Julia Sinclair, also known as Jewls in her work place. being the towns most famous stripper wasn't something most girls, if any, would consider and accomplishment but Julia did. She didn't care what people thought of her profession or what people said about her attitude about her profession. she loved what she did, arousing men the way their wives or girlfriends couldn't it was amusing to her how human men were when it came to things like that. While dancing she caught sight of a very pretty girl who she planned on making her dinner.

after her shift was over she stayed behind watching the girl. She ordered a few drinks as she watched the girl interact with other at the bar. Juli had to admit she would be attracted to the poor girl if she hadn't already planned on feeding from her. Sad really she thought as she finished her second drink. Waiting for this girl to leave the club was kind of boring. She had to sit there watching the girl talk to other people and also watch her colleagues dance on stage, they weren't terrible but they were bad. they were trying to hard to be sexy while Julia didn't have to. She had enough confidence to know she was the hottest thing in the room no matter what people said.

Finally the girl was heading out the bar, hopefully heading home. Juli finished her last drink and followed her from a distance. She followed her down the street, stalking her like she had been taught all those years ago. Just as she was ready to make her move on the girl she sensed something that she was sure was going to ruin her night, werewolves.

---

---

Lillian had gathered a few wolves to help her scout the town for vampires. It wasn't hard to sense a vampire in a town full of humans however tonight they weren't having much luck. She had split the four of them into two teams, one was sent to the west side of town while she and Serena scouted out the east. The streets were deserted, it being a Friday night most people went to bars or college parties which was perfect targets for vampires. No one ever paid attention at parties, just a bunch of drunks dancing and drinking while some poor kid was getting feed on by a blood-sucker.

Lillian grunted seeing a drunk couple wobbling down the street past them. She never understood humans habits of drinking, they just woke up with a blistering headache the next morning or drank until they puked. Lilly didn't like feeling sick for any reason so to voluntarily drink so much that you feel sick sounded ridiculous to her. "Anything yet?" She asked Serena checking if she'd sensed anything yet. She probably hadn't but it was better to ask than assume.

Being the Alpha wasn't an easy job for anyone but especially Lillian. Even after earning the title she found herself continuously having to prove herself to everyone. Weather it be other Alphas or her pack members, it was much more annoying when her own pack members did it to her. She was always forced to injure them in someway to get it through their heads that she meant business and wouldn't take their crap.

Taking a deep breath, getting ready to call this scouting off she got wind of what they had been looking for. "You smell that?" She whispered to Serena, nudging her in the arm. She scanned the streets searching for where the sent was coming from.

---

---

It was late but Vivian was the type who like to practice her magic after most had went to bed for the night, plus it was safer that way. She was still learning about her abilities there were still things she didn't know how to do or make. Just recently she discovered she was able to extract vampire venom from a werewolf, but it wasn't like she would be able to practice that any time soon. She also found out that there was an herb that would help her keep her energy up while healing with her chants. Normally she had to ask Sienna,though she was usually reluctant, to help her when she practiced her chants since chanting took more of her energy but with this herb she would have to. The downside to this find was that the herb was rare and not even found in Cherry Blossom anywhere.

Vivian sighed as she looked through her book of herbs. There was still so much she didn't know and she hated it. She thought that by now she would know at least most of what healers should know but she didn't even know half. It frustrated her that she felt like she was far behind, she partly blamed her father. He should have embraced who she was and allowed her to at least read her mothers books. Instead he burned them and forbid her from even mentioning magic to him.

He stood leaning against a burnt out street lamp, one hand resting in the pocket of his coat, he is seemingly relaxed as he watches a steady stream of people come and go from the bar, looking to any who see him as nothing more than a man stepping out for a smoke and indecisive of whether to light the coffin nail or not, swinging his watch out of his pocket by the chain it snaps into his palm, springing open at his touch seeing the time he breathes explosively from his nose as if the time piece had personally offended him. He hated waiting, even if he was excellent at it, he hated it, his eyes track over every person leaving the bar, lingering for a moment on a particularly attractive girl leaving, and then an instant later his nostrils flare as a familiar scent drifts his way, and his distinct amber colored eyes track over the form of a woman exiting the establishment, stalking the one he'd noticed moments before, blond, good looking, moves like sex and death had a baby, blood sucking skank barbie.

An instant after seeing her the watch is stowed away in a pocket and his hand is toggling a switch at his throat, static sparks in his ear from the mic.

"Beta actual, this is Alpha actual, move into position and hold, I think I have one."

Connor had ordered a small contingent of wolves to hunt with him, they were to circle seeking out the blood suckers and wait for his command, some would be in human form, mingling with the humans, others as wolves, running the circuit of the town, they he would have to call through a set of whistles, or in his own wolf form by howling since they wouldn't be able to make use of the mic in their wolf forms, but the system was as good as he could make it at present.

Moving his hand away from the mic switch he growls softly, the sound rumbling up form deep in his chest. His voice deeper than normal, and coming out half growled in irritation, as he glances up at the moon.

"I hate hunting at night," better to burn the damned leeches out of the holes during the daytime, all the better to make them feel as hopeless as those they prey upon.

Moving non chalantly away from the lamp post he flicks the still fresh cigarette into the street, seemingly heading home he crosses the street staying well back, eyes trained on the women in front of him, undead leech or not, she was something to look at. It was almost too bad he was going to have to tear hear heart out and set her body aflame. Almost.

Now if he could get through a hunt without being interrupted he'd be happy, well, smiling wryly, happy enough at least.

◤◥

Johanna couldn't believe her luck. She was actually offered a gig. Granted this place wasn't exactly Madison Square Gardens, but it was good enough, people would see her.
Though they'd probably expected her to take off her clothes....this was a strip joint after all, it smelled like sex, cheap cologne, beer and sweat but hey, who cares, not her.

She set that stage ablaze and people even cheered. After her set was over, she hung around, she got offered drinks, she passed out her mixtape and was talked up by a few of the 'patrons' of the place.

Joey loved it, and it was fun.

Finally she decided to head home, she decided to walk, since she was far too buzzed to drive. It was good thing she lived in a rather small town. As weird as Cherry Blossom was, she loved it here. All of the strangeness, the murders, which would freak most people out, but not Joey, she grew up here, she knew most everyone and they knew her. Mostly tourists ended up dead, they didn't know the rules. Joey knew all the rules, she used to write them down when she was a kid and had them all memorized by now. Never break the rules and you'll live.

Rule #1 of Surviving Cherry Blossom.

• Never Walk Home Alone after Midnight.

This rule Joey was actually about to break.
Why one might ask, because she was too buzzed to remember the rules, if she had, she would have called Atlas, he would have picked her up and brought her home but then again, he had some big ol important family meeting he had to attend, so chances are, he wouldn't have been able to pick her up anyway.

All of the rules came flooding to her when she felt someone following her. It was late, very late, after midnight. She pretended not to notice, and causally reached into her bag and pulled out her phone.

{To Atlas}
{Hey, Lassie, Um, So I'm totally buzzed and broke a rule, um....I think someone's following me, Save Me :(}
She sent the text quickly and started looking for some more populated places and hide out. The feeling was getting stronger and more sinister by the minute.

◣◢

◤◥

Brood, that's what everyone said he does, wearing a mask of infinite despair and disinterest. He wasn't doing it on purpose, he just looked like that. It was his face. It wasn't his fault, it was conditioned. When he was young, he had to pretend he didn't see his mother's boyfriend of the week, beat her, lest it be his turn and then subsequently he'd Turn. He attacked more then a few of them but it would just piss his mother off since apparently she hated being alone.

Levi looked to his right, a girl smiled at him when he caught her gaze, he smiled back politely, and looked ahead.
It was a good thing he was smart, he hated this place. He hated Cherry Blossom, he hated the smell of it, the mingling scents of mortals, werewolves, vampires and magic. Problem was, he didn't have any other place to be that's why he was on this train, his body at the mercy of the motion, rocking slightly as it trudged him toward the place he was forced to call home. School didn't work. He should have known, he wasn't natural...or well he was bit too natural and the humans outside of this place, knew it, they could feel his oddity and distrusted him for it, or worse, was attracted to it which made school more trouble then it was worth so he reluctantly decided to come home, and be what he truly was.

The train pulled to a stop, and Levi rose, the girl rose too but then stopped when she realized it wasn't actually her stop. Levi gave soft smile and walked off. He could feel her eyes on him even after he left off the train. He had that affect on mortal girls, he was a werewolf, there was something inherently attractive about that, an alpha male in a crowd of weaker men, he was the Alpha that everyone wanted to challenge...he was used to it, but now, where he was going, he wouldn't be the Alpha, he was fine with that. He wouldn't mind being part of the crowd. He wouldn't mind being 'Ghost' again.

He was called that up until he left. He was always eerily quiet, sneaking up on people more often then not. He didn't know how many times he'd have to catch his mother before she swung on him by mistake in fright. A small smile tugged at the corner on his lips.

As much as his childhood was a great dissapointment, he did miss his mother and secretly looked forward to seeing her again. She told him that she'd sobered up, got a job at a diner, she was doing better now. He hoped that was true. She was mortal, he inherited his wolf from his father. She wouldn't live as long.


After a short cab ride, to a small ranch house, that seemed smaller somehow then it was in Levi's memory, Levi approached the door. He knocked once but found the door opened some.

Frowning, Levi entered the dark house.

"Mom..." He called but got no answer, he took a whiff of the air and smiled. He could smell the cake.

He'd play it up for her sake. He could tell it took her two tries to get the cake right.

He entered the little kitchen and reached for the light on the wall to his left .

"Surprise!" the small blonde woman cheered standing in front of a small cake, with a hand iced "Welcome Home Levi" scrawled across the top in red icing. and Levi pretended to be shocked but his smile was big and genuine. "Ya got me." He said and she sighed. "You smelled the cake, didn't you. " She said, still smiling, but Levi could see the disappointment in her eyes.

"Yes, but leaving the door open some was a good trick, it had me going for a second." He said and walked over to her, pulling her into a warm hug. "Oh, you are so big, what am I going to do with you." She said, patting the muscles in his stomach. Levi chuckled. "Get me another bed I can't imagine I'll fit in race car frame." He joked down at her as he kissed her head. He dwarfed his tiny mother and he had to admit, she looked better, tired, but better, he didn't smell any alcohol or cigarettes, not any new ones anyway. She had actually kept herself clean for that he hugged her again. "What was that for?" She asked, hugging him back. "Nothing, I just missed you is all." He said and she clicked her teeth with an 'aww'.

"Already, well, let's eat, I know you must be starving, all the way from school, I made your favorite, Mac and Cheese still your favorite." She asked, pulling away from him and reaching for the oven.
Levi grinned. "Yes, yes, it is." He said nodding, as he took a seat. Everything in the house did seem considerably smaller then he remembered, perhaps he'd just gotten use to his dorm room, he grew up in this house.

"I'm glad your back, it's been so quiet without you around," She said as she pulled the mac and cheese out of the oven and placed in on the table. It was a round plastic thing with a gimpy leg, Levi remembered how they'd have to hold the edges and place the pots exactly in the middle so it wouldn't fall over. She smiled when he held the table top for her.
He gave her a knowing look, the house was always quiet, that's why he was Ghost. He didn't know his name wasn't Ghost until he was 11. "You know what I meant." She said, "Don't be a smart ass, Ghost" She said and they laughed.

"I'm...glad to be back." He said, honestly. He missed his mother, and he was glad to see her better and single. It made coming back better.

They ate in silence for a moment before his mother finished her plate and he went in for seconds. "You know the shops still yours. He left it to you." She said and Levi nodded. "I know." He said around a mouth full of food. "Are you gonna reopen it? We could use and now that your back...." She said and Levi sighed. After his father died, he left him his auto shop, Levi hadn't wanted it, so it was closed up but the deed was always his.

"I know, I know, I just...."He paused. He didn't want to accept his failure, taking the shop, opening it up, meant that he really did fail at school, at the life he wanted. Levi had never failed at anything more. His mother took his hand.
"It's okay, Baby, some of the most successful people, dropped out of high school, so in my book, you're doing great." She said tossing her free hand. His mother used to live in the south, and sometimes, he could hear it in her voice. Levi chuckled. "Alright, I'll check it out." He said with a smirk.
"Good, because my mini coop is completely dead." With that Levi burst out laughing and his mother joined him.

After dinner, Levi cleared the dishes, while his mother went to bed, she had a shift in the morning, which he was glad to hear her say. Levi told her he'd walk around town, and check on the body shop and crash on the couch when he was done.

So with that, he departed, his nose twitched, as he got to the town square. There were vampires everywhere.

◣◢

He was already outside the town and a young female, probably on her early twenties was following him. It had been so easy, finding a lonely victim and first charm her with his words waiting until she looked him into eyes few seconds too long and hypnotize her. Of course it helped when the woman was being drunk. Killian never stayed in town with his dinner as he knew the wolves would came after him immediately. The woods outside the town were slightly safer place if you knew all the hiding places well enough.

"Lovely evening for a walk, isn't it?" he asked from the woman who nodded smiling. "With you everything is lovely." she answered wrapping her arm around his. Killian chuckled, the humans were so funny when under his skill. He hold her close, and noticing her shivering in the cold night are he took of the jacket of his suit and wrapped it around her shoulders. "You're like a guardian angel." she spluttered. ”I'm going to take you somewhere special, m'lady.” he flashed a charming smile and the woman giggled. 'A guardian angel, huh? Far from it.' he thought and licked his lips. Nothing would beat fresh meal. With that Killian lead her deeper in the forest out of anyone's sight.

Interacting With: Nova Mortlake
Mentioned: Aiden Tover and Julia Sinclair


It was another late night for Elisabeth as she cleaned up the last of the coffee spills on the tables. She tossed the rag onto the counter before sitting down in a chair. She sighed and leaned back against the wall. Closing her eyes, she thought about what she should do next. She had finished cleaning the tables at the coffee shop. All that was left was to check that everything was in its place and then to lock up.

However, her job was not what she was pondering. She was wondering if she should stay out for the rest of the night to scout around the town. It wasn't the most pleasant job, but somebody had to do it. Since she was new to the coven and the youngest vampire, it was her job to look around for potential... meals. It wasn't something that she liked doing. Her former coven had been in a large city, where they were able to feed with ease. They also tried to target people who had no relations to others so that they wouldn't be missed. Here though, a meal was a meal no matter who the person was.

The job of a scouter was also fairly dangerous, rivaled only by that of the tracker. The scouter merely suggested people and kept an eye out for people who seemed a little too curious. The tracker actually stalked the victim. Elisabeth was glad that she didn't have to do that. Of course, Julia could always ignore her suggestions or choose her own target. This was usually the case, which made Elisabeth feel a bit useless and angry with Julia. She would never tell her this though, because Elisabeth knew she couldn't control the other vampire. Besides, she would let Aiden deal with Julia if she ever got too out of line. After all, Aiden was the coven's leader and a highly formidable force.

Elisabeth opened her eyes again and looked around the coffee shop, now quiet after a long day of kids and adults alike passing through. She stood back up, pushing the chair closer to the table. She stretched, her arms rising above her head momentarily before falling back to her sides. “Nova? Are you still here?” she called out. The two were good friends in addition to being coworkers. Elisabeth knew that Nova would pull her weight in cleaning if they were closing together. Also, her need for organization came in handy.

---

Interacting With: Vivian Greenwood (texting)
and Levi Winters

Gerald yawned as he walked down the street. He had just finished a late running movie and was headed wherever the wind took him. Normally, he would be inclined to head home but tonight he felt like walking around a bit. Oblivious to the fact that he could soon be caught in a fight, he strolled casually through the town.

He wondered what his friends were doing. Nearly everyone within 4 years of his age was a friend of some sort to him. He was just that outgoing and happy to talk to people. There were a few new people to the town who he didn't know very well, but if they looked his way he would smile and wave. No sense in just ignoring them, plus it was rude.

Gerald pulled out his cell phone to see if he had gotten any messages during the movie. He hadn't. He scrolled through his past text conversations. He decided to text Vivan to see if she was still awake. Even if she was curled up in her bed, she was still somebody that he could talk to. Hey, are you still awake? he texted her before putting his phone back in his left pocket.

He continued to walk towards the town square, where he saw Levi. He hadn't spoken to Levi much in his lifetime. Levi was a senior when Gerald was a freshman in high school, but that wouldn't stop him from saying hi.

"You're out late," Gerald commented as he approached Levi. He figured he'd make some small talk as he waited to see if Vivian would respond to him. Even if Levi had no idea who he was, Gerald figured the other man would at least greet him.

◤◥
Levi hadn't walked down these streets in four years yet he knew them like the back of his hand. Every lamppost, every crack in the payment, and the ever lingering smell of blood. He hated it once but now, it had nostalgic feeling.
Casually walking, his fumbled with the keys in his pocket and the closer he got to the shop, the more nervous he became, his heart was racing more then normal. He got to the shop, it was all boarded up, the metal door of the garage padlocked, but still in big bold letters above the door, practically screamed "Winters Auto Repair and Body Shop" It was a generic name, but Levi didn't think he wanted to change it. It was apart of the Cherry Blossom visual. He remembered going to school in the morning, riding the bus, watching sign as it passed by. He knew it belonged to him, but he didn't want it.

Now it was all he had.

He ran his hand through his hand and sighed. "Just do it, Levi." He told himself, before kneeling down and pulling the keys from his pocket, he unlocked the padlock on the garage door, and then move to the main door, and with relative ease for a werewolf, he pulled the boards from the door, nails hitting the ground with a clang.

He had just finished picking up the nails from the ground and was on his way inside when he heard footsteps approaching.

"You're out late."

Levi turned to see a familiar face. Decidedly human but he couldn't recall a name. "No rest for the wicked, I suppose." he said with a smile and a shrug.
"I think I know you, but It's been awhile, your name is....?" He let the question trail until it came to him. "Gerald....Right...Yea, Band Geek if memory serves." He said with a chuckle, meaning no offense by the term. "I think I had to fix something for the band once." He said, setting down the wood planks and offering his hand in greeting. Levi was always handy, his mother said it was in his blood, hence the body shop his father owned.

"Nice to see you." He said. "What are you doing out so late? Waiting for someone? Cherry Blossom isn't really the place you wanna be out alone." He said with a shrug, leaning against the wall of his father--his shop.

◣◢

Oh how she loved this, the music, dancing, cheap drinks and the freedom. No one would think she was somehow different. Sienna was in the middle of the dance floor having fun. Earlier at the evening she had been celebrating one of her friends birthday. Now her friends had left home but Sienna kept going, laughing and drinking with complete strangers.

She had decided this would be the night. A night to find a guy, go to somewhere private and maybe have a couple of drinks later at night. And who knew what would happen afterwards. Sienna giggled to her thoughts. She was confident no guy would ask her to come with them. No one had even asked her phone number in years. She looked over the crowd trying to see if there was any familiar faces but when not seeing any she headed to the bar. ”Cuba Libre” she said to bartender as he got to her and paid the drink. When getting it Sienna walked over to the booths and leaned against the wall observing anyone who would came in from the door.

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❝I may look small, but I am strong❞
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ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя✦#8B3A3A
тнσυgнт cσƖσя✧#868669

【Outfit】
【Hocus Pocus | Ghost Town】

╚╝

---

---

Fire. Nova could remember a lot of fire. And there was a lot of it in that attic.

The dream-like fire flickered with orange light, eating up and devouring everything in it's path. It burned in Nova's soul, in her blood. It always had, and it was obvious from the way it swirled about her, bowing to her every whim. Nova liked it that way. She felt strong, powerful.

The flames licked around her ankles, before curling their way around her legs and arms. She could feel the heat gnawing it's way into her flesh, but she ignored it. The burn felt good, as if the flames were fed by her pain.

Nova was startled out of her dream with a flinch, and a shiver. She hated those dreams - it reminded her of the way she really felt. She disliked the whole 'I-could-be-powerful-if-I-wasn't-scared' thing. Her powers scared her - it was made obvious by the bandages bound around her hands like vices. Plus, she'd heard someone calling - Elisabeth. She shook her hair out of her face, brushing it back with her hands, and tying it up into a ponytail. She brushed her hands down her apron, and got up out of her chair, before peering around the door at her friend. "Hey, Elisabeth? Did you call?" She asked, yawning. She wanted to stuff her fist in her mouth and stop yawning so much. "Did you need any help with anything?" She asked, walking out and grabbing a damp cloth, before wiping the tables down. She was cold, and pulled a jacket around her quickly. "Its actually freezing in here." She complained, a whine tinging her voice. Nova was feeling more and more cold these days, which was not a good sign. Winter was coming, and Nova was not prepared.

She knew she should voice it to the other Witches. Her insecurities were getting worse and worse, and November was doing nothing to help solve them. The fire in her spirit was heating her from the inside, and Nova was worried that it was going to devour her completely one day. Maybe Vivian or Sienna could help her.

She shook her head again and scrubbed down a table hastily, tucked in the chairs and wiped them down, too, before cleaning out the coffee machines. It wasn't the most pleasant experience ever, but it needed to be done. "Are you doing anything this evening?" She asked.

---

---

God, how long had it been? It honestly felt like an eternity to Olivar. It had been so long since things had gotten back under some semblance of normal, though that was truly a far cry when you actually looked at the situation. The battle for dominance that had inevitably split their pack in half had lasted far too long in his opinion- in fact, it should never have happened to begin with.

In wolf form, Olivar skirted about within the darkness, ears perked fully and tail carefully held in a neutral, seeking position. His nostrils were constantly flaring, taking in every scent and smell that presented itself. But it was truly revolting; the world had gone to shit while the wolves were too busy with themselves to remember their actual duty in life- protecting the humans around them and eradicating the threat of the undead. Instead, the little town of Cherry Blossom had become a melting pot for the scent of the dead, the burning black powder scent that came with magic, and the strong smell of fear, death, and normalcy from the humans. Stale, bitter blood stained certain small patches of grass or stone, depending on where the vampire had decided to take their victim and get decidedly sloppy. Whoever it was who made this kind of mess obviously was never taught their manners as a child.

There was nothing that Olivar could really do about the distractions of the werewolves during the rocky times. Attendance was demanded during the days of decision, and long days they were. Besides, taking on a vampire without the surety of backup from your pack was a fool’s errand. If things went south while the pack was too busy tearing each other apart, there would be no one to come and save your hide.

He couldn’t think about that now, though. Everything was back in gear, albeit very shakily and rusty as hell, but the night’s watchers were back in action, and they definitely had a duty to fulfill. It had been a shame that the vampires had so easily slipped into the town, but such was the way of life for all of the species. There would always be vampires to hunt humans, and werewolves to hunt vampires. Olivar had a job to do, and lives truly were dependent on his doing a good job.

His chosen alpha, Connor, had taken the interior of the town to truly track down the scents of the biters with his beta, and Olivar had immediately chosen securing the perimeters of particular sections they were currently combing through, to ensure that no vampires would be escaping anytime soon. Connor was the more effective and the stronger of the now two packs; it had been a no-brainer, really. Not that he had a single thing against Lillian, it was just, a female alpha? The ridicule, the struggles, and the constant fact that she would constantly be challenged would have been too much to handle. That was not their job- to squabble over certain things, even if Lillian could have the potential to be a good alpha- they needed to focus on the vampires more than anything else. That’s what irked Olivar the most, yet he could do nothing about it. Besides, Connor was more efficient, more confident, and he had the years under his belt. Olivar didn’t particularly agree with his no-nonsense personality, but when it came to fighting, he would rather have him at the command than anyone else.

Olivar shook his head, feeling his fur shift and his muscles tense a bit. A wolfish grin spread across his maw- he had missed this. Being able to run without any concerns. Well, that wasn’t entirely true, obviously he had a job to do, but that only fueled his excitement further. A purpose and the means to fulfill it- it revved him up, spurred his muscles, and lit a fire in his bones that couldn’t be quenched until he had run himself raw. This was what he lived for.

But for now, he needed to wait upon his alpha’s command.

---

---

The wind whistled coldly through the bows of the trees above, the only sound in the otherwise silent, cold universe. Powder white snow blanketed the earth, delicately covering each individual leaf or pine needle of whatever survived through this harsh yet beautiful time. It crunched beneath the weight of my soles, the air crisp and nipping to exposed flesh. I hadn’t bundled up properly for this, but then again, it wasn’t like I was focusing on the cold; no, my mind was completely enthralled with the journey I was undertaking. The moon’s opal light seeped through the empty air, illuminating the unseen path before me. Somewhere in the distance, a wolf’s howl sounded, lone and sorrowful, and it was easy to imagine how the air fogged before its open jaws, trying to share its warmth with this cold place. It was as easy to see as the air that escaped my own lips. It would all be worth it, though, once I reached the ruins.

But first I had to get through all of the branches snagging at my clothes, trying to impede my forward momentum. I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was being ineffably watched either, but every time I paused to take a glance over my shoulder, I would see nothing, other than perhaps the numbness reaching my brain, my excitement and imagination getting the best of me, and I would see pale blue orbs glowing somewhere off in the distance. It was probably just the moon and the snow, if anything. I didn’t have time to think or worry about anything but the history that I would be uncovering any minute now. The ruins had to be around here somewhere…. Perhaps the cold was getting to me more than I wanted to admit, but I just kept stumbling through the snow; maybe I was just hitting roots unseen below the snow.

Suddenly, none of that mattered. I broke through the tree line, my eyes resting against the aged beauty of the destroyed structure I had been seeking. I was about to take a step forward, to truly begin this excavation, when I realized I was not alone. “Well, it seems we’ve come to our destination.” A voice purred from somewhere behind me, and suddenly I froze. My blood iced over, my body colder than the weather could ever be.

Lester’s eyes had been glued to the page up until this point, mind racing with the scenes the book so readily supplied him. It was absolutely riveting, he could feel the climax closing in on the story; the scene was too perfect, too easy. He knew what to expect from it, but it still made him suck in a bit of air once he had reached the dialogue. Lessie leaned back in his seat, pulling his glasses from their secure position on his face, and running a hand through his hair while loudly exhaling a breath he hadn’t really realized he had been holding. A light grin was draped upon his face as he bit his lower lip softly, absolutely delighted by the magic of the written words before him and the surprise of the mysterious individual lurking behind the protagonist finally revealing themselves.

He had been reading an excerpt from one of the older books within the small, antique bookshop he worked at- Reality’s Crossing. It was on some lesser fables collected and arranged from scripts found somewhere in Denmark or thereabouts, and Lester had discovered the little treasure earlier that day. That’s what he loved about this place- no matter how long he had worked here, there was always another book to uncover and delve into. But with the movement and the momentary pause from the intensity that was his reading material, the spell he had been in seemed to break, and Les inclined his head to the side a bit, staring out towards the front of the store. Where it was exceedingly dark outside.

Lessie’s eyes widened and he suddenly sat up straight in his seat. Just how long had he been here? A light blush dusted his cheeks as he scrambled to get himself in order, quickly scooting his chair back from beneath the table and getting up. With a swift movement of his wrist to the center stage of his vision, he realized that it was practically midnight. Crap, crap, crap. He thought frantically to himself, now running his hands through his hair for a different reason. This certainly wasn’t the first time that this had happened, and although the owner of the shop had assured him that it was alright, Lester couldn’t dream of coming in late because he had failed to get home early enough to get the proper amount sleep he needed to function for the next day.

Taking a small breath to compose himself and give a little sigh to release the momentary panic he had endured, he rubbed his forehead with the wrist of the hand that still held onto his glasses. A little frown pressed his lips for a moment before disappearing. His gaze drifted back to the book that still lay open before him on the table, and the blush returned softly once again and he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. ”Ah well, can’t be helped now.” He spoke into the empty expanse of the store, a small, almost rueful smile to his face now as he gingerly closed the realm beneath his fingertips, careful not to damage the binding or harm the book in any way. The only thing he could think of now was that he wouldn’t be finishing the story tonight. A soft laugh escaped his lips at that, and he carried the book back to an appropriate shelf, having memorized the page number he had been on for future perusing.

Les tilted another look at his watch, and a slightly worried look marred his features. He’d be home so late; for sure there would be no running into his apartment floor-mate Bernard at this hour. Lester shook his head with a wry sort of laugh, folding his reading glasses and pocketing them before dropping his arms to his side once more. He grabbed the black jacket that hung haphazardly on one of the bookshelf corners, quickly working his hands through the sleeves and moving forward to the front of the shop.

However, as he made it to the door, he suddenly stopped, patting his pockets before looking around. It didn’t take him long to locate what he had been looking for- a set of keys kindly left on the front desk by the owner of the shop. It looked like the man had finally just decided to make Les his own pair, so he wouldn’t have to keep leaving the only set in the potted ferns by the door. Lester moved over to grab them, enjoying the jingle of the metal as the object was disturbed. He stepped outside of the old store, quickly locating the two keys required to lock up, and turning the pieces of metal into the mechanisms, thus securing the shop.

He took a few steps back, hands now buried in the pockets of his jacket to fend off the slight chill of the night. He gazed up at the shop, a content smile on his face. It was quaint, that was for sure. It was connected with the other stonework buildings that ran down the street, only differentiating from them by the old mahogany wood sign with bold, golden letters of the store’s name, the two large windows set on either side of the door, and the door itself. Lester loved the place, it always smelled of old books, but the pleasant kind, not the mildewy ones; like old ink, worn leather, paper, and knowledge. He also couldn’t help the smile at the fact that he was now practically like a co-owner, now that he had his own keys to the store. Why hadn’t he thought of asking before? He would certainly have to thank Owen when he ran into him next.

Now wasn’t the time for those things, though, as the cold seemed to creep its way into his collar and set its cool little fingers upon his neck. Lester pulled his jacket closer around him, quickly buttoning it up before turning to head down the dimly lit streets of Cherry Blossom to his apartment.

Lillian followed Serena's gaze only to see the last thing she wanted to see, Conner. A growl formed in her throat but she controlled herself, the recent split in the packs was bad enough to allow hatred between the packs but Connor didn't exactly respect her as an Alpha even more than other Alphas across the world. She found him arrogant and annoying, from her brief and minimum run-ins with him.

She didn't know much about Connor but she knew he doesn't hunt for vampires the same way she does. She knew they would be outnumbered if a fight broke out over the bloodsucker. If anything happened to her Beta it would be on her head, but she was constantly battling the feeling of having to prove herself and she found it impossible to just let him win while she moved on in defeat. Call the others. Have them come quick. I'll confront him while you guys deal with that thing." She said turning to Serena hoping she wouldn't give her a hard time. Lillian may be an Alpha but in times like these Serena was more level headed.

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Vivian was in the middle of practicing a chant when her phone buzzed causing her to loose her concintration. "Damn, almost had it. She said with a sigh and picked up her phone. "I could have sworn I put you on silent. She muttered at her phone. She saw that she had a text message from Gerald and smiled, he was one of the few people in town who was more than nice to her.

You know I am, it isn't that late.

She texted back and closed her book and put it back in it's place on the bookshelf. She cleaned up her herbs and put them in their designated glass jars and placed them back on their own shelf. With that she turned off the light and left the room being sure the door was locked behind her. She took extra percussion's to keep her things hidden since she realized she was a witch. She made her way to the kitchen and decided to make some tea, it usually helped her get to sleep.

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Shit! She thought as soon as the smell of dog hit her nose. She wouldn't dare look around to try and find them, it would make her an instant target. For now, hopefully, they weren't sure if it was her that was the vampire of the poor girl she was following. There goes my meal She rolled her eyes and continued walking. She pulled out her phone and texted Elizabeth, the new addition to their coven who took the scouter position Werewolves are out, hurry home. Let Aiden know.

She didn't particularly like the girl but she was a fellow vampire and coven member so she felt she was obligated to let her know the situation. Plus if she got home with bruises and scrapes she wouldn't have to explain to Aiden what happened not that she had to.

Still watching the girl she noticed she seemed to have texted someone, which as a vampire she didn't care much about, but this meant that this girl had friends and those friends would miss her if she was suddenly gone. Time to go. She thought suddenly changing her direction now going back towards the way she'd just came from. She had to loose the werewolves somehow, but it wasn't exactly an easy thing when you were the only vampire on the streets.

Focused completely on the target before him Connor could tell the moment she got spooked and decided to play runner, a thrill of cold satisfaction trickling down his spine, a feral grin pulls at his lips as he crosses the street, his stride all quiet confidence and coiled threat. His speed and approach calculated to cut the bloodsucker off, give her nowhere to go.

Everything was going so well, and then he caught scents he'd hoped to avoid. Lilian and her Beta. Not Stopping, not even acknowledging their scents physically, Connor sighs, bringing his hand to his neck as he goes, so he can talk to the pack.

"Change of plan," He growls, as he takes in all of the new variables. "The little flower and her bunch are here, we take the leech down now." not waiting for a response Connor brings two fingers to his mouth, breathing deep he lets loose a piercing whistle in a specific whooping pattern, any of his wolves would know this meant to converge on the target.

Not even looking to where Lilian is, Connor breaks out into a run towards the vampire, the stink of the leech thick in his nose. The cloying flavor of blood almost overpowering. He moves with a silent fury, simultaneously drawing his blades and readying them to strike. This was his prey, and he would rip out its throat. Teeth bared in a wordless snarl, amber eyes near glowing in the darkness, he made no secret of what he was or what he intended.

Interacting With: Nova Mortlake and Julia
Sinclair (texting)
Mentioned: Arthur Madden and Connor
Chulain

Nova appeared and asked Elisabeth if she needed any help. "Not in particular, I wasn't sure if you were still here." Nova moved to clean the tables that Elisabeth hadn't, complaining about how cold it was in the coffee shop. Personally, Elisabeth had very little sense of when something was cold. She suspected this was part of her vampirism, but she also recalled times where her family was astounded at what she would wear. They had taken a trip to Washington and while the rest of her family was bundled up, all she needed was a light sweater. Perhaps she was born warmblooded, only to be turned into something that drank blood.

Both girls continued to clean. While Nova wiped down the rest of the tables and then cleaned out the coffee machines, Elisabeth made sure the plates, glasses, and ingredients were stowed away nicely. She considered using her telekinetic abilities to speed up the process, but what did it matter? Leaving the shop a few minutes early wasn't a big deal, especially since she didn't need to feed for a couple of days.

As the two finished up, Nova turned to Elisabeth to ask if she was doing anything that night. Before Elisabeth could answer, her phone vibrated. Hoping she didn't seem rude, she quickly pulled it out of her pocket and glanced at the message. It was from Julia, informing her to get home quickly. Elisabeth resisted the urge to let out a small groan. She typed a quick response, K, then put her phone away and looked back at her friend. "I wasn't planning on it. I'm pretty tired." She yawned to prove her point. Vampires didn't need sleep, but Elisabeth had perfected the art of yawning. All humans yawned, so she should do the same to fit in. "I was just going to walk home and call it a night."

Elisabeth lived outside of the town, in an old house in the woods. It wasn't in the best shape, but it worked for her. It was far enough away from town that wolves would not be an immediate threat. It was also in a dense set of trees. She could have chosen to live with one of the other coven members, but she felt better being in her own space. Though she was close to Arthur, she wasn't sure she could handle living with him. She was certain that she would have more broken furniture than she did now if he resided with her.

To get to her house though, she would either have to trek through the woods or cut through town. Something told her that she shouldn't risk going through Cherry Blossom tonight, but at the same time she felt she might have to. What if Nova was attacked by someone? And what if Julia was hurt by one of the wolves? Though the two didn't always get along, Elisabeth knew it was her responsibility to look out for another coven member. She would feel guilty if Julia was hurt when she could have tried to get to her.

"What about you?" she asked Nova. She grinned. "I saw you yawning too."

---

Interacting With: Vivian Greenwood (texting)
and Levi Winters

Gerald couldn't help but grin as Levi referred to him as a band geek. Yes, that was exactly who he was. It wasn't a bad thing either, in fact he considered it a compliment. He had spent his high school years at every football game, playing the trumpet and hanging out with his friends. There had been plenty of shenanigans, one of the most memorable being when he put a frog inside a girl's instrument case.

Levi mentioned having to fix something for the band once. Gerald chuckled. "Sounds about right. There were probably more broken things in the band room than working ones. Fortunately, the school was nice enough to fix the mold problem." Levi offered a hand in greeting and he shook it. The other man then asked him what he was doing out so late, as Cherry Blossom wasn't traversed by many alone once the sun set. Gerald had never understood the reasoning behind this, as he thought that the town was fairly safe. He had never encountered any strange men handing out candy, murderers running towards him with an axe, or anything that he could deem extremely dangerous.

"I was at a late movie showing," he told the other man. Gerald glanced at the shop sign. He had passed it before, but never gave it much attention. "Is this yours now?" he asked Levi.

Just after he had asked his question, Gerald's phone let out a ding. It was a reply from Vivian. Instinctively, he pulled out his phone and read her text. He smiled. He probably hadn't needed to ask if she was awake, but he had a habit of doing so anyway. He didn't want o be rude. Doing anything? I'm awake from that movie I saw, he responded to her before placing his phone back in his pocket.

"Sorry about that," he said to Levi. He realized that it was rude to text when having a conversation with someone, but it was also rude to not respond to one of his best friends. Gerald figured that he would chat with Levi for a few more minutes before going to Vivian's place. He didn't want to bug Levi for too long if he was busy.

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【Hocus Pocus | Ghost Town】

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Elisabeth's reply sounded about right. Nova could disappear without a word sometimes; most of the time, she'd let someone know before she left, but she had gone at the end of her shift without saying goodbye once or twice before. It seemed like her to check Nova was still there. At least, Nova reasoned, that was what friends did, right?

Nova rubbed at her arms gently, trying to stimulate some blood flow. She had to admit, she was a little jealous of Elisabeth's ability to not notice the cold, but Nova suspected that the reason she felt its bite so badly was because of the magic in her blood. She listened to the clink and clatter of porcelain on porcelain as Elisabeth tucked away the cutlery and clean plates. The sound gave Nova the ability to clean out the gross clumps of half dissolved coffee granules and replace the filters, clean and ready for the next day of business.

November smiled at Elisabeth as she pulled out her phone to reply to the notification. She didn't really mind - people did it all the time, and it was probably her parents seeing where she was. She smiled again and continued, snapping the lid on the coffee machine back into place and switching off the power to the appliances around her. Nova turned around upon hearing her friend reply, and yawn, which caused Nova to yawn herself. However, she frowned a little when she said she was walking home.

"What?! Alone?!" November asked, surprise filling her tone. Pretty much everyone knew the 'unspoken rules' around here, especially if you didn't want to go missing. Number one was 'Don't walk home alone after midnight', and to be fair, November knew her friend could handle herself, but couldn't let herself be responsible if something happened.

"I'm not doing anything either." Nova answered her friend's question quickly. "If you want, I'll come crash with you at your place? I'm not sure I want you going home alone." She suggested, biting her lip. She hoped she didn't sound too pushy or forward, but she was worried for her friend. She hated the thought of letting anything happen - so she'd resolved to stop it from happening.

◤◥"I was at a late movie showing," Gerald said and Levi nodded with a soft smile. He watched as Gerald glanced up at the shop and Levi looked up as well. "Is this yours now?" He swallowed. "Yep....actually, it was always mine, I just didn't do shit with it." He said with a chuckle, tapping the brick wall. It was then the Gerald got a text and excused himself. Levi nodded."Sorry about that," He said and Levi shrugged. "I'm about to open her up, You can stick around if you want." He said and turned go inside. He wouldn't mind having some company. This was heavy stuff, opening the door to the place that was his only connection to a man he'd never got to meet. He took a breath and pulled out the keys.
"I should warn you, It might be...actually, it's going to very very dusty." He said with a smirk and pointed to the store with a thumb and if he were honest with himself, he knew he was stalling. Even still, he reached slowly unlocked the door but not slow enough to make it weird.
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Joey rolled her shoulders, still feeling like she was being watched and Atlas hadn't called her back. She quickly typed in Olivar's name and a gentle wind tussled her braids, causing one to tickling her skin, she jumped nearly out of her skin. "Oh Shit!" She fumbled with phone a bit before finding Ollie's number and texted him quickly.
{To Olly<3}
{Olly! Hey, I'm freaking out, so um, I'm gonna swing by the radio station okay? Okay.} She took a breath and made her way toward the station. She was almost half sure she was going to get him fired one day, but she always popped up unannounced to the point that most of the people at the station gotten used to seeing her. She was cool with most everyone anyway and she had to admit that she had a bit of a thing for Olly, with his odd silver hair and easy grin. They had a bit of a flirtationship sort of thing. Completely innocent....ish. Though right now that was the last thing she could think of. She couldn't shake the feeling of being watched...or better yet, stalked. The station was closer then her place and her grandmother wasn't exactly a safety net, when she looked after her more then the other way around so she decided she could really use some company.

{To Olly<3}
{"Or how about you meet me there? Hows that sounds...I'm really freaking out@#%!"}

She sent him one more text before wrapping her arms around herself, and telling herself not to look behind her.
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Her teapot whistled loudly, she took it off the heat and poured the water over the teabag she'd placed in her cup. The smell alone calmed her a little. Adding two cubes of sugar she hears her phone buzz once again. She picked it up and saw it was Gerald again, it was then she knew this would be a long conversation. Not that she minded talking to him, she actually felt comfortable talking to him more then she did with most. She hadn't told him she was a witch, that would be a stupid thing to do. She stirred her tea as she replied

Not really, just some late night work around the house. What movie?

She finished the text and put the phone on the table where'd she sat curled up in the chair, her knees brought to her chest with one arm wrapped around them to keep them in place. She sipped her tea, thinking of the others in her coven. What they were up to? She knew Nova was just getting off work and hopefully headed home. Everyone knew you shouldn't be out alone once nightfall hit, not in Cherry Blossom.

From the name of the town most outsiders would think this was a quiet peaceful town and for the most part it was, if you don't take the vampires, werewolves, and witches into consideration. All of the witches knew about the slit within the werewolf pack and it wasn't making the town any quieter. Honestly, Vivian felt what the two packs were fighting over was to a point childish especially in the current state the town was in.

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Lillian saw the vampire change direction, must have sensed them, but she also saw the Connor was already going after the vamp which she refused to allow. She took off after Connor, planning to cut him off while Serena caught up with the bloodsucker. It took half of everything to just catch up with Connor and cut him off but she did "Well, Well look at this. Why is it that you always seem to be out 'hunting' when my pack is out hunting? I'm sure you can find your own time, or town, to hunt." She said, hands crossed over her chest as she glared at him. She honestly didn't like this guy, she'd only met him a few times and the first impression was all she needed.

As an Alpha it felt strange to be the one to be the distraction but obviously she had to seeing that Connor was also an Alpha, he would have run over Serena if she'd confronted him. She glanced back towards Serena seeing that she was going after the vamp, which made her smile. "This vamp is ours, find your own." She said holding back a snarl, but it showed on her face. She wasn't an expert at hiding her anger or any emotion for that matter and for an Alpha it wasn't always a good thing.

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Julia felt the air suddenly tense, she felt them coming after her though they weren't close just yet. Her instinct was telling her to start running but her mind was strategizing differently. There would be no avoiding a fight with at least one of them, maybe two, hopefully it wouldn't be more than that she wouldn't be able to handle it. She may need to call someone but honestly didn't feel comfortable putting someone else in danger plus there wasn't really anyone. She'd already told Elizabeth to get home and there was no way she would call and tell her she needed her help.

She continued to walk, her pace quickening now and then until she'd felt one slightly closer than the others. She didn't even think, just took off in a sprint. There had to be someplace she could loose them and hide. Somewhere she could hide her sent, nearly impossible but still possible. Damn dogs ruined my meal! She thought as she ran, the girl was perfect Juli was sure her blood would have been delicious. Werewolves always have to ruin everything for vampires, no matter what.

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Interacting With: Nova Mortlake and Arthur
Madden (texting)
Mentioned: Gerald Andrews


Nova was quite startled after Elisabeth had told her she planned to walk home. The brunette couldn't help but laugh a bit in her head. As long as she didn't encounter either of the packs, she would be fine. And if she did, she could always throw a car at them. There was nothing better to get your blood pumping than tossing a car at a werewolf using your telekinetic powers. Obviously.

However, she did appreciate her friends concern. Elisabeth was aware of the rule of not walking alone in Cherry Blossom. In fact, everyone seems dot obey this rule except for a few like Gerald. If he knew what was lurking in the streets, she was sure he would be more careful. As much as she wished she could advise him against wandering at night alone, she could not do so without exposing the secrets of the supernaturals within it. The last thing she wanted to do was to alert a human to their presence. Humans didn't deserve to be burdened with the war between the three species.

Nova suggested that she come crash at Elisabeth's place. Part of the young woman's mind panicked while the other part was highly amused. If Nova saw where Elisabeth lived, she'd think twice about asking to stay over. The house was structurally sound for the most part, but in some spots it wasn't a good idea to walk over it. In those cases, Elisabeth would have to lift herself and move over the unsafe space. Her home also lacked an abundance of furniture. What she had was either old, broken, or for her personal use only.

Elisabeth knew her friend was only trying to look out for her, but the suggestion created a dilemma. Of course, Elisabeth could decline her offer and travel home alone. However, she risked running into the wolves and suffering a brutal death at their hands. If she was with Nova and came across a wolf, there may be less of a risk of her being killed. A smart wolf wouldn't kill a vampire with a human witness. A third option would be to go in search of Julia. Since she knew the wolves were out, there was a chance that they were following her. Elisabeth would feel guilty should anything happen to her. It was a tough choice to make.

"Maybe I could come to your place? It's probably closer to here than mine," she suggested, playing with the key to the shop in her hand. She wanted to leave the shop soon, nervous about encountering the wolves.

Still worried about Julia, she pulled out her phone and quickly texted Arthur. Wolves are out. Check on Julia? She figured that he would be roaming about.

---

Interacting With: Vivian Greenwood (texting)
and Levi Winters


Gerald let out a soft "ahh" after Levi explained that the shop had always been his. He offered to let Gerald stay as he opened up the shop. The other man made a point of warning him that the shop would be very dusty. Gerald could only suspect as much, as he'd never seen the shop in operation. It was one of those places that was there, but wasn't at the same time. Still, Levi's comment couldn't help but make him chuckle.

Levi slowly unlocked and then opened the door. Gerald noticed his slight hesitation in opening the shop, but didn't ask why. He figured that it was something personal to Levi and that it would be rude to pry. "After you," he told Levi once the door was fully open.

His phone dinged, meaning that Vivian had replied. She asked what movie he had seen. Age of Ultron, he responded. I'm with Levi right now, but if you aren't too tired maybe I could stop by soon? Gerald assumed that Vivian was familiar with Levi, as they had all gone to the same high school. He felt bad for inviting himself over, but he really was quite awake and saw no point in going home. Plus, Vivian lived closer to where he was now than he did. His parents were asleep anyway and sneaking into his house was something he was quite good at. Living in the basement meant that he could enter without going through the whole house.

◤◥"After you." Gerald said and Levi merely nodded and he entered the building. The first thing to hit him was the smell. With his sensitive nose, he was assaulted with the smell of stagnant air, dust and a plethora of dead things he didn't really want to think about. It took all he had not to gag. He did cover his mouth with a hand. "God..." He groaned, with a huff, expelling the foul air from his nose like the wolf he was.

He then, after taking a moment to let the fresh air in, he looked around, taking in the sight of it. The moonlight snuck in, giving the room a hue of blue, blacks and greys. There was a thick layer of dust on everything, including the floor, every step he took, left a size 13 foot print in it's wake. There was a counter with an old cash register, a few shelves with nothing but dust on it, but otherwise it was empty. There was a backroom and an office, and a garage beside that. Levi took in the sight of it all. Wondering if there was where his father, a face he didn't even know, spent all his time. He could honestly say in his life, he'd never seen the inside of this place. He always knew it belonged to him. His birthright, his mother liked to say, it sounded sexy. Birthright, like he was some lost prince and it was his throne to claim, but it wasn't something he ever wanted. He would have preferred to have his father then his father's shop. He wondered all his old childhood thoughts. Who was he? What was he like? What did he like to do? Am I like him? That question he knew the answer to and it was Yes. He was alot like him. He knew he got his....temper from that side of the family. His mother never knew about his father until after he died, and Levi Changed for the first time. It was a helluva thing for her to find that her little boy was really a monster and the man that she loved had been one too. Apart of him blames himself for her drinking. His constant changing, his temper, his incredible need to consume flesh on a full moon. It was hard for him to bare as a child, he could only imagine how hard it had been for her to watch. There was a lot she didn't know about him, which was probably why she never spoke of him, nor ever wanted to. She never even shown him a photo.

His phone vibrated in his pocket, breaking him from his thoughts. He pulled out of the phone and frowned. Serena? He hasn't seen anyone from this town in years and without fail, he was being swooped back into things. He wasn't joining any packs, not now, not ever. He didn't want to when he was a kid, and he certainly didn't want it now.

He let the phone ring until she left a message. "Gimme a sec?" He told Gerald with a semi bashful smirk. "Girl..."He said with a reluctant rise of his brow and stepped a little further in. He rose the phone to his ear and listened to the message.
"I don't know if you're back in town or if I'm imagining things but we could use your help right now. We have a biter on main street and with the pack split there is likely going to be a fight since both packs are after the same bloodsucker. Anyways I have to go, she's trying to lose us." She said and it was over. His shoulders slumped. "Hello to you too..." He sighed to himself before clicking the phone off.

This was a big reason why he left this place. This godforsaken turf war with the vampires. Let any one of them tell it and it was likely his father was killed by one of them but he didn't know nor did he really care as harsh as it sounded and right now he couldn't even complain because Gerald was very human and probably knew nothing about the weird shit of this town. He sent her a quick text.

{Serena}
{Hello to you too, Reni, it's only been 4 years.}
{We talked about this...I'll call you later, don't get killed}
"Hey...So, Word to the wise, Never leave without saying goodbye to a girl....Like ever because if you decide to back, you might find that she wants to kill you for it..." He said with a sigh running his hands through his dark hair. He wasn't lying persay when it came to that. He and Serena had been friends for a long time, and while he did tell her he was leaving, she wasn't actually happy about it. He couldn't even begin to say what terms they left on but he wasn't exactly sure if they were good. "And my mother has a big mouth so now she knows I'm back....yay." He said swallowing the lump that formed in his throat. In the back of his mind, the vampire that was on the loose wasn't what had him all wound up.

"Uh, anyway, did you need a ride someplace or you just hanging out, there's not much to do here since I'm probably gonna be dead by morning." He said with a shrug. " honestly, I could use an excuse...any excuse not to make that return call." he said, oddly pointing back at where he'd been standing, with sheepish grin.
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