Fantasy Compliments and Conundrums : Private for Tarmagon and readysetstalk

[readysetstalk]

Alpha? There was already an alpha in Half-Moon Falls. CEO? This guy definitely did not come across as the type that would love to get their hands dirty. People were full of surprises, she supposed. Her brow quirked at the sight of the book. Light reading? She couldn't help but laugh. "That looks to be a little more intense than just light reading, but I'll take your word for it." She gave him a playful wink before she stood from where she sat.

Gracelynn frowned slightly at his comment. "I am not that heavily inked, just so you know," she stated, rather matter-of-factly. "It's just my arms, back, legs, and chest as of right now." She teased, knowing damn-well she was covered in tattoos. She loved them, though. Not a trace of regret plagued her. She was big into the art, and loved the pain that followed with it. It was an odd thing, but she didn't care. Gracelynn pulled the oversized jacket in closer as she stepped out of the RV, jumping from the last step.

"You know, that strange boost you feel when healing, is like... some weird natural vibe thing that I feel. I can feel when you're close, and when you're hurt.. It's super strange, and I'm not sure how I really feel about it." Never before had she felt something like this. It was something different, that's for sure. Gracelynn had seen plenty of things here in town, but never once did she feel this way towards anyone. It was almost like she had known him her whole life. Nothing felt dangerous about him. In fact, she felt safer when he was around. It had all started back at the restaurant, and now, she was inviting him into her house to sleep on her couch. Who was she turning into? This was the start of some crazy horror movie where the girl offers the guy a place to stay, and he ends up being some serial killer who wants to scalp her for a more natural looking wig. And she was living for it. Gracelynn had never been so excited to have someone over at her house before today. And she didn't even know Ryan. Hell, she hadn't a clue what his last name was.

Once she was outside, she waited for him to lock up the RV and then set off to the west. "Don't dawdle, boy. I can't afford to lose you tonight. It's quite dark where we're headed." She glanced over her shoulder at him, flashing him a wide grin. "Though, maybe if you transform into a wolf-man again, I might be able to pick up on the dog scent." With a wink, she hooked her arm onto his and lead him towards her home.

It wasn't a long walk from where his RV was parked; maybe twenty minutes at most. Upon arriving at her house, she pulled her keys out of her pocket and led him inside. It was a pretty basic house. It was small, and perfect for her. The interior was more of a vintage feel. It had Victorian furniture and a few goth-esque decorations spread throughout. She flipped on a light in the foyer and it illuminated the various paintings hung up on the walls, all painted by Gracelynn herself.

"Welcome to my humble abode! Please wipe your feet on your way in." She kicked off her boots and hung up his jacket on the hook by the door.

Tarmagon

 

[Tarmagon]

"Pfft!" Ryan snorted. "Should I make sure to wallow around in a mud puddle so you can get the whole wet-canine experience? Or should I go full wolf and shed on all the funiture?"

Grace's comment about feeling things from him was tickling a memory from his childhood. His mother had been telling him a story about an unlikely pair. A witch and a vampire maybe. Something about compliments. Ryan was certain he'd seen a chapter in compliments, or companions, something like that, in the Tome he was carrying. He certainly hoped he was remembering correctly, because while Grace's company was pleasant in a way he couldn't fully articulate, not knowing was driving him crazy.

"Welcome to my humble abode! Please wipe your feet on your way in." Grace said after opening the door to a smallish house and flipping on a light. The was a faint hint of goth, or maybe Victorian steampunk to the decorations. Somehow that didn't surprise Ryan. Lots of paintings on the walls. It looked like they'd all been done by the same hand too. Interesting.

"To be welcome in the home of a friend, however new," Ryan said, wiping his bare feet on the may before stepping inside, "Is to be doubly blessed. May the Silver Lady shine with favor upon you. Now, in the interests of keeping on friendly terms... shower?"

readysetstalk (Does the mysterious Tome hold answers, or more questions? Stay tuned! )

 

[readysetstalk]

Gracelynn looked over her shoulder at him at the mention of mud. "Actually, I think that would work out just fine. With the recent rain, my backyard would be the perfect place." She placed her hands on her hips as she turned to look at him. "However, I am well stocked in lint rollers, so I don't think the hair will bother me all that much." She offered him a smile. Despite the recent events, Gracelynn had no problem with welcoming him into her home. It was like he was a safety blanket. If anything went wrong, which she hoped wouldn't happen, she had him right there near her. She couldn't explain it, and maybe that book he was carrying would have some answers.

"Yes! A shower, absolutely!" She gestured for him to follow her up the stairs to the second floor. "I really hope you're good at plumbing too, because if you clog up my shower with that... I'm holding you accountable for fixing the clog.." She opened up a door in the hallway and grabbed him a towel to use, along with a wash cloth and a new bar of soap. "I hope you like Dove," she mused, smiling his way. She then led him into the bathroom and placed his things down on the cabinet next to the sink.

"The shower is a little tricky with the hot water, so if you think it's too cold, be careful when turning it over to hot. It'll get hot real fast and then you'll probably just want to die." With a shrug of her shoulders, she started to make her way out of the bathroom. "If you have any comments, questions, or concerns, just holler. I'll be able to hear you." With a playful wink, she exited the bathroom and mad her way down the hall to the master bedroom. While there, she changed into pajamas which consisted of some thin, raggedy-looking shorts, and a very over-sized t-shirt. She readjusted her low ponytail up into a high bun, curls falling down around her face that just didn't make it into the bun. After the change of clothes was complete, she made her way back downstairs and to the living room. She opened a chest against the wall and began getting the couch ready for him.

Tarmagon

 

[Tarmagon]

Ryan couldn't quite suppress a chuckle at Grace's riposte to his verbal sparring. He followed her upstairs, accepting the proffered items and listening to the warning about the shower with a nod. It wasn't like he couldn't stand water quite a bit hotter than most, but then again, Grace might not be familiar with were-creature's tolerances. After Grace had left with a wink, Ryan stripped down and stepped into the shower, grimacing in distaste as he saw the amount of dried crud that coated his body.

"Woman's made of tough stuff," he mused as he scrubbed at the gunk. The water swirling down the drain turned some interesting colors, but it ran steadily, so Ryan wasn't worried that his plumbing skills would be put to the test. He used the same bar of soap to lather up and wash his hair, then carefully dried himself off before stepping out of the shower. He dressed quickly in loose fitting jeans and a t-shirt that asked 'Howl ya doin?'. He rinsed down the shower and cleaned the bathroom, leaving the used towel and cloth hanging over the curtain bar to dry since he didn't have a clue what Grace usually did with things like that.

Making his way downstairs with his dirty clothes bundled under one arm, he was just in time to catch Grace putting the final touches on his 'bed' for the night. She had changed into an over-sized t-shirt, and as she bent over to place a pillow it rode high enough that he caught a glimpse of comfortably worn shorts underneath. Her arms were heavily tattooed, and her legs also sported an impressive amount of ink.

"I don't even want to guess how long you've spent in a tattoo chair," Ryan said as he stepped into the room. "As a born were, tattoo's just aren't possible for me unless I'm willing to poison myself slightly. And I haven't seen anything I like enough to risk that for."

Ryan moved up and set his bundle down at the end of the couch, then retrieved the book that he had brought with him. He'd put the dirty clothes into his pack later, but now, he wanted answers. He sat down on the couch and patted the spot beside him.

"If you'd care to take a seat," he said, "We can see if we can find some answers in here. Consider this a primer for newly turned werewolves. There's a lot of history, lore, and legends in here."

readysetstalk (Someone loves her ink. )

 

[readysetstalk]

Gracelynn grinned as he heard him coming down the stairs, and just a little wider at the mention of the hours she had to have endured to reach the level of coverage she had on her body. "Well, I would tell you, but I've lost count.." She held out her arms, turning them over as she looked over the impressive, black artwork she had all over her skin. It had taken years to get this covered, and a stack of money she didn't even want to think about. It was a lot of money, needless to say. Grace noted the pile of dirty clothes he had, and made quick to gather them and take them back to the laundry room. She threw them in the wash and quickly started it.

"Oohh, story time!" she mused, walking back into the living room. She took him up on the offer and plopped down in the seat next to him. It was as if the music surging through her body was highly content with the closeness. Gracelynn folded her legs up criss-cross in front of her, her eyes going to the rather large book in Ryan's hands.

"So, does this mean I get to know all the secrets of werewolves?" she smiled, looking up to Ryan. "I mean, I should know some of the secrets, right? I feel like we're almost connected in some weird way. I think it's only fair." With a shrug of her shoulders, she leaned back into the cushions and waited for him to do the research. She wanted to know answers. This wasn't normal, at all; at least, to her anyway.

"Also, if you're still hungry, I have food in the fridge." As she spoke, she stuck her thumb in the general direction of the kitchen.

Tarmagon

 

[Tarmagon]

"No, thank you." Ryan replied with a smile. "Though if this supercharging effect persists I might have to take you up on it later. For now, let's just see if there are any answers hiding in the pages of this book... And no, you don't get to know all the secrets of werewolves, but you do get to know some. If you're a good girl and don't go blabbing everything you learn, you might learn some more."

Ryan was almost painfully aware of Grace's warmth as she leaned close to see as he opened the book. The scent that had caught his attention in the outdoors was overpowering in such close proximity, slightly dusky, slightly sweet, and he now knew, distinctly Grace. No matter what, he knew he'd be able to pick out her scent now. It was all he could do not to inhale as deeply as he could, drinking in her scent, and he concentrated hard on the tiny, crabbed handwriting in the book.

"Let's see," he muttered as he flipped through the pages. "First full-moon changes, voluntary changes, hybrid form. Nothing there. Hmm. Alpha status, vulnerabilities, passing on were status. That last one only applies to Alpha's by the way, otherwise we'd be overrun with werewolves if every random bite could transform a baseline human into a were. Just for your information, any vampire, not just a Master, can pass on vampirism to a victim, willing or unwilling. Lycanthropy requires the recipient be willing and even eager. Anyway, moving on."

Ryan continued to flip through the book, skimming over most of the topics, looking for half-remembered tales and stories. Finally one page caught his eye, and he began to read aloud.

"Somewhere in the world, there exists a being who can bring out the best in you. This being is not a 'missing half', because you and your Compliment are full and complete beings in your own rights. However, if you do meet your Compliment, together you can become so much more than the sum of your parts. If you and your Compliment are compatible in temperament and choose to remain together, both can reap benefits from being in close proximity. You will both become stronger, healthier, and should your Compliment be another supernatural being, you can aid each other. Rather than feed every couple of days, a vampire with a Compliment need take but a single sip of their Compliment's blood to remain sated and sane for weeks at a time. Weres reach their full potential, usually attaining Alpha status, as well as not being forced to undergo the Change at full-moon. Witches gain in access to Power and ability to channel it. Even a human benefits from being a Compliment, taking on minor traits of their supernatural Compliment over time. The effects fade with distance and time, though the longer Compliments choose to remain together the slower the fading."

Ryan looked up, naked curiosity on his face. Could she be?

"Wh... What do you think?" he asked. "It would explain how you boosted my healing, and how I was strong and fast enough to fight a vampire on even terms. To me, your presence feels like the comforting song of the full-moon. Do, you feel anything odd?"


readysetstalk (They have some, though not all, information. Whatever will they do with it?)

 

[readysetstalk]

Their close proximity definitely had an effect on Gracelynn. Every inch of her body seemed to buzz with excitement. She drew her knees closer to her chest as she leaned in closer to him, skimming over the pages as he turned them. Being that she never really dealt with the supernatural often, this was a whole new world for her. Sure, she knew they existed, but she never got close enough to anyone to learn much about it. She was a blank canvas--figuratively of course, her skin said otherwise. Her curiosity was running rampant. She wanted to know as much about Ryan as possible, both personally and supernaturally. Something just kept drawing her in closer and closer to Ryan.

As he read aloud, her pale green eyes followed every word he spoke. And then he stopped for a second. She looked up at him, her eyes peering into his. What if that's what was going on? How rare was it for a supernatural being to find their compliment?

"I haven't a clue what the full-moon song is... But I definitely....feel... different around you. Like, my body is almost buzzing right now just sitting next to you. And when I walked by the auto shop earlier, it got stronger, and then wavered as I got further away..." She thought for a moment and then sighed dramatically. "IF I START GROWING HAIR ALL OVER ME, YOU HAVE TO LEAVE." Of course, she was kidding. Well, at least she hoped that isn't what it had meant when it said the companion would pick up traits of their supernatural pair. Who really knows what that even means? Was she going to shift into a puppy or something when the full moon made its appearance? Surely it wouldn't be that grandiose. Odd if it did, but she hoped like hell it wasn't.

Gracelynn leaned back into the couch, her arm brushing against his. It sent a shockwave through her body, just like it had when she helped him heal back in the alleyway. "For real, though... I'm not going to talk to anyone about this. It's weird enough. And it'll be even more weird if I start growing a goatee because I'm paired up with a werewolf...." And not just any werewolf, she paired up with an Alpha. If it was supposed to make him stronger, or make a weaker werewolf into an alpha, what exactly was going to happen to Ryan?

Tarmagon Ryan better be prepared to answer 9 million questions.

 

[Tarmagon]

"I haven't a clue what the full-moon song is... But I definitely....feel... different around you. Like, my body is almost buzzing right now just sitting next to you. And when I walked by the auto shop earlier, it got stronger, and then wavered as I got further away..." Grace thought for a moment and then sighed dramatically. "IF I START GROWING HAIR ALL OVER ME, YOU HAVE TO LEAVE. For real, though... I'm not going to talk to anyone about this. It's weird enough. And it'll be even more weird if I start growing a goatee because I'm paired up with a werewolf...."

"Well," Ryan said, trying to put a feeling into words, "I'm always aware of the moon, even during the day. It's, like a comforting song your mother sang to you as a child. You can't make out any words, but it makes you feel warm and safe and cherished. It gets stronger as the moon gets closer to full, and on the night of the full moon it's so intense, so intoxicating, that it calls my wolf to the surface to run under its light. It makes me stronger and faster... And now, it appears that you do too."

Ryan had to suppress a chuckle over Grace's hair comment. The book mentioned that a human would gain some minor traits of their supernatural Compliment, and Ryan wouldn't exactly call fur a minor trait.

"Somehow, I don't think that's quite what the writer of this book meant," Ryan said with a chuckle. "If I was to hazard a guess, expect to see your metabolism ramp up a bit. I don't think you'll gain werewolf senses and strength, but I do think you'll get stronger, and your senses will get more acute... At least if we stay in a reasonable proximity of each other. I'm not the easiest person in the world to get along with, and, well, I'm somewhat of a loner. I..."

Ryan took a deep breath, memories flashing through his mind like a demented slideshow. Things he had seen, things he had done, and still being unable to save more than a tithe of his Pack. The fact that he had saved any was a minor miracle, but to an Alpha the loss of even a single Pack member cut like a knife. To lose all but four, it had been a nightmare.

"Grace," Ryan said, his voice quiet but singing with old pain and tension, "I... I was the Alpha of a successful Pack in North Carolina. It's how I have the resources I still do. But that Pack is no more. Did you see the news about six months ago about the explosion in the Lupine Sports manufacturing plant? That was my Pack's center of operations, emphasis on was. I won't bore you with the details, quite frankly because it's just too damned painful to recall. We were attacked, and I failed to protect my Pack. Not counting me, there were four survivors. Four, out of twenty-six."

Ryan had to stop for a moment, the past silently overwhelming his ability to speak. They hadn't had any warning, no idea that a much weaker rival Pack had designs on their territory, or that they had contracted with a Dark Coven to deal with the annoying fact that the territory they wanted was already claimed. The magically cloaked tanker truck had exploded in the middle of the Pack's monthly moon-run... Ryan chopped off the flow of memory with iron determination. He didn't want to remember the torn bodies, especially the kids. Werewolves were tough, very tough, but an explosion of a fully loaded tanker truck was more than enough to overwhelm their supernatural metabolisms. He didn't want to relive gathering the shattered remnants of his Pack, and what they had done. The rival Pack had expected to kill them all at once. They failed. They paid the price.

"The authorities blamed a tanker explosion delivering fuel to our emergency generators," Ryan said. "And we didn't dispute them. The survivors all got a generous payout from insurance, and went their separate ways. Me... I'm an Alpha without a Pack. I started wandering, and finally stopped here. I'm a Lone Wolf now. I lost my Pack, and I'm not certain I'll ever be a part of another. I'm not certain I want to, but I can't help but feel the pull of Pack, since wolves are a social creature. You, seem to fill my need for Pack, and that scares me. I failed one Pack, I could have failed you. I could still fail you. I just met you, and that thought scares me way more than it should."

readysetstalk (Deep and dark secrets are starting to be revealed.)

 

[readysetstalk]

Twenty-one. Twenty-one werewolves were killed in a single explosion. Five remained. Ryan was an alpha who had lost nearly his entire pack, and now he was left wandering about, trying to find his calling. Grace's heart ached for him. She had never been in a situation like that, and after seeing what Ryan had done to the vampire, she couldn't even imagine what happened to the rival pack that had inflicted the pain on him. Sure, he felt like he failed them. Hell, Grace would have felt the same way. To lose that many people and not feel guilt would be absurd.

Giving a soft sigh, she leaned her head down against his shoulder, her eyes still looking at the awful handwriting in the book. "You know, Ryan... It's not your fault that happened... I know it would be hard to convince you of that, but it's really not your fault.. I'm sure you were a magnificent alpha regardless." She reached over and took his hand in her own, giving it a gentle squeeze. She wished that there was something she could say to him, but her mind ran dry. Nothing she said to him right now could make the situation better.

"And sure, you could fail me. But you haven't yet, and I don't think you will. You saved my life tonight, and I will forever be in your debt because of that. I could have been a snack tonight. Or turned. You know? But I wasn't because of you." She tilted her head back so she could look up at him. The second they had touched, her body seemed to buzz even more. It was happy, content. Having him close was so calming and relaxing. It was extremely hard to explain it. But she also wasn't mad about it either. She couldn't be. With the way she felt, she almost didn't want him to leave. It was absolutely uncalled for if she asked him to stay more than a night, but she wanted to. Now that she knew what it was like to have him here, next to her, a large part of her didn't want it to ever stop.

"If you go into something with a negative mindset, you're going to end up with negative results. So just don't do that, okay?" She offered him a smile, her thumb rubbing against the back of his hand idly. There was so much more to someone than their past. He had shown her that tonight. He might not have been able to stop what happened to his pack, but he was greater than that. He had more purpose than that. He was still here, and reliving the past every day wasn't going to get him any further.

Tarmagon Sorry it's a little short!

 

[Tarmagon]

Ryan stiffened slightly as Grace leaned forward, leaning her head against his shoulder, then relaxed into the gentle comfort her presence seemed to provide. She was speaking, gentle words of encouragement that flowed over him like a warm rain as she took one of his hands in one of hers. That contact spread a warmth throughout his body. It was a warmth that could easily erupt into a raging inferno, but right here, right now, the gentle awareness that he wasn't alone made shoulders Ryan hadn't even realized were knotted with tension, ease. Grace knew he had failed, but she wasn't judging him, wasn't yelling at him that he was a failure, wasn't demanding that he leave. Instead, she was trying her best to comfort him.

"Okay," he managed to whisper. "I'll try my best. After tonight, you deserve something positive, and I won't be the one who only provides dire predictions of doom and gloom."

Ryan became aware that Grace hadn't pulled her hand away from his, instead letting her thumb rub over the back lightly. It seemed to be an unconscious action on her part, and Ryan was in no hurry to break the skin to skin contact they were sharing. He only hoped that Grace was getting at least a fraction of the comfort that he was from her touch. For the first time since the disaster in North Carolina, Ryan felt at peace, the longing for a Pack fulfilled. The cessation of the constant ache in his soul, coupled with the exertions of saving Grace, then the massive and incredibly fast, even for him, healing that had come afterwards, began to drag at Ryan's consciousness. The horrid handwriting on the pages seemed to swim in and out of focus as he tried to puzzle out what he was sharing with Grace.

"M'sorry," he started to say, but before he could complete his thought, a warm blanket of darkness descended over his awareness. Unlike the unconsciousness that had come after the battle with the vampire, this one was welcoming, promising rest without the nightmares that had plagued Ryan's nights for far too long. He never felt the book slip from his fingers as his eyes slid shut, didn't feel his body settle back into the couch next to the stranger who had brought unexpected warmth? comfort? purpose? back into his life in a single evening of violence and discovery. He didn't feel his hand close softly, carefully, around Grace's smaller hand as his head came to rest against her shoulder. His breathing slowed, becoming deep and even as he instinctively drew close to the source of his contentment.

readysetstalk (Werewolf has reached the end of even his formidable resources.)

 

[readysetstalk]

A faint smile appeared on Grace's lips as Ryan fell fast asleep. Her eyes watched as his hand seemingly closed on its own. Her other hand came up and covered the top of his. Their night had gone from strange, to stranger. First, feeling that spark of life at the diner, and then again in the alley as he nearly died, and now as he lay on her couch, fast asleep. If anyone told Gracelynn that this was how her night would end, she would have highly disagreed. Her eyes glanced to the clock, noting that it was nearly two in the morning at this point. Thankfully the hardware store was closed tomorrow, so she had no worries on what time she actually made it to bed.

Sleeping on a couch was less than ideal for two people, so Grace managed to slide out from beside him, careful not to disturb his sleep. The last thing she wanted to do right now was wake him. He had had a very long day, and she only hoped that he got a good night's rest. He could sleep until supper tomorrow, and she wouldn't have a care. As she looked him over, she grabbed a blanket off of the nearby armchair and carefully draped it over him. She took the book from his lap and closed it shut, laying it down on the coffee table. Part of her wanted to delve deep into the pages, but another part told her that it wasn't her business to be snooping. If Ryan wanted her to know something, he'd tell her. She had gained a little bit of his trust, and she didn't want to ruin it so quickly.

Ignoring her urges, she turned on the lamp on the end table, allowing the soft amber glow to illuminate the room dully as she turned off the ceiling light. She left him on the couch, looking back over her shoulder to him as she began to ascend the stairs. She'd be a good girl and sleep in her own room tonight. So many thoughts flooded her head, however. How was this even possible? How was it that he managed to find her? And for them to be companions? Hell, she hardly understood what all this actually meant.

Her feet carried her up the carpeted stairs and down the hall to her bedroom. She left the door open, just in case Ryan woke up and needed something. He'd at least know what room she was in. Or would he always know where she was? Is that how the companion thing worked? She knew he could probably pick up her scent, as he's a werewolf and all. Many, many more thoughts ran through her mind as she pulled back the black comforter on her bed.

Moments later, Grace was tucked away. However soothing Ryan's presence was, it did not keep nightmares at bay. All throughout the night, Gracelynn tossed and turned, the images of being held by the vampire, and the images of said vampire being ripped to pieces plagued her mind. Although frightful, not a word was heard from her all night. If Ryan wasn't downstairs, who knows what would have happened.

Tarmagon

 

[Tarmagon]

Ryan normally snapped awake with the instant awareness of a predator, but this morning was different. He rose slowly from the depths of sleep, becoming cognizant of his surroundings a bit at a time. He was warm, and there was a comforting smell surrounding him. Cushions shifted under him as he rolled... wait... cushions? The slow rise became an instant evaluation of his environment as Ryan registered that he wasn't in his bed. He shot upright, the blanket falling from him as he looked around. Couch, blanket, familiar book, faintly goth look to the room. Scent... ah, Grace. As he recognized the scent he had come to associate with Grace, the events of the previous night returned to Ryan in a rush. The strange feelings Grace's presence invoked, the strange vampire, the fight and its aftermath. Grace's insistence that he stay at her place.

"Well," he told himself wryly, "It appears that you were a gentleman, at least if you can call falling asleep on a woman you've know less than," he glanced at his watch and grimaced, "Less than twelve hours gentlemanly."

Ryan stood, folding the blanket that had been thoughtfully placed over him neatly before taking a more thorough look around. The book they had been reading lay on the coffee table, and the faintness of Grace's scent on the cover told him that she hadn't done anything but set it there.

"Henh," he chuckled. "I'm surprised she didn't read it cover to cover, but then again, maybe not. Grace strikes me as the type who respects other people's secrets. Maybe she thought the contents of the book were private. She's not a were, but there's no harm in letting her read it if she wants."

Ryan froze for a second, wondering at his own attitude. No, there weren't any dangerous secrets in the book, but it was primarily considered for new weres only, and here he was thinking about letting a stranger read it. But, no matter the short time he had known her, Grace wasn't a stranger. She, didn't complete Ryan, she complimented him. For the first time Ryan fully understood what the book meant by a Compliment. She didn't make him rise to do his best, she made his best an order of magnitude better. And according to the book and the stories, his presence would make her rise above her established limits, maybe not to supernatural levels, but closer than any human save a highly trained athlete.

"And," he thought, "She doesn't seem to mind your company, either. I certainly don't mind being around her. I'm certain that there will be things that we each do that will irritate the other, but maybe this shared bond will help us find compromises. Didn't your mom tell you the tale of Tristan and Ken?"

Ryan chuckled as he recalled the tale clearly now. Tristan had been a vampire, two hundred years old and gay. Ken had been a witch, in his twenties, and straight as a ruler. The entire tale was a story of their differences and the difficulties they had in overcoming them to take advantage of the Compliment bond. A thought sent him to a page in the book that they hadn't reached the night before, and his eyes narrowed as he read a cautionary tale of a were-puma and a witch Complimentary pair. The were hadn't had a strong will, and the witch had used him to boost her powers to the point where she dominated the local Coven. She had used him so much that she had used him up, then paid the price as the Coven she had dominated turned on her.

"Somehow, I don't think that I need to worry about my personality running over Grace's," Ryan mused. Before he could pursue that thought, his stomach gave a mighty protest on its current state of emptiness.

"Well, Grace DID offer me food last night," Ryan said aloud. "Might as well see about some breakfast."

A minutes exploration led to the discovery of a smallish, but neatly kept kitchen, and after moments hesitation, Ryan gave in to his curiosity and checked out the contents of the pantry and fridge. Satisfied with the availability of ingredients, he set to work, starting a pot of coffee first, then preparing the makings for a couple of loaded omelettes. Meats and veggies browned and softened, filling the kitchen with wonderful smells, and Ryan quickly had everything ready to go. The eggs were mixed, bacon and sausage were cooked and chopped, peppers and onions were softened and browned just so, and various cheeses, wow Grace had a good pantry, were standing by. All that was missing was the lady of the house. Ryan poured a cup of coffee and after a moments hesitation, headed up the stairs. One door stood slightly open, and he peeked in. Grace nestled under a black comforter, squirming slightly as something disturbed her dreams. Despite the movement, she didn't make a sound, though Ryan could detect the faintest odor that spoke of tension and fear.

"Grace?" he called gently, rapping on the door frame. "Breakfast is ready."

readysetstalk (Who'd have thought he was a domestic werewolf?)

 

[readysetstalk]

With as rough as her night had been dream-wise, it was a wonder she had managed to sleep without waking up. Her dreams were vivid, life-like. It wasn't until the knock on the doorframe sent her brain the signal to wake up her body. With a jolt, she sat straight up in bed, a fine layer of sweat on her forehead. It felt like her heart was going to burst out of her chest. But the moment she saw who was standing in her doorway, it slowed. A wave of comfort seemed to wash over her. Grabbing at her chest, she sighed.

"You're going to give me a heart attack.." she spoke, her words soft. Her once decently neat ponytail was now a giant mess of knots and hair fell out of the elastic band all around her face. She pushed it back out of her eyes before tossing the blanket off of her lap. She swung her legs over the bed and dropped the few inches from the mattress onto the floor.

"I thought I was supposed to be the one cooking breakfast?" Her brow perked as her hands went to her petite waist. Gracelynn was going to try and ignore the fact that she could have killed Ryan if he had woken her any other way. After living alone for so long, it wasn't familiar to have someone in the house all of a sudden. For a moment, she had actually forgotten that Ryan was even there, despite the fact she could feel how close he was.

Gracelynn walked to the doorway, brushing past him as she exited her bedroom. "Thank you, though." She took a deep breath in. "I see you found the coffee machine." She gave him a playful wink before she padded down the stairs and towards the kitchen. If she was going to try and play it cool, she had to try and distance herself just a little. She knew he could sense her. Maybe he knew exactly what she was feeling. Who knew?

Grabbing a step stool, she placed it in front of a cabinet and stepped up onto it. She pulled open a cabinet door and produced two coffee mugs, setting them down on the counter. Grace took a look at the spread Ryan had prepared as she stepped down from the step stool. "Goodness... I might just have to keep you here forever."

Tarmagon (He'd make a good stay-at-home-dog-dad lol)

 

[Tarmagon]

"That might get a little awkward with Hank," Ryan said easily as he transferred the contents of his coffee cup into the much larger mug Grace had provided. He had missed the larger mugs entirely, but then again, he hadn't been snooping through all of the cabinets either. He filled the second mug, leaving enough room for cream and sugar if Grace wanted it, and handed it over with a smile. "And while I promise I'm sufficiently housebroken, I tend to get, energetic, on nights of the full moon. That might wreak a bit of havoc on your interior decorating bill. In the meantime..."

Ryan placed a small pan on the stove and turned on the heat. "How many eggs do you want in your omelette? And is there anything here you don't want in it?"

"Two eggs, please. And please, just cheese and bacon. None of that veggie stuff," Grace replied, taking a jug of flavored something out of the fridge and pouring a liberal dollop into her cup.

"Caffeina is displeased," Ryan said with a theatrical shudder. "You adulterate the Gift of the Bean with foreign substances. And how do you expect to grow up big and strong if you don't eat your veggies? Grace should not live by pie and meat alone."

Ryan chuckled at Grace's expression, then set about constructing an omelette liberally loaded with cheese and bacon. The end product might not have been restaurant quality, but it was recognisable for what it was meant to be, and he slid it onto a plate that he proceeded to set in front of Grace with a smile.

"Eat while it's hot," he said, quickly rinsing the pan and starting on his own creation. All the unused ingredients went into the pan with four eggs, and he stirred it all together, humming happily. When it set, he transferred the much less neat pile of eggs and... onto a plate and grabbing his own, black coffee. "I think I owe you some groceries."

readysetstalk (Healing werewolf eats lots. )

 

[readysetstalk]

"With Hank?" she questioned, pouring her caramel flavored creamer into her coffee cup. "You guys have a little bit of a bromance going on?" she teased, bringing the steaming cup close to her lips and blowing on it gently. She watched as Ryan moved about the kitchen. She was truly jealous of the amount of energy he had already. It felt like she was still half asleep at this point. Drawing her knees to her chest, as she sat perched on the kitchen chair, she took a very small sip of the coffee as to not burn her tongue.

She scoffed. "I think this is as big and strong as I'm going to get." She was petite and had been her entire life. It was always a running joke that she needed more veggies so she could grow. Clearly, there was no chance of that ever happening. "I eat chicken pot pie sometimes. It has veggies in it. I'm really just not big on veggies in eggs. Kinda creeps me out a little." With a shrug of her shoulders, she brought the cup to her lips once more.

"Maybe my caramel creamer is just a, oh what do you call it... a compliment to my coffee." She smirked, hoping he caught on to the rather corny joke she was trying to convey. Once the plate was placed in front of her, she sat down the coffee cup and picked up her fork. She poked it around a little bit, waiting for it to cool, before she began to dig in. Hell, he could stay as long as he'd like if he wanted to cook like this for every meal.

"At this point, I think my grocery bill might be higher than my decorating bill. I do own a hardware shop, after all." Gracelynn was truly surprised that this dynamic seemed to be working so well. She got along great with a lot of people in town, but she hadn't ever really had anyone over to her home. She kept to herself most of the time, having small conversations here and there. It wasn't that no one liked her, it was just that she enjoyed her solitude. Yet here she was, enjoying Ryan's presence. It was strange. Very strange. She went from being a big-time loner, to having company. And part of her didn't want him to leave. It was unrealistic for her to ask him to stay another night. Especially since nothing had happened the night before. Everything had gone smoothly, aside from the wild dreams she had endured.

"No need to worry about paying me for groceries. I spent too much last time I went, and it was all going to go bad eventually." She popped a bite of omelet in her mouth and smiled.

Tarmagon

 

[Tarmagon]

"Well, if you're sure," Ryan said. "Never argue with a lady. I'm sorry I passed out on you last night, quite literally. You may supercharge my healing, but the energy has to come from inside me, and I just ran out."

Ryan took a few moments to attack his plate of food, demolishing half of it before taking a sip of coffee and looking up apologetically.

"Sorry," he said again. "It's a struggle to ignore my bodies 'Eat all the food in sight now!' messages and try to carry on a conversation. I promise I'm not always this bad, but for the rest of today, and maybe tomorrow I'll be eating if I'm not actively doing something else, like working."

Ryan's face took on am almost comic look of dismay, and he looked at the clock on the stove, dismay giving way to active panic,.

"Crap, crap, crap!" he muttered, then turned to Grace. "Hank will have opened up over an hour ago. I need to finish this, clean up, and get to work. I'msorrybutI'vegottogetamoveon. Keepthebookandreadit. Willyoucomebymyplacefordinnertonight?"

As he spoke so fast his words blurred together, Ryan inelegantly bolted the last of his breakfast and set about cleaning the kitchen in a whirlwind of activity. In mere minutes the kitchen was spotless, and Ryan was rushing towards the door. He stopped suddenly, rushing back to take one of Grace's hands in both of his.

"I'msorryabouthowwemetbutI'mnotsorryImetyou.You'reawonderfulperson!" Ryan raised Grace's hand and kissed the back of it, then grinned at her. "I'vegottarun! Andthatpunwasterrible!"

readysetstalk (Werewolf has gone into hyper mode. )

 

[readysetstalk]

Gracelynn was about to protest him cleaning up, but before she could even speak a word, Ryan was on top of it. Her brows rose as she watched him move about the kitchen. By the end of it, it looked better than before he had started making breakfast. She was still eating when he finally finished and made his way back over to her. With a smile on her face, she watched as he kissed the back of her hand. Something sent chills down her back. Strange..

"I'll meet you at your place tonight for dinner. I'm glad we met too," she laughed, watching as he took off. At least he still took his job seriously, despite having plenty of money to the point where he didn't even need to work. Once she was all alone again, she could feel that constant buzz she had been feeling start to fade. It almost felt like a small wave of depression. It was really, really odd. With a small sigh, she cleaned up after herself from breakfast and went upstairs to get ready for her day. She took a shower, dried her hair, and then got dressed for work. She wore a pair of dark-wash jeans and a rather decent looking sweater. If she was going to meet him at his RV for dinner, it would most likely be on her way home from work. She wouldn't have a whole lot of time to come back and get ready, so she wore what she thought was dinner appropriate and took a small make-up bag with her. She also made sure to grab that book Ryan had left in case she had any downtime. It was a Saturday, it was likely that the place would be dead. She'd pick up a little reading at the counter if she could.

Before long, she was opening up the door for the hardware store and flipping the 'CLOSED' sign to 'OPEN'. Perching herself up on the stool behind the counter, she began to flip through the pages of the book. The handwriting within was a headache in itself. But, she pushed through so she could learn more about werewolves, and more specifically Ryan. Ever since that moment at the diner, she had been pulled to him. She didn't understand it at the time, but now that the mention of being one another's compliment, things began to fall together. Maybe now her life would have a little bit of a flare to it, besides helping men find the right tool or the right screw from time to time.

Tarmagon

 

[Tarmagon]

Hank was elbow deep in McGill's truck when Ryan skidded into the shop. He looked up, then nodded once.

"You don't look too bad for a guy who got impaled by an arm last night," Hank said, then chuckled at Ryan's surprised expression. "Alec called me and filled me in this morning. I didn't expect to see you at all today. I figured you'd be healing still."

"Me too," Ryan said simply. "But it must have looked worse than it was. Hurt like hell when he stuck me though."

"Any idea who he was?" Hank asked. "He definitely wasn't a local."

"No clue," Ryan replied. "I hadn't seen or smelled him before last night, and we didn't exactly exchange personal info before he lost his head."

"If he was trying to feed on Grace, he'd already lost his mind," Hank said grimly. "She really doesn't socialize a lot, but the whole town loves Grace. Thank you for protecting her."

Hank's hands had remained busy as they spoke, and with a grunt he lifted the carburetor free and handed it to Ryan.

"Rebuild that while I check the cylinders will you?"

"On it," Ryan said, heading to the workbench with his burden. Pulling on a coverall, he went to work.

Several hours later, just as he was finishing with a routine oil change, Ryan's stomach gave voice to a vehement protest to the amount of time since Ryan hat filled it. Hank just chuckled and waved Ryan out with a knowing grin. Shedding his coverall, Ryan headed to the Timberwolf and proceeded top demolish a family sized lunch platter, much to Kathy's amusement. The topic of the nights events remained unspoken, though Kathy did look Ryan over with a critical eye. Whatever she saw musty have satisfied her curiosity, because all she did was make small talk about the weather and the upcoming centennial celebration. She did raise one eyebrow when Ryan requested a whole pie to go, then her eyes widened and she giggled as she presented him with the boxed dessert.

"Don't eat it all by yourself," she admonished with a wink, turning to another table before Ryan could reply.

Ryan paid his bill, then swung by the general store on his way back to work. He needed new shoes. Once he had found a pair of sneakers he could tolerate, he swung by the hardware store. The little clock on the door said it would close at five. Perfect. Humming happily to himself, Ryan returned to the gas station as he planned the evenings menu in his mind. He hoped Grace liked grilled steaks.

readysetstalk (He's a man. With a grill. Nuff said.)

 

[readysetstalk]

Hank hadn't been wrong at all. Gracelynn was very well liked around town. She minded her own, but this town helped her father raise her. Without the help of Kathy and everyone else, it was hard telling where she would have ended up. Thankfully, everyone pitched in as she grew. Her father needed help raising a little girl. He hadn't a clue where to even start when they moved here. But with the town's help, Grace was able to rely on people other than her father when things went south--just as it did with any teenage girl who was growing up with just a father. As she grew older, she still went to them for advice, but less often. And soon, she was a content adult living on her own. Only now, she had everyone's eyes on her to see who exactly she would end up with and start a family with.

As the day went on, Gracelynn continued to read the book. She took breaks every now and again to clean and tidy the place up. The handwriting was absolutely a nightmare, so the breaks helped her mind ease from straining. After a few last minute customers, Gracelynn flipped the sign on the door and made her way to the back. She shut off all the lights, except for the light in the office. There, she sat down at the desk and pulled out a small compact mirror. She looked herself over, fixing a few strands of hair that were out of place. Albeit, she was nervous. Ryan had just spent the night at her house, but that was because she was too afraid to even be alone. Now, she was meeting him at his RV... for dinner. This was the first date she had gone on in a very, very long time. She pulled out a tube of dark red lipstick and applied it very carefully. Once that was done, she touched up her mascara and then put the mirror away. With a nervous sigh, she shut off the light in the office and snuck out the back--this time without headphones blaring in her ears.

Gracelynn took in a deep breath of the cool air and set off towards Ryan's RV. Her hands fidgeted with her sweater just a little. It was nerve-wracking. Here she was, in the same place she had been last night when the vampire attacked her. She picked up the pace a little as she made her way through the alley. Once her boots hit the sidewalk, she slowed down to a more comfortable pace. As she neared the RV, she could feel that sensation again. Ryan was close. Her body knew so, even before she could lay her eyes on him. And just like that, there he was, standing over the grill. A smile appeared on her lips as she finally made it within earshot.

"Hey there beautiful... how do you like your steak?"

It felt like her heart skipped a beat at 'beautiful'. She hadn't been called something like that in what felt like a lifetime.

"Preferably no pink on the inside," she smiled, walking up next to him at the grill. She took a look at the steaks, her brows arched slightly. "First date and we're having steak? Man, what on earth did I do to deserve this?" she laughed. The nervousness seemed to dwindle as she stood closer to him. It was like the whole compliment thing kept her level-headed. Her stomach seemed to agree to the steaks, however, as it growled the moment the smell of meat hit her nose. "So, I got a fresh omelet this morning, and a nice steak this evening. You sure you don't wanna stick around closer to my house?" she teased, nudging him gently with her elbow. Maybe she was a lot more awkward at this than she thought. Did she just elbow him? Sure did. Gracelynn was mentally slapping herself for that one.

"So, uh, what do you have to drink around here?" Her pale green eyes moved from the steaks before her to gaze up at Ryan, that smile ever-present.

Tarmagon (She's been out of the game a little too long.)

 

[Tarmagon]

Ryan looked up at Grace's question about drinks and got momentarily lost in pale green eyes haloed by dark hair and framed by long lashes. Her lips sported a dark red color that...

"Stop that!" he thought to himself firmly. "You barely know this woman. You don't get to wonder what those lips would feel like."

Giving himself a firm shake, Ryan managed to direct his attention to Grace's question.

"Hmm. Soda, if you like Pepsi. Bottled water, distilled. And there should be a pack of beer in the back of the fridge. Guinness sampler pack. Nothing really hard, and I'm not much for wine, but I can make a run to the liquor store if you want something stronger or wine."

Ryan chuckled a bit at Grace's request that he move closer to her place.

"And what would the town rumor mill do if I suddenly moved my rv to your place?" he asked, raising one eyebrow. "I'm certain we'd be engaged by the end of the week and you'd be expecting our first within two. And Kathy would be leading the charge for us to turn rumors into reality."

Ryan moved one of the steaks covering the surface of the grill onto a different section, turning the others in place. The lady wanted well done, the lady got well done. As Grace started towards the rv in search of the drinks, Ryan called out to her.

"The pie is for dessert! And for both of us, so keep your hands off until after dinner."

readysetstalk (The whole pie had better be there when he goes to get dessert ready.)

 

[readysetstalk]

Gracelynn's nose scrunched at the mention of beer. Men. Something so disgusting was consumed by so many. And when he said it was Guinness, her face wrinkled more and her tongue slipped through those dark red lips of hers in distaste. "I'll be dead before I drink a dark beer." She glanced over her shoulder at him before she disappeared into the RV. Once inside, she took another look around his place. It was all so... expensive looking. When he had first mentioned RV, she was certain it was a beater. But this was something else. This was top of the line. It almost made her feel like taking off her shoes when she walked inside.

She made her way over to the refrigerator and pulled out a can of Pepsi. She wasn't much of a water drinker, and it was already well conveyed on how she felt about beer. Her eyes did stop on the pie however. If it would have been a partial pie, she would have definitely snuck a piece before heading back outside. But, since it was a full pie, it would be very obvious that she had dug into it, despite Ryan's warning not to. With a soft sigh, she shook her head and closed the door.

"As for rumors," she spoke, emerging from the RV with a bounce in her steps, "I'm sure they've already started. Especially since you picked up a pie from Kathy." Her brow rose slightly as she made her way back over to Ryan's side, the smell of steak filling her nostrils. Her stomach spoke out almost immediately, growling in hunger. "We're probably already married with a kid on the way as we speak." She popped open the tab on the can and brought it to her lips. The dark red stain remained untouched. Gotta love a good matte lip stain. But as she stood there, next to Ryan, she couldn't help but feel completely at ease. The nerves and butterflies she had felt before coming had dissipated. She was comfortable. Ryan's close proximity did strange things to her.. Normally, Grace would feel completely awkward around someone. But now? Now she felt like she had known him her entire life. It was strange.

"So, before you ventured all the way out here to the middle of nowhere..." she started, those pale greens looking up at Ryan once more. "Married? Kids? A dog?" She paused for a moment. "Or would that just be weird having a dog and being a werewolf...? I mean, certainly you wouldn't have had a cat." She couldn't help but laugh at her own joke, even though it was hardly funny.


Tarmagon She's playing fair.

 

[Tarmagon]

Ryan snorted out a laugh at Grace's comment about cats.

"I'll have you know that I am both a cat and a dog person," he said with a sniff. "Cats tolerate werewolves just fine, it's the dogs that are a problem. A dog has to be raised from puppyhood around werewolves for it to be truly comfortable. Otherwise they kind of freak out, barking and growling at first, then going totally submissive once they get our scent. I, don't have that kind of problem myself, but that's because as an Alpha I can, calm them down. Never married, and that means no kids either."

Ryan paused for a moment, flipping the steaks and grinning. Just about ready. Heck, he could eat them as is, but he could eat well done as readily as medium rare. He reached for another set of tongs and opened a small door on the front of the grill. Reaching in, he extracted a couple of foil wrapped potatoes and an onion from their spots near the bed of coals. Giving each a quick squeeze to test their doneness, he nodded and set them on a plate.

"Potatoes and cajun onion are ready," he announced. "Five minutes until the steaks are ready. Butter, sour cream, cheese, and bacon bits are there." Ryan indicated a small cooler sitting on a folding table along with several plates and two sets of silverware. "If you want to start loading your potato now, the steaks should be coming off right about the time we're done."

Ryan transferred the foil wrapped potatoes to individual plates, then turned his attention to the third packet of foil. Carefully peeling back the foil, he exposed an absolutely huge onion positively swimming in melted butter and liberally coated with some kind of dark spice mix. Taking a fork, he reached down and speared a segment of onion, it appeared that the onion had been partially sliced before being wrapped in foil, pulling it free easily and popping it into his mouth.

"Oh yeah, that's totally ready." he said, his tone satisfied. "It's a sweet onion, sliced and stuffed with butter and cajun seasonings, then wrapped and baked like a potato. Kind of a baked version of a blooming onion without all that breading. It's a bit forte, so if spicy isn't your thing you might want to be sparing with it, and only take interior bits."

Ryan left the onion on a plate by itself, and moved to slice open the potatoes. Handing one plate of steaming spud to Grace, he took the other and opened the cooler.

"Ladies first," he said, gesturing to the cooler.

readysetstalk (Here's hoping Grace isn't allergic to onions, spicy food, or potatoes.)

 

[readysetstalk]

Gracelynn gave a small nod in response to his explanation of cats and dogs. Luckily, she had a small beta fish that was perfectly happy by itself. Kind of ironic, when you look at it. Grace kept to herself mostly, and she chose the most antisocial, docile creature you could possibly have for a pet. As everything was finalizing on the grill, her stomach was louder than ever. Normally she would have had some kind of meal throughout the day, but the excitement of actually having dinner with someone seemed to overwhelm her mind and she had skipped lunch. The book was also partially at fault, seeing as how she flipped through page after page, taking it all in.

"I'm not too big on onions, my friend. But you have found the secret to my heart--potatoes!" She laughed as she opened the cooler and pulled out the toppings for the potatoes. She sat them down between her plate and his, and started loading up on sour cream, cheese, and of course the bacon bits. "I do like spicy foods, though. So I'll have to give the onion a try." She gave him a small wink. "Besides, you worked hard to get all this put together. I wouldn't turn my nose up at anything you cooked." She was also incredibly thankful that he had gone through the lengths to get everything ready by the time she got over there. To say this wasn't her normal evening was an understatement. Most nights, she went home, cooked something quick, and then worked on various small projects she had going on in the house. Dinner at anyone's house was unheard of.

Grace tucked a piece of her hair back behind her ear and pushed up the sleeves of her sweater, revealing the heavy ink underneath. "So, do you always cook steaks and potatoes for your ladies?" Before she could even wait for an answer, she started up with a second question--most of which was way out in left field. "Also, you don't have to be married to have kids. This isn't the 50s. But, since it was mentioned, how do were-children emerge from..well.. you know. Do they come out hairier? Or are they completely human looking? Are multiples more likely?" She was suddenly full of questions. The parts of the book she read hadn't mentioned anything about children. Grace turned to face Ryan once her potato was complete. She took in his looks and the normal hum she felt seemed to intensify just slightly. A faint dusting of pink could be seen on her cheeks, should one look close enough.

Tarmagon

 

[Tarmagon]

Ryan laughed out loud as Grace asked her questions about kids. What did she think? That werewolves had litters of puppies? He looked at Grace, and a huge grin split his face as he took in the increasing temperature of all her exposed skin. Handy thing being able to see into the infrared spectrum quite a bit further than a regular person. However, there was one notion she needed to be disabused of, and his expression turned serious.

"It may not be the 50's," he said. "But werewolves and regular wolves share a common trait. We mate once, for life. Well, most of us do. There are a few rogues out there, but every species seems to have those. No Alpha will ever fool around and leave a bastard in the world however. It's just not in our makeup. As for the kids though, there's nothing special about the pregnancies or births. No puppies, no hairy babies, no litters. Nine month pregnancy and normal birth, normal kids. Nothing to really distinguish a born were from a regular human until puberty. That's about the time we start to hear the moon-song, and our bodies start to respond to it. We get stronger, faster, our senses become more acute, and we experience our first Change."

Ryan paused to load his own potato and check on the steaks. Nodding in satisfaction, he grabbed the tongs and added a steak to Grace's plate, two to his own, and set the remaining three onto a bed of foil that he set onto the warming rack built into the grill. There were a couple of comfortable lounge chairs set under an awning that extended from the side of the rv with a folding table between them, and Ryan gathered silverware and set it on the table.

“If the lady would care to choose her seat?” he invited, waiting while Grace chose one of the chairs.

“So,” he said after they were seated, “A were can be born, or Turned. Two were’s will always have a were child. A mixed couple has a variable chance. Were females have about a thirty percent chance of were offspring with human males. Were males have about a twenty percent chance to sire a were child with a human female. An Alpha of either sex has about a sixty five percent chance with a normal mate. A Turned were only has about a five percent chance of a were child unless they’re mated to a Born were. That answer your question about kids?”

readysetstalk (Information overload.)

 

[readysetstalk]

Gracelynn had no idea how any of this worked, really. But she was glad that Ryan was so readily available to explain it all. So, no furry babies. Understood. Multiples were still just as uncommon as in regular pregnancy. Understood. She made a mental list of everything he was telling her. It wasn't so much that she was worried about what would happen if she and Ryan ever shacked up, but she was naturally curious. It would be crazy to assume that, right? Of course it was. They had only just met. And there was nothing that happened that would lead her to believe that Ryan was even remotely interested in her. Sure, the companion thing may be a little forthcoming, but it didn't mean they were destined to be together. She had read a few stories in the book where the companions weren't even close to being romantic. Crazy.

She stepped over to the table and sat down, placing her plate in front of her. Everything smelled so delicious! She picked up a fork and knife and cut into her steak. It wasn't that she didn't trust him in knowing when it was well done or not, but she needed to know for her own peace of mind. The last thing she wanted was to bite into a piece of steak, and it not be cooked all the way through. With a small nod of approval, she began to eat, listening to Ryan as he spoke to her.

"Yup. Certainly does," she smiled. "I think it answered any following questions I may have had as well." Gracelynn was still processing some of it, actually. It started to click and work together in her mind much like a jigsaw puzzle. It made sense. "So, what about your parents then? What were they?" It was quite the toss-up really. "Is it more likely for an alpha to produce an alpha as well? Or is that complete chance?" Her legs crossed underneath the table, her eyes glancing up from her food to see Ryan. 'Rather handsome now that he's not coated in grime...' She quickly pushed that thought from her head and looked back down at her food. "This is really good, by the way. Thank you for cooking--again."

Tarmagon (Just a little lol)