Note: Short note (because I feel awful for not updating faster!)! I'm so sorry to have kept you guys hanging for so long! Real life once again got in the way and I'll never be able to tell you guys just how sorry I am for not updating as regularly. I'm hoping to making up for it with this 11k+ chapter! :)
There will be another note in the end with some info, but for now, just enjoy!
Hunted
Supernatural hunter Oliver Queen's latest mission's name is Felicity Smoak; a new born hybrid who has gone rogue and left her master. The new hunt brings unexpected twists and turns and when the young hybrid saves his life, Oliver realizes that there might be more to the girl than meets the eye. The hybrid might not be the biggest monster in Starling City and as their unexplainable bond grows stronger, he learns that you can't plan who you fall in love with.
Chapter 17: The Wolf
Oliver inhaled the cold night air through his nose. The smell of speeding cars and rain washed over him and he couldn't help but think about how it had been way too long since he had been on a proper hunt like this. A hunt that didn't have anything to do with the Master, or finding out what the Undertaking was; a hunt that was all about killing the monsters that prowled the streets at night, killing innocents.
This week had been a busy one in general and Oliver felt as if he really needed to get out on the streets to relieve some of the tension that had been setting in him. Ever since that night in the Foundry when he had woken Felicity up from her nightmares, the young woman seemed to be more focused on her work too. They didn't talk about that night more than Oliver simply asking her if she slept well and her telling him that she hadn't had any nightmares since then. It made him feel good that he had been able to comfort her, but at the same time he couldn't stop thinking about her choice of words as he had been holding her. The fact that she had pointed out that they were taking comfort in each other, and that they were somehow a pair after all, made him feel a little confused. The confusion came from the fact that he somehow felt even closer to her on an emotional level, even though he would normally have pushed her away after such a statement. He couldn't afford getting attached to anyone else because he couldn't deal with losing anyone else right now.
"Are you going to stare out at the street dramatically all night, or are you going to get moving soon?" Felicity spoke through the comm-link in his ear, breaking him out of his thoughts.
Oliver shook his head, not commenting as he turned around and started running on the rooftop, gaining speed before jumping from one roof to another.
"Oh, wow. Of course you're going to show off your incredible parkour skills!" Felicity commented next and he smirked, sensing that she was being sarcastic. "If I was just allowed to patrol with you, I would show you some of my own moves, I swear… And by 'my own moves' I clearly mean my skills in hunting, and not anything else that can be misinterpreted!"
"This commentary is highly amusing," Tommy piped up on the other line.
"Tommy!" Felicity giggled and Oliver could have sworn that he heart her deliver a punch because his friend groaned out in pain.
"Focus," Diggle said sternly, but there was no hiding the amusement in his own voice.
"Sorry," both Tommy and Felicity mumbled.
Oliver fought back a grin and then jumped off of one of the buildings, turning mid-air to release an arrow, using the line released with it to pull himself up over the next ledge.
"Show off," muttered Felicity again.
"Status, Felicity," Oliver said as he finally came into position, looking over the park where they were suspecting a lone vampire was killing innocent women during the night.
"From the cameras installed down there, I can't see anything suspicious," she shared. "That suggests that the vampire might be working around the park, luring women into the woods to finish them off in there… Which is disgusting and really creepy."
"In other words…?" Oliver asked.
"If you see someone staying close to the shadows or acting creepy, then that's most likely the Dark One we're looking for."
"Or it could just be a creep," Tommy pointed out. "I mean, it is the Glades after all."
Oliver silently agreed, deciding that it was better not to speak. He needed to remain focused on the task of finding the vampire who had been successful in killing three women before the SCPD started looking for him. This Nightcrawler needed to be apprehended and by that, he meant that he needed to eliminate him.
It felt good to be back; to focus on something other than the Undertaking. He felt more at ease despite the dangers that he knew laid ahead of him. These dangers, however, were normal because it wasn't about some hybrid army or some Master who was pulling strings that he had no way of finding. This was something he knew how to do, something he needed to do.
It took him about another half-hour to locate the vampire and it took half of that time to eliminate him.
"The vampire has been exposed of," he said into the comm-link.
"Yay!" Felicity said happily, but then backtracked. "I mean, good job! Job well done. Mission successful."
He couldn't help but smirk. She was just so quirky sometimes and he found it endearing, almost. The fact that she was able to make him smile after everything he had been though meant a hell of a lot to him. He knew that she had become an essential part of his life that he didn't think he could handle losing. Oliver wished that once everything was over, she would agree to stay with him… And the team.
Movement that he saw from the corner of his eye had him turning quickly, grin dropping into a serious expression when he raised his bow at the intruder. Oliver had just been about to growl at the person to step out of the shadows when he caught a glimpse of the color red. He frowned, recognizing that color from the night that he had saved the young man from being brutally murdered for being something that he wasn't even aware of that he was.
"Roy Harper," Oliver spoke, his voice disoriented from the device he was wearing. "Why are you following me?"
He knew he had had a nagging feeling all week long. There had been times when he had wanted to tell Felicity to monitor the areas around him when he was patrolling because of the fact that something in his gut told him that someone was watching him from afar. Yet, he had never brought it up and he supposed that maybe he should have. After all, Roy Harper was supposed to be someone that Felicity would handle, when she decided that she knew how to approach him.
"I've been looking for you everywhere," Roy said, taking a step toward him. His body wasn't giving off any nervousness, but Oliver could see it in his eyes that he was a little intimidated. Without thinking, Oliver lowered the bow and took three large steps towards Roy, towering over him in the shadows, making sure his face was well-hidden.
"What the hell are you doing here?" he asked again, this time harsher than before.
"Get away from him!" another voice sounded suddenly, startling Oliver. He took a step back from Roy and turned around, only to see his sister standing just a couple of feet away, a cellphone in hand.
He opened his mouth to speak but stopped himself, knowing that he would be risking exposure if he showed Thea that he knew her name. What was she even doing there? Had Roy dragged her into something? Why had Roy been looking for him?
Those were questions that Oliver wanted to have answered, although, he knew that tonight was not the night for that.
"You shouldn't be here," was all he said before he turned around and hurried to the metal steps on the side of the building, jumping up on the ledge. He climbed them at record speed before running over the rooftops, jumping from one building to the other, getting out of there as fast as humanly possible.
Felicity tapped her foot against the floor, nervously biting her lip as she gripped her chair tightly, swirling around in it once or twice before again settling her gaze on the door. Tommy and Diggle were standing tense close by her and she knew that they were just as worried as she was. Neither of them knew what to expect when Oliver finally returned to the lair, but they had all heard him speak Roy Harper's name and then later heard Thea's voice in the middle of it all.
"Do you think he'll be mad?" Felicity wondered, a frown on her face as she swirled her chair around again.
"Probably," Diggle nodded, sounding calmer than he probably was. Neither of them had seen this coming. If it had been just Roy approaching him, things might have been a little different, but now that Roy had somehow dragged Thea into it all… Well, Felicity knew for certain that Oliver couldn't be too happy about that.
"Ten bucks says he'll break something," Tommy joked lamely, but Felicity shook her head at him.
"I'm not taking bets on the level of Oliver's anger," she said. "Believe me, I've been on the receiving end of that and it's something to prepare for, not joke around about."
Tommy swallowed then, "Noted."
About five more minutes went by before the door to the Foundry opened and Oliver walked down the stairs in a hurry. Felicity opened her mouth to ask him how he was, just as he let out something way too similar of a growl and grabbed one of the desks that he used to play around with new weapons on and flipped it over, sending tools and parts flying everywhere.
"Hey!" Felicity protested loudly before she could stop herself. "I know you're angry but there's no need for you to ruin the place I live in!"
Oliver took a couple of deep breaths as he turned around to face her. For a moment she regretted having spoken, but instead of showing that, she stood tall and narrowed her eyes at him. Oliver's jaw was clenched and his hood had fallen off, making it even more evident how upset he was over the fact that Thea was involved in something with Roy Harper.
"I'm sorry," he finally breathed out, taking another deep breath through his nose as he approached her. "I'll clean it up before I leave."
Felicity didn't let it show that his apology had actually surprised her. She only nodded and glanced toward Tommy and Diggle who weren't as good as her at hiding their reaction. If Oliver saw the stunned look on their faces, he didn't comment on it, nor did he encourage any further comments on the matter.
"What are we going to do?" he asked instead, changing the subject back to the problem. "I had a feeling that someone was following me around, but now that I know that it's Roy and Thea, I don't know what to do."
"Wait a minute. You 'had a feeling'and you didn't say anything?" Diggle frowned. "Oliver, how many times to we have to talk about you sharing crucial information that can jeopardize the mission with the team?"
"I know I should have said something, but I thought that I was just paranoid," Oliver admitted.
"It wouldn't have surprised me and I probably would have thought that you were," Tommy shrugged. "Either way, we now know that your suspicions were true and now we have to deal with it."
Felicity listened to them intently as she looked at her hands. She turned her gaze back at them only when she felt Oliver staring at her.
"What should I do?" he asked her, something in his voice telling her that he was asking almost desperately for help. It seemed like he really didn't know what he was supposed to do about the situation that had occurred and she couldn't exactly blame him for it. She wouldn't have known what to do either, if it had been her sister that she had been trying to keep safe for years.
"Maybe it's time for me to bring Roy in," Felicity finally replied, not seeing another option anymore. Besides, there was a full moon coming up and she could tell by the way that Roy was acting that his body was starting to change, even though it was slowly.
"You mean tell him what he is?" Oliver asked, his voice quiet, contemplative.
"Yes," Felicity nodded slowly. "I don't see how anything else would stop Roy from searching for something that will end up getting him killed in the end, just because he doesn't understand."
"It's the best option," Diggle agreed, noting that Oliver was still looking reluctant. "Oliver, I understand that you're worried about Thea, but we all knew that it was inevitable in the long run. It's only a matter of time before she puts two and two together herself."
"Maybe Felicity can try to convince Roy that it's better to keep it a secret," Tommy suggested. They all looked at him. "I mean, if we convince him that all he'd be doing is put Thea in danger… The kid loves her, I mean. I know that I've been struggling to keep things from Laurel sometimes, but in the end it's worth it if I know that she's at home safe."
"I'll try," Felicity finally said, but Oliver was still looking uncertain.
Nevertheless, he bowed his head in a curt nod, "Okay."
Half an hour later, Tommy and Diggle both went home. Oliver was sitting in a chair, tinkering with some arrows, looking deep in thought as Felicity quietly observed him. She understood what he was going through, on some level. He had been trying to keep Thea safe for so long by making sure she didn't know about his nightly activities. She understood that he was worried and if she really knew him as well as she thought she did by now, she knew that he wouldn't be getting much sleep until this entire ordeal was settled.
Absentmindedly she had stood up, following her instincts as she approached Oliver silently, but not silently enough so that he wouldn't hear her. She came to stand in front of him as he turned in the chair, lowering his head just as she came to stand between his legs. His hands were on her hips and his forehead rested against her stomach. Felicity placed her hands on his shoulders lightly taking another step closer to him. She felt the pressure of his fingers on her waist and she hoped that she was once again giving him what he needed: comfort.
Felicity boldly ran her fingers through his hair, amazed by the soft texture; something which she couldn't recall if she had ever done before. She knew that they had been close, held each other when they had both needed it and she could remember one time a good while ago, when Oliver had been in a similar position, hugging her around her stomach. It was an intimacy which caused Felicity's breath to hitch. She had never felt this strongly toward anyone ever before and she wasn't really certain what it meant yet.
"Oliver," she whispered his name, placing her hands on his cheeks, forcing him to look up at her. Worry was shining through his eyes still and she could see that he was exhausted. "Oliver, I promise that I'm going to do my best to convince Roy to keep Thea out of it all," she said, her voice strong this time around and she truly hoped that her confidence shone through.
"I know," Oliver replied, his voice a little raspy. "I trust you."
And with that, Felicity expected him to pull back from her, but he surprised her yet again when he only tightened his grip on her a little more and once again rested his forehead against her belly, allowing her to run her fingers through his silky hair.
-§-
Beep. Beep. Beep–
"Hello?"
Felicity swirled around in her office chair, eyes widening. She hadn't actually expected him to pick up when she had dialed his number.
"Hello? Is someone messing around with me? Know that it isn't funny," Roy practically growled into the phone.
"Mr. Harper," Felicity spoke quickly. "Hi, uh, my name is Felicity Smoak. We met at some event a couple of weeks back, I don't know if you remember me? I'm Oliver's assistant– Oops, I mean Mr. Queen's assistant."
"Uh… Felicity, right…" Roy mumbled. "Where did you get my number?"
"Oh, I found it online," she said, leaning back in the chair, a little more relaxed now. "It was an easy thing to do."
"I… I don't really understand why you're calling me though?"
It was spoken as a question and Felicity swallowed, her throat suddenly tight. How was she supposed to phrase herself to not sound completely off her rocker?
"I would like to meet up with you," she explained quickly. "There is something very important that I need to speak to you about."
"Uh, listen Lady, this is weird as it is – me being called up by my girlfriend's brother's assistant – and I don't want any trouble. Can't you just tell me what it is over the phone?" Roy asked, sounding exasperated.
"It's not something I can just discuss over the phone, Roy," Felicity hissed into the phone, looking around to make sure that no one was around. Oliver had gone out to a late lunch with his mother and Walter, after a lot of protests from his side. He hadn't wanted to leave Felicity to deal with everything alone, but in the end he hadn't really had a choice but to go with Moira.
"Okay, fine!" Roy practically exploded. "Whatever it is, I'm at my place today. I don't have any other plans for the next hour or so, so if you really need to talk to me about whatever it is, I'll be here," he said, giving her his address.
Felicity scribbled it down quickly and nodded to herself. She probably would have been able to find it herself but this was a lot faster so she wouldn't protest. "One more thing, Mr. Harper," she said as Roy started to hang up.
"What?"
"You can't say a word of this to Thea," Felicity told him. "I'll be seeing you in twenty minutes," she added, hanging up before he had a chance to protest.
Exactly nineteen minutes later, Felicity stood in front of a small house in the middle of the Glades. It was still early so she wasn't afraid of any Dark Ones attacking her in the middle of the day. She walked up to the house and knocked a couple of times before ringing the doorbell and a minute later, Roy opened the door for her. His hair was ruffled, as if he had just gotten out of bed and now Felicity realized why he had been sounding so irritated on the phone. She had probably woken him up from his sleep and she felt sorry for him because she knew just how much trouble she had had sleeping before she turned for the first time.
"Hi," Felicity said, raising her hand in an awkward wave.
"You can come in, you know," Roy said, rolling his eyes as he stepped aside. Felicity took a step into his home and glanced around, her gut tightening with what she was seeing.
The place that Roy was living in couldn't be called anything other than… Well, a dump. It reminded her of the places she had stayed hidden in after having escaped from her captors and she wondered if he was really living here alone.
"Where are your parents?" she wondered, but she already knew that they probably weren't in the picture.
"Why do you care?" Roy narrowed his eyes at her.
"I wanted to see if you really were living alone or if that's just something you made up so that you wouldn't have to face what you are," Felicity stated bluntly, taking a seat on the worn out couch. She crossed her legs and watched Roy expectantly, but he wasn't taking the bait.
A moment of silence passed before Roy sighed, "What are you doing here?" The question was asked in tiredness and exhaustion and she knew for sure that she had indeed interrupted his sleeping session.
"There are some things I need to talk to you about," Felicity replied. "First and foremost, the fact that you have been following the Arrow around and pulling Thea into the chase."
Roy's eyes narrowed, "How do you know about that?"
"Because I work with the Arrow," Felicity shared, "and quite frankly, considering that Oliver Queen is my boss at my day job, it makes you involving Thea in all of this even more of an inconvenience."
Roy eyed her skeptically. "You're telling me that you are working with the Arrow?" he asked, sounding like he wasn't believing her at all.
"Is that so hard to believe?" Felicity frowned.
"Yes," Roy answered. "There's no way and I don't know how you–"
"How else would I know that the last thing the Arrow said to you before he ran off the night that you finally found him, was 'You shouldn't be here'?" Felicity interrupted, being met with another deep frown. "I could sit here all day and ramble up proof, but I suspect that it'll be enough if I just told you that I know exactly how that night went down when the Arrow saved your life, because I was the one who figured out where you were being held."
She could see Roy looking uncertain and she couldn't help the sigh that escaped her again. Looking at her watch, she decided that she probably had a little more time, so she began telling him just how she managed to locate where he was being held and how the Arrow had saved his life. When she was done, Roy looked more awake than ever before and he was staring at her with wide eyes and an open mouth.
"You really are working for him," he said, sounding as if he was in a daze.
"Correction: I work with him. I'm his partner," she said, deciding that it was better not to expose Diggle or Tommy by sharing that Oliver actually worked with more people than just her.
"That's… Just wow," Roy breathed out, still looking amazed. Soon though, his amazement turned into yet another frown. "Why did you come here today then? To tell me to back off? Did he send you here?"
"Sort of, but not really," Felicity bit her lip. "I volunteered to come and talk to you."
"Why?" Roy demanded.
"Because there is more to the story," she shared. "This isn't about the Arrow or you looking for him. This is about you and what you're about to become."
"You're not making any sense," Roy told her.
"What I'm trying to say is that you know that there's something else going on around the Glades. That the criminals in this part of Starling City are far worse than any of the others," she began slowly. "You've seen things… Things that you don't really want to believe, which is why you've suppressed them."
"I know that some of them are more violent than others, but it's the Glades, as you said. Why should there be something special about them?" Roy asked.
"Because they aren't human, Roy," Felicity finally said. "They're supernatural creatures… Wolves, shapeshifters, vampires."
Roy stared at her blankly again, "I think you've read one too many of those Twilight books."
Felicity stood up at the same time as he did, knowing that he was about to tell her to get the hell out of his house. She didn't want to let him get that far though, so she immediately began talking again. "You saw something that night on the train, Roy!" she exclaimed. "You know it, I know it and the Arrow knows it. When he came to save your life, you saw something happen and there must be a reason that you started looking for answers from a vigilante instead of going to the police!"
Roy narrowed his eyes at her and she could see his chest heaving, as if he was suddenly having trouble breathing. "What I saw that night might not have been natural but what you're saying isn't making any sense either," he snapped at her. "I gave the police my statement and they just patted me on the shoulder and told me that I was suffering from shock! They were covering something up and it made sense that the Arrow might know more!"
"The police force is corrupted," Felicity told him. "They cover up everything that the People of Darkness do, because it's easier than having to put themselves in danger if they cross some of the more dangerous ones. Detective Lance is probably the only one who isn't corrupt there because he doesn't know about the Dark Ones, or he's still living in denial over them."
"How do you even know about all of this? Why did you come here, spinning stories?" Roy asked, although, even Felicity knew that she was getting through to him. There was too much of what she was saying that was making sense.
"Because as I've said: I work with the Arrow. His mission isn't to take down the bad guys in Starling City, but rather to bring down this secret organization of Dark Ones that I've told you about," Felicity explained. "And also," she hesitated, "because I'm a hybrid myself."
Before Roy had the chance to open his mouth to protest to her statement, Felicity's eyes shifted. They changed from that baby blue color that was her normal one, into the golden hue that came with her hybrid form. She could feel the veins around her eyes starting to appear as well and when Roy staggered back, she knew that she had broken through his walls on this matter.
"How…? How can you–?" Roy swallowed thickly, grabbing a hold of his head as he slumped down on the couch again. Felicity's features slowly returned to her normal ones and she walked over to sit next to him on the couch. She could tell that he wasn't afraid of her, like Tommy had been, and she knew that the reason for that was because on some level all of this was making sense to him.
"Why are you telling me this then? Why are you telling me about these things? About yourself?" Roy wanted to know.
"Because, Roy," Felicity said. "And I'm not trying to rip offHarry Potter here, even though it may or may not sound like it–"
"Felicity just say it," Roy begged.
"Right, sorry," she sheepishly grinned. Taking a deep breath, she took a hold of his hand and looked him in the eyes. "You're a werewolf, Roy."
Felicity was glad that Roy didn't pull his hand away from hers, because she knew just how important it could be for a wolf to maintain physical contact in order to share an honest moment with someone else. She explained to him about the full moon that was coming up and how she believed that he was getting closer to changing for the first time. He questioned how she would know and she explained the basic symptoms of it all to him, being careful not to give too much detail to scare him away from it all now that she had gotten through to him. Felicity told him that she wanted to help him prepare for his first turn and mentor him in a way because she was more experienced than he was. She knew what it was like to lose control in when one turned for the first time and she didn't want him to go through what she had gone through.
"How do we do this then?" Roy wondered quietly when he finally agreed that he was on board. It seemed like he was more understanding and welcome to this change in his life than she had been in the beginning. Of course, Felicity suspected that Roy still didn't understand the seriousness of it all and she knew that she hadn't actually told him everything there was to know, but some things would just need to take time.
"I have an idea," Felicity told him. "But it's kind of radical on my part, so you'll just have to trust me."
"Radical how?" Roy raised an eyebrow.
"It involves me doing some stuff, basically… I will explain it all in more detail after I've talked to the Arrow about it too, but you're going to have to promise me that you will stop involving Thea in all of this until the Arrow agrees that she should be brought in on it all," Felicity said.
"You expect me to lie to my girlfriend?" Roy wondered.
"I'm expecting you to keep your girlfriend safe," Felicity corrected. "There are so many things you need to learn, Roy. Until then, you wouldn't be able to protect her from the Dark Ones even if you wanted to. It's better that she doesn't know about all of this."
"She'd be in danger?" Roy asked, immediately tensing up. Felicity recognized the signs immediately. It seemed like the wolf part of Roy had found something similar to a mate in Thea; perhaps, she even was his mate. That meant that the mere thought of something happening to her would have Roy in agony and he would protect her with his life, if needed.
"Yes," Felicity said. "She'd be in danger because she wouldn't be able to handle it. At least not right now. When we bring her in on it, we'll do it together and you won't have to worry about her running off and into danger. For now, you just keep her safe, but you train with me in secret and I teach you the best I can."
"And the Arrow?" Roy questioned. "Where does he fit in all of this?"
"I'm his partner, which means that if you become my partner, you'll be his also by extension. Either way, you're probably going to meet him soon, if my plan works out," Felicity said. "So, are you in?"
She held out her hand for Roy to shake. The young man looked at it for another moment before grasping it in his own.
"Okay, I'm in."
-§-
Felicity could feel Oliver observing her as she began packing her bag. She didn't want to point it out to him, but ever since she had shared her plan with the team, he had been awfully quiet. A part of her wanted him to say something, although, an even bigger part was grateful for him not saying anything to try to stop her from doing what she was about to do. Diggle and Tommy had been louder at protesting, though, eventually she managed to convince them that this was the best option for them all.
"I've located a small warehouse that no one seems to be using, just out of town," Felicity said, ignoring the sounds that the chains she was putting in the bag were making. "I think two bottles of liquified wolfmist will be enough to keep me weak since it isn't actually a full moon."
"Felicity," Oliver interrupted. She turned to look at him and he watched her for another moment before sighing. "Why?"
The question hung between them and even though she had explained the 'why' to both Tommy and Diggle while Oliver had been present, she felt like she needed to talk to him alone and make him see just where she was coming from.
"You know why, Oliver," she told him with a sigh. "I convinced Roy to listen to me and this way, I'll be able to show him just what he'll be going through when he turns for the first time."
"But isn't it different for you now? You're no longer just a wolf," Oliver stated.
"Yes, as a hybrid, I can turn into my wolf form at will," Felicity nodded slowly. "That's why I haven't been turning into a wolf every full moon that I've been with the team. It could have gotten messy otherwise…"
"But what does that mean for your transformation then?" Oliver wondered.
"It means absolutely nothing. I'll be able to turn into a wolf as always. The pain of turning will just be… A little amplified since I haven't turned fully since I became a hybrid. It's the perfect opportunity to teach Roy what's going to happen with him," Felicity explained.
Oliver's blue eyes bored into her. "You're going to be in pain then," he said, sounding almost bitter about it all. "Is there no other way?"
"Unfortunately, no," Felicity said. "A little pain will be worth it if I can stop Roy from turning into something horrible. Wolves can go mad with their first transformation and shift into blood wolf territory." She zipped up the bag and walked over to Oliver, placing her hands on his tense shoulders. "It's a small price to pay, Oliver," she reminded him again. "I'll turn, you'll be there to keep Roy company and prove to him that I actually am working with the Arrow and then I'll be chained up for a few hours before turning back to human form again. Simple as that."
"Simple as that," Oliver repeated. Felicity took a deep breath and held it when his hand came up to touch her cheek. "I just hate the fact that you're going to be hurting."
"I've been through worse, Oliver," she said calmly, even though her stomach felt like it was flipping.
"So all I'm going to do is make sure that Roy stays put?" he asked her, brushing his thumb against her cheekbone.
"That and make sure I don't get out of those chains," she replied. "I used to be able to control my wolf form before I became a hybrid, but it's been a while, so I'm taking the necessary precautions. Otherwise I'd be able to turn down here every night without ripping you guys apart." An almost grim smile settled on her face. "Not that I've ever taken a life..." she muttered quietly to herself.
"I'll be there, Felicity," Oliver said, leaning down to press a light kiss against her forehead. Felicity closed her eyes and sighed, feeling a little more relaxed than she did a minute ago.
-§-
Oliver stepped off of his motorcycle when he reached the warehouse that Felicity had given him directions to. She wasn't far behind him, following with her mini-cooper but when he had told her that they may as well drive there together, she had protested loudly, telling him that Roy was about to officially meet him for the first time and that the Arrow stepping out of a mini would probably not be what he was expecting.
Oliver looked toward the warehouse, which was basically just a simple garage in the middle of a field with woods surrounding it, and he couldn't help but wonder just how Felicity had found this one. A low whistle made him focus and he turned, his hand already on his quiver but he stopped himself from taking out an arrow when he saw Roy standing in front of him.
"She wasn't kidding when she said you were going to be here tonight," Roy appraised, staring at him. Oliver shifted as he turned on the voice-disorientation-device.
"Mr. Harper," he acknowledged with a curt nod, lowering his bow. "I believe Ms. Smoak will be here shortly."
"Dude, I still can't believe all of this shit," Roy said, walking closer to him. "Did she tell you what she's going to do?"
"It's why I'm here tonight," Oliver spoke as calmly as he could, but his fingertips rubbed together as he began getting restless. Felicity better be here soon because he didn't know what he was supposed to say to Roy at the moment. The entire plan she had shared made him feel uneasy and he didn't want her to go through with it, even though he understood why she had to; for both Roy and herself.
Luckily, Felicity arrived a minute later and Oliver let out a low sigh, glad that she was there. As soon as she got out of her car, she began complaining about traffic and called Oliver – the Arrow – over to help her carry the bag she had packed earlier in the lair. She greeted Roy and told them both to follow her as she led them to the small storage facility.
As soon as she got in, she grabbed the bag from Oliver and he watched her curiously as she began rummaging through it, taking out various items as she placed them on the floor. She sped around the place at an inhuman speed, securing chains and placing bottles filled with wolfmist on the floor. Oliver wanted to ask if she needed any help, but she seemed to be having it all under control as she worked. Instead, Oliver stood beside Roy, watching and waiting for what she was going to do next. It wasn't until she began removing her clothes that he averted his eyes and urged Roy to do the same by snapping at him unceremoniously. When Felicity was finished, she gave them the okay to look and Oliver's mouth went dry when he saw the lack of clothing on her body. She was only wearing a sports bra that she used whenever they were training and some spandex training shorts. Her feet were bare and Oliver couldn't help but stare at the slim, but strong muscles that moved as she lowered herself into a crouch. A moment later, he realized that the reason that she had lowered herself was because she was strapping the chains to her ankles and then some other chains to her wrists. She pulled at the chains, making them rattle, sending a chill down Oliver's spine. He knew that this couldn't be easy for her. Felicity was all about people choosing their freedom and chaining herself up like this must remind her about her days in captivity. A part of him wondered whether that was also a reason that she'd wanted him to be here tonight; so that she wouldn't have to go through those horrors alone like she had back then.
"Okay," Felicity finally sighed. "I've chained myself up and I'll be drinking wolfmist to weaken myself. During your first transformation Roy, I'll be there with you and you'll have to drink wolfsbane, which is the herb effective on wolves."
"What does it do?" Roy wondered, taking a small step closer.
Oliver watched Felicity as she picked up one of the bottles. "There's nothing better than a demonstration," she shrugged, looking him dead in the eye before gulping down some of the beverage.
Instantly, she began coughing, a sizzling sound echoing in the room as the liquid burned her skin and her throat. Oliver took a step toward her, but she help up her hand and shook her head at him.
"I need to show him," she said, her voice raspy as she took another mouthful of wolfmist. Oliver forced himself to look away, images of a chained up Felicity in some underground facility appearing in his mind. He knew that he had never gotten a visual of it, but the things that Felicity had told him had made it easy enough to imagine, and he didn't like it one bit.
Oliver glanced toward Roy, who was staring at the blonde, terrified. Felicity kept drinking and soon enough, the burning seemed to become too much for her because she let out a painful moan.
"That's enough," Oliver finally snapped. "You're in control of your wolf form, you told me so. You don't have to do this."
"I haven't turned in months," Felicity countered, red blisters appearing on her fingers and her chin where the liquid had trickled down. She already seemed to be healing though, which was the only reason that Oliver wasn't losing his shit on her. "There's no telling if I'll be in control or not."
"Felicity..."
"I have to do this!" she protested, her eyes flashing to that golden hue that had been taking his breath away these last few months. "Drinking wolfsbane will be pretty much like drinking battery acid," she then told Roy, her eyes still glowing. "It's going to hurt, but you have to do it, because otherwise you're going to risk getting out and I'm going to be forced to stop you."
Roy looked like he was going to be sick any minute, but he nodded. "What happens next?" he asked.
"The transformation will take hours," Felicity said, wincing slightly as she moved to sit. Oliver could have sworn that he'd heard something crack, but he couldn't be sure. "Your bones will break and reform to take the shape of a wolf's. That's where the pain comes from. The more times you turn, the more time that passes, the less it will hurt. Eventually, it will be like nothing more than a gunshot and it'll pass the second you're on four legs."
"How long do you think your transformation will take tonight?" Roy wondered, looking down. Oliver looked over Felicity's already tired form and he couldn't help but wonder the same.
-§-
Felicity's senses were heightened and she could pick up on their emotions more clearly because they seemed to be reeking of them. Roy was feeling almost ashamed and she wondered whether it was because he felt some kind of guilt for putting her through this. She wanted to tell him that this wasn't his fault and that she had made the choice to go through this again. It was something that needed to be done and she knew that she had gone long enough without turning. Considering the threat of the Master looming over their heads, she needed to be ready in every way she could so that she would be able to help Oliver and the team when it came down to it.
"I don't know," Felicity answered Roy's question. "The last time I turned, it only took me about five minutes, but this time around, I can't be sure."
She could feel tension rolling off of Oliver as she replied. As always, he was a tornado of emotions; never settling on just one that would be easy to read. How many time would this man continue to amaze and surprise her? She didn't like using her over-sensitive hybrid senses on him, but it wasn't like she had a choice right now. Concern and anger were pretty much shooting straight out of his pores and Felicity inhaled deeply through her nose, taking it all in. The fact that he was worried about her made her feel all warm inside, but before she could even turn her attention to him to assure him that she was fine, a bone in her arm snapped, making her scream out in agony.
-§-
"Felicity!" Oliver screamed, immediately taking two steps in her direction.
"Stay away!" she yelled back, just as another sound of bones breaking reached his ears. Oliver flinched when he saw her arm sticking out at a sick angle but he forced himself to keep looking.
"Oh my God," Roy mumbled under his breath. Oliver could hear him repeating it over and over again and it was just making Oliver feel even more stressed out.
"The transformation is starting," Felicity gasped as her kneecaps seemed to break. She fell down on all four, groaning and moaning in pain, her eyes shut tightly. "It's going faster than I expected. Maybe it doesn't matter that I haven't turned in months– Ah!" She screamed again and Oliver could see tears running down her cheeks as the pain became too much. He was helplessly watching her, not being able to do anything to ease her agony.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck," Roy chanted beside him, grabbing his head as Felicity's spine cracked.
Oliver watched then, half in horror and half in awe as Felicity's whole body began changing.
"Get out of here," Felicity managed to whisper, her voice weak just before she snapped her head up at them, eyes glowing, fangs out. There was a trickle of saliva running down her chin and before Oliver knew it, her entire face began shifting. Her small nose grew out, shaping a snout and her fangs seemed to become even sharper as all of her teeth became sharp canines. Small patches of fur began appearing across her skin and for a moment it looked almost like a hallucination before it manifested completely. Her legs that had been broken in two changed into hind legs and her nimble fingers and soft palms became paws as her arms changed as well. Oliver heard the ripping sound as Felicity's new form became too much for the small amount of clothes that she had been wearing and he could see the scraps on the cold floor below her.
Oliver couldn't remember if he had ever seen a pack wolf turned. The past few years his life had been filled with them, but they had always been in human form when he had taken them down. All the wolves on Lian Yu and later in Hong Kong had been blood wolves, creatures that looked like half-beast, half-human, eyes blood red and crazed. Felicity though… He had never seen anything like her as he watched the white fur finally stop growing.
It was almost eerie, the way that she seemed to be glowing. She was bigger than any of the wolves that he had seen on television, but she didn't look like a monster; like he would have expected her to. There was no doubt that she was a wolf, through and through and Oliver couldn't help but remember Norton's words from the night that he had saved her life. The monster had called her majestic and Oliver hated himself for agreeing with him, but there really was no other word for it as he watched Felicity straighten up, shaking her fur like any other dog would do. He couldn't help but stare at her still glowing eyes and he wondered, how much control she had over her form. She had told him and Roy to get out and she was still chained up, but Oliver wasn't sure what he was supposed to do now that he was looking at her.
Apparently, it was possible for her to take his breath away in wolf form as well because he wasn't actually sure if he had ever seen something more beautiful than the animal in front of him. He looked at her again, meeting eyes that seemed to be wise beyond their years and a shudder ran through his body because he just couldn't help it. He had never been this close to a Dark One without actually aiming to killing it and he found himself taking a step toward her.
He stopped in his tracks, however, when he saw her nostrils flare. A moment later, Felicity lifted her head and howled, making Roy take a step back. Oliver, though, stood rooted in place, not being able to take his eyes off of her. He took another step toward her and the white wolf flashed her sharp teeth at him in a snarl. Oliver only paused before taking another step toward her. He wasn't afraid because he was sure that somewhere deep down Felicity was still there. After all, this was a part of her and he had decided long ago that he would accept everything that this woman had to offer.
The bright golden eyes flashed again and Oliver was almost certain that for a moment, they had turned back into Felicity's baby blue hue. He took that as a good sign and walked even closer, strapping his bow around his shoulder before taking off one of his gloves and reaching out for her with his hand. The wolf tensed for a moment, but Oliver was certain that recognition flashed in her eyes again. He took another slow step closer, hand still out and he was pleasantly surprised when the wolf took a step forward of her own, bumping his palm with her nose. Oliver smiled under the hood as the tension eased out of her and he couldn't help but take another stop closer, running his hand over the fur on her head. Felicity's wolf ears fell flat against her head and all the pain that she had been going through mere moments ago, was forgotten, it seemed. Oliver wondered if it was okay for him to be doing what he was doing, but he figured that if she didn't like it, she would be snarling at him again and making it known somehow. She seemed comfortable though and he was glad. He petted her for a little while, quietly running his hand through her soft fur before she lowered herself and laid down. Oliver took that as a sign and finally stepped away from her, walking toward Roy, who had quietly been watching the entire exchange.
"Let's step outside. Give her some privacy," Oliver said. He was calm now that he knew that Felicity wasn't in pain anymore and he figured that it was better to go outside so that he could talk to Roy. Felicity would want him to and he needed to make sure that Roy had understood everything that had happened tonight, even though a part of Oliver himself wasn't sure he knew.
As soon as they stepped out of the garage, Oliver closed the door and watched as Roy lowered himself to the ground, burying his face in his hands. "How the fuck am I going to go through that?" the young man whispered. "It was quick for her because she's done it so many times, but it's going to take hours for me."
"We'll be with you," Oliver assured, his voice masked as the Arrow's. "Felicity will turn with you and guide you."
"I would never want to force her to go through that again," Roy shook his head. "She explained it to me and I know that as a hybrid, she has a choice. She doesn't have to turn, but she did it for me tonight so that I would see."
"She's a good woman," Oliver said, eyes darting to the metal door that was keeping Felicity locked inside.
"I get why you like her so much," Roy stated, making Oliver snap his head in his direction. His heart seemed to flutter at Roy's words and he stared at him, glad that his hood was covering his look of surprise.
"What?"
"I mean, I get why you like her so much, like, having her as your partner and all that," Roy explained. "I know for sure that if I was fighting monsters every night, I would want to have someone like Felicity to watch my back."
"I have others too," Oliver found the need to share.
"Others?" Roy frowned. "Felicity didn't tell me."
"She probably thought it was up to me to decide whether or not I wanted to tell you," Oliver shrugged. "The only thing she wanted was the opportunity to teach you and help you."
"So what does you telling me that mean then?" Roy wondered. "Does that mean that I'm in?"
Oliver almost smiled. "It means that I'm trusting Felicity's judgment and deciding to give you a chance. You're going to have to prove yourself to actually join my team, but if Felicity trains you and you become a part of her… Pack, or whatever, I don't see why I wouldn't invite you in. Besides, I have a feeling that you might become a valuable asset, in the future."
"So, what? I'll be like any other weapon for you?" Roy asked, making Oliver frown.
"It came out wrong, I think," he said. "What I meant was that you'd become a valuable asset to my team, as a member. I think you have a good soul, Roy Harper, but I've just recently began opening up my mind to Dark Ones being good, so just like Felicity, you're going to have to be patient."
Roy nodded, finally seeming to understand where Oliver was coming from. "You know, I never took you for being so talkative," Roy then mused.
"Felicity's babbling seems to be contagious," Oliver smirked.
"A part of me wants to know how you caught it, but I'm not going to push my luck tonight," Roy said, his tone almost teasing. Oliver shook his head and was once again glad for his hood, because once again he couldn't seem to stop the smile from appearing on his face. Another part, though, was thinking about what Roy's words insinuated. He didn't deny it to himself that he was attracted to Felicity and that he had developed feelings for her, but he still wasn't sure what those meant and he wasn't willing to just risk everything they had built so far on something that he wasn't certain of.
"I get why I can't tell Thea," Roy then said, looking up at Oliver. "I know that she loves me and I know that she would want to help me through all of this, but it would just be putting her in danger. I love her too much to risk it though, so I promise that I'll keep her out of it."
Oliver swallowed thickly when he looked into Roy's eyes, seeing that the young man truly did love his sister more than anything, if he was willing to keep such a big thing from her in order to keep her safe. "That's a wise decision," Oliver told him. "If you let Felicity help and train you, you'll eventually get a hold of your anger, much like her. I've seen people I know turn into monsters when their wrath became too much and I wouldn't want that to happen to you."
"Thank you," was all Roy said, as a comfortable silence fell between them.
-§-
The quietness was broken three hours later, way past the witching hour when a pained howl ripped through it. Oliver was instantly on alert, as was Roy, as they stood up and hurried to the metal door. Oliver unlocked it and threw the door open, only to see the white wolf hunched down in pain. Something was wrong, but he didn't know what it was. He didn't think twice about moving toward Felicity, though, Roy stopped him by grabbing his arm.
"Look," he said, staring at Felicity.
Oliver turned his attention back to the wolf, who now seemed to be emitting energy. It looked almost like a glowing force field around her form and a moment later, Oliver heard the familiar sounds of bones cracking again. The turn back to human form went a lot faster and soon enough, Felicity was laying in a heap on the floor; her body completely nude and shaking, despite the sweat that was covering it. Oliver moved quickly, running to her bag as he took out a blanket that he knew that she had brought with her and with two big steps, he was by her side, covering her with it. She was still radiating heat and Oliver could see that her eyes were still shut tightly, almost as if she was bracing herself for another wave of pain.
"Felicity," he whispered, brushing away damp hair from her forehead. "Look at me. You're okay now. You're okay."
It took another minute for her body to stop shaking and when it did, her eyes fluttered open and her piecing blue eyes met his.
"Oliver," she breathed out, sounding relieved. "Take off my chains, please," she whispered, her voice cracking. She looked exhausted and Oliver didn't let go of her as he reached under the blanket, careful not to touch any naked part of her as he removed her shackles.
"Is she okay?" Roy spoke up from behind them and Oliver gave him an affirmative nod. He was glad that Felicity had been quiet when she had whispered his name, because he wasn't quite ready for Roy to know his secret identity.
"Take me home," Felicity said then. "I'm so tired."
"I know, I know," Oliver nodded, pressing his lips to her forehead as he ran his hand through her tangled hair. "I'm going to take you back to the lair."
He told Roy to gather up all the chains and things while he carried Felicity out to her car, placing her in the back seat. He would have to return to get his bike tomorrow, but he was sure that it would be okay there over night. Felicity was curled up in a sitting position, still naked, but covered with the blanket and Oliver watched as Roy shyly approached her.
"Thank you," he told her. "Thank you so much, Felicity. I really don't know what I would have done if I hadn't known about all of this whenever I turn."
"It's okay, Roy," Felicity replied tiredly. "I'm going to give you a call tomorrow, after I'm feeling better."
"Okay," Roy nodded before turning back toward Oliver. "If you want me to, I can take your bike back into the city and drop it off somewhere? I can put it in the back of my pick-up?"
"All right," Oliver found himself agreeing. "Just leave it in the alley that you saw me in a couple of nights ago and I'll get it later."
Roy nodded but then stopped when Oliver reached out and offered him his hand. He hesitated only for a second before taking it and shaking it as some kind of silent agreement seemed to form between them.
Oliver got into Felicity's car and started it, trying not to think about how Felicity would be commenting on how funny he was looking in full Arrow-gear while driving her mini if she wasn't exhausted.
The drive back to the Foundry was quiet enough and Oliver was glad that Diggle and Tommy weren't there tonight. They had left him a message, telling him that Diggle had finished patrol without any problems. There had been a run-in with two vampires but he had taken care of it and Tommy had been doing what Felicity had taught him and monitored it all from the lair. Oliver picked Felicity up and carried her to the secret entrance, making his way down to the Foundry as she nuzzled her nose against his neck, obviously tired beyond belief. For a moment he thought back to how she in her wolf form had allowed him to run his fingers through her fur and he wondered whether she would remember any of it now that she was human again. She had told him that she was usually in full control of her wolf form, which must mean that she was still connected to her humanity even when she shifted. Did that mean that she knew everything that she was doing as well? Did she mean it when she touched his palm with her nose and when she had let him touch her? Even though he wasn't a mind reader, he felt as if that was something very intimate. It had been as if he had been able to feel the energy rolling off of her body and straight into his and for a moment he had almost felt like he was connected to her in a way that he never would have expected.
"I'm going to need to put on some clothes," Felicity told him, her voice still quiet. It brought him back from his thoughts though and Oliver nodded as he finally lowered her down on her cot.
"What do you need?" he asked her, lowering his hood as he watched her pull the blanket tighter around herself.
"Just a tank top and some panties," she told him and she was clearly still tired because she didn't even blush when she said it. Or had changing into an animal done something to her modesty? After all, she had basically been stripped naked in front of him, even though he hadn't been able to see any human attributes in the form that she had been in. Oliver's mind went to the dreams he'd had about her for a moment before he quickly forced himself to shut down that part of his brain. This was no time to be thinking about sex dreams.
He walked over to her drawer and rummaged through them, pulling out a pair of black cotton panties as well as a matching tank top. For a moment, he glanced at her pajamas, though, he knew that she probably wouldn't want them considering the heat that she was radiating.
"Here," he said, handing them over to her before he turned around to give her some privacy. He began removing his hood completely, leaving him only in the leather pants and the short-sleeved black shirt that he usually wore underneath. Turning around to look at her again, purely because he wasn't able to help himself, he bit his lip when he saw her pull the black tank down her body. She had her back turned toward him, but he could still see the faint outline of her breast as she twisted slightly to pull her hair out of the top. She had already put on the panties, but they didn't cover much of her ass and Oliver almost hated himself for staring at her.
His pants felt a little tighter then and a lump formed in his throat, it seemed, when Felicity finally turned around to face him again. It was as if she could sense the affect that she was having on him because her eyes traveled over his body, settling for a few seconds too long on the lower part of his anatomy. Oliver shifted before clearing his throat, making her eyes snap up to connect with his eyes. It looked as if she had never been more awake than in that second, but Oliver knew that it would be wrong to do something now about the tension that had only been growing between them. He figured that Felicity was in a vulnerable state at the moment and he wouldn't want to take advantage of that, no matter how much his body seemed to be craving hers right now. His eyes once again fell to her chest and he was surprised to see her nipples poking out slightly, and when he met her gaze again, he knew that Felicity knew that he had noticed. She didn't say anything though and neither did he. For another moment, they only stared at each other and it seemed as if Felicity was waiting on him to say something or make a move, but he wasn't sure what he was supposed to do.
After another moment, she turned away from him again, gathering up the blanket that she had been wrapped in before and pulling it up over her chest, as if to hide from him. The spell that they seemed to have been under was broken instantly and Oliver hated himself for possibly having made her feel uncomfortable now. He was such a mess and she had been though enough that she obviously didn't need his crap to be put on her shoulders too.
"What you did tonight," he began then, making her look over at him. "I didn't like that you forced yourself to go through all that pain." It was a confession that meant more than what the words said, and Oliver found himself hoping that Felicity would understand without him having to explain himself further.
"The physical pain was nothing compared to the memories of being chained," Felicity said calmly, her eyes cold like steel as she met his gaze. He didn't like the detachment in it and once again, he acted on instinct when he stepped up to her, taking the blanket from her hands slowly. He wondered if she would push him away, but she only stared at him as he draped the quilt over her shoulders, grabbing it's edges as he pulled her toward him. She took a short step forward before her chest connected with his and Oliver sighed when he felt her subtle breasts press against his own solid chest when he lowered his head slightly, to look her in the eyes. His arms were around her, his hands pressing against her upped back to keep her against him. He hoped that he was giving her the one thing he knew that he needed whenever he felt like slipping back into the cold person he had been before he had met her; the one thing that only Felicity seemed to be able to give him recently: comfort.
She was tense for another moment and Oliver worried that the memories that she had been forced to re-live had torn her down worse than he had first imagined. He knew that the transformation all on its own had been painful, but he knew after what she had said that she had gone through something even worse. It wasn't difficult to imagine the things that she had told him about her captivity; about the torture and an innocent child being killed in front of her to force her turn. He was certain that there was even more to her story that she hadn't shared yet and he could only hope that she would open up to him, with time, as he was itching to do to her as well.
Soon enough, he felt Felicity beginning to relax against him and then her hands reached out and her palms laid flat against his abdomen. She was still warm and he closed his eyes as he took a deep breath, his head still lowered. His forehead was resting against hers and the position was a little uncomfortable considering how much taller he was than her, but he didn't let it matter. He needed to hold her close, both for her and for himself and he needed to show her that he was proud of her in more ways than one for what she had done and gone through tonight and before they had even met. He wanted to tell her how much she means to him but he was scared to do so. The moment they had shared earlier had been loaded with tension and he knew without a doubt that she had been able to pick up on exactly what he was feeling for her. He still wasn't sure how he was supposed to act about it all and for the time being, it would be easier to let it be and see where their journey led them in the end.
"It'll be okay," he whispered to her, his nose brushing against hers as they once again took comfort in each other. Oliver would never have expected something like that to be easy, but with Felicity, he wasn't surprised that it was a simple as breathing.
Note: To remove any confusion: No, they DID NOT KISS at the end. They were just holding on to each other and giving each other what they both needed. Oliver was connecting with Felicity on a deeper emotional level than he's ever connected with anyone and that truly means a lot for his character in this story.
Some quick information now. The next chapter is called "The Undertaking", which means that it will officially deal with who the Master is! Yes, you read that correctly, you will be finding out a lot of things in the next chapter which will be HUGE, both story wise and Olicity wise! It might seem strange considering that I've said that the story will have 31 chapters, but the thing is that chapter 18 will be "concluding" the first part of the story and immediately bring us into the next one in chapter 19. The action is not over and neither is the mystery, so don't be sad yet! ;) Either way, the chapter will be big, which means that I probably won't be able to get it out that quickly (not that I've been quick with updates, I'm sorry again.). I want to do it right without rushing it and we have a lot of things to deal with in one lone chapter because I just don't want to split it all up. The good thing with that will be that you'll get to read A LOT when the chapter finally comes out and I'm hoping it'll be worth it! :)
I really hope you liked this chapter! Oliver finally got to see Felicity in her wolf form and if you check out my tumblr "author12345" you'll see the cover pic I made for this chapter, as well as how I imagined Felicity as a white wolf! Thank you so much for being patient and thank you even more for reading! I hope it was good enough for you guys to leave a little comment because I would love you to bits and thank you forever if you did!
Lots of love,
Spicy xx
