A/N: Not sure if I'm continuing this but it's been sitting on my laptop for a few years now so thought I should just throw it out there.

—

Lucy hadn't expected to run into one of her kind in this town. She had been careful, never staying in any one place long enough for her own scent to linger, staying well clear of any claimed territories and skirting around areas where she had scented others hanging around.

She hadn't been able to scent this wolf at all.

The strong tang of the sea coupled with the pungent smell of the industry that thrived in a port town such as this had masked him - not to mention he was being swarmed by women, and the overwhelming scent of their perfumes made her eyes water.

Now here she was, jostled by girls on all sides swooning over 'Salamanda-Sama', trapped between the crowd and Him. As soon as they had made eye contact she knew that he knew.

His dark eyes were sharp, watching her too keenly, making her wolf bristle in response while her fingers fidgeted at the hem of her skirt uncomfortably. A familiar pressure was building behind her eyes, growing stronger the longer he stared at her. The pain was almost blinding by the time Lucy was forced to look away, brow furrowed in frustration.

The other wolf smirked victoriously and shifted his attentions back to the crowd fawning over him. "I appreciate your enthusiastic welcome, but I have some errands to run at the port". He leered at her and made to move her way. "So please excuse me" He snapped his fingers, and Lucy realised he had been using some kind of weak charm to attract the attention of the now thinning gaggle of women.

His view was blocked for a moment and she saw the opportunity for what it was. Lucy spun on her heel, moving swiftly through the dispersing women to duck into a nearby alley, all the while staying out of Salamanders line of sight. She took off as soon as she rounded the corner, determined to put as much distance as she could between them before he realised she was gone.

—

Natsu was tired and hungry as he prowled the edge of the town, staying just within the tree line. His wolf had been close to the surface recently, making his human skin prickle and his senses go into overdrive.

He had been holding off shifting, reports of hunters hanging around Magnolia had reached the pack, so it meant everyone had to be extra cautious. It also meant his temper had been snapping at its leash for the past week, getting to the point that Erza had practically kicked him out of the guild and told him to stay away until he managed to control himself.

Word of a small, sloppy band of slavers in the little port town on the edge of their protected territory had been almost welcome. It had given him a chance to run and soothe his instincts, no-one had protested when he had indicated going himself, most likely relieved to have a break from his increasing agitation.

He attempted to stifle a tongue curling yawn.

Running had settled his wolf, leaving it lazy and content beneath his skin again. Unfortunately, it had taken most of the night to satisfy it, even if it did mean he had made good time to Hargeon and he was able to avoid the train.

Natsu crossed his arms and leaned against a tree, languidly observing the town sprawled before him, his eyes following the clean-cut lines of the buildings and cobblestone pathways to the sea.

The streets were bustling at this time of day, crowded with people coming and going from the morning market. Natsu had no desire to struggle though all those people, trying to separate the smells and sounds in an attempt to get a lead on the slavers. His nose wrinkled just thinking about it.

He would wait until evening, until the amount of people and smells and sounds no longer made him nauseous, especially with his senses still stronger than usual. It was easier to eavesdrop when the shadows were longer anyway, and people were more likely to gossip as the sky grew darker.

His stomach grumbled, prompting him to turn back to the forest. A rabbit or three was starting to sound good right now. Another yawn escaped as he slipped around the tree he had been leaning against. Then maybe a nap too, there was enough time before things would start to get exciting.

'It's not like I'll miss much'. Slavers always liked to work during the night-time hours, finding things easier to conceal in the darkness. Natsu bared his teeth in a grin. That suited him just fine.

—

Lucy had automatically gravitated to the park, tension easing from her shoulders the further she got from the bustling streets. She sat down on the closest park bench with a sigh. Hopefully that Salamander had taken no more than a passing interest in her, she was quite accustomed to the look he had given her and it never led anywhere good.

Females of her kind were more uncommon than males, and lone females even more so. They were relentlessly sought after by un-established packs, and Lucy was more familiar than most with the kind of position a woman could be put into within a pack. Many males resorted to force and other unsavory tactics to coerce loyalty.

She sighed again. There was one pack she wouldn't mind joining, but she had no idea what their policy for new members was, she had heard a lot about them and one of those things was how strong their pack-bonds where, groups with strong pack-bonds didn't usually take on new members, let alone one of the strongest packs in Fiore, the Magnolia pack, "Fairy Tail".

"I see you want to join Fairy Tail"

Lucy yelped in surprise as Salamander revealed himself. Of course, it was too much to ask for him to forget about her - Not that she was vain mind you, but she was female and alone. Though Lucy's real shock came from not detecting his presence.

How could she have missed his scent? He wasn't masking it, either from incompetence or arrogance it didn't really matter. She had dropped her guard too low, put at ease by the lack of people and the comfort her wolf took in the pseudo-wilderness of the park.

"I've been looking all over for you" Her hackles raised at his tone. His eyes were too-bright as he stood over her. A distinct sense of danger was curling in Lucy's gut. "I really wanted to invite a beautiful lady like you to our party on the docks" His words were sharp and dripping with inflections

The pressure was back, making her grit her teeth against the pain. Lucy was glad she wasn't standing up in that instance, as her knees began to tremble. Still, she didn't look away this time until Salamander rocked back on his heels with a smirk, the pain easing slightly. "I know some contacts in Fairy Tail, If you come to my party I might be able to get you in" His tone was smug.

Lucy gasped for breath as the pressure disappeared completely "C-can I really join Fairy Tail!?" her thoughts were dull from the press of dominance, it was lucky that he had no real pack-magic.

"Of course" He all but purred, leaning back into her personal space, "But only If you come to my party" His parting words were more of a growl, forceful in tone, some of his wolf bleeding into his voice for the first time and Lucy felt her stomach twist once more.

—

It was near dusk when Natsu woke and made his way into town. A older couple eyed him up warily as they watched him leave the forest but offered hesitant smiles anyway, making him grin widely in return and wave. After that no-one gave him a second glance, as a port town, large amounts of newcomers passed through on a daily basis, so he was nothing out of the ordinary here.

Natsu shoved his hands in his pockets as he slowly made his way towards the port. There were plenty of people still strolling the streets to eavesdrop on, his most promising lead so far had come from a group of girls giggling at a cafe table. There was some kind of event being held on the docks, a warehouse or something had been rented out and done up all fancy. Natsu smirked at this, well he knew where to look first at least.

—

The sun had set by the time Lucy finally found herself at the entrance of Salamanders party and she was finding herself pleasantly surprised.

He had decorated a warehouse and roped off a section of the dock, it all looked quite extravagant with its lanterns and white-clothed tables. The guard at the door only gave her a glance before allowing her past the velvet rope to join the other beautifully dressed women.

Lucy stuck to the sides of the room, her back to the wall. Her wolf was on edge. A server swept past her and she took one of the glasses from his tray, hoping to ease her tension.

Eventually she found herself relaxing a bit more, although she never allowed her guard to drop, which is why when Salamander finally sidled up to her and spoke into her ear she didn't react.

"Hello again…"

She knew he was fishing for a name. "Lucy". There was no harm in just giving her first name she mused.

"Lucy huh…?" He inched closer, but she made sure to keep her gaze on the dancing guests. "What a beautiful name" She refused to look at him still, refused to give him that power when he had already coerced her into coming here. She felt his agitation, it was brushing against her skin uncomfortably.

His voice was sharp the next time he spoke. "How about we go somewhere for a private toast". His nails bit into her skin when he grabbed her wrist, wolf painfully close to the surface and pressing against her own. She was dragged out of the main room to a equally well furnished smaller one, quite obviously decorated for a little more intimacy.

He led her to a small couch and pushed her into it by her wrist. Lucy grimaced from the odd angle he bent it at and bit her lip to contain her growl of frustration. "Don't you have to attend to the other girls?" She was tiring of these word games.

"I just feel like drinking with you" He poured them a glass of wine each and held one out to her. Taking it warily she watched as he brought his to his lips, slowly she followed with her own.

The glass shattered on the floor, red wine spilling all over the floorboards as it landed across the room. "You drugged it!" Lucy shot to her feet, thankful for once for her enhanced sense of smell. Her wolf was prickling at her skin and the sense of foreboding that had been forming in her gut since their first meeting finally peaked into anger and panic. "Don't misunderstand, I want to join Fairy Tail but I have no intentions of becoming your girl" Lucy snarled.

Salamanders expression darkened, and she shifted into a defensive position in response. "That's too bad" He growled, advancing towards her with slow steps. Lucy held her ground, not giving him an inch. It was only when a set of meaty hands grabbed her arms that she realised her mistake. Salamander had been a diversion, as the only other in town her wolf had locked onto him and disregarded other threats.

Her lip curled in disgust as the resounding click of shackles closing bounced off the walls. He was working with humans. He had been the whole time. 'Stupid'. She had fallen right into their trap.

They dragged her out into the main hall again where she wasn't surprised to see the other unconscious girls being shackled and propped up against a wall. By now she was sure her eyes were bleeding wolf-amber and pale with rage. Her skin felt too tight, but she couldn't shift, something was forcing her to hold her human form. 'Wolves-bane, of course' Lucy gritted her teeth and thumped her head back against the wall. 'How could I have been so stupid'.

—

The sun had dropped below the ocean and the last boats had been docked by the time Natsu strolled into the warehouse district of the docks. It hadn't been hard to find the place he was looking for, it was lit up like a beacon in the dark with music and laughter and the smell of fine wine.

Natsu froze mid-step in the shadow of a building one over from the warehouse the 'Salad Mandy' guy was using. He hadn't been able to get much closer because of all the thugs hanging around like flies, he had already run into two of them, whose unconscious bodies were somewhere in the darkness behind him. Too bad if he swatted too many of them, someone was sure to notice.

Natsu's head swiveled in the direction the party was supposed to be in. It was too quiet. Eyes sharp and a snarl on his lips he prowled around the corner and slipped behind some crates.

The thugs from before had moved into the building, a few stayed huddled by the door, talking eagerly in hushed voices. Natsu's eyes turned wolf pale with rage and his nails dug into the wood below him, leaving marks in an effort to keep himself from leaping forwards.

These were definitely the slavers, and they had somehow managed to capture enough girls that there were spares. His teeth ground together as one of the men told a joke that made his friends laugh, it made Natsu's stomach turn with disgust.

When one of them made an obscene gesture, Natsu snapped. He stood abruptly and side-stepped the crates that had kept him hidden, spine rigged but gait smooth. The thugs did't spot him straight away in the darkness, but it was easy to tell when they did. One of the men grunted and elbowed his companion, nodding in Natsu's direction.

A sneer spread across his ugly face. "Well, look what we 'ave 'ere boy's" The apparent leader stepped forward, the rest following to crowd Natsu into a loose semi-circle, all jeering at him.

Natsu said nothing, his jaw tight and hands curled into loose fists at his sides. The grins on the faces around him only grew at his silence. "Ah… a quiet one are ya, if you turn around now we might let ya go. If not…" The leader trailed off as he shifted his stance, purposely showing off the glint of a knife in his belt.

The other men all shifted when he didn't move, one raising a hand to grab him before Natsu spun into motion. Crouching low, he swept the closest one off his feet and grinned at the sound of his heavy landing. he turned and stood at the same time, landing a clean uppercut to the next lackey, followed through by a knee to the groin while sending an elbow to the gut of a man trying to come up behind him. They both dropped, one groaning in pain and the other spluttering as he tried to get his breath back.

The next man was more cautious, his knife already in his hand. Natsu ducked to the side to avoid the weapon and blocked the next strike, grabbing the man's wrist. Caught off guard, he was able to push the thug back and deliver a punishing spin kick, heel landing solidly in the man's face.

another slaver came at him as Natsu was completing the movement, forcing him to drop to the ground to avoid a stab to the chest. Natsu lashed out with a high kick. Foot connecting with the man's chin and launching him off his feet.

There was only one remaining now. The leader of the group. Natsu's grin sharpened as he stalked forward. The man took an instinctive step backwards as he met Natsu's eyes, knife held before him in a weak attempt to keep Natsu at bay. Natsu slapped the weapon out of the man's hands and punched him solidly in the face.

He dropped like a stone.

Natsu looked around and snorted, they weren't even a warm up in the end. At least he had felt some satisfaction in punching their lights out. His smile slipped as he took in the silence of the warehouse. There were more inside, and this little confrontation had alerted them that something had just happened right outside their doors. His grin returned, he had always preferred a big entrance anyway.

—

There were splinters digging into her back from the rough wall she was propped against, Lucy held back a grimace from the pain as she shifted. There were girls on either side of her, all propped against the same wall in shackles similar to her own, not that they needed them at the moment, the drug that had been in the drink had knocked them all out cold.

She glared as one of them men walked past her, wishing they hadn't decided to tape her mouth shut so she could spit profanities at him. The man, ugly brute that he was, only smirked when he caught her look out of the corner of his eye. It made her scowl deepen, her glare almost strong enough to peel paint.

They were in the main room. All the girls had been lined up and the thugs were packing things away, occasionally congratulating each other on what a good haul they had managed this time.

Lucy's skin crawled with some of the looks they were giving the captured girls. Her wrists itched from the iron fused with wolfsbane around them distracting her as she looked for an escape.

She couldn't break the restraints, so getting through all the men would be difficult, not to mention there were only two exits, the front door she had entered through and the back that the men were using to move everything out of.

Before Lucy could further entertain the idea of getting free, there was a commotion at the front door. All movement stopped in the room as one of the men approached to see what was going on.

Lucy's surprised shriek was muffled by her gag as the man flew backwards as soon as he opened the door.

For a few precious seconds, the thugs in the room just stared at the sight of their fellow lackey, crumpled against the far wall, before everything happened at once.

The lights went out without warning, plunging the room into darkness and causing more than a few of the men in the room to call out. Lucy could still make out silhouettes thanks to her enhanced vision but even then, things were murky.

There was a strangled yelp from the doorway as the first man dropped. People were running blindly in that direction to try to stop the apparent intruder in their midst.

One after another they followed the first, the shadow moving from one man to the next was ruthless, quickly dispatching the next opponent before the previous one had even slumped to the floor.

Lucy's breath hitched as she caught the gaze of whoever was fighting in the darkness, their eyes burning with wolf-amber.