Savage Hearts

S

SirBjorn

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The Others always said they hated becoming "a blood-crazed maniac," unable to stomach what they were capable of once they became monsters. David always imagined that was the real source of the hatred between vampires and werewolves: That even though both began as humans, werewolves were still closer to natural than vampires. While both are shunned by humanity, werewolves at least breathe...vampires represented a grey area between life and death that shouldn't exist, often likened to lesser demons.

David frequently wondered on this and why, for all of their years and wisdom, his kind could only focus on keeping up appearances and trying to remain human. As one of maybe half a dozen undead in the country, and retaining an "old name," he stood to gain political status and catching the ancient eyes of the Old Ones. They set forth their doctrines and regulations for the species as a whole, and that was David's main discrepancy with the opportunity. In spite of his name, and a long line of benefactors, he preferred to live in near isolation in the woods of the mountainside. There he indulged his muses and amusements, and there he could hunt without consequence. He followed many of the 'Obligatory Guidelines for Co-existing as a Vampire' on the off-chance he was paid a formal visit. Mainly he did try to hunt within local seasons, gradually enough to go unnoticed yet often enough to keep a small stock that could keep away the shakes. But most importantly, he avoided situations where he might end up harming humans or himself. Once in a great while, when David wandered well beyond his typical hunting grounds, a farmer or hunter would try to follow him home. Some were just too stubborn to get lost in the trees, and had to be dealt with. In his days of initial vampirism, there had been a few incidences during manic episodes. In part because he desperately wanted to be human again, but mostly because he craved it - the feeling of being alive again. Breathing, bleeding. Other than that his kills were far enough from his residence, and far enough between, that detection wasn't in his primary concerns. In fact, the only time he had out-right hunted a human was when one had come to hunt him.

Thus did David find himself again, as prey. The closer he came to that spot in The Council, he thought, the closer was Death's scythe. And so here he was once more, fending off the results of someone else's big mouth. Even before the immortality issue, being a man of the Stafford family meant you were born with a dollar sign in front of your name. Which usually leads to having one for your head. Every aspect of his life up to this point weighed David's mind - right down to the heartbeat he didn't have in order to feel this rush, targetting a human - as he remained still in a tree, stalking the Hunter that had come looking for a piece of mythology.
 
Getting away from her father had been Morgan's excuse to her brother and friends for leaving the Pack for a few days - without informing anyone where she was going...whoops, must have slipped her mind - but in truth, it had been the desire for vengeance that had led her this deep outside her own territory. Way out of her territory for her Pack lived in the at the edge of the city. They weren't the only pack in this city - there were three - but they were the largest and all their members lived together, unlike one of the other packs whose members were scattered each to their own home.

The Howler Pack believed in the old ways, in staying together as a unit and so it was that their residence was near acreage and surrounded by hills. Privacy was a must and when you have money, you can afford it. When you have that kind of money and so many people living in one place, however, sometimes people grew suspicious and it was not three days ago that one of Morgan's own had been killed. Her Pack had managed to retrieve the body, but not without press becoming alert to the strangeness of the victim and Morgan's father had commanded the Pack to lay low despite the fact that the Hunter had escaped.

Morgan...just couldn't obey that order. Seth had been her friend, just a young werewolf, not yet completely in control of his phases. He hadn't deserved to die, though. He was coming under control and if he hadn't been, the Pack would killed him themselves for their own safety. They wouldn't have let a feral werewolf jeopardize all they'd done to blend in. But no, Seth had been learning, progressing, he hadn't been hurting anyone....and then he'd been caught, killed. It burned in Morgan's mind, the injustice of it and disregarding orders, she'd gone after the Hunter, picking up his trail..into Vampire territory, but that hadn't deterred her.

Now she stalked through the forest, not yet in her wolf form, but wild enough as her silver eyes tracked the Hunter through the foliage. She was careful, sniffing the air and remaining alert lest she become the prey instead of the predator. So far she'd been fine, but now something was tickling her nose, a sense of danger sweeping through her body. There was something else out there, close...something equally as dangerous as she was...
 
Though he had received discipline intended to hone his extrasensory abilities, David had learned more of hunting from observing the wild cats in his area than from any apprenticeship. He had watched and learned their patience, just from sitting by and mirroring their opportunistic efforts. So he was used to being motionless for extended periods of time, waiting for the best chance to strike. As many questions as he had about this Hunter's motives, David's focus was centered on catching him in the one moment the man might not react in time. But with every tense moment, he became anxious. He had to act, had to kill this man, whether he needed to feed or not. The man was large and most likely skilled with the varying blades adorning him.

And the second that man's attention was caught by something in the woods, David struck. Aiming for the neck and landing slightly off, he bit into the man's upper shoulder and clung to his back. While startled, it wasn't enough to completely take him down, so David began to drain him under blows to the head. It wasn't until the man threw his girth, loosening the bite, that David heard and finally saw the girl entering the small clearing. And that was the only hesitation the Hunter required to unsheath a knife and drive it into the leg of his assailant.
 
Morgan had to admit that she was surprised to see her prey already grappling with another predator, but her hesitation only a lasted a moment before the smell of blood hit her nose. Already in a state of hunting, her veins running hot with anger, it was enough to send the werewolfess into an attack and she snarled, fangs growing and baring before she charged forward. Her frame was slight, lithe but it concealed a power beyond a human and when she struck the man, he went down under her weight and the vampire's weight combined.

She wasn't sure if her actions had resulted in the vampire being crushed or further injured, and at this point Morgan didn't care as she growled savagely and her fingers morphed into claws, digging deeply into any skin she could reach as her fangs attempted to bite into the man's neck. Her silver-blue eyes were hazed over with rage and bloodlust as the Hunter started to struggling in earnest. He might have been prepared to fight a vampire on his own, but not a vampire and a werewolf combined.

Morgan could hear the rapid beat of his heart, the smell the fear that radiated from his skin and yet she couldn't get at his neck as he fought her off with another knife, slashing at her and drawing dark blood that the werewolfess hardly even noticed her in wild state.
 
The vampire was far more surprised by the girl's metamorphosis than by her size. He'd seen werewolves, certainly, but he'd always at least smelled them coming. But he couldn't get caught up in such things, with her raging toward the grappling men. They both went down at her mighty claws, and David knew a scratch like that would take much longer to heal. The second he became dislodged from the hunter, he vaporized as he rolled into the brush. His leg was already healing, but his arm seared with a painful heat from his shoulder to his elbow. Putting it out of his mind, he looked back to see the hunter slashing rather uselessly at the tremendous wolf. It was almost pathetic.

Yet something changed in the man, at facing certain death. And as the werewolf reared back for another even stronger blow, David noticed the man stop flailing and zone in on her now vulnerable chest. So David shot out from the woods and into the man, sending them flying in the direction he had come.
 
Morgan had seen the inevitable strike a second too late to react and she'd prepared herself for the pain of it, even death if he struck just right. And then she found herself suddenly being flung from the Hunter - saved though she wouldn't call the maneuver by the vampire a rescue! - and rolling away. She got back to her feet quickly, now equally as pissed with the human and the damn bat alike as she felt her prey had been taken from her. Nevermind that it had been moments away from seriously injuring or even killing her. That logic didn't apply in her bloodthirsty mind and Morgan gave a half-howling, half savage snarl, moving forward again to finish the Hunter off.

And maybe the vampire, too.

Neither thing happened as she suddenly found herself howling in pain, electricity rippling through her body, coming from the cords that had shot into her back. A human in uniform stood at the edge of the clearing, holding the gun that had shot the device and more men started to emerge from the forest, all dressed in black. The werewolfess recognized them with horror. Myth Hunters, an agency that dealt in the trafficking and experimentation of creatures less than human.

Fear surged through Morgan's veins and her war-phase turned cold almost instantly as she tried to get away, her muscles trembling, fried. It was too late though as another bolt was shot through her body and this time she screamed in a very humanlike way, collapsing to the forest floor as the men advanced.
 
The first human was put out of David's mind once the howls rattled his bones and the scene unfurled...allowing the man to slip away, and for David to conceal himself in the trees and shrubbery. As he watched, he grew more panicked and horrified, and the sounds emmanating from the beast turned from primal to human all too quickly for his stomach. It curled in a way he thought it had forgotten, surging in him with a sense of fear he had long tried to suppress. But with that fear came anger. The same anger that had propelled him to prevent the death of this fellow legend quickly became a much more bitter anger at humanity. That they had these teams of nearly a dozen actively seeking his kind and their like was just enough to enrage the vampire. And rage...well that inspired a loss of control in David.

While he could probably go through the motions outlined in red tape and procedure by the Old Ones, David felt the need to interviene. After all, they were outnumbered and while he had a chance at pulling strings, he had an opportunity to shed some blood on the cause he fought for: redemption and freedom for and among various otherworldly creatures.

His thoughts of how this might end, his attempts at a logical and safe solution, all blew out the window of his internal dialogue as he began disarming and dismembering the three men closest to him. They fell much unlike autumn leaves and more akin to the lifeless hunks and parts they were. Having smashed two more of their heads together, he finally caught the focus of one of the officers. As they locked eyes and David lunged forward, shoving the man into a tree by the neck, he too felt the siezing of his own body. And undead as it had remained, he could swear he felt it beat, albeit painfully, as he fell and writhed next to the strange girl. The shock in her glazing eyes was the last thing he saw before a fresh wave of electricity caused him to black out.
 
He'd tried to help her. The crazy bat had tried to help her. Why had he done that? Why would he risk his own freedom to help her, one of her kind? She didn't understand...

It was the last thought Morgan had before her mind exploded in another wave of pain. Her world went dark and she knew no more.

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

She woke in a truck, the jolting and jarring ride bringing more bruises to her body than the fight had. Morgan groaned as she tried to move and then thought better of it despite the bouncing that was causing her a great deal of pain in and of itself. Everything hurt. Her nerves were fried, raw even if they were not permanently damaged and her arms were cuffed behind her back. And it was her wrists that hurt the most...and her neck. The burning sensation was almost unbearable and Morgan, after trying to alleviate the pain, made the horrifying discovery that the metal that restrained her was flecked with silver.

She grit her teeth, furious and scared, realizing that her captors were cruel as well as intelligent. They'd put only enough silver in the metal around her neck and the cuffs around her wrists to burn and keep her from breaking out but not enough to kill her or cause serious injury.

The werewolfess bit back a sob, letting it turn into a growl instead, letting anger come over her instead of fear and in the dim lighting of the truck, she looked around. Her nose finally took precedence over her emotions and she let it tell her if she was alone or not. Morgan quickly smelled the vampire and her nose wrinkled at the scent, her teeth baring before her mind caught up to her. It then proceeded to scold her thoroughly in the voice of her mother. They were BOTH captive and he was only so because he'd chosen to help her.

Morgan suddenly found herself wondering if he was even alive....no pun intended.
 
With no idea of how long he'd been unconscious, David awoke to a most uncomfortable situation...being a vampire in human custody, sharing a windowless ride with an agitated werewolf. Taking inventory of his person, he felt the remnant sting of those electric shocks and a dull ache where the werewolf had grazed him. No trace of the heartbeat he probably imagined, and too sore for the rage that had empowered him. He noted the silver collar at the girl's neck, and guessed his had been doused in holy water or some other fable-oriented folly. Both were most likely also electrified and to prevent his mind from spiralling into the negative, he attempted small-talk. He didn't doubt this would be one of few chances to speak without interruption or risk of being recorded and overheard.

"At least they decided to forgo a muzzle...have you a name?
 
Morgan blinked at him, honestly surprised he hadn't flung out an insult or reacted in anger to her very presence. That was the result she'd always gotten from any vampires she happened to stumble across. Their species hated each other, hence her extreme shock at his decision to try and help her. IF he'd been trying to help... Maybe he'd just been overcome with a blood frenzy. That was a possibility, too and it was one that made more sense in her mind. So she decided to go with that until proven wrong. That way she didn't have to feel so incredibly guilty about him being here with her, too.

Still, no matter how crazy she thought he was or how stupid - really, who attacked Myth Hunters and expected to get away with it? - he was the only other non-human creature around and she didn't know long it would be before she saw another. And, though she wouldn't admit it, she was scared, so very scared and in need of distraction.

Moving her head so that her black hair was no longer in her face, the werewolfess regarded the vampire warily. "Morgan Howler. You?"
 
"David Stafford. While I am curious as to why you might have been on my property, I wonder more how much you might know of the blokes that have taken us." Knowing that her kind were often able to mingle as humans, he hoped she had some insight on the situation. Maybe he could still fix things, and avoid the hellfire bound to rain upon him once The Others caught wind of this. He'd been in human captivity before, but under far simpler circumstances, before electricity could be used as a weapon and when bodies were more easily disposed of.

He sat up as straight as the jolting vehicle would allow, rolling his neck and shoulders the best his bonds would allow. Observing his fellow captive, he admired the shine in her dark hair and noted her eyes had changed, weren't as blue as her wolf ones. In many mythological races, eyes were reported to change color, though most legends claimed the achievement of a red hue. David had never seen such a trait, and began to consider the genetic mutations that had to occur for such phenomena to exist and transfer as it did.
 
Stafford. She knew that name... where did she know that name? Morgan tried to think for about it for a moment, but eventually she gave it up. It probably wasn't all that important anyway. The werewolfess sat up as the vampire did and she growled in pain as the silver brushed against the inside of her wrist, burning her skin. Damn these humans to the seventh circle of hell. She said a few more choice words in her mind before David's words caught her attention and if she'd been in her wolf form her ears would have cocked forward. As it was, she raised a brow, disbelieving.

"You've never heard of the Myth Hunters?" When he didn't respond, she snorted and grimaced again as they bounced and she hit her side against the truck. Ow.

Morgan looked back at her temporary companion, taking note of his graying brown hair and deep blue eyes. Truthfully, it was his eyes she focused on. She'd always had a fascination with eyes and a vampire's, well they held the same kind of wisdom, the same agelessness as a werewolves. Only, usually said eyes were glaring at her with hate so it made studying them a little difficult. "These humans are feared by every mythological creature in the world. They're worldwide. They traffic us, sell us to the highest bidder, give us over to research. You don't know where you'll end up and it's guaranteed they'll hurt you somehow."

As she spoke, her voice remained steady, but fear lurked in her silver eyes and Morgan took a deep breath, looking away from David.
 
The facts were astonishing, and the awe was plain on David's face. "World...wide," he mumbled before shaking his head and addressing her again. "My apologies. I tend to distance myself from humans...from everything, really." But something didn't add up. Someone had led him astray, and fed him false information. His brow furrowed in frustration, trying to fathom the motives behind such betrayal. This Morgan seemed to have a much clearer view of the present world than he, and so he tried to dig for more.

"Morgan, if I may, could you tell me what you know about vampires? I'm curious, as it's been some time since I've met a werewolf willing to have a conversation." Indeed, almost every werewolf or were-creature he'd encountered had gone directly for David's blood. Save one, who sought a vampire specifically to end his life. But such memories were distraction from the present predicament he found himself in. "Depending on your answer, I may have an idea or two of who to blame and how to get out of this...presuming you can't bite through metal, and I cannot simply slip myself out of these bonds."
 
Morgan gave him a look that said 'do you live under a rock?' but she started to answer his question, beginning with; "I've never met a vampire willing to have a conversation that didn't include insulting my species and then trying to rip me apart, so I guess you can add that to the things I know about vampires."

She shifted her position again, the metal around her neck searing her skin in a constant way, making it hard to think past the pain. Couple that with her wrists, the bruises that were still in the process of being made as she was flung around and the cuts from the Hunter's knife and you got a very unhappy werewolf. She was holding it together well, though. She'd not started raging against the metal confining her though her wild side wanted to do just that, hating the confinement with a passion greater than the sun. She was not some hound to be put on a leash and called to heel!

"Our races hate each other. It's been that way since I was a child. It's only gotten worse in the past couple of years. I know that vampire 'laws' are ordained by the Old Ones and that every coven has to follow their commands. I know that there are ranks and titles in each coven according to age, money and skills, though, I don't understand how that works exactly. I know that vampires are spreading more rapidly than my kind initially thought. You are converting more people. My Pack personally thinks you're gearing up for a war."

She had no idea what he'd do with that information and she didn't know if she'd answered his question at all. But if she hadn't, he could let her know. She wasn't going to guess.
 
As they were jolted around, the vampire's face remained wrinkled in pensive frustration. He strained for answers and wondered just how much damage the wolf woman could withstand. The skin beneath her restraints was beginning to alarm David, as much as such ruthless carelessness of their captors. Prisoners are usually only worth taking alive, and silver restraints could mean a death sentence if left on too long.

"I am aware of the deep hatred between our kind...I even had a distaste for yours myself, but only for a time. The longer I live, the less wisdom I see in generational feuding and the more I hope to create a catalyst for change." He paused, gathering his words. "Part of closing myself off for awhile (too long a while it seems) was to study. Our origins, our history...I was obsessed, you see, and I had to understand why my family was involved with The Council at all. I still don't know much on personal levels but I do know of the political workings of the vampires as a mechanism. And I know its intentions are based on this hatred." David paused again to meet Morgan's pained gaze. "I also know that it has to change...that if I could do anything personally, it would be to bring peace to our families."

As their ride began to even out (if only slightly) David thought to add one more statement; "Be aware, Morgan. Observe what detail you can, and breathe past their instigation."
 
"It's a nice thought, vampire."

He's insane - even for a bat. Morgan had come to this conclusion quickly....but something told her he might be have been on to something, too. Peace between their kinds? She wanted to snort at the thought. It couldn't be done! Yes, she wanted to scoff at him, but she found her eyes narrowing instead, listening to him carefully to see if she could detect any beguiling in his words. Vampires were masters at deception and hypnosis, bending the will, but she felt none of this from him, smelled no lie.

It was incredibly strange and if she'd not been in her current situation, Morgan might have been far more curious, far more willing to question him. She was in pain, though, and she was distracted, her mind trying to figure out what might happen to her once the truck stops. Will she be sold? Experimented on? She didn't know and it was killing her to not know her own fate, to not be able to plan for it. Davids last words made her silver eyes glint with an expression that said ' duh' but she didn't get to say anything to him as the truck stopped and a minute later the door opened.

Uniformed men approach with electric devices in her their hands and Morgan bared fangs at them, a low growl in her throat, but she didn't fight as they pulled her up. Not yet anyway.
 
David merely narrowed his eyes at their captors. They were quite tactically avoiding meeting his eyes and his thoughts tried to stray to the depths of what they might know...and how. But he and morgan were forced from the truck, shoved forward and surrounded by the guards that escorted them between electric fencing - razor wire at the top, and all constructed of silver. As difficult as it was to keep his words and actions in check, the vampire did what he could to remain regal and cooperative. Well, as regal as one could be in handcuffs and wrongful imprisonment. As he took in his surroundings, he was clocked on the shoulder as an officer commanded him forward. The whole place looked like a concentration camp. From what the were-woman had said, he expected less extermination and more experimentation. At least, he hoped...The two were detained in the same room initially, as their information and basic vitals were obtained and recorded, all at gunpoint. It was all David could do not to roll his eyes or vomit from the disgusting memories he held of Hitler's reign. Now and again he tried to meet Morgan's eyes and hold out for a momen alone, but so far no luck. As such he chose to risk addressing the only officer left with them, in the foyer of a building."Sir?" No response came. "SIR!" The force in his voice finally caught a glimpse, and the vampire dodged the pistol-whip that was attempted and tried to continue. "I AM DAVID STAFFORD, I can guarantee funds of my superiors are part of your paycheck maggot and if you refuse to deliver the both of us to your supervisors I will be forced to gut you here and now, at your own humiliation, and stand to gain both strength and money for doing so." By now the vampire was standing nose-to-nose with the trembling insubordinate officer. He was playing a few cards he had hoped to hold, but at the sight of such imprisonment wouldn't dare risk their separation. The man had been intimidated enough to make eye contact, and that's all David required. They walked further into the building."Jenkins," the officer said to the man at the desk, "I'll be delivering these subjects directly to Captain Lescanzi." Although 'Jenkins' seemed confused, he didn't question it. And so they went, down windowless hallways - a left, a right; a right, a left...the whole place stank of hatred and torture.
 
Morgan had no idea how the vampire had done - mind control, maybe? - that or what he hoped to accomplish by it, but she was both scared and relieved when they were taken from the room where they'd been poked and prodded, questioned - though, they'd had to electrocute even basic information out of Morgan - and quickly analyzed. She could feel her limbs shaking with pain and with fear as her dilated silver eyes took in everything.

She had seen that escape was nearly impossible and the silver still on her neck - though, not on her wrists as those had been taken off for the examination - prevented her from even thinking about taking her wolf form, her most likely chance of getting out of her resting within that animal shape. The werewolfess hated to say she was relieved to be staying with the vampire as they were moved further into the building, but she would have been lying had she denied it. It wasn't that she liked David himself, but he was the only person who was familiar in this nightmare she'd been thrust into and he had shown some care(?) - or maybe loyalty among their type of species? - in telling the man to bring her too.

So yes, she stayed close to him and tried to keep her heart from pounding its way out of her chest, unashamed that the vampire could probably smell her fear. She had right to be afraid and if he wasn't, then he had no true understanding of what this place was.

Morgan knew she'd rather die than be held here.
 
Of all the... Luck was not exactly a lady for the misfit mythologicals. Lescanzi
had to be the last thing David needed to hear right now, with Morgan's pulse thumping through his usually cold nerves and near-panic running through his thoughts. He needed to re-pursuade this officer and cameras were everywhere. Each and every cell they passed held werewolf and vampire alike, but all had been morphed, mutated, or worse...

His options were few so he simply stopped in the hallway, gently elbowing Morgan into doing the same. As the man took a few automated steps forward, David muttered for her to play along.

"Sir?" David attempted, hoping the trance still had a hold. It did, and so it was a precarious opportunity in front of an empty cell in which to prevent any onlookers.

"Pardon me," the vampire said with polite softness, "but should we not be enter this empty cell?" Of course the officer complied, albeit with a sternly confused expression, and filed the two of them in at gunpoint.

"Sir? It might be in your best interest to remove our bonds." He hoped he wasn't pushing it, waiting for his words to permeate the haze of this human's brain. And while he seemed reluctant to do so, he removed both David and Morgan's shackles and collars. David looked to Morgan and tilted his head to the door before addressing the man again.

"Now sir, you should probably wait here for your meal." He ushered Morgan out the door and the man replied to David with "Baked potato!" as he locked it smoothly behind him. He quickly walked from the direction they'd come, wondering what in the world to do next.
 
Morgan was starting to wonder if maybe, just maybe her companion wasn't so insane after all. In fact, he was turning out be quite useful! She rubbed the rawness on her neck gently, growling under her breath at the indignity of having had a collar on at all. She followed David for lack of a better plan, but she wasn't much calmer. In fact, she grew more tense the more cells they passed and the more she saw her people and other mythical creatures and the conditions they were in.

She wanted to help. She wanted to free them all and take them to safety, but every instinct inside her of screamed to get out of this place and Morgan knew a rescue was not plausible with just two people. Not in a place like this.

"How many people can you use that hypnosis on?" she asked the vampire softly, sniffing the air to see if she could detect any fresh breeze that might direct them to an exit or any workers approaching. She had no idea how they were going to get past the guards if he couldn't manipulate more than one at once, but Morgan didn't care if he couldn't. Her hands flexed, claws at the end of her fingers and her fangs bared, blue-silver eyes glittering. She'd fight for her freedom even if she had no chance of succeeding.
 
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