Heart of the Wolf, Mind of a Human (Tayssi R/M)

[Daydreamer]

The half-moon shone brightly overhead, illuminating the tall pine trees that towered over the creatures living inside the woods. Crickets chirped, and even in the darkness the forest was alive. A young doe stood in between the low over-hanging branches stripping bark off a tree, her ears pricked, but she was young and alone separated from her family herd, and she didn't know she was being watched.

Yellow eyes pierced through the branches, almost human, they shone with intelligence, cunning and a will to survive. Through the spaces of the tree’s you could see the muscular haunches of a male black wolf, his eyes locked onto his chosen prey. Watching her, waiting for the right moment. His movements careful and patient, he stepped over twigs and leaves, not making a single sound. His jaws salivating at just the thought of food. The doe stopped eating, and looked through the branches, sensing something was off, but ignored it turning back to the tree. The wolf saw his chance, he stalked his way through the trees until he was at a distance, before sprinting, weaving through the branches like a snake, almost effortlessly. The doe spooked and ran, but it was too late, with a single pounce the wolf had his jaws around the doe’s neck and with a final bleat, it was dead.

It had been a good two years that Darren had hunted in these woods, ever since he decided it was the perfect place for him, far enough from civilization that he didn’t feel threatened, but still close enough that it felt familiar to him. There was even a small cottage on the edge of the territory where he liked to sit and just watch the old lady that lived there. Things like fire, and her cooking tickled his nose, and sometimes he liked to daydream that he was inside that house, scarfing down some of those home-made pies, but he had chosen his life. Pie-eating was not a part of it.

The sound of bones breaking echoed throughout the forest, Darren’s ears was pricked as he quickly devoured the still warm meat, his paws red from the blood of his prey. He didn’t want anyone from his pack to find him with his prize, they’d eat his share and their own, the greedy animals. They were like him, changed as children and didn't want to change back into their original form. That was the way Darren liked it best. Alone as a wolf, he was an animal now, a disgrace to society. He couldn’t help feeling a tinge of hatred towards his kind. His pack was okay, but the wolves that would go around mauling teenagers, (as they were the ones most likely to survive the change) he despised. He rarely thought about his life before, it hurt too much to think about. No, he was quite content with the way life was now. He didn’t need to torture himself with the thoughts of the pass, nevertheless as he finished off his share and kicked some dust over the half-eaten body of the doe, to save for later he headed towards that little cottage, trotting along not caring who saw him now. He reached his favourite spot, a little hill over-looking the cottage and noticed that all the lights were on. Curious. It was quite late, the old lady should be sleeping by now, he wondered what had kept her up. Even though this lady didn’t know he existed he couldn’t help but feeling protective of her, looking out for her while she was in her garden or anywhere close to his territory. It was prime wolf country, and not all wolves were as fond of humans as he. He lied down, putting his head on his paws, and watched, ears pricked listening to the going-ons of that little cottage where things were about to change.

[Tayssi]

Taking a deep breath, letting the cool air enter her lungs, the girl looked at the cottage which stood in front of her. Completely made of timber; it was small but perfect. The right size to live in. And it was away from everything. Eva instantly fell in love with the little cottage and placed a hand on the smooth wood. Surely, Cole would never think of looking for her here. This wasn't the sort of place someone would think would be here, unless they knew about it prior or stumbled upon it. But she had made sure Cole couldn't follow her scent, constantly hiding her scent and going in every direction. If he did get her scent by any chance, he would have to go through a maze like trail to find her. She had a feeling she would be safe; at least for a good while. Sighing, she walked towards the door and pushed it open. The lady had given her a key, but had left it unlocked. Obviously, she felt safe out here. But some how, the old lady had known Evie didn't have a place to live, and, by giving her a key, some how felt she was afraid of something. Which was certainly true, but the lady never asked. Evie felt a connection, an understanding with that little old lady and she knew instantly that if Cole ever found her, she would leave before he could harm her new friend. She wouldn't let him lay a hand on her. Huffing under her breath at the thought, she looked around the inside. A small living room with a single pull out lounge, a simple kitchen with a tiny bar fridge/freezer which Evie doubted actually worked. There was a small bathroom and one bedroom with a double bed, with soft looking sheets and blankets. There were a few cupboards and a wardrobe that didn't hold anything; the old lady had taken all her clothes with her to her new apartment, but left spare blankets and pillows. Evie's hand lingered on one of the handles of the wardrobe, suddenly feeling a wave of sympathy for the old lady called Nina. She could tell she had loved living in this little cottage, but her age was starting to catch up with her and needed to be closer to the town. The walk to town was too much for her to bear now, but because she had no other family, she had taken Evie under her wing and given her a nice place to live. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly, taking a calming breath. She couldn't fall apart. Not now.

Running a hand through her blonde hair, she went to the bathroom and dropped her back pack on the ground. Nina had bought her some clothes and despite her reluctance, the lady wouldn't take no for an answer so Evie settled for some second hand clothing stores and got a few pairs of clothes there for really cheap prices. Peeling off her clothes, Evie started the shower and stepped under the cool water, feeling as it slowly warmed up. She scrubbed herself clean, visions of Cole jumping to mind. Shaking her head, she tried to clear her thoughts, but it persisted. His large, tanned hands reaching towards her and she could even remember the way the hairs curled on his knuckles. She could almost feel the way his gripped her upper right arm, yanking her towards him. Evie squeezed her eyes shut as she remembered how she fought to get away once she saw the hungry look in his cruel eyes. Forcing the image away, her back hit the wall and she slid down it until she was sitting under the water, bringing her knees to her chest, burying her face between them, fighting the tears that escaped anyway.

Evie had no idea how much time past before she pushed herself to her feet and washed her face before she turned the shower off. Grabbing a towel, she dried herself thoroughly and then pulled on a pair of black slacks and a loose off-one-shoulder pale blue shirt. She kept the towel with her, towel drying her hair as much as humanly possible before she ran a brush through it, smoothing it down and ridding all the knots. Looking in the cupboard in the kitchen, but finding nothing she felt like eating, Evie shut the door and put the towel back in the bathroom before she wandered through the cottage before she decided she wanted to go outside.  She turned off all the lights before she opened the door and stepped outside. It was fairly late at night and the cool air stung her cheeks momentarily before she got used to the chill. Running a hand through her hair, she looked up at the dark sky and the bright stars that were everywhere and the small clouds which floated over them. Lowering her gaze, Evie turned and walked off, disappearing through the trees, having no idea where she was going to go, but just wanting to walk. She enjoyed the peace and quiet of being out here. There was no one to disturb her. And yet, for some reason, she could feel the shadow of a pair of eyes on her. And she couldn't locate them, but she could feel she was being watched. She found a clearing in about half hour. Only a small one and she leaned against a tree with a heavy sigh, looking up at the sky once again, enjoying the peace and quiet this place had to offer her.

[Daydreamer]

Darren watched the lights in each room turn on one by one, he cocked his head in curiosity. The old woman was never up this late, it couldn’t be her, she was too old and frail. He felt his haunches started to rise in a bristle. He couldn’t help but feel obligated to take care of this woman, whose name he didn’t even know. He pressed his ears against his head, and kept low to the ground as he started to make his way closer to the little cottage, until he could see through the darkened windows.

He followed the noises that were coming from each room until he looked in, and saw a young girl with light blonde hair emerge from one room to another, unpacking clothing. He narrowed his eyes, what was going on here? Who was she? Where was the old lady? The girl didn’t look like that was going to be any trouble for Darren, however he wondered what she was doing on the outskirts of the town. Maybe she was a relative of the lady? Darren couldn’t help but sit down in front of the window and watched her with curious eyes, his yellow eyes reflecting off the man made light, but she didn’t notice him. He watched her go into the bathroom and sat silently waiting for her to emerge again. This was the first time he had ever been so close to the cottage and close to another human being since the accident, and since he was turned. He couldn’t help but feel a pang deep in his stomach. He let himself daydream about his family. The laughs they shared, the many camping trips they went on together as a family, the campfire songs, the smores, his last birthday party where they spent the day at an amusement park. All of that was gone now... he sighed softly to himself. Then the dreadful day came into mind. The screams of his parents, his father shouting for him to run, but he had been frozen on the spot. The huge black wolf in front of him with his mother’s neck in his jaws and his father already lying in a pool of his own blood. The way he stared into Darren’s eyes, those wolf eyes were almost human, and they were savage. He remembered the pain in his side, and how hot and sticky his blood was….

The door opened to the washroom, Darren shook out of his daydream not even knowing how much time had passed. He lowered his head so the girl wouldn’t see his gleaming eyes, and watched her walking into the kitchen. He dropped his head and walked over to the next window watching her every move, he couldn’t help it. He knew he should get as far away as possible as he didn’t want her to see him. She started turning lights off, Darren thought she was going to bed, but she walked out of the house and Darren pressed himself to the ground as much as he could underneath a bush. It was the middle of the night? What was this girl doing? It was dangerous territory… maybe he could warn her somehow… but he just stayed silent watching her and once she was a good distance away, he stood up ears and haunches low and stalked her, following her through the forest. He might as well make sure that she didn’t’ stumble along any of his other pack members he stopped watching her lean against a tree and sat down a couple tail-lengths away. He couldn’t help but think that she was quite stupid to be out in the forest at this time of night, but he just sat, as still as a stone, as the moon shone overhead.

[Tayssi]

Evie watched the clouds float through the sky, covering stars and then drifting over the moon, darkening the world momentarily. Everything became pitch black for a moment and the girl blinked a few times until her eyes adjusted. One thing about being a shifter was that your senses heightened - it was rather convenient sometimes. Within moments, however, the moon peeked from behind clouds once again and she stared at it. The bright, almost eerie glow it gave off, lighting the world  just enough so you could see the shapes around you. But no matter how much she tried to let her thoughts wander, she could still feel someone watching her. She looked around, but she couldn't see anything around or near her that might be watching her. She passed it off as being paranoid. Then again, who could expect her to be completely normal after everything that has happened? It certainly wasn't rational to ask that of her. Sighing, Evie ran a hand through her hair again, resting her warm palm against the back of her neck, suddenly feeling cold. Evie moved her hands so they were rubbing her arms, trying to create some friction to gather some warmth, but it wasn't working too well. She couldn't but consider becoming a wolf. Sure, a lot of people would be terrified to either become a wolf or to change back into a human, but with Cole, she had gotten so used to changing between them, it was almost second nature to her now, despite her reluctance to admit that. She didn't hate either side of herself. Not now.

Glancing around one last time, Evie stepped into a bush because she was unable to shake the feeling of someone watching her. When she knew they wouldn't be able to see her properly, should there really be anyone there, she pulled off her clothing, depositing them on the ground in a neat pile. She crouched down and slowly felt herself change. She could feel each bones, muscle, tendon changing. Everything shifted with a white hot flash of pain. But it vanished just as quickly as it had come and she stood to her full height. Except, this time, not as a human. Instead as a wolf. A Wolf with pure snow white fur and unnatural ice blue eyes. Stepping from the cover of the bush, Evie shook off the twigs and leaves which stuck to her, her ears flicking forward. Already, she was a lot warmer than she had been. Scraping at the dirt with her paws absentmindedly, she suddenly felt like running. When ever she changed into a wolf, the first thing she always wanted to do was run. She didn't understand it, but she didn't fight the urge. After all, a nice long run helped clear her head of unwanted thoughts.

Huffing slightly, Evie glanced at her clothing beneath the bush and decided that she could find them in the morning. She looked up at the moon one last time and she breathed in. And that was when she caught the scent and she froze in place. It smelt like earth and pine and the obvious muskiness of wolf. She knew it wasn't Cole instantly - he smelt like ash and blood - but it still didn't stop her from instantly flashing with bad outcomes. She spun around, the need to run had vanished and her piercing blue eyes scanned the darkness. She had almost looked past the large black wolf, except she had noticed the yellow glow of eyes reflecting from the moonlight. She stared at them, taking a small step back. Evie stared at him, his shape soon coming into shape. First his face, head and then his body came into focus. He was big. A lot bigger than she was as a wolf. She'd probably reach half way up his shoulder. Maybe. Evie knew that if it came to a fight, she'd lose. Hands down, he would over power her with ease, just like Cole had always been able to. Evie also knew that he wasn't an ordinary wolf - his size was too colossal, his eyes far too intelligent and holding that human like quality - she knew he had to be a shifter. And as much as her mind screamed at her to run away - knowing she'd out run him - she stayed where she was, frozen to the spot. But she made sure not to come off as aggressive towards him, unsure of how he would react, but instead simply came off as defensive, and submissive. Submission towards males had been beaten into her by Cole, and she had soon learnt what it meant to defy that.

[Daydreamer]

Darren raised his head slightly, looking up at the moon illuminating the sky, the night didn’t seem that dark. Or maybe it was just Darren’s shifter eyes. He couldn’t tell anymore… he hadn’t been human in 3 years. He was terrified to turn back now, he just couldn’t. Life was much easier as a wolf. He almost snorted to himself, calling himself a coward, but honestly? He was. He wanted the easy way out. Darren sighed watching his breath come out in front of him in a white mist. It was quite cold outside and the girl in front of him looked as if she was just wearing a light jumper. She seemed freezing, and she also seemed to be contemplating something. Darren couldn’t help it, he was so curious about this girl; he couldn’t take his yellow eyes off her. There was something about her, he couldn’t quite put his finger on, and he felt it in his blood that she was different.

He watched as she moved now to a bush and started stripping down to her skin. If Darren was human, he’d be able to feel the blood rush to his cheeks, but he looked away, some of that human morality was still within him, and he felt a tad embarrassed by the girl naked in front of him. Now he was really dumbfounded, what the hell was this girl doing? Then it struck him, she couldn’t just be out here for a leisurely stroll, and normal humans didn’t just get naked in woods at this time of hour. The thing was, she couldn’t be human and he finally understood that nagging feeling within him that there was something different with this girl. He watched her change, feeling some excitement at the fact that he could already tell she was shifting into a wolf. She was one of his kinds. Then that excitement turned to hostility. He did not know this shifter, and she clearly went back and forth between a wolf and human. She was living the life that her maker wanted her to. A million questions ran through his head, was she one of the ones that was willingly changed? Or was she forced into this life like he, and the other members of his pack were, or maybe she was one of the ones who did the changing. He felt his hackles rise, he couldn’t help it. Trust was not his best strong suite.

He finally saw her catch his scent in the darkness, there was no point turning around now. He wanted to face her, wanted to know where she came from. He slowly emerged; first his eyes came into view, then his hackles, and his giant paws. He narrowed his eyes staring at her. He had to admit, she was beautiful as a wolf, he had not seen any other’s with fur as white as hers and eyes as blue. He shook the thought away quickly and gave her a long stare. She was quite smaller than him, and as he looked into her, he saw that there was a mixture of fear, and concern. She was hunched close to the ground, and kept a very submissive stance towards him. Darren couldn’t help but soften his gaze. She looked anything but threatening, she looked scared and Darren knew that he wasn’t the most friendly looking of the wolves, he was big even for a shifter and his spiky dark brown fur stuck up this way in that, giving him a shaggy look. He didn’t want to scare her away without knowing anything about her, and he pressed his ears against his head and gave her a tiny nod, his eyes soft. “I’m not going to hurt you” he said softly, his voice low and gruff but gentle at the same time, “Who are you, where have you come from?” he asked. His words almost telepathic, a ways that shifters communicated. Something he could never explain or describe.

[Tayssi]

Eyes widening when the male stepped forward, his full shape coming into view, and the sight of his hackles raised, obviously not at all happy she was here. Her tail instantly curled between her legs and all she wanted to do was run from him, but she was rooted to the spot. Maybe it was because the only other shifter she had known was Cole, so she had no experience with other shifters. That, and this male was even bigger than Cole. And honestly? That terrified her. Evie watched ever so closely as he narrowed his eyes at her, giving her a long stare, which she shrunk under. She had no idea what she should do, or even could do for that matter. She wished she had more confidence when it came to standing up to males. She wanted to be like other females who were strong enough to fight back and not cower beneath them. But, Evie was a coward now. Different to how she used to be. She just hoped she could regain some of her old self now that she had escaped. She knew it'd take time, but she'd try.

As the male watched her, Evie noticed something shift in him. His gaze became slightly softer and a few moments later, his ears flicked back in a non-threatening gesture before all aggression in his eyes faded away. And then he spoke to her in the only way shifters could. And Evie could only describe it as some sort of telepathy.. Kind of. He told her he wasn't going to harm her, his voice low and gruff, but some how also gentle. Hesitantly, her ears slid forward towards him from where they had been back in submission. Then he asked who she was and where she had come from. Her head cocked to the side at the last question, trying to remember where it had been Cole had forced her to live with him. But she couldn't remember. She could only remember the log cabin, her room with the locks outside so he could keep her in whilst he slept. So she couldn't escape. Banishing the memories, Evie looked at the large wolf in front of her, unsure of what to say. She had no clue where she had come from. She slowly, cautiously, pushed herself off the ground before she sat down, though keeping her head slightly lowered submissively.

"My name..." she said quietly, watching him, gauging his reaction, trying not to upset him, "is Eva," she told him. Eva.. Eva Fayre Windfall. Yes, that was the name her parents had given her. And the nickname she most despised was Eve. That was what Cole had called her. 'His little Eve', his perfect girl. Just the thought made her shudder in disgust. Evie was the name she preferred. That's what her brother used to call her. "And.." she began, trying to think again, but coming up empty, "I don't know where I came from... I just ran... Ran from him.." she trailed off before she took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, looking towards the ground. Right now she was still weak - breakable - when she thought of him and Evie hated it. She thought running away would clear him from her life for good. But he seemed to haunt her where ever she went. She couldn't escape, and she hated it. Once she had at least some what calmed herself, she looked back up at the male, wondering who he was and what he was going to do now. She couldn't tell if he was good or if he was bad. But right now, she didn't feel like running any more, so that was something.

[Daydreamer]

Darren watched the terrified shifter before him, he tried his best to make himself look as non-threatening as possible, but he wasn’t sure how else, she was so small, and there was something in her eyes that made it seem like she had been through hell and back. He pressed his ears against his head, forcing himself to be a tad more submissive to make her feel comfortable however the wolf in him was having a hard time, as he was quite high in the ranking in his pack and It felt unnatural, but he wanted this girl to feel comfortable around him, he really didn’t want to scare her. He couldn’t believe that he thought she was one of the wolves that would change people, this little thing didn’t look like she could hurt a fly.


Darren watched as she made herself a little more comfortable, and he blew out a breath of relief, knowing he was on safe ground and that she wasn’t going to make a run for it. He was kind, and would give her a chance to speak but other members of the pack wouldn’t be so quick to stop and listen, they’d just bare their teeth and chase her out. It seemed as if they were losing more and more of their human qualities and completely adapting to life as a wolf, and that was something Darren couldn’t agree with. He always thought that his human qualities were what made him strong, and he wasn’t going to go against that belief.


He nodded his head, hearing her name “Eva” he repeated, cocking his head curiously at her, “that’s a really pretty name Eva” he said, his eyes blazing with curiosity. “My name is Darren, nice to meet you” he said. He cocked his head at her words. From him? From whom was she talking about? He understood that this shifter must be on the run from someone, it was probably her creator. Many of them have a tendency to keep their trophies around with them, and they weren’t exactly treated the best. One of the wolves from the pack had a similar situation, and that’s where Darren knew about the sick way the shifters treated each other. No wonder she looked so terrified. His creator left Darren to survive on his own, he survived his first change on his own, and taught himself how to be a wolf, and honestly Darren was glad that he did all those things by himself, he couldn’t imagine sticking around the person that ruined his life, and he couldn’t imagine what she had gone through. “It’s safe here” He managed to say, “We take care of each other here, a small shifter pack lives around here, I’ll let them know that you are in the area, no one will threaten you” he said gently. There was something about her; he wanted to make sure she was safe. The innocence in her eyes, reminded him of his sister, and he couldn’t just leave her to fend for herself out in the territory alone.

[Tayssi]

Eva watched as the male tried to make himself look a little less threatening towards her and she couldn't help but relax a little more. He was trying to help her feel more comfortable around him and she truly appreciated that. Now he knew she wasn't a threat, he was doing his best not to threaten her. That was something that Evie was not used to but she was grateful for it nonetheless. It was a thoughtful gesture from his part. She sat just a tiny bit straighter, her blue eyes studying the male for a moment before she lowered her gaze to the ground. He was enormous, even for a shifter and adding that on top of his naturally intimidating looks made for a wolf who could probably intimidate even Cole.. Maybe. And even that tiny chance made Evie's hopes rise. If he allowed her to stay here, she felt she could be safe. As long as Cole ran into this male before her, anyway. But she shoved those thoughts away, she ran to be away from him. She had escaped as far as she could. This was the safest location she had come across. She had to think positively, not negatively.

Evie heard the relieved breath the male exhaled and her ears flicked forward again. Had he really been wanting her to relax that much? She certainly wasn't used to someone making such an effort around her anymore. He then repeated her named and then told her it was a pretty name. She knew, if she was in her human form, she would have felt the heat rising to her cheeks right at that moment. She was used to false compliments coming from Cole but not a true compliment, and especially not from a stranger. Pushing away her embarrassment, she looked back up at the male as he introduced himself and she nodded lightly. "And... Nice to meet you, too," she said quietly and watched him as he tried to figured out what she meant by 'him'. He soon seemed to come up with something and by his haunted expression, it wasn't good. Whatever conclusion he had come up with, it probably wasn't too far from the truth, anyway.

Darren soon told her it was safe here, but then said there was a small shifter pack and she tensed. She didn't know what other shifters were like but she also knew that they were still similar to wild wolves when it came to territory; they didn't like intruders and would very often chase them out. But Evie didn't want to leave. She had just found this place. She wanted to stay. However, before she worked wind herself up too much, he continued to tell her that he would let them know she was here and promised no one would threaten her. She relaxed once again with small sigh of relief. Thank you, I really appreciate it.. Darren," she said lightly, bowing her head slightly in appreciation. If he was able to tell the pack to leave her alone, he must be of high rank. Not that that surprised her, with his size and obvious muscle, he could probably defeat just about anyone.

Raising her head, she looked up at the moon and then stood, stretching her legs, the desire to run burning in her core once again. The cool breeze blew through her white fur and she shook herself off before she turned. She looked back at Darren, "Did you..." she started, thinking for a moment, "want to join me?" she asked. Evie waited for a few moments before she took off, vanishing into the trees. The leaves and branches off trees pulled at her fur and then she thought about Darren. She knew she was faster then him, that was one thing about her, she was fast. So she slowed so he could catch up if he did want to join her.

[Daydreamer]

The atmosphere between them seemed to lighten up a bit, and Darren smiled and cocked his head slightly at her. He knew how intimidating he looked, the whole pack was slightly scared of him, he could even get the alpha to listen to him most of the time, but at the same time without threatening his position. He didn’t want to be alpha anyways, too much responsibility and not enough time on his own, he was happy with his standing in the pack and wasn’t going to change that anytime soon. He pricked his ears as he heard some distance barks and howls. He looked over at Evie, slightly concerned. “Don’t worry” he said gently, “Something you should know about us though… we live our lives as wolves… completely” he said his eyes on her, some concern glinted in them. He wasn’t sure how she would take that information; it was quite rare what he and his pack did.


He smiled at her reaction to the small compliment, she didn’t seem like she got very many. She was so beautiful though, how dare anyone treat her like they did? There had to be a reason this poor girl was so spooky and scared of everything. He felt his hackles rise at just the very thought, he could rip the throat out of whoever had mistreated her. He felt that protective of her and he only just met her, he couldn’t help but feel slightly surprised at himself.


“It’s no problem Evie, I promise you’ll be safe here, and whoever is looking for you… they won’t find you here… and if they do, we’ll deal with it” he said his eyes narrowing. This shifters had to look out for each other, if they didn’t they’d probably be extinct from now. He watched her stretch her legs, and stood up himself, his tail wagging slightly he wanted to show her around. Maybe then she’d feel a little more comfortable around the territory. “So do you think you’ll be living at that cottage now?” He remembered  the questions he had for her, “I almost forgot, where was the old lady” he looked down a little sheepishly, “I have to admit, I’ve been watching over her ever since I started living here,” He felt that as if having a relationship with a human, even if it was one sided seemed to be a weakness. He would never admit it to his own pack, they’d surely think he was crazy and it was extremely frowned upon what he was doing, but he just couldn’t help himself.


Darren looked down at Evie, “Sure,” he said seeing that she was ready to go for a run through the woods, honestly it would feel good to have the wind in his fur, but before he could even bound up into a run she had already bolted off. “Holy…” he muttered under his breath seeing how fast she took off.  A white blur in the forest. He took a breath before following her but he couldn’t seem to manage to catch up. His big bulky shape, might be strong but he had to admit he wasn’t the fastest. He finally managed to catch up to her once she slowed down a tad, “Man… you…are…fast” he panted through breaths.

[Tayssi]

Evie heard the howls of wolves and she cocked her head to the side, trying to locate where it had come from, suddenly on edge. Had Cole already tracked her down? However, Darren soon told her not to worry and then explained that they live as wolves.. permanently. A shifter pack that lived as wolves only? She had heard of a lone shifter here and there doing that, but not a pack. and for some reason, that made her shudder. She knew that spending too long in the wolf form, over the years it could start to take over. And that was when they started to become savage.. That's when they needed to be 'put down' as they were too much a risk to other shifters and their entire existence. Yet, Darren seemed to have control of his human side. But then again, she didn't know how long he had been like this. For all she knew, it could only be a couple months. That would explain why he was still so human-like.

Darren went on to say that she was safe here and that they would deal with whoever was chasing her and Evie's eyes instantly lit up with hope. "Really?" she asked, voice brighter, hopeful, "Thank you!" and she honestly meant it. For some strange reason, she felt she may just be able to trust Darren. She had only just met him, but after talking to him, she felt he wasn't going to hurt her. A few moments later, he asked if she was going to be living in the cottage and where the old lady was, explaining that he had been keeping an eye on her since he first started living here. "Yes, i'll be living there from now on and, as for Nina.. She had to move closer to town, she couldn't handle walking there and back all the time.. But she's safe, I visit her all the time, and she basically ordered me to live in that cottage.. That's why I'm here," Evie explained, her voice slightly stronger now after Darren's promise to deal with Cole if he came.

Evie glanced behind her when she finally heard Darren and she slowed even more. When he came up beside her, panting, telling her how fast she was, she couldn't but give a nervous laugh. "Yeah.. Sorry for that.. I never really did get a chance to really run before I got here," she told him. She was always kept in her room or Cole would keep a super close eye on her and she could never really get far before he cornered her and dragged her back. And when she finally got away, she hadn't run because she wanted to, never to enjoy it, but to escape, to save herself. It wasn't the same as it was now. Shaking her thoughts away, she looked up at Darren, seeing she really did only reach half way up his shoulder.. Not even that really, she was just under half way. It would've looked odd. Darren, an abnormally large shifter, and Evie, a smaller than average shifter. "And, Darren?" she said lightly, glancing up at him before looking ahead again, enjoying the way the wind tugged at her fur and the freedom she currently had, "thank you.. For letting me stay."

[Daydreamer]

Darren heard the howls come closer and his ears pricked, now on guard ready to quickly step up into action if any of them spotted Evie beside him.  He had been a wolf now for 3 years, but he never let the wolf part of him completely devour him, he couldn’t say the same for the other members of the pack, some of them had gone completely animalistic, but they were no danger honestly. They were just a bit more wary of intruders and quick to fight, they had adopted “the survival way of life” but Darren didn’t have a problem keeping them under control, but he was worried that they would frighten off Evie. He wanted to show her that this was a safe place where she could stay, and he didn’t want her to go.


Darren watched her eyes light up with hope and he smiled to himself. He wasn’t sure whether or not it was appropriate, or if he’d make her more nervous but he pressed his nose to hers in a sign of friendship, “Don’t worry about it, I’m glad to help a shifter “He pulled back and nodded his head, “ah poor old women, I’m glad she has someone else to look after her” he paused a bit and avoided her gaze, “That’s at least a little more human” he shook his dark brown coat some of the pine nettles from the tree’s stuck to it.


The howls had intensified and Darren looked up ahead, where two of the wolves from the pack appeared. First when they saw him, they nodded their head in greeting but once they caught the sight and scent of Evie their hackles raised and their teeth pulled back in to a snarl. “Who is she, what’s she doing here” the first one said, a large female, with a black coat and a mean look in her eye. The second was a male, his coat a light gray. He didn’t seem as hostile as the female but he sent a glare over to Darren and Evie. Darren stepped in front of Evie blocking her from the reach of the two wolves. “She is of no danger, she seeks refuge here and I have granted it to her.” He said in a loud commanding bark. The female slowly relaxed her face but the look in her eye never left her. “Where has she come from?” she asked curiously, the male still said nothing, he rarely did. Darren looked back at Evie, still not completely knowing the answer but didn’t want to ask her about where she had come from in front of the angry wolves. “Up north, her pack chased her out” he simply said “They weren’t one of the Dia Shifter packs” he said, using the term for changed shifters that wanted to leave out in peace.  Both wolves sent a look to each other then back at Evie. Darren stepped out of the way so they could now see her, “That’s Eloise, and Sam” He said, “They’ve been in the pack for quite a while now,” Eloise saw Evie, and her gaze slightly softened seeing the small, scared white wolf. She nodded her head, “Hello” she said before looking back at Darren, “Not as long as him though, he practically runs this pack” she said gruffly.  Sam gave a long look at Evie before just nodding his head.

(I'm so sorry Tay! I fell asleep before posting this on Monday, and I was out all day on Tuesday so I didn't have a chance to post! Apologies!! <3)

[Tayssi]

Evie's ears flicked forward when she heard the howls, much closer then before. Would they find them? She certainly hoped not, they didn't sound very friendly. She noticed the guarded look Darren suddenly had and she wondered if it really was something she should worry about. She glanced around, but she couldn't see anything. Maybe they were just wandering the territory. Maybe they wouldn't notice her at all. She had been so lost in her own thoughts that she gasped in surprise when she felt Darren's nose against hers for a moment. She blinked once, twice, clearing her thoughts and looking up at the male as he told her he was glad to help another shifter before he pulled away. She shook her head slightly, she had been caught off guard, she'd let her mind wander. She reprimanded herself, telling herself she needed to stay aware of her surroundings instead of being absorbed in her thoughts. He then went on to take about the old lady and she cocked her head to the side as he said he was glad she had someone else to look after her. She watched as he looked away, saying that she was more human than him. He shook pine needles from his dark fur and she gave a soft whine. She reached over and nuzzled his shoulder in a comforting gesture, "just because you stay as a wolf doesn't mean you're any less human than me," she told him, pulling back and looking up at him with a gentle smile.

The howls were suddenly louder, closer and Evie stiffened looking around, scenting the air quickly. She could smell two other wolves just before they stepped into view. A large black female with a mean look in her eye that made her shrink in fear. And next to her was a light grey male. They nodded at Darren and then they finally noticed her and both pulled their lips back in a snarl and raised their hackles and Evie took a step back, ready to turn and make a run for it. She wasn't ready for so many wolves. She didn't know what to do. The female spoke as Darren stepped in front of her, but she still could feel her heart racing and she took a step back, honestly wanting to turn and leave. But if there were two wolves here, there were probably heaps of others around now and she didn't want to run into any of them by herself. She didn't know what they would be like. Darren and the female spoke and Evie looked up at him, wondering what he meant by 'Dia Shifter Packs'. Darren stepped out of the way a few moments later, allowing the two wolves to see her again and she couldn't help but lower to the ground, wishing it would just swallow her up. Darren introduced the two as Eloise and Sam and she gave a tight nod in their direction as he said they'd been in the pack for a fair while. She noticed Eloise' gaze soften slightly and Evie relaxed ever so slightly as she greeted her and said that Darren had been in it longer. A few moments of silence past before Evie said "Um.. I'm Eva," and she glanced up t Darren, unsure of what to do.. "How long have you been in the pack..?" she asked him, suddenly curious as to how long he had been staying as a wolf. She glanced over at Eloise and Sam, wondering if they were really friendly or not. She didn't get the same friendly vibe from them as she did from Darren so it made her nervous.

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