Part of the Pack

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S

Sophia

Guest
Original poster
It was a lull in the herb shop that day, the shop sold anything imaginable, organic supplements, ointments, herbs, seeds, anything for health and healing. Her nails tapped against the counter as her mind was a drift, usually she'd talk to Mrs. Walters who owns the store but she left Lacey to close on her own today. Her hair was up in a messy bun, a few wild strands falling into her face. Lips pursed as blue hues looked around the store wondering what to do, she already organized everything and cleaned up the place.

After a moment a soft sigh left her lips and walked around the counter, hands pressing down her green apron, arms crossed over her chest as she made her way over to the windowsill. She plopped down onto the white painted wood and leaned back into the frame, her eyes followed people as they walked by the door, "Why don't you come in or walk right by?" she mumbled to herself with an irritated tone, "Calm yourself, Lacey." she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
 
Faolan shook his head to keep himself awake and turned his motorcycle around right in the middle of the street. That was the third time he missed that turn and if he didn't bring back whatever Ulfa had written down on that long list she gave him...well...his hide would make a really nice area rug. At least, that's what Ulfa usually threatened him with. He smirked to himself and pulled up in front of the shop.

The man was quite the sight to see, really. Six feet tall, well muscled, obviously took care of himself. As he parked his bike and stepped off, his kilt was the first thing people usually noticed. Mostly because it was a kilt, partly to see if he'd make a slip or the wind would catch it. He had learned very early on how to get on and off (and ride...) a motorcycle without flashing anyone, though. He smoothed it down, adjusted his sporran, and gave his leather motorcycle jacket a tug. It was big and thick and most likely had some Kevlar padding in it. It looked expensive.

He reached up and pushed his sunglasses up on top of his head, looking up at the shop. He pulled the paper out of the inside pocket of his jacket and looked at it, then the name of the shop, then the paper again. "Ulfa, we need to work on your handwriting..." He muttered to himself as he walked up to the shop. He noted the girl in the window and smiled a little. He tugged at his jacket and pushed the door open with his shoulder, taking in the shop as he walked in.

Ok. Maybe he could do Ulfa's shopping more often. This actually looked like his kind of place. "Mmm..." He looked down at his list again, muttering to himself. "I guess I can grab the sage first...then Ulfa needs her vitamins, obviously..."
 
The shop was painted with different shades of blues and greens, the owners found it earthy while Lacey found it a bit too much with the painting. Upon hearing the bell of the door jiggle her eyes burst open jumping up from her spot "Hello! Welcome to Herbal Healing!" she shouted rather than spoke from the surprise. Seeing the man, her eyes blinking a few times spotting the kilt at first (something she had only seen in books and movies), she cleared her throat, "Sorry..."

A nimble hand pointed to one of the lower shelves against the wall as she walked over and leaned down to look over what they had in stock, everything being in alphabetical order and arranged by type. "You said sage? Ground? Cream? Supplement? Whole leaves?" she rambled quickly a bit taken back by his appearance, his height making her fell shorter than she really was but she didn't mind. "We also have a sale on a shop mix for illness if you need that."
 
He jumped and looked at her, a little startled from her volume more than anything. He laughed, though, and followed her over to the shelf. He looked at the list. "Well, we need bundles, I know that much..." He squinted at the paper and turned it sideways, upside down, then right-side up again. He sighed and handed it over. "If you can decipher her handwriting, please, by all means...I think she said something about cream...go ahead and give me some ground, too. Easier to burn than the bundles...In fact, no bundles, all ground or just the leaves is fine, too. I need it to cleanse the house, I don't know what the hell she needs it for."

If/when she took his shopping list of suppliments and herbs, he stepped back and folded his arms, watching her. She smelled like prey. It made his nose itch. He glanced around at the items on the shelves around him. "And if you know something that's good for fleas, I need that too. It's not on the list. She won't admit we have a flea problem..." He said with a hint of bitterness to his voice.
 
"Hmm..." taking the list her eyes squint "Geesh." she mumbled to herself and walked passed him and into the back room. Coming back out she had a bag full of sage and white cedar "I included some white cedar, its really good for cleansing." she muttered with her nose still buried in the list as she walks passed him, she did this quiet a few more times placing the items onto the counter, at least what she could make out from the chicken scratch on the page. Handing the page back to him she bit her lip in thought staying quiet for a moment "Fleas..."

With a snap of her fingers she walked over to the wall shelved with oils grabbing a few glass bottles, setting them down on the counter she points to each one "Four drops, six drops, and ten drops. Mix together and rub into the pets skin, the smell isn't that great but if your pet tries to lick it off there won't be any harm." she said with a smile and slipped behind the counter, as she began to ring up his items she would glance up at him every now and then as she talked "I did include a few other vitamins that weren't on the list, I think they should help." she hoped he wouldn't mind, most of the customers didn't.
 
Faolan watched her move about the shop, amused that she also couldn't read the handwriting. He was glad it wasn't just him. "Four drops, six drops, ten drops. Got it." He said, picking up one of the bottles and looking at it. "How many uh...mixtures is that going to make? It's really for the dogs in my neighborhood...there's maybe 15? Then one is about to have puppies..." He picked up the list and leaned against the counter, putting his forearms on it, thinking. "I think there was some prenatal stuff she needed..." He looked up. "No for a dog, for a person...hell, for a dog too, if you've got it." He shrugged and put the list down, standing straight.

He smiled. "And I don't mind you throwing a few more things in, since we can't read half of what she put on there...I'm Faolan, by the way. Last time I had to come here for Ulfa, you weren't working here, I don't think...it's been a while...You probably know Ulfa though. She comes in every Monday...about your height, blond hair, doesn't look like she takes any shit from anyone...biker, too, but doesn't look as good in a kilt." He smirked and reached down, unsnapping his sporran to take out his wallet. "Probably complaining about the 'asshole' she lives with."
 
Lacey froze "Fifteen?" her voice showing how shocked she was, shaking her head she walked back over to the shelf and bragged two more of each bottle "There." she muttered walking back and placing them onto the counter with a soft clinking noises. "Honestly I figured and included some homemade ginger chews, good for morning sickness." she said holding it up before placing it into the paper bag, she made quick work of checking him out "Lacey." she replied pressing the total button on the register, it was an old metal, vintage one that made a loud cha-ching noise as she gave him the total.

"I've only been working six months-" pausing half way through her sentence she tore her eyes off of the register keys "You're the asshole?" she assumed pointing a finger at him. A slender 'brow rising, he didn't seem like one, then again she didn't talk to him for more than a few words "Are you her errand boy now too? Picking up all of her goodies?" her tone wasn't rude, if anything it was suppose to be a joke, having the assumption he had the same humor as Ulfa since he lived with her.
 
He laughed loudly, first at her shock at how many dogs he had to treat for fleas, then at her realization. "Yeah, I'm the asshole! Asshole, errand boy, you name it. I do one little thing and suddenly I'm an asshole. This morning it was because I didn't put enough salt on her eggs." He shook his head and grinned.

"And before you ask, no, I'm not her boyfriend or husband or anything. She's my cousin." That was at least the easiest way for him to explain things... "When she isn't pregnant, she's usually nicer...but, yeah." He reached up, scratching idly at the scar on his cheek. "Anyway, it's nice to meet you, Lacey. Ulfa talks about you every time she comes back. It's good to know your helpfulness isn't another one of her exaggerations."
 
A small scowl worked its way across her face, she wasn't fond of people talking about her "That's $140.86." she said softly placing the rest of the jars and bottles into another paper bag "Well it happens when you're pregnant. You forget one thing and its the end of the world." her hands making a gesture as if there was an explosion. "When Mrs. Walters was pregnant I thought the shop was going to fall apart under her hammer of anger." giving a shrug of her slender shoulders.

Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear "Tell her to chew the ginger once a day and the cream I put in there will help with stretch marks." she said holding her hand out for the money as she bit her lower lip in thought as she glanced at the scar and then back down to his kilt. Did he loose in a bag pipe battle? she thought to herself and bit her lip harder to not chuckled at her own stupid joke, she usually wasn't that rude even in her thoughts.
 
"Gods..." He muttered when she told him the price. He counted it inside his wallet where she couldn't see, then brought it out nice and folded up with a 20 on the outside. He chuckled softly at her pregnant comment and nodded. "Tell me about it...this is her second one, so I'm a bit better prepared." He picked up the bags and put the folded money on the table. "Keep the change, ok? I hate carrying around coins...Thanks for your help!"

And with that, he turned and walked out, hoping to get on his bike and down the street before she realized he had put $200 on the counter. He got to his bike swiftly and started putting the bags away into his saddle bags, flicking his sunglasses down over his eyes again.
 
She gave a curt nod picking up the wad of cash and counted, her eyes went wide counting the finally twenty "Hey! Fin! No... Ferris! No... Faolan! That's your name!" she shouted at him as she ran around the counter and tripped almost knocking over a shelf as her feet caught under each other. Finally making it to the door and jolted through the door way "You forgot something!" holding out the extra money he gave her just in time for him to start his motorcycle and ride off. "He really is an asshole." she muttered under her breath and walked back inside a bit bewildered, with a sigh she tucked the money into the register's drawer and slammed it shut.

As the day went on only a few other customers came and went through the shop, looking at her watch it was nine o'clock, time to close. Tossing her apron onto the counter she reached under pulling out her favorite hoodie and yanked it on eager to get back home to her crappy apartment. Flicking the open sign to close with her index finger she let herself out and locked the door "Goodnight." she muttered to the store, why? just because she could. Making her way down the sidewalk, reaching into her jacket pocket retrieving her mp3, shoving the buds into he ears and blasting the music. It made the twenty minute walk seem shorter.
 
Ten minutes into her twenty minute walk, juts after she passed an alley, three men in dark clothes and hoodies with the hoods pulled up stepped out. Their hands were stuffed into the front pocket of their hoodies and they just generally looked sketchy. "Hey! Hey, lady!" One of them called, but his voice would be drowned out by her music.

They all looked at each other and smirked. One nodded and the other two ran up to her, each grabbing an arm. "We said 'hey', bitch!" One of them said, grabbing the cord of her earphones and ripping them out of her ears. "Don't you know it's rude to ignore people??"

"Aw, I think the little birdie needs to be taught a lesson." The other one said as he walked up. He slid his hand out of his pocket and flicked open a switchblade. "How about we just start simple. Gimme your wallet."
 
A scream echoed into the night air as the two men grabbed her "Ow! Hey fuckers!" she yelled at them as the buds were ripped out, it hurt. All she could do was glare, her jaw clenched tightly not answering the man, her eyes glanced down at the blade and all she could do is swallow hard. The moon's rays kept flickering off of it and she knew she had to say something at some point before she got injured "I don't have any money. Go bother someone else."

Her hands tightened into fists, she wish she could fight them off but she knew it would be a lost cause, he had a knife and she had nothing. "Look, I have nothing of value so just leave me alone." her heart began to race, her eyes not able to move from the blade, her chest heaving up and down trying to calm herself down.
 
"Don't gimme that shit. You work up at that fuckin' hippie store! You got a job an' that means you got money!"

"Hey, boss, why don't we just make her let us have what's back there in the register?"

"Ya know what? Not a bad idea." He said with a smirk. He turned around and started walking back towards the store. His two friends started dragging her along. "Oh, and don't scream again. I'd hate to slit your pretty throat before I get to have any fun with it." He turned around to walk backwards as he said it.

Two more figures stepped out of the alley, both about 6 feet tall, taller than the knife-wielding man. They stepped out in unison, planted their feet, and waited.

He bumped back into one and jumped back forward, spinning around. "Hey! Fuck off! Watch where you're fucking going!"

One of the two men, the one that wasn't backed into, opened up his right hand. Something long and metallic slid out of the sleeve of his leather jacket. He caught the end of it and swung it around, quickly catching the guy in the arm and his side.

The other grinned and threw his head back, letting out a rather bone-chilling, wolf-like howl. It would be impressive how accurate it was if anyone around had ever heard a wolf before or if it really wasn't an adrenaline fueled moment for everyone involved.

The man holding onto Lacey's right arm just dropped her. "Aw fuck, man! Fuck! That's Ace, man!! Fuck this shit!" And with that, he turned and ran off. The one holding onto her left arm watched his partner run off, then turned around, finding 'Ace' right up in his face.

Faolan smirked and brought his fist up, the light catching a pair of (assumed) brass knuckles. He made like he was going to hit the guy but stopped short. He twitched his nose a little and looked down. "Aw...you pissed yourself...nice..." He looked back up to the guy's face and let out one sharp bark.

This guy, too, let go and took off.

He smirked and slid his hand into his pocket. Behind him, the guy he came with was standing over an unconcious body like he didn't know what to do with it now. Almost a sad, 'aww my playtoy stopped moving' look to his face. If she could see it in the dark anyway. Faolan just looked at Lacey's face. "You shouldn't walk home by yourself at night. It's dangerous." He said, kinda being cocky, honestly.
 
ALL THE COLORS!! O.O))

She opened her mouth to scream as she stumbled being pulled down the sidewalk, only to shut her mouth quickly. A gasps escaped her lips seeing two more men come out of the alley, she couldn't help but think she was screwed and that two more men were going to end her. To her surprise the new men weren't with the attacker. Grimacing as hands clapped over her ears from the howl, it was so loud and strong, falling to hit the sidewalk as she was dropped.

Her head stayed down not seeing what happened or where the men ran off to, hearing that everything settled her hands slowly moved from her ears "What the fuck?!" she shouted slowly pushing herself up, quickly turning her head every direction to make sure those men were really gone. Standing up she saw Faolan in front of her "What? Did you come to mug me too?" she asked brushing herself off and shoving her headphones back into her pocket "I don't need to be walked home." she muttered back at his comment and cursed under her breath.
 
((lol sorry. It's a habit from rp'ing on AIM. It's how I differentiate between characters. I usually amass them like old ladies and cats.))

Faolan let out a nice, loud, happy laugh. "Oh, yeah. I tipped you $59.14, but I'm coming to mug you. Wanted my change back." He laughed again and, with his hands in his pockets so he didn't startle her or anything, he looked her over. "You aren't hurt? Good." He smiled. "No, I'm not mugging you. I'm here to be an asshole again. My brother and I are walking you home. It really doesn't matter if you want it or not." He looked down and brushed at something on his kilt, lint or something. "We'll follow you if we have to. But you aren't walking home alone."

The other man let out a howl and kicked the unconscious man in the gut with as much force as he could muster.

Faolan turned his head and narrowed his eyes, huffing at his brother, almost barking again. "Silvester! Leave him alone! Shit, he's already going to be pissing blood for a week..."

"Sorry..." He slid the pipe back up into his sleeve and cupped the end of it in his hand so it wouldn't fall out...and so if cops passed by he wasn't just holding a slightly bloody led pipe out in the open. He walked up and smiled just as brightly as Faolan did. Even in the dark the familial resemblance was impossible to miss. They could almost be twins. Almost. His hair was bright red though and there were other subtle differences. "This is Lacey, huh?" He stuck out his right hand. "I'm Sly. It's a pleasure to meet you. Ulfa came to you to get some cream for a uhhh...rash I had...ya know..I'm sure she told you all about it...but it worked great! Thanks!"
 
She gave a look to Sly upon hearing the howl, she swore she was going crazy now, the scream from earlier bust have damaged her hearing. With a shake of her head she stepped away from both of them not shaking his hand, pointing to both of them she spoke "Why are you two here? Its late at night." she stated slowly walking backward keeping her eyes on the two for a moment, "Don't follow me or walk me home." giving a stern look before she turned on a heel and yanked her hood up over her head.

"I can take care of myself." she mumbled tucking her hands into the jacket pockets, it wasn't that she wasn't thankful that they came along, she really was but it was all so bizarre and too lucky on her part. Glancing over her shoulder to make sure the men weren't there anymore, or if they were that they were going a different direction. As she walked she kicked at a rock, frustrated with herself, not able to defend herself let alone hurt a fly.
 
When she looked back, she'd see the two men arguing, either in a different language, or so fast she couldn't understand it. It really sounded more like a different language, though. Faolan said, thumping his brother in the chest with the back of his hand. "What the hell were you thinking? You can't howl like that!"

"Ow, hey...I was just into the moment...leave me alone..."

He thumped him again. "You can't do that! Once is enough! Once lets them know we're The Wolf Pack. More than that brings attention we don't want."

"From who, Lanny?"

"Just go back home, Syl. Now."

 "Gods...you're absolutely no fun anymore..." He said before turning and walking back into the alley.

Faolan rubbed his face and shook his head. He looked up and down the road and sighed heavily. He'd follow her home, but at a distance. He'd be able to sense if anything was going to happen to her. Even in his human form, his sense of smell was greater than that of a normal human. Once she turned a corner, he stuffed his hands into his pockets and started following her scent. He needed to make sure she got home safely.
 
A 'brow arched as she watched the two argue and winched seeing one getting the thump to the head. On her way home she kept looking around, still a bit shaken up from what happened earlier with the attackers. "You just need relax..." she told herself, soon she made it to her apartment building. Digging into her back pocket she pulled out the key to the front door, closing it behind her she climbed the stairs, something tiring since she lived on the top floor. Letting herself in, she never thought she'd be so happy to see her one room apartment, the fire escape just outside her window. "Home sweet home."

Flicking the light on she stripped off her jacket and pulled her hair out from the bun it had been in all day. Long brown locks falling past her shoulders, making her way over to the frig she opened the door to see nothing inside "Right... I should buy food." she groaned closing the door, being home she could relax now but her mind kept going back to Faolan and his brother "What were they up to?" she asked herself as she moved to the couch and fell back with a plop onto the cushions, her feet kicking her sneakers off across the room.
 
When Faolan was sure she was home and safe, he turned a different corner and headed home.

Soon enough, he was unlocking the door to the warehouse to be greeted by a few happy wolves barking and sniffing. He chuffed at them and pushed them back, closing the door. He turned the lock and started taking off his jacket. "Honey, I'm home!" He called sarcastically, turning to hang up his jacket.

"I don't care!" Ulfa's voice carried over the various sounds of the warehouse building. She was laying on a couch, rubbing her stomach. "I hate you!"

"Oh for fuck's...." He sighed. "It isn't my fault!"

"Everything's your fault!" She sat up and glared at him. "In two months, I'll be stuck in lupis for another two months!"

"It's your second litter! Plus, you keep insisting!" He walked over to her and heaved a sigh, putting his hands on his hips.

"Where were you? I'm hungry."

"Didn't Pyotr cook?"

"Yes..."

"So...."

She glared at him. "Fuck off, Lanny."

He groaned and walked off to see if there was anything left to eat, then went up to his room. He flopped down on the mattress on the floor and rubbed his face. It had been a really long day...He yawned, stretched, and closed his eyes.

After an hour, Ulfa padded up and pushed her way through the door. The girl, now a wolf, curled up beside him and fell asleep.

He'd wake up the next morning under a pile of wolves. It was so nice and warm...he stayed there for a bit before gently shoving them off of him and walking to the bathroom, then down to the kitchen to make everyone breakfast. He ran through his list of things he had to do that day...check on the community center, pick up more steaks from the butcher on the corner...and he should probably go back to that herbal shop and apologize for scaring Lacey....
 
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