lay in bed. Staring up at the ceiling. Thinking of everything that happened today. I glanced over at the sleeping form of Nathen. Sprawled out on the second small twin bed, on the other side of the bed. I hadn't needed to chain him down from trying to commit suicide, which was a relief. His brown hair was covering his eyes. He still hadn't gotten clean, and oddly enough, it didn't bug me. Usually uncleanliness did bug me. But today, I was sluggish, and didn't really care. He lay on his left right side, facing us. His back to the bathroom door. One arm propped under his head and the other curled up beside him. He had his knees to his chest, like an insecure child. I glanced over on the other side of my bed. Looking at Achillies. He lay on his back. Sprawled comfortably. Both hands under his head. His hair forming a brown and red halo around his shoulders, contrasting with the bleach white pillows. He still had his t-shirt and jeans on. Unzipped, and his shirt unbuttoned. I would have also, changed. Into my usually attire. But only around Achillies would I have worn my XL men's Miller Light t-shirt. Which hung huge around my knees. With nothing else. But, with out new guest I didn't feel so comfortable. I had worn a loose women's t-shirt. Ripped and faded white. And some cotton black sleeping pants. Pulling the draw-string tight, it was perfect for sleeping. My hip-length hair was pulled into a loose braid. Not getting tangled around me while I slept. I couldn't sleep. There were too many things on my mind. None of them dierly important. But that didn't seem to make them go away. I glanced back at Nathen, remembering Achillies walk in. He just stood there for a moment, with about 20 burgers in his hands. His long hair moved in front of his eyes shielding his view of us. I turned my head. Smiling innocently, shrugging my shoulders. Nathen was still on his feet, face dug into my thighs. He put the burgers slowly on the coffee table. Taking out his gun. I gave him a harsh look and said, "He's crying." "He looks comfortable." I glared at Achillies. He glared at Nathen. Nathen was glued to me. I smiled thinking about it. Was that jealousy I smelled? Starting to slowly drench the air? Mhm, I think it might have been. He pried Nathen's fingers out of my reach. Nathen reluctantly tearing his fingers away from mine. I smiled, he reminded me of a kindergarden student not wanting to go on his first day of school. And I so wished that were the case. I wanted to help Nathen. But he was cat, I was wolf. Two different animals...would that work? At least I had the sympathy to want to help him. I thought more about him. If I let him roam around, without a pard, without a pack, or a clan of cats. He'd be anyone's meat. And that is not a good thing. There were some cruel dominants out there. Some harsh ones, who could do some bad things. Things that make you afraid of the dark. Things that make you afraid of your own claws, things that make you afraid of yourself. Maybe it was a good thing I took him in. I could kill someone on a whim. Shoot them. Period. End of the story. But, give them away to someone who will rip his joints apart. Down to his fingers. Leaving his body strown everywhere. Ripping him apart, after they tortured him for God know's how long. That, I could not do. I wasn't soft. I could be a huge bitch when I wanted. A smart-ass and a flat out pain in the ass. I liked myself that way. Made me feel more tough, than I really was. Stare down the barrel, shoot the gun, problem solved. Check. Turn over harmless Newbie cat, let him get eaten and beated, do something stupid that will fuck me later on. Check. What could I say? I was a softy somewhere under all that wolf and fur. Besides Nathen didn't want this...any of this. It was unwanted. That's what got me so angry in the beginning. Stupid bitch. How immature, just because she couldn't have his ass she goes and does something life threatening. I don't know about Jaguars, but I do know about wolves. You only have a 50 50 percent chance that you can survive the change. It's hard on the body. Very hard. Nathen was just lucky he was in good shape and health. Other wise, he would have been screwed. I immediately grew a protective streak for Nathen, but I really couldn't help it. I had a path with these kind of things. Unwanted kind of things. Memories that should be dead and barried like to come out of the graved; every once in a while. I let out a long breath. Looking at the popcorn ceiling. I closed my mind, trying to think of the scratchy blanketing covering one of my legs. Actually it helped, because I woke up finding Nathen at my feet. I breathed out. Glancing at the clock wondering how long I'd been granted sleep. I looked over at Achillies, who now had his back to me. I wiggled my sock covered toes finding Nathen tangled in a mess constricing with my legs and feet, and his whole body. I yawned, looking around. My vision was still blurry, and I was still tired as hell. I knew I hadn't gotten any sleep, I could still hear the night outside. I groaned. Moving my legs around. Curling up on my left side, facing away from everyone. Pulling my feet away from the Kitty at the end of the bed. Someone moved, and there was a rustling of sheets. I glanced behind me and found Nathen sprawled out on my back. His front cradled to my back. I felt his chest against my back. His thighs entertwined with mine. He was a lot taller than me, so the spooning didn't exactly work. I grumbled. Damn I was tired, and cold. I was cold. Except Nathen kept me unusually warm. He laid his face in the crook of my neck. Breathing in my ear...no. Not breathing, purring. The man was purring in my ear. My body stiffened and I suddenly realized the position we were in. I slid off the bed. Nathen, nor Achillies noticing I was gone. What the hell was I thinking? Stranger, unusualy predatorial werejaguar, spooning position, hotel bed, two bounties, was I insane? I grabbed my gun from under the bed. I scuffed against the icky green hotel carpet. Throwing myself on the other bed. If I were human, it would have been loud. But I knew I didn't make a sound. The bed was cold and stiff. Nathen was on the otherside, closest to us. And that side was warm. Life was a real bitch sometimes. I grumbled more placing the turned-on safety rifle under my pillow. Some reason, I don't mind having it in one of my hands placed against a crazy vampire's forehead, then I do having it loaded, under my unconcious head. For the first, security blanket, for the second, insecurity blanket. I was a strange person. While thinking of Nathen and Achillies, I somewhere between it all drifted off to sleep.
I woke up finding Achillies gone, and Nathen gone. I almost panicked. Telling myself to calm down. I swung my legs over the edge, smelling the air. My nose flaring just a tad to catch a whiff of anyone. Vanilla, lillies. Vanilla and lilles. My shampoo and conditioner. For a second more I listened and heard the shower on. Nathen was in the shower. I rolled my eyes, getting up. Hooking on my fluffy house shoes. Scuffing and huffing to the air conditioner. Pouring out ice air. Goose bumps rose on my arms when I switched it off. I rubbed my arms free of the freezing air. I yawned, looking over at the clock. 9:18. I had gotten some sleep. Good. It's a good thing every once in a while. I looked at the cheap hotel mirror placed above the even cheaper and older t.v.. My hair was still braided, and still pretty, somewhat. My white shirt was torn to see a side of my ribs. And the breeze of my back told me I had another back there some where. No punn intended. I put my arms around me, noticing I had lost one of my ankle socks in the fight of the covers. I toed of the other, not wanting to get up and ravage the mountain of blankets to find the other. The shower clicked off. I sat for a moment wandering what I should do. After about 10 seconds I decided to fake sleeping. Just to see what our new found Kitty would do. I hurried over across the room, pushing myself quietly on it. The way I woke up. A coupla more minutes I wandered if he'd commited suicide. I smiled secretly. Watching him open the door soundlessly. His body was wet and steam flew out of the room like the devil walking out into Earth. I smiled at my funny description. But I was caught off guard a second later. The man was fine. The towel hung low on his wiaste. I was small and short. And I was betting on that was all they had. He had a defined V line leading out of the towel. Along with a small thin line of brown hair striking in the middle of that. He wasn't as big as he looked with the monster shirt he had on, yesterday. I didn't take back the fact he looked like a body guard, but no longer did he look like a bodybuilder. His legs had medium sized calves. Not monster, but not invicible. Dark honey brown hair filtered over them, until they were lost in the towel. His chest was bare, no hair. Thank God. His shoulders were broud, more like a soldier than a butler. He had a thin waiste and like I said before, an invisible curve of his waiste. Lost in the towel of doom. The muscles under his abs rippled while he walked. His hair was wet and was clinging to his neck. His hair wasn't as long as Achillies, but thicker. Had more texture. And it was a darker shade of brown. But now that it was wet, it looked black. His arms were muscular, and his forearms matched. His hands were necessarily delicate, but large. And they looked tough, like they'd been through some serious work. He was an even color of tan. Mhm,nude sun bathing...I wonder if that's healthy. This is one of those moments that I would have typed 'giggle'. But, instead I just smiled to myself. He turned his back to me, bending over the bed. Picking up his shoes. Woah. Wow. All of the above. All I had to say, was he was fit. And bubbly. This time I did giggle and he whipped around. I noticed for the first time, his face was flushed. A bright pink showed under the freezing dripping hair, sticking to his higher cheek bones and the deep curve of his, very manly jaw. His eyes weren't small like I had thought before. They were actually...large. I don't usually miss these kinda things when it comes to attractive men. Or maybe them pleading me to kill them, might have stolen my attention from their looks. I froze. Realizing he knew I was awake. I pounced out of bed, running into the bathroom. Slamming the door I threw my back against the door. God. I was a retard. This time I started laughing. My face was flushed and I was giggling and laughing like a little girl, staring at her crush. I smelled in deeply, the room reaking of Nathen. I smiled. Pulling out my braid, turning on the shower. The whole time I couldn't keep the image of Nathen out of my head. I really couldn't help it. The man was a, beast. Also, no punn intended. I ran the shampoo and conditioner out of my hair. Running my fingers through the silkiness. I sticked to my body. Forming a black and frame. The way it had to Nathen. Okay, stop it with the Nathen. Enough is enough. I've had my fun. I'm a professoinal. I'm a killer. I'm a nogotionalist. I am a grown up. All of the above. A built man, a beautiful man, would not tear my attention away from business. Business is business. I nodded my head sternly. My pep talk pushed me back into reality. I wiped the soapy suds off and turned the water to low. Rinsing a little bit more, then shutting it off. I got dried and dressed. I picked out some New Balances, with some old faded blue jeans. Causing a little flare at the end. I hated boot and ankle cut jeans. They rode low on my waiste. I wiggled my toes, feeling my silky women's sports ankle socks on. I slipped on a sports bra. With me, I didn't really need a bra bra. I already had enough. Slipping on an old rodey's band t-shirt I had. It was faded and the kind of smooth you get by waring it in over the years. The smell of bounty fresh sheets of the drier filled me with it. It was a little tight, but I wasn't dressing up fancy. My hair was still damp, and hung around me in loose waves. I rubbed at my arched eyebrows, getting them the way I liked. Not bothering with makeup. I looked okay. I looked in the mirror. Okay, the shirt was older than old, and smaller than small. It looked like a child's t-shirt. I groaned. Whatever, like I said, no one to impress. I felt strange with my shoes on inside of a room. When I was at my apartment, I didn't wear shoes. So I kicked them off. Stepping gengerly on the towel, so to not get my socks wet. I toed open the door and jumped through. Landing on my knees. I looked up finding Nathen and Achillies looking at me. I froze. Oops? I stood up slowly. "Ow." I said under my breath. Trying not to pout for looking like a little kid. I knew I already looked like one. I put my head down scuffing my feet over to the stale looking chairs. And now I was acting like one. Achillies had a frown between his eyes, and was looking at Nathen. Nathen was looking at the floor. I grumbled. They both turned to me. "Did I miss something?" "No." I opened my wider looking at Achillies. I looked over at Nathen. "Nathen?" Making it a question. He looked over at me, but not at my face. He shook his head. "We were just talking." But the thickness of his accent told me they were doing a tad more than that. "Spill." I said. I could put a lot of emotion in one word. And I managed putting a lot in that one. They both looked over at me. "I can't go back home Hunter. They'll kill me." I shrugged. "You don't have to." He looked up at me. His honest eyes searching in mine for me to get up and tell him other wise. "I didn't expect you to go running back." He shook his head looking down again. I looked at Achillies, trying to read through his emotionless expretion. He gave me nothing to read. And the room was spilling with tensoin. "I'm lost, what's the problem." Without missing a beat Achillies chimed in. "You're just going to take him home wolfet, like nothing? That easy?" I nodded. "That easy." I still couldn't read him. But the tension in the room raised a notch or two. "What's so hard about that?" "Nothing." He looked back at Nathen. "He can go home with me." I looked shocked for a moment. "No." I said. After seeing Nathen's face staring at Achillies. He glared at me. "Why." It wasn't a question. It was too harsh to be a quesiton. "Because you're being scary. And he's new. And I won't let you eat him." For a moment I looked at him, really looked at him. And he was angry, that was a given. But before I could really read him he looked away. Shaking his head. Not looking back at him. "I can't let you stay alone with him. I don't know him. He's not out pack. He's a stray." He shook his head. And Nathen looked at me with those 'lost' eyes. And I didn't want that look in him anymore. I wanted to give him a home. I wanted to be his pard. Somewhere inside of me, Achillies was telling me the truth. He wasn't just being neive. I was doing a good job of that all on my own. He looked so helpless. It was the truth though, he really didn't have anyone. I was his only and anyone. I got up off the chair. Kneeling in front of Nathen, who was sitting at the edge of the bed. Nathen's eyes never leaving mine. I kneeled in front of him. Leaning inside the part of his legs. He looked down at me. Waiting for some kind of order. I looked at him with pity. I had pity for him. I didn't just give out pity like business cards. That part was shut up inside me, locked away with everything in my body that could bolt it shut. Yet it poured out like fine wine with Nathen. I took his hands, putting them on either side of my face. His hands were large, and warm. Very warm. I could hear the blood underneath. And the blood wasn't warm, it was scolding hot. Like liquid fire against my skin. I didn't pull away though. It made my skin tingle and my hair raise on end. He sat there. With me kneeling before him. "Would you like that Nathen?" He rubbed his thumbs on my fingers. Keeping my face a baby pink from the warmth. He nodded. He glanced over at Achillies. But Achillies stared him down. What was his problem? Nathen looked away, and I pulled his face back. "This is your decision, not Achillies. Would you like me to be your pard?" He looked at me again, searching inside of me. He nodded, again. I smiled. "Welcome to your home then." I smiled. Someone's heart was beating fast, very fast. And the anger was rolling in fine sheets. It wasn't Nathen's. His heart was beating a skip or two faster, but it wasn't him. Mine was slow, I wasn't excited. I looked over at Achillies who was turned away. Not looked up at us. I went to the other corner of the bed. Where he had turned his back on us. I did the same to him, as I did Nathen. I put his hands on either side of my cheeks. Except, threading my fingers through his, I hadn't done that with Nathen. "Look at me Achillies." He slowly, reluctantly turned to me. His eyes looking away. "Look at me." He slowly brought his eyes to look at mine. I smiled. His eyes looked at me, before looking down. I could read him just then. And he was soft. Conciderate. His eyes roamed, and he lifted my shirt at the bottom hem, just a little. And his gaze hardened. He was suddenly cold. And his fingers tightened on mine. And he shut me out of his emotions, like being slapped in the face. It was so abrupt. The heat and warmth I was feeling from them both was now cold and decelet. I was about to ask what's wrong before he touched the bruise. There was a nasty looking yellowish purple bruise taking up a good little amount of skin on my waiste. He touched it lightly and I jumped. Not necessarily that it hurt, I mean it did sting. But I was just surprised for a moment. The tension in the room turned to boiling anger. And the thick emotion was hard enough to walk on. It was suddenly hard to breath, like trying to suck in taffy. I opened my mouth to get more air. He turned his head to stare at Nathen. Suddenly, he picked me up by my hips laying me on the bed. Pulling up my shirt. I squirmed pulling it back down. He took both wrists in one of his hands tearing up my shirt. He looked at Nathen, hard. Staring at him. He wasn't trying to hide his boiling anger. Nathen got to his feet. "Don't hurt her." He was looking at me. I was heaving for air, right about now. I wiggled trying to get out. He grabbed Nathen by the throat. Pulling him close to his face. "Did you do this." I knew it was a question. But I wouldn't explain it that way. It was more of a promise of pain. Each word screamed danger danger. "He didn't do it, alright. Jesus Achillies, what the fuck is your problem?" "Shut up Hunter." He didn't even look at me. I wiggled out one my wrists free and sat up. He pushed me back down. Forcing me to stay. I rolled my eyes, what a freaking guy. I looked at Nathen. And Achillies, who had a very firm grip. Nathen wasn't breathing, or wasn't trying to. "Did you to that to her." He took one hand, pulling at my shirt. Lifting it to my neck. Turning Nathen's face towards me. I closed my eyes. "This is rediculous, it's just a scratch." Achillies ignored me, Nathen gave me apologizing eyes. He nodded, I don't think he could have answered if he even wanted to. "Just fucking leave him alone Achillies!" I was pissed. So freaking over dramatic bullshit. "SHUT UP HUNTER!" He hollered, that was really all I needed. I've never, honest to God truth, seen him this angry. His face was tense, and he was doing the thing where his jaw was flexing. Like he was biting the inside. I imagined he was. I said quietly, "He can't breath Achillies." Nathen was opening his mouth and closing it, like a fish out of water trying to breath again. He just gripped tighter. Nathen squeezed his eyes close. His chest writhing in Achillies grip. I judo chopped Achillies forearm, lessening his grip on my wrists. I used the moment to jump up, and do the same to the tight grip on Nathen's neck. I managed to surprise him, though I already knew if he wanted me down, there was no way I could have stopped him. But maybe, I had actually caught the one and only, great Achillies off guard. I pushed Nathen to the ground, standing in front of him. While he scurried to his feet. "You will not do harm unto him Achillies." "Just like he did to you!" He hollered. I closed my eyes, pulling at my shirt to come down. I was suddenly glad I was wearing a bra. I sighed. The male testosterone reaking from Achillies was enough to drown in. "Just leave him alone." He shot off the bed. Pulling at his hair to go behind his ears. His chest was rising and falling rapidly. His hands were clentched into fists. "He will not stay alone with you. There is no fucking way." Achillies never cussed. Not ever. It was so weird hearing him so that. Like staring at a dog while it was talking to a human. I just kind of looked at him. "If he is staying at your house, I am staying at your house." I was shocked for a minute. I just kinda shocked. I opened my mouth to protest, I really didn't mind him staying. He'd done it many times before. I was really only fearful for Nathen's sake. "No." Nathen's voice was quiet. Unsure. "Maybe I should go back to my Master." "He's not your fucking Master, I am." He touched my shoulder and I turned around. "It's okay." He smiled generly. There was a thick bruise of a hand on his neck. Jesus. If Nathen were a weak Were he'd of passed out. If he were a human, he'd be dead. Nathen was a lot stronger than what I took him for, and Achillies was holding on a lot tighter than I thought he was. Nathen was tough. I looked wide eyed at Achillies, who had calmed down a little. "No." Achillies said. "You can stay with her. She gave you an invitation, it would be rude to turn her down. She's offering you a home, take it. But mark my words, boy." He spat out boy. And Nathen's grip tightened just a tad on my shoulder. I laid my hand over his. "You so much as touch her again, you won't survive the next threat. I'll make sure of that." He turned around and grabbed his bag he'd already packed. He turned back around. "And another thing, don't get too cozy, I'll be behind you every step." He thrust open the door and marched right out. I smiled at him. It really wasn't a time to be smiling. But you had to know Achillies to want to smile at his attitude. It was like an old Western cheesy flick. I found it hilarious...boy. I ditched the smile and turned back to Nathen. Touching his neck. He smiled at me, though I knew it hurt like hell. He looked at my waiste. Touching it through my shirt lightly. "I'm sorry. I was...not myself. I would never try to..." I got up on my tippy toes and lightly kissed him. Not sensual or hot. Just a reassuring kiss. He looked shocked for a second. Then he laid his hands on my hips. Smiling softly, like a little boy. I had a feeling that he was strong, but had no unearthly idea of how strong. And he made me want to hug him, like a little boy who smeared cake mix on his nose, and I wanted to kiss it off. I stilled for a second. What the fuck? I backed off. Hugging him. "Don't worry about it. I'm a tough girl." I bared teeth. He looked down. Grabbing my bag and his. "I better go make nice." I raised an eyebrow and he kind of smiled. Gliding out of the room. I looked around the room now empty and stilled, going over what had just happened. I rolled my eyes, grumbling under my breath. "Guys." I said, irritated. Can't live with them, can't live without them. How true. Sometimes I just wish I were gay. I laughed to myself. Slipping my shoes on, and finding my other sock in the blankets. I tucked it in my small over-night messenger bag. Taking the hotel key. I marched out of the door. Wandering if there would be a war when I got out there.