A/N: Yay! Another update! Not as long as the previous chapter, but I'll make it up next week. The next chapter is almost done and expect the next one soon. Yes, the title of this chapter is named after Sherlock Holmes infamous story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Enjoy the chapter!

Chapter Four: The Hound of Baskerville

"Oh my god," Her voice faded in and out. His vision was gray. Always gray, however, something odd about the woman that knelt beside her was different from the others. Sun kissed irises and honey glazed orbs stood out more than the blood on his furs that soon covered the woman's hands. "They shot you." An alarming gasp escaped her plump lips, slightly chapped from the late winter chill. Her brows knitted into worrisome knots and the chiaroscuro world started to blur.

"Please," Levy's hand hesitantly reached for his head, afraid to touch him, afraid of his teeth. "Don't die." Her shaking hands soon were steady as a rock and moved her fingers closer to him. The furs on his eyelids were getting heavy and the scent of blood grew numb in his muzzle. Her fingers ran through his fur, cradling the side of his face, nose grazing against her scented wrist, where the familiar scent of honeysuckle and vanilla replaced the pungent wet iron.

It was the last thing he could remember before his whole world went dark.

Hot.

Her skin prickled uncomfortably against the scratchy rug beneath her, absorbing the sweat dripping down her bare skin. The white camisole was drenched in salty sweat with the strange smell of blood and antiseptic awaking her from her unaware slumber. The waterproof mascara glued her heavy eyes shut and it took a few pulls from the muscles of her sore forehead to pry her vision free, though it was no use and surrendered for the aid of her clammy hands. Grit of her makeup started to fall to her damp cheeks and it she couldn't help but to wipe it off with carelessly rough fingers. Levy wondered why she didn't remove her makeup before falling asleep. She always washed her face before bed and it baffled her as she returned her hand back to the slick tanned skin lying beside her.

"Hm," Levy groaned, peeking one eye and realized she was in her living room floor. The source of the heat lay beside her, slowly moving up and down and skin burning like a summer sidewalk. She lifted her heavy head. Once her eyes flickered open, staring at the naked man beside her, Levy lifted her hand from taut ridges of bronze muscle and held back a scream. She quickly glanced down to the man pelvis, clearly realizing the man was completely naked with dark curls doing absolutely nothing to hide his flaccid member. "Oh god…" Levy moved her gaze to his broad chest, noticing the long black locks that clung to his damp chest, and then to the face—recognizing the painful and intimidating iron piercings along his chin, nose and eyebrows.

Gajeel.

Levy's shocked eyes scanned his body one more time, making sure to blink when she roamed his nether region. There was no doubt in her mind it. The man lying beside her was her co-worker and cubicle neighbor and—

"A wolf?" Levy bit her bottom lip and brought her sweaty hand to her chin as she stared at his calm and sleeping face. "Why is he—? When did he—? What the hell is—?" She gulped and her hand settled on the bloodied bandage wrapped around his chest and left shoulder. Gajeel was shot—when he was a wolf.

No. Levy shook her head. It was impossible. She clearly was seeing things, it must be it. Levy knew the difference between fiction and reality. No way were werewolves real—but, then why did she keep seeing a bloodied werewolf when she closed her eyes?

She remembered last night. Frantically cleaning and dressing the beast's wounds as he lay unconscious from the blood lost, muttering to him to stay with her. The site of the skin beneath the fur slowly stitching itself together and for the hot bullet being pushed out from the muscle and dropping to the bloody carpet. Levy was completely awed by the ability, but she was too tired and dizzy from the peroxide to show it. Or was it from the bleach where she cleaned as much as the spilled blood on her wooden floors and windows?

"Gajeel," Levy didn't know what to do or what to think. Everything was so confusing and all she wanted was answers. Her hand reached for his face, fingers push a wet black tendril from his stubble jaw. He was burning. It frightened her—if anyone else felt this hot against her skin they'd be dead by now, but Gajeel was something different.

His lips agape, breathing softly through his mouth, long black lashes rested along his cheeks, beads of sweat lay idle on his smooth tan skin and the temptation to run her fingers along it came with the stir in her belly. Only brought on by the thought of the mysterious masked man from Halloween night. Flashes of dark brown eyes and red alternated with each blink. There was no way Gajeel was that same man.

Levy straightens and leaned closer to his face, studying the eyes moving behind his sweat stained eyelids. Her eyes flickered to his lips, cracked and yet supple, tempting to plant a secret kiss.

Red eyes stared back at her.

Levy jumped back as Gajeel stared at her with threatening fire eyes. He groaned at the pain at his left side, long fingers gripping his shoulder.

"Gajeel," Levy tried to help him as he tried to get up. Gajeel growled in warning, glaring back at her, and frantically feeling his surroundings. His long black hair whipped around him, grazing her legs as he stood up and crashing into the sofa. "Let me help!" Levy reached for him, but Gajeel continued to deny help, trying to get away.

"Damn it!" Gajeel cursed, trampling through her apartment and grabbing her trench coat over the kitchen chairs. "Damn it!" His teeth clench, wrapping the coat around his waist. "You saw nothin'! You hear?!" Gajeel shouted at her and Levy winced at the volume. "Nothin'" He strode to the window, opening it with one easy tug and climbed out into the cold.

"Wait!" Levy ran after him. "It's cold out!" Levy planted her hands on the window frame and stuck her head out, feeling the brisk late winter breeze hit her hot face. Her eyes flickered against the wind, but she kept them on Gajeel, who easily jumped from her fire escape and on to the concrete sidewalk. His bare feet slapped against it as he ran down the road, alerting all the pedestrians and honking cars driving by.

Gajeel clenched her coat around his waist before he leapt over the wrought iron railing, hearing the metal cling and cave under his weight. His hot breath came out in thick wisps as he sailed down and landed roughly on the sidewalk, startling a couple walking towards him. He ignored them, scowling as he ran by. The cold never bothered him, but right now it felt nice to feel it against his sweat slick bare skin. Especially when he could feel the heavy gaze from Levy at the back of his head. The smell of honeysuckle lingered in his nose and clutching her coat against his body didn't help either.

An accelerated rumbling pitch echoed from a distance and Gajeel knew the sound of that Ducati from anywhere. It was coming closer and Gajeel stopped his stride to turn around to see the navy blue motorcycle pull up next to him. Her leather heeled boots planted itself on the asphalt and Gajeel looked at the blond woman, far too short and petite for the bike, though heavy enough to create the strain on the engine. Her blond hair was tied back by a purple bandana and purple sunglasses hid her brown eyes.

"You can't be serious?" Her lips smack together with her cherry lip gloss.

"Not a damn word!" Gajeel hopped on the bike, cringing at the uncomfortable feel of the seat. He wished he could phase at that very moment and cursed at the sun hiding innocently behind gray clouds.

"With the abs and the—" Lucy laughed.

"I said—" Gajeel growled behind.

"Not a word," Lucy tugged on the throttle. "Just keep your sword away from me."

"Tch," Gajeel shook his head. "Turns to a fucking ground hog when it's around you."

"Aw," Lucy took her foot off the asphalt. "How cute." She smiled and took off down the road.

Even with neck breaking speed, Gajeel could still feel her eyes burning at the back of his head. What she saw—what she did—Gajeel didn't know what to do. He certainly didn't want to tell Lucy about it, however, if they needed to leave because of what Levy knew, then Lucy would definitely want to know why.

Deep down, Gajeel didn't want to leave.

The words went through her and not processing it like she normally did when reading heavy amounts of text. The bustle of the cafe in the bookstore, cafe radio, and the idle chatter from the crowded bookstore kept the atmosphere relatively pervasive during the Saturday afternoon. Levy was at the library all morning until they closed, which she never knew the public library closed at one in the afternoon on a Saturday. It was unheard of. She had no other choice but to go to her local bookstore and conjure up whatever books she could find on the subject.

Sadly, most of it was fiction, however, some fiction was derived from truth. Levy had to compromise with teenage romance novels.

Even with her Americano in her hand and the amount of references, she couldn't help but to replay the night and morning over and over. Levy knew the books in front of her weren't enough to answer her questions. There couldn't be books on the subject of werewolves that are informal than fiction, right? The only way she could get real answers was to ask Gajeel.

Levy cringed at her already cold Americano, sadden at the unsatisfying temperature. She also cringed at the thought of a mysterious blond woman with a blue motorcycle that picked up the naked Gajeel from the curb. The flashy purple bandana and large sunglasses hid any distinct features except that she had blond hair.

"Hey," Levy looked up from her trance, completely forgot what she was reading, and met the gaze of Natsu's new friend, Lucy. "Levy, right?"

Speaking of blond hair.

"Yes," Levy set her paper cup down and straighten in her seat. "You're right!" She smiled and pointed to the seat across from her pushing the books neatly into a pile. "Have a seat!"

"Thank you," Lucy pulled out the seat and set the two cups in her hand. "Americano with two raw sugars?" She slid one of the beige paper cups with the Fairy Tail Bookstore brand on the recyclable brown sleeve.

"Wow!" Levy grabbed the cup and felt the searing hot coffee in her hands. The inviting steam rising from the plastic slit made her mouth water. "Thank you! How did you know?"

"Um, Natsu." Lucy said, but Levy knew it was a lie and tilted her head suspiciously. Lucy saw her skeptical stare. "I asked one of my employees." She told the truth, gulping her coffee. "How are you doing today?" She revealed a dazzling white smile and looked at the books she had on the table. "Studying, I presume?"

"I'm doing well," Levy nodded. "And sort of…? Just researching something. How about you? Did you go out with Natsu last night?" Her eyes appeared golden at a certain angle as she continued to look at the books.

"Yeah," Lucy grinned, sipping at her coffee. "We went bowling and got some Chinese." She cleared her throat. "You have an interest with wolves?" Her French Manicured fingers pointed at the books again.

"Ah—yeah," Levy clenched her teeth nervously. She wasn't sure what to say. Levy couldn't tell her she saw an abnormally large wolf running around the city and that she bandaged one last night as he turned back into a man. It wouldn't do any good for Natsu if Lucy knew one of his good friends was a psycho. "I had an Alaskan Malamute when I was younger." A lie, but she needed to come up with something. "I wanted to read up on their ancestors."

"They are far from wolves, don't you think?" Lucy laughed and squinted at the pile again. Levy felt her face heat up in embarrassment. She had some teen werewolf romance novels in that pile. The temptation to push the books away from her twitched in her hands, but she held back and just let it happen. "Werewolves, huh?"

"Just broadening on the subject." Levy awkwardly chuckled, taking a huge gulp of her searing hot coffee.

"I'm sorry," Lucy leaned back against her chair. "I didn't mean to be nosy."

"No, it's okay." Levy shook her head, blue curls dancing along her wool clad shoulders. "It really is." She forced a smile, though Lucy could see her uneasiness. Her stunning brown eyes soften and dropped to her own cup of coffee. "If you ask Natsu, I always have my random research spurts. A terrible habit."

"Better than a drug habit," Lucy grinned. "No harm in expanding your universe. I like to read myself—" Levy nodded in silence, staring at her smooth hand petting the length of her paper cup. She could see the letters 'WM' written on the cup; white mocha. "Hey?" Levy looked up and saw Lucy waving her hand. "Is everything okay?" Lucy asked.

"What?" Levy blinked hard and focused on her.

"I asked what kind of books you like to read?" Lucy repeated herself. "You sure you're okay?" Levy gripped her cup tighter. "You looked troubled?"

"Yes," Levy smiled. "I'm just thinking of a genre. Too many to choose from I'm afraid."

"You like them all." Lucy nodded. "If you were imprisoned in a library for life, what section of the library would you pick?"

"The classics," Levy replied. "English and Russian Literature—The Grimm Tales—" She paused at the last choice. "—historical fiction."

"I guess we'll be section mates then!" Lucy smiled. "I majored in English with a historical literature degree. And now I work here." She laughed. "It's great to meet someone who has the same taste in books. Natsu would talk about how much you're a monster at reading."

"Oh really?" Levy cringed, knowing how Natsu and the rest of her boys would over exaggerate her reading habit. "A monster, eh?" She laughed. "Natsu is addicted to lifting weights and the gym. The first thing he did when he moved to Crocus was to find a gym near his place."

"Sounds like him." Lucy laughed with her. "All he talked about was weight and endurance training—and his cat, Happy."

"He loves his cat." Levy smiled. "He rescued Happy's mother from an apartment fire before he was born. A few weeks later, the owner gave him Happy as a thank you present for saving her best friend and her kitties."

"Why did he name him Happy?" Lucy asked.

"I don't know," Levy shrugged her shoulders. "You have to ask him about that."

"Hm," Lucy took a long look at the pile and returned her gaze on Levy. "Anyways, I was wondering if you would like to go shopping with me sometime." She asked her. "You and Natsu are new to the city. I'll be happy to show you around." Natsu probably mentioned how introverted Levy was in college. She didn't go out much when she moved to Hargeon for university. The only time she went out was to the library or the studio for her architectural projects. Mainly because she really didn't know anybody to go out with. If she wanted to hang out with her friends, Magnolia was a thirty minute train ride from the coast.

"I'd like that." Levy replied, sipping at her coffee again.

"Well," Lucy coughed. "I'm working all weekend, but I'm available during the week." Levy gave a long look at Lucy, studying the length of her hair and even quickly glances down to her shoes. Lucy wasn't wearing boots. Toe cramping red peep toe pumps with her black nail polished toenails. She pulled out a pen from her pocket and scribbled on her paper cup. "Call me anytime! I can even meet up for lunch if you want."

"Thank you," Levy pulled the cup in closer and saw the ten digit number with her name written in elegant cursive. "Your penmanship is beautiful!" She look at the way she wrote her L and the nice loop trail she fluidly drew with the Y, it was as if she was reading someone's journal from the 1800's. "Did you take a calligraphy class or something?"

"No," Lucy laughed. "Lots of practice in boarding school. The teachers were very particular with their penmanship." She clicked the pen and put it back in her pocket. "I had years of practice and apparently lots of time to do so."

"I wish I had the patience." Levy shrugged her shoulders.

"Lucy!" They both looked over to the cafe counter. One of the employees had his hand over the phone receiver. "The boss needs the ordering list."

"Okay!" Lucy pushed the seat back and grabbed her cup. "Duty calls." She smiled and set a hand over hers, feeling how warm she was like her fresh coffee. "If you are interested in wolves. You should look into Norse mythology and Viking Lore. Specifically on Berserkers and Fenrir." She winked and stood up. "Your necklace is from Nordic origins if I recall."

"Yeah," Levy's gaze drop to her hand, feeling sweat forming between their skins. "Family heirloom."

"That's nice," Lucy grinned wider. "It's pretty and relative to what you are researching." The man called out to her again. "Now I really have to go. Mythology is towards the back next to the woman's bathrooms."

"Thank you again," Levy nodded and Lucy squeezed her hand before walking back to the counter. Her hand still burned, branded by the soft and smooth hand. It may be her coffee she was holding while the spoke, but something about Lucy's touch reminded Levy about how extremely warm Gajeel's skin against hers.

"Mythology." Levy muttered, scrambling to her feet and gathering the books in her arm and tried to hold on to the fresh cup of coffee in her hand. Her eyes looked for the return cart for the employees to re-shelf the books. She adjusted her messenger bag on her shoulder as she marched towards the mythology section where it shared a wall with religion. It didn't take long for her to find the three shelves of Norse books and Levy started with the broadest books on the subject. She even came across some on Loki and Fenrir. Many of the book covers had the Triquetra knot as the mainstay of Viking lore. Her fingers graze her necklace, feeling the diamonds create the same shape triangular loop.

"What's wrong?"

"I have to go."

The masked man. Levy was tipsy that night, but once he saw her necklace, he started to freak out and left her cantoning.

Levy closed her eyes and brought herself to that autumn night, remembering if his touch scorched her skin like Gajeel—like Lucy.

"Blond hair," Levy's eyes fluttered open, staring at the Norse symbol on the book. Did reading all of this mattered? Her heart kept telling her this wasn't a way for her to get answers. Her conventional way of finding them wasn't going to work and the only way she could get them was to talk to Gajeel. Books were all she had before—but this—

"Hi," Levy walked up to the counter. "I'm not here to place an order. I need to speak with Lucy? Your manager?" The barista hesitantly smile and set the metal vessel full of steamed milk.

"I'm sorry," He said to her. "She left early after running inventory. Said she had some personal business."

"Do you know where or what?" She asked only to receive a shrug from green apron clad man. "Thanks." She smiled weakly and walked away clenching one book about the shape shifters, Loki and his son Fenrir. The black fur beast caught her eye and wouldn't mind purchasing it to add to her collection. Besides, she only dipped her toe in Norse Mythology in Humanities class, a refresher course might be needed.

As she walked to the registers, Levy's phone buzzed in her pockets and she pulled out to see it was Lisanna calling. She pressed her lips tighter, nervous about why Lisanna was calling her on her day off. It was possible that she wanted to make plans tonight or it had something to do with work. Levy didn't want to answer it, fearing it would be either choice, but considering how Lisanna was the sister to her boss, she couldn't screen her call.

"Hello?" Levy flipped her hair and placed the phone to her ear.

"Levy?" Lisanna spoke, hearing the rustling of paper over the phone. "I'm so sorry for interrupting your weekend, but it's an emergency."

"W-What is it? Is everything okay?" Levy waited in line, listening to the background noise very carefully.

"Everything is fine—um—" Lisanna paused and a loud clunk followed by cursing from far away. "—sorry, I dropped my phone. Turns out that the Mashima Project is in desperate need for changes to the vectors and blueprints."

"So late?" Levy took three steps and looked at the amount of people in line. "Do they want changes to the design?"

"Sort of?" Lisanna pitch went higher. "Anyways, I need your designs as soon as possible and give you the additional information from our clients." Levy gazed down at the book in her arms. If she could knock out this assignment and the other take home work, then Levy could focus on her personal research. "Levy?"

"Sorry," Levy coughed. "I'm out right now, but I'm heading home as we speak."

"Thank you!" Lisanna cheered. "We need to finish these changes before the follow up meeting on Monday and they have to confirm it during that meeting. They fly back to Tokyo early Tuesday morning."

"You can count on me." Levy said to her, watching the person in front of her walk to the next available register. "I'll send you the vectors to our group cloud."

"Will be waiting," And with no hesitation, Lisanna hung up with a click and Levy walked to the clerk waving her hand out.

Gajeel would have to wait.

At least her work would keep her mind at bay.

One day, one caffeine induced haze mind and a pair of blood shot eyes later, Levy answered the knock on the door. It was early afternoon on a Sunday and she'd just finished submitting her changes to everyone on her team. Her eyes would pause on Gajeel's work email a number of times, finding the right addresses to send her project to. It was only that moment she'd remember what transpired in her living room, though she would refocus on her work once a response from members of her team would give her their feedback.

"Are you seriously still working?" Natsu walked into her apartment with a greasy brown paper bag of Chinese food. Levy's stomach dropped, engaging the emptiness of her belly and the greasy hoisin sauce drenched food enticing her hunger. She'd been eating microwave burritos, cereal and pop-tarts the last twenty-four hours since her phone call with Lisanna. "This job sucks balls."

"Thank you!" Levy reached for the bag as soon as Natsu set it down on the coffee table. "Every time I wanted to order food it's too late to order anything." She sighed and unpacked the egg foo young and everything else.

"You should've given me a ring, Lev." Natsu laughed, sitting beside her on the couch and grabbed the lo mein and a pair of chopsticks. "Jeez," He looked over to the corner of the living room where Levy's well lit drawing station was set up. Her giant tablet with grids of lines and circles filled the screen and the stylus on the charging stand. "You set it up already?"

"Sorry," Levy swallowed her roast pork. "There was an emergency at the firm." Levy stabbed a dumpling with her chopsticks. "I had to set up my drafting table before I started on the changes." She looked at Natsu, who had a very disappointed look on his face. He promised he'd set it up for her on Sunday, though she already beat him to it. "I'm sure it's not as sturdy as it was before. Maybe you can reinforce the bolts?" Natsu grinned, but his sadness lingered. "I'm planning to get a new drafting desk for work, if they can help me fund it. Would you like to help me put it together?"

"Sure," Natsu smiled and shrug his shoulders. "As long as you come by my place and see Happy again. He misses you—" Natsu paused and wrinkled his nose. His eyes were hooded and face contorted before he let out a horrific sneeze. "—And Lucy—" Another sneeze and Levy grabbed the oil stained carton before Natsu spilled the contents all over her clean couch.

"Are you okay?" Levy set the carton down and tried to touch his forehead. It was warm, however, Natsu always ran hot; it was his talent into getting sent home from school all the time. Levy then remembered Lucy and then Gajeel—how they ran oddly warm compared to others.

"Allergies." Natsu sniffled. "You gotta dog or something?" Levy froze and mouth agape. Her sleep deprived mind wasn't helping her and all she could think about was the bloody state Gajeel was in before she knew she was Gajeel. "Levy?"

"Ah—no!" Levy cleared her throat. "No. I-I-I think one of my co-workers has—a dog." His dark eyes were watery and bloodshot now. "I was spending time with—" Levy knew if she said he in front of Jet and Droy, a parade of questions would rain down upon her. Luckily for her, she's talking to Natsu. "—him. Showing me around and our projects."

"You're sleeping with him or something?" Natsu asked and her face immediately went red. "What? Why's your face a tomato?"

"I-I am NOT—um—sleeping with him." Even though she did spend the night sleeping beside his naked body. That was before she knew he was actually a human.

"Jeez!" Natsu cackled, rubbing his stuffy nose with his forearm. "It was a joke!" He teased. "Levy's a pervert! Levy's a pervert! Levy's a—" Natsu stopped laughing and then narrowed his eyes on her. "Are you sleeping with him?" There was the protective friend and brother mode on. It was rare to see it with Natsu and certainly didn't want it here. Not now.

"No!" Levy cleared her throat. "I told you I am not!" His eyes narrowed into little slits. "Seriously!" Levy punched him in the arm. "I am not!"

"If anyone hurts you." Natsu tilted his chin.

"I know," Levy punched his arm again. "You don't have to tell me time and time again."

"Good—ACHOO!" Natsu leaned back along the couch and Levy shot backwards to escape his trajectory. "Uhhhh—" Natsu remained on his back, staring at the smooth white ceiling.

"I'll get you some Benadryl." Levy patted his knee and stood up, walking towards her bathroom.

"Thanks, Blue." Natsu held a weak thumbs-up and let it fall back against the cushions. She flipped the switch to her bathroom and opened the medicine cabinet where her pink toothbrush and toothpaste were on the bottom shelf. Her eyes looked at the top corner shelf where the important medicine were placed; allergy and migraine medicine. Levy could feel a pulsing migraine forming after she spent so long staring at a screen and blue with white lined paper. Everything about Gajeel started to pour into her exhaustion and the dread of seeing him again weighed heavy in the back of her eyes.

That was if Gajeel decided to show up to work.

Her heart sank at the thought of not seeing him again. Levy had so many questions, so many concerns, it would leave her empty if she found out he resigned. Empty like that one Halloween night. She rather face his wrath then not see him at all.

"Tomorrow," Levy looked up and grabbed both bottles and shut the door, revealing herself in the mirror. "Tomorrow," She exasperated and gazed into her own honey eyes. "He'll be there. And you'll confront him." She nodded and stood straight, pills rattling in their bottles. "Gajeel promised me lunch."

Gajeel snorted after sniffing around the end of an alley way, where the disgusting scent of cheap Cuban cigars littered the cold concrete. His sneeze went on once, twice and even three times before he padded around the corner and ran into the ivory wolf. The sunset shifted to twilight and their night has begun where there usually quiet patrol turned into an interrogation by the last person he wanted to receive questions from. She looked at him with perky pointed ears, wide watery greenish brown eyes and her fur rose from gooseflesh.

"I don't want to hear it," Gajeel snarled at her. They spoke the only way berserkers knew how. A pack sense which allowed only a warrior and the Chieftain to communicate. With their minds.

"Hey," Lucy's voice echoed in his mind as he turned his back at her and trotted away. She was at his heel and soon at his side, nudging him lightly against his shoulder. "I saw her today." Gajeel hesitated in his pace, but he continued to move along the shadows of the city. "Levy was at the bookstore researching wolves in all genres. Gajeel, all genres!"

"Shit," Gajeel growled low.

"Shit is right," Lucy leaped forward and cut Gajeel off, nipping at his black fur. "What happened?" She whined, stepping forward and nudged her nose against the nape of his neck. "When I picked you up her scent was all over you—"

"The jacket."

"Covered in your dried blood."

"It wasn't mine."

"You were shot." Lucy bared her teeth. "The burning scent of metal and iron with honey suckle was all over you when I picked you up." Her voice tightened with so much anger, the pure blood of her lineage was taking over her good tempered matter. It was rare to see her mad, though Gajeel knew how to handle her temper. He was, after all, the one who trained her. "I'm not an idiot, Gajeel." She stood her ground, chest forward and head held high. "I talked to her and her scent was an up and down rollercoaster. Confused, nervous, scared—the list goes on!" A breathing lie detector. It came in handy when dealing with humans during the day, especially at work, though it was a pain in the ass when it comes to people like Levy. She lies occasionally, however, he could easily tell by the shift her scent and heartbeat.

"Then what do ya want me to do, Princess?" Gajeel growled back. Two alphas could play that game. "Tell 'er everythin'? Oh I know, we could fuckin' leave and not tell 'er shite!" His modern accent started to slip to something familiar—ancient. "Is that what ya want? Huh?" His big red eyes stared down at her, but she didn't comply. "Better yet. You could make somethin' up. Yer really good at that, aren't ya Princess? Makin' up yer stories in yer fanciful way. You tell 'er." Her glare didn't shift and her wet nose sniffed the cold air.

"Is that what you want?" Lucy asked, body steady. "Do you want her to know?" She stared at him. Silent. Not a word appeared in his mind, a skill he learned for several centuries alive. "Gajeel?"

"Don't care," Gajeel huffed. "Yer the one who wants to stay so bad. Tell 'er. I don't care."

"Maybe I will." Lucy huffed and stepped backwards. "I'll tell it better than you. The way you speak is atrocious."

"Watch it, love"

"If it weren't for me, you'd still be in northeastern Europe or running with a Scottish gang." Lucy said to him. "Who knows? You might still be working for Jose."

"You shut yer trap!" Gajeel snapped and pounced to bite at her fur, though Lucy saw it coming and leapt out of the way and stood beneath a dim lit street lamp.

"If you want me to," Lucy's fur looked white and pristine under the yellowish glow of the light. Her platinum blond hair made her thick under coat white and almost golden along the furs of her top coat. "I can tell her everything she needs to know." Gajeel growled a warning. "If you want my opinion. I suggest you tell her your story."

"Tch, why should I?" Gajeel snarled at her.

"Because I have a feeling she wants to know about you, Blacksteel of Baskerville."