Perspective Shifts

  • So many newbies lately! Here is a very important PSA about one of our most vital content policies! Read it even if you are an ancient member!
Status
Not open for further replies.
The only thing Joe could think of at the moment was... "Chocolate?" she said sheepishly.

Addie chuckled, "Uh... well she'd probably do that regardless." and then laughed lightheartedly.
For a second he didn't quite get why Matt suddenly spoke louder, but then heard the ladies approaching.

"Right, well... let's see... there are quick ways to trigger it, and then there are longer ways. I suggest the latter." he started. "The main thing is getting to know your new self - your wolf self - better. Instincts included. You need to be comfortable with it, so that once you change shape you will still be in control...."

-----

Sally didn't have to wait long before the person showed up.
He was a big guy, with broad shoulders and a strong, tall build. Despite his 'bouncer' look, his amber eyes showed intelligence and demanded respect. His brown hair was kept short and neat, his attire was simple, with a t-shirt and jeans and leather boots.

As he approached Sally, he did so from the front and then took a seat in front of her. His voice was deep and smooth, "Good morning, Sally. I heard that we have something in common."

Oddly enough, he didn't smell of a werewolf and apart from a general cologne scent, there was no other smell about him.
 
Rita patted her pockets, but she was pretty sure she hadn't got any chocolate on her… and she wasn't wrong. Great. "Sorry," she said, motioning with her empty hands to show that she had nothing with which to satisfy that request. Then, "Might be some in the house?"

Matt was paying careful attention to Addie and didn't turn as Joe came closer. He knew he'd need to get the wolf side under control and if that was going to be anything like as hard as reining in a vampire's instincts, then he needed all the tips he could get. "So…" he said slowly, "how exactly do I go about doing that?" He was increasingly unsure whether he was going to like wolf form when he eventually got there. He had spent a lot of time in recent years trying to overpower his more animalistic urges, and getting back in touch with that side of himself was going to be tricky.

He glanced round at Joe then and, seeing her still in her wolf form, smiled to himself. The wolf was a part of who she was, and if he was going to be with her, he would have to learn to handle the fact that it was a part of him, too. He turned his attention back to Addie, waiting for some sort of instruction. Unexpectedly, Rita piped up from behind him, "If you're looking for the quick route, anger should do it… or a threat. Not a pretty first way to go, mind." She'd seen a lot of re-admissions who'd got completely freaked out by having their first transformation in times of stress. Matt was just lucky that apparently his restarting digestive system hadn't had that effect.

-----

Sally's eyebrows raised just a fraction as the werewolf came towards her. Well, that was the sort of guy she'd expect would go for something like Joe, true enough – burly enough not to feel threatened by her. Matt on the other hand probably felt intensely threatened, but assumed that this was his natural place and didn't fight it. The bitch walked all over him.

She didn't invite him to sit, and her eyebrow might have risen a fraction further when he took the seat anyway. She set her drink down on the table with great care. "Good morning…" The little pause hung with a rebuke that she hadn't been told his name yet, but she didn't complain aloud. Instead she suddenly smiled, leaning forward and trying not to breathe in – although as wolves went, this one wasn't too bad. "If you're correct about that, then I may be able to help you. How much do you know, and what is it exactly that you want?"
 
Last edited by a moderator:
The big wolf had been keeping tabs on Sally's every move, tone of voice and the way she reacted to him. It seemed that she was a vampire that he could work with, without having the urge to rip her throat out...
"My name is Marshall." he introduced himself as he sat comfortably, his elbows folded on the table, and he smiled back at her. "I know that you and this Matthew guy go way back. I also know that you and Joe don't get along well." he added a small smirk, knowing that this was putting it lightly, "... What I want, is Joe." he stated with a calm voice, but the underlying tone was absolute. "What you want is Matthew." he gave a pause to take things in.

"You tell me what you know about him, something we can use to our advantage, and I can devise a plan to get us both what we want. I have members at my disposal and can use force if necessary.
Although..." he narrowed his eyes a little as he focused on hers, "I'm guessing you don't want any harm to come to him. So the more I know, the better."

-----

Addie nodded at Rita, "Yes. Quick route equals loss of control... the better way to 'unlock' your wilder wolf side is, ironically, a quiet mind." by way of example he sat down with his legs crossed and beckoned Matt to also take a seat.
"What you need to do, is focus on what you want - which is your wolf form. It also helps if you have a reason why you want it." he then glanced over to the ladies, "-like to be with Joe."

Joe looked slightly startled at this, or was it surprised? Still, Addie had a point, albeit very straight and focused. He continued,
"We werewolves do certain things differently, from communication to getting food to settling in a new home. Some ways are from tradition, and others are from instinct. Instincts are easier to focus on, which is what we'll do, but we'll do it along with your human side... kind of like training wheels." he said with a hint of humour.

What would follow was some sort of meditation, whereby Addie would help Matt to focus on his wolf body. He knew the process could be a long one, but the mind was a powerful thing, and the more it knew about the different form inside of it, the easier it would be to transform... it was all about telling him as a human, what he could expect as a wolf - though his fur colour could be anything.
 
Sally smirked slightly as Marshall laid out what he wanted for her. This she could work with. It was clear to her that Joe would be better off with someone like this, not dumb but something of a blunt instrument. She watched him very carefully, and she was calculating the whole time. Someone had to do her dirty work for her – Matt would be completely on guard against her after her last attempt to clear Joe out of his life. The werewolf in front of her was straightforward and she sensed no hint that he particularly wanted to harm Matt, only clear his own path.

"I have to warn you that harming him would be a very unwise course of action," she said delicately, steepling her fingers. "That's not a threat, you understand – she will eradicate you. And I'm not talking about Joe." She'd seen Mel's hand in Matt's affairs perhaps more clearly than he ever had, and she knew what she was saying was the truth. Having settled this matter, she turned to more important business…

"Up until yesterday, he was a vampire." She was guessing Marshall knew this already but she thought she'd best lay out the facts for him. "A vampire with, as it happens, an awful lot of my blood in his system. As I understand it, the procedure he's had is unstable, particularly for the first few days. I think that my venom will be enough to tip him back, if we can administer it quickly." She fished in her bag for a moment and came up with a small vial and a syringe. "I don't care how you do it, as long as you don't harm him in the process. Get this into his system."

Of course, that wasn't quite all of her plan, but she hesitated slightly at this point, looking Marshall squarely in the eyes. Giving him the means to put Matt back to his rightful state was one thing; opening the door and letting him into Matt's head was quite another. But she would need him to cooperate. "Once he's a vampire again, you just need to show him that plenty of real wolves are interested in his girl, and that you can be good to her. Trust me – he'll back right off and let you have her."

------------

Matt settled down on the ground beside Addie, his posture betraying uncertainty. Sure, he wanted to be with Joe – more than anything – but none of this wolf stuff felt right to him. He tried to make himself believe that it was just too new, but somehow the uneasiness stayed. He wasn't a wolf. A part of him was quite sure that he never would be.

Nevertheless he followed Addie's instructions obediently and went through the meditations with him. As it turned out, there definitely was a little part of him that held his wolf side, and he shied away from it at first. But by degrees, with Addie's help, he began to feel a little more comfortable. Perhaps being a werewolf wouldn't be so hard after all…
 
Marshall listened carefully at Sally's warning, and showed no signs of taking offense at her words - threat or not. He wasn't completely sure who this "she" was, but he had a good idea. "Duly noted." he replied.

Again he listened, and the information made him smile slightly. This made things a lot easier... he looked at the vial and syringe, before accepting it. He made sure to store it safely for later use. He noticed the glow of the infection then, but it was faint. Whether this meant that her plan might fail he didn't know, but he didn't care either. Wolf or vampire, Matthew wouldn't be a threat.

Sally's hesitation made him wonder if she really wanted to go through with all this, but he let her finish.

In the end he had a smile of evil brilliance as he nodded slowly. "We can work well with this..." he said confidently. Then he tilted his head a little as he focused on her, "Sounds like he doesn't much believe in himself. You might not even need to have him back as a vampire before any interested males show up." he concluded. "In fact, I'm willing to make things easier for you. All I need to do is beat him in a fight and it could make him doubt himself as a wolf. Afterwards I could even have a friendly chat to him and offer him the chance to be a vampire again, and let Joe be better off with a 'real' wolf, as you put it."

He then arched an eyebrow, "How does that sound?" This plan would mean that Sally wouldn't have to get involved, except to play the part of Matt's long-time friend being there to help him pick up the pieces. Sure, Matt would get roughed up in a fight - but it would be a natural fight between two male werewolves who are interested in the same girl. "I promise I won't be too rough on him." he added for Sally's benefit. It wasn't like those fights were to the death anyway.

-----

As Addie and Matt started, Joe kept quiet and watched. She felt quite helpless though, and wished there was a way to help him. With this in mind, she glanced to Rita. Then an idea came to her...
Quietly she walked over to where Matt was and gently lay beside him, just close enough for her fur to touch his left leg. If what Addie had suggested could work - that he change to be more with Joe, then perhaps this would make things easier.
 
Sally shook her head vigorously at Marshall's suggestion. "Oh no, you can't approach him on that level. Beat him, yes, that would probably help – but for god's sake don't try to be his friend." Matt's innate reaction to a big strong manly wolf trying to be nice to him was easy for her to anticipate: complete and instant mistrust. Handling Matthew was something she was well used to, and it was all about power plays. You could go about them any way you liked. She was very good at putting him in the position of power, something he was inherently uncomfortable with, and watching him relinquish his claim to that control.

That wasn't going to work for Marshall, but luckily the guy held all the cards for a straight-up domination. Matthew wasn't equipped to stand up to someone who turned up, beat him into line and told him what to do. He had fallen in quickly with Joe for exactly that reason. "You try to weasel her away from him and he'll stick like glue. You've just got to show him who's boss. He'll cave." A part of her worried that encouraging a foreign werewolf to beat Matt up might not be a good idea – but it wasn't as though Marshall was going to kill him, was it?

-----

When Joe's fur touched his leg, Matt glanced down at her – her wolf form lying quietly next to him on the ground. All of a sudden the wolf was right there, all around him and looking out through his eyes. A shiver went through him but, watching her, it was somehow impossible to panic. He had been frightened and respectful of her wolf-form before, but he'd never seen it like this.

He tried to get up and realised that it was a little awkward… more than a little, in fact, his hind legs seemed to be too long and his front paws the wrong shape. He glanced down at himself and realised this was because he was still human in form. It felt all wrong, but only in the same way as cramped muscles. That was easy enough to sort out. He shook himself, and his body changed.

The wolf form took him slightly by surprise when he actually got there, not least because everything was suddenly painted in wonderfully different colours of… smell? He'd assumed his sense of smell had done all its improving already, but this was a whole new level. He managed to stand, took a step forward and gently lowered his head to her level, his eyes fixed on hers. The fact that she was in heat surely had to be contributing to how she smelled… this couldn't be a permanent thing. It would drive him mad.
 
Marshall shrugged casually at Sally, "Fine then." from the way she spoke she knew what she was talking about concerning Matthew. "Would you like me to corner him afterwards and just shove needle in his arm?" he asked calmly.

He then thought for a while, "Knowing Joe's temper, if they were ti get into a fight she might leave long enough for me to do that. If need be, I can get someone else to do it, someone seemingly 'unrelated' to me in any way... then I can focus on getting Joe." he knew that Joe could keep a grudge for a long while, so her missing an hour or two would seem normal. He told Sally this, to hear her feedback. "I know just the guy for that job - they had a little run-in with Matthew at the inn. It could be perfect."

-----

Addie watched Matt carefully, and his nose told him that something had changed. He was careful not to say anything, not wanting Matt to lose his focus. When the wolf form finally came though, Addie grinned. "Well done." he congratulated him.

Joe's ears tilted forwards to Matt, seeing his wolf form. A feeling of excitement rushed through her and she held her head forward to smell at him, her nose twiddling about as she did so. Then her tail started wagging and her head tilted about and back playfully. She sat up and looked at Matt, her tail still wagging and pawed at his head while making soft rowling sounds.

Joe was so excited that she completely forgot that Matt didn't speak 'wolf.' Addie thus translated for Matt, not that it was necessary, "She's happy... how do you feel?"
 
The offhand way Marshall talked about what he was going to do to Matt made Sally uneasy, but she reminded herself that this was her needle and her idea. It wasn't as though the contents were going to do him any harm… in fact, they'd restore him to the thing he had always been, the thing he was best at. She nodded her consent.

She somehow doubted that a fight between Matt and Joe would just 'happen' at the exact moment it was meant to; in her experience their fights, whilst bitter and damaging, came out of nowhere and completely blindsided Matt. Which was interesting, considering he was normally the one to start them. "I'm not sure they'll just fight on cue… getting somebody else to do that part might be a better idea. As I say, it really doesn't matter to me how you do it. He'll give her up." It seemed sensible to get a third party to do the messy part of all this – after all, she was recruiting someone to do it for her, so there was no reason he shouldn't delegate further…

-----

Matt didn't look round at Addie's congratulations, and instead kept his focus on Joe, his ears up and eyes bright. If he'd been in human form he'd have been grinning madly, but this body seemed to have other ideas. When she sat up her sat down in front of her, so that their noses were almost touching, and calmly allowed her to paw at his head. His tail, he became aware, was sweeping back and forth across the ground – it was very strange to feel that motion and know it as his tail wagging because he was happy.

His expression turned a little quizzical at all the sounds she was making, and he glanced at Addie, who helpfully supplied a translation. "You don't say," he said… or tried to say, because it came out full of strange harsh sounds, unrecognisable as words. He reconsidered the situation and then, with great care, lifted one paw and cuffed her round the back of the head, then leaned forward slightly and touched his nose to hers. I'm happy too, he thought to himself. I only wish I could tell you how much…
 
Marshall nodded, "That's all I need to know." But before he got up to leave, he asked, "Anything else? Otherwise I'll send someone to let you in on the details, and you can do whatever you like with your friend." There was an evil glint in his eye, "As for Joe, she won't be a bother to you anymore,"

-----

Joe sat quietly for a moment, after Matt's paw had rested on her neck and just looked at him. As they sat she took in his new scent and memorised it completely.
Her eyes, along with her tail reflected her smile. Then she moved her head forward and hugged him with her neck to his. She took a deep breath to let the air run through her nose and into her lungs.
This was what Matt now smelled like, and she loved it.

Addie stood up and smiled at them, and he looked up to Rita with the same smile. Then shrugged a little as he reconed his part was done. He also tilted his head sideways to show that maybe they should leave the two, to give them some privacy.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Sally stood up from the café table, her glass empty, and smiled down at Marshall. In truth she wasn't an awful lot taller than him even though he was still sitting. "Do something for me?" The evil glint in his eyes was very much reflected in her own, but her smile was completely innocent. "Bring her to heel." Her tone was hard, and it betrayed exactly how she felt about the bitch who'd taken Matthew from her. She would get what was coming to her, all right.

--------

Matt unconsciously turned his head to accept the hug, and buried his nose in the fur of Joe's neck. Her smell was familiar, but also completely new to him, and he breathed it in deeply. After a moment he got up and moved, never quite breaking the contact, to stand beside her, and ducked his head under her chin. His left flank was now pressed to her right side, his muzzle under her chin, and he sat down. The signal of his lowered posture was clear in his head: you own me. He was happy with this state of affairs; she would always be the one in charge.

Rita averted her eyes midway through this and caught Addie signalling to her with his head… they should definitely leave. Thinking about it, she didn't even know when her shift was meant to start at the clinic. Mostly she ignored her work schedule and only went home occasionally to feed Angus. This had been a long absence from the clinic. She nodded, and turned to head back up towards the house, with Addie by her side.
 
"Oh don't you worry about that, not in the least." Marshall assured her, and his voice assured it. He then got up and with a small tilt of his head he took his leave.
For a big guy as he was, he certainly had a way of disappearing in a crowd, lest any eyes were watching.
He had big plans. Big plans for both him and Joe. Sally would get her guy, sure, but more importantly, was that Marshall would have Joe. He was going to make sure of it, and would cover his tracks if need be. He'd taken precautions even before this meeting.

-----

The time seemed to move slowly, and Joe noticed Matt's movements. She knew the meaning, and she thought it very sweet. He wasn't trying to pretend any bugger ego or lie about his feelings about 'dominance'. She appreciated it, and in turn she accepted it.

Though, she didn't want him to feel dominated by her, and she moved her muzzle next to his. Then, with her playful side kicking in again, she nibbled him behind his ear and ran behind and next to his right side. Her tail was up and wagging, and she bounced once and had her legs straight before her. Her chest was lowered, like she was ready to dash of in a run... Her mischievous eyes looked at his, and they said, 'race!'.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
After Marshall had gone, Sally lifted her bag from where it had been slung over the back of the chair, and fished in it for her hat. Having put it on, she lowered her head and walked out between the tables. A small grubby person at the outskirts of the crowd drifted after her, but she remained oblivious.

Only when she was well out of sight of the other people there did she suddenly turn, running back up the road. The little man saw her coming, but he was only human after all – she caught him before he'd taken three steps away from her. Her fingers circled his throat as he squirmed, and she smiled. "Sorry," she said, "but this meeting stays off the radar. Guess it's time for breakfast…"

--------

Joe's invitation to race was a welcome one, but Matt gave her a little puzzled look for a moment. Then, without warning, he was on his feet and had jumped over her, skidding past and racing up towards the house. The feeling of running with wind in his fur was new to him, but very pleasant.

Rita had got half-way up to the house and was bidding goodbye to Addie when she heard Matt suddenly take off behind her, and a moment later he shot past her in a blur of speed. She laughed – he really was quick, especially as a wolf. He ran an excited circle around her and Addie and then charged back to find wherever he'd left Joe behind.
 
There were things to get organised, and Marshall wasted no time. Getting Joe was top priority and the least suspicious it could be, the better. Sally warning him that another "she" wouldn't tolerate any damage to Matt only meant more planning. He was a fast thinker, and it wouldn't take too long for him to get things arranged. The day was young, after all... One of the first things to do would be to see how things were going where Joe now lived. Then?... Then, things would start happening, and fast.

-----

"Blooming heck, he's fast!" Was Addie's response to Matt's impressive speed. Afterwards he had said his good bye and thanked Rita for all her help.

Joe too, was impressed by Matt's speed and ran happily after him. When he eventually ran back to her she hid from sight and then ran towards him from a different angle. She didn't much care if her plan worked or not, it was for sport, after all. If he ran circles around her, she'd nip at him playfully or try to pounce him. She did try to catch him, but he was definitely too fast for her... Eventually she would plop down on the ground when she was winded and roll onto her side to catch her breath.

Although... It could always be a fun trap to grab him with her front paws if he came close enough.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Matt flopped down on the lawn beside Joe's feet, panting. After the initial chase he had taken back off into the woods, and she had followed, and they'd spent a happy time following whatever scent trails he picked up, occasionally jumping out at one another from behind trees. There had been a rabbit, but he'd scared it off and it had escaped into its burrow before he could catch up. He had to fight the impulse to dig after it – this was home to a whole family of rabbits, after all.

He was tired out after all the silly racing about, mostly because he'd been running rings around her for a lot of it. He might be fast, but endurance was not exactly his strong point. He rolled onto his back in the grass and tucked his front paws up under his chin, looking up at Joe with huge, wide eyes. Being a wolf in summer wasn't exactly fun, and he considered suggesting that they go back to the little pond and cool off, but something stopped him.

He rolled back over quickly and stood up, his posture stiff and wary. Something coming. He didn't know where the sense of foreboding came from, but something in the air smelled wrong. Someone new was entering this territory, and they meant trouble. He paced a circle around Joe, growling softly, his eyes scanning for any sign of threat. Nothing came, but he still didn't lower his guard.
 
She couldn't remember the last time that she had had this much fun... At least as a wolf. Sure, she and Jeff had played around, but he never lasted long and she always had to be careful not to hurt him.
With Matt now being one of her kind, she had someone to share her life with, the whole of it! Wolf and semi-human. Of course he had a lot to learn, but that was part of their journey together.

She found that she was looking very forward to it. Yes, very much so.

A scent had caught her interest just as it had caught Matt's. She too stiffened and her tail was immediately raised. It didn't take long for her to recognise who it was... Marshall Witless. He had been after her before, insisting that she join his pack as a mateless beta, since pups weren't an option. She had refused every time, preferring to stay alone.

The trinket against her neck reminded her that this was no longer so, at least potentially... Sh*t. Had Marshall heard?
Her heart beat a little quicker for a moment before she could get it back under control, and she looked at Matt... Wait, she had Matt. They would protect each other.

Shifting back into her human form, she looked at him, waiting to let him do the same if he wanted. "It's Marshall." She informed him.

Marshall had indeed arrived with two of his pack members but had instructed them to wait for him at the road. He knew where Matt and Joe were, and had in fact surveyed them with binoculars way beyond any scent length. He would have to handle this carefully, what with his and Joe's history.

He walked to an open spot on the grass, just outside Faolan's territory. His pace was determined and confident as always. When he stopped, he looked in their direction and with his deep and smooth voice called out to them, "Joe! I'd like to have a word with you two." He made sure to address Joe since he knew her.

She in turn took a breath, and then looked at Matt. Her eyes were stern, but not at him. "He wants a challenge..." she informed him. "... You don't have to accept, Matt. We could leave..." She suggested, knowing that Matt was no match for Marshall. Deep inside she hoped that Matt wouldn't see it as an insult, because she didn't mean it that way, at all...
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Matt heard Joe's heartbeat accelerating and for a brief, crazy moment thought that it was excitement… but then it dawned on him that she was probably just reacting to the threat. Of course. Never mind the fact that this particular threat seemed to be a male werewolf, and whoever he was, he was most certainly very male. He gritted his teeth. He hadn't expected this so soon.

Her words took him by surprise and he looked up at her, noting the change back to human. A little part of him resented that. All morning she had been forced to be a wolf out of fear of him, and now this guy showed up and she could apparently shift again as easy as anything. Maybe she thought if he attacked her now, 'Marshall' would come save her. He shook his head slightly. None of this thinking was like him.

Of course, by this point he was already well aware of what Marshall wanted and was weighing the options in his head. A part of him wanted to turn tail and run, take Joe with him and not look back. They could outrun this creep, he was sure of it. He caught her stern gaze, though, and at her suggestion he bristled slightly. She didn't think he could win. He glanced back at Marshall and then up at Joe, knowing she was right about that. It still stung that she would be so blatant about it – didn't she know he was brave enough to face this, after all he'd gone through already?

He hesitated a moment, still looking at her, and shifted back to human. She went from well above his eye level to slightly below it, and he felt a little bit better. He would face this. He shook his head decisively. "We can't run from everything." Besides, it wasn't as though they really had anywhere to go to. Then he turned and set off towards where Marshall was waiting. Let the guy challenge him. He'd give a good fight, and hopefully not embarrass Joe too much in the process...
 
Joe noticed the tension in the air, and it felt thick enough to cut with a knife. Matt did have a point - it was strange though, coming from him. He was very good at running... Her eyes showed her admiration, and respect for his decision. She hoped that he could see it as that, and if not, perhaps her smile and nod could work.

Marshall was waiting patiently, and once he saw them arrive he looked at them without and sign of threat. He didn't need to. When he saw the necklace and trinket around Joe's neck however, his eyes showed surprise for a split second... Joe had a trinket? So that's why she had gone to the old lady. He saw her tuck it back below her shirt. Ah...

"Good to see you again, Joe." He greeted her, and looked at Matt. "I heard you'd gotten yourself a boyfriend," his voice was without any surprise, and Joe figured he must have had someone spy around. Typical.
"I figured I should test his merit..." He smiled.

Joe didn't return the friendliness, "There's nothing wrong with his merit, or anything else about him... and since when did you have any interest in my relationships?" She asked with a harsh tone, and didn't take her eyes off his.
Marshall shrugged, "Just making sure your guy lives up to your standards." He glanced again at Matt to see his reaction to all this.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
The look in Joe's eyes told him that he'd made the right decision, and a tiny part of him felt disappointed. He'd hoped that in offering to leave she'd been making a genuine suggestion, possibly even trying to protect him. Certainly saying that it didn't matter to her if he fought as long as he stayed with her – but it did. She wanted him to fight, and he was going to lose.

Marshall's surprise at seeing her trinket made him feel better for a split second, until he realised that the only way he knew about that thing was from her blood memories. And the only way he'd seen those was by biting and almost killing her. It wasn't exactly a mark of the trust and openness between them.

The obvious history between these two was starting to get on his nerves, and he stepped forward slightly. If he was going to get beaten to a pulp, they might as well get it over with. A little voice also whispered that if Joe believed in him, and thought he really had the 'merit' to pass this little test, then he may as well disappoint her early. She was going to find out sooner or later that he wasn't strong enough. Better that she see it now, while this competitor who so clearly wanted her and who was so clearly a fit match was here to pick up the pieces.

"So," he said, his voice almost emotionless. "What exactly is it that you want?" The answer to that was obvious: Joe. "What do you want with me?" He would let Marshall push this to a fight – he wasn't stupid enough to force physical combat when he knew he'd lose. Maybe, he thought sarcastically, the guy just wanted to have a touchy-feely chat and make sure that Matt's intentions were honourable. That challenge he knew he could pass. A thought occurred to him. "And what do you want with Joe?" He was interested to see how Marshall would phrase the answer – whether he'd treat her as an object to be won in this silly little contest.
 
Marshal gave Matt a good look, as if measuring him up. He knew he could easily knock Matt out if he wanted to, but he was one that liked a fair fight, mostly. It was cute how this new werewolf was so protective over Joe, but he kept that thought from showing in any way.

He decided to cut to the chase, "Joe's an excellent fighter," he said almost proudly, "and an amazing werewolf, in more ways than one. She's proven that to me long ago and I want her by my side."
Joe looked at Marshall, but her expression didn't say anything other than she'd heard this before.
"She's a great leader too, strong, and I know she could help me lead my pack if only she'd accept my offer to join." He then focused on her exclusively, and his voice had a hint of longing, "You can have whatever you want, Joe. You can be the wolf you know you are, with the future you deserve..." He then tilted his head down a little, "I can protect you, and I would fight for you any day of the week."

Joe was quite astonished by his offer, and if it weren't for their history together, she'd almost fall for it. She wondered what Matt was making of all this.

His gaze then went to Matt for a moment, and then back to her, "I want to be sure that you're in good hands." Then he addressed Matt again.
"I am here for a challenge, to see how you fight. I already know Joe's strength."
 
Last edited by a moderator:
The way Marshall was looking at Joe bugged Matt. The things this guy was saying were all true, and he felt suddenly acutely aware that he was none of these things. Not a fighter, not a werewolf. And the little voice in his head whispered, Not for Joe. This guy was straightforward, direct and to the point and bold, and strong with it. Everything she needed. Everything Matt was not.

He took another small step forward as Marshall started in on his persuasive pitch. He was going to try to steal Joe; Matt couldn't allow that to happen. He couldn't be without her. Marshall might want her, but he had been here first and she had said she would take him as he was. He didn't want her to hear any of this. He didn't want her to know she had a better offer staring her in the face.

One look back at the astonished expression she was wearing was enough to dispel him of any illusion that she wasn't interested in any of this, and his stomach shrivelled. He was going to lose her, not even a day after she'd agreed to be with him in the first place. Of course she would leave. She had a newfound biological imperative to find the best possible father for her pups and he'd mistaken that for a genuine interest in him, when in reality he was just on hand and willing.

He squared up to Marshall readily. He might be about to lose her but he couldn't do it without a fight, not even for her happiness. Let this guy at least prove that he was a better match than Matt. "Fine. Challenge away," he snarled.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom
Back