Charlotte
Pack Werewolf
Bella's Pack: Historian
Hold on tight, wait for tomorrow, you'll be all right.
Posts: 47
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Post by Charlotte on Jul 29, 2011 0:02:32 GMT
Reassured though she was by the appearance of other survivors, Charlotte became more aware of just how dire the situation was as they arrived, first Finn and Penelope and then Mateo, Teivel and Samson. Though she was relieved to no longer be the most senior wolf on the scene -- Mateo far outstripped her in years and he was one of the pack's most experienced fighters -- and to also have a qualified and recognised fighter in their midst, one glance at the other arrivals told her that things inside the hotel were not going well. Finn and Penelope were both bloody and battered and the trio of males looked smoky and filthy; Samson, for his part, looked pale and in a bad way, Charlotte couldn't see what exactly his condition was from where she knelt against the floor and as it was she had committed herself to examining Derrick. Mateo would take care of those he had brought out with him and if not then Adalina or someone else could help. That was the hope. There was only so much Charlotte felt she could handle right then and while she was grateful, deep down, for the distraction from her grief at the loss of all the pack's records she would much rather have had some good news with which to take her mind off all the destruction.
Kaleigh's explanation of Derrick's condition was catalogued in the historian she-wolf's mind and she nodded to show her understanding as she checked him over, being careful and gentle, but even with her caution she caused the wounded male pain; he reacted immediately to a touch against his battered ribs as she eased his shirt up to check for any obvious signs of internal injury. Already the bruising looked dark and ugly and Charlotte allowed a frown to settle on her features. She was no medic but she knew enough to recognise the danger of internal bleeding when she saw it and the copper splashes on the concrete beside Kaleigh's legs only served as further evidence. They needed someone with more medical experience. One glance towards Samson told her they needed one badly, and fast. Refocusing her attention on Derrick she tried to think of what to do, touching her hands to her face after muttering further apologies to the downed and battered male wolf, pushing her hair from her cheeks and taking a moment to conceal herself and her bubbling panic.
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Kaleigh
Pack Werewolf
Bella's Pack
Posts: 99
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Post by Kaleigh on Aug 4, 2011 17:09:08 GMT
Smoothing Derrick’s hair in an attempt to soothe him (and maybe soothe herself a little in the process, though she knew that that wasn’t going to work), Kaleigh watched Charlotte’s examination of her mate. She knew the historian was doing what she could not to cause him any pain while she checked the injuries that had been caused to him, but she could practically feel the wolf shifting, wanting to let out a warning growl because while Charlotte was pack, any further pain caused to Derrick was grounds for such a thing, at the very least. She pushed that urge down, focusing on the fact that Charlotte was doing what she could to help, that she was a friend and wasn’t causing Derrick discomfort on purpose. She knew that perfectly well, but the instinct to protect her mate was fierce. She hadn’t been able to do so inside, had been helpless and useless when he had needed her, and that killed her inside.
She glanced up momentarily as Adalina moved around them and knelt on Samson’s other side. From where she was, she could see that Mateo’s hands were badly burned and he seemed to be moving his left arm a little more slowly than his right, but all in all, the fighter seemed to be ignoring the pain she was sure he was in, but that was just Mateo. He didn’t say much, but she (and others, she was sure) had long ago figured out that he was stubborn. He wouldn’t complain. Returning her gaze to Derrick, she wondered where the others were. More <i>had</i> to be coming. They had probably gotten out in other ways and were making their way around the building, looking for anyone that they might spot. It was easier to think that way than to let herself worry even more than she already was, though that would, she though, be hard to do, considering how very worried about everyone she already was.
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Penelope
Pack Werewolf
Bella's Pack
Posts: 40
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Post by Penelope on Aug 5, 2011 22:05:07 GMT
She had managed to keep the look of disapproval off her face as they had joined the other members of the pack that had made it out of the building, it was an effort with the adrenaline from the brief fight starting to wear off but she knew it would be foolish to irritate the others when they might well need them if their attackers discovered the small group. Penelope still clung to the violin case as if it was the only thing worth saving but the truth of it she was just using it to try and keep herself from focusing on everything else going on around them. The smell of fire and panic was thick in the air even outside and they had yet to see any sign of the so called leaders of the pack. Even if she didn't care for most of the pack that didn't mean that she wanted them all to die, just because they weren't worthy of her attention didn't mean that they weren't still members of the pack.
Her eyes watched as the place that had become home burned, every now and then a sound could be heard in the distance that was either someone else managing to escape the building or the fire causing parts of it to collapse. She turned to look in Finn's direction and even though she was no medical expert she could tell he wasn't doing well. A hint of concern danced over her features as she watched him for a moment. In the fight with the larger male Finn had been wounded at least twice that she had seen and the blades the other wolf carried had been laced with silver, that only made her concern grow and her own injury twinge slightly. "Finn," she began keeping her voice low so as not to draw too much attention from anyone else, "Maybe you should sit down."
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Finn
Pack Werewolf
Bella's Pack
War is overdue. The time has come for you to shoot your leaders down.
Posts: 46
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Post by Finn on Aug 7, 2011 22:20:14 GMT
Finn had shown no outward signs of reaction as Mateo, Teivel and Samson had joined their mismatched group in the parking lot. Most would have expected him to smirk at the sight of the Greek male so obviously injured but there was no sign of any sort of amusement or satisfaction on his face. Truth be told, while he wouldn't shed a tear if Samson didn't survive this night, he took no pleasure in pain. If anything it frustrated and angered him to think that this had happened at all. Where were their leaders? Rayne and Dante and the other two, the Betas whose names Finn had never really take the time to learn; he had never cared enough to commit them to memory. All of this could have -- should have -- been avoided. None of them needed to be injured and as Penelope spoke and he turned his dark eyes to her, the brown hinted just subtly with the golden hue of the displeased wolf pacing just below the surface, he felt that exasperation and irritation spike; she was dishevelled, wisps of blonde hair uncharacteristically out of place and there was blood on her blouse. Her words registered as he took a deep breath to put his displeasure aside -- it would do him no good, it certainly wouldn't help the situation in the least -- and he offered her a small nod. Penelope was right. He needed to sit down. Now that she had mentioned it, he did feel somewhat light-headed, even a little nauseated.
Before he could even lower himself to the ground, though, movement registered in his peripheral vision and he turned his head just in time to see something thrown forcefully into the air. It didn't take long for that something to come crashing back down to earth and when it did the reaction from the group as a whole was immediate and perhaps even extreme, albeit justifiably so. Finn cursed under his breath when it -- the body -- landed and he stumbled back, reaching out and pulling Penelope back with him, almost as though he expected the thing to launch itself right at them to attack. Some of the others screamed, they staggered or leapt back, but Finn, keeping his grip on Penelope's arm -- after stumbling back he had, unconsciously though it was, tugged her behind him, half-shielding her -- just stared at the body. Even with the sickening and unnatural angles it had been forced into and the bloody scores down its length, there was no mistaking the identity. His eyes lifted to where he had seen the movement, only to find the figure no longer there. Whoever it was who had killed Heather and tossed her body like a rag doll was no longer there. Finn tensed. Where was he now?
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Charlotte
Pack Werewolf
Bella's Pack: Historian
Hold on tight, wait for tomorrow, you'll be all right.
Posts: 47
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Post by Charlotte on Aug 7, 2011 22:29:17 GMT
Given the angle at which she had been sitting when the figure had appeared briefly, it was no wonder that Charlotte never saw him. She was too focused on Derrick, on the very real tension she could feel as it all but radiated out from Kaleigh's body as she protectively cradled her wounded mate close to her and stroked her fingers over and through his hair. She had been about to offer conciliatory and comforting words to the other female when it happened. It was the heavy and brutal thud of something striking concrete that triggered her primary reaction, a violent gasp of shock as her muscled tensed in alarm and she turned her head so swiftly that her hair swung around and into her field of vision, eyes wide and mouth dropped open in surprise.
When her gaze landed on just what had hit the ground with such force, the horror and disbelief overcame her, the former more powerfully than the latter. Charlotte screamed. For all her years and her own experiences with violence and bloodshed, she had never seen something so awful. The twisted angles like something out of a horror movie and the brutally broken bones, the torn clothes and flesh and the way the head was twisted around had her stomach flipping over so forcefully that she had to clap a hand to her mouth to keep from being sick right there and then. Tears stung her eyes and she closed them tightly, shaking her head back and forth quickly as she swallowed down a whimper of fear and grief. This couldn't be happening. It wasn't real, it wasn't real. When she opened her eyes the body would be gone and she would come back to her senses; it was all just a figment of her imagination, the stress of the evening had taken its toll on her.
The body was still there when she opened her eyes. It was real. In desperation she turned her head to look at Mateo. He would know what to do. If he didn't then Charlotte was lost. More than anything she hoped he would know what to do and he would take charge of the horrible situation, because she certainly couldn't. Not anymore.
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Mateo
Pack Werewolf
Bella's Pack: Senior Fighter
Life is a journey during which we all stumble at times.
Posts: 72
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Post by Mateo on Aug 8, 2011 3:54:45 GMT
There were times when it would have been better had he decided to learn about healing rather than fighting, or, since fighting was such a part of who and what he was, if he had learned about both. If he had been medically minded, perhaps he would have known what to do for the injured. He could do a quick field dressing and cut a bullet out of someone with a knife if he needed to, but he couldn’t begin to guess what to do for Samson or Derrick. He knew enough to understand that something had to be done for them soon, but he also knew that leaving such things in the hands of those who didn’t know what they were doing could very well make things worse than they already were.
He looked up from Samson at a flurry of movement he caught out of the corner of his eye, spotting the figure that had thrown the broken, bloodied body just before he stepped back, removing himself from view. A new surge of hot anger ripped through him and he got to his feet, returning Charlotte’s look with a quick glance before returning his attention to where the threat had been. It wasn’t bad enough that those wolves had set fire to their home and attacked pack members. They were outright killing now and there was no way of knowing how many had been killed by them, directly or indirectly. He wanted to go after the male, he wanted to get his hands on him and smash his skull against the corner of the building, but he didn’t move away from the group. Mateo would have loved nothing more than to go after the male and fight him to the death, whoever’s it ended up being, but he couldn’t leave the group alone. Finn and Penelope, while they could take care of themselves well enough, could really only be trusted to take care of each other; if push came to shove, he had the feeling that they’d abandon the others if it kept them alive. He wished that he could trust them to do the right thing and fight for the others if that was what was needed, but, while he had some respect for Penelope, he really couldn’t, so he stayed, though he moved away a bit, taking his rifle with him, positioning himself so that he could see not only the front of the building but also the side street from which the male had appeared and disappeared back into. He wasn’t going to pretend that he wouldn’t be in over his head if more than three or four of the enemy wolves rushed them, but he’d do his best to take them out before they had the chance to get to them. He just wished he could protect everyone that was still alive, but since he knew he couldn’t do that, he was going to have to do what he could for the group and anyone else who might join them.
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Imogen
Pack Werewolf
Rayne's Pack
Ya gonna watch me walk, then watch me walk
Posts: 38
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Post by Imogen on Aug 9, 2011 22:45:30 GMT
There was no way she could fight back the scream that ripped up from her throat. Imogen was still young, as wolves went, and her experience in matters of violence and blood was minimal, to say the least. She wasn't a fighter -- she could never be a fighter. It wasn't something that she had ever truly thought about until this night, but seeing the carnage, smelling the blood and the fear, it only solidified her resolve.
She wasn't made for this. Her world was bright colors and music. She didn't know what to do, didn't know how to handle things when they became dire and violent. Bile surged up suddenly, burning the back of her throat and Imogen stumbled as far away as she dared from their small group. Her dinner rushed back up, even as her legs gave way; nausea and fear left her buckled over on the ground, bright hair hanging down around her face.
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Charlotte
Pack Werewolf
Bella's Pack: Historian
Hold on tight, wait for tomorrow, you'll be all right.
Posts: 47
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Post by Charlotte on Aug 9, 2011 23:17:46 GMT
If anything it was Imogen's scream that helped Charlotte to gather herself. Her eyes turned to the younger female just in time to see her buckle to the ground and as she did so her arms loosened from around the small, furry creature she had been passed not five minutes beforehand. Figaro landed on her feet, typical to her genus, and thankfully she zoned in on Charlotte right away. The car was back in her owner's arms in a matter of seconds, even as the female historian made her way across the short distance to Imogen's side. "Just breathe, honey," she soothed, though the shakiness in her voice made the words less comforting, she knew.
Her eyes moved back to Mateo and his defensive posture even as he hand rubbed up and down the younger female's back. She scanned over the rest of their ragtag group and she felt her eyes sting with fresh tears. They couldn't be all that was left. They just couldn't. There had to be others. All the fighters, Neal and Bella and the rest of their group, there were so many who hadn't appeared yet. Charlotte didn't think she could bear to lose so many people. She might not have been close to many in the pack but she still cared about them all. Dysfunctional though they were, they were still a family.
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Kaleigh
Pack Werewolf
Bella's Pack
Posts: 99
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Post by Kaleigh on Aug 22, 2011 22:01:18 GMT
She had gasped when she saw the body flung, treated as someone might a sack of trash, and she had instinctively wanted to tighten her grip on Derrick, had started to, but managed to stop, her mind catching up quickly, telling her that she couldn’t take the chance of hurting him more than he already was. She was glad there was a fighter amongst them now, someone who would look out for them, but she wished there were more. If they were rushed, one fighter wasn’t going to be able to hold off the on rushing enemies. She could fight some, Derrick had seen to that, but she knew that she wouldn’t be any match for anyone that came out of the hotel looking to cause them harm, something she had learned the hard way in the lobby. Still, if it happened, she would fight, even if it was to her death, as long as it meant giving the others a chance to escape and keeping Derrick from more harm as long as she could.
Glancing down to her mate, her heart skipped a beat when she realized that he was unconscious and she had to swallow hard in order to fight back the rising surge of panic. She checked him quickly, breathing and pulse, just to make sure that he was still alive, knowing that it was the only way she would be able to keep from crying out and distracting the others from what they were doing. Without turning her eyes away from Derrick, she listened desperately, waiting for more to leave the hotel, telling herself that they not only were they not the only survivors, but also that her mate would be all right.
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Gabriel
Beta Werewolf
Bella's Pack
Tell me what you feel, now you're here.
Posts: 64
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Post by Gabriel on Sept 18, 2011 23:32:58 GMT
CONTINUED FROM: Hallways with Calista.
The air outside of the hotel felt cool and refreshing where it should have been warm and close. After the oppressive, smothering heat of the hotel's burning interior, it was like drinking a tall glass of cold water and for a moment it made Gabriel's throbbing head spin. He had to pause to get his bearings, lest he fall and drag Calista down to the ground with him. Once he felt his balance return to him, at least enough for him to move without risk of falling, he pressed on with the female at his side, being careful not to lean on her too much. She was wounded as well; he was reluctant to let her carry too much of his weight.
Mateo was the first of the group that he saw. His head was pounding fiercely, pain and dizziness taking it in turns to disorient and distract him, but the tension in his friend's body helped to clear his head soon enough. It was only moments after first recognising the other male's readiness and the way he held his weapon that Gabriel saw the body. A curse spilled from his tongue, the Spanish words reminding him momentarily of times long past, and then he forced his gaze past the body -- it was a corpse and not a body, he told himself firmly; there was a difference -- to the group huddled beyond it, their fear and confusion a thick cocktail in the air, a powerful scent that he could not ignore. Turning his gaze back towards the hotel, the flames and smoke spilling visibly from shattered windows, Gabriel kept his voice low and for Calista's ears only as he said, "I expected to find more." There was concern in his voice, making it thick and heavy, and he stared at the building that was dying before their eyes as if he expected to see Neal and Bella come rushing out at any moment. Behind that worry, there was hope. They would make it out. They had to.
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Calista
Junior Member
Bella's Pack
Tell me are you free...
Posts: 55
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Post by Calista on Sept 20, 2011 15:47:33 GMT
Gabriel's words echoed her own concern. This small group couldn't be the only ones who had escaped. Green eyes coasted over the huddled group and Mateo, ready to fight anew, at the foreground. The rest of them were in various stages of shock and grief.
The sight of Heather's mangled body made her stomach turn over. Calista swallowed thickly. Her gaze turned to the male at her side and back to the burning hotel. There was no telling who was still trapped inside or fighting to get out - the smoke made it impossible to see or smell out any of the pack still in the building, but she could hear the sounds of battle even over the roar of the inferno.
"They'll find us," she said lowly. Even with the fear in her heart and the ache in her body, Calista's voice was steady. "But we can't let them stay here." A nod of her head indicated the group nearby. "If one of those bastards decides to come finish us off, we'll be sitting ducks."
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Gabriel
Beta Werewolf
Bella's Pack
Tell me what you feel, now you're here.
Posts: 64
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Post by Gabriel on Sept 20, 2011 21:50:40 GMT
There were others inside that building who had not yet made it out into the open air, Gabriel had to believe that. This small, battered and smoky group standing or sitting in the parking lot while their home and all the earthly possessions they had gathered over the years of their residence in Los Angeles burned could not be all that was left of the pack. Gabriel refused to believe that. He outright refused.
Gabriel realised, in the back of his mind, that he was thankful the humans dwelling or working nearby had not yet come sniffing around to find out what was happening. That would not last forever, he knew, and the sooner they vacated the area and found somewhere safe to regroup, the better. "Where would we take them?" he asked of the female at his side. He was still leaning on her, and she on him in her own way. If nothing else it presented a sort of togetherness that those standing nearby needed to see, a united front in the face of adversity that might warm them when everything else was so shaken and uncertain. "There are not enough fighters to defend them. We cannot leave them alone." His accent had thickened somewhat, he noticed absently. It hardly mattered. Calista would have no trouble understanding him, and besides, it was only creeping in at the edges. It was the heightened emotions, the fear for his friends and the anger at what had happened.
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Calista
Junior Member
Bella's Pack
Tell me are you free...
Posts: 55
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Post by Calista on Oct 4, 2011 18:38:53 GMT
There would be others looking for them, too, other pack members -- if they went off in search for shelter, they would run the risk of leaving people behind, and that simply was not an option. Her gaze turned back to their frightened and wounded packmates as she felt her hands beginning to shake. The thundering racket of her heart was suddenly far too loud in her ears and her chest went tight. Something that might have been a sob tried to push up from the back of her throat, but Calista swallowed against it.
She would not panic. There was no time for fear, not when so many of her packmates needed to see strength and confidence. Trembling fingers gripped at Gabriel as tight as they dared until the she-wolf was certain that she had her wits about her. She took another glance around them, noting as Gabriel had that none of their neighbors had seen fit to come investigate the chaos. So long as they minded their own business, there would be no need to deal with human authorities, but there was no telling how long that luck would last.
"All right," she murmured. "Can you stand on your own?" If nothing else, they would stay with the group and do their best to keep everyone calm.
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Gabriel
Beta Werewolf
Bella's Pack
Tell me what you feel, now you're here.
Posts: 64
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Post by Gabriel on Oct 9, 2011 20:45:47 GMT
It was only a matter of time before the human authorities showed up. There was no way a building as big as The Four Seasons could burn without someone noticing; help would be sent along soon enough, and they needed to have their wounded out of sight before then. With the fire department would come the paramedics and they would see those like Derrick and Penelope, even Calista and Gabriel themselves, and want to check their wounds. They could not allow that. Checks and tests meant complications and potential exposure, none of which they could afford. On top of that, most of them were not even known to the world; some of them had never even existed by human records. Gabriel himself had been born a wolf, and as such, had never been recorded in any way. Gabriel Madden might exist somewhere in the world, but it would be a different man, and not nearly as old and strong as the Argentinean-born male currently being supported by the dark-haired female at his side.
"I can," he told Calista, and that was when he heard it. A howl. That long and resonating note that was all wolf. It sent a strange chill up the length of Gabriel's spine, and his hand found Calista's and held it tightly. That voice did not belong to any wolf he knew. It was not one of the pack, and that left only one answer in his mind. Enemy. "They're close," he said to his companion, before he moved, carefully and with his hand still held in Calista's, towards Mateo. His fellow fighter would have heard that howl as well, there was no way he could have missed it.
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Calista
Junior Member
Bella's Pack
Tell me are you free...
Posts: 55
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Post by Calista on Oct 10, 2011 15:41:12 GMT
That howl might have come from an unfamiliar wolf, but Calista felt herself react nonetheless. The she-wolf's anger clashed with chilling fear, and she knew it was only the grip of Gabriel's hand that kept her calm. Selfishly, she wanted to stay at his side; if she kept their fingers twined and kept close, she would feel stronger. Gabriel made her feel steady, and safe, which was just what she needed now, but it simply wasn't an option. She wasn't the only one who was afraid or hurting, and she needed only to look over at Charlotte and Imogen for proof of that.
Calista pulled back on the Argentinean fighter's grip. With a meaningful glance and a kiss pressed to the back of his hand, she slipped away to check on the two younger females. Her gait was smooth, still graceful even with the pain radiating through her whole body. She brushed a careful touch over Charlotte's hair before crouching to take gentle hold of Imogen's shoulders. The pink-haired female was whimpering softly.
"All right," Calista soothed. "Shhhhh, sweetheart..." Her gaze met Charlotte's. "Are you hurt? Either of you?"
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