January 11th, 1997
North of Baker Lake, Washington; south of the US-Canadian border.
A lone howl could be heard through the forest, breaking through the silence. On the cold wintery night, no one but animals would hear the undertone of agony that went with it.
Four figures shot by the trees, not heading towards the howl, but away from it. One was lagging behind.
Come on, Ivory, they'll be on us in minutes, the black and white one said, projecting his thoughts to the pure white one.
Let her be, Eamon, the pure black one thought. He slowed to a stop and stood beside the white one, nuzzling her side. She's hurt.
The red-brown and white one stopped, whining at Eamon. Vince is right, Eamon.
Eamon whined and stopped heading back to where Ivory had collapsed on the ground. Both Eamon and the red-brown wolf whined at the sight of the white wolf and nuzzled her as well.
Ivory, the red-brown one projected, you need to morph so we can carry you. It'll be easier.
The white wolf whined, curling in on itself, ignoring the pain of her injuries. Her green eyes stayed locked on the ground, and it seemed as if there were tears forming. Just let me die, she projected, sounding nothing like her confident self. I don't even know why you bothered stopping, Gale.
Gale whined. He knew the meaning behind her words - now that they belonged to no pack, there was no reason to treat her as a superior. Because you're our friend... this goes beyond the pack connection, Ivory.
With a whine, a shimmer passed in Ivory's eyes and her wolf-form broke out in light, blinding the others momentarily. When the light dyed down, her naked human figure greeted their eyes.
Nakedness was not something wolves stumbled over. It was all the same, wolf-form, clothes, no clothes. They had become so used to seeing each other it didn't bother them.
Vince and Eamon helped Ivory onto Gale's back, and Ivory locked her arms around Gale's thick throat, burying her head into his fur and almost nuzzling him.
I can't believe she finally did it, Eamon projected as they ran south towards California.
Gale whined and shared a look with Vince. It was bound to happen. He was about to kill an innocent person.
But they were in love. Eamon said, his brown eyes flashing. And I can't believe Ivory faked her strength at the beginning.
She's got to be one of the oldest out there. The older you get, the more experience and strength you gain. Gale replied.
Shut up, you two, Vince growled. We have more pressing matters then talking about this. Pour on the speed, I have a company to look after.
Further north, the wolf that had been howling had collapsed. Several other wolves surrounded it, the rest had gone to chase away the group of four.
The wolf on the ground had the same colorings as a Gray Wolf, but it was much larger. All werewolves were larger then other wolves.
It'll be okay, Wade. You can get your revenge, you can start plotting, the Eurasian Wolf said.
You already know where Vince works, the red and white one said. He had the same coloring as a Mexican Wolf.
Obviously she was under Vince's instructions, the first wolf stated. The red and white one whined in agreement, and the two tried to get the alpha to his feet.
Leave me, the alpha said, shaking them off. Wounds were everywhere on his body. I need to think.
The other wolves looked at each other and back at the alpha before bowing and walking away. If they new their alpha like they thought, he'd be content just sitting there and thinking of his revenge - because of course he'd be taking revenge.
Raw, July 14th, 2010
"How are you planning on solving this problem, Mr. McMahon?" Josh Matthews asked, stopping the chairman in his steps.
"I'm getting the solution right now, Josh, so don't you worry about it. In two weeks time, The Nexus will be a thing of the past." Vince said briskly, almost shoving Matthews out of the way.
The camera man followed Vince as he walked out into the car park. Josh Matthews was right behind them. "Excuse me sir, who are you waiting for?"
"You'll find out soon enough." Vince said. He walked off towards a motorcycle that had just entered, directing it to a space next to his car.
On commentary, Michael Cole was talking. "She must be pretty important if she's parked next... to..." He trailed off as the woman dismounted the motorcycle. She pulled off her helmet and let red-violet hair cascade down past her shoulders and partially cover the light blue jean vest that revealed her mid-drift. Ankle boots shot her height to at least six-foot three inches, and black leather pants covered her legs. Emerald green eyes focused on Vince and a little smirk passed over her face.
"Ivory, how wonderful-" Vince started. The woman pushed past him and past the camera. Vince had to jog to keep up with her long strides.
"My bags will be here shortly. They'll be put into my bus without hesitation and you will pay them for any troubles they had." She spoke with a slight english accent, and her tone held more authority then most.
"Of course." Vince said.
Again on commentary, Cole was the one to speak up from speechlessness. "Ivory must be a pretty important person. Did you see the way she walked pass Vince?"
8 hours earlier.
"We have a problem, Ivory." Vince said across the phone. Ivory rolled her eyes but continued to pack what she was going to need. "I figure you've seen the footage we sent you. Wade has gone too far with this. Our past with him gives us his motive - I need some one to come in and settle him down. I can't get through to him. But you and I both know you can."
"You don't beat around the bush, do you?" Ivory asked, smiling a little bit. She walked into the bathroom and poured her make-up contents into the sink, trying to find the right eyeshadow. She needed earthy colours to bring out her eyes.
"I've learnt not to do that with you, Ivory."
"Smart man." She laughed. She found the eyeshadow trio that she was looking for and then started to apply the brown eyeliner. "So what's in it for me?"
"You get free accommodation, free selection of clothes. Maybe even a permanent job within the company. What do you want?"
Ivory smiled. "Well, since you asked... I wouldn't mind having a half time job there. Maybe be the official consultant of the WWE. Both brands."
"Yes, that could work. It would be nice having an old friend around. And it may be impolite of my to ask but-"
"I've been alive for more then three centuries, Vince, and you're going to ask me what my qualifications are?"
"Well... not now since you've reminded me. Anyway. I'd appreciate if you came in tonight to the arena. I'll arrange a car to be pick you up within the hour, and a private jet will fly you out to us. When you land, you'll see I've hand picked your type of transportation. I'll see you at the arena."
"I look forward to seeing you again, Vince. It's been too long." Ivory ended the call and smiled to herself. Vince and her had been close at one stage. They'd been like brother and sister, constantly bickering. But that had been a very long time ago. Ivory had been expecting the call ever since the tape arrived at her apartment a couple of days ago.
Ivory slipped all of her make-up back into the bag and threw it out to her suitcase. Then she slipped the three rings onto her fingers and a necklace over her head. She stared at her reflection in the mirror, marveling at the colour of her hair and the way it brought out her emerald green eyes. Ivory knew she looked good. She stood at six-foot without heels and her body was that of Victorias Secret model.
Walking out of the bathroom, Ivory checked her bags before zipping them up. Then she sat down and pulled on her black Dolce Vita Joelle boots, waiting for the car.
8 hours, 5 minutes later.
Ivory walked into the building and looked around. It was impressive, yes, but not what she had imagined. It was messy. Her eyes narrowed as she felt Vince behind her.
"Do you not bother to clean up around here?" She asked seriously, sending a look at Vince.
"It's not our venue to clean. You of all people should know that."
"Of course."
"Follow me, we have issues to discuss. I'll get people to show you around. We have all the venues set up the same, so you only need to be shown around once. I haven't forgotten you're photographic memory." Vince stepped in front of her and quickened his pace towards his office. Once they were inside, Ivory took Vince by the arm and turned him around, putting her lean arms around him. Vince tensed, but soon enough was returning the embrace. Now that they were in private, they could show their friendship openly.
"I've missed you, Vince." Ivory murmured.
"And you too, Ivory." Vince took a seat and motioned for Ivory to sit down.
"It seems to me that you want something more from me then you're letting on, Vince." Ivory stated, getting back to business.
Vince shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Well, my people have agreed to bring you on as the official WWE consultant. This means you'll be featured time to time on TV and in live events. We'd also like you to work here as the Creative Department advisor that over sees all story lines involving the WWE roster, which means you'll be working closely with my daughter. That also means it's a full time job."
Ivory stared at Vince. "I co-own a company, Vince. You know that."
"Your pay will be double the amount you receive at the moment, and you will also get holidays off." Vince grabbed a file from his desk and pushed it across the bench towards her. "You should read it. But that's later on tonight. Until then, this will only be temporary and you will go back to your current job if you please in a weeks time."
Taking the envelope, Ivory stared down at it. She needed time to think. Ivory looked back up at Vince and smiled. "Thank you, Vince. I'll get back to you on it."
"You're welcome. I'm going to call someone in here to show you around, and then you can find Wade and speak to him. Maybe not right away, but sooner rather then later would be better."
Ivory nodded and stood, looking around the office for the first time. It was empty, except for the desk.
A knock came at the door, breaking the silence that had filled the room. It opened and one of the most well known superstars entered, her smile wide.
"Ah, Kelly. This is Ivory Jones. I'd like you to show her around, give her a tour of the place." Vince said from his seat.
"Yes sir. Ma'am, pleasure to meet you." Kelly said, holding her hand out for Ivory to shake. She took it firmly and shook, then dropped her hand and looked back at Vince.
"I'll talk to Wade for you, as long as I get to keep the bike." Vince just nodded, a smirk forming on his face. Ivory looked back to Kelly and they both left the room.
"So, rumor has it-"
"Don't believe in rumors, Kelly. They do you no good." Ivory muttered. She looked Kelly up and down before smiling. Ivory could smell Justin's scent all over her, and even then Kelly had a strong scent of her own. "What do you want to know?"
"Is it true that you dated Wade?"
Ivory nodded. She laughed internally at the fact that rumors were flying, but couldn't help her curiosity when it came to them. It was no secret that when they were in the pack together, they had been involved in a relationship of sorts. "Is it true that you're dating Justin?"
Kelly stopped walking for a moment and looked at Ivory with wide eyes. "H-how did you know?"
Ivory smiled at her and motioned for her to keep walking. "I have my ways."
The two kept walking while Kelly pointed out where everything was. It wasn't two minutes later when Ivory felt the blondes stare on her again. Ivory looked at the blonde and raised an eyebrow, waiting for the question.
"Is Vince afraid of you?"
"Vince and I have a long history. We both respect each other, and that's it. Sometimes I'm harsh on him, sometimes he is on me. It's just how it works."
"But you can't be more then thirty-five!"
"Young people can accomplish great things if they out their mind to it, Kelly. You should know that yourself. I had high dreams, and I reached them and more. Now I'm one of the most respected business women in the world."
"Then how did Wade score such a woman like you? He seems way below what you'd go for."
"I never used to be this cold." Ivory said, almost remorsefully. "I was a lot like you actually. I had my whole like figured out. Some bad things happened. Time passed, and I changed. Being with Wade was the closest I got to being myself again."
Kelly looked at Ivory, confused. "Then why would you break up with him?"
Ivory breathed in deeply and remembered the night from thirteen years ago. "He went against my ways. He was going to do some things that I didn't agree of, and we fought over it. In some ways, I won. But then I left him, because I couldn't handle the look in his eyes. He was planning on proposing, and I had broken his heart."
When Kelly finished showing her around, Ivory thanked her and walked off. She found a seat and sat heavily, burying her head into her hands. She didn't know why she agreed to this. Wade had hurt her, in more then one way. And she had repaid the favor.
"Ma'am?"
Ivory lifted her head at the voice and took in a man who stood tall. Tattoos coated his strong arms, and she could see the tips of some coming up his neck. She felt an instant pull to him, and the way his deep blue eyes shone told her he felt it as well.
"Are you ok?" He asked, his deep voice silky and laced with concern.
She smiled at him and leaned back into the chair. A feeling flooded her stomach and she knew she could trust the man in front of her. "Not really. But I'll live."
The man seemed surprised by her accent and the authority that coated her words, but he didn't let it phase him. "Do you need to talk?" He looked down at his watch and back up to Ivory. "Because I've got a good twenty minutes before I'm needed."
"You wouldn't believe me." Ivory laughed, rubbing her jaw. He simply crossed his arms and leaned against the wall opposite her. Taking it as a signal, Ivory sighed. "I'm hear to talk to Wade."
"Wade Barrett?" He asked. Ivory nodded and watched as a grimace flooded his face. "Well I'll be damned. They were telling the truth."
Ivory titled her head. Had he thought the rumors were not true? A quick smile passed Ivory's face as she stared into the man's eyes. "What exactly did these rumors say?"
The man shifted under her gaze and found himself unable to meet her eyes as he answered. "That Wade's ex would be in town to sort him out."
"Oh." Ivory simply said. She smirked as his gaze flickered to her eyes and remained there. "Was that it?"
Shaking his head, the man said, "They also said that Vince was afraid of you."
Ivory smirked again as she stood, almost the same height as he. "They're a bit... unflattering, wouldn't you say?" The man nodded in agreement. "Let's walk."
For the next couple of minutes, Ivory explained the same way she had with Kelly that Vince wasn't afraid of her. She also told him about Wade. He listened quietly and nodded at times. When she asked him about his life, he didn't hesitate to answer.
"I have a three year old daughter," he said with a smile plastered on his face. "Her name's Alanna. The most adorable little girl I've ever laid my eyes on. She looks a lot like my wife, Samantha. We've been married for about six years now."
Ivory smiled at him, but felt ashamed for some reason. "Congratulations."
He smiled at her and continued to speak until he was needed. They said a brief goodbye and Ivory watched as he jogged away, muscles bulging.