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Jason Sutton

I will protect the pack at all costs

0 · 1,340 views · located in Pack House

a character in “The Marked”, as played by Lolkatlove

Description

Jason Sutton



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Name: Jason Sutton

Gender: Male

Age: 49

Rank: Alpha

Mate: Rachelle Sutton




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Appearance:
An ageing man Jason Sutton has streaks of grey in his once dark brown hair. His forehead crease shows his head the stubble of his grey beard neatly trimmed. His eyes are a clear blue however the pain he has felt in his life can often show within them. For his age Jason dresses trendy and in style keeping up his appearance of a sophisticated man however his expressions show his emotions and intent towards his wolves.

Wolf Appearance:

As a wolf Jason is a common grey wolf, a black streak runs down the back of his tail merging into a dark grey along his back before the gray mingles into the white of his underbelly.



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Personality:
Jason is a pensive soul. Often he can be found within his office and his paperwork working through the finances of his pack house and keeping track of his pack wolves. He can be hard to talk too when he is concentrating on a project or if he has a lot on his mind however Jason has a free spirited side. He will often joke and play around with the wolves in his pack however he knows how to keep a distance of authority.

No matter what he puts the safety of his pack first even at his own expense. He is a man of duty and strives to lead by example. However, his duty can sometimes force him to punish rule breakers despite his personal relationship with them. He will not hesitate to punish those who step out of line and will often carry out the punishment himself if not asking his Beta to do so.

When not thinking as an Alpha Jason is a kind and warm man. He will look out for those that can't protect themselves and goes out of his way to keep them safe even if they don't ask for it. He will try to understand a personal situation even if he doesn't fully understand their point of view. He can be quite teasing to some of the wolves he is close too such as his wife, and mate, Rachelle, whom he often playfully teases.

Overall Jason has an open mind and will embrace change if he must do so. This open mindess is what gave him the acceptance to allow other wolves born outside of the pack to join his which has made his pack grow stronger. He embraces the new world now that humans are aware werewolves but keeps a sceptic eye on outside humans who travel too close to the pack house.




Likes:

    Boxing
    Running as a wolf
    Teasing Rachelle
    Listening to classical music
    Protecting his pack
    Pool

Dislikes:
    Rogue's
    Disiplining his pack
    Letting Rachelle down
    Acting before thinking
    Wolves breaking the rules



History:
Jason was the son of the previous Alpha. He grew under his father's advice who trained him to become the man he is today. Jason didn't have the ambition to become Alpha but he knew he was the best man for the job during his generation so he accepted the role willingly. As a teenager, he was a boisterous young man always causing pranks and socialising with other wolves. He was often called the life of the party celebrating and joking around all the time. However the moment he accepted his role as the new Alpha he knew he had to put duty first. He pulled away from his social life of mischief and grew into an independent man his mind becoming more focused on his pack and his duty than himself. When he met Rachelle she was the only woman capable of pulling him away from duty giving him solace to be the man he used to be when alone with her.

So begins...

Jason Sutton's Story

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Character Portrait: Jason Sutton
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Jason paused as he neared the doorway to the basement. He had heard Calvin's voice speaking with the rogue as he walked through the house. Flexing his hand Calvin opened the door and stepped into the gloomy lit basement.

As he descended the stairs the rogue took too much pleasure in greeting him.

"Ah, Mr. Sutton. Come down for a friendly chat? I gotta say, this is a nice play room. Tell me, you take the wifey down here to have some fun? Or are you more interested in the younger gals?" He snickered."Do you know the difference between a wolf and a jackal Mr. Sutton? You see wolves are weak alone. They need a pack for strength. Jackals, on the other hand, work best alone. Jackals are able to survive in some of the most barren conditions. You know why? Because they're survivors. That is their strength."

Jason remained silent as the Rogue continued, he began to don the apron stained with blood.


"Now, let's talk about people. You know who are the most dangerous people? They're the damaged ones. Because they're the survivors." He continued. "Tell me, Mr. Sutton, have you ever been through a crucible? At some point, either now or later everyone goes through something so traumatic that it either kills them, or changes them to who they are meant to be." He explained. He then ran his hand down his burnt face. "Oh, I've went through my crucible. More so than you'll ever know, and you know what happened? I became something so much more. Makes me wonder what will happen to those two little weak girls. Your people should really learn to quiet down, I can hear the whispers from here."

"Oh how much I wish I was there right now. I wonder what's happening to them? Tell me do you know? Some sort of Alpha connection to his wayward pups? Tell me do you feel every cut they are getting while you're here with me?!" He shouted as he shook the bars to the cell. "Tell me what's happening to them?! Can you feel it?! They're probably being raped out of their minds while their Alpha is here!" He howled. "You see Mr. Sutton, you're the wolf, and I'm the JACKAL! You can burn me, break my bones, cut me to pieces but you won't kill me! You know why? Because you will NEVER forget my face, my voice! Even if you get your pups back, they will still have gone through unspeakable horrors! And every time you look into their eyes you will never forget it! And you will ALWAYS remember my face, my words! You see Mr. Sutton, even if you kill my body, I will always be with you now. That nagging voice in the back of your head reminding you that....You....Couldn't.....Protect.....Them."

"But you know what Mr. Sutton, like I said before, I'm a Jackal. I'm a survivor. And I also am your best chance at getting your pups back." He stated with a sly grin. "You see, I might not hold all the cards, but well....someone once told me to 'Focus on what I can control, and everything else will fall into place'. So I'm gonna do that. I'll walk you right up to the damn gate, and you can get your pups, and then you let me go. Two for one? Not half bad if I do say so myself. Oh! Where are my manners? You can call me Jack. Fitting ain't it?"

“Jackels do not survive long alone. There is a reason they are endangered 'Jack'” Jason pulled on the latex glove causing it to snap into place on his wrist. “Survivor you may be, but for how long? Jackals do have a considerably shorter life span than that of wolves, especially when abandoned to a pack of predators much like a lame horse is fated for a gun.”

Jason moved to pick up a pair of pliers. He followed the curve of the metal with his finger as he stepped towards the cage. Meeting eye level with 'Jack' Jason stared directly into his eyes. “No matter what happens to those girls, you will feel every bit of pain that they do. I guarantee that 'Jack'.” he emphasised his name with spite.

“Calvin” he called without removing his gaze. “Lock the door”

“With pleasure” Calvin sneered moving up the stairs.

That's when Jason suddenly stretched out his hand through the bars grabbing Jack's arm which had so enthusiastically shook the bars previously. With a hard tug, he pulled the Rogue slamming his body against the bars as he pulled his arm. Gripping onto his hand Jason thrust it onto the wooden table on a notch which provided a leather tie. As Jason wrapped the leather tie around his wrist holding him in place Calvin moved back down the stairs picking up an iron rod quietly placing it into a stove fire that was built into the walls in preparation.

“Now 'Jack' as you were so inclined to encase your voice into my memory, why don't you give me the pleasure of screaming?” Jason didn't show any emotion as he opened the pliers and closed them on the nail of Jacks index finger.

“Tell me who your Alpha is, or loose a fingernail” Jason glared. Once a fingernail was removed they didn't grow back, for wolves, that meant a fate of being de-clawed. It would take away a part of them which made them predators.

"Wait, wait, wait! I'll tell you whatever you want to know! Just......just..." Before Jack could even finish his sentence he burst out in laughter. "Oh, sorry. I just couldn't keep a straight face." Jack let out another chuckle as he ran his free hand down his burnt face. "Oh lord, you think I give two shits about pain? Look at me! Look at my eyes! I've come to an understanding with pain. It holds no sway over me." He growled. Reaching up with his free hand Jack placed in his mouth, reaching in the back of his mouth, and violently yanking out a tooth.

Jack spat some blood on the floor and tossed the tooth through the cell bars. "There, make yourself a nice little necklace." He smirked. "So you want to know about the big man in charge huh? Well, I can tell you he's a real........Dick!" He followed with a laugh. "Trust me, that's much funnier than you realize. Oh, what were we talking about? Oh right, my Alpha. Now ain't that a question? Something kinda tricky for me to answer." He said with a slick grin.

"I don't give a damn about that......pretender that thinks he my Alpha. I'm just humoring him until a real one shows up. Till my real Alpha shows up. But I will say this, working for him is helluva fun time!" He said followed by another chuckle. "Oh right, you want a name? You already got one. You just aren't thinking clearly! Consequences, consequences Mr. Sutton! Life's about consequences! The goddamn ripple effect!"

"Where's the wifey at? I was hoping to meet her, see what all the fuss is. Man, all this over some sweet tail. Women am I right?" He chuckled. "Is it clearing up yet Mr. Sutton? Or do I really need to say his name? Fine, Richard. Know it now? Richard's El Jefe, and boy does he have an axe to grind against you!" Jack continued to let out wicked laughter. "But like I said, he's not my Alpha. He's not real Alpha. Just a pretender.....kinda like you." He said as he tilted his head sideways.

"You're weak, Mr. Sutton. You could have prevented all of this, but didn't. Now, well now I shutter to think of all the.....beastly things a man such as him would do to your baby girl. And I have a very vivid imagination for these sort of things, Mr. Sutton." He closed his eyes and let out a faked moan of pleasure. "Gives me goosebumps just thinking about it!"

"Now that I answered one of your questions, how about you answer one of mine? How about we talk about Russell Talbot?" A wide grin crossed his face. "He's a very special young man you know? Great things in his future! Do you have any idea what he can do with a steak knife? He's a damn artist!" He howled with a clear note of pride in his voice.

"I'm so proud of Russ. You know the story right? About the fire, and the deaths of his pack and family? Well, I bet he didn't let you in on the full story, did he? How about I enlighten you?" Jack placed his forehead against the cell bars, his grin growing ever so unsettling. "Russ is a goddamn prince. Firstborn of the pack's Alpha, and always ahead of the boys his age. Even from a young age, he was being prepared to take over as Alpha. You've spent time with the boy, you tell me, wouldn't he make a fine Alpha one day?"

"Well, when those.......assholes set fire to our home, killing our brothers, our sisters.....Russell was in the thick of it. His mother, his Alpha, MY Alpha was shot right in front of him, along with his baby sister." He added, his voice clearly showing his increased anger. "Russell got out of there, carrying his other sister on his shoulders. They hunted them like animals into the woods! They blew his baby sister's head off of her shoulders right before his eyes, right in his arms!"

"And you know what happened next? Oh, it was the best part, he turned and ripped that bastard's arm clean off!" He said, howling once more with laughter. "Oh, and that's not all that he's neglected to tell you. All that time he spent drifting around, well he did more than just drift. He's a resourceful kid you know. He hunted down a couple of names of those assholes that murdered his family, our family! He found one of them, hiding out with his damn mother like a goddamn child!"

"And you know what he did Mr. Sutton? Well, it was not pretty, to say the least." He took in a deep breath and lot out a pleased sigh. "He was a little rough around the edges. He didn't even touch the mother, he locked her in a closet, plugging up her ears so she couldn't hear a thing. And how he disposed the body! He's got natural talent! But he did disappoint me in letting the mother live. It was almost like he wanted to get caught. But I took care of her, don't you worry."

"But then you found him." Jack's tone turned angrier, and he rolled his head on his shoulders, cracking and popping his neck. "And you made him soft! He was so close! So close to becoming something so much more! But you had to take him in like a stray pup! Tell me, did that make you feel good huh? You denied him of his destiny! He was almost ready! He was almost perfect! Just a few more weeks and he would have been just like me. Ahead of the curve! But you denied him that, denied ME that!"

"And now, now you know that pain. Of someone you love being taken, and turned into something else! Look at my face! I'm what your little princess is gonna be! If she survives that is!"

-SNAP-

On impulse, Jason's hand squeezed on the pliers the fingernail ripping out of the skin.

"CALVIN" Jason almost screamed holding out his hand. Calvin nodded hesitantly, stunned, as he took in what Jack said.

Jason had partly known Russell's past, but this new information, it angered him. It frustrated him and Jason felt somewhat betrayed. He had allowed Russel into the pack on terms that he had been told the truth about Russell's situation. He had placed his trust in the young boy, and by lying to him, that trust had been broken.

But, this rogue could be spouting a pack of lies. Though his words, his gestures, they did not appear to come from false impressions.

Calvin handed Jason the now piping hot iron, a symbol decorated the branding, it was a sign of the Sutton pack.

Slamming the branding down on Jacks palm the skin sizzled under the extreme heat as Jason ground his teeth.

"That bastard has no idea what he has gotten himself into. Let me tell you this 'Jack', you're nothing but a dirty rogue, no Alpha will ever except a pathetic worm like you for anything other than fodder for his enemies. You are a worthless piece of shit with no humanity left, which is why Richard took you in because he knows the only usefulness you hold is a footsoldier to send to slaughter."

Jason moved his hand through the bars and gripped Jacks hair pulling his head back with force.

"Whatever your past is with Russell Talbot, he has surprised you on a level you will never have the joy of understanding once I'm through with you." pulling his hand back Jason used a left hook punch to knock another tooth out Jack's jaw.

"As for my daughter, I'll keep my promise, whatever happens to her, you will share that same pain. Whether you feel it or not I frankly don't give a shit, to me you're lower than the dirt I walk on, your 'pain'" he gestured to the burn scars on his face "is a better look for you than whatever you looked like before, it's a reminder, a reminder that you should have burned with your pack in that fire, but rats do always manage to escape " Jason released Jacks hair picking up the branding iron again he brought it down onto the unburned half of Jacks' face.

The skin sizzled again the burning smell drifting upwards through the basement.

"Pass me the finger cutter, it's time I took something a bit more previous" Jason's voice was low and dark as Calvin picked up the metal device from the table handing it to Jason as he took the branding iron from him.

"Now, what do you value most worm? This?" Jason hovered the finger cutter over Jacks' thumb.

"This?" His nose

"Or what about, perhaps your very manhood?" Jason sneered as he indicated to the obvious.

Anger poured throughout him. He wanted to make this man bleed and suffer uncontrollably.




- Time skip for duration of rescue from Rogue compound -


Jason wiped his hand on the apron that hung around his neck, blood smeared along his chest its fresh darkened red wet against the white. Calvin stood nearby, he raised an eyebrow to Jason as he turned his back to the cage to face him.

"I smell them" Calvin commented

"So do I, they're near, they're together" A small sense of relief flushed through Jason as he smelt the faint scent of his daughter and Charlie nearing the pack house.

They were safe.

"Don't let anyone in here. Especially Rachelle, I don't want him running his mouth off to her" he pulled the apron off and removed the blood-stained gloves.

"Of course" Calvin nodded solemnly leaning against the stone-built wall.

Jason wasted no time in climbing the stairs, he closed the door behind him as he went but he did not notice it creak open again.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Russell Talbot Character Portrait: Charlie Hart Character Portrait: Evangeline Sutton Character Portrait: Phoebe Danica Character Portrait: Jason Sutton Character Portrait: Aziel Sutton
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#, as written by CutUp
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Raise A Little Hell
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The ride back to the pack house was a tense one. Russell rode in the same car as Eve, with the allied pack having placed her between himself and Peter, laying Eve's head on his lap. Russell gently petted the side of Eve's head, brushing her violet hair out of her face. Russell was still steaming mad over the pack's inaction against Richard, and his rogues. After everything they did, everything they put Eve, and Charlie through they were gonna get away. He already knew they were. And he blamed this pack, and it was clearly written on his face, he wasn't hiding his annoyance over them.

Russell was now feeling the entirety of injuries, and the fatigue from fighting nearly nonstop without rest. His eyes were heavy, and his entire body ached. It felt like his bones were made of glass, and shattered. Breathing was difficult, he felt as though there was an obese man sitting on his chest. He was just so tired. Along the way he would nod off for a few seconds every once in awhile, but he was quick to keep his eyes open, and alert, always keeping a eye on Eve.

Time just seemed to fly by, as before he knew it they had arrived home. From there everything seemed to move in fast motion to Russell. Eve, and Charlie were rushed to urgent care while the pack members surrounded them. Russell hobbled out of the vehicle, there were a couple of people trying to help him walk but he stubbornly pushed them away as he hobbled towards the pack house. But something was....off. There was an odd scent in the air. No not odd, familiar. It wasn't strong, but it was enough to get Russell's attention. He tried to place the smell, but he just couldn't

The closer to the house he got the stronger the scent became. The one good eye Russell could see out of widened when he realized where he recognized the scent. What color in his face that wasn't black and blue soon turned pale white as he realized what it was. He had looked like he saw a ghost, and it wasn't that far off. Russell was in a haze as he followed the scent. He pushed aside anybody that tried to give him any aide. He moved like a man possessed, he had to follow the scent.

Without realizing it Russell was in front of the door that lead to the cell in the basement. He himself hasn't set foot down there, but he knew what it was for. He cautiously pushed the door open, with it creaking open. Before he knew it he was hobbling down the steps, blood was nearly overwhelming his nose. Once he reached the bottom he gasped, and covered his mouth in horror upon the sight he saw. "Well......shit." Jack struggled to get out, and followed with a cough of blood. His abdomen was cut nearly to shreds, burns covered most of his body, with several fresh ones. He was missing a few toes, along with a chunk out of his one good ear.

Calvin turned to face Russell with a scowl. "Get out. Now." He ordered in a stern voice. "B-Ben? Is....is that you?" Russell asked in disbelief. "I haven't been called that for a long time Russ. It's Jack now. Just. Jack. By the looks of it you've had as rough a night as me." Calvin stormed over to Russell, and grabbed him by his arm, causing searing pain to shot up Russell's body. Jack growled angrily at Russell being hurt. "I said get out!"

Russell's body began shaking with anger once more, he glared up at Calvin, his one good eye glowing yellow once again. "Let. Go. Of. Me." He growled lowly. Calvin merely rolled his eyes, and began pushing Russell towards the door. Russell planted his feet firmly on the ground, and quickly sucker punched Calvin, nearly knocking him off his feet. "You stupid stray son of a bitch!" Calvin shouted as he regained his footing. He grabbed Russell by his collar, and threw him against the wall, and followed with a right cross.

Calvin then grabbed Russell, and tossed him across the room, causing him to knock over the metal table that held the tools Jason used on Jack. Russell crawled on all fours, and away from Calvin, he was in no shape to deal with him. "This bastard told us all about you, you little psycho! To think we trusted you!" He said as he came towards Russell. Russell scrounged the floor, pushing aside the tools. "Screw....you. You piece of shit.....I ain't got nuttin to prove to you..." He huffed in defiance. Calvin grabbed Russell, causing Russell to spin around, and drive one of the knives that littered the floor into his shoulder, pushing it as deep as he could.

Calvin howled in pain, and Russell followed up by bashing his head with a hammer he also picked up off the ground. The blow from the hammer caused Calvin to fall to one knee. Russell struck Calvin once more with the hammer, knocking him out. Russell dropped the hammer, and grabbed the keys of the cell, and proceeded to open it. Despite both of their injuries both of them quickly embraced one another in a hug. "I.....I don't understand....how are you.....I thought you were dead." Russell stated, tears streaming from his good eye.

Russell pulled away from their embrace, taking in the full extent of his injuries. "Ben wh-" "Jack. My name is Jack now. Ben Moss died on that night....I had to.....I couldn't go by that anymore. It feels like a whole different lifetime.....just call me Jack." Jack stated, with some slight aggression flaring up in his voice. Russell looked up at him in confusion. "O....ok, Jack. Why are you here, what did he do to you?" Russell asked. Tears began streaming down Jack's face, well the side that could produce tears. "I-I-I don't know! I came looking for you, I caught your scent, and followed it here, they grabbed me, and started saying something about rogues, and missing girls....when.....when I couldn't tell them anything....they.....began cutting on me. Him, and that Alpha, Jason."

"I-I-I didn't do anything Russell! I swear to you!" Jack was balling tears at this point, placing his hands on the sides of Russell's face, staring directly into his eyes. Russell's expression softened as he placed his hand on Jack's forearm. "Of course, I believe you Jack. But Jason has done right by me, his daughter was taken by rogues. He was probably scared. Look, we can talk with him. He's a good man, a good Alpha." Jack shook his head. "No...what he did to me.....I can't.....I can't stay here....and you shouldn't either.....this room.....what he did to me......he can't be trusted....please.....please.....we can both get out of here."

Russell looks away from him, hesitant to leave his new home, his new pack, his friends. And one person kept creeping in his mind, Eve, and her reaction to him leaving so soon after her ordeal. "Please.....I-I-I can't lose you too.....your mother...your father.....Debra...and.....and...." Jack began cracking up, not being able to finish the sentence. "Jack, it's ok....I'm not leaving you." Russell placed his hand on his shoulder. "Debra.....she was.......she was...." Before he could even finish the sentence Russell pulled him in for another hug, showing him that he didn't need to continue.

Russell was boiling with anger. He pulled away from Jack, and placed his hands on Jack's shoulders. "Go. I'll deal with Jason." Russell said as turned away from Jack, heading towards the stairs. Jack's expression changed quickly, one of a mixture of annoyance, and slight fear. "Wait....Let's just leave here." Jack said as he grabbed Russell by the arm. Russell turned his head back, glaring at Jack's hand, and then at Jack. Jack released his arm. "No. You slip out while I deal with Jason." Russell ordered, his voice just oozing authority.

Jack took a deep gulp, and averted his eyes to the ground. "O....ok." He replied, with a touch of fear in his voice. Russell then stormed out of the cellar, and towards Jason. A slick grin struck Jack's face as he looked down at Calvin, who was beginning to stir. He knelled down next to him, and picked up a knife from the ground. "Been real fun Cal. Can't wait to return the favor, and show you how I party." He whispered in his ear, and then ruffled his hair playfully.

Russell marched toward Jason, looking like a man possessed. "Jason! You son of a bitch!" Russell roared as he grabbed his Alpha's shoulder, turning him around, and then slugging him across his face. "You sick bastard!" Russell shouted, and before he could land another finger on Jason his fellow pack mates scrambled to pull him away.

With all eyes on Russell, Jack silently slipped out of the cellar, and quietly sneaked out of the pack house. Jack made it outside, but bumped into one of the allied pack members. As the man turned around Jack quickly slashed his throat open with the knife he picked in the cellar. The man gargled on his blood, trying to say something before he fell over. Jack smiled as he licked the blood off the knife. He quickly searched through the man's pockets, pulling out a set of car keys. Jack quickly ran over to the vehicles, starting up the one that transported Eve, Russell, and Peter moments ago. He started up the car, and quickly drove off as fast as the vehicle could go.

Soon Calvin came from the cellar, holding his bloody forehead. "The damn stray let the rogue go!" He shouted as he stormed over to Russell, who was still being held back by the other pack members. Calvin then punched Russell's already bruised, and bloody face. Calvin grabbed Russell by his shirt, yanking him from the grip of the others, and tossed him across the room. The back of his head hit hard against the floor. He struggled to keep his eyes open. Whatever happened next was just a blur to Russell, he could do little to actually stay conscious, no matter how hard he struggled.


FOUR DAYS LATER

For the last few days Russell was kept in his room, like a prisoner. Jason kept a guard outside his door around the clock. Though any real interrogation was stayed off thanks to the combined efforts of Rachelle, who kept reminding Jason of what he went through to protect their daughter, and Dana, who was adamant about his recovery. Throughout this time Russell's mind was racing. He couldn't stop thinking about Ben, about Jack, and most of all Eve's recovery. He hasn't been allowed to leave his room, let alone see her.

Russell laid there on his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. 'IS THIS ALL YOU'RE GONNA DO? LAY IN BED, AND SULK? IF YOU WANT TO SEE HER SO BAD GO AND SEE HER! DON'T LET THESE WEAKLINGS STOP YOU FROM DOING WHAT YOU WANT!' Russell's wolf barked. Russell let out a deep sigh. It was right, he did want to see her, to make sure she was ok. Russell rolled off his bed, and made his way to his door. He peaked outside to see his guard. The guard was a slightly older man, in his thirties or forties, with a thick beard that was starting to show streaks of grey. He stood there, obviously bored out of his mind as he idly picked at his fingernails.

Russell quietly closed the door, and began lighting some of the candles in his room. It wasn't unusual for Russell to light them, he often used the sweet scents from them for meditation. He then made his way to his radio on his dresser. He turned it on some heavy metal station, and turned the volume as high as it would go. With the candles going, and the radio blasting Russell opened up his window, and slipped outside unnoticed by the guard.

Once outside he carefully circled around the house until he found an unlocked window. Russell quietly slipped in, and made his way to Eve's room. Once there he stood outside of her door, his hand twitching. He was trying to muster the strength, and courage to knock on her door, but he felt his stomach twist and turn. What was he gonna say to her? How was he gonna explain his situation to her? How he's pretty much a prisoner at this point. He took a deep gulp, and lifted up his hand to knock, but then he heard movement inside, and the door opened.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Russell Talbot Character Portrait: Charlie Hart Character Portrait: Evangeline Sutton Character Portrait: Phoebe Danica Character Portrait: Jason Sutton Character Portrait: Rachelle Sutton - Alpha's mate
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~'.'~Hero/Heroine | Boys Like Girls~'.'~
"There's always pain before we
get better; that's how we heal"

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~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~My Demons | Starset~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~
"Sometimes the right path ...
... Isn't the easiest one ..."


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Radioactive | Imagine Dragons
"All is fair in love and war."





Eve slipped in and out of consciousness after the escape, having remained completely inert during the process itself. She wavered slightly when passed from Peter to some unknown other who held the faint smell of an allied pack - the Turzul Pack, if she wasn't mistaken. They were the Sutton's top allies and the two packs did quite a bit for each other, leading her to easily recognize their scents.

When she was passed, she murmured a soft protest of pain, but relaxed once more once she was adjusted in the new man's arms, who carried her with the gentleness of someone accustomed to handling those who were injured.

She once again fell insentient, briefly awakening when she was placed in a vehicle between Peter and Russell. The two allowed the man who had carried her to lay her across them, her head propped onto Russell's lap while her legs were placed on Peter's.

The lull of the car helped her to sleep instead of the worse state of unconsciousness, and she did so heavily for the entirety of the ride back to Sutton land. When the car jostled to a stop, she blinked blearily, only to find herself once more removed from the car by the one that had driven it. All of the movement of her body was beyond her control, and she barely registered that she had been traveling. People were dark shapes, face drifting in and out of focus, and voices were a complete blur and incomprehensible. Her skull held a piercing pain, her body ached from head to toe, and she was dead weight, unable to move of her own accord.

Her mother and father's faces came into emphasis, Rachelle's holding worry and fear mixed with relief, tears clouding her pretty eyes, and her father's own usual rough ones were the same mixture of emotions, along with an undertone of complete and utter fury. Once he had assured himself that she was going to be okay, Dana at his side and immediately shouting orders to those who helped her in the medical ward of the mansion, he began to bellow orders left and right - ones both to defend and also ready to attack those that had dared come after those that were under his care.

Evangeline briefly heard her's and Charlie's names leaving Dana's lips before she was whisked away to the medical area of the mansion that housed their clan. Before she could even murmur a protest, her eyes blearily searching the faces around her for the few that mattered most, a small prick pierced her inner arm, and she quickly fell into an unconscious state once more.

She awoke hours later to find herself encompassed in bandages, several tubes entering her arms and sides - undoubtedly draining fluid from her injured organs - and Dana’s blurred form above her.

“Eve, go back to sleep. You’re okay now,” the woman said gently, smoothing down her hair. Blinking her eyes drowsily, she couldn’t fight off the exhaustion that held her immobile on the bed, and once again slipped into the darkness.

Meanwhile, Peter had ridden in silence to the lands that were considered Sutton territory - and area that, up until that day, he had gone out of his way to avoid. He was a man of respect and if anyone could say anything about him it was that he knew his boundaries. He wasn't about to trespass on a pack's lands, and he held to that.

When they arrived, he was all but ignored as the girls were quickly whisked away to be helped, along with the others that needed medical attention. He didn't need it as badly, so he didn't bother to ask for any help, especially from those that didn't know him. Wolves were solitary creatures for the most part, and stuck only to their pack and those that they knew. They were extremely weary of strangers, and for good reasons. Strangers rarely brought good tidings to a pack.

So he simply took a seat on the steps that led up to the porch at the front of the house, staying out of the way but also making it clear that he didn't intend to leave and would stay so long as he was welcome or needed. It was only when the Alpha - at this point he had found the man's name to be Jason Sutton - looked over at him after shouting out orders, that he took advantage of the break in the organized chaos to make himself known.

Pushing himself sorely to his feet, Peter approached the man and, with his hand awkwardly on the back of his head, stopped a few feet away from the Alpha. When the man simply raised a brow at him, he mustered up his charisma and spoke.

"The name's Peter - Peter Pan James Green. A pleasure," he said, holding out one hand in an uncomfortable greeting.

~'.'~'.'~'.'~Four Days Later~'.'~'.'~'.'~


"Now is there anything else that I can get for you, Evangeline?"

"No thank you, Jessie," Eve said quietly, her hands folded over the open book that rested in her lap. Freira laid watchfully beside her on her bed, and Agent was perched on the open windowsill, looking over the room with a cautious gaze. The area of the house surrounding her room was otherwise quiet - orders directly from her father kept people way from her room and those who had been involved in the rescue of her and Charlie and had also been injured in the process. His reasoning was that the group needed to rest and recover, and they couldn't do so when they were constantly being harassed by the loud voices and goings-on of those that lived or even frequented the mansion. The only ones who had really been allowed to visit her were Jessie, Mica, her parents, Aziel, and Silver.

Jessie and her mate Mica had been saviors the past few days, coming and going to check on not only Charlie but herself and the others several times each day. Other than work, they had quite a bit of free time seeing as it was the summer time and school was out for the humans, so they figured that they would swing by to help out Jason and his mate with everything that had been happening,

Jessie paused in the doorway, glancing over her shoulder at the girl who was barely two years younger than her.

"I know ... We're not very close, Eve, and that I may be overstepping my boundaries when I say this. But ..." The elder girl hesitated, gnawing on her lower lip, clearly deeply thinking about her next words.

"Go ahead and say what you want to say, Jessie. I won't be offended," Eve assured her gently. After a few moments, the young woman cleared her throat and refocused her doe-eyes on Eve's strikingly purple ones.

"Over the past few days, you've told me what happened at that compound, and you told me everything to a fine detail. And you've also told me that since you returned, the young man that came to rescue you ... Hasn't come to check on you, since you've been confined to bed rest. I think that what you did, while noble and something the Alpha of a pack would do in that exact same situation, wasn't right. I understand why you did it, and I can see where you were coming from ... But at the same time, you didn't take a single moment to think of the ones that you would be hurting by attempting to create that pact with the Rogue Alpha. I think ... That you owe everyone an apology - and by that ... I also mean your brother and that boy," she said quietly, her hand resting on the door frame. When Eve remained quiet, Jessie began to fidget a bit, the gaze of the younger girl steady and a bit unsettling.

"Like I said, I don't mean to offend you. But if you think about it ... You probably really hurt everyone by offering that without even speaking to them first. What you don't seem to understand ... Is that you aren't the Alpha, Eve. Everyone in the pack knows that you strive to become so, but none of them expect you to act like one. You still have several years ahead of you under your father's reign, and for now ... Everyone ... That is, I mean ..." The girl drew in a breath and let it out slowly. "No one expects you to sacrifice yourself or your youth simply because you plan to follow your father. No one expects you to act as though you are the Alpha. When the time comes, yes, they will. But for now ... Just enjoy yourself, okay?"

After several moment ticked by, Eve lowered her head to look down at her folded hands. When she finally spoke, there was a slight catch in her throat.

"You're right. Thank you for saying what needed to be said to me. I'm not angry, and I still consider you to be a good friend, and appreciate your and Mica's concerns. But for now ... Could I be left alone, please? I believe ... That I need some time to think."

Jessie nodded and gave the girl a small smile.

"If you need anything, you have both mine and Mica's phone numbers. Don't be afraid to text or call us. We'll come as soon as we can, okay?" And with that, the woman was gone, leaving the door slightly ajar behind her.

Gently closing the book, Eve leaned back against the mass of pillows pushed up to support her from behind. She tilted her head back, her gaze fixated on the beautiful ceiling that was in her bedroom.

Like most teenage girls, her bedroom was her safe place. She had decorated and designed it so that it matched her personality to a T, and she found it to be an extremely calming place. From the bookshelves that lined most of the walls, to the sparkling white lights that were strung along her ceiling, it held a soothing air to it and often times had those that lived in the mansion visiting it for its calming effects. It was of average size and cozy, holding a small cast iron fireplace that was often lit and cast a glow throughout the room. The only window in the room was large and overlooked the back of the house, which was a great open plain encompassed by thick yet welcoming trees. She could easily see for miles above the trees, seeing as her room was on the top floor of the mansion, and she often would climb from her window and onto the roof to look up at the stars at night, or even read a book during the early mornings.

It was in her room that she remained after Jessie's exit. She had been ordered to bed rest by Dana - who else was on bed rest, she wasn't sure - and had for the most part followed her directions. Her body still hurt, and would undoubtedly continue to for a few weeks to the better part of a couple of months. The injuries she had sustained weren't minimal, and Dana had even told her that she was lucky to have lived. If she had arrived even a half an hour later, she probably would have bled out or at least gone into shock. Most of her injuries were non-life threatening, other than the amount of blood that had escaped them, but the main concern for the pack's doctor was her head wounds. She had received repeated blows to the same part of her head, and the woman had made it very clear that she was worried over any internal bleeding or long-lasting issues, such as memory loss. So far, there hadn't been any drastic losses in the memory department - at least not from events thing had happened before the injury was sustained - but Eve had been finding it difficult to remember things that had happened since she had returned to Sutton lands. It was little things, of course - she had forgotten where she had set her book a few times, and had gotten up to use the bathroom and found that she couldn't remember where her tooth brush was. She had forgotten to feed Freira and Agent once, but her mother's gentle reminder sent her scurrying to do so, along with the light pawing of the hungry animals. These things, while minor, were a bit worrisome for Dana, who told Eve to document anything she couldn't remember. Obviously that only worked when it pertained to her losing things, and not any actual memories, but once Eve was healed enough to be up and walking around, she was going to be starting a memory enhancement program with Dana every day.

Healing was going to be a long and painful process, but she was determined and stubborn to become normal again.

Jessie's words briefly flitted through her brain once more.

... You didn't take a single moment to think of the ones that you would be hurting by attempting to create that pact with the Rogue Alpha. I think ... That you owe everyone an apology - and by that ... I also mean your brother and that boy.

Eve tilted her head back down, gazing at her hands folded atop her legs.

The other woman was right, of course. Eve had been selfish and had thought only of what she thought was right without any concern for the other's feelings, but only what she thought was their well-being. While she owed an apology to the entire group, she knew she owed two of the people in that group a bigger apology than the others.

Biting her lower lip, Eve tightened her hands in her lap. Aziel's face flitted across her brain, followed by Russell's, and when the latter appeared she felt an odd stirring in the pit of her stomach. It was a nervousness mixed with a bit of butterflies, and there was a small nauseousness mixed in with those feelings. Her inner wolf, which had been pushing against her since the events at the warehouse, rolled restlessly within her, urging for her to do something - but whatever that was, she didn't quite know.

Casting a look to the side, her eyes landed on Russell's jacket. It had been laid neatly on the chair that sat before her desk, ready to be returned to its rightful owner. Her inner wolf moved impatiently once more, pushing and begging for release - or that was the only thing that she could think of it wanting, at least.

Her concern was clear - if she wasn't twenty-one, than her wolf shouldn't be begging for liberation. Not unless it had recognized a mate.

Clenching her fingers in her blankets, Eve went still. Her heart skipped before thudding hard within her chest, and she felt a something lodge in her throat.

It couldn't be ...




It was less than an hour later when quiet footsteps were heard in the hallway. The sound of the footfalls were instantly recognizable, along with the scent that slithered its way through her door. And before she realized what she was doing, Eve had thrown back her covers, sending her book flying, scrambled from her bed, completely ignoring her injuries in the process, and had hobbled quickly on her cast foot to the door, where she swiftly yanked it open.

A surprised Russell had stopped mid-step outside of her room, having been in the process of passing it, and when she met his eyes with her own, the lump in her throat returned. Instantly it began to ache, tears threatening at the back of her eyes.

Hot liquid began to trickle down her cheeks and over her bandages, which encompassed a good portion of her head and about half of the area of her face. Sniffing a bit, she raised her equally-bandaged hand, those stretching from her fingers and all the way up the lengths of her arms, to wipe futilely at her eyes.

"I ... I'm so ... S-sorry," she managed to choke out, her tears causing her words to hitch and catch. "What I said ... What I did ... Was so very, very selfish of me," she whispered, still rubbing at her leaking eyes. "I never should have ... I mean, that is ... I shouldn't have ..." Her lower lip began to tremble uncontrollably, and she quickly lifted her gaze once more to lock with his, her entire expression crumpled and tears soaking her bandages.

"I'm so sorry, Russell. Please ... Please don't avoid me anymore. I can't ... I won't ... I won't let you," she managed to say. Reaching out one hand, she weakly snagged the bottom of his shirt between her index finger and thumb, her entire grip trembling against it.

"I ... I miss you, Russell," she breathed, a small sob hitching on it and a broken sound escaping her throat. A new onslaught of tears escaped her eyes, and she dropped her head so that shadows were cast across her face, her shoulders shaking a bit. "Please ... Please, don't leave me alone. I miss you so much."

Russell fidgeted slightly, uncomfortable with Eve crying once again. He looked her over, this being the first time he's seen her in several days. His eyes immediately went to her cast. He himself wasn't in much better shape. He had bandages all over his torso, hands, and as well as his face, and his left arm in a sling. His face was still rather bruised, but the swelling in his eyes had went down, and he was at least able to see clearly enough.

Russell let out a sigh, and pulled Eve closer to him. He wrapped his good arm around her, and pulled her in for a hug. He placed his hand on the back of her head, and began gently petting her. "It's ok. It's ok. You're stuck with me remember?" He said in a comforting voice. "Eve I'm not mad at you.....not anymore anyways.....I know our options were limited back there. If I was in your position I probably would have made the same offer....I get it. There's nothing I wouldn't do to keep the people I care about safe."

After good minute of hugging Russell backed away slight, and placed his index finger, and thumb on her chin, bringing her gaze up to his eyes. "Come on, you need to get back to bed. Besides, I want my jacket back." Russell smirked slightly as he led her back to her bed. Russell sat on the bed next to Eve. "I'm.......I'm glad you're ok....I was.....worried about you." Russell said as he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Eve....if you want to.....uh.....talk about what happened.....I'm hear for you....I understand if it's hard to talk to people you've known your entire life......to be.....vulnerable to them.....especially as the Alpha's kid......but I'm here for you.....if you need me."

Russell brushed some of his hair out of his face, and then looked over at Eve. "Um...... look..... Eve......I......um......about what Richard was saying.......I don't know how he knows anything about me....I've never seen him before in my life." He stated, and followed with a sigh. "My.....last pack.....my family.....they were killed by a bunch of thugs because of what we are......I barely made it out.....I don't wanna talk about it....the wounds are still fresh.....I understand that you're curious about it....but.....I just.....can't.....I hope you understand."

Russell brought up his hand, and wiped away a single tear that started to form. Talking about his family was rough for him.

Eve had already lifted her hand before he had finished speaking, pressing one finger against his lips.

"You don't have to push yourself to tell me anything. I don't expect you to, and I never have. You don't seem to understand that I can tell when a person has been wounded. I've known from the moment you showed up with my father that you had fresh ones that you had buried deeply inside of you; but I never pushed or tried to convince you to tell me, because I know that you will once you feel that you're ready to."

Dropping her hand, Eve lowered her gaze, gnawing gently on her lip. Her earlier discovery weighed heavily within her, and whether or not to bring it up to Russell was something she hadn't yet decided on. The events of the past week were the only thing that pushed at her to tell him, seeing as they had proven time to be a short and beautiful thing, but the obvious fear of rejection or frightening him were what caused her to hesitate. Those and the possibility that he might think that she was misunderstanding her feelings.

But her inner wolf was enough for her to know that she wasn't.

"Russell ... I ..." Pausing, she felt her cheeks warm as they grew red with nervousness and embarrassment, and her arms did the same. The blush would be extremely noticeable if it weren't for the bandages hiding it - something she thanked the Gods for - due to her extremely pale skin.

Closing her eyes, she drew in a deep breath through her nostrils before puffing it out slowly from between her lips.

I understand if it's hard to talk to people you've known your entire life ... to be vulnerable to them, especially as the Alpha's kid ... but I'm here for you.....if you need me.

Setting her jaw and clenching her fists, Eve squared her shoulders. Lifting her head, she met his eyes once more.

"You said that if I need to talk to someone, I can talk to you. That if I need to become vulnerable, I can do so with you. If I want to bare myself to someone - anyone - you're here for me to do so. So please ... Don't be mad ... And don't be upset ... Or scared ... Or anything of the sort ... Because this is ..." she hesitated, fighting back tears of nervousness and fear. "This is something that is really, really hard for me to tell you. Because I'm scared ... Of how you'll react. And I'm scared of what will happen ... Of what will change between us ... Because I like us how we are right now ..."

"... But I'm not stupid. I know enough about our race to know that when this becomes known, it must be told. I know ... That you deserve to know, too," she ended on a whisper. Lowering her gaze again, she steeled herself. Her fear made her not want to speak, so pinching one of the bared spots on her leg that wasn't covered in bandages, and forced herself to say it in one large rush of a breath.

"My wolf wants yours, and the only thing that that can mean ... Is that you're ... You're ..."

She cut off in her hesitation, her nails digging into her bandages in her palms. Letting out a loud breath, she muttered the words, "Ah hell," before lifting her hands and pressing them to his cheeks, cautious of his wounds. In a quick movement she had pulled his face to hers and connected their lips in an intense yet untrained kiss - because how was she supposed to know exactly how to do something like that, when she had never been even remotely interested romantically in anyone in her life?

After a few moments, she pulled back and released him, looking to the side with a blazing red covering the small amount of bare skin on her face.

"I believe ... You're my mate, Russell."

Russell sat there for a moment with the wheels turning in his head, him just trying to process what was happening. Ever since Peter suggested something deeper about his feelings for her it's always been in the back of his mind. A thousand things went through his mind. Ranging from wondering if Eve's feelings were actually true, and not some kind of byproduct of him rescuing her from Richard, to her possibly misreading her feelings for him. But no matter holes he tried to poke in this there was one lingering thought that kept creeping back to him. The kiss. It felt so right, so natural to him. Nothing like he ever felt before.

"Eve....I......I don't know what to say...." And he truly didn't. Russell looked into Eve's eyes, and noticed her blushing underneath her bandages. Russell took in a deep gulp, he could hear his heart racing. It was all he could hear, the thumping like drums in his head. "Eve..." Without warning Russell abruptly leaned forward, grabbing the back of Eve's head, and pushing her into another kiss, but this one much more passionate than the last. The initial touch to her head caused a small whimper of pain to escape her lips, but it was quickly extinguished when they met his, and she felt none of the twinges as his grip on her gentled.

After a good minute or two, honestly they lost track, Russell pulled away gasping for air. He let out a small chuckle, and couldn't stop smiling. Then without a word he went right back at her, planting his lips on hers for a moment before he pulled away slightly, and began planting kisses on her cheek, and then moving down her neck. A faked cough then abruptly interrupted them. Russell jumped slightly, and abruptly pulled away from Eve, who was left almost in a daze at what had just happened.

Standing at the door was the pack's doctor, Dana. "Sorry to interrupt. But I should remind you two not to strain yourselves. You don't want to rip those stitches now do you? I might not be so gentle resewing you two up." She said with a smirk before she moved on. Eve had barely registered Dana's presence, but enough so to be slightly embarrassed. She fidgeted a bit as she came back to the present. Russell awkwardly looked at the floor. "Um.....this is awkward.....sorry....I got carried away."

The awkward air between two individuals who had only just realized and admitted their feelings for one another hung heavily between them, pushing Eve to fidget a bit more in embarrassment. It seemed to her that her nervousness had only grown worse instead of getting better after telling him, her expectation being the exact opposite.

After several distinctly awkward moments ticked by, she huffed out a breath, the hair in front of her face ruffling a bit.

"Well ... Now I suppose that I need to tell my parents ... And make it known ... Before, of course, I change," she murmured, almost as though she were talking to herself. Turning her attention back to him, Eve placed her hand on his thigh and let her head come gently to rest on his shoulder.

"I promise that I know what I'm saying and doing. I'm smarter than most people tend to think, and I know how I feel and how my wolf feels. The fact that I can feel my wolf at all is enough of a sign that it's true," she pointed out, closing her eyes in order to rest them. The small amount of movement she had done was enough to make her exhausted after all of her injuries and medications. It made sense that Dana had ordered her to bed rest and had told them to calm themselves; they were nowhere near ready for anything active, especially Eve who, while stubborn, felt pain more keenly than Russell.

"I'm sorry ... I'm falling asleep," she said as a stifled yawn escaped her lips. "Can you ... Stay until I fall asleep?" she asked, opening her eyes long enough to look up at him. The past few nights she had woken up feeling odd and, even weirder, in different places from where she fell asleep. While she had remained in bed and fallen asleep there, she had awoken to find herself in the kitchen, the library, the classroom, and the lab. She wasn’t afraid - undoubtedly she was merely sleep-walking - but a small part of her was telling her that something wasn’t quite right. So, needless to say, she was more than a bit nervous when it came to sleeping, and having Russell there made her nervousness fade just a little bit. After a moment, she lowered her head and once more closed her eyes, easily making herself cozy against his side.

And within moments, she was asleep, her breath puffing out gently.

"It's ok, just rest." Russell said as he gently caressed Eve's cheek with the back of his hand. "I'll be here for as long as you want me to be." He watched as she slept, smiling at her slight snoring.

After he was certain that she was fast asleep, he shifted out from underneath her sleeping form, gently laid her across the bed, and pulled the plush comforter over her body. Rising, he left her room, casting one last glance over his shoulder before quietly shutting the door behind him.




“Now now then. What are you doing out of your room hmm? I do hate it now when my things disobey me. I suppose I should teach you some manners?.”

“No ... Don’t ... Don’t touch me!”

“Insolent little ...”

A hard slap greeted her cheek, sending her to the floor and reeling. The world was dark, causing immense fear to well up within her, and the only thing that she could see in the empty abyss was Richard’s large form towering above her.

The fear threatened to swallow her as she attempted to move away from him, crawling backwards, and when she went to scramble to her feet, she found herself stopped by a painful grab to her long hair, which was oddly blonde in opposition to the black and purple it was supposed to be. That should have been her first indication that this was nothing but a nightmare, but she was unable to concentrate on that.

She was too scared to.

She was yanked to her feet and held there by the rough yanking of her hair, causing tears to prick at her eyes, and she was forced to face the large man that had become one of her greatest fears in less than a week.

“Let go!” she managed to whisper, her screams nothing but soft wisps from her lips. A small sob escaped her as he released her hair only to grab her by the throat and lift her into the air, her legs kicking futilely in an attempt to escape.

“You will obey me. You’re nothing but my toy now, and I will turn you into my own little weapon,” the man snarled. He then threw her to the ground, but instead of hitting floor, she went directly through the darkness. It felt as though she were falling from a building - one as tall as the Empire State. Her hair whipped around her face, and in depressed acceptance of her fate, she wrapped her arms around herself, her tears sparkling in the air above her. Her hair whipped around her face, the blonde locks sticking to the tears that remained on her cheeks. It was still a black abyss around her, but before her eyes appeared the faces of those she knew best.

Charlie. Phoebe. Her father and mother. Aziel. Peter. Russell.

The faces looked at her with disappointment, as though despondent that she had chosen to simply accept what was about to happen instead of fighting against it.

No!





Shooting up, Eve let out a loud cry of pain as the movement pulled at her wounds. The sound echoed in the trees around her.

Trees? That ... Wasn’t right. She should be in bed in her room, right where Russell had left her. The last memories that she had were of her room, at least. She couldn’t remember leaving it, let alone to go to the forest surrounding the mansion.

In an instant the darkness that was the nighttime engulfed her, sending fear cascading throughout her body. Ever since that day when she was little, she had been extremely afraid of the dark. It was something that if she were around anyone other than her fellow wolves she would receive criticism and bullying for, but since they were wolves and their pack was always extremely close, she had been given only support. Some people may have thought it silly, but she had even painted the ceiling of her bedroom and installed little lights as stars to give herself the visual of a night sky while also having light while she slept.

“No ... No, not the dark,” she whispered, her voice trembling. Tears gathered in her eyes, and she wrapped her arms around her injured knees, completely ignoring the pain that doing so caused her. The darkness seemed unfathomable, and it encompassed her, wrapping her in a suffocating, thick, unbreakable blanket.

There wasn’t any way out of it. She was going to stuck inside of that darkness for the rest of her life.

“Eve? What are you doing out here?”

Jerking her head up, Eve let out a small sound of fear, before her eyes met those of the person who had spoken.

“Peter?” she whispered. After a moment of simply staring, she scrambled to her feet and threw herself at the man who was just barely past being a stranger to her.

“Please ... Please take me home,” she whimpered out, her shoulders shaking and tears drenching his shirt.

Peter, on the other hand, had been patrolling the grounds - most specifically the trees - when he had heard the shout of someone in pain and afraid. He hadn’t hesitated to locate the source, and was more than a little surprised to find the Violet Princess huddled on the mossy floor of the forest that surrounded the mansion that was the Sutton Household. Not only that, but he barely recognized her by her suddenly different hair color. But it stood out in the dark, so that helped.

After they had returned, he had spoken with the Alpha - Jason - and his mate - Rachelle - and told them everything that had happened, beginning with when the group of young adults had entered the bar. Despite his being an outsider, once they had verified his story with Phoebe, Russell, and Aziel, they had agreed among themselves that due to the current circumstances they could use all of the man power that they could get. He had been asked to stay to help them and despite him not necessarily needing anywhere to stay, he had agreed. Why? Not even he really knew, but if asked he would simply respond that he was bored and wanted a change of pace.

So there he was, with a frightened teenage girl crying against him. Her eyes had been swollen, hinting at an earlier crying - do girls ever do anything else? - and she was covered in brambles and branches from the forest.

What in bloody hell had she been doing out there, and what had she been doing before he had shown up?

Shaking his head, he turned her and hefted Evangeline into his arms. Now clearly wasn’t the time to be asking her questions. Instead, he needed to return her to her parents.

“Hey, what’s going on?”

Looking over his shoulder at the man who had appeared through the trees, Peter shook his head.

“I’m not quite sure; I heard her cry out and found her trembling on the ground,” he responded. When that garnered him a suspicious look from the other wolf, he rolled his eyes. “If it were I that had done it, than why would I tell you that I found her here?”

The man’s look didn’t fade, but after a moment, he nodded and disappeared into the trees, presumably to return to his own patrole.

Turning his face to Eve’s, he shook his head.

“You’re quite the handful, aren’t you? Russell has something to look forward to,” he joked.

And with that, he set off to return her to the mansion.

It was a quick trek back, especially since Eve was actually conscious and he was able-bodied enough to carry someone this time, and when he had reached the large building, he found a dark figure standing in the open doorway, light encompassing her. It was Dana, the woman who had found out to be the Pack’s doctor, and she stood there with obvious knowledge of what was happening in her eyes.

“Follow me,” she said simply, before turning and starting down the hallway.

When she finally stopped, it was before the resting area in the medical ward, and she motioned for him to put Eve on one of the beds. When he had done so, she quickly shooed him away. At the doorway, however, she spoke.

“Don’t mention this to anyone. I don’t want to worry Jason and Rachelle any more so than they already are, and if Aziel or Russell find out, everything will be made out to be bigger than it actually is.”

After a brief moment, Peter nodded and left to return to his patrol, but the weirdness of the events lingered in his mind for the entire night.

Turning back to face the young woman who had sat up on the bed, Dana sighed and pulled a chair over to the side of it.

“What happened, Eve?” she asked as she lowered herself into it.

The young girl fidgeted slightly on the bed, her tears now dry and her fear dissipated completely.

“I ... I’m not sure,” she whispered, clenching her fingers against her dirt- and grass-stained pajama shorts. They were slightly torn along one-side, hinting at them snagging on a tree branch, and her bandages were dirtied beyond recognition. When Dana noted so, she immediately rose and began to change them out and once again clean Eve’s wounds, pausing as she did so when, as it always did, the names carved into her arms and legs caught her off-guard. She quickly went back into action, however, so as not to distract Eve.

“Tell me everything you remember.”

When Eve didn’t immediately respond, Dana paused in her ca-retaking of the wounds to look up at her. “Do you not remember?” she asked slowly, and the paleness of the girls features were more than enough of an answer. Looking down at her wounds once more, she shook her head.

“I want you to lock your door whenever you go to sleep, and document every time this happens. Has it happened before?”

Pressing her lips together, Eve hesitated before responding.

“Other than in the past couple of days, the only other time was when I was little. Do you remember when I went to the town with my parents and I got lost?”

Pausing a brief second in re-bandaging her, Dana nodded.

“After I came home ... I think ... I think I was sleep-walking. But that just ... Never sounded right. I would go to sleep in my bed and wake up in different places. I began to have really bad nightmares ... And whenever I woke up, I was always extremely afraid, especially since it was dark outside. I would wake up with cuts and bruises and my clothes would be a little torn, and I never knew where I was. My parents were the only ones who knew anything about it because the patrols would always bring me to them. It happened every night for two years, before it abruptly stopped happening.”

Finished, Dana returned the leftover bandages and scissors to their correct spot before reclaiming her seat before Eve.

“I’m going to install a camera in your bedroom and have you use a sleep monitor whenever you go to bed. With your current injuries, I’m afraid you’ll only hurt yourself more with this ... Sleep-walking,” she said slowly. A moment ticked by before she spoke again, and when she did, it was extremely gently.

“I know you’ve been acting tough since you came back home, but I can tell what happened at that compound really scared you, Eve. You don’t even seem like the same person as before. I’ve known you since you were born, and I can say right now that you aren’t acting even remotely the same as you did before the events. You’ve always been stubborn and adventurous, sarcastic and daring. You always had a smile on your face, and you always tried to make everyone happy. But since you came back ... I very rarely see a genuine smile on your face. And your eyes ... They used to be full of life, but now ... They’re dull and dark,” the older woman said, her concern that of a close friend or family member instead of a doctor. “You’re like a niece to me, Eve, and as your Godmother I can’t help but voice my concerns over your well-being both physically and mentally. I want you to know that you can talk to me, as something other than a doctor, okay?”

When Eve looked down at her lap, it took only a few seconds before she dissolved into a crying mess, her sobs echoing in the empty room.

“I don’t understand what’s happening ... What’s wrong with me, Auntie Dana?” she whispered, rubbing futilely at her leaking eyes. “I-I’m scared of what’s happening,” she sobbed out.

The older woman rose and wrapped her arms gently around the girl, pressing her into her side.

“Shh .... It’s going to be alright ... We’ll figure out what’s happening, I promise,” she murmured, smoothing a hand over Eve’s hair. In an effort to calm the girl, she smiled a little bit. “I like what you did with your hair. When did you dye it back to blonde? Your mother will be happy.”

The young woman went rigid in her arms, and when she pulled away a bit, Dana let her. The look of confusion mixed with horror on her face was enough to cause chills to go up the doctor’s arms.

“M-my hair? What ... What are you talking about?” she asked. When Dana struggled for words, Eve launched to her feet - or as close to a launch as she could manage in her state - and hobbled to the nearest mirror. Her reflection caused her to go cold, her skin blanching and her eyes widening.

“But ... I didn’t ... Dye it ...” she rasped, lifting a trembling hand to her hair. More tears welled in her eyes, and she whirled around to face Dana.

“What’s happening to me, Dana?” she whispered, her hands clenching in the bottom of her dirty-blonde locks. Releasing her hair, she stared down at her shaking hands. "What's happening?"

Dana crossed the room in a few quick strides, grabbing Eve’s hands and clutching them between her own.

“Shh, Angel. It’s okay,” she soothed. Pulling the young girl against her, she looked over her head at their reflection in the mirror, attempting to arrange her worried expression into one of neutrality.

But to no avail.




After Dana had calmed Evangeline enough for the girl to go back to sleep in her room, she hurried down the halls to the study, where Rachelle and Jason were in deep conversation with two Alphas from other packs, their second-in-commands watching from the sides of the room. Knocking lightly on the door, Dana took a few steps inside.

“Excuse the interruption, but I really need to speak to Jason and Rachelle,” she stated, the authority of a doctor in her voice. When her words gained a disgruntled response from the visitors, she squared her shoulders and met Jason’s and Rachelle’s eyes.

“There’s something very wrong with Evangeline. I’m worried about her safety, both mentally and physically, and what those monsters did to her at that compound. I don’t think ... I don’t think that they only tortured her. I think ... They did something to her. She isn’t the same person she was before, and there have been some ... Ah ... Issues,” she said, obviously withholding information until they were in private. When the visiting allies heard her words, the Alphas nodded at their men and they left the room, shutting the door behind them. In one movement Dana was across the floor and stood before the Alpha and his mate, her concern evident in her features.

“I’m saying this as both her doctor and her Godmother, Jason - Rachelle,” she said, looking at both in turn. “There’s something very wrong with her. I don’t know what it is, but she’s having major lapses in memory, chronic night terrors, she’s sleep walking again, and she’s doing things during these lapses in memory that have me extremely concerned. This is the third night in a row since their return that she’s been brought to me by a patrolling party, and this time it was by Peter. He found her in the middle of the forest, huddled into a ball and crying. She doesn’t remember dying her hair back to its natural color, for God’s sake,” she said quietly, leaning against the desk that separated her from the couple.

“There’s something seriously wrong with her, and I cannot, even as a doctor, figure out what. The only thing that comes to mind is that that despicable and disgusting piece of shit did something to or put something inside of her that is making her do things against her will and without her knowledge. If they were sadistic enough to carve names of their pack and pack members into her arms and legs, than they were sadistic enough to put something inside of her,” she finished, tightening her hold on the desk. Her anger was evident, and her eyes were ablaze when she looked up.

“We need to find out what he did to her, and soon before she hurts herself ... Or someone else. Who knows what she’s been doing in these random rifts in her memories, and who knows what she’s capable of.”

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Russell Talbot Character Portrait: Evangeline Sutton Character Portrait: Jason Sutton Character Portrait: Rachelle Sutton - Alpha's mate
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Across from the table sat two over bearing presences.

Jason leaned back in his formal leather bound chair entwining his fingers together before resting his forefingers on his lips. Rachelle meekly looked to her right towards Jason before returning her gaze to the two Alphas sat across them.

"We want blood Jason. My pack member died on your lands" Ian spoke calmly but his tone showed no letting up. Ian was stern if not a man who aimed high. As Alpha to an alliance Pack, Jason had always respected his wishes and they had often compromised during difficult situations. However, what he now asked, made Jason feel uneasy.

"I fully take responsibility for this tragic loss Ian, however, I must hold my ground with my own pack members. The responsibility is mine to deal with, I will not submit one of my own to you for your retribution." Jason never waved keeping eye contact with Ian. He felt Rachelle's hand squeeze him gently on his thigh below the table in reassurance.

"Now, now Jason, surely you're not intending to house the boy? He's nothing but a stray you picked up, is he really worth it?" A feminine voice broke through a set of crisp ruby red lips. Eliza Jones raised an eyebrow as she crossed her legs raising her left hand to those lips as she took up to light a cigarette. The smoke billowed around her dark chocolate brown hair as she took the liberty to smoke inside despite house rules.

She was pushing Jason for a reaction. Eliza's pack had always been on the fray of peace with the Suttons, their opinions differed greatly. Eliza had no heart for kindness towards humans, but she had always respected the way of the wolf, despite her tendencies to enjoy prying uncomfortable reactions from her conversations.

"Stray or not Eliza, he is Sutton, his betrayal is mine to deal with." Jason glared at her. Eliza smirked back before moving her gaze towards Ian.

"What do you say?" she jostled Ian.

"I know what I am entitled too. Sutton or not, Russell Talbot released that Rogue from his cage, he caused the death of my pack member and for his loved ones I will seek retribution with Russell Talbot's blood. I will not accept that he is your's alone to deal with, but I do appreciate your desire to deal with your own Jason. I will not disrespect that, but I do demand that I have a hand in your decision regarding the boy" Ian did not break his resolve which only caused Jason to grow more irritated.

Of course Ian had a right, Jason knew that, but he also knew that Ian would want more than Russell's blood. He would want Russell to suffer. Glancing towards Eliza Jason briefly thought of the man Dana had chosen as her mate, the young man had been a member of Eliza's pack, his fate had deemed him as a traitor to Eliza, for choosing a mate outside of her pack, she killed him for it. Ian was more reasonable, but by no means would he be willing to allow Russell to live without a replacement for his retribution.

There was little Jason could do at this point without risking the treaty they held.

"My decision will not be made until our first threat is dealt with." all he could do at this moment is push the situation back, to give him time to think of a solution, to track down that damn Rogue 'Jack'.

"Preposterous!" Eliza exclaimed "You mean to say you will hold that boy up in his room untill we deal with Richard and his stray's? You act like we have already agreed to get involved Jason, you do out do yourself" she huffed in disbelief but a sly hint to her voice told Jason she was purposely putting on this outburst.

"I have never, nor will I, expect your aid in this matter Eliza" Jason replied smoothly. "I only thought you may be interested as Richards pack have no regard to wolf law or pack territories. he raised his eyebrow this time with a sense of satisfaction as Eliza narrowed her eyes towards him.

Above all else, Eliza valued wolf law, it was her pack's code, they never broke it. Jason knew she would not stand by if a Rogue attempted to disrupt that harmony and his actions to force un-shifted wolves into his pack was an unspoken wolf law. It was always up to the person to choose their Alpha. To be forced to shift for the first time under another Alpha was just plan and simply taboo.

"I will not offer my aid any further untill your decision is made" Ian waged.

"Then you risk not being able to hunt down the very rogue who killed your own" Rachelle spoke for the first time. It was rare that she openly spoke up in such meetings, but when she did, she spoke with conviction. "I will take your withdrawlal as permission to kill the Rogue ourselves instead of by your hand?" she questioned knowing full well the impact.

Ian fell silent, his expression pained between his thoughts before answering. "I can not give you that permission." he sighed pulling his hand across his neck "Alright, I will offer assistance to track down the Rogue and prevent them from infiltrating your grounds."

"Oh? You do surprise me Ian" Eliza grinned but her eyes showed a glint of excitement.

"I have my conditions, if and when you decide to make a move on them I will take command of my own wolves. I also want one of my wolves guarding Russell Talbot at all times until the time to make a decision on his retribution" Ian said.

Jason stiffened at his last request.

"No harm will come to Russell from your guard and he stays on my grounds under my provision" Jason was quick to respond.

Ian smiled towards Jason, it had no malice, only acceptance. "Agreed"


It was then that a soft tapping at the closed door interrupted them.

Looking up from the desk to the oak door Jason saw Dana. As Dana Spoke Ian and Eliza glanced to one another rather obviously as they took in the information that Dana was divulging.

It took a large amount of control for Jason to rein himself back from shouting at her stupidity. She was talking so openly about his daughter in front of two Alpha's who should not be privy to such information.

"All right, we can re-convene at a later time. If you would please excuse us" Rachelle Stood up firmly.

"Lets" Eliza smirked also standing out of etiquette as Jason and Rachelle moved out of the office.

"Where is she?" Was Rachelle's first response as they walked through the house towards the stairs.

"I made sure she was asleep in her room before finding you. But i'm worried, it's like before, she's sleep walking but this time she doing things a bit more extravagant than before." Dana murmered as they headed up the stairs.

"Extravagant?" Rachelle questioned.

"She can't remember dying her hair" Dana said all that she need too.

Rachelle paused as they reaching the landing glancing to Jason, her worried expression filled her eyes with a mothers love and compassion. "Jason.." Rachelle trailed

"It's okay, she's a home and she's safe. Whatever happens, there will always be someone nearby and we will figure this out" Jason clutched her hand as they reached Eve's door.

Carefully opening the door Rachelle tip toed inside and sat herself gently down on the bed beside Eve. Softly she began to caress Eve's hair as she used to door when she was little.

Jason held back and closed the door without entering leaving him alone with Dana.

"Alright, explain the situation in more detail. I want her watched at all times if she's sleep walking again. Especially now."

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Russell Talbot Character Portrait: Evangeline Sutton Character Portrait: Jason Sutton
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Once Eve had fallen asleep Russell made sure she was comfortable before he grabbed his jacket, and silently slipped out of her room. Russell quietly made his way back to his bedroom, and easily slipped in without notice. Once inside he cracked opened his door, and peeked outside to see his guard still there, still bored out of his mind, oblivious that he was guarding an empty room. As Russell shut the door his hand began trembling, and he felt a gnawing at the back of his mind. He let out an annoyed sigh as he turned off his radio.

Russell reached down underneath his bed, and pulled out a old suitcase. He placed the suitcase on his bed, and opened it up. Inside was a raggedy, burned old book, along with several jars with some different herbs in them, along with a tea kettle, and a single cup. Russell grabbed the kettle, and cup, along with one of the jars. He placed the kettle on his hot plate that sat on a nightstand in his room. He turned it on, and poured some water into the kettle from a water bottle that was lying around. Russell opened up the jar, and took a small pinch of the herb inside, and sprinkled it into the heated water. After he gave the water enough time to get hot, he turned off the hotplate, and poured himself a cup. The tea inside was rather bitter smelling, and it only tasted worst. With the cup in hand he sat himself on his bed.

He crossed his legs, and took a deep breath in, and exhaled slowly. Ever since the whole Richard affair Russell's wolf has been particularly rowdy, unsurprisingly that little taste of freedom was enough to get it demanding for more. Russell slowly took in the smells of his room, and then closed his eyes. He inhaled, and exhaled deep breaths in an almost rhythmic fashion. "Uniți în ceartă, împreună în pace. United in strife, together in peace." He repeated in between breaths. He then quickly chugged the cup in one gulp, trying not to focus on the bitter tasting tea in it. Slowly the world around him faded away as he got lost in his own mind.

Leaves as fresh, and green as they would be in spring slowly fell from the tops of six trees that surrounded Russell. The trees were off, unnatural as their bark was pure white, like freshly fallen snow. As the leaves gently glided down to the ground they began rapidly aging, soon going from the fresh green to a darkened, dry brown until it shriveled into black ash as it reached the ground, covering it in piles of pitch black ash and soot. The ground beneath him was completely black. The white trees was the only color that wasn't pitch black, in what seems to be an endless abyss.

Russell kept his eyes forward, staring into the abyss. He took in a deep, and heavy breath, exhaling out a steady puff of stiff, cold air, as if he was in someplace cold. Then off in the distance flickered burning yellow orbs, eyes of fire. The eyes darted towards him with incredible speed, but then abruptly stopping at the edge of the circle of trees that surrounded Russell. Even as close as it was to Russell he could only make out the eyes of the creature in front of him, not seeing even the body they're attached to.

Low growling filled the air, seemingly coming from everywhere instead of one direction. The ground made a soft sloshing as the creature pressed forward, sounding like someone stomping around in the snow. A maw of blood stained teeth opened within the darkness. A red fluid began dripping from the teeth, though it was the color of blood it's consistency was more akin to slobber than blood, it was almost see-through. The creature was still obscured by shadows, appearing to be a pair of glowing eyes, and teeth. The creature began circling, leaving behind paw prints on the ground, revealing neatly trimmed white grass underneath the ash.

As it circled Russell it's body began to show when in contrast to the pure white bark of the trees. It was a large black wolf whose fur perfectly blended in with the darkness surrounding it with streams of smoke rising from it's body. Once it completely circled around Russell it stopped in front of him. "I figured it was time for us to talk Fluffy." Russell stated, which was followed by a bark of annoyance that once more sounded like it came from everywhere rather than his wolf.

"OH DO WE NOW? I THINK IT'S PRETTY DAMN CLEAR WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN. JASON WILL GIVE US UP, YOUR BITCH WILL DIE, AS WELL AS JACK, AND RICHARD'S GONNA KILL THEM ALL WHILE THEY STRUGGLE TO KEEP THEIR HOUSE IN ORDER." His wolf snarled at him. "I know, but I'm here to figure out some way where at least most of that won't come to pass." Russell stated. "YOU MEAN SO 'WE' CAN FIGURE IT OUT?" His wolf corrected him. Russell merely replied with a groan of annoyance. "AH, REMINDS OF THE GOOD OLD DAYS, BACK WHEN YOU WEREN'T SO HIGH AND MIGHTY ABOUT LISTENING TO ME."

"WELL, GIVEN YOUR RASH ACTIONS THERE ARE LITTLE OPTIONS. WELL, IN THE END IT COMES TO EITHER US OR THE SUTTONS, AND I AM ALWAYS IN FAVOR OF US. WE'RE EITHER A BARGAINING CHIP FOR JASON, OR ELSE A TRAITOR FOR RICHARD. NEITHER OPTIONS I'M IN FAVOR FOR, BUT WE'RE MORE LIKELY TO SURVIVE THAT PRETENDER THAT THINKS HE'S AN ALPHA, RATHER THAN THE ONE WITH NO TEETH."
The wolf stated. "No, we're gonna figure out another way. One where Eve is safe, and Richard and his mutts are dead." Russell stated with conviction. "OH ARE WE NOW? AND HOW DO YOU PLAN TO DO THAT? YOU AND I BOTH KNOW IT'S GONNA GET BLOODY BEFORE IT GETS BETTER." Russell grinned slightly. "Well, I wouldn't call it a plan, so much as a notion on what to do next."

Russell's eyes shot open as he awoken from his trance. Russell let out a exhausted sigh as he looked over at his clock, he had been out of it for quite a bit of time. As his senses returned to him, he felt a knot form in his stomach. Something didn't quite feel right. He rubbed his eyes, and let out a deep sigh. "Alright, I know what I have to do." He muttered to himself as he pushed himself off the bed. He blew out his candles, cleaned up the herbs and placed them under his bed,and threw on his leather jacket. Russell stepped outside of his room, this time finding a different guard, an unfamiliar wolf. He was a tall, and burly man with long hair, and a matching thick, and busy beard. His scent smelled of a different pack. Russell stared at the intimidating man, eyeing him up and down. "You with....what's his name? Ian?" Russell asked. "Yeah." The man replied, his voice was deep, and husky, and he had a monotone voice.

Russell let out a sigh. "Does this mean that they've decided what to do with me?" He asked as he scratched the back of his head. This man was rather hard to read, he was like a big stone statue. "No. He replied. Russell raised an eyebrow. "Right.....look, I need to talk with your alpha, Ian. Take me to him. I'm gonna make this right.....I need to make this right." Russell ordered, standing up straight, and squaring his shoulders, trying to look as adult as he can. The guard looked Russell up and down, and then sighed. "Fine." The guard replied. The guard then pulled out a phone, and sent a text message. He looked down at Russell, and gave him a nod. "On his way."

Russell, and the guard stood outside of his bedroom door, with a uncomfortable air between the two. Russell stared at the man, appearing as if he wanted to say something to him. "What?" The guard asked, without even looking at him. "The guy....that uh......well, I'm sorry. Did he.....did he have anyone he was close to? Did he have a mate or anything?" Russell asked awkwardly, he was trying his best not to sound insensitive. The guard sighed. "Yes." He stated.

After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, Ian finally arrived to his room, along with the other alpha, Eliza. "So you're the Russell Talbot that I keep hearing about?" Ian asked as he looked Russell up and down. "Took some balls to call me out like this. I can respect that, but that doesn't change the fact that because of your actions one of mine is dead." He stated as he sized him up. Russell took in a deep gulp. "For whatever it's worth, I'm sorry for your loss. I take full responsibility for my actions. But there is something you should know, I'd do it again in a heartbeat." Ian raised an eyebrow at this, and clenched his fist tightly, remembering that he couldn't harm him.

"I did what I thought was right. I'm sorry that it turned out how it did, but I'm not sorry for doing it. I will do whatever I have to do to protect the ones I love." Russell stated, staring the alpha in the eye, not backing down one bit. "But that's not what I wanted to talk to you about. Like I said, I take full responsibility for my actions, and I'll accept any punishment that you think is right. I don't care what you do to me. I'll own up to what I've done, and the pain I've caused you, and yours." Russell stated. Ian let out a small chuckle. "Well, that's very adult of you Russell. But you should know that me, and Jason haven't decided on your punishment. It'll be decided after Richard is dealt with."

"I realize the position this puts Jason in.....especially considering......Eve is my mate." Russell stated. Ian looked a bit surprised, while Eliza listened intently with a small smile on her face. "Well, this is better than I expected." She chimed in, clearly enjoying this. "Yeah, I suppose this does complicate things." Ian replied. "Yeah....I love her, and I'm gonna do what I have to do to protect her. That's why I'm talking to you, and not Jason. Here's the deal, until I know that Eve is safe, I'm not going anywhere, your retribution, and alliance be damned. You help Jason in whatever way he needs in dealing with Richard, and once Eve is through her first change, I'll turn myself over willingly to you, and you can do whatever you want to me without Jason's input." He stated. It was then that he realized that he just said he loved her. "Well, you're gonna be in for a...interesting time." She said with a knowing smirk, remembering what Dana said earlier about the girl. Russell glared at her. "What are you talking about? Is something wrong with Eve?" He asked with clear worry in his voice. "Oh? Well, it was something about her spacing out, sleep walking, night terrors, changing hair color without remembering, and those rogues doing something to her, or putting something inside little Evie."

Russell was ready to ask more questions, but he was interrupted by Ian. "And what about the rogue, this Jack person?" Ian asked. Russell glared at Ian. "I'll deal with Jack. He is my responsibility. You don't need to worry about that." Russell stated, making it clear that this was nonnegotiable. "You know kid, I'm not completely unreasonable. If you hand over Jack, I might consider being lenient on you." Ian replied as he folded his arms. "No. Jack is MY responsibility. MY problem. MY family. I'll deal with him however I see fit. I accept full responsibilities for his actions, but I will not allow you to harm him." Russell snapped at him, with his eyes flashing yellow very briefly. Ian and Russell stared each other down, the air around them grew tense, and uncomfortable. Russell could feel the authority Ian had as an Alpha, the power, but he did his best to stand his ground, and not show any weakness.

"This is not a negotiation. It's either yes, or no. I'll give myself over to you willingly but I want your word that you'll do everything in your power to take Richard down. I want his head on a pike, and once that's done I'm all yours." Russell stated. Ian mauled it over in his mind. "And what about Jason? He won't be too happy about this." He reminded him. "Jason might be my alpha, but I'm my own man. I can make my own decisions....but he can't know about this. No one else can know about this. If the rest of the pack knew they'd think Jason gave me over to you, and that makes Jason look bad to the rest of the pack....and Eve will never forgive him.....so we have to keep him, and the rest of them out of this. I'd rather have Eve hate me than her own father."

Ian nodded. "Alright. As long as you keep up your end, I'll honor mine. But I'm gonna keep Hank here to watch you, to make sure you don't run away." Ian stated as he gestured towards the guard, this Hank. Russell looked at Hank, and then back to Ian, and gave him a agreeing nod. Russell then turned his attention to Eliza. "And you, you're gonna provide whatever help Jason needs as well." Russell stated, almost ordering the female alpha. Eliza glared at him. "Watch your tone stray. I have no problem ripping your throat out." She snarled at him. "Neither do I. But you are gonna help to deal with Richard, because it's in your best interest." He growled back.

"Richard is a much bigger problem than you think he is. You think he'll stop with the Suttons? He'll come after you next. Consider it a preventive measure. Besides, I've heard all about you. It ain't a secret that you, and Jason aren't BFFs. You don't like him? Well what better way to get under his skin than making sure the mate of his daughter gets executed. And the added benefit, of getting on Ian's good side." Russell stated, glaring into her eyes. Eliza glanced over at Ian quickly, and then returned to Russell, with a grin crossing her lips. "I like the way you think. But..." She then abruptly lunged forward, and grabbed Russell by his neck. "If you ever speak to me like that again, I will kill you. Jason, and Ian be damned. I will not tolerate your disrespect." She growled, and then released him. Russell rubbed his neck, and gave her an agreeing nod.

"I'll be more.....receptive of Jason's requests. That's as much as I can guarantee. But you may be right, Richard would most likely become a problem if he isn't dealt with." Eliza stated. Russell gave her a nod. "I'm gonna make this right. I promise." He stated as he looked at Ian. "What are we gonna tell Jason?" He asked. "Just....that you and me talked it over, and worked through it. Tell him that you still want a guard on me, but you're willing to be merciful towards me." Russell sighed as he ran his fingers through his hair. "Alright. We better go ahead, and tell him." Ian nodded. "Hey kid, look, no matter what happens, it took guts to face me, I can respect that." Ian assured him.

After that the four of them made their way to Jason's office. As they approached Russell could smell Eve's presence inside. He hesitated slightly before he opened the door, as he heard his name inside. Once inside Russell was surprised by Eve's different hair color, well at least it wasn't something that made her stand out. Russell immediately went to Eve, barely even registering Jason. "Eve, hey are you ok?" He asked as he stared at her hair. He put his arm around her, lightly touching her, he didn't want to cause her any pain, but at the same time he felt like he needed to touch her. "Hey what's going on? I heard that you.....aren't doing so well. If there's anything I can do let me know." Russell said with a reassuring smile. He brought up his hand, and felt her hair. "At least you don't look like a roadie for Evanescence." He chuckled slightly, but he quickly let out a small groan. It still hurts to laugh, even that little bit.

"Oops. Was the whole business about you sleep walking supposed to be a secret? My bad." Eliza smirked as she walked in. "Ah well, but you know what they say, honesty is the best policy." She said with a knowing smirk as she stared at Russell. "Anyways," Ian interrupted before either one could say anything else. "Russell came to talk to me, man to man. We've....come to an understanding. I'm willing to be more....merciful for Russell's punishment when we decide what to do with him. But I will be keeping Hank here to guard him." Ian said as he pointed back to the burly man. "Just to be safe. Russell has agreed." Ian added. Russell gave Jason a nod. "Oh yes. I like him. He'll make a fine son-in-law for you Jason." Eliza smirked as she mockingly ruffled Russell's hair. Russell growled lowly at her as he smoothed his hair back down.

"I'm sure you have much to discuss with the boy, we'll leave you to it, and we'll finish our meeting later." Ian said. After a respectful nod he left the room. Eliza turned to Eve, with a grin still on her face. "He's a keeper Evie." She smirked, and then followed Ian out of the room. Russell let out a heavy sigh. He looked at Eve, and then at Jason. "I guess it's time we talked." He stated. Russell let out another sigh, he looked down at Eve's hand, and placed his hand on hers, he needed to feel the comfort of her skin if he was going to get through this. "When you took me in, I didn't tell you the whole story because.....I don't know.....maybe saying it all out loud made it.....too real....maybe I was just being stubborn....I don't know, but here's the full story."

"I'm the oldest child of Jessica, and Lawrence Talbot. I had two younger twin sisters, Elizabeth, and Michelle. My mother was the Phuri of our family....er Alpha I mean. Phuri is just a word for the female head of the family. Most of our pack was of Romani decent, so we sometimes used Romany titles." He explained. "Anyways, We were a small pack. Just a little over a dozen people. Jack....the rogue I released, he was apart of that pack. His real name isn't Jack. His real name is Ben Moss. He was....is a good man. He taught me how to fish, how to track, how to play baseball. He was like, no he was my uncle." He continued. "I was seven and a half when I first turned. I was a....early bloomer I guess you could say. Because of that I didn't have a lot of time to prep for it. Usually in my pack you have to through a ton of preparations before your first shift. Ways to deal with the pain, to get pass it, but I didn't have that luxury."

"After I got through my first shift my mom thought it was a good idea to get me more active in the pack. She put me up to coaching the other kids before their first shift. Kinda like how I used to do for you. I guess I did a good job." Russell rolled his head on his shoulders, and let out another deep sigh. "My family, my pack, we weren't violent. More hippy, and new-agey than anything. But that doesn't matter to small minded assholes who are big on the second amendment. They didn't care. So a group of them got drunk, and grabbed their torches and pitchforks, and did what humans do when faced with something different."

Russell clenched his jaw, growing increasingly uncomfortable. "We lived on a farm, kept to ourselves, we were pretty much self-sustaining. But that didn't matter to them. They came, set fire to our farm land, and our houses. And they waited outside for us to come rushing out of the burning buildings, and then they shoot them down like fish in a barrel." A single tear started to trail down Russell's bruised face. "Kids that hadn't even shifted yet. Women....babies. All of them. They gunned them down. My family, the people that I've known, and loved my entire life. Gone, just like that. Like they were nothing...." As Russell continued to talk he grew more uncomfortable, and more tears began rolling down his face.

"My dad...he....threw himself out there...to get their attention...while me, my mother, and my sisters got out the back....they gunned him down too, but there was one guy who was covering the back. He busted in, and shoot my mother, and Michelle right in front of me....I had to carry Elizabeth out....I barely made it out." Russell began breathing heavily as he stared absentmindedly at Jason's desk. He could almost see the fire, and hear the screams of that night. "I....I ran to the woods near our home. But that man....that....monster followed us. I couldn't.....I couldn't..." Russell began breathing more heavily, almost hyperventilating. "I couldn't...fight him....so I ran...But...I couldn't get that far....Elizabeth was......crying.....I just remember running...I covered her head....and just ran....there was so many screams.....I couldn't.....I wanted to.....I was helpless."

"I couldn't run forever....I thought....that hiding was the best plan....I thought if I got her into the woods....we could just hide....they'd just leave us alone....but he came after us....he found us...and....and...." Russell's entire body began shaking, tears were just pouring down his face, but he still just stared blankly at Jason's desk. "There's was just.....a boom.....and her face....her face wasn't her face anymore....it was gone....blood everywhere.....I remember the look in her eyes before it happened....she needed me to protect her.....but I failed....I should have kept running....I should have done something else.....then I.....I don't remember....there was blood, a lot of blood....gunshots....screaming....then the next thing I remember was walking into a ER a town over, covered in blood, stab, and gunshot wounds."

"I don't....know how long I was in the hospital....but after I recovered I....checked myself out. I didn't know what to do.....I had to go back.....I had to see them. I went back home....it was all burned down....the bodies.....most of.....fused together by the fire.....I couldn't tell who was who....the smell....they weren't themselves anymore." Russell brought up his arm in a sling, and wiped away some of his tears. "People I loved....everyone that I loved...just...piles of burnt flesh....I....buried them.....I couldn't leave them.....but they just....they weren't my family anymore....seeing them like that..." Russell then cleared his throat. "Anyways....after that, my wolf, it changed. As much as we like to think of ourselves as civilized people, we are still, at our core, animals. And when animals get wounded....they get rabid. My wolf wanted blood...just trying to get to my own thoughts....it was like trying to fist fight a semi-truck. I tried to find them, any of them, but they were in the wind. There wasn't anything I could do."

"I didn't have anywhere else to go.....I didn't have anyone to turn to....I had nothing. So I left....I bummed around for awhile. Then I....I got wind of one of the men a couple months afterward." Russell stated. "I followed the trail, and it lead to some old lady's house. I sat on the house for a few days, just watching...and then he showed. He was just some twenty something asshole. He was one of the men, and it was his mother's house."

Russell took in a deep breath. He could really use a smoke right now. "I busted in, tied up the mother, and threw her in a closet. The son....I..." He then glanced over at Eve, and sighed. "I killed him." He decided not to go into the grisly details of the deed. He didn't want Eve to know what kind of monster he was. "I gave into my wolf, and I killed him. And the mother.....I wanted to kill her so bad...just....so bad. But I didn't...I cut her loose after I took care of the body, and told her if she called the police I would find her, and do the same to her, and then I would hunt down every last member of her family, and kill them as well. And then I left. Then after that you found me."

"Ben...Jack, whatever he wants to be called, I thought he was dead with the rest of my family. So when I caught his scent when we returned, and found him...." Russell then glared at Jason, his eyes briefly glowing yellow. "Tortured, and imprisoned down stairs....well I wasn't too concerned with the why. That's why I let him out. I didn't know he was gonna kill anyone. I'm sorry for that. But I am not sorry for letting him out. I would do it again in a heartbeat. Because I'm gonna do whatever I have to do to keep the people that I love safe. I don't care what he's done, he is still my family. My responsibility. And I will deal with him when the time comes. ME. Not you. Me. He is still my family, my pack, and I will not allow you, or anyone else to harm him. I will deal with him."

Russell closed his eyes, and took in several breaths, trying to calm down. "I appreciate what you, and your family has done for me. If I'm being honest, I wouldn't have taken me in if I was in your position. But I'm not losing more people I love. I will not allow that. I am going to do whatever I need to to keep them safe. No matter what it is. And Jack....Ben is still someone I love, and I will never give up on him." Russell stated with conviction. "So you do whatever you feel is necessary to protect your pack, your family, and I'm gonna do the same."

Russell then looked over at Eve, and lightly squeezed her hand. "I'm sorry Eve. I'm sorry that I love you....you deserve a better mate than me. I'm truly sorry that I can't be what you deserve." Russell said as he stared deeply in her eyes, fighting away any more tears that tried to show up. "Now...that you know what I am....will you...please tell me what's wrong...you remember what I said earlier right?" He asked, referring to him telling her that she could talk to him. "Please....I just....I need to know that you're ok....I need to know if there's something I can do. I just....I can't be powerless....if you don't want anything to do with me, I understand....but I just need to know you're alright."

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Character Portrait: Russell Talbot Character Portrait: Evangeline Sutton Character Portrait: Jason Sutton
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Phoebe


Eve's words burned through her. She felt disgust and fury from her wolf as she realized she was disappointed that Eve had not taken her life. The human part of her understood it would be easier to die than deal with the truth of her current situation.

Phoebe sat there on her knees not sure what to do with herself. Her mate, the man she had devoted her life, her soul, to was likely either irreparably damaged from years of abuse from the rogue alpha and she had let it happen....or he was a traitor and she would have to rip his heart out like he had done to hers.

Phoebe shook hetself and stood. When had she become so pathetic? How was she supposed to protect others if she was desperately trying to leave the world of the living. She needed to shape up! She had things to do before she went after her mate. She set aside her own feelings and headed to go speat with her alpha.

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Character Portrait: Russell Talbot Character Portrait: Evangeline Sutton Character Portrait: Jason Sutton
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Reluctant Heroes | AmaLee
"Never let your past experiences harm your future. Your past can't be altered, and your future doesn't deserve that punishment."


Before her father had a chance to respond to her pleas, Russell entered the office after a light rap on the door announced his presence. She knew before he had even touched the door that he was outside the room, however, having smelled and sensed him nearby, so she wasn't surprised when he appeared. Looking over her shoulder as much as she could in her current physical state, she met his gaze, a small tangled flurry curling inside of her stomach - one of both nervousness and happiness to see him.

Eve could see his eyes take in her hair color, causing her to look away slightly, unable to return her gaze to his as he took it in. She could feel the uncertainty and worry radiating off of him over the change, and she immediately caught on that he had found out about what had happened - or what had happened without anyone knowing, including herself. Whether or not he realized that even she lacked the information on when and how she had dyed her hair back, she didn't know, but the worry was obvious in the air between them.

"Eve, hey are you ok?"

She tensed a little bit as he put his arm around her shoulders before forcing herself to relax, the pain in her body reacting only slightly to the touch. His question held concern and pity in his voice, the latter something she hated having directed at her with a burning passion. She didn't mind when people worried for her, or were angry - or really any other emotions. Only pity irritated her deep within her soul.

She brushed off the annoyance and turned her gaze to meet his once more.

"Hey what's going on? I heard that you.....aren't doing so well. If there's anything I can do let me know. At least you don't look like a roadie for Evanescence."

"Oops. Was the whole business about you sleep walking supposed to be a secret? My bad. Ah well, but you know what they say, honesty is the best policy."

Allowing a smile to cross her face, Eve shrugged just enough so that it was noticeable, ignoring the sharp pain that shot throughout her in protest, and addressed Eliza with a sickening sweetness.

Kill them with kindness, as her grandmother used to say.

"'Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom.' Thomas Jefferson. Perhaps you should take your own advice, and the advice of intellectuals from the past, Eliza," she said sweetly, giving her a bright smile before turning back to Russell. Eliza sputtered, her face growing slightly red in anger, but before she could speak Eve responded to Russell.

"It's nothing that I can't handle, and it's nothing major. And I'll have you know that I like Evanescence, thank you very much," she said with a sassy tone, her finger jabbing lightly against a clear portion of his cheek, but waggled her eyebrows at him to show that she was only joking.

Anyways, Russell came to talk to me, man to man. We've....come to an understanding. I'm willing to be more....merciful for Russell's punishment when we decide what to do with him. But I will be keeping Hank here to guard him. Just to be safe. Russell has agreed. Oh yes. I like him. He'll make a fine son-in-law for you Jason."

Flushing a scarlet red beneath her bandages, Eve turned her attention to Ian and pushed herself to her feet, shakily but in a determined motion, and crossed the small area separating them. When she reached him, her hand moved out and gently took his own, a thin sheen of tears in her pretty eyes.

"Thank you, Ian," she said softly, her lower lip trembling only slightly. "I knew you would make the right decision."

Ian squirmed a bit under her grateful gaze, slowly removing his hand to rub at the back of his head. "It wasn't too large of an issue when he and I spoke. We've made our peace in the decision, and when the time comes, his punishment will be dealt in the way we agreed. It was the least that I could do," he said sheepishly. He turned his attention to Jason. "I'm sure you have much to discuss with the boy, we'll leave you to it, and we'll finish our meeting later." With that, Ian turned and left the room, Eliza smirking a glancing at Eve as she began to follow suit.

"He's a keeper Evie."

And then she was gone, too.

Eve returned to her seat, albeit slowly, and tenderly lowered herself into the cushions. When Russell suddenly took her hand in his, she glanced up at him, an obvious question on her face.

"When you took me in, I didn't tell you the whole story because.....I don't know.....maybe saying it all out loud made it.....too real....maybe I was just being stubborn....I don't know, but here's the full story."

Goosebumps and chills ran across her skin as Russell began speaking, and throughout the entirety of his story, she sat there and listened intently. Tears sprang to her eyes and she squeezed his hand in hers, and when a few tears of his own escaped and trickled down his cheeks, she lifted her free hand to gently brush them away with her thumb.

"Ben...Jack, whatever he wants to be called, I thought he was dead with the rest of my family. So when I caught his scent when we returned, and found him.... Tortured, and imprisoned down stairs....well I wasn't too concerned with the why. That's why I let him out. I didn't know he was gonna kill anyone. I'm sorry for that. But I am not sorry for letting him out. I would do it again in a heartbeat. Because I'm gonna do whatever I have to do to keep the people that I love safe. I don't care what he's done, he is still my family. My responsibility. And I will deal with him when the time comes. ME. Not you. Me. He is still my family, my pack, and I will not allow you, or anyone else to harm him. I will deal with him."

"I appreciate what you, and your family has done for me. If I'm being honest, I wouldn't have taken me in if I was in your position. But I'm not losing more people I love. I will not allow that. I am going to do whatever I need to to keep them safe. No matter what it is. And Jack....Ben is still someone I love, and I will never give up on him. So you do whatever you feel is necessary to protect your pack, your family, and I'm gonna do the same."


"Russell ..." Eve began gently, uncertain where to begin. He cut her off before she could continue, though.

"I'm sorry Eve. I'm sorry that I love you....you deserve a better mate than me. I'm truly sorry that I can't be what you deserve. Now...that you know what I am....will you...please tell me what's wrong...you remember what I said earlier right? Please....I just....I need to know that you're ok....I need to know if there's something I can do. I just....I can't be powerless....if you don't want anything to do with me, I understand....but I just need to know you're alright."

A few moments of utter silence ticked by, the office holding an air that was mixed with shock and uncertainty.

What Russell had said struck her in areas of her emotions that she had yet to realize that she even had. Her inner wolf roiled within her, craning with fury over what he had been forced to endure. The fact that he had gone through events such as those infuriated her, and she felt her free hand clenching in anger. No one deserved to go through something like that, especially not him, and the fact that he had held what had happened to himself for so long struck a chord deep within her.

Another part of her, however, was slightly guilty. Despite everything that had happened to him, she knew without a doubt that the Rogue that used to belong to his families' pack did not deserve to live and would be nearly impossible to rehabilitate. And the risk of attempting to do so was too high. To bring him back around the Sutton Pack wasn't something anyone would agree to allow.

Including herself.

Looking down at her lap, she gently removed her hand from his before she spoke, starting with the last thing he had said.

"I can't tell you what's wrong ... Because I don't know what it is," she said quietly, clenching her hands in her lap. "Something ... Is very wrong, and when you ask me that question ... I'm not able to answer it, because I don't know what the answer is. And not knowing what's wrong ... Scares me."

Inhaling slowly, Eve raised her gaze to Russell's.

"Can I speak with you alone, please?" she asked, rising to her feet slowly. She made her way to the door, giving him the option to follow, and once she was in the hallway she took his hand and led him down the hall and into the large living area, which held several game tables, a few book shelves, a couple of couches, and a large flat screen television with an array of gaming devices hooked up to it. Stopping at one of the couches, she lowered herself down to it and motioned for him to follow suit.

"Russell ..." she began, fidgeting a bit before composing herself and looking up at him.

"I love you. I really do. And telling my father and myself something like that ... Must have been nearly impossible for you. I'm here for you, and I'm honest to God happy that you trust me enough to tell me what happened. No one deserves to go through what you did, least of all you, and I'm so sorry you had to live through that."

Taking his hands between her own, she lifted them and cradled them near her chest.

"But no matter what your past with this Ben man may be, the fact of the matter is that he chose the path that he's on. He could have done and become a lot of things, and he chose to become a hostile, out of control killer, without any actual motive in mind," she said gently. "He has no plans for what he wants to accomplish. At least after your ordeal, you had a reason. You wanted revenge, and no one can blame you for what you did. With Jack ... Ben ... Whatever he calls himself ... He's simply a mindless killer. I understand that he's your only link back to your family, and I can understand why you want to save him. But you need to keep in mind that maybe ... He isn't able to be saved," she told him quietly.

Lowering his hands to the area between their legs, she squeezed his fingers.

"Russell, you need to be prepared for what might happen. If he can't be rehabilitated, than he'll need to be taken care of - whether or not you do it yourself. He's a killer, and we can't put any other people at risk - wolf or human. As much as it pains me to say this, he isn't worth losing what you've worked so hard to accomplish. You've come so far since my parents accepted you into our pack, and I don't want you to risk what you've achieved."

"You have a family here, Russell, whether you believe that or not. You have friends, family, a room with your own bed and belongings," she paused, looking down at her lap.

"And you have me," she said quietly. When she looked at him again, there were tears gathered in her eyes. "Would you really put everything you have at risk for him? Would you really put everyone's lives at risk for him?" she asked, biting her lower lip.

"Would you really put my life at risk for the small chance of rehabilitating him, after everything he's undoubtedly done and could do?"