There were words for men like him, Fury thought to himself as he kicked angrily at a pebble across the pavement, well there were several. He vented his anger out on himself by reciting a few choice words in his head as he reached the glass doors of 'Odette's Coffee House'.

Very original, he thought snidely, and then felt stupid for bitching over a sign. He was angry at himself for seeking a woman who against his supreme better judgement attracted him on a level that was indefinable. There was something not quite right about her, and her sister, yet the days that had past without his seeing her had been insufferable, he had been edgy and grouchy, his head constantly looking at Bride's door when he was in the store or watching the sky when he was alone. His mind always wondering where she was, what she was doing, what she was thinking …

Fury stepped into the pleasantly warm interior and on inspecting the inside he raised an appreciative eyebrow, as he had lived half of his life as a human man and now he was a wolf, that for him was reason enough why he had never had the slightest bit of interest in interior design. If it was in the furniture family you sat on it, the walls can be left bare it didn't seem to make a whole lot of difference and well knick-knacks; they just took up space.

However Odette's place, which he heard through the grapevine was one of the middle sisters in the Basia family, was arranged so expertly and coordinated in such a way that even he, the most undomesticated wolf on the planet had to appreciate the effort that had been applied here.

It was dimly lit and cosy made of stylish dark wooden panels covering the lower part of the walls, a wooden floor took up most of the space before the door but led on to a carpeted area with several couches, with throws and cushions that were plush and comfortable looking, sparsely surrounding two glorious fireplaces. The whole place was decked out in deep soothing colours, as if the proprietor knew exactly how to manipulate the colours to fit the moods of a variety of different people and blend them all into one relaxed atmosphere. The quiet and gentle calm was further endorsed with a background noise of lulling flutes and pipes and a voice of a woman that could send you into the most wonderful dream.

The area where the coffee and snacks were made looked more like a bar, its shiny wooden top was clean and sturdy, surrounded by several tall stools. The owner had taken pains to fuse the characteristics of a bar, a traditional coffee house and a homely cottage in the country; Fury admitted he had not expected this and even more of a shock was how much he liked it.

The shop itself was buzzing at the moment with first night jitters and the expectation of the clientele, rather then try and fight for an armchair or couch and also because he wanted to sit on his own, Fury opted for a table in the corner on the floor, rather then the carpet.

His eyes scanned the bar, the carpet area, the dark corner where his acute eyesight spied a stage. He let his senses flare out but it brought back no hint of Charisma being here, her scent lingered lightly but she wasn't here, and Fury's heart pounded. He was disappointed and he was relieved and that just plan confused him; Fury prided himself on his simplicity. But he was also angry. She had invited him here, knowing he might come just so she could stand him up.

Women!

He let out a disgusted breath, yeah, there were names for him alright. A dickhead. And that was a mild one. Well, his motto had always been never trust something that can bleed for five days and not die, that was women for you, ever untrustworthy and ever just plain unworthy. His mother was a woman, she was the same. Well not that he could blame her for being the nut case she was, with his father being such a bastard and all. It gave him deep satisfaction to think about the punishment Vane had dealt out to the pair, sending them on an island together where they can fight all day but not kill each other, stuck together with only your most hated enemy as company. Vane was a mean bastard under all that family man shit!

Fury spotted the little red head … what was her name? Blaze. At the bar, she was handing a mug of coffee the size of a bowler hat over to some guy who was gawking at her breasts, Fury grimaced when her eyes took a swing around the shop floor once, twice. Luckily she didn't spot him and before she could he was up out of his seat and out the door, letting out a relived sigh. He jammed his hands in his pocket and hunched, he began walking aimlessly, without thought for direction. For now, Charisma had lit a fire under him, his thoughts turned to her more then he liked over the week, it had gotten so bad that by Friday he felt ready to burst; he had to see her. He didn't mention anything to Vane, or Bride, even though he liked his brother, Fury still had trouble believing the concept of having a family now and most of all trusting them.

Trust was for fools, Fury thought, and though on occasion he was prone to saying stupid things he was not a fool and he wasn't stupid, nor did he suffer people of the like. Blowing a low whistle between his teeth, he intended to go back to his pack and watch those with life mates enjoy each others company. The pack generally accepted him more since Vane had handed the leadership mantle over to him but there was a certain reverence in the way they acted towards him that he had never had from them and it meant he was no longer truly one of them. He had no mate, and he had been a prime candidate for becoming the Omega wolf before his promotion to Alpha. The Omega wolf was one that was generally picked on a punished for deeds in the pack, it was in effect a scapegoat; being weak was not an option if you were a wolf, were or natural. It was only through pure viciousness and ruthlessness in fights and day to day handling of pack politics that kept anyone from trying to make him the pack push around. The memory of their audacity still raked at his belly with vicious claws of fury, he scowled and his bad mood became worse, memories had a way of doing that.

"Hey wolf."

Fury looked up and saw Acheron leaning nonchalantly against the side of a building that was the new club in town; its hip hop music pumped out in thumping waves, Fury sneered at it. He hated hip hop.

"Dark-Hunter," Fury inclined his head and was preparing to walk on but Ash fell in step with him and they walked in silence up for no more then a few paces, when Fury turned to the powerful being beside him.

"Why are you following me?"

His tone as always, unless he was talking to his brothers or Bride and his nephew, was entirely suspicious. He didn't count any friends.

"No reason," Ash said with a graceful shrug of one shoulder, he stopped and because Fury was so reluctantly interested in what the Atlantean had to say to him, he stopped to. "The club sounds good."

Fury raked his eyes over Ash's goth outfit, pure black leather accompanied by chains and buckles and really cool boots with flames on the heel. With his full length black trench coat swishing around his ankles, Fury then turned to look at the door of the club, the music had changed subtly.

"You like hip hop?" he asked incredulously. Ash gave a smirk and moved towards the door and motioned Fury to follow.

"I find the dance routines fascinating."

"Uhuh. There's dancers here?" Fury angled his head to look at the two bouncers who were trying to look mean, but only succeeded in looking shocked when Ash in his goth attire and Fury in his ragged jeans and white t-shirt stepped through the door. "This place don't look like a strip joint."

Ash laughed lightly and moved out of the small, short corridor and into the heart of the club, dozens of sweat slicked bodies moved against one another to the strangely catchy beat. Fury smirked as he noted more then a few heads turn towards them, even the oblivious humans recognised absolute power when they saw it, it was why the crowd kept their whispers and curious but ultimately dirty looks to themselves. Both men caused quite a stir though and the women, black white and other turned at the approach of the were-hunter and the Atlantean. An attractive, clean cut African American man was sitting at the bar, his eyes raked Fury over and then over Ash, both ignored him until he let out a cackle of amused but completely cheerful and harmless laughter.

"You come here often?" The guy asked still chuckling as he picked up his drink and gave them a rather sarcastic toast, Fury chuckled darkly. He could appreciate good humour.

"No, first time," he grinned and the man laughed again, "You?"

"Man, I work here," he guy leant forward to offer a hand and Fury took it, noticing though the guy didn't that Ash had somehow managed to evade being touched. "I'm a bartender, just finished my shift." Fury raised an eyebrow at him, "you must really like your work."

The guy laughed again and shrugged, "come on brother, this place may be all work but there is some pleasure in it."

"What do you mean?"

"Nah, you ain't been here before," the guy said and took a deep drag of his cigarette, and nodded towards the deserted stage in the corner. It was bigger and better lit then the one at Odette's. "Ain't seen women like this in a long time. 'Specially that new girl, umm mmm! She is fine!"

Ash smiled to himself and Fury who was a head and shoulder's taller then the crowd looked at the stage.

"I can't really be caught saying that though, my boss would kick my ass! I'm Curtis by the way."

"If he gets that bent out of shape over it she shoulder be dancing in the first place," Curtis laughed again, it seemed the only thing the man did.

"My boss is a woman and its her sister. This place was a complete shit pit until Celeste took the place over, she decided to bring some good entertainment to here. Terrific singer comes in once or twice a month and a DJ, but the dancers are usually what gets the crowd going. One of the dancers pulled out one time, she stuck her sister in and the crowd went wild, man. Fucking loved her. Of course she don't dance regular like, damn near impossible for Celeste to get her to. Real shy, quiet type. Bet she's an animal under all that though."

Fury raised an eyebrow at Curtis and shrugged, Ash handed him a drink which Fury accepted graciously but it took all his will power not to toss it. Human alcohol could not get a were drunk on account of their faster metabolism. Fury knocked it back without so much as a grimace, recognising it as a spirit of some kind. Curtis who had watched him, widened his eyes and nodded to himself with silent admiration.

"Ah man, here it comes!" Curtis cried and sat up straighter from his lazy slouch and fixed his eyes on the stage. Fury let out a groan and was about to round on Ash, who he found out had conveniently disappeared. As the opening music to pussycat dolls 'Buttons' came on, Charisma's scent engulfed him and threatened to drown him.

Barely holding himself back from howling he directed his eyes to the bar where several women had strutted out in sexy outfits and began a dance that sent all the blood rushing from his head to his groin.

Charisma despised being the centre of attention.

She wasn't a dancer she was a goddess, surely a goddess doesn't have to be subject to whims of an overbearing slightly distraught sister. It was only because she was pregnant, if Celeste hadn't been pregnant Charisma was sure she would be able to refuse her sister. She ground herself against one of the male dancers who had appeared behind her, the crowd wolf whistled and Charisma felt herself blush, it could be disguised as exertion from the dance but inside she was mortified.

Charisma caught the eye of one of the other dancers a pretty Portuguese woman named Danna, the woman gave her a subtle wink and turned lusty looking eyes upon her dance partner. Charisma tried to look natural when her partner's hands moved up her waist and over her ribs cage, with the choreographed sexual tension between them she had to pretend to enjoy it. If she had mentioned to Celeste that she had found her life mate and soul mate in Fury and therefore found the touch of another man slightly nauseating, her sister may have let her back out.

However she had refused to tell any of her sisters about the fact that she had found her soul mate, it was hard enough trying to keep Blaze quiet, she didn't need the rest of them interfering. She didn't simply want Fury tied to her, she wanted him to like her, to … well perhaps care for her a little. She didn't want to trick or deceive him, the memory of when they first met came back to haunt her so much over the past week and she couldn't stand it, she knew instinctively his life had not been kind to him and she did not want to complicate things more for him.

Your life hasn't exactly been a picnic, chided in the back of her brain.

Well, it had until recently, she reasoned with herself, be that as it may, she didn't want people hurt, especially not people who she could potentially give her heart to, people who could potentially hurt her.

The crowd roared its approval when the dancers moved their bodies in a particularly rhythmic and sexual move and it was nearly too much for Charisma, she wanted the ground to open up and swallow her. Where was the white night of legend come to save her?

A vicious growl had her almost tripping over her own feet, it was only the arms of her dance partner still wound round her that kept her upright. Charisma looked up at Fury with awe filled eyes, words stuck in her throat along with her breath, his face was a picture of dark anger, it sizzled and snapped at the air around him. He ripped her from her partners arms and scooped her up in his own, and made to storm from the stage but Daniel her stupidly courageous dance partner put his arm on Fury's shoulder intending to stop him from abducting her. The growl that came from her wolf's lips silenced the crowds mutters and diminished whatever spark of courage and gallantry lingered in Daniel. Charisma caught Danna's eyes, they were wide and shocked, she could see the naturally caring woman preparing to strike at Fury to help her. Charisma merely grinned and shook her head at the woman, Danna blinked, raised a brow at Fury then grinned back.

She tried not to be darkly thrilled by being so primitively kidnapped, yet she reminded herself it was nearly every woman's little fantasy.

Fury had carried her back out into the street and did not put her down until they were in a dark back alley away from civilisation. He stood her up right and looked at her through raging fiery eyes, the piercing blue causing her to shiver, it was so dark that a mere mortal would not be able to see anything other then a silhouette of him, standing just outside the circle of light produced by the street light. The orangey glow it produced was pale and dim in comparison to the quarter moon drenching the world in white silver, Fury backed her up against the wall and around her steam from manholes swirled magically in the air and noises of the urban night faded away until his heaving breath an her gentle pant was left.

She thought he would he would take her there and then, up the wall, but he didn't, he simply pinned her there, his forearms braced, taut and powerful on either side of her head. There was no fear in her, Charisma realised, only a deep triumph in her and a aching relief that she was seeing him again.

Fury had never known jealousy before, not like that and especially not over a woman, it was raw and maddening. Never had a woman effected him so, and the way she stood there before him; a mysterious smile on her face as if she had wanted him to act like an animal and grab her, pulling out of that asshole's arms and carrying her off. It was as if she was waiting to give him rather then making him fight for it; he had rarely fought for a she-wolf when he was just a foot soldier in the pack. You were required to pay in blood and bone for the right to mate with one of the women. The females would walk around the men, their scent driving them insane then she would pick who she would wish to fight for the right to fuck her and they would. Sometimes to the death.

It was a waste of life and a waste of blood, no woman was worth it, not a wolf nor a human. But this woman before him … she wasn't either of them….

He had only fought for a female when he could stand his self-imposed celibacy any longer, and when he fought he always fought to win. But he never liked to mate with the she-wolves, he preferred to get sore from sheer exertion, not from claws laying open his flesh and from teeth biting so deep and hard that it took the sexual pleasure away completely and replaced it with pain. And never afterwards did he feel that strange sense of euphoria, that lazy sated feeling that you got when you were in a post sex haze.

It was always as if he were waiting for something better, something different, he had never known what …

Fury leaned into Charisma and sniffed her hair, he heard her gasp beside his ear and shiver between his body and the wall. He wanted to peel away that impossibly short hot pants and run his hands up those legs that he was sure went as high as her ears. All smooth and delicious and not for him. He cursed and was about to throw himself away from her when Charisma could no longer stand it.

She cupped both hands firmly behind his neck and pulled him roughly to her. His lips met her own with a need bordering on desperation, he wanted and she gave, he needed and she allowed him to take.

"Take it," she chanted, "take it all!"

Fury pushed his fingers forcefully through those thick untameable curls and fisted his hands, he yanked her head back, her long slender throat exposed to him and he feasted on it. Feeling a dark delight when he felt her moan under his plundering lips then he pulled back, her nails dug into his hips and she locked her gaze on to his. He could feel her desire like it were his own and it made him want her all the more. She had told him to take and he wanted to, by the gods did he want to. But more then that he wanted her to know what was taking her, what she was giving herself so freely to. Insane he knew but somewhere, beyond conscious thought and reality, he knew this woman would understand, that her heart could overcome boundaries. He had never been one to trust, tonight for the first time in so many long cold years, he spoke on impulse and with trust.

"You know what I am." He made it a statement and Charisma felt her heart pick up a beat, she trembled at the unknown look in his eyes. Trailing her finger down his cheek she then placed her palm flat to his chest, just above his heart. Not meeting his eyes she nodded.

"I know exactly what you are."

She saw some emotion flicker in his eyes before he hardened them and the only clue to what he was feeling was the tremor of anguish in his voice.

"How do I know you?"

Charisma felt like crying for him, not knowing was tearing at him and not being with her soul mate was tearing at her.

"Remember me, Fury," she whispered, her emerald eyes imploring him, she fisted her hand in his shirt. "Think of a lake and two pups, playing by the water. Remember me."

Charisma moved closer to him because she needed to, with both hands fisted in his shirt she leant her forehead against his chest an waited, unconsciously she timed his heart beats and made her breathing match his rhythm.

Fury bent his head to sniff her hair and closed his eyes. A lake. Two pups. Playing. Chrissy.

His eyes opened. He remembered.