It's a Thursday!
This week has been insane. I managed to sprain my ankle, and the amount of doctors I've seen... the amount of treatments... I'll be lucky to fall asleep. Well, I've always got fan fiction, and I have an obsession with a super long pic (my fifth time rereading it, mind you).
I really don't like this chapter. It feels wrong. But I can't edit it, because nothing better comes to mind. If you guys have any corrections or suggestions, please tell me. Or tell me that it's not as bad as I think. You're choice.
I'm having problems coming to term with 103 reviews!
Big thanks to reviewers sthokatrina, yucie, The 0bservanc3, CheyennaBanana, Phiafairy, taboadayvonne, FlameDragonHime, little-flame1, WeasleyofFairyTail, misssbehavin, Thoreene, StrawberryWing02, Dark Shining Light, Stavroula99, Meawy, ghostbones, and Guest!
Thank you all so much for sticking with me as I navigate the world of fiction writing!
~BrennaCoris~
The leader's meeting was held on the fourth floor of the central tower. While the rest of the buildings had been left barren after the human builders left, the room the packs used for the meeting had been finished by shifters. A long, roughly carved wooden table stretched across the room, lined with simple chairs. The walls, built to be soundproof, were painted a light greyish blue. A thin off-white rug covered the floor and thick glass had been added to the two windows.
Natsu wanted to reach over and strangle Sabertooth's alpha and beta.
Jiemma and Minerva Orando made up the infamous father-daughter head of Sabertooth. The alpha was giant in his human form, with deeply tanned skin and very pale blonde hair tied back into a ponytail. His eyes were thickly outlined with black. His body was thickly muscled and his face was square; he looked like he could break through walls. Natsu couldn't see any family resemblance between the alpha and beta. While Jiemma was massive, Minerva was slim and delicate. Her black hair fell to her waist in a straight, glossy wave. She wore a superior smirk as her neutral expression while her father favored an intimidating frown. However, they both had to be in on the challenge plan for it to work, and seeing as Rogue Cheney, the second commander, was at the meeting instead of Sting, they at least agreed with it. Natsu knew that Lucy could take care of herself, but he worried about her. Sting wasn't known for backing off when told to do so.
Kagura Mikazuchi, a female from Mermaid Heel with long, dark purple hair and a manner similar to Erza's, stood to begin the meeting. "Are all leaders assembled?" she asked. No one said anything otherwise, so she kept going. "Mermaid Heel has had a shift of power. Arana Webb is no longer alpha. I, Kagura Mikazuchi, am the new alpha with Milliana as my beta. Arana takes the position of first commander while Risley Law remains as the second commander."
When an alpha was challenged and defeated, they had a chance to remain in the higher four power positions. The day after their removal from position of alpha, they could challenge the beta. If they lost that fight, they could challenge the first commander, and if they lost against the first commander, they could challenge the second commander. Losing all three fights meant the removed alpha was no longer in a position of power. Arana must've lost against Kagura and Milliana but beat Risley, which got her the position of first commander. Natsu narrowed his eyes as he looked over Mermaid Heel's new alpha. Kagura appeared far more confident in her power, which made her and her pack a bigger threat. He knew she was strong enough to stand against Erza.
"I invite the alpha of Lamia Scale to join me in voicing a warning to Fairy Tail," Kagura said. Ooba Babasaama, an elderly she-wolf that led Lamia Scale, left her seat to join her. Makarov leaned forward, his eyes calculating.
"We accuse Fairy Tail of sending a shifter to spy on our packs and territories," Ooba said. "It is against inter-pack law and if it continues, Lamia Scale and Mermaid Heel are fully justified in declaring war."
Natsu stared at the two female alphas. He understood why Kagura would want to go to war: she had to prove her ability as an alpha and there was no better place to do it than a battlefield. But Lamia Scale had been defeated by Fairy Tail in the past. Ooba had to know that she was asking for another beating, nothing else.
"Present your evidence," Makarov replied. There was nothing but a carefully crafted neutrality on his face.
"Multiple patrols have found intruding scents crossing our territory. They enter and exit through your border and each reeks of your stench," Kagura said. Natsu bared his teeth at the insult but kept silent. Erza would skin him alive if he put a toe out of line in a delicate matter like this.
"I fully deny sending a spy into your territory. Furthermore, Fairy Tail has had trouble with intruders as well. An unknown scent that identifies as Sabertooth has crossed our territory to meet with a human by the Concourse grounds," Makarov countered. "It is possible that the shifter moving through your territories rolled in our scent marks to disguise his or her own scent."
"There are no rogues or loners living on the outskirts of our territories with the exception of yours, Makarov," Jiemma interrupted. Natsu didn't miss the knowing look Minerva sent towards Erza, who returned it with a stony gaze. It was near impossible to rattle the scarlet-haired beta.
"The loner in question had lived on the Concourse grounds for no more than a week with plans to move on. She has been claimed by my first commander and will officially join Fairy Tail this evening," Makarov said. The attention shifted to Natsu and he remained impassive. Lucy was his, regardless of what they said.
"It would be easy for you to have her spy on us and then join your pack as a cover," Ooba said.
"Which is ridiculous," Makarov responded. "She was not familiar with our territory boundaries other than the Concourse boundary. Her lack of knowledge was genuine and none of my shifters have broken inter-pack law."
"So you deny having sent spies?" Kagura demanded. Makarov inclined his head.
"Yes."
"I will believe you, Makarov, but only as I have known you for a long time. You have never been the type to deceive. However, if another intruder is connected to your pack, know that we will take appropriate measures," Ooba muttered.
"Of course. I would expect no less," Makarov agreed. Kagura looked less than satisfied, but she kept her mouth shut. Overstepping the boundaries of common courtesy wasn't the best way to lead her first Concourse as alpha. Ooba was far older, so the final say on the matter was hers.
Jiemma took charge of the meeting. "Are there any more announcements from either Lamia Scale or Mermaid Heel?" he asked. Both alphas shook their heads. "Sabertooth's first commander, Sting Eucliffe, is issuing a challenge for the right to claim the female loner to the first commander of Fairy Tail, Natsu Dragneel."
Erza cleared her throat and Makarov signaled that she had permission to speak. "Where is the first commander of Sabertooth?" she asked. Minerva glared at her. Only alphas spoke during leader meetings unless the beta or commander were given permission. Jiemma gestured with his hand and Minerva leaned forward.
"He declined attending the meeting in favor of becoming better acquainted with his future claim," she drawled. Her tone was provocative and Erza narrowed her eyes in a silent dare, but Natsu quashed the anger and refused to rise to the bait. Attacking Sabertooth's beta would not be a smart move.
"Why are you issuing the claim now rather than at the gathering tonight?" Natsu ground out. Jiemma raised an eyebrow and permitted himself a tiny grin.
"Inter-pack law states that new members must be acknowledged by all the packs to join. Sabertooth's first commander proposes that the female should join the pack of the winner," Jiemma said. Natsu felt his mouth curl into a snarl. He had walked right into that one and the only way to save face was to agree. He hated the murky waters of pack politics. For Lucy, though, he wouldn't hesitate to fight Sabertooth's alpha, not just the first commander.
"I accept the challenge and the terms," he said. Makarov didn't comment, only nodding his agreement. Minerva smiled.
"That is all," Jiemma said. The meeting had barely gone on for an hour and Natsu was raring to get as far away from the damned room as possible. Politics had never been his strong suit, and neither had been patience or diplomacy. If Blue Pegasus didn't have any issues, they could finish up within the next ten minutes and he could go find Sting to kick him in the gut.
A short male with a large stomach and wearing a pink dress rose from his seat to glare at Kagura. Bob, the alpha of Blue Pegasus, was a weird shifter and he unnerved the hell out of Natsu.
"My Trimens report that they were brutally rejected when they tried to visit the lovely females of Mermaid Heel," Bob started. Natsu tuned him out in favor of staring at the window. Kagura gave a heated reply to Bob's accusation and Milliana joined in. Ichiya Kotobuki, Blue Pegasus' beta, said something about parfum and Erza shifted in her chair. Lucy had asked Natsu why leaders' meetings took so long. The fault lay solely with Blue Pegasus.
His thoughts drifted to the kiss he'd stolen from her. The response he'd gotten had been unexpected. He could still feel her nails digging into his back. He was aware of the reactions the mating bond pulled from her, but he hadn't expected her to look so desperate when he broke the kiss.
He just hoped his rash decision hadn't ripped up their slowly growing relationship.
XXXXXXXXXX
Lucy wished the leaders' meeting would hurry up and end so Natsu could remove the blonde shifter glued to her side. She had planned to send him running with a well-placed blow to the jaw that he didn't seem prepared for, but Levy had quietly informed her that fighting outside of challenges was forbidden at the Concourse after teasing Lucy so that her face bordered on crimson.
Sting Eucliffe, as the blonde had introduced himself, relentlessly followed her around and acted like she was already his. He made meeting other shifters very difficult. When Eve Tearm, the unexplained third commander of Blue Pegasus, tried to talk with her, Sting growled in warning. Lucy stared him down in a challenge of dominance, ending with her victory, and learned more about the Trimens than she wanted to in the conversation with Eve that followed.
"You know, beautiful, I plan to challenge Natsu this evening," Sting said. His voice carried layers of arrogance that matched her initial impression of him without a fault. "I'm sure my alpha and beta will be able to guide him into accepting some special terms."
"Care to enlighten me?" she asked. In the four days she'd known him, Natsu didn't strike her as someone who was exceptionally brilliant or cunning. He won his conflicts with brute force rather than wit and backing him into a corner in pack politics should be laughably easy. Keeping him in that corner was a different matter altogether.
"You don't have the mark of Fairy Tail yet," Sting began smugly, "so my challenge will extend to cover the victor's gains. When I win, you will have to join Sabertooth."
Lucy recalled Makarov telling her about the mark. "You're assuming an awful lot."
"Please. I'm strong enough to defeat him. Do you doubt me?" He flexed his bicep. The muscle bulged and she fought the urge to look away.
"Of course I do. Can you maintain some distance? I would like to meet members of other packs and you're making that very hard," she said. A beautiful female waved to her and moved closer when Lucy waved back. Blonde hair was pulled up into a high ponytail and her bangs were tucked behind her ears. She wore a delicate pale purple dress with a white sash around the waist. Golden jewelry hung on her neck and wrists, something rare for shifters - few could tolerate the feel of the metal. A blue mark on her left shoulder identified her as part of Blue Pegasus.
"Hi!" she said, "I'm Jenny Realight of Blue Pegasus."
"Lucy Heartfilia with Fairy Tail," Lucy replied. Jenny beamed at her, showing very white teeth.
"Is Mirajane here?" Jenny asked. To her credit, she thoroughly ignored Sting and his territorial growl.
"No. Why?"
Jenny flicked her hand. The bracelets clinked. "Oh, nothing. I just wanted to challenge her. We never got to finish our modeling contest from last time."
"Modeling contest?" Lucy echoed. Jenny's smile widened and she nodded enthusiastically.
"It was so much fun! I was definitely winning until a few males decided they were too immature to handle it," she said. Lucy tried to muster up a smile. She could imagine Mirajane modeling in the human world with ease, but she had problems doing the same for a challenge.
"I though challenges were fights?" she said instead.
"Normal challenges, yes," Wendy joined their conversation, "but the alphas made an exception."
"I bet they were glad they did," Jenny winked and strolled away. Wendy rolled her eyes.
"It was terrible," she informed Lucy. "The unmated males were going insane."
"We were not," Sting muttered.
Wendy grinned, "Only Natsu managed to keep his pants on."
"He had drool on his face," Sting interjected, his tone becoming threatening.
"He fell asleep during the challenges," Wendy forced out through clenched teeth, "while you looked like a starving puppy staring at a steak."
Lucy smirked. She knew all too well how Natsu drooled in his sleep - it usually ended up in her fur, after all. Wendy was winning the argument and Sting's eyes told her than he knew it.
"Shut it." Sting bared his teeth in a snarl. It disfigured his face and made the scar crossing his eyebrow more prominent. When Natsu snarled, he looked dangerous. Sting just looked insulted.
Lucy clamped her hand on his shoulder as shoved him away from her packmate. "Watch where you're stepping," she told him.
"Are you challenging me?" he asked, voice low.
"I don't have to. You'll have your ass handed to you later anyways. If I were you, I'd be scraping up my strength for the fight," she spat.
Suddenly, his face split into a large grin. "You have to kiss me," he said.
Lucy recoiled and removed her hand from his shoulder as if burned. "Excuse me?"
"Kiss me. Natsu kissed you, and for our fight to be fair, you have to kiss me as well."
"That," she said, "is the stupidest thing I have ever heard."
Wendy stared at Sting as if he'd grown a second head. Sting ignored the blue-haired girl and moved towards Lucy, his hands reaching for her face. She ducked and backed away. He followed her, eyes fixed on her lips. Shifters began to gather around them, interested in the commotion. Lucy wracked her brain for a way out of the situation without punching Sting and found none. She lifted her chin and challenged Sting with a dominant stare, which he returned.
"If you come closer, I will punch you," she told him. He grinned carelessly.
"That's against pack law," he said.
"I'd be defending myself from a pushover and a pervert. I'm sure an exception can be made," she shot back. Someone in the crowd snickered and Sting took a moment to send a dark glare in their direction. The snickering quickly died away.
Her mating bond sent a wave of warmth through her body and she sighed right before a warm arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer to its owner. Sting's eyes darkened in anger.
"If she doesn't punch you, I will," Natsu growled, "Think of it as me accepting your challenge."
"Count on it, Dragneel," Sting snarled.
"Enough." Erza stepped between them, her eyes holding a dangerous gleam. More than a few of the surrounding shifters lowered their chins. "You will wait until the gathering tonight to make well on your threats."
"Yes, beta," Natsu said. Sting only nodded in submission. Lucy felt Natsu's hand shift to the small of her back as he led her away from the rival male and towards Fairy Tail's building. He was showing off his claim again, and the heat that ate away at her insides at the realization made her reckless. They rounded the corner and she turned to face him, pulling his face down so she could land a kiss. He stilled for a small moment before eagerly responding, his tongue sweeping across her lower lip. She opened up just enough to make him think he had a chance before pulling away. His eyes were dark and a low, possessive growl left his throat.
"That was payback," she whispered.
"You're making it very hard to keep my promise," he murmured. She needed a moment to remember what he was talking about, but when she did, it warmed her to know that he truly cared about her interests. He could have taken her right there, effectively making the challenge void, but he held himself back and, for that, she was grateful. It made her feel treasured rather than simply needed.
"Think of it as motivation to win your fight," she said. His eyes darkened further and he wrapped his fingers around her wrist.
"I might even do it again if you win," she added. If he continued to look at her with barely hidden lust clouding his eyes, she would kiss him on the spot.
"You're playing a very dangerous game, Lucy," he said, drawing out her name as if he wanted to savor the way in rolled off his tongue. The heat was scorching her, converting her restraint into need. She would have to pause the 'game' if she wanted to win.
"I'd call it a test. I'll admit that I enjoy being with you, but I come with dangerous ties. I don't want you and the pack to be caught in the crossfire."
"Did you tell Erza and Gramps?"
"Yes. When we return home, I'll tell you too," she promised. He growled gently in acknowledgement and pulled her close before letting her go. The hard panes of his muscles pressed against her back. When she was with him, her father couldn't touch her. She wasn't worrying about what would happen when she was found. Her greatest concern was how much longer she'd be able to resist the bond while he picked apart her barriers with little gestures that warmed her heart.
XXXXXXXXXX
The sun was well past its highest point when Makarov called the shifters to the gathering. Lucy found a spot on top of a pile of wooden planks where the weak sunlight managed to provide a sliver of warmth. Natsu helped her push aside the topmost planks to reveal the ones underneath so that she didn't have to sit on soggy wood and, before long, she was joined by females from other packs. They had all shifted into their wolf forms since fur made for better protection against the evening chill, and Lucy had noticed that her shifts were faster when Natsu let her lean on him to regain stability.
Mermaid Heel announced a large dark grey female, Kagura Mikazuchi, as their new alpha and a slim light brown female as beta. Natsu had been explaining how shifts in power worked when Kagura challenged Erza to a timed match, and Fairy Tail's beta readily accepted. The two females matched each other in size and, from a glance, their strength appeared similar. As their fight began, Lucy found herself holding her breath.
When Natsu fought, he relied more on his strength to overpower his opponents. Lucy had watched enough fights between him and various other pack members, mostly Gray, to notice Natsu's preferences in battle. Gray liked to alternate between sharp jabs and long swipes in random patterns, remaining unpredictable. Evergreen fought similarly Natsu, relying on surprising her opponents with unexpected strength. Levy used her small size to slip around attacks and nip at weak spots that were left unguarded. Gajeel muscled his opponents into submission. Mirajane needed only to glare for any shifter brave enough to stand against her to drop to the floor in fear. Fairy Tail's shifters all had their own ways of fighting, but Erza - Erza was in a class of her own.
She was fast. Her size hid incredible speed that she used from the very beginning, and her control was flawless. Each hit was planned to be devastating yet conservative so as to not weaken her defenses. There were no slip-ups or mistakes in her attacks. Erza struck quickly and drew back to avoid taking a blow before returning to land another one.
Kagura matched her blow-for-blow, making the fight breathtaking.
"Remind me to never provoke her," Lucy muttured.
"Same," Natsu said. She sneaked a glance at him and nearly choked on a snicker. His ears had fallen slightly back and he looked ready to flee, the fur on his neck rising.
"You should know better by now."
"Tell that to Gray."
"I'm sure Juvia reminds him every so often." Lucy prodded his shoulder with a paw. "You look terrified."
Natsu took a moment to regain his composure. "You'd be terrified too if you had spent several years on the receiving end of those attacks."
Levy moved closer to join their quiet conversation, her eyes locked on the sparring females. Erza bit at Kagura's scruff, missing by a hair, and Kagura scratched her side.
"You know, Erza likes using swords in her human form. She even has a collection," Levy muttered. Kagura managed to force Erza into a roll, but the russet female ended on top right as Makarov called time. The females stepped apart and the shifters watching all seemed to let out a breath they hadn't realized they'd been holding. Neither Erza nor Kagura looked to be ruffled by their spar.
"I feel very bad for the shifter that ends up fighting her," Lucy murmured. Erza wielding a sword was an image that came easily and thoroughly terrified her.
Sting strolled into the challenge clearing as the females left, inclining his head to them as they passed. His voice was confident. "I, Sting Eucliffe of Sabertooth, challenge Natsu Dragneel of Fairy Tail for the claim on Lucy Heartfilia with the additional condition of the female joining the pack of the winner."
Lucy knew about the terms. Sting himself had told her and Natsu had confirmed them, but hearing them announced didn't lessen the blow to her dominance. She was being fought over like a prized pelt and she hated it, but she forced herself to stay silent. No matter who won, and she was certain it would be her bonded mate, they would find her firm in staying independent.
"I accept." Natsu prowled into the clearing to join the pale yellow wolf. Lucy could see the tension in his shoulders as he moved, the power he controlled clearly visible. A quiet murmur arose from the audience; the shifters could all see the rivalry between the two males. Challenging a wolf's right to a claim was a blatant insult to the male's ability to protect his family. For a shifter, losing was not an option.
Jiemma and Makarov sat on the edge of the clearing, Sabertooth's alpha dwarfing the older shifter. "The terms are accepted. Do not aim to kill. You may begin," Jiemma announced.
Natsu and Sting froze, holding a contest of dominance, before Sting broke eye contact and shot forward to attack.
Reviewer's Corner:
ghostbones: Yeah, it seems like all supernaturals just get dumped together. Maybe I should think about writing a vamp fic...
Meawy: Thank you so much!
Stavroula99: Fight? Oh yes. Mate? Teehee... hell yes! Just maybe a teeny bit later.
Dark Shining Light: Thanks!
Thoreene: I'm glad you like it! (And I hope I don't accidentally butcher anything... that'd just be terribly bloody and sad)
Misssbehavin: You can run, Lucy dearest, but you can't hide.
yucie: I reread your comment and it makes me giggle every time. :)
What do you think of the chapter?
See y'all next week! Cheers!
