Chapter 4

I'm watching Faith pace back and forth, back and forth, her restless energy not quite soothed by our fun in the hall. And it's starting to irritate me. The marks she left on my body are healing with a delicious tingling burn leaving me with a smug smile as I watch her wear down the nice Persian rug. I prop my arms on the edge of the tub and wait until she realizes I'm staring. Her footsteps slow to a halt and she turns her head to stare right back. Well. I might as well give her something worth staring at.

My steps are slow and deliberate as I lift myself out of the tub, water cascading off body in thick rivulets as she watches me with hunger in her eyes. "Mind handing me a towel." It's not a question, I expect her to give me what I've asked for, in one way or another. Her steps are heavy with purpose when she brings the towel close. I reach for it only to have her pull it back from me and drop it to the ground before grabbing my wrist and pulling me against the warmth of her body.

"Tryin' ta distract me, B?" Yes. I just smirk wider and writhe against her, basking in her scent. "Sorry I'm bein' a pain." Well at least she realizes it. I cup her face in my hands and kiss away the furrow in her brow in a gesture to soothe her. I love that she leans in to my touch, her body melting against mine. "I don't like not knowin' what's going on. It's makin' me jumpy."

Mm. I know the feeling. Her forehead presses against mine as she soaks me in as much as I'm soaking her in. "For what it's worth, I don't think Oz is the bad guy." She nods her agreement letting the last of her grumpy fade as she slides her fingertips over the still angry red claw marks. I shiver at the tingle and pull her in for a deep kiss. "So are you really mad because you don't like what's happening or because you ate someone's face?" Her grunt is sad and it makes something inside of me sad too. She's brutal and vicious and deadly as sin, but she's worked hard, very very hard, to keep herself in check.

It wasn't that she killed the demon. It's that she was provoked in to it. Someone played her and she doesn't like it. Neither do I. I hate being used. "It broke the rules, so I broke him." I nod, burrowing my face in to her neck, loving the pulse of her blood under the surface. "But someone set it up. An' I wanna know who."

We're on the same page there. "Oz is here." She nods already aware of the neck ruffling power filling the hall outside our door. "We always have plan B." That makes her smile widely in anticipation. We could just kill them all and be done with it. It's a bright spot to look forward to in the future if things go further than we're willing to play along with. Faith reluctantly releases me to turn to the door. I have just enough time to throw a robe over my shoulders before the door is opened but I'm not shy anyway. I sprawl languidly on the chaise watching Oz and his little friend nervously enter.

"Catch you at a bad time?" I snort daintily at Avi and glance at Faith with a look of true affection. We have all the time in the world, she and I.

"Have a seat, we have more important things to discuss." I gesture to the plush wing backed chairs as Faith takes her spot on the end of the chaise, my feet in her lap. "Let's cut to the chase. We're pissed." Oz leans back in his chair with a solemn nod. I'm sure he expected that. "You know something was going to happen. Didn't you, Oz? It's why you jumped in to The Pit with us." He rubs his hand over his face in a tired, distracted way but nods again.

"I wasn't positive but if I were going to plan to kill someone, that's how I'd go about it." It's actually comforting to know he's ruthless enough to think about killing someone and how. It makes me feel like we're all on the same level. "That demon, he was a Geminon. Twin demon. It's not exactly forbidden to use your abilities in The Pit but he used a blade. And he was aiming for me." Mm. "I think I'm in real trouble, guys." You can say that again.

"No kiddin'. So spit it out. What's the fuckin' deal here?" Avi doesn't like Faith's tone and she starts to growl a warning that gets cut off sharply when Oz puts a hand on her thigh. It's not a hard grip, he's just resting his hand on her but it's enough.

"I'm assuming you want me to start at the beginning." That'd be nice. A soft knock at the door makes us all jump a little but Oz laughs nervously. "Darwin. I thought food would make this easier." I raise my brows at him and he shrugs. "If I remember right you and Faith had cravings after a slay." Oh boy do we. I've been pretty quiet, not because I don't have a million questions but because once I start asking I likely won't stop. Faith opens the door, her face saying more than her words ever could. Hurry up and get the fuck out.

Darwin sets a tray on the low coffee table and backs out as quiet as a mouse. That's quite a feat considering. I pour myself a wine glass of blood so sweet I can smell it in the air. Why don't I have these things at home? Hm. Home. "Enough stalling Oz. Why is someone trying to kill you?" I take a small sip, savoring the rich flavors, instinctively knowing this came from a young Greek girl and that it came willingly. There's no fear to taint the blood, no revulsion, only ecstasy and sweet surrender.

"When I left I was in a state of flux. No home, no purpose, no direction." Oz leans forward with his elbows on his knees and his hands clasped loosely between them. "I had just spent years looking for a way to be better, to be more. For her. But I was too late." A heavy sigh escapes him and Avi reaches a hand out to pet him comfortingly. I feel like there's something between them. Something intimate. Something breakable if the right buttons are pushed. "So big love, big loss, the story of the world. I came to L.A. to find myself or at least to find a way back to myself, instead, I found Angel."

I can feel Faith's body stiffen at the mention of Angel. She's always so touchy about him. I know they didn't have that type of relationship but she loved him. In a way. And I think he loved her too. I bite back my hiss at the thought and take another sip, nodding slowly. "So you stayed part of the white hat party huh?"

He nods in a slow movement. "For awhile. Angel helped me find a pack, a place I really belonged. I was even happy with what I am. Who I am." He smiles at the memory for half a second before he continues. "A slaver took us all. Right out of our homes, every last one." Faith and I share a glance. It's Avi who picks up where he left off and it hits me that this is how they came to be.

"They killed most of us and took the young ones." The silence is choking in it's grief. "A few of us escaped and hid. Me, Oz, the Alpha, my cousin Evia and her husband Alfie. It wasn't until almost a month later that we found out our Alpha, my father, had gotten in to some heavy gambling debts with the head of Ben-Ur house. I shouldn't have been surprised. It wasn't the first time his pack, his own blood paid for his debts." The look is significant and dark. What she must have suffered for his sins will be her burden to bear the rest of her life. The snarl of disgust escapes me before I can clamp down on it.

"When Avi killed our Alpha she took his place and I sold myself to Maraek for the rest of the pack." I narrow my eyes at Oz wondering why he didn't just kill the Alpha himself and take control then, and why he's Alpha now.

"What makes you worth the lives of so many?" It isn't that I don't believe him but he must be pretty special to be worth that kind of exchange.

"Because I can do things other wolves can't." The roll of power doesn't rise gently like a cresting wave, it slams in to me, and burns against the demon in my heart. I can feel the pull of power as he shifts, muscles in his face flowing and undulating. Its intoxicating and terrifying and just a little hungry making when he slices his own cheek only to have it knit together almost instantly. "Do you know what a demon will pay for a toy that heals this quickly?"

I'm assuming a lot. And I can't lie. A part of me would love to take my time seeing just how quickly he heals. "So then what, Fuzz?" He smiles thinly again.

"Then Angel found me." I nod already knowing what Angel did to the Circle's previous council. "I promised to help him if he'd get the rest of my pack and Avi out of town and safe. He did. I kept my promise." There's a starkness to his face letting me know he didn't just unlock the door for the good guys to come in. Oz killed. And he enjoyed every second of it. I know I would have.

"Angel found another pack in Denver that was willing to take our strays in and protect them. I stayed with Oz." It's then that I finally see it. She loves him. She's loved him from the moment he walked in to her life. But he can't love her back. Not the way she loves him. "He's the strongest wolf I've ever met."

I give her a flat look before flicking my eyes to him. "Did you know you were scion?"

Silence again and then a nod. "I did things. And I did them well. Maraek trusted me." I can hear Faith's teeth grinding from here. I scoot in to her lap to keep her from tearing this place down brick by brick in her rage. I can feel it like a fire in her chest. But we're too little too late. "I really thought I could make it better. Different."

But all he ended up with is death threats and assassination attempts. I can relate. I'm watching Oz's bowed head. He did things. Things he was forced to do. Things that broke the boy in him I think. "Good intentions an' all Fuzz." Something in her tone makes me glance at Faith. She believes him, trusts him even. I can taste it in the air. "You rocked the boat too many times eh?"

"You could say that. Erzabet disobeyed the will of the council when she made you a scion, Faith." I was wondering about that. She nods with a wry smirk. She just loves breaking rules. "The Circle wanted to murder you to prevent your ascension. They didn't count on Buffy killing Erzabet and leaving a power vacuum." Things are starting to click in to place. "I pushed the formal invite. I want you two on the Council."

"What exactly is it that you want from us Oz?" I have to ask because I'm not sure what good having us on the Council will be. I like the seedy little life I'm building with Faith. I'm not the Slayer and I'm no longer in the business of saving lives. Er. Often.

The corners of his mouth quirk and it stays this time. "Help me save the world?" Oh please. I share an eye roll with Faith. Even dead I'm still saving the world for the good guys. Disgusting.

xxxxx

Help him save the world he says. I thought I was retired from that shit. I let out a huff and scoot Buffy off my lap. But I take a second to stare at the length of pale leg she's purposely exposin'. "Look man, You're askin' a lot from us ya know? This isn't our world an' so what if we side with you on shit? That's one third of the group, that's nothin'." I don't like those kinds of odds when I don't know what I'm gettin' in to. There was a time when I would have jumped at them.

My hand slides over that leg in a caress all on it's own. I have more to lose now. I have B, an' Xander an' Denna. An' even if we didn't have The House, we have the club an' that's all ours. "There are others, enough to make majority if we need it. And you get a lot of perks for the membership." I nod at that already missin' the perks of The House. This is nice an' all but I miss stuff. I miss workin'. Earnin' my own shit for a change. Still this isn't our world. I glance up at Buffy who rolls a shoulder lettin' me know she's torn too.

But it could be worth it. Not that I'm crazy power hungry here or anythin' but I could live better than I've ever lived before. I could have things I never thought I could, ya know? I could have it all an' I want it. I want it bad. Buffy reads the look on my face an' nods agreement. "Okay we're in. On the condition that we out who put that demon in The Pit. It couldn't know you'd jump the ring. My guess is whoever this is wants us all dead, but you're the bigger fish." If the demon had one shot why bother with irritations like me an' B?

Oz nods slowly and lets out a breath. "You good with that?" Wha? People tryin' ta kill me? Psh. That's me every damn day. He almost chuckles at the reaction Buffy an' I share. "Right. Eowain gave his permission to convene in absentia for your confirmation at The Table." Eowain. I got my thoughts about that lil bitch. Funny how he had emergency business to deal with when all this was goin' down.

"That one is trouble." Oz nods once already known' it. "He the biggest thorn in your ass?" Another nod an' this time I nod back. I don't have any thing solid just a gut feelin'. "You should kill him." I know it's blunt but it's the easiest way ta do things here. All this politics shit is a waste of time.

"I can't yet." Nah that's what he needs us for. To be enough of a pain in the ass to force Eowain's hand. Make him do somethin' even the Council can't condone. I can do that. A fuckin' evil smirk crawls across my face an' it makes Avi pull back further in to her chair, suddenly wary of me. I let my eyes drift to her, still fuckin' smilin' and the fear in the air spikes. It makes me grin wider. "After we meet tonight you'll be able to go home and prepare for the Bacchanalia.

"There's a party?" I could go for a lil party time. An' if its anything like this place it'll be the shit. The blank look on his face makes me stop smilin'. I get the feelin' I'm not gonna like this part.

"Every year a House will host The Bacchanalia. This year it's your turn, and since you're the newest members it'd be nice to show your generosity and hospitality to Lords and Ladies of other Houses. It'll win us some strong support if it goes well. A few members are uncomfortable with Slayers." Even dead ones like B an' disgraced ones like me. He doesn't say it but it's there. A Slayer is a Slayer. Period. I sigh and look at Buffy. She's lookin' like the kiddie in the candy store.

Social even in death. It's funny an' I laugh with a shrug. Guess this is it then. "I'm never gonna be able to keep all those House names in my head." Avi chuckles softly, almost tentatively now that I've scared her.

"We'll make you flashcards." Hey, that might work.