For the sake of the WAR {Were Plot}

[dom]

Mighty messengers
Heathens rage
Witness our coming
Gods of the dead.
I ride through the air
I laugh as I die
With powers of evel
Dark knowledge is mine.
The ride of the wicked
The firsts sin was trust.
Kill without warning
For blood now
I lust


They were all so…eager to follow him. Tired of being oppressed by the shifters, his pack of soldiers had rallied up over his command. And how easy had it been to make them believe that this was all them, just move a few pieces along the board and make them see him as if he was their freaking messiah.

But screw the messiah position, he wanted to be King.

Now seating on the hood of his old Chevy, he glanced at them with a contemplative look, almost reluctant and they eat all up. Kane was the most riled up of the bunch, eager to give it back for Wulf’s lack of respect of their plea. What did the idiot expected? Go up to the aristocratic shifter and ask him to step down and allow another to seize the power he conquered? Blessed be the stupid and gullible or he wouldn’t have his army.

“I hoped it wouldn’t come to this my brothers. That we could avoid this and find a peaceful solution to our impasse. But alas the shifters leaders are far too corrupt and hardheaded to accept one of us amongst them. Even Draven they wouldn’t allow…”

Kane growled.

“THE SELLOUT! We should kill that bastard! Make him an example for all those who bow their heads to our oppressors.”

“No Kane!” Dom reprehended him, placing a steady hand on his shoulder. “We’re doing this to avoid unnecessary bloodshed. We will make them see it, our strength and our bravery. They will respect us after this will be over, it’s not their fear we should seek or this would justify their view of us.”

It was hard to not laugh at those words, but Dominic Roth kept a straight face in what was a prize winning performance.

There would be blood, there would be death, there would be a glorious freaking all out war and when it was all over he would have the lead of the council and his enemies squashed under his feet. Not long now before they were all exchanging an eye for an eye, blood for blood.

“Bring her to our haven, Kaera will be our guest. And don’t allow anyone to stand on your way Kane, but try your best to avoid bloodshed.”

Right, giving the bloodthirsty the position of command was the best way to ensure the worst could very well happen. Dom knew the were would bring him Kaera alive as ordered, but everyone else in his path wouldn’t be so luky.

As they sniffed the night air and raced onto their appointed task like a pack of wild dogs, Dominic smiled.

So the war would begin.

[Kaera Fenrisulfr Vuldanshe]

Joint Post with Kaera and Ashling


The world was a wonderful place. Ever since Bannings return, Kaera had been walking on air and everything seemed to be right in the world. Well, Almost everything anyways.

She was still very displeased with one Vincent Montegue but since he'd been the key to returning her mate back into her life, well, she supposed she was going to have to learn to let things be. Heavens help the man though if he ever came near her loved ones again. Just the very thought of the things he'd done to Banning while in those labs made her want to rip someone's throat out. Preferably the idiots who'd drugged and abused him. She didn't really care whether Montegue had known or not... It was his lab, therefore he should have been more in control.

Shaking those thoughts away, the petite blond looked over the rim of her glass of wine and smiled at Ashling Lawrence. The two women had decided to grab a drink and catch up since Ash had the night off and Kaera had a few minutes before having to be back at the Den. With everything going on, they hadn't had a chance to really talk and it Kaera found herself anxious to ask about her friends budding romance with the were, Caleb Draven.

After the girl had come home one day with his smell all over her, Brom had taken to razing her unmercifully but Kaera herself had never heard the full story. Tonight, for the first time, she got the whole scoop and couldn't help but grin.

"OH MY GOD, ASH!!! YOU GO, GIRL! DRAVEN IS DEFINITELY SEXY." she teased before finishing off her drink. "About time you both had a bit of fun... Seems like you two are a good match. Maybe the were will quite scaring all the mortals off with that scowl he wears all the time. I think the whole playtime thing might work wonders for him. What is that saying?? "All work, no play makes a were a dull dull boy"? From the sound of your story, you guys must be lighting up fireworks or something. I'm suprised no one has noticed."

Rolling her eyes, Ash tossed her wadded up napkin at the other woman. Her blue gray eyes where alight with happiness though.

"Yeah, or maybe scare them WORSE! Good lord.. the man acts like hes going to rip male arms off when they tip!" she retorted with a giggle that belied her words. "However, all that growling is very attractive.. I have to admit...I've always been a sucker for that, you know. Although... If Brom doesn't learn to shut up with his ribbing, I may have Wulf pound him for me. Last thing I need it Caleb getting pissed because of it."


Snickering, the older shifter glanced at her watch and then sighed. Reaching into her purse, she pulled out enough money to pay for their food and drinks and then got to her feet.

"I'm definitely sure that Wulf would do it. My oldest brother has just been looking for an excuse lately to pound someone. " she returned. "This has been fun, Ash.... We need to do it more often. Now, however, I need to get home to my own growly wolf and see how he's fair with Wulf, Brom and Ty. Hopefully they haven't driven him to insane. I swear... Brom is like a big kid at times.... He's been showing Banning all the blessings of modern life. They were exploring the Xbox when I called home earlier."

Giggling, the dancer rose too and followed her friend to the door.


"I can imagine. Brom is a big kid if you think about it and he's probably delighting in the fact that he can show the older man something new."

Stepping out into the mild summer night, the two women left the restaurant and headed to a sleek blue Beemer. Since it was parked down the street and towards the back of the parking lot, it took them a few minutes to traverse the distance. As they went, they laughed and talked, not really paying attention to their surroundings.

Suddenly, Kaera stopped and put a hand out to slow Ashling's forward motion. The hair on the back of her neck prickled as she scanned the shadows and then whispered under her breath.


"Ashling... Do you have your pistol with the silver bullets?"

At the other woman's immediate understanding and subtle movement into pocket, Kaera gave her a small nod.

"We're about to have company. If we can make it to the car, we might have a chance.. If not, I want you to get the hell out of dodge and go back to the restaurant. "

The other blond started to protest but the shifter sent her a stern look.



"I'm immortal.. you are not.... If worse comes to worse, I want you to leave me and get to safety, understand?"

When the other woman still balked, Kaera made it an order.

"You will do as I say!"

"Fine.... If it looks like its getting bad, I'll do as you say," Ash finally said, relenting. "But maybe its not that bad....."

Before she could say any more, though, all hell broke loose.

From the corner of her eye, the dancer saw movement and she twisted, bringing her gun up in time to see a hulking form of a were dive at her. Firing rapidly, she watched first one bullet and then another land in the rabid frame. Vaguely, she was aware of Kaera shifting into wolf form and engaging another but there seemed to be way to many. Taking a moment to grab her cell phone, she swore and hit a speed dial button on the thing and heard the sound of ringing on the other end. Knowing she had only seconds, she pressed the speakerphone tab just as the thing was knocked from her grasp and sent skidding along the pavement.

Whirling around to face the newest threat, the young woman caught sight of Kaera engaging two were's at once and one of them going down hard. The sight of her mild mannered friend covered in blood and things better left unsaid made her pause long enough to hear the sound of a male voice distantly saying hello from the phone about six foot away.

Unfortunately, all she could do was scream out Caleb's name before coming face to face with one of the scariest creatures she'd ever seen. It was a face that would given even his mother nightmares.

[cal]

Like wolves from hell itself, Dom’s little soldiers rushed to do his bidding with undying loyalty. They were his favorite, or so they believed. His first line of defense and as of now, his first line of attack. With Kaera at their grasp they would be heard, Wulf wouldn’t have a choice other than to recognize them and stand back.

Their hearts too filled with mistrust towards the shifters and untamed anger to see the truth that they were being manipulated.

It didn’t take long before their heightened senses picked the scent of their prey and they immediately knew they weren’t alone. But no, it wasn’t any woman that was accompanying her, Kane knew. The woman carried Draven’s foul stench! Oh what a threat, in one glorious strike to bring Wulf to his knees and hopefully kill the traitor’s bitch.

Malakai was the first to charge, in his eagerness he didn’t bother to wait for the others and his brashness was met with two silver bullets straight into his chest, causing to collapse lifeless into the ground.

The remaining weres growled in furious grief for their fallen brother. The woman would pay for the blood she had spilled, she wouldn’t live through the night.

As two of them charged at Kaera, Kane in turn charged towards Ash, knocking the phone from her hand before his huge paw stepped over her phone, smashing it. She wouldn’t be allowed to call for help from the traitor, he would show her no mercy as she had shown Malakai.

As her face turned to met his, Kane released a fearsome grow, his eager fangs standing just inches away from her pretty little face.

While the battle raged, the others approached the women, quickly surrounding them. There would be no escape, no mercy.

Dominic needed Kaera alive, he hadn’t mentioned her companion.

…

“Hello?”

There was no reply.

“Hello?” he asked again in annoyance.

Caleb Draven was just about to sink his teeth into the juicy looking hamburger before him when his phone had rang, talk about bad timing!

And then there was a voice screaming his name before a loud noise and then it all became silent. Pulling the phone away from his ear, he saw the ‘disconnected’ message. But he didn’t even need to check the caller id to know who that was, he had heard that voice scream his name in the previous night.

The beast inside him rattled against its cage doors in fury as he flipped his phone close and slipped it back into his pocket and rushed out the door.

The hamburger remained untouched, completely forgotten.
Suddenly Caleb wasn’t hungry anymore, he was furious.

Wasting no time he hoped into his bike and allowed the engine to roar. There was no time to waste. Ash had told him where she was going to have dinner with Kaera and whoever messed with her would know the sharp end of his claws and not live to tell the tale.

If he could only get there in time…

[Ashling Lawerence]

I see nothing in your eyes, and the more I see the less I like.
Is it over yet, in my head?
I know nothing of your kind, and I won't reveal your evil mind.
Is it over yet? I can't win.
So sacrifice yourself, and let me have what's left.
I know that I can find the fire in your eyes.
I'm going all the way, get away, please.

The scene that played out in that few short moments was the stuff that mortals told on their silver screens. In a span of a dozen or so heartbeats, life ceased to exist as Ashling knew it and all she could see was the terrible mask of insanity. The things that moved in and out of the shadows weren't the honorable immortals she'd grown up around but of another class entirely. It was evident that they weren't on a peaceful mission but one of evil intent. Kaera battled bravely but they were obviously out numbered and Ash knew it was invitable that the worst would happen. And then all other thoughts ceased to exist.

One moment her phone was in Ash's hand and the next she was watching a creature right out of her worst nightmare grind it into the pavement. The moment its gaze switched to her, she saw her own mortality.

Never before had she so completely understood what people talked about when they spoke of their lives flashing before their eyes. In that instant, her whole history blinked rapidly through her thoughts and she was faced with the choice of flee or fight. Instinct told her that fleeing was what the creature wanted her to do so, instead, the beautiful blond lifted her chin and gave the were a defiant look.

If she was going down, she was not going to give him the satisfaction of hearing her cry for mercy.

As they stood staring at each other, the young woman saw Kaera go down under a mass of were's and then a loud, pained yelp rang out above the night air. That galvanized the young squire into action and she flipped out the silver blade she carried at her waist. She knew she hadn't a hope of getting around the beast in front of her but she had to try. Kaera was HER charge and she had to at least attempt to free the shifter. It was what she'd been born to do.

"You wanna dance, Fugly? Then lets dance!" she shouted in a cool, collected voice even as she charged forward and landed a kick underneath his guard. "Screw you if you think I'm going to be some sort of prey rabbit for you to chase down. I don't work that way."

[dom]

The hunt.

It was the time when the weres were at their prime, letting their savage instincts call the shots and their teeth and claw sing into their prey. For most of them in their misguided visions, Kaera Fenrisulfr personified their oppression, someone they could use as an escape goat for their anger and bloodthirsty.

Dominic wanted her alive, unharmed if possible he had said. But for them Malakai’s death allowed them the right for retribution, to shed her blood and inflict her pain. They knew she wouldn’t give in peacefully and for them it was just fine.

The battle that followed was a fierce one, but the little wolf was soon surrounded and subdued under the fury of their attackers. In the end she laid still, hurt bit still breathing.

But their leader Kane was concentrated on another prey, the smell of the enforcer in her made him feel sick. That was why the bastard had betrayed his kind and aligned himself with the oppressors? For a little piece of human meat?

And angry growl resounded deep into his throat as he studied his prey, she looked like such a frail thing, not like the other females in the compound that were made of stronger stuff. What did Caleb had ever seen in a lowly human female?

Kane had noticed as she moved to attack, with his enhanced instincts and reflexes he could have avoided it, but he stood still and allowed her to hit him. And again and again in succession. It was a self induced test, to see if he could endure what she could unleash at him, and he found she was strong. He’d admire her…if she wasn’t the mate of that stray dog.

But he was growing tired of this, and a gigantic paw came towards her. The little woman managed to avoid the first attack, but not the one that followed. A sharp claw piercing the soft skin of her shoulder, knocking her down and quickly pinning her down to the floor under the massive weight of the were.

With a sound that resembled a rough laugh, the wolf leaned his massive face towards her and growled, taking his time to lick a taste of the blood that poured from her wound as if to further enjoy the killing before his canines moved for the warm flesh.

[Ashling Lawerence]

Here I stand, helpless and left for dead.
Close your eyes, so many days go by.
Easy to find what's wrong, harder to find what's right.
I believe in you
I can show you that I can see right through all your empty lies.
I won't stay long, in this world so wrong.
Say goodbye, as we dance with the devil tonight.
Don't you dare look at him in the eye
As we dance with the devil tonight?


Talk about an unmovable wall of steel. Every hit he took only made him waver a bit. Her human strength was nothing against his raw brutality and the girl knew it. However, every time she tried to shift and go around, he moved with her. Kaera had long since fallen silent and that made panic move into the blonds chest.

If the shifter was hurt or worse, the Fenrisulfr's would go on warpath and the city would never be the same. If there was one thing that the ancient clan treasured more than anything else.. it was their Celtic princess. However, Ash was guessing that was exactly what was in play with tonights events. She, herself, was just cannon fodder.


No sooner had that thought crossed her mind then a huge paw swiped out and hit her hard. Flying backwards with a scream of pain, Ash looked down to see blood staining her shirt. The weight of the were landing on her made her struggle but her silver blade went skittering across the pavement as her hand was slammed against the concrete.

Breathing heavy and fighting the terror that was trying to take over her soul, she lifted her gaze to stare up at the huge creature on top of her. As it licked at her blood, she closed her eyes and fought down the urge to scream. She could not, would not give the son of a bitch the satisfaction of hearing her beg for mercy. If he was going to kill her, so be it. That didn't mean she had to bow before him.

Opening her eyes with determination, she looked him square in the eyes and spat.

"FUCK YOU, ASSHOLE!"

[dom]

Such brave defiance even in the face of defeat! Freezing for a moment, the rational side of Kane considered bringing her over to their side. Another soldier to Dom’s case. Once she’d feel the power, feel the savage beast inside her breast…NO! It wouldn’t do, she was the enforcer’s bitch, she killed Malakai, she would pay for it, and in kind.

With a blood curling howl the fearsome massive were craved his fangs into her shoulder, feeling the skin and bone break under his jaw as he pressed deeper and felt the warm blood spray gush into his mouth and down his throat, fresh meat.

The woman struggled under him but it was hopeless, she was completely under his grasp and to him she was nothing but food. No, not even that, she disgusted him and wasn’t fit to be graced with such honor. Her wounds were dire, she wouldn’t survive this night…he would let her die, slowly and painfully. Dominic wouldn’t be pleased, but this would serve as a message for their enemies, that they shouldn’t be trifled with.

Standing back, Kane allowed his form to regress back to his human self and watched as the others did the same.

Kaera’s attackers were hurt, but they would survive and heal. The Fenrisulfr bitch still breathed unconscious, she would live as well. It was time to get back to their haven with their prize, their leader would want to congratulate them on their success.

“Bring Malakai’s body,” he ordered the others, “he deserves a hero’s burial.”

[Ashling Lawerence]

This time, This place
Misused, Mistakes
Too long, Too late
Who was I to make you wait
Just one chance
Just one breath
Just in case there's just one left
'Cause you know,
you know, you know
That I love you
I have loved you all along
And I miss you
Been far away for far too long
I keep dreaming you'll be with me
and you'll never go
Stop breathing if
I don't see you anymore

Pain so fierce that Ashling almost passed out from it hit her as soon as the creature ripped into her flesh. A scream was wrenched from her throat even as she fought to keep silent because the agony was like nothing she'd been prepared for. The shattering of bones and crisp popping of flesh was sickening and the young woman knew she had only moments to live. The creature on top of her seemed to take great enjoyment out of her suffering even as her life blood ran from the gaping hole in her shoulder and upper chest. Ash continued to fight the best she could but she was no match for the weres superior strength.

Then, suddenly, the jaws and weight were gone and she was left laying in a puddle of growing blood. From somewhere near by, she heard the sounds of retreating feet but darkness clouded around the edges of her vision. When it sounded as if the things were gone, she pushed herself up with her good side and tried stumbling to her feet. She only managed to make it to her knees and crawl forward a dozen feet to a nearby car. By the time she reached it, she was dangerously weak and she knew that she'd left a river of blood behind her. God, she had to find a phone.. SHe just HAD to. She needed to call Wulf and let him know what had happened to his sister... Kaera was in danger.

Distantly, she heard the sound of a motorcycle roaring up the street but she couldn't focus on the noise. Pushing with her remaining strength, she made it to her feet, using the car as a crutch and made her feet moved back in the direction of the restaurant. If she could only reach the building then she could find someone to help her. Someone to help Kaera.

Unfortunately, that wasn't in the cards for her. As she reached the back end of the car, her sheer determination could no longer keep her on her feet. With legs no longer able to support her, the injured young woman started to collapse into herself. As she hit the pavement once more, pain jarred through her savaged side and darkness seemed to push at her awareness.

[cal]

In a war against light
Divine, Hell arises
From depths beyond the sky
Bow down before me
And behold the strength I unleash


The streets passed by him in a blur as the engine roared in the night, but it was nothing when compared to the growl of the beast inside his chest. If someone or something had dared to so much as lay a finger on Ash, it would know the savagery of his claws as it mercilessly ripped through the bastard’s chest.

Caleb was a territorial animal, he fiercely protected what mattered to him, and the blonde dancer certainly fell into that category. Since the first time he had seen her, she had rattled with the feral part of him.

Before he had even reached the right street, the smell of freshly spilled blood assaulted his nostrils over the engine exhaust of his motorcycle, and didn’t take long before he hopped out of the vehicle with a nasty feeling in his gut. He could tell weres had been there and left by now, quite a few of them, but he wasn’t interested on tracking them down just yet. No, he could still smell her, and he found that his legs were already carrying him towards her before he could even register what he was doing.

And then what his eyes registered what his instincts had already told him, his face became distorted with a deep fury as he rushed to her aid.

Caleb could still hear her heartbeat and faint breathing, she was alive but her wounds were dire. Dropping next to her, he tried to use his hand to stanch out the blood that was pouring fiercely.

“Come on Ash, you’re a tough girl, don’t you dare die on me.”

He knew that wound, it was a were mark. Even if he could save her…

No, now it wasn’t the time to consider it, he would deal with it later.

Rising to his feet, Caleb moved to the car next to them and smashed his fist through the window, ignoring the shards of glass that cut into his hand and arm. He had no time to play nice nor he could get the blonde to a hospital in his bike, so he unlocked the door and was quick to accommodate Ash inside the vehicle and ripping off his shirt to wrap around her wound to try to reduce her blood loss.

Racing to the other side, he slipped into the driver’s seat and ripping the wires from under the dashboard managed to get the car to start with ease. He had done this a few times when he was back with the Dogs of War.

“Hold on Ash, I’m getting you help.”

Letting the tires to screech against the asphalt bellow, he took off towards the nearest hospital.

[Ashling Lawerence]

{continued in Under Your Skin }