According to Charisma's sisters there wasn't much need to hunt with them, that for the moment the Atribos were hiding and that when it came to an all out battle they would call on Fury and Charisma for help. Charisma was a bit unsettled by this at first but soon let go of thoughts of going hunting when Fury distracted her, Fury grinned to himself when he thought of said distracting ways.

It was midnight and Fury lay on his back staring up at the sky, his breathing had just started to get back to normal, but Charisma was already asleep, he was tired too but he couldn't bring himself to change forms yet. To hold her as a man, run a human hand over the smooth flesh of her stomach and know his child - his son or daughter was growing there, a small piece of him and a lot of her he hoped. There was nothing that could compare.

Fury rolled on to his side, he knew that once he shifted into his wolf form, she would follow him, even when she was asleep she would change with him and would lie by his side … his mate. His everything. He stared at Charisma, her pretty face concealed by her sunflower hair, he swept it gently back and moved his hand so he could lace his fingers with hers. In her sleep she tightened them, clung to him and he smiled. She was so adorable, he couldn't wait until she started showing her bump, show just what they had made together. He found himself thinking of things he would teach his child, boy or girl and when he did so he would smile without knowing it.

Fury run the backs of his fingers over her belly and bit his lips to keep from chuckling aloud and waking his mate, he had had to assure her that he would still desire her when she, as she put it, became a house. As if he could do otherwise, he relished the thought of making love to her and exploring her body's changes, the new curves and changing lines. Fury's grin widened when he saw Charisma's lips twitch.

"I know your awake," he said with a laugh in his voice, it seemed strange to talk when the world was so quiet, full of night noises and forest sounds. Charisma's eyes squeezed tight before she opened them at the same time as her smile spread like a jet stream across her face, it made him want to gasp for air.

"I was wondering why you were watching me sleep," she said yawning, politely covering her mouth with her hand. Fury pulled her body close to his, fitting her to his side and hissing when unexpected pleasure tingles erupted up that side, and spread through his body at the contact of her warm, sleep flushed skin.

"I love watching you sleep," Fury murmured, angling his head so he could look down at her head pillowed on his chest, her delicate hand playing in his chest hair. "Its like .." he deliberately trailed off.

"What?"

"Nah, its dumb. You'll not want to hear."

"I will!"

"No, I -"

"Tell me!" She thumped his chest with a clenched fist, that he barely felt but he said 'ow' anyway and kissed her little fist.

"Alright. When I watch you sleep beside me I sometimes feel I can't breathe… I don't need to, I just look at you and you look so delicate and … lovely I wonder if your real, wonder if you'll leave should I touch you. Your so tranquil and peaceful and everything is right with the world because you sleep so soundly. I wonder if you dream of me as I do of you."

Fury saw her eyes glisten and he traced her perfect lips with his thumb. "And your smile. I watch for it like I would the first star of the evening, gazing intently so I don't miss the first sparkle telling me its going to be there in the night."

Charisma rubbed her face against his chest and said in a voice that was slightly thick from emotion, "I never knew you were such a poet, my love. I could listen to your words all night."

Fury laughed and nudged at her face until she turned it up to kiss him.

"I -" He began to speak but as he did there was a flash and in front of them appeared Sabine, Rage and Pride. Charisma squeaked and hid behind Fury, uncaring that he was naked, Fury simply raised an eyebrow.

"Let me guess," Fury said to Sabine, whom he had come to rather like over the time he had known her, "my new in-laws?"

Sabine's answering grin was nothing short of wicked. "Oh yeah. Fury meet your new brothers. Pride," she indicated the dark blonde man who was sneering, "and Rage." She gestured to the dark one who was also looking like he had a mouthful of splinters.

"And I thought my mother hated me when she named me," Fury said and with a shake of his head moved to get up, instantly clothes appeared on his body courtesy of his mate.

"Thank you, I thought I was going to go blind," the one called Pride snarled and Fury just cocked an arrogant eyebrow and smirked.

"Now, now fellas, no need to get envious. I'm sure you'll grow in time."

Both men looked ready to strike but Sabine cleared her throat pointedly and they calmed their temper to threatening looks and grinding of teeth. Fury was not least bit anxious in the face of their anger and wrapped his arm around Charisma's waist, hauling her to his side.

"What's wrong?" Charisma asked while Fury paid attention to far more important things, such as her slender neck.

"The Atribos. We've found their nest and we believe they are going to attack tonight, we've sent the others out as bait. We need to get a move on."

"Leave the dog," Rage said curling his lip at Fury who felt his temper flare.

"I'd like to see you try, shit head!"

Rage stepped forward but head butted an invisible barrier just as Fury pushed Charisma aside to meet him. Sabine coughed politely and Rage rounded on her, spitting with rage.

"You take his side!"

She laughed it was musical yet Fury found it to be mirthless, in fact it raised chills on him and Charisma.

"Know this, dearest brother," she said sarcastically, "you die before he does."

Fury was taken aback by that, he would never had suspected that Sabine who had seemed so family orientated and protective whenever he saw her around Blaze, the twins and Charisma would ever choose an outsider over her blood. It humbled him in fact. Rage growled and became silent.

"We must go now," Pride interrupted, casting an odd look at Fury then at Sabine.

"Wait," Fury said , "Charisma can't fight, she's -"

"Yes, I can!" she growled, her eyes flashing dangerously.

"I didn't mean that you can't," he corrected hastily, "its just -"

He began to wane under her stare, "baby, your pregnant. Our child could be hurt."

Fury made his voice low and soothing and saw instantly it had an effect, well, it did until Rage growled.

"What's this shit!"

Fury and Charisma looked up, her hands immediately covering her unborn child protectively, Fury unconsciously stepped in front of her and Sabine moved forward, Fury noted that the ends of her razor straight hair was curling tightly.

"How can you be pregnant?"

Pride laughed at his brother then, "That statement does not do you credit."

"Shut up, Pride! How could you let yourself be impregnated by this animal? Your going to give birth to runts and pups, is that what you want!"

Fury launched himself at Rage, his body shifting into a wolf and lunging for his throat, taken off guard, Rage fell backwards and used all his strength to try and throw Fury off. When he could not free himself of his weight he used his powers instead and Fury felt his body be picked up and thrown against a tree.

Fury got up to go back and have another go only to find Sabine clutching Rage's head, she was frightening to behold. Her sleek hair was now a mass of wild looking curls blowing up in a non-existent wind, shafts of red and blonde slide through her hair, reminding him somewhat of a tigers stripes. Her fingernails had elongated and sharpened to a hideous length and were caging the front of Rage's head and face while she whispered in his ear.

"I told you he is never to be touched!" she hissed, in a deep voice that seemed to be layered with a thousand other demonic voices. "Don't fuck with me on this one, Rage, you have no idea what I will do to protect my family!"

She threw him from her and he landed in front of his brother who quickly helped him to his feet, Fury and Charisma were still staring at Sabine, her eyes he noticed were jet black, Charisma stepped forward.

"Sabine, you have to calm down," she said in a gentle voice, immediately the blackness receded from Sabine's eyes and her hair lay flat and straight once more, she cast Rage a disdainful glance before turning back to Charisma.

"Are you staying here, Charisma, I think Fury is right -"

"I'm coming with you."

Fury suppressed a groan when Charisma answered in her no nonsense voice she had, Sabine let out a sigh and looked over her head at Fury. Their eyes met and they had an understanding and for once Fury really appreciated that Sabine was Charisma's sister and that she loved her just as much as he did.

"Keep close to her, Lykos," she commanded, her face and body once again showed nothing but the calm and collected being she had always been but Fury noted that occasionally he saw the odd red or blonde stripe shivering through her hair.

"You can count on it," Fury responded and pulled Charisma closer, he placed a hand over his mate's stomach. "You need to let me protect you, both of you."

Charisma smiled and rubbed his frown lines with her forefinger, "just as long as you let me protect you."

Fury let out an aggrieved breath and nodded, folding her into his arms, he nodded to Sabine who inclined her head and stepped back until she had space on either side of her to do a somersault if she pleased.

"Meet us at the French Quarter," she commanded once again before disappearing, Fury took a breath and flashed himself there, holding in his arms the most important things in his life.

Charisma pulled out of Fury's arms as soon as they were in the French Quarter, as soon as they had flashed there she had felt sickening fear overtake good sense and the urge to scream was overwhelming. Swallowing it she looked at Fury who had gone so pale he was almost translucent and lines of strain were beginning to show around his mouth.

"Don't give into it, baby!" she whispered urgently and Fury jerked as if coming out of a daze.

"Huh?"

"The Atribos. They maximise your fears, fight it off!"

Charisma watched Fury's face carefully, he closed his eyes, his eyelids flickered and he gave a shudder, he took a deep breath as if fighting the urge to vomit then opened his eyes.

Rage had appeared beside them and looking at Fury with a malicious smile.

"It does that to the weak," he taunted.

"Then why are you still here?" Fury quipped, his mind not totally shaken off the feeling of utter dread, he moved closer to Charisma.

"Your family," he grumbled, Charisma gave him a painless dig in the ribs and said with a glare, because she knew it would make him laugh.

"We agreed to disagree on that one." For a moment Fury grinned and his face did not look so pale, Charisma inhaled deeply before leaning up top kiss his cheek.

"Guard yourself well, love," Charisma said sombrely just before a wave of power, like the aftermath of an explosion erupted from somewhere forcing them all to take a step back and cover their faces from an intense heat.

Charisma lifted her head from Fury's chest and pushed him from her, they needed to be ready to fight, Charisma watched Fury transform into a wolf, he snarled and growled and looked more vicious then she ever could have imagined. For that she was thankful, it would keep him alive.

The rest of her family were there in various states of preparation for fighting, Sabine was the only one who stood calmly watching the seen unfold before her. Charisma felt her pulse rocket when before her appeared a troop of at least fifty Atribi, but these were merely foot-soldiers Charisma could tell this by their signature coal black skin. They had the form of a man but were completely hairless, they didn't have eyebrows, there was no lighter colouring upon the palms of their hands, just a jet black and set in their faces like diamonds were shining white eyes.

The higher up the ranks a demon got, they varied in colour and form, in Charisma's opinion they just got uglier.

When they spoke it was in the language of the Veritinician's and Charisma saw Fury cringe, to him it must have sounded like someone attempting to play the violin without lessons and having the sound magnified ten times.

"It is your end," the Atribi at the forefront of the mob said, his glowing eyes flickering as it blinked. He's body seemed to move awkwardly, in strange jerked movements like a puppet being attacked by its puppeteer.

Rage stepped forward and spat on the ground between the two sides, Charisma felt her breath quicken as she watched the Atribi's lipless mouth curve into a smile and he gave a sarcastic bow before throwing back his head and roaring into the night. Rage let loose a battle cry and like in times of old, the two sides met in a clashing of swords and bodies, Charisma growled and transformed into a large tigress. Fury's body was streamlined and beautiful, streaking like a bullet through the entangled bodies, Charisma was beside him and both jumped upon the nearest Atribi. Either this was the biggest one she had ever seen or Charisma had forgotten how truly big and strong the Atribos race was. Fury sank his jaws into the Atribi's thick neck and pulled, laying it open in a gush of dark blood, Charisma watched Fury spit the flesh out of his mouth with a snarl then ran at her, Charisma crouched low on her belly and turned her head just in time to see Fury engage with another enemy coming at her side.

Charisma pounced as well taking out the Atribi's leg with her sharp claws, Fury dodged round the tumbling body, mauling him while was on the floor. Charisma heard a tangled blast of screams and shouts from her family, howls of rage and fear and most especially pain, the ground was awash with the black blood of the Atribi and the red of the Veriticians. There were echoes of power waves spreading through the area, shaking the earth they stood upon, bodies flew over head, inky black lightening scored the sky and hit the ground, creating craters where feet had stood minutes before. Overhead the sky was a swirl of rolling, thunderous clouds, She saw the moon and roared. Charisma felt her body flatten and realised Fury had thrown himself over her, protecting her body from an explosion of brick and wood.

Charisma turned her head this way and that looking for Sabine, she could see her sister taking out soldier after soldier, her hair flying curls, her eyes as black as the Atribos skin.

Sabine! Look at the moon!

Charisma called to her sister and saw her whirl around to look at the once silvery orb, it was turning a deep deadly looking purple, soon it would fade entirely. They were knocking this world out of balance.

Charisma watched Sabine from under Fury's prone body, she could see the indecision on her sisters face and then it hardened, her black eyes glinting in the street light. Sabine shouted out something over the storm she had created, Charisma could only make out a demonic voice layered with several other voices and the air stilled. Shards of glass and wood from an explosion suspended in midair, there was no noise, the water from a burst pipe literally stopped, halted in its progress of shooting up into the air. Charisma bucked Fury off her and laid her paw over his, still watching the sky, the black clouds that had been swirling madly simply stilled, then a roar erupted from the earth itself, like a train next to her ear, as if it were rejecting the changes being wrought and like a black hole had opened up somewhere in the curtain of this world, Charisma watched the clouds being sucked backwards. The water flowed back, glass and wood flew back into its original position, smooth, unbroken and un-splintered.

The Atribi's inky faces went slack and then they let out high pitched whines and crouched over clutching their heads like it were about to split in two. Charisma sucked in a breath a moment before their bodies shattered into a shower of flesh coloured particles.

The roaring stopped and the ground was still, the moon was once again a pale grey as it waned and made way for the sun, Charisma blew out a relieved breath and shifted into her human form, bruised and exhausted but thankfully alive and unharmed. The street had settled back into its previous state, down to the last tin can rolling along the pavement. Turning to Fury, she let out a scream of denial.