Penelope
Pack Werewolf
Bella's Pack
Posts: 40
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Post by Penelope on Dec 31, 2011 23:44:52 GMT
The whole thing felt surreal from the moment they had escaped the building and joined the group in the parking lot nothing had felt real to the she-wolf. She looked on as the others huddled around the still form that had once been Samson, had once been a pack member but was now nothing more than a dead body devoid of all life. She should have felt something, anything when faced with the death of a fellow member of the pack but she felt nothing, nothing at all. Things like this didn't happen to them, didn't happen to a pack.
Penelope was in shock, she felt nothing else apart from a vague sense of disbelief that something like this could happen to them. The sound of another window blowing out drew her gaze upwards towards the remains of their home, the building was beyond saving and the fire raging inside was destroying everything they had been forced to leave behind. Her focus came back to her companion and she noticed he was holding his breath, a hint of worry for her friend creeping in to her as she placed her hand on his arm, it was then that she realised he looked pale.
For a moment she simply stood beside him without saying a word, her hand still on his arm and her eyes watching him as he took in the group around the dead body once again. Even though she knew it could be seen as a sign of weakness she knew that Finn should sit down, he'd lost a lot of blood and the adrenaline from the fight would only last so long, better that he sit down rather than fall down. "Finn, you should sit down," she told him making sure she lowered her voice so that only he would hear her words.
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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 Jan 1, 2012 0:05:54 GMT
The adrenaline was close to failing him already, he could feel the bone-deep exhaustion settling in, taking a firm grip on him inside and out. The bite of the silver of the blade that had wounded his arm was making itself known once again as well, burning at his arm, the pain spreading further and further with each passing minute. There was no infection, he knew that much, but the metal would still have an effect on him, and not one that he could easily ignore.
That didn't change the fact that he didn't want to sit. What he wanted was to find the wolf who had wounded him -- and Penelope -- and repay him in kind, but there was no chance of that, unfortunately. No, instead they were all stuck out here, standing around uselessly while their home burned and their own pack members were killed. Instead they had to stand by and do nothing. It was maddening.
"I'm all right," he grumbled, even as he lifted a hand and wiped his brow. He was sweating, he realised, a fleeting grimace crossing his face. He turned his gaze upon the female standing close to him, and he bit back a sigh when he saw her expression. She was concerned. Most likely Penelope was the only one who would worry about him. If nothing else, that ought to tell him something. He did sigh then, giving the smallest of nods, before easing himself down towards the ground.
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Penelope
Pack Werewolf
Bella's Pack
Posts: 40
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Post by Penelope on Jan 1, 2012 0:39:51 GMT
Her own adrenaline had started to wear off already and she knew she wouldn't be able to stay on her feet much longer herself, she felt exhausted. Her own wound was burning, the blade might have only broken the skin but it had still been silver edged and she'd be feeling the effects for a little while yet. It wasn't a serious wound but it would scar simply because the blade had been silver, she was just thankful that the wound hadn't been worse.
The only thing keeping her upright was sheer will. Like Finn all she wanted to do was find the wolf that had wounded them both and make him pay but she knew it wasn't possible, she would have been no match for him and all she would have achieved was more pain for herself. All she could do was stand out here with the others and watch helplessly as their home burned. She hated not being able to do anything.
"You're not," she replied softly. She knew he was just being stubborn and she couldn't blame him, if their roles had been reversed she'd be the same way. When he turned to look at her she didn't drop her gaze but met his eyes, she knew her concern for him would be clear on her face and she didn't care. She was concerned for him, he was the only one that mattered to her in the pack and she didn't want his own stubbornness to do him more harm so she would argue with him if she needed to. When he conceded and eased himself down to the ground she followed suit, her own weariness making it nearly impossible to stay standing any longer. She allowed her head to dip forward slightly, stray strands of hair hanging down in front of her face as she did so. She was so tired and just wanted to sleep but knew that the chance of that was still a long way off.
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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 Jan 2, 2012 19:23:48 GMT
Samson's lips had already started to pale, turning a pasty grey. Gabriel was right, there would be no bringing him back, but the she-wolf felt her grip tightening around her fellow Greek's unresponsive fingers, as if the physical contact might pull him back. Samson was like kin, in a way -- they had bonded over their shared heritage, and the realization that he was gone, really gone, was a horrifying shock to her already overwhelmed mind.
She wanted to scream. She wanted to let the grief tear through her, wail and cry and beat the ground with her fists. Her whole body was shaking with it; there was no hiding the trembling of her hand when she released Samson's hand and reached up to press his eyelids closed. Calista whispered a brief prayer in her native tongue.
The rumbling bang from the hotel pulled her back into the moment. Her gaze snapped up to the burning building in time to see a part of it collapse into itself. It was deafening, loud enough to cover the cries of panic that she heard from her fellow packmates. Calista stayed quiet, but she reached out -- her hand snatched at Gabriel's and held tight.
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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 Jan 4, 2012 2:11:32 GMT
Finn hadn't yet turned his mind to the matter of scarring, or that it would serve as a permanent reminder of this whole wretched night. He had too many other things on his mind, first and foremost how to maintain some semblance of dignity whilst not seeming completely cold and uncaring towards people he barely even knew. It was a strange train of thought for him, not one he was at all familiar -- or comfortable -- with, and now that he was down on the ground, he realised he was expending valuable -- and limited -- energy on something that, ultimately, did not matter, at least not in the grand scheme of things. These people would still resent and dislike him tomorrow, just as much as they had yesterday, and why should he try to change that now when he had never troubled himself before? Finn had always been rather self-serving, and he was not the sort to change his ways at the drop of a hat, even in the face of so much death and destruction.
There was one person, however, he did care about, and genuinely so. His dark gaze turned to where she sat close beside him and he found himself reaching out with one hand, taking hers in his grasp. It would look so alien to the others in the parking lot, they might not even believe their eyes, but Finn was beyond caring right then, and he suspected the others might not even notice anyway; they had other things on their minds. There were dead bodies lying on the ground within touching distance, and their home was burning before their eyes. Finn and Penelope could take solace in one another's company and let their guards down. They had just as much right as anyone else.
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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 Jan 4, 2012 2:30:28 GMT
It had pained Gabriel so much to say the words, but it was important that Calista accept what was right in front of her -- in front of them -- so she could move on. He wasn't expecting her not to care, that wasn't her at all, but for her own sake as much as everyone else's, she needed to turn her attention onto those she could help. Teivel, for one, who was muttering denials and shaking his head; there were tears in his eyes, equal parts anger at those who had caused the death and grief for a fallen packmate.
Gabriel gripped Calista's hand when it found his own, a tight grasp in response to that sudden crash that told the little group that their home was dying and every passing minute only saw it collapsing into itself more as the fire spread destructively. His throat was dry, he realised, and he looked towards Mateo and Regina, and then back over his shoulder at the others: Charlotte was hugging her cat close to her chest, as though that might stop the tears he could see already working their way down her face; Imogen and Adalina were sticking together, drawing comfort and strength from each other, though the former looked visible shaken and upset; Kaleigh continued to cradle Derrick against her, protecting him in his vulnerable state; and Finn and Penelope, somewhat surprisingly, were simply sitting quietly, hand in hand.
Bringing his focus back to the female who held his hand, he lowered his voice for her ears only and said to her, "We have to take care of them." It was a lot to ask of her, he knew, but there was no one else. "I know how much he meant to you, but we have to help the others, if we can."
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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 Jan 4, 2012 3:01:09 GMT
Her body was tense, muscles pulling taught as she fought to keep her composure. As much pain as she felt, both physically and emotionally, she knew Gabriel was right. She turned to look at him for just a moment; even in the light of so much chaos and pain, she knew she could count on Gabriel. She had always been able to count on Gabriel.
Calista managed a steady inhale and a single nod in agreement. Her gaze slid over the group, all of them wounded and hurting in some way, before she looked to the male at her side again. "We're vulnerable here," she murmured. "If those bastards head this way, they could surround us. We need to push the wounded and the pups back to the alley, if nothing else, and those who can fight stay forward on the defensive."
It was all but hopeless. The two of them were wounded, and Mateo, as well. If their enemies really wanted to crush them, it would be a quick and bloody battle, but there was no way in hell Calista was about to sit and wait for it. She would fight for the safety of her pack until the last of her blood painted the pavement.
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Penelope
Pack Werewolf
Bella's Pack
Posts: 40
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Post by Penelope on Jan 5, 2012 1:31:14 GMT
Later on Penelope might actually be angry about the fact that she would be left with a scar where the knife had cut her, that she had a permanent reminder of this night and everything that had happened. Right then though she had other things occupying her mind, like how she was supposed to maintain her composure and her dignity while everything fell apart around her, while people she barely cared about died and she was supposed to show some signs of caring. Maybe it made her cold but she couldn’t bring herself to actually care, these were still the same people that she had resented, why should the fact that they were dying or hurt change that, they certainly wouldn’t change their mind about her. Penelope was too tired to actually try and pretend like she gave a damn, everyone knew what she was like, she wasn’t about to change her ways simply because their home was falling down before their very eyes.
The only person she cared about was beside her, no one else mattered. Her gaze had been on the crumbling building that had been their home when she felt his hand take hers, her eyes turned back towards him as she gently squeezed his hand. It might look odd to everyone else but she didn’t care, she doubted anyone would even notice anyway, which was fine by her. She was vaguely aware of a conversation happening between Gabriel and Calista as she sat holding Finn’s hand, she couldn’t really focus on the words and she was just too damn tired to even try work out what they were talking about. All Penelope wanted to do was take comfort in her friend’s company, maybe it was a moment of weakness but she didn’t have the strength to do much of anything else, if anyone said anything that would likely change. Though surely now she would be allowed a moment of weakness, no one could deny her that, not with everything that was happening.
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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 Jan 17, 2012 23:02:38 GMT
Gabriel was used to being the one people could rely on. He had never been alone in that, not when he stood with Bella, Neal, and Mateo, but he did everything he could to stay steady and strong for anyone who might need him. People like Calista. Right now she needed him more than anyone, even those who were wounded and weakened; she was one of the elder wolves, one of those people would look to for guidance and support, and what some might not realise was that she needed such things herself.
He would do everything he could to make sure she stayed strong for the others.
"The alley?" Gabriel repeated quietly, his gaze travelling back over their shoulders, beyond the small huddled group, to the alley in question. "I don't know," he said with a small shake of his head. "We shouldn't go too far from the hotel, and the others might need us." Other survivors might need immediate assistance when they found their way out of the burning building, and Gabriel wanted to be close by to help, whatever the need.
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Derrick
Pack Werewolf
Bella's Pack
I will not fall, won't let it go; we will be free when it ends.
Posts: 101
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Post by Derrick on Jan 17, 2012 23:56:48 GMT
For someone in Derrick's condition it would have been better -- certainly kinder -- for consciousness to remain out of reach, but with everything that had already happened over the course of the night it was no surprise really that such kindnesses were in short supply. Awareness came tumbling back and without any real understanding that he had passed out to begin with, Derrick returned to the world of the waking. It came without warning, not only for the wounded wolf himself but for those around him, and when he awoke, it was not with a quiet groan or the small shifting of fingers, but a full and tight tension throughout his entire body and a gasp laced with fear and confusion. His memory was slow to catch up to the rest of his brain, and at least for the first few moments, he had no recollection of what had happened or where he was, leaving his imagination to fill in the gasp.
The first place it went was to the past, to a dark and dank room and the rattle of chain and the threat of fire and pain, the cruel, cold, sharp smirk of a man with a pale face, and the undeniable and unmistakable stink of blood, sweat, and vampire. None of those things -- save the blood and the sweat, and the threat of fire heavy in the air, warm and cloying and clouded with smoke -- were present, but that didn't stop Derrick from waking in an immediate and full panic.
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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 Jan 18, 2012 3:44:19 GMT
It was only the lack of movement from Samson's chest that told her that he was truly dead. Whatever damage had been done to him, it had been too much for his body to repair. Samson was gone. He'd never swing her around the courtyard in a fierce embrace, he'd never sing a long with her when she played her guitar, and he'd never smile at her again.
Imogen had hoped that she'd been wrung dry of tears, but she felt them wash her face all over again. The young she-wolf pressed a hand to her mouth, though it did little to muffle the wailing sob she gave. She buckled, rear end coming to sit hard on the ground with one knee curled tight to her chest. Even with the madness all around her, even as the Four Seasons started to collapse in on itself, Imogen couldn't tear her focus away from Samson's cooling body.
"This isn't real," she heard herself groan lowly. "This can't be happening..."
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Kaleigh
Pack Werewolf
Bella's Pack
Posts: 99
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Post by Kaleigh on Jan 26, 2012 15:44:07 GMT
She had been listening to all that was going on around her, even as world had been slowly shrinking to the point where it would soon be only her and Derrick. To say that Kaleigh was worried sick would have been a severe understatement, but she had been keeping her fear reined in, keeping a tight lid on it, because the last thing she wanted to do was become just one more issue for those around them to deal with. There was more than enough for everyone else to be dealing with, so it made sense to force herself to be as calm as possible and just focus on her mate. She knew there was nothing she could actually do for him, but that no means meant that she wasn’t going to watch over him like a hawk.
That didn’t stop her from starting when he awoke so suddenly, though.
Kaleigh could read his fear and confusion clearly and she ran a light, gentle hand over his hair in an attempt to calm him. She wanted to tell him that it was okay, that everything was all right, but that would have been a lie and she wasn’t going to do that. She couldn’t. Instead, she simply spoke his name softly, trying to draw his attention to her and away from the terror he was feeling, though she was ready to stop him from attempting to get up if that was what he tried to do.
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Derrick
Pack Werewolf
Bella's Pack
I will not fall, won't let it go; we will be free when it ends.
Posts: 101
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Post by Derrick on Jan 28, 2012 16:45:39 GMT
At first the touch to his hair startled him, and he almost fought against it and struggled to pull away, but the pain was quick to put a stop to that. With a ragged gasp he stilled, and that was when he heard his name, in a voice he knew, one he recognised and trusted. Even when he opened his eyes, just a fraction, he couldn't see her though. Or could he? Was that a leg underneath him? Moving his hand -- first one, but when it resisted him with a sharp burn through the wrist, the other -- he felt the shape of the leg, the warm and solid reality of it. Kaleigh.
Her name slipped out of him, quiet and fractured by strained breathing, and his fingers loosely twined in the material of the pants she was wearing. The scent of smoke was close, though, and that stopped him from relaxing all the way; he wanted to put distance between himself -- and Kaleigh -- and the unmistakable stench of burning, and the hand that had been tangling in her pants' leg left loosened and then pressed against the concrete beneath them both. Derrick tried to push, to get himself up so he could get them away from the fire, wherever it was. That was his job. He had to try and protect his mate.
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Kaleigh
Pack Werewolf
Bella's Pack
Posts: 99
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Post by Kaleigh on Feb 14, 2012 0:08:07 GMT
She knew her heart skipped a beat when Derrick gasped in pain. She knew that she had startled him and she hated herself for it, but she knew that she hadn’t really done anything wrong. She had been trying to comfort him, let him know that he was safe… So why did she still feel so incredibly guilty about it? Probably because it had led to him hurting himself; as far as Kaleigh was concerned, she may as well have hurt her mate himself. All she wanted to do was get him out of there, get him somewhere she knew he would be safe so that she could get someone in who could make him as comfortable as possible. She would have gladly taken on the pain if it meant taking it from him but since she knew that she couldn’t do that, she would have to settle for seeing to it that he was made as comfortable as possible. For the time being, though, all that could really be done was wait to see what the fighters chose to do.
As quiet and fractured as her name was, she still heard it, and leaned down carefully to press a gentle kiss against his temple, being extremely cautious so as to not jostle him or apply any pressure that might cause him more pain that he was already experiencing. She tried to tell him through the simple gesture that they were okay, knowing how he felt about fire and wishing more with each second that there was somewhere they could go to get away from it- to get him away from it. When her mate tried to push himself up, she spoke softly, gentle but firm, hoping he would listen. “Derrick, don’t. We’re all right for now. You should rest. I’m sure we’ll be moving soon enough.” She knew that he wanted to get away from the fire, because she did as well, but she was deathly afraid that he would aggravate his injuries if he tried to move. She knew that he would have to move eventually, but she hoped to avoid it as long as they could, not wanting to take any chances with Derrick’s well-being.
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Derrick
Pack Werewolf
Bella's Pack
I will not fall, won't let it go; we will be free when it ends.
Posts: 101
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Post by Derrick on Mar 1, 2012 20:11:39 GMT
Kaleigh's voice, as always, pierced through the fog and stilled him, and he halted in his efforts, breathing heavy and eyes closed from the pain and the exhaustion that came from what he was attempting to do. Derrick always responded to Kaleigh before anyone else, that was how things had been for years now, long before they had joined this pack that was now falling down around them in fractured and broken pieces, and that would never change. She was his mate, the one who had taken care of him when he should have been taking care of both of them, she was the one person in all the world he would do anything for, the one person he could not live without. Kaleigh was all Derrick had left of a life that was no longer truly his, long since out of reach, but through it all she had stayed by his side, loyal and loving, and he didn't know what he would do without her.
So he stopped when she asked it of him, instead settled himself against her, the fingers of his responsive hand once again finding the leg of her pants and finding a gentle but reassuring hold there. If Kaleigh said they were all right for now, that he should rest, then he believed her. Even with the stink of smoke and the memory of the flames, Derrick would do what she said. This was one of those times when she was watching out for them both, when she knew what was going on and what needed to be done, and he would follow her lead now as he had done so many times over the years since they had been forced to leave their birth pack.
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