Small Towns 1x1

[ROUX]

Damon cocked his head, crossing his arms and leaning them against the heavy bookshelf as he blocked out the annoying chatter from other customers, including the two wolves nearby, as he focused on his observational task at hand. To say that his eyes were blue would be like saying the sun was yellow - accurate, but not sufficient enough to capture the burning, especially as he gazed at the hunter before him. The icy orbs traveled along Quinton's body shamelessly and deliberately, as if the man knew just how laser focused his stare was - and heightened it just because he could. The other werewolf was taller, bigger than he'd thought, but still small. He had actually never seen the teen this close before, due to obvious reasons, and now here they were, less than five feet away from each other with the younger wolf's overbearing guardians occupied with their silly conversation. Damon pushed another book out of the way, revealing the rest of his face. He looked on in obvious approval as the smirk grew, stretching across his face in a close - lipped smile of satisfaction, complete when his sapphire gaze snapped back to Quinton's face, intrigued, wanting to know more than he originally did. He shifted from one foot to another, moving his hand to rest underneath his chin as he spoke in a slight southern drawl, his voice deep and low both from his intent and to make sure that he could not be overheard.


"Well, well, well, now, haven't we grown up? Remember me, little Quin? Though, you're not so little anymore, are you darlin?" he asked, dropping the nickname he had used so long ago as if it wasn't a day old. He had used it back when he himself was a child, and he did remember Quinton being the pack's newborn pup...first time he's been around a kid, and he was what, nine, at the time? So long ago, it seemed like another life. it wasn't one of the bad memories.

 

[BlueJae]

Pinned ears, sagging tail, slightly hunkered down. That's how he would've looked, if he was a wolf. Right now, Quinton had narrowed eyes, hugging a book to his chest, biting his tonuge. The urge to move begged at him, he knew Nathin would kill him if he realized what he was doing, Alex would help him, but neither were paying attention and of course the direction of the fan was blowing towards them making sure that any scent wouldn't reach them- was it not for the fact that he seemed inevitably frozen he might've walked the other way. Found some place to hunker down in, which is what he was originally trying to do, sit in a corner and read in the confortably warm store. That musky feeling in the air making it feel like a cozy home. This, this did not feel like a cozy home, it felt like a cold white examination room and he'd a way out not. However, this may have been good for him. Yes, he could try and be braver, that was one step towards not being a burden. Of course his first thought had been to run to his friends, not this time, no, he'd stick around until the other was leaving or at his throat. Hopefully the first was an option.


Quinton swallowed hard at the question, ignoring his adam's apple bob in the slightest before nodding at the question. He didn't have it in him for words at that single moment but he would get there. Eventually, soon at least. He'd done his best to ignore the gaze, the look of up and down, he looked past that, eyes tracing that smirk that the other seemed to wear before flicking back up to meet the other's eyes- their's differed so but he supposed that wasn't relevant, he was just trying to distract himself.

 

[ROUX]

Damon noticed Quinton's body language - the longer he looked, the more uneasy the teen was becoming, and he sighed. He would have to be careful with this one, it seemed, more than just his body would be fragile he supposed. The Alpha softened his gaze a bit, though it did little to wave off the natural intensity of his eyes, though he did look on in approval when Quinton found the strength to meet his eyes. No, this one would not be cemented in his rank for much longer, he could tell. The teen hadn't spoken to him, instead only nodded, but the fact that he was staring right back was enough to lengthen the intrigue from Damon - even some betas couldn't meet the gaze of their alphas. Though Damon wasn't Quinton's Alpha, he was all too aware of that little fact...


The other werewolf was acting as if Damon was going to jump out from the bookshelf and slit his throat all over the carpet any minute now, and he supposed the thinking wasn't too out of context for himself and his actions - though he'd much rather have tasted the blood than let it spill out onto the floor. But not this one, not yet at least. He figured he'd have a better shot at conversation if he let the younger wolf know this too, and he rolled his eyes a bit, with a huff before speaking.


"Come onnnn, kiddo, I don't bite - well no, that's a lie, I do. But not t'day," he said, blinking, still not having broke the eye contact between them as he spoke. Sure, he was being sarcastic as usual, but it was as close to casual as Damon could get at this point, this coming from a man who deliberate used his voice to intimidate, order, or insult with on a daily, or even hourly basis. He didn't want to scare this one away, no, he wanted to do the opposite, really.


"'Course, I guess you aren't supposed to be talking to me at all. But...why not break the rules for once eh? You've got nothing to loose really, they won't hurt you. Live a little."

 

[BlueJae]

What did he have to lose? Really. Reaaally now. He'd give him the benefit that maybe it'd been a figure of speech, maybe, but he did have one single thing to lose- and he would die if he lost it "I'd rather not be grounded to a circle with a diameter of five feet." Quinton frowned, god the horror. He could feel the searing heat of Nathin's angry breath now. He hated watching other wolves get into trouble, really, the way Nathin snarled them down into the ground until the couldn't be any lower, they must have felt even lower than they were. There were those who shut their eyes and their were those who stared at the ground in shame. Quinton would have his eyes glued shut no doubt about it. Now that he was thinking about it, what was the other even doing here? The thought of him actually reading went in one ear and out the other with Quinton but, never judge a book by it's cover, though this 'book' had already been judged. Now leading a pack of 'Vigilantes' as Nathin called them. Assuming they were doing right when really they were doing anything but, and being in a pack automatically put you on a side. It wasn't Quinton's kind of thing, he wasn't one for fighting, hell, despite being born into a family of hunters the biggest thing he'd ever taken down was a doe- and he'd already been chased by a buck. Alex had to bail him out of that one. Embarassing, but it had been more or less of a highlight in his life, he hadn't done anything big since...Unless this counted. Conversing with an enemy pack alpha. That was something, for him at least, well- if he did get away with it he'd be the last one that they would ever expect it from. He shouldn't have been thinking of if he got away with it though, he should be thinking of how to get out of it. But of course, that thought had slipped his mind.

 

[ROUX]

Damon chuckled at the other's words, the sound a deep rumbling in his chest as he thought it over. "You make a good point, Quin....defying your Alpha can be very dangerous. Lucky you, hun, I very much appreciate danger," Damon spoke, slipping away from the little window he had made, only to reappear in the shadow of the shelf on the other side, in front of Quinton but off to the side a bit, in Alex's blind spot looking down the small aisle. He moved like a shadow himself, slinking along the side lithely and quietly, making no sound. He leaned his shoulder against the side now, arms and ankles crossed, the smirk still evident. "Your pack is so uptight sometimes. Of course, your dear leader would argue that it was all in the name of rules, structure, order. I suppose it's working now...personally though, I preferred the days of his uncle's leadership," Damon mused, his velvety voice all but glossing over the way he addressed the dead man. He wondered if Quinton had been told about how the Alpha of two reigns ago had been slaughtered with the heart eaten out of his chest, as well as his lungs and even his liver. Damon still remembered how it had tasted...


"Has your dear Nathan mentioned anyone by the name of Leonardo, hmm?" Damon asked, his eyes flashing when he said the name. He almost stumbled over it, but kept his face the same as he asked, though his smirk did falter for a split second. He had to know...it wasn't like he could search their territory for his former mate. He had certainly searched his own, and nothing...but he needed to see the man, now that he was here, even thoug he knew the feelings would not be returned on the other side. Maybe staying in contact with this hunter would help him....as long as they weren't discovered, and as long as he could convince Quinton to keep his muzzle shut. He usually would have just made a threat, but he wasn't going to be cold to this one, as innocent as he was.

 

[BlueJae]

Quinton blinked when he disappeared, quickly turning to meet the new direction of the voice, his eyes never left thee other whether it was out of the little trust he had for him at the moment- surprising even to him, or whether it was because of some other reason. He didn't remember much about Nathin's uncle, and maybe that was because he wasn't around at the time. He was only two years younger than Nathin, so he came around about the time his father came into play. What he had herd, however, is that he was slaughtered and eaten. By who, well, no one said and it was a sore subject, the kind you didn't bring up. Even if he had asked, he doubted anyone would've answered so what did it matter? That aside, he was brought back into the present when he saw the flash of eyes, barely catching the question in time. He himself, he didn't- no, wasn't familiar with the name, but, Nathin had mentioned another wolf. As for their name who knew, could've been the same one that had been infiltrating camp, as he called it, the other day. No names were mentioned, never were, it was Nathin's way of making sure that Quinton didn't worry.


That said, Quinton shook his head Not that I've heard." He said, expecting that smirk of the others to fall, he wasn't sure if he was looking forward to that or not. You could say it was...Irritating. Smirks, that was, this was no better than any he'd sen or read about. It always made him feel like whoever had the upper hand and of course, he was left clueless despite his vast knowledge- on things that didn't even matter. Maybe they would, one day, but they certainly weren't going to help him now.

 

[ROUX]

Damon actually deflated for a moment, his shoulders sagging a bit as a hint of disappointment flitted across his features. He wanted - no, he needed to talk to Leonardo. But he couldn't cross over there again, not this soon, and they both knew that. It wasn't fair of him to want to speak to him anyway, not after how he'd left the man. Of course, there was a valid reason, but it's be outweighed by the things the Alpha had neglected to tell his former mate, and not just about the terrible things he'd done here, and honestly, he still didn't want to tell him. Hell, even if he was given the chance to talk to him face to face, the Alpha didn't know if he could do it, knowing what he said would evaporate any chance of redemption in Leo's eyes - the only person Damon would ever repent for, or so he thought at least. He was getting that feeling again, and the wolf that consumed him was obviously disgusted with Damon's thoughts. It reared, and Damon's eyes grew hard as he looked at Quinton. He wondered how it would feel to sing his teeth into the flesh on either sides of his collarbone, with that flawless looking skin of his. Damon tilted his head, his eyes showing hints of the red as he took one more step forward, the wolf in him wanting a closer look at the man. His smile was gone now, replaced with only the slight chilling interest that the animal inside took in the younger one. He stopped when Quinton's scene reached his nose - damn. Even that was just so....precious, like a flower. A...a rose, maybe? He wasn't sure. He wanted to get closer, but his mind wasn't completely snuffed out, and he was still aware of the enemies only a few feet away. The enemies. He wasn't sure why Quinton was never included in that group, but he didn't mind. He was just appreciating that he wasn't feeling the urge to rip the teen to bloody bite size pieces. His wolf was confused, trying to get something across to his human side. Damon opened his mouth to speak, not sure if to the Hunter or to himself. "Could ... you...save me? I can't get out....I..."

 

[BlueJae]

Quinton found it interesting enough when he watched Damon deflate, but he was quickly brought back to his senses when the look in the other's eyes changed. When Damon took a step forward, he took a step back, his own wolf lurching, head low, a small- inferior growl laid at the bottom of his throat but it was under his breath, a whisper of what it could've been. There was a difference between him and his wolf, it was more forward than he was, but it was trapped in a coward's body, thus anything it tried to do was leveled to something muted or nothing at all. His narrowed eyes never left their position, eyebrows furrowed with a expression of the slightest misunderstand-ment on his face, he wasn't processing what was happening. Hearing the other speak his own wolf jerked his head back and forth, like a dog playing tug of war, as if to say no. Quinton was too trusting, it had gotten him into shit too many times already, there was a scar the back of his shoulder blade to remind him of that. Alex told him think of it by a battle scar- it made him tougher. Everybody had their own kind, his was just physically seen. Never the less, his wolf nagged at him to remember this, remember just how much worse Damon could do, that he wouldn't be able to stop it either. Quinton flinched, needless to say, but he was still unable to move. His once open mouth, about to say something, shut. He didn't, no, hadn't known what to say either way but now he was simply to afriad to say anything at all. This was a dangerous game, he shouldn't have been playing it, the voice in his head from an all to well known source was reminding him of that and yet he didn't move. Maybe because he was frozen into place, maybe because he simply didn't want to in general, by his own choice, but it was unknown.

 

[ROUX]

Damon could feel the tension, the fear - he liked it. He always liked it, he couldn't help it either, it just intensified the ripper within him....he could almost smell the fear rolling off of Quinton too. His fangs shot out and he bared them at the teen, his hand snapping out in a blur as he grabbed the other by the throat and literally pulled him across the isle as fast as he could manage, pinning him to the bookshelf Damon himself had previously been leaning on with his body, the sharp canines now dangerously close to the neck. His eyes flickered back and forth from the icy blue to the unrelenting red as he fought to get a grip on his wolf - and loosen the one currently around Quinton's neck. He could feel the blood rushing beneath his palm, the heat from the skin, and he leaned forward, letting go with his hand to begin grazing his teeth over Quinton's soft skin, growling lowly into the other's ear, the sound rumbling through him. Meanwhile, his own human mind was reeling, flailing for something, anything to keep him from doing exactly what he'd thought about doing before, but his wolf was fairly occupied with the task at hand. He wanted to let his teeth lower themselves into the teen's skin, but at the same time, he didn't want to rip his throat out. He wanted to...to leave a mark. His own. The realization, which came as soon as he'd thought of it, baffled the feral side of him enough to think a bit more clearly. He didn't dare move a muscle, though the red did disappear in his irises as he looked into Quentin's slowly. "Don't. Don't be afraid....please don't be afraid....I don't want to..." he stopped, hoping Quinton would bite him, growl at him, kick him, something - anything to distract from whatever this insane part of him wanted next. He didn't exactly know, and that was what he was worried for.

 

[BlueJae]

Quinton. Freaked. If he was a wolf his ears would've been flat against his skull and his tail between his legs but the expression he wore now was a great representation of it. If he wasn't supposed to be afraid then he was doing a terrible job, because he was frozen straight in the damn thing called fear. He could still feel himself being slowly strangled, and because he was so caught up, he didn't even notice the snarl that wasn't his own, or the fact that he was being jerked away from right under Damon "Always causing trouble aren't you? Can't keep your damn hands off things that aren't your own. This is no exception Damon." Nathin shoved Quinton behind him into Alex's arms, who turned him around so he wasn't facing the alpha that had just assulted him. Nathin's eyes were narrowed, and they were flashing just as the other's had, his wolf was begging for Damon's blood, it was only fair for his actions, or at least that's what the beast thought, but Nathin made no movements "Was it not for the fact that it would start unecessary conflict I might have more than just words for this, but you and I both know unlike you I wouldn't dare. Keep your filthy hands off him Nightshade." Nathin barked, his eyes did flash this time but it was about as quick as his turn, and then they were gone, Nathin diving into an interrigation on Quinton wondering about all the acts Quinton experienced, Alex pushing him off the still scared boy. In the end, they came up with nothing but they both knew it had been something. Neither pushed it. Alex muttered insults about the other alpha the whole way back, however.

 

[ROUX]

"Damon, this - this is a terrible idea. Even for you, ok? Are you - do you want a war between the packs, is that it? Sure, we've grown, but we're still outnumbered two to one," the Beta huffed, crossing his arms in the chair. Damon sniffed, tapping his knuckles on the hearth before turning to face the other werewolf, knowing the tone that had been used wasn't challenging - only worried. He wasn't used to it, but his wolf didn't seem to mind. Jason eyed him pointedly, unmoving with his chin on his fist as he awaited his Alpha's answer.


The brunette ran a hand through his hair, glancing at the clock, then back at the other, deciding to try and avoid the topic. "You know, I think the last time I saw you concentrate so hard, you were trying to figure out how to assemble a hookah..."


"Quit changing the subject. Really. Going after the rival pack's golden boy? Are you insane?" Jason asked, exasperated with the other's expression, which seemed to be attempting to give the impression that he had everything under control. The Beta wasn't buying it. "What do you want with him anyway?"


Damon shrugged, sitting down across from the other man. Jason was his Beta, but he honestly was more than that, the only person he ever had thought about considering as a friend. If that. But only because he wasn't sure that he himself was capable of having anything of the sort - not after Leon. But then, Jason had been...what he needed, really. He couldn't hurt Jason, because he knew already. He knew exactly what kind of person Damon was, the things he'd done - Damon really didn't know why the man had accepted to even be his Beta, after all that. But he did. And thus why he didn't bother to lie about the question.


"I don't know, really. He's just...the only part of that stupid pack that isn't half bad. I don't know, Jason, would...touching him with my "filthy hands" as Nathan so kindly put it, would I destroy him to? But I can't can I. Because I'll never get to him, really. It's a lot easier to want what you can't have, to reach for something indestructible. He's got a family to make sure of it."

 

[BlueJae]

"I have to go."


"I don't like it Diaz."


Quinton grumbled to himself, he really didn't want to fight with Nathin, he knew how certain tones seemed to prick the other's wolf- and he was really trying to avoid that honestly but right now even he was getting a little irritated "So what happens when I'm absent and they call in to check on me, then realize that it's not a real phone number, or that the house address isn't really mine? What will you do then?" Quinton tried to not make that sound like something Nathin could challenge, but the muse on his face seemed to want to "Should we find out?" He asked, leaning against the tree, blinking when Quinton howled lowly in desperation "Please Nathin! It's just seven hours, I have tests today too! And...And it's library day." He muttered the last part out softly, before making the puppy eyes at Nathin, he was dangerously good at that face, and Nathin knew better than to look...But it didn't stop him from looking anyway. He sighed in defeat, then hardened his look on Quinton "Straight there, straight back, no wandering around this time." He said strictly, knowing how Quinton liked to take the long way home to enjoy town scenery. Not today. Absolutely not. That's what Nathin's face seemed to say at least. Quinton beamed "Thank you, thank you!" He barked, and then he disappeared in the trees, off to something the mundanes called school. His yearn to learn would be the death of him, just...Not today, not anytime soon, Nathin would see to that. He shook his head and turned back to go see Alex, who was standing not too far away, looking at him. They exchanged more sighs before she noted "Do you want me to trail him?" She asked, Nathin shook his head "Leave him, think of this as his alone time, he needs it." He said, Alex arched a brow "How long do you think it'll stay like that?" She asked, but Nathin didn't answer.

 

[ROUX]

Leon breathed in and out slowly, eyes closed as he tried to clear his mind. He was sitting cross legged on the floor of his bedroom, attempting to cal his raging thoughts down as he meditated. It was stupid to some, maybe, but it often calmed him down just as much as nature itself did. Of course, the latter was not an option at the moment - there was no way he was going to step foot outside his door until he had to, which annoyingly enough was in a few hours. He lived like a human, more so than most werewolves he knew - but then, most werewolves didn't start out as humans either. He was hanging on to the very threads of his old life, it was the only comfort he had. So he did work, not for the money, but for the familiarization of the motions. He just wished he hadn't gotten caught outside that very place a few days ago, and he really hoped the person who'd ambushed him wouldn't remember where it was.


-----


"You're crazy."


"I'm bored."


"That's a lie, and you know it - when you're bored, people die, and you just admitted to my face that you can't and won't kill Quinton for that matter," Jason scoffed, watching as the other crossed the room, picking something up and sticking it in his jean's pocket. "Not complaining though." He too stood, after a moment, with a sigh no less. He wasn't going to cease the attempts to get Damon to see the logic in his argument - no doubt the man was seeing it plainly and flat out ignoring it for whatever reason he may have had this time - but he was going to stop for now. He walked to the door, and raised an eyebrow when Damon followed him, jacket in hand. "Chilly, are we?"


"I'm not shifting where I'm going," the Alpha said, rather vaguely on purpose, knowing the other would be analyzing his words. Jason shrugged.


"Try not to start a riot, alright? I'm going hunting - some of us eat normal things," he snorted, and Damon shrugged, stepping back as the door swung open. Jason didn't agree with the other's habits most of the time, but he'd accepted them - maybe that should tell him something about himself.

 

[BlueJae]

"Stop pacing for god's sake you're making me nervous, and nauseous for that matter." Nathin flattened his ears against his head, watching the grey wolf in front of him pace "I'm sorry, some of us aren't so laid back as you." Alex growled, continuing to do as she was at a slower rate, making Nathin growl, eyes narrowed, following her back and for like a pocket watch trying to hypnotize him "Your movements are sickening." He said, she rolled her eyes best she could in her wolf's body "Yes I know, if you don't like it go somewhere else." She stated, he considered it, flicking his ears "Very well." He said, getting up and shaking himself off before heading past her, leaving Alex to stare after him in annoyance before grumbling and going back to her usual work. Nathin, however, hopped off into another trail, he knew it well. It was a scout's route, one they would take on the daily to check territory. If the scent spoke right, and it usually did, the last scout was there not even twenty minutes ago, giving him all the time in the world before the next one came by, or at least some time. That said, he started off at a slow pace, taking in their home. It was peaceful...When you weren't constantly wondering just what could jump out at you.


----


Quinton was just happy to have gotten there on time, he would've felt a seizing knot in his gut if he didn't. He was the perfect child every teacher wanted, or at least he was succeeding at being that. That also meant he was what the mundanes called a nerd, and apparently such weren't too liked around. This being the case, he was more or less a 'lone wolf' so to speak, which was more literal in this situation then anyone could've guessed. Seven hours, despite lonely, was all he needed. He learned more than just History, or English, he learned human habits, how they went about things, how to group certain ones together because they acted so alike or were a big group of friends. It, if anything, was something to take notes on as it helped him feel like less of an oddball if he could follow their ways and not his own...Even if it only for those few hours of the day. It was humorous though, that if his friends were so keen on keeping him safe, that they let him roam alone here. Humans had their own kind of bark and bite, each painful and sharp, whether it by the push of their hands or the striking end of their words. Either stung, but it was something apart of everyday life for them, and it was Quinton's choice to have dragged himself into it. So no matter just what happened, no matter just how hurtful it was, he never brought it up. Thing was, Nathin said people like that have terrible places to return to, and Quinton was merely happy that no matter how shitty of a day it was, he had a home and family to return to. However, today, today was about to be a shit day.

 

[ROUX]

Jason trotted along the line of trees, darting around them quickly just because he could, entertaining himself. He had decided he didn't want to go back directly after he'd finished his meal, so he's strayed around the vast territory. He liked his home, he really did - but if he was being honest, he liked to travel more. Those were the days, yes, just him and Damon traveling the world by spinning a globe and taking off to whatever city their fingers had landed on. Two solid years of the pure pleasure of doing what they wanted when they wanted, exploring cultures and customs, as well as the land itself. He'd been around his little sister's age back then, definitely more innocent than he was now, and loads more argumentative. In fact, Damon enjoyed bringing up the fact that he'd once shifted in front of this one man and scared the living shit out of him just to prove a point. Honestly, he hadn't changed - he was the only person who dared to argue with the Alpha, and though he did get growled at some of the times, at the end of the day, their bond hadn't changed.


The golden wolf continued weaving through the trees, slowing his pace after a bit when he came to the edge, before stopping for a moment, looking over the other pack's land. There were no visible markers no. To the humans, there as no separation...must be nice. To him, though, it would just be one more thing between him and his sister. But then, that was his own doing, and he'd accepted that. He had his reasons, but he hadn't bothered to voice them when the separation happened, he didn't feel the need to. They were already upset, calling him a traitor and what not, and he hadn't expected any different from Alex, given her nature. But he felt the need to leave and he did, and now he couldn't tell her that didn't mean he was leaving her too.


---------


It was just too easy to get into the school, lie to the pretty secretary who had absolutely no problem with pinning the little 'visitor' tag to his shirt herself, and passing through the front office like a breeze. Humans were so gullible these days it was hilarious.


Damon wasn't sure how he felt about high school. He hadn't gone when he had been at the age - he hadn't been allowed to. He had sneaked in a couple times, however, passed as a student for a week or so using that charm that he had that humans were apparently oblivious to. It was interesting when he'd been there, at least until his father found out and beat the living shit out of him for disobeying. If there was a reason why Damon never really let pain daunt him, it was because he'd been tortured within an inch of his life so often as a child that the pain just didn't get to him anymore, not physical pain anyway. And emotional anguish was pretty scarce when you tried not to care about anything.


Damon sauntered down the hall, heading for the library. Judging by the young hunter's avid interest in the literature that Damon had seen him observing the day before, he'd show up there eventually. He got the feeling that Quinton would be a bit of a nerd - at least that was what the humans called it. Why mundane adolescents didn't value intelligence was a mystery to him, but it was useful now, as it ensured that the teen would be alone if he indeed did show up. He made his way inside said library and headed for the historical fiction first, taking a seat out of sight.

 

[BlueJae]

"Ow, sonava..." Quinton muttered to himself, having walked in from the back of the library, rubbing the side of his face. He'd expected to get shoved in the locker not into it. He could feel the scrapes an scratches on the left side of his face. Needless to say their lockers were not smooth, they were cold, metal, and rough. Also needess to say he hadn't seen Damon, purely because he'd been on the wrong side to have and was too focused to even try and scent the air. No, not focused, distracted. Besides, school was his safehaven, other than the kids he'd never had to worry about any serious danger. He woud've gone to the nurse but she was out, usually was, and on the account that she was here somehow it always ended up being his fault for getting hurt. Not that she scolded him, just told him he needed to be more careful. Newsflash, if being careful could get him out of things like this he would tread the school like it was full of fucking landmines. Careful didn't save you, careful made you slow and easier to catch. He just hadn't been expecting it today and now he was paying for it. Wounds like these, they would heal within seconds normally, but that would look off, weird, suspicious. He would wait till after school. This aside, he started shuffling through the books, his favorite genre, which was so well known what was even the point of noting it. He'd read most of them, after all, the school library wasn't that big, and the town didn't have a public library, but that wasn't anything to worry about. There were still some things that he hadn't read and somethings he wouldn't mind reading again.


------


Nathin let the sun beat down on his jet black pelt, eyes closed he breathed in and out slowly, the alpha was dozing lightly. He had never been a heavy sleeper, and out in the open like this that was for good reason. Even if it was his own territory. He hadn't kept track of just how far away he'd traveled from the pack, but he knew he was at a decent enough distance- That went for from the pack and from borders. Hell, where did the borders really start and end? Did they go vertically or horizontally? They all seemed to know by instinct, but what was it telling them exactly, did anyone other than the scouts actually pay attention? Or did they rely purely on the scent of one place to tell them what belonged to who? Oh well, it didn't matter. Not to him, at least, what did was the peace and quiet he so rarely got. Whether it was the screams of agony or his pack members, he didn't get much of this. His back was speckled with the sunlight mentioned prior, peaking through the tree's leaves, working to keep him both cool and warm, the perfect temperature. The grass, softer than he gave it credit for, made a nice nest under him. It was...Relaxing, he was- for once, off guard. Had he been on guard, he would've realized just where he was and how familiar it should've been. He was there only a moon or so ago. Now, however, unaware as he was, he slept soundlessly.

 

[ROUX]

The Alpha was leaned back in a chair lazily, boot clad feet propped up on a shelf as he flipped through one of the many books littering the floors and tables of the library. Apparently none of the students understood the concept of putting something back where they'd found it after finishing, something that annoyed him to no end. He disliked messiness - he himself did anyway. His wolf could care less. Nevertheless he couldn't help but going around and putting a few back on their shelves before taking a seat again, only to blink in surprise when Quinton passed right by him. He was obviously distracted by something, even though Damon had covered his scent a bit the teen still should have noticed. He had so much to learn, this one - what the hell were they teaching him over there - or rather, not teaching him. Damon sighed, and was just going to wait until the other noticed him, but then he caught sight of Quinton's cheek, the scratch that were there.


Damon was up in seconds, crossing over to the other in three angry strides, stepping next to him, barely holding back the severe irritation in his eyes, but doing so in remembrance of the fear the younger one had exhibited the last time Damon let his wolf out. His wolf, which was now trying to growl it's way out and find out who had done this, protective for the same indeterminable reason that Damon had dragged himself here for, against Nathan's warnings no less. "Quin," he started, his eyes flicking around quickly and confirming that no one else was in the immediate area. "Who. The hell. Did. This?"

 

[BlueJae]

Quinton had been fine. He had been just dandy. A little sore maybe, but fine. Key words- Had. Been. His shoulders went straight up and inward, tensing right up when he heard that familiar voice. How the hell had he even gotten in?! And why was he questioning his scratches? They were nothing, they just stung a little. That was all. He let out a small, almost unnoticed shaky breath before turning around. He'd hoped his ears had decieved him, but they had not, and now he was looking at the last person in town he would've prefered to see. Was he going to go for his throat again? No, he wouldn't in the school, right? Right? He might, did Damon really care? Quinton didn't have his safety net anymore, no, that just burned down and now he was fucked. He made a quick glance towards his cheek before looking back up "It's nothing." He said quickly "I just tripped." He frowned, wanting to slip out of the nightmareish situation he'd found himself in, really wanting to back up and disappear into the dark like Damon did. He could see the fire in the other's eyes, and he hated it, dispising that he'd been getting caught in it lately. So, of course he'd lied, in his defense he might've said something that would've gotten him in deeper shit if he told the truth. It wouldn't just be him either, what would happen if Damon did find those mentioned? What acts might he commit? Would Quinton find those same others six feet under? He couldn't deal with that, he wouldn't. It was nothing, that's what he always said, Damon wasnt the first person he'd lied to about it, and he certainly wouldn't be the last. He coudn't be.

 

[ROUX]

"Just tripped, huh....right."


Damon wasn't stupid, he knew when someone was lying to him, though Quinton actually wasn't half bad as a liar. All the same, he refused to let it go, though he wouldn't ask the teen about it again now, knowing he wouldn't get anywhere. His eyes hadn't missed the way the other had reacted though. The slight anger coursing through him cooled at the sound of Quinton's voice anyway, and he sighed, relaxing a bit, though knowing the other would not be able to do the same. He really wasn't good at this, coming off as...well...normal to those he was genuinely interested in. And he was dealing with someone like Quin - but the same things he admired about the man would definitely explain why the teen was reacting to Damon how an elk would react to a pack of hungry wolves. He would have to try this over again, if he wanted to get anywhere really.


"I'm sorry. For last time," he blurted out, surprised at his own forwardness - and the fact that it was correct. "I like you. My wolf likes you. And the act that I'm not feeling the urge to kill you proves it...I don't know how to say it any other way, really. I don't think I'm crazy, I might be, but even if I am, that - is truth. I'd explain what I did to you, but you...probably don't want to know..."

 

[BlueJae]

Quinton's shoulders never went back down, he doubted they would, either way. He could hear the disbelief in the other's tone, but it didn't bother him. It also held the hint that he would leave the subject alone for now and that's all Quinton wanted. Well, that and not to be strangled again, preferably. He had the urge to glance around profusely, a habit when he was nervous, but he didn't- couldn't, that would look bad. It hadn't been so bad, last time, but now he was wary of the other and like anything else it'd take him some time to get over that. Hell, took him a few months to get over the core reason for the scar on his back. Those were shit months. This, though, would likely take much less time for two sole reasons. One, he imagined that he would be seeing Damon a lot more than he would've liked, for two, well, the man's random outburst. That was...Not expected, even his oh so annoyingly nagging wolf stopped it's antics to break through and look, narrowed eyes as he examined the man. He didn't look like he was lying, and truth be told, that was the worst part. Quinton didn't know if he should've been pleased or not, and he didn't have a consious to tell him what to do, because even that was at a torn path. He'd been wrong, about his shoulders that was, because they were slowly deflating to their natural position and Quinton hadn't even noticed.

 

[ROUX]

Damon felt like an idiot after the apology...and the run on sentence. He only rambled when he was either exasperated, nervous, or both - this time, it was the latter, and he couldn't exactly pinpoint the reason behind it. He didn't say anything else, he was already embarrassed enough, he was blushing - which just made him feel that much more idiotic. Which was odd, because 97% of the time people couldn't even get him to feel pissed off, solely because he didn't give a shit about anything, or so he liked to think. He wanted to touch the other honestly, ghost his fingers over that spot he'd wanted to badly to tarnish, to ravage, but the last thing the man wanted to do was scare Quinton away again. So he gave his most genuine smile to the teen instead, drastically different from the usual self satisfied smirk he wore.


"Look. I know what you've heard about me...or at least, I know what's going around. It's probably true, I won't lie. But just...I'm asking you not to write me off yet, not like everyone else. I don't think you're the type, you're different from them, a good different," he admitted, tilting his head as he decided it, the icy hue of his irises not actually as cold as they looked for once as he addressed Quinton. "I'm just going to start over...Will you let me?" he added, before saying the last bit, holding out his hand. "Damon Jonathan Nightshade..."

 

[BlueJae]

Quinton's eyes traced the red streak going across Damon's face as it spread, to be honest Damon was the last person he expected to find blushing, much less in front of himself or- for that matter, anyone. It was...He wasn't sure if he should use the word odd or surprising...And then there was the smile, the real curve ball, something that threw him completely off course. No matter who you were, everyone was capable of a smile of their own, he wasn't dense he knew that much. It came down to if they actually smiled or not, if they wanted to to be spesific. Damon, he only imagined Damon ever smiling when he was covered in a crimson substance and it wasn't like that was something he wanted to imagine. It was something he'd been warned about. He hadn't been told much, obviously, something that was supposed to be 'for his own good'. Of course, then again they were going on the assumption that Quinton would never encounter Damon. How wrong they had been. Oh they would have a fucking heart attack, all of them, if they saw and heard the alpha now. How they would be in disbelief. As for Quinton? He wasn't sure just what to believe- and that was the shitty part about it. His eyes followed the hand that was extended to him. It would've been rude if he...Just this once. That's what he told himself at least. He would do it just this once "Quinton Hanes Diaz." He said, shaking the other's hand.

 

[ROUX]

When four o'clock rolled around, Leon had gotten his things together, complete with a few cables that were looped around his arm and wrist. Annoyingly enough he'd had to throw a light jacket on when he stepped out this time - fall was here and making itself known, and the only thing the man dreaded more than cold weather was raking leaves. Of course, Damon would always point out that if he lived in the city, he wouldn't have that problem, to which he would usually respond "No. I'll just have you - even worse!"


As soon as he had the thought he groaned, automatically undoing the hours of meditation. He just couldn't stop thinking about it ever since he'd realized that a), hit wasn't the heat craze, Damon had actually come to him and b), he really didn't have the energy or the money to skip town again. He pushed it all to the back of his mind by plugging in headphones however, letting the soothing sounds comfort him as he opened his front door and stepped out, shutting it behind him. He began to walk, and looked at his right hand to fix a cord that was dragging along instead of being nestled among another of the rubber bands, when he stepped on something. Something soft and...alive?


"What the fuck?!"


He dropped the cords, flailing in his attempt to back away and tripping over said cords, straight onto the jet black wolf underneath him.

 

[BlueJae]

Nathin's head went straight up, eyes wide open, ears straight. He turned his head, left to right- and then it hit him. Something was on his back. He raised himself up to his ful eight feet height and looked back to see exactly what he'd lifted- and he snorted "You again?" He blew a huff out through his nose, watching the other's hair fly in amusement at the sudden gust of air before lowering himself and letting the man slide off of his back. It was better than dropping him from his actual height. He wasn't sure just what the other was doing here, they were still within a good distance of the pack's territory radius. Hell, they were pretty close to the core of their territory. So why, persay, was the man wandering around with...Just what was he carrying? Cords of somekind, and then Nathins eyes drifted up, ever so slowly, and then through the trees he saw it. Ahhhh, the other had a house on their homeland. That was...Interesting, no less, it was nearest to his favorite napping spot...He would use that to his advantage at least. With a flick of his ears he turned his head to examine Leo and his mess of cords, he could only assume he was going back to that small building of a shop with those. Hopefully he woudn't trip on the way there...Nathin snickered a bit at the thought.

 

[ROUX]

Leon was all but fuming as he picked himself up. He could tell the wolf was getting quite a bit of amusement from viewing Leon's current state - red faces and hair sticking up in tuft thanks to the fall. He'd nearly had a heart attack before the werewolf had let him down, he'd never done well with heights. He scrambled around, picking up the blue cord only to realize it was now hopelessly tangled with the others. He shot a glare at the Alpha with the realization, annoyance radiating in his expression as he looked back at the mess. "Yes, me, like you didn't know...Good to know I'm so god damn amusing to you..."


Leon half wanted to strangle himself with the equipment. He knew this was the same man he'd run into on the first night of his heat - his cheeks grew even redder from the realization - and the scent was somehow the same. Now that he knew it was there, it was driving him crazy, engulfing him in the shameful attractiveness of everything that an Alpha was to an Omega. He yanked the metal end of the cord through a loop, still violently trying to untangle the ball and only making it worse in his irritation and his confusion. "What do you want? Now I'm late, and you know why I skipped the last week..."


--------


Damon nodded, still holding on to the other's hand, which was a tad smaller than his, and softer. Damon had calluses, he didn't eve bother trying to heal them because he'd just end up with more....though what he got them from he'd rather not say. Still, he let his thumb stroke the top of Quinton's hand, staring at the other without speaking while he did so so the other would know it was done on purpose...and without regret. He let go then, softly slipping his fingers out of the teen's hand, a bit disappointed as he did so. "Thank you...I suppose I won't bother you any more for now...if they see me with you, it won't end well for either of us. But I'll figure that out later," he mused, stepping back, and turning to walk away, only looking back to add one more thing over his shoulder. "See you around, darlin'...soon."