothing that held her apart from her dearest loved one.

Nothing else mattered. It was innocent and pure, the truest and oldest expression of love. She just wanted to share in it with Jason... She wanted so badly to feel more, to smell more.... she wanted very badly to taste more of Jason's mouth and skin. She needed more. More.... it was a madness and an intoxication that was slowly becoming her sole thought.

Finally kicking free of the pants -and shoes and socks in the process-, she laid there under Jason in only her panties, which, by the way, she thought were so adorable because they had a tiny, little, powder blue heart right under the elastic band of the panties, which aside from the blue heart and band, were a soft white. Innocently, with a blush creeping along her cheeks, she pulled Jason closer to her, then her hand roamed down his body, tracing his build before stopping at the button closure of his pants. She hesitated for a moment, looking up at Jason before her fingers worked through it and her hand slightly trembled as she pulled the zipper down.

She licked her lips slightly, her hands pulling the clothing down slightly, as she flicked her gaze up to Jason's again. Her lips found his as she wrapped her body around his, her arms tightly wound around his shoulders while his legs once again tangled around his waist. She couldn't stand it, following the same path he had taken, kissed a trail from his lips down his throat, pausing, remembering one of his ministrations. She heavily laid kisses upon the skin there, then licked and nipped at the area before sucking as he had with her. Being clueless, she found a small bruise-like mark where her mouth had been. She whimpered an apology while licking the affected area. Knowing that due to their heightened amount of healing, the mark wouldn't be around for long, but still felt as though she had accidentally hurt Jason. She looked up at him again, her eyes zeroed in on his, and with one hand, she gently stroked Jason's cheek, with the other, she gently closed his uninjured eye, then leaned in, planting a small kiss on the eyelid. Then kissed his forehead and the tip of his nose.

"You're the most important person in my life...." She said quietly, but clearly. A small, honest smile upon her lips as she kissed Jason again.
 
It glistened in the moonlight. His eyes watched it, transfixed. Somewhere in his fuzzy, muddled mind, he appreciated its simple beauty. He ached to touch it, to cover it with himself and shield it from the elements.

His gaze shifted to the dark silhouette above him as a weight pressed down on him and he felt faint warmth spread over his lower half. He watched as the silhouette moved above him, jerking roughly in the darkness.

Normally, this would have been a grand night to him, but not now. Not when that simply beautiful glistening object was the exposed spine of his lover. Not when the warmth spreading over his body was his own vital fluids. Not when the body above him was shoving a knife into his belly, eviscerating him.

He tried to scream. He tried to curse but couldn't. He had no tongue.

The patch torn from his leather vest was stuffed into his mouth, muffling any other guttural noises he tried to make. He could smell the leather he wore, that unmistakable stink the hide had when wet.

The silhouette above him was shouting something to him, but he couldn't understand him. He didn't understand what he was asking. If not for just the questions he had no answers to, but the language he spoke it in.

How had this man even snuck up as easily as he did? Sure he was screwing his bitch (for a brief moment, he tried to think of her face, but soon stopped. All that would come to mind was left of it after the giant was done with her), but even that wouldn't have been a problem…he was being extra careful too, because he didn't want to get caught.

Why then, had this giant of a man been able to come up on them so quickly? It was as though he were possessed…as though he weren't human himself…but he was. He had to be.

The giant was still shouting, but he didn't think what he was shouting even made sense to the one shouting it anymore…

He heard his insides plopping on the ground next to him. Why he was able to hear that and not the shouting was a mystery. The sound of blood rushing in his ears was becoming deafening. Why? He could feel his heart slowing to a crawl. He could feel the cold creeping in. Why?

He continued to stare at the silhouette, the glaring moon making a sharp, deep shadow that hid details from him. The cold was painful now.

He fought against his heavy eyelids as the darkness crept inward. He fought to open his eyes…but it was then that he realized his eyes were open.

+++++

The old ones said that if a warrior wanted to know if he would die in battle or live a long life, he should take the corpse of a badger or coyote and lay it on its back. After removing the internal organs, he would say a prayer before peering into the blood that collected in the cavity. If he saw his own face in the liquid, he would die young. If he saw the face of an old man, he would live a long life.

Right now, Jimmy only saw the crimson-tinted reflection of the moon, the reflection dispersing as his heavy tears and sweat dropped from his chin and into the congealing pool.

But then again…maybe he had done it wrong, now that he thought about it…Now that he had a moment to see what lay in front of him was not a coyote or a wolf…but a man.

'No, no…not a man. Only wearing the skin of a man…'

He sat back on his folded legs and contemplated peering into the grotesque gazing pool again but quickly changed his mind. Reaching out he hefted the body and rolled it over onto its stomach, the blood pooled in its stomach cavity sloshing out and quickly spreading to stain the ground. The weight of the body caused the pile of offal next to it to squelch as the organs were squished. Moving into a stand he nudged at the body with his boot, making sure that the body was face down in the dirt.

Jimmy sighed.

Now he wouldn't have to worry…with it face down, the monster's soul would be cursed to wander the earth for the rest of eternity.

'No worries…,' he thought as a thin smile wriggled across his lips as he trudged wearily back to his bike.

++++

Jimmy's eyes slowly peeled open, his vision blurry with sleep. He rolled over, quickly regretting that decision as a sliver of bright light greeted him from a crack in the curtains.

He groaned and stretched, his feet poking out from the blanket into the coolness of the dark room. Said feet quickly pulled back under the covers as he wondered why hotel beds seemed to be made for midgets…but then he realized that they probably weren't made for giants like him, either.

What a gyp.

Too bad Raymond didn't have any other inns.

Rolling out of bed and onto his knees, he began rummaging around in his bag, pulling out some necessities. His tired eyes blinked slowly as the memories of his dreams slogged through his head…Only that he knew they weren't dreams. At first, he thought they were, until he found the 3s & 7s badge in his bag, splattered with blood.

He'd washed it though. In the washing machine. Used fabric softener on it too. Now, it was Downy soft.

It was also in his pocket.

There was no way he was going to let it go…not until he had finished the job.

It was nearly an hour later when he emerged from his hotel room, his gaze sweeping the streets. He took a deep inhale of the crisp Montana morning air.

There was the slight scent of cattle on the wind…and something else…something familiar.

He sighed heavily, his shoulders slumping as his hand slipped into his pocket around the badge, fingers balling into a fist.
 
END OF CHAPTER TWO



BEGINNING CHAPTER THREE
The Missing and the Dead
A week or so later...​


There was a psycho serial killer on the loose.

At least that's how the newspapers were trying to spin it. It all started that day Charlie Morris got herself banged up by some wackjob out in the forest. ...then disappeared. Her trailer trashed and traces of blood were all that was left. Not even her best friend could seem to get in contact with her. Charlie was missing.

What came next shocked the whole damned town. Not one body - but three. Mangled bloodied corpses found in different places of the forest surrounding Raymond. The first two was a couple, caught mid-sex and belonging to that biker gang that rolled in to town some days ago. The other was a recent Raymond native, Kyle Craft, some guy that worked at the local library. Investigations came up inconclusive so far. None of the incidents seemed to be connected and yet... they were sure something was missing.

There's not a soul in Raymond right now that ain't worried.



Sara bustled in to work at the Hippo bright and early. For the past week or so she hadn't been herself. No snappy remarks, no biting insults. The girl had been silent and brooding. Evasive even when someone tried to ask her what was wrong. People just did not understand the shit she had to carry. That night with Zack... well. In the end, Sara told him to get out of town. What she did or didn't do didn't matter anymore. Zack couldn't stay in town and Sara made a promise to protect the members of her pack. Even if that included forbidden unborn halfweres...

Throwing her stuff in the back with an angry huff, Sara went through her normal routine. Steal food out of the fridge for breakfast, then get ready for the early afternoon crowd.



Meanwhile, Grace was just leaving the police station. There was no new word on Charlie, and now to top it all off, she hadn't seen or heard from Zack since their fight. It's like the apocalypse just hit their town. She thought things couldn't get any worse and then a few people turned up dead. That was just cutting shit too far. Not one to let her family become the next victims of a serial killer, she had all the cousins packed up and sent off to another Uncle's ranch outside of Raymond. They LOVED the fact they'd get to miss a little bit of school. Grace would have gone with them but... she needed to find out what happened to Charlie. That girl hadn't been her best friend for years for Grace to go and abandon her now.
 
Rion was sitting at the bar again. He'd been a constant visitor to the Howling Hippo and it probably didn't help wolves who wanted him gone that Noel kept finding him things to do. Check the plumbing. Find more glasses holed up in storage because some drunk had broken a bunch of them the night before. Oil the wheels on Harry's favorite rolling chair. Hell, even climb up on the roof to investigate some rumor of raccoons living there.

He was playing cards with Noel. "Last card."

Noel looked up. "Figures. Told G I never had any luck with cards. Dice are more my thing." He looked over at Sara. "So, looks like you're turning out to be the number one contender of our little flock. What are the chances we can relocate to somewhere like Vegas so I can woo Lady Luck and she can pay me the alimony I'm due?"
 
Natasha walked into the Hippo, her face somber as she sat at the bar. Anyone could see the dark circles under her eyes.

`Poor little thing... couldn't sleep...again...' Even the bitter self-deprecating voice in her head seemed sluggish...

The impact of the dead and missing affected everyone, the effect of it fluctuating from person to person, but none were left in its wake. A week ago, she had been happily consummating feelings with Jason, but after they got to the bar, there was news about Charlie. Word spread fast of her. All Natasha could think of was how she could go to Grace's and see if she was alright, but at this point, she knew better. Grace needed her space. Although, truthfully, Natasha had been keeping an eye on her. Just in case.

She had kept close to Jason after that. And then when more bodies were found, Natasha was never to be found by herself. There had even been a day when she forced herself to talk to Rion.

At first, she thought it was cowardly, then she realized that it wasn't for a form of assurance of some kind of protection. It was due to the affect that she was keeping an eye on everyone's emotional state. Because she'd change her own accordingly. She still didn't know how to think of this.

And yet.... It was like a trance she had been broken out of when Noel mentioned Vegas.

"Don't be so carefree... Also, flock is the definition of a group of birds." She then bit her lip and put her forehead to the cold surface of the bar. She had also become easier to anger in this past week. She spat out an apology, then, moments later, apologized for her harsh tone.

She had tried to talk to Sarah about Zack a few times, but as far as the conversation went, it seemed that Sarah clearly wanted to keep to herself.

Natasha wanted to help her younger sister, and felt for the first time that she had to act her age and try to help take care of her.... but all attempts, no matter how big or small, seemed to be rejected or ignored.

As a result of the turmoil of emotions within her and within the pack, Natasha had no idea how to act or behave in these times, but had done her best, and although she was easier to anger and unable to sleep well, she otherwise tried her best to be respectfully silent in the passing of some of the unfortunates of Raymond.

She was frightened, but at the same time, Natasha wanted nothing more than to just go back to the way things were the week before. A small blush crept to her cheeks as she remembered the way it had felt to make love with Jason, but almost immediately as soon as it appeared, the patches of red disappeared. She felt they were out of place and unneeded in these times.

Jason had become the solace in her life at the moment. It comforted her greatly to see him, to touch him, the smell alone was enough to bring her peace. Now her smiles were reserved solely for him, anyone else got a cheap attempt of a forced grin.

But as it stood now, Natasha got up from the bar and walked over to Sara, putting a hand on her shoulder before moving past her, going out the back door, that being the exit closest to her. Just.... something hadn't smelt normal to her this whole week, understandably, but there was something else, and she'd be damned if she wasn't the only one smelling this. It was hard to put her finger on it, that smell.....

She came back into the bar moments later, the expression on her face was still troubled and puzzled. She sat back at the bar, and lowered her forehead to the surface again. Silence reigned.
 
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"Vegas is the stupidest place for a wolf." Sara dropped in to a chair beside Rion and Noel. She was eyeballing her sister, even though she was finally bothering to talk to someone. At this rate, Natasha was going to flip out and go rabid, even though she finally banged herself a mate.

But thinking about sex and mates had Sara sliding low in her chair. They really, really needed to discuss the future of the pack. She glanced around carefully, making sure none of their human patrons had stumbled in to the bar yet, before she leaned forward on the table and stole a few cards from Rion.

"I don't think it's safe to stay here any longer. We're getting killed and we don't even know by who. If it's that stupidass Zack's fault, or a hunter, or worse..."
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Jimmy leaned against the door of his hotel room, relaxing in the shadow of the eaves as the sounds of a small town rustling awake surrounded him. He could hear the slamming of car doors, the idling of engines, a few yapping dogs. As he listened, a knot grew in his stomach, his lips growing slightly pale as he rummaged in his coat pocket, the hiss of a flame eating at paper-wrapped tobacco sounding a moment later. He focused on the lazy trails of smoke floating in the air in front of him, willing that knot to return from whence it came. Lately, the early morning had become unsettling, rather than something he looked forward to.

This was the first day he'd decided to actually go out and explore Raymond…although he already knew there wasn't that much to see in the first place.

'Ah, Raymond…metropolis of the West…'

He remembered passing through here a few times with his grandparents, although they never seemed to stop here. His first real memory of Raymond was during a trip with his grandfather. Their truck had been low on fuel and they had no choice but to stop, but even then, Tunkacila had locked him in with his Grandmother. In fact, now that he thought about it…he didn't have any family here. Usually he could find relatives scattered through almost every area…but nowhere around the Raymond scene.

Well, that didn't really matter. It was probably for the best, after he thought about it. The whole place seemed kind of…weird. Like there was something off in the air…something that didn't belong.

He took a moment to clear his head, the sickening knot in his belly trying to rise up the more he thought about it. The tip of his cigarette hissed as he took a deep inhale, his eyes slowly closing. He kept the smoke trapped in his mouth, his eyes squeezing shut tightly as he thought of a quick prayer. Jimmy exhaled slowly, letting the smoke wisp away, carrying his silent pleas on the wind. He dropped the cigarette, crushing it beneath his boot.

Deciding to leave his bike behind, Jimmy set out to find a place to eat. He'd been surviving on the trail mix and other snacks he kept in his bag, but a man could only eat trail mix and drink hotel coffee for so long. He hoped that the housekeeping had a strong constitution…they were going to need it.

As he strolled on, he noticed that the town seemed a bit empty. Well, considering what had just happened, he didn't blame them. The talkative front desk had supplied him with free local papers and more town gossip than he could stand. By the third day he knew who was pregnant in town and who couldn't get it up without help.

He stayed on the sidewalk, ticking off the names of shops and stores he didn't really need right now. Soon enough, his wandering brought him across the street from a place called the—

"….What the hell is a Howling Hippo?"

His stomach growled.

He placed a hand on it to settle it. The place looked like a bar of some kind…bars had food…but that name made him wary. What the hell was a Howling Hippo? He turned to square his shoulders with the door. He just hoped he wasn't going to wander into a place with women hanging from the ceiling in cages and goats bleating in the back rooms.

No wait, places like this usually kept that sort of thing confined to the barns…

'Well…maybe there's another place down the street...' his stomach growled impatiently, 'Christ, fine!' he thought, 'Don't blame me though if something goes wrong!'

With a sense of purpose and a inkling of dread, Jimmy strode across the street, heading directly for the door of the Howling Hippo.
 
Remmi sat at the end of the bar with her head laying down staring across it as everyone talked. Nobody had really given her a hard time since she got there. In fact Sara let Remmy stay at her house. She, like everyone else had been really somber even though it was not her pack or her home it still struck really close to her heart.

"No matter where we go there will always be a hunter or some psycho. There is no such place as Stepford, there will always be something." Remmi shrugged her head still laying on the bar as she just watched them play cards.

Remmi didn't really do much more than work. She had toured the town with Alex and seen him a few times but since the news about the murders he hadn't really come around. Remmi really worked hard and trying to keep a light mood but it was just getting harder and harder lately. "Can I cook today? I don't feel very social..." Sighing she wrapped her arms around her stomach as she waited for a response. She was a pretty good cook, a secret passion in her life. After all they all had her cooking earlier in the week, and everyone seemed to like it.
 
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Grace was in her truck on her way through town to head back to the ranch. One hand on the steering wheel and the other had her elbow resting on the door and her hand covering her mouth. Fucking nausea. The scent of donuts from the station was still swirling around. She hadn't eaten breakfast all morning, and now even thinking about food had her remembering the scents and wanting to hurl in the passenger's seat.

Her phone jingled with a text message.

Darting her hand to the side to snatch up the phone, she was praying it was Charlie..! The disappointment to see some stupid reminder about buying more phone minutes had her cursing up a storm.

...But not as much as looking up and seeing some man out in the middle of the street. Grace swerved to the side as she hit the breaks. Thankfully missing the guy, but plowing right in to the lamp post and mailbox out front the Howling Hippo. The front of her truck was now smashed in, but all she could think about was whether or not she just jostled the little munchkin hidden in her stomach.

Grace had never been so scared about something in her entire life!

Climbing out of the truck probably pale as death, she stepped back to take a look at the damages, GLARE at the asshole that was previously in the middle of the street, and rest a hand on her stomach. Nothing hurt, she was fine. ...but that was close. She should have been paying more attention.

"Do you not know how to use a crosswalk?!" she shouted!
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Natasha was unsure if she was the first to react to the sounds of the mishap outside, but she was the first to bolt past the others to see what had occurred. All she knew was that Grace was involved. And that echoed back to when she had munched that damned cow. She had the stitches out at this point, but the wound was still healing. A reminder.

She walked over, trying her best not to be nosy, it was easy enough to pick up the basic gist of what had happened. The guy hadn't been using the crosswalk, Grace had been distracted, but swerved in time, which had led to her incident. Natasha edged closer to Grace. The man she saw in front of her was relatively new... besides, she still owed Grace for the wounds she had dealt to her, even if the woman didn't entirely understand Natasha's debt to her, it still mattered.

Regardless of being able to tell what the issue was right away, she still asked the question, just to be clear.

"I don't mean to stick my nose where it doesn't belong, but what happened? And would either of you like to come into the bar while you work this out?" Natasha asked quietly, then surveyed the damage to the lamp post and mailbox, but moth damage was really taken by Grace's truck it seemed. She smiled at the two again, trying to be friendly.
 
Jimmy had been rummaging around in his pockets for his wallet, hoping he hadn't accidentally left it behind, when the faint sound of an engine reached his distracted ears. He didn't think much of it until he realized almost too late that it wasn't slowing down at all. His head whipped to the side as he saw a truck practically ready to ride up on him. Everything moved in slow motion as he leapt to the side, landing with a "Uuf!" on his side, the sidewalk roughly scraping down his forearm as he braced himself.

He gritted his teeth as he peeled his stinging arm away from the pavement and reached out to pull his discarded jacket to him before getting to his feet. Stiffly looking over his shoulder toward the faint hiss of a radiator he saw the smashed front end and the bent remains of a mailbox. "Christ!" he said as he walked around the back of the truck, flicking at the bits of gravel stuck in his arm.

Just as he came around the back he heard a woman's voice (why did that not surprise him?) shouting at him.

"Do you knot know how to use a crosswalk?!"

He fought the urge to roll his eyes before he caught sight of something in her hand. SOMETHING TERRIBLE AND DANGEROUS.

Jimmy's right hand shot out as he pointed at the cellphone in her hand, "Do you not know how to use a cellphone?! Oh, wait, YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO WHEN YOU'RE DRIVING."

He felt his anger starting to rise when he noticed the hand on her stomach and how pale she looked. "Hey..." he asked as he stepped forward, his tone softening. "...Are you alright? You don't look so good, lady..." He grimaced, feeling ashamed for nearly losing his temper, "Hey, I'm sorry...do you need some help?" He stepped a little closer, only making it more obvious how much more he towered over her. From the looks of it, hitting him might have actually damaged her truck more than that dinky mailbox did. He didn't SEEM to be a dangerous guy though...actually from the looks of it he was genuinely sorry...maybe even on the verge of tears.

A few moments later, some other woman emerged from the bar. He just looked at her, slightly confused, "Er..." before looking back at Grace, a little more concerned over her than anything right now. Jimmy didn't want to be responsible for some kind of, y'know...SUDDEN DEATH or anything.
 
Grace was two seconds away from tearing the guy a new asshole. But that poor-puppy look of concern on his face had her taking a deep breath and letting it slowly out. Calm. This wasn't his fault. She thought she had Charlie... if she freaks out, it's not good for the baby, right?

Then Natasha had to flounce her ass out there. The girl was still on her shit list and here she was trying to butt in again to shit that wasn't her business.

There went Grace's attempt to be calm.

"YOU don't fucking start." Grace hissed, pointing a finger at Natasha. "Just mind your own damned business before I reach in the back of my truck and pistol whip you until next Tuesday!" That came out in such a rush, she didn't take the time to breathe. Which might have been a good thing, cause the nausea hit her again. Pressing the back of her hand to her mouth, she was trying to swallow that awful salty taste that was a precursor to the one thing she really didn't want to do right now.

"...I need to sit down..."
 
Noel snorted and looked at his cards. "Way, I see it. Vegas might be the best place." He tilted his head down a bit and raised his eyes to look at Sara. "This isn't the time to be picky about where we go. Hell, you can consider us lucky if you get the pack out without losing another member."

"Just got more dangerous because of the human girl," Rion replied. "Maybe we should start slipping out pack members one at a time. There's gotta be a safe house or something somewhere."

"Sure there are which might slow the hunters. But you have to remember where there is one hunter, there is bound to be more. And the worst hunters are the ones who are more than human. If you catch my drift."
 
Natasha looked away as she realized she had been wrong to investigate. She wanted to yell back at Grace, snap back at her. But she tightened her fists until her knuckles were bleach-bone white and sealed her lips as she waited for the anger to pass. She let out her breath in a hiss. Then pasted a smile on her face again.

"It's not like I knew you were involved, Grace, I apologize, but I was, and still am only trying to make sure that both of you are alright, and also offering you to come into the bar." She said as passively as possible. Keep an even temper. She needed to be good. Even if Grace didn't understand..... it still mattered.

Then, she gestured to the entrance of the bar before giving the two an inviting smile before going back inside, lingering in the doorway, trying to be as nice as she could, she continued, "I'll stay away from you if that's what you want. I apologize for being concerned for you like any normal person would be. I'll try and be more inhuman next time I see you." She flashed a calm smile, then went back into the bar, all the way through, then out the back door.

Apart from others, all facades broke down quickly. Her eyes dulled while the smile faded into a grim line. She was too tired and stressed. She leaned against the wall of the building, then raised her hands to her face, rubbing at her eyes while she sighed again.

"Dammit."
 
Jimmy watched the two women exchange words in silence, nearly drawing blood as he bit down on his bottom lip and the tip of his tongue, fighting the urge to laugh. Normally, he found two women fighting one of the funniest things in the world...It was almost enough to make him forget that he was almost run over by one of them!

"Just mind your own damned business before I reach in the back of my truck and pistol whip you until next Tuesday!"

Now that he thought about it...she seemed like quite the spit-fire! Despite looking like she was about to toss her cookies, anyway.

""It's not like I knew you were involved, Grace--"

Grace? He looked at the spit-fire. 'Grace...' That named seemed familiar for some reason...'Grace!' That was it! She was the pregnant one, according to the front desk flapjaw. He watched as 'Grace' looked ready to tear someone a new asshole. That sure explained a lot. Well...actually, no, pretty much everything. Crazy pregnant ladies.

He flicked his gaze to the other one, "I'll stay away from you if that's what you want. I apologize for being concerned for you like any normal person would be. I'll try and be more inhuman next time I see you." For some reason, a chill crept up his spine and he fought back a shiver, his eyes locked on her retreating form as she disappeared back into the bar.

"Yeesh." he muttered, "What the hell was that all about?"

"...I need to sit down..."

Jimmy raised his brows, "Yeah, maybe you should..." He stepped forward while pulling her driver door open for her. "You need somethin'? Like a pop or somethin'? Usually something lemon-limey helps with...er, upset stomachs."
 
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