I do NOT own the characters except River. I had fun doing this one. :-)

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River left her apartment at the first light of dawn. She refused to squirm further in the Loup-garoux scent; and she chose a different coat, a much more comfortable one the color of mauve and black. The three belts distinctly resting on her proud bosom lay loose and opened until she connected the top belt. She wanted her coat to be held close for the time being. The wind that morning was slightly cold and slick, her breath fairly seen. She was not aware that it drizzled. She wasn't exactly in a correct mind that morning.

She desperately needed to flee from her dwelling to regain her footing. She decided to take a more risky exit and leapt from the emergency staircase to land on her feet. Her hand rested in the pool of water just beneath her. The particles of dirt coated her fingers and she briskly cleaned them on her pant leg.

With the morning being fair and quite still, River had a better advantage to explore Bucharest. She found every shop she passed to be riveting with life from the owners. The scents of cinnamon and sugar came from the local cafes, and that alone stirred her hunger. River kept moving further, her shoulders elevated temporarily to use the high collar to hide her eyes. She wasn't aware that in the reflection, her eyes shifted to their natural hue than the warm chocolate brown she was known to have.

River explored further and disenchanted from the scent of Loup-garoux. She understood that they lived everywhere, whether limited number or not, Bucharest was their city. She passed a chained gate and a far more flattering scent caught her attention. The zoo remained locked until noon, as the plaque revealed. She couldn't help herself to explore the ground while in the dawn. It seemed that she had the tendency to enter uninvitedly.

Various animals reacted to her; she could not tell if it was a violent gesture or a welcoming one. Still, it brought a small smile across her lips. River crossed the single caged crocodile, crossed the circular cage of the lemurs, and found herself standing by the ample cages where the large cats roamed aimlessly. For now, they were huddled together in sleep, most of which had thick collars about their neck for extra protection. She stayed behind the safety gate, but River could not resist approaching closer.

She climbed over the safety gate now pressed to the iron bars which separated her from being torn by the large cats. One, an obsidian coated leopard, roused from sleep to notice her near. A female, River breathed as the leopard approached to lay at the iron bar. Her coat by far too tempting not to touch. River was not afraid of them nor allowed them to know of it. She stayed cool and at the ready for an unexpected reaction to her visit.

A minute had not gone by then as River started feeling a distinct shiver tickling her spine. She determined that it wasn't from the large cats rousing from sleep, it came from something else, something approaching her. Her eyes shifted, she wouldn't allow her body to show evident reaction to the solemn feeling weighing her. She relied on her companions to reveal if what approach seemed threatening or not. They, on the other hand, reacted instinctively and unkindly by baring their teeth in the morning light. Blood had yet to tinge their sharp ivory, and it seemed that they knew that would come soon.

River faded any inhibition to keep her mirage intact. Her eyes drained into the delicate frost blue, slitted and dangerously sharpened.

"You come uninvited into my casual spot and now, I find you here within the closed compound of the zoo. Tell me, are you begging for trouble?"

Her eyes still had not change, and while her back was shone, she refused to turn. "I seem to be a natural attraction for it. I was not expecting to cross paths with you so soon."

"But," He added, "I couldn't resist when I noticed you taking an early morning stroll. Could you not sleep under the vivid lights of Bucharest?"

"Hardly."

River looked away when the same young man came to her side. He wore the same attire, perhaps finding it useless to hurry home to change. His scent thicker than she imagined. She remembered that being below hardly divided whom lavished more in scent; even Humans could be mistaken if exposed to the Loup-garoux too long, frankly, River doubted that.

The other cats approached the iron gates but, the collar clasped to their neck forbade them. She expressed sympathy by relaxing her shoulders, no longer showing tension.

"They must not like you very much." River blandly said to him. Her collar blocking her view of him. Her eyes had not changed, still.

"I suppose its that phrase, animals can sense evil. Although, I'm hardly that unless I have that special urge."

"Forgive me for not knowing that." Her voice would remain effortless.

He potentially smiled at her comment. He came near.

"So, Lily." He began while coaxing a finger through hair. River surprisingly did not withdraw. She stayed frozen, concentrating more on the cats near her. "It seems that no matter what, we cross paths."

"Your benevolent point is?"

River turned to him. She could now see his eyes more clearly in the morning light than the false gold. They were brighter, much more irradiated in hue. She forced her heart to beat calmly, less obvious. He would be her first attraction, indeed; still, becoming aroused meant her cover would be blown. She leaned her head back to casually glance to the birds passing over head.

"Care to join me in a stroll around the city?"

River delighted in saying she wasn't interested; however, as he continued to speak to her, that shiver hadn't wavered a moment. Allowing him to lead would give him more of the advantage of knowing where I go, River thought thoroughly as she climbed over the safety gate. He did the same. Still, the large cats never eased except for the female at the gate, laying there helpless tired.

"I have much to do today before I need to be back. Remember, you wanted to see me promptly at night, every night, until you find me not worthy." River noticed her own voice darkened with challenge. "I suggest you be a tad bit patience, you can do that, no?"

River left him in silence. She wanted to turn back simply to see his crooked smile and frustration glorify his face; he deserved every bit of it. River cast the idea to the side and glanced back to him, he was gone. Her brows furrowed. Was she harsh?

"And, why, my dear, do you look back?" His voice level and cool.

He stood at the brick wall. His ankles crossed and hands tucked into his pockets. Light speared through the webbed branches above and each emphasized his appearance. River wanted to keep a firm image of him, nothing more. He was Loup-garoux, precisely something she could not get close to other than to learn. She could not understand why it seemed right to toy with him. Damn her cruel heart.

River smiled half-heartedly. He expected an answer. "It is my choice to look back, you've only changed my name to what you desire, you've not commanded me. I do what I wish."

"Is that what you're looking for?" His brow arched and that same smile returned again. "You want to be commanded."

"Do you take everything I say literally?"

"Mmm, the only reason why I would is because its in your voice. Your fighting what you truly want to say."

"How noble of you to think for me."

"See. There it is, that darkening spirit, the true essence of your very being." He waved a finger.

"Perhaps I did consider, for a moment, to go for stroll around the city. That notion was temporary, I apologize for leading you on."

Liar.

River listened to her true nature taunting her. She knew well that River was capable of luring them to her then crushing their hopes with an attack of her own. She knew better than to continuously toy with this one; it was shone in his eyes that he could do the same – a Loup-garoux, her match? Unlikely.

Go with him, learn as your father wanted you to. You'll find yourself punishable if you cut away when you are so close.

"So, what to do now if you don't want to be commanded in the early hour of morning."

River wanted to correct him; she found it useless to try and disregarded it. "I gather there aren't many things to do because the world is waking slowly."

"Breakfast then?"

She didn't need to answer because her stomach intervened by lightly growling.

"Then its settled."