AN: I hope you enjoy the chapter! I am having so much fun writing this fic :D
I know it might seem like I am beating around the bush regarding the info for the plot (ie Riza telling Roy what is happening to him), but it is all for a reason ;)
Riza pushed her snout through the gap in the pine trees, sniffing the air. There was a bite to it, signalling snow was on the way. If she was lucky it would hold off for a couple more weeks. Both women didn't need their wolf tracks being discovered in the snow.
Peering through the gap in the trees, her gaze fell upon the Mustang household. There had been no activity tonight. The last light had been turned off a couple of hours ago and all was quiet. Riza focussed her hearing all around her. She searched with her hearing as well as her sight. To the west she could hear a small animal scurrying along the forest floor. The waterfall that lay half a mile to the east was a distant roar. The wind gently made its way through the trees, almost causing the foliage to sound like a river.
Riza didn't need to keep watch in her wolf form, but she wanted to. She truly enjoyed being a wolf, despite everything that had occurred causing the change. Night time was the only time she and Rebecca could be a wolf without worry, so they made the most of it when they could.
Rebecca had first taken watch over a week ago and there had been no change in Roy's behaviour. The person who watched overnight would continue their watch until around noon, or until Roy left the house and seemed to be acting relatively normal. When it was Riza's turn, she had once waited for Hughes to show up and she casually "bumped into" him. She briefly asked how Roy was, pretending to be nothing more than someone who was concerned for the man she had found unconscious in the forest. There was no change and he was doing well so Riza returned home to get a few hours' sleep.
The quiet watch at night had left Riza with a lot to think about, regarding what their next move was and where they could move onto next… Both women really liked the area and were loath to leave it. Riza knew it was due to the vast expanse of the forest. It called to her wolf form and she longed to run free through the trees without having to worry about being spotted. They wouldn't exactly blend in well in the city.
The worst part was they were safe here. There was no sign of another pack residing in the area or nearby. They could claim this territory as their own if they really wanted to. The forest was the best place for them, but Riza had to think of the future.
They had finally tracked down everyone her Father had taught and her worse fears had been confirmed. Someone else had been burdened with this against their will. Although Riza loved her wolf form, she knew not everyone would. Especially if it was forced upon them suddenly. Her Father had gotten to someone else.
Now that was in the process of being dealt with, she supposed she could track down her Father. The thought of facing him again made her nauseas. There was an extremely strong desire within her, urging her to stay away from the man who had betrayed her. But she needed answers. The most important one being why he did what he did.
Riza's ears twitched as a distant noise broke her train of thought. Her eyes trained forward, she saw Roy leave the front door of his house. His eyes instantly found Riza's and the two stood, frozen in place.
There was an unreadable expression gracing his features. Riza couldn't tell if he was surprised, scared, or simply curious as to why there was a two metre tall wolf staring at him.
Riza hadn't expected his senses to be as developed as they clearly were. Riza was easily over two hundred metres away from the house and hidden behind the trees, yet Roy had sought her out almost instantly. It had been over a week since his change, perhaps that was a normal amount of time for the body to adapt? Riza was unsure, her own changing being such a blur. She had been so terrified she hadn't noticed any changes until about a month afterwards. She was on the bus travelling to New York to visit Rebecca when Riza noticed it was easier for her eyes to pick out the scenery that whizzed by. It was disorientating at first, like having a glasses prescription that was too strong.
Roy made no move to approach, but he was definitely looking right at Riza. His expression changed to one of determination. She couldn't hide anymore. He would want answers and she would need to provide them. She needed to face the music.
Riza turned and headed deeper into the forest. She knew he would follow. Roy had always been curious when he was younger. Every time he had a break he would search for her and ask what she was doing. It always seemed he wanted to know everything about what she was working on. Riza doubted he would have lost that inquisitive streak. There was a silence as he likely weighed his options then the sound of footsteps followed her.
Riza walked for about ten minutes, ensuring they were in a secluded area. The last thing they needed was to come across any night hikers. Riza made sure they were away from the trails, but you could never be too careful.
She had chosen to rest near a fallen tree trunk. The roots had been pulled up when the dead tree fell, causing an almost shield like structure around the base of the tree. Riza spotted it by chance a few days ago. It also meant she would only need to keep a look out on three sides, rather than four.
Riza waited for Roy to approach. She could feel her heart rate increase anxiously. This was not a conversation she wanted to have by herself, but Rebecca had been up all day and night, so needed her rest. Suck it up Riza, you can do this.
A few minutes went by before Roy appeared again. His movements were cautious as he rounded the raised roots of the fallen tree. He looked like he was ready to run at any moment. Riza understood. It wasn't every day you walked into the forest at night. It wasn't every day that you came face to face with a massive wolf either.
Surprise, alarm, and fear flooded his features as he took in Riza's wolf form. She was sat on her haunches in an attempt to seem less threatening, but she still towered over him. Riza didn't move, she simply watched him.
"Wow," Roy whispered, his voice full of wonder.
Okay, good start I guess.
The fear still remained though. His eyes darted around nervously, as if expecting something to jump out at him. Riza sighed, about to change into her human form when she froze.
A tree branch cracked to her right in the distance, followed by low voices. Her eyes twitched, her head following the sound. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Roy had frozen as well. Good, he heard it too.
There were a set of five, or maybe six, footsteps moving towards them. After the branch cracked they stopped. A few had continued to walk forward, only to stop. One voice grew louder, their tone suggesting they were scolding whoever caused the sudden noise. Riza strained to try and pick up their words, but the roar of the waterfall and river nearby, and the wind through the trees drowned it out.
Riza sniffed the air in an effort to get an idea of who it was. However, an acidic smell assaulted her senses, causing her nostrils and throat to burn instantly.
Wolfs bane.
Riza shook her muzzle violently, trying to rid herself of the assault on her senses. Roy jumped at the sudden movement and moved to a defensive stance.
"What is it?" he whispered urgently. He scanned the trees in the direction Riza had heard the voices.
Riza's eyes started to burn as the poison made its way through her system. It wasn't enough to disable her, just become an inconvenience. An extremely painful one at that. The burn intensified, causing her eyes to water. She snorted a few times, trying to rid the poison. If they came any closer she would be out of commission.
The group were about half a mile away, there was no way they knew she was here. There would be only one group who carried that much wolfs bane on them.
Hunters.
They needed to move. Now.
Wolfs bane acted as a poison to werewolves. In its common form, a plant, it was harmful to every species when touched. However, Hunters sometimes carried pouches of wolfs bane and burned incense sticks while hunting in an attempt to trap a werewolf. Any smart werewolf would be able to pick it up immediately and avoid them. However, not everyone in the world was graced with common sense.
They also laced their arrows and knives with it, making it fatal to receive a stab wound from either. Vampires and witches were affected by the poison and the incense, however not as intensely as the wolves.
Footsteps began moving again, but not towards the pair. They were moving south, away from the Mustang house.
But Riza had always told herself, you can never be too careful.
Standing abruptly, causing Roy to jump, she strode towards him with purpose. They both needed to get out of the forest immediately. In two steps, she made it and lowered herself to the ground. Motioning with her head, she indicated he should climb on.
Roy simply looked on confused. "What? You want me to get on? Now, hold on a minute…"
With a huff of annoyance, Riza knocked his back with her muzzle, causing him to fall forwards. As a reflex, he reached for her fur to stop himself from falling. That was all Riza needed. She stood and took off running before he could even properly climb on. With a yelp, she could feel Roy hanging onto her fur for dear life. If it meant saving both their lives, she would take it.
When the house came into view Riza changed into her human form. In one smooth movement she reached around to her side to catch Roy before he fell. He landed with an "ooph", but he landed on two feet.
"What the hell?" he exclaimed. Their brief sprint through the forest had left him breathless. He certainly hadn't been expecting that.
"Go inside and don't change until I'm with you, do you understand?" Riza warned, her voice low and urgent. She scanned the treeline they had just left, looking and listening for anyone who may have followed them.
"What the hell was all that?" Roy asked, his voice rising in volume. He looked slightly annoyed at having been practically dragged through the forest on her back.
"I can't explain right now but I will. I promise." She met his gaze, trying to convey how serious she was about this situation. "Just go inside and don't tell anyone what you remember or what you saw tonight." It was time for Riza to get moving. She needed to warn Rebecca.
"No, you will explain right now," he exclaimed indignantly, folding his arms over his chest. That demanding idiot she had met the other day had returned. "You will tell me what is happening. Right now!"
His tone sparked anger inside Riza. How dare he speak to her that way, as if she was beneath him? Pulling herself up to her full height, which was almost the same height as Roy himself, she focussed a glare on him.
"If you value your life, and the lives of those you care about," Riza stressed. "You will do as I say. I told you, I will explain everything to you. I don't back down on a promise. But now is not the time." Her hiss caused him to falter slightly, his arms relaxing while they were folded. "I will be back in a few days' time. Until then, stay hidden." Riza walked away from him when she saw his mouth open to protest. She had had enough of his bad attitude for once night, and they had barely conversed for a few minutes.
She heard a cry of protest from the courtyard in front of the house, but ignored it. Riza took off running into the forest and didn't look back. Her sinuses were painful from the incense and as a reflex her nose wrinkled in an effort to shift it. It felt like she needed to sneeze badly, but couldn't.
Once she was out of sight of the house, she changed. A loud crack echoed through the forest. She just hoped those Hunters were the only ones about tonight. Only one way to find out.
Roy jumped when he heard a loud crack. He automatically looked towards the direction that woman had ran off to. He felt anger spike at her dismissal of him. How dare she speak to him in that way?
Calm down, he told himself. She said she would explain in time. Roy forced himself to stop and take a deep breath. Sometimes his anger ran away with him and it was difficult to stop it. He had never had this issue before, but in recent months it had become more difficult. Roy could see how it affected others, but in the moment he was too worked up to do anything about it.
In a moment of clarity he had heard the whispers and rumours about him. He knew his attitude was not a good one, but he found it near impossible to change it. Every time he would think of a decent response, his mouth would say something else. He knew he was being rude, but he couldn't seem to stop. Everyone just seemed to annoy him as soon as they opened their mouths.
Begrudgingly, Roy did as the woman asked and entered the house. He was still annoyed at her. He deserved, no, needed, to know what was happening to him. Roy vaguely remembered running through the forest, but it was at night, and he was not human. Everything was a blur and he barely remembered anything important. The only memory he held was blurry, but he saw two massive wolves, one with golden fur, and another with brown. They had haunted his dreams, hanging just out of reach.
The rational, decent part of him reminded himself of the way the woman had acted in the forest. She seemed alarmed and almost frightened. Also, in pain.
Roy stopped himself there. What the hell? He paused in the hallway as he thought about how ridiculous that statement was. How had he known how she was feeling? She was a wolf. Come to think of it, he wasn't entirely sure how he had found her out in the first place.
Roy had found it difficult to sleep. After tossing and turning for hours he eventually got out of bed and taken a walk through the house. As he neared the kitchen he felt an indescribable desire to leave the house and go into the forest. Shaking it off, Roy ignored it and poured himself a glass of water. By chance he had looked out the window and spotted a pair of yellow orbs glinting in the moonlight. Once he had locked eyes with them, the urge grew. Roy didn't know how to explain it, but he knew he needed to go and see this wolf. How he knew it was a wolf, he wasn't sure, but something sparked within him. A brief memory of running through the forest with two pairs of golden eyes by his side…
This was all very confusing and he wanted answers. Sighing, resigned, he would wait until the she wolf returned. He had no idea how all this was possible and he would heed her warning. The urgency in her warning was clear as day.
"Rebecca?" Riza called as she entered the house in a rush. She made her way to the brunette's bedroom, only to come face to face with her in the doorway.
"Hey, what's up?" she asked, alarmed. Riza noticed Rebecca's tight grip on the door handle. She looked as if she was ready to run if Riza willed it. However, that's not what Riza wanted. Sighing in relief, she smiled at her friend. Finally, the nervous and anxious energy left her body. She felt her body begin to shake with exertion after the adrenaline drained out of her system.
"You're okay," Riza sighed in relief, leaning heavily on the back of the couch.
"Riza, what's up?" Rebecca was still on alert. She took Riza's arm and guided her around the couch to sit on it. She had noticed Riza's fatigue. "What's that smell?" Rebecca asked, although she knew the answer. A fearful look overtook her face.
Riza nodded. "Hunters are in the forest."
Rebecca paled.
"I was in the trees near the house when Roy came out. He spotted me instantly, as if he already knew I was there. I don't know how, maybe it is a pack thing? Anyway, I was ready to change and finally explain everything that had happened to him when we were interrupted."
"You saw them?"
Shaking her head, Riza replied. "No. I heard them. A classic tree branch crack. You couldn't make it up," Riza commented, reflecting on the absurdness, and carelessness, of it all.
"Well, you were in the middle of the forest after all. It's coming into winter and there are a lot of dead trees in the area."
Riza considered her words. "Very true. But still. It gave them away. The incompetence of those people never cease to amaze me. Anyway, they never knew we were there. They were burning incense."
At the mention of the incense, Rebecca left abruptly to return to her room.
"Where are you going?"
Instead of answering, Rebecca returned with a pouch of tablets. "Take one. It will combat the effects of the poison."
Riza blinked at the bag. "Where did you get these?"
"It doesn't matter. Take one," Rebecca urged, shaking the bag in Riza's face. The blonde did as instructed, taking the glass of water Rebecca had poured her with thanks. After a few moments the ache in her sinuses began to subside.
"What are they?" Riza asked, both confused and curious.
"I did a little research of my own while we were travelling. I met a werewolf while out on patrol one night when we were in Texas. We didn't speak or long, but we ran into a Hunter camp. We could smell the incense from a mile away. He offered me these, explaining it would help."
"Huh." Riza hadn't expected that. "Why didn't you mention it before?"
Rebecca shrugged. "I didn't want you to worry."
Riza frowned. She would rather her friend told her what had happened, but that couldn't be helped now. "Okay, that's fair. But from now on can we agree to tell each other what happens?"
Rebecca nodded. "All right. So did you speak with him?"
Riza shook her head, resting it against the back of the couch. Closing her eyes, she sighed in relief as the burn eased in her eyes. She had been so worked up about the Hunters being nearby that she hadn't fully registered the pain she had been in. It was a lot worse than she had originally thought. Now the adrenaline was gone, the poison was making itself known. "I was just about to. I did warn him not to tell anybody about what he remembered or saw. I promised to tell him everything, and that I will be back in a few days."
"We should lay low for a while."
Riza nodded in agreement. "I wouldn't be surprised if Roy sought us out. He knows where we are staying after all and he demanded answers." Rebecca scoffed. "He might just heed my warning and lay low himself."
"Let's hope."