As The World Falls Down - Kevin

[Dilana Polyak]

Stupid. Bloody. Male.

Stupid. Rule.

Stupid. God. Damned. Brothers.

Stupid. Screaming. Campers.

Each syllable became accentuated with the beat of her paws on the hard ground that blurred beneath her. Not knowing how long, or how far, she'd run, Dilana had just blanked, her mind overtaken with the events from the previous night and earlier morning. Kevin. The Rule. Kevin. The Rule. Like two opposing elements of the scales of her conscience, Dilana had found her turmoil growing as the day had worn on.

Why were things so difficult? Allowing herself to, for a mere moment, imagine a life where things were easier, Dilana's mind travelled to a beautiful land where nothing was wrong with the detective, where she could have easily followed those urges she felt, the burning that throbbed through her lips reminding her just how badly she wanted to kiss him. Stupid fucking rule.

Since he had left that morning, just walked away from the bar after breakfast, Dilana had set to work. Her mother had, thankfully, treated her like a grown up, asked her opinions on how to deal with him as opposed to being the dictator Dilana knew she could be. Dilana had put her case across, the changes she had noticed, being the one closest to him at the time of the change. Julia Polyak had commended her on her level of combat in restraining him but that was it, nothing else was mentioned about the real details. At least, not until Dilana pulled up the idea about the witch doctors and voodoo priestesses.

It was so tough. Whilst on one hand Dilana could understand her mother's need to keep their secret safe; and taking a homicide detective to be cured by magic probably wasn't the best way to do that, Dilana had fought for what she had been taught, that they helped those who needed it. She trusted Kevin, she didn't know why, but she did. If she told him, if it cured him, if she told him he had to keep quiet, that would be his payment to her, she trusted he would. It wasn't like they were actually telling him everything, magic was a million miles away from "Hey, guess what, we shift into wolves!"

The talk had drained her, but at the same time it had riled her to the point where she needed to get out. Running was the best way Dilana found to clear her head. When she was a wolf, running free through the trees, feeling the wind through her fur, Dilana felt calm. She actually envied her canine brethren, those who couldn't shift into human form. They didn't have to deal with the shit that humans did, they mated, it was a necessity in life, they ate, they hunted, they slept, they roamed, they ran and played. It was simple. Beautiful.

Out here, alone, running, she didn't think about her brothers, her parents, her cousins, it was just her and nature... except when she'd come across that group of campers. Okay, so if she'd had her brain in gear she would have avoided them and not gone bounding through their little encampment. Also, she wouldn't have stupidly turned around to try and apologise... which came out as a bit of a snarled growl. Stupid.

Although she had run aimlessly for God alone knew how long, Dilana looked up to the moon, sniffing the air for scents she might recognise. Yeah, she'd been here before. If her canine lips could have smiled, they would have. Funny how the body and brain worked. Dilana thought she had just been running, but somehow, subconsciously, her brain had steered her to a little place she had discovered a few weeks back. It truly was a little slice of heaven in the depths of the forest. Slowing to a plodding walk, Dilana meandered her way through the thicket, dodging the trees and fallen branches that littered her path. How she loved this.

As the trees thinned, Dilana came across the clearing, a lake that seemed so secluded and peaceful, so untouched by humanity, and yet here it was, right beside them! Circling the area, Dilana made her way around to the group of rocks that had created a small mound beside the lake. She had always wanted to swim in this lake, and right now seemed like the perfect chance.

Upon reaching the top of the rocks, Dilana stood there, bathing in the glorious moonlight for a moment. Again, she wanted to chuckle at the mental image that popped into her head. Honestly, was it any wonder the girl was still a virgin!? Of all the things to think about, after the day she'd had? Disney? Seriously!? She could just imagine what she looked like, stood atop these rocks, the wolf version of Simba.

Backing up a few steps, Dilana dashed forward, all four legs pushing her body over the edge so she could tumble into the water below. It felt good, the water cascading around her, blocking out all the sounds from the world, leaving her in the quiet. She wanted to stay down here a while, but her wolf form wouldn't let her, she was already surfacing!! With a flash, Dilana regained her human form, letting the air bubble out of her lungs so she could sink again, her hand moving to pin her nose closed.

Ah peace and quiet. How she'd missed it.

After a few moments, Dilana felt her lungs tighten with the need for more oxygen. Ah well, it was fun while it lasted! Pushing herself upwards, Dilana surfaced with a gasp, taking in a few mouthfuls of air, refilling her lungs. Laying backwards, Dilana relaxed, letting herself float around, letting out a happy little sigh.

[Detective Kevin Slame]

Stupid. Fuckin'. Boss.

Stupid. Law.

Goddamn. Annoying. Screaming. Campers.

While another mind was thinking in tandem with the beat of furry paws, in the mind of a certain insomniac homicide detective, each word was puncuated with some kind of foresty-mishap. At one point, he could have sworn that he'd shoved his entire body through a network of rabbit holes, followed by his being so lucky as to manage a bitchslap on a nest of hornets. Not to mention that he'd walked face first into a tree, got smacked in the ass by a few branches, AND got peed on by a passing skunk who'd mistaken him for a tree!

HE HATED NATURE! HATED, HATED, HATED IT!

The only saving grace of today's romp through the Forest of Hell? The half naked, jiggling female campers, minus their similarly half naked boyfriends. Ah, to be young and not minding having a bug crawl up your ass in order to get laid by a model...

So, there he was; on the Captain's shit list and running through the woods with animal control, looking for some kind of 'monster wolf.' Seriously, wolves in New Orleans? Wouldn't they be picked off by alligators or something? Jesus, he REALLY did miss New York sometimes, when 'go catch that wolf' really meant, 'go collar that nutjob with the spikey collar and naked ass before he scars anymore little kids.' While the others were working on open cases and getting their names in the papers- psh, not that he cared about THAT...hell no- where was he? Where was the precinct's youngest sleuth?

Out in goddamn boonie-ville, looking for a fuzzy Kujo wanna-be. If Deliverance started playing, he was just going to kill himself and get it the fuck over with.

Huffing and puffing, Kev stopped short when he crashed through some underbrush and came face to face with a beautifully sparkling lake. "Goddammit, now where am I?" He snarled, shoving his hands into his pockets to dig for the tiny map he'd snagged from a gift shop. Opening it up, he tried to use the moon for light, but ended up smushing his face against the paper until he looked like a Halloween reject.

After a few minutes of staring at dots and wishing he had a beer, he ended up crumpling up the paper out of pure frustration, tossing it over his shoulder, and flipping the moon the finger. Take that, God! Go fuck yourself and your little dog, too! Out of ALL the bad things that he could have had happen in his life, it HAD to be blackouts! Insanity! Insomnia! NATURE! Just strike him with lightning and get it...the hell...

Squinting up at an out cropping of rock, Kev couldn't help but stare. Holy shit, that really was a big ass wolf. Okay, so maybe those college kids were good for something other than jiggling their--WHOA! FLYING DOG!

Instinctively, the cop shielded his eyes as the wolf leapt down into the lake. He pulled his gun out, waiting for that furry head to emerge, his other hand going for the walkie at his waist. Thank you Jesus, he could call the boys and get out of Dodge before he turned into a walking mosquito bite! Hallelujah! Angels sang! Getting ready for a snarling head and some Wild America bullcrap, he steadied himself and waited, bracing his feet with his gun up--

And then proceeded to have a heart attack and die. Instead of a wolf's head popping up out of the water, a familiar face did instead. And...that wasn't the only thing that did some...floating. Cue an instant hard-on...

"Jesus fucking Christ!" He barked in surprise, eyes practically bugging out of his head. When Dil did a floaty thing, he practically had an orgasm right there. His brain, normally good with the sarcastic comments and common sense- turn around Slame! TURN THE FUCK AROUND!- had somehow shorted out, until the only thing he could do was stand there, staring.

Jesus fucking Christ...she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen in his life.

[Dilana Polyak]

All she had wanted was to get away, just clear her head and sort herself out. Kevin, the rules, it was really weighing down on her now. For decades, Dilana had never really worried about the rule, it was an inconvenience, yes, but Dilana figured that her mother would have backed down already. Yet here she was, literally feeling her body burn around any attractive male, and not being able to do anything about it. It was driving her crazy.

She should have heard him, her heightened senses should have picked up his heartbeat, the rustling of paper, his snarl, but she didn't. Maybe her brain had just put it all down to the background sounds of the creatures in the foliage, or maybe her brain just wasn't focussing. The water just felt so heavenly on her skin, it was understandable that the lure of the dark lake had made the sounds slip by her. It was so peaceful here, especially with her ears beneath the water line, blocking out sounds, just letting her hear the gently beating of her heart. She didn't want to leave, ever. She wanted to become a mermaid and just live here. Holy crap, again with the damn Disney!?

For some reason, Dilana's sense of tranquility was broken. Something was wrong. Her senses pulled at her, warning her that she wasn't alone. Oh God, please say one of the boys hadn't followed her! Her mother did -not- need to know she'd been caught skinny dipping! Oh God, please don't let it be her mother either!! That would be so much worse!! Slowly, ever so slowly, Dilana slid her eyelids open, scanning the shoreline and then the trees. Tree, tree, rock, tree, rock, tree, Kevin, tree... KEVIN!!?

Oh sweet Jesus! There was a spluttering of water as Dilana's body twisted and crumpled and she disappeared beneath the water again. Damn panic! When panic came to visit, logic took a leave of absense, and the logic was the part that would have reminded her to take a breath before the water enclosed her. Drowning. She was drowning!

Surfacing again, Dilana choked, trying to keep her head above water and the majority of her body beneath it. "Holy... crap. Oh my God..."

Oh God, oh GOD! What should she do!? How long had he been stood there!? What had he seen? It was bad enough he'd seen her skinny dipping but come on, a girl needed an outlet! How would she possibly explain the fact a wolf jumped into the water and she came up!? Damn it, she should have shifted first, then jumped. He was going to kill her, that gun in his hand was going straight into her brain. She was a sitting duck... quite literally. Oh God how could this be happening?? How could she have been that stupid?

Unable to take her eyes off of him, Dilana pushed the stray strands of hair from her face, plastering them back as she tried to wipe the deer in the headlights look off of her face. She needed to know, she needed to know what she'd seen, "Kevin... how... long... have you been there?"

[Detective Kevin Slame]

For once in his seemingly long, frustrated existance, Kevin Slame found himself speechless. Staring at the now half immersed head with his eyes wide and his mouth hanging open, he made a few inarticulate sounds, in an attempt to speak. Of all the things he'd expected to see that night, this was definitely the last...and the goddamn best. Was this some kind of karmic reimbursement for having such a crappy life? Was this destiny? Bad timing? Pre-planned? Oh, Jesus Christ on a crutch, if she'd planned this somehow, he could officially die a really, REALLY happy man...

Either way, she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen in his entire life. Smooth skin, a body to die for, one helluva inviting expression when she wasn't freaking out or listening to his sob stories...God, she was some kind of angel. Any guy in his right mind would give both his nuts to be with her! It was no wonder why her family guarded her so closely! Beautiful, smart, funny, caring--

And great, now he was sounding like some kind of stalker, and probably standing there like a psychopath, drooling. What do people do when they find a naked woman, his common sense asked. Do they stare, drool and make tents with the front of their pants? NO!

Craptastic, now she had to be thinking he was a pervert. The air practically whistled around him as he whipped around and executed his patented covert-chin swipe. Cursing under his breath, he shoved his gun back into its holster and slid his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

"Jesus, I'm so frikking sorry, Dil! I didn't see anything! Well...uh...okay, maybe I did, but I swear to fucking God that it wasn't on purpose! I got this call from a bunch of campers high on who knows what, saying that there was a huge ass wolf in the area. I just caught sight of it and--" He choked off the rest of it, whirling around to hurry to the edge of the lake.

"Fuck, Dil, get outta the water! A wolf jumped into there, I swear to Christ! C'mon, get out, just in case it's still swimming...around...uh..."

Slowly, he ran out of steam as his brain processed the past five minute's events. Okay, so back up and wait a minute...big ass wolf jumped into the lake. Big ass wolf never surfaced, as far as he could tell, but Dil did. Big ass wolf did not swim to opposite shore while he was drooling over Dil, because he surely would have noticed it, distraction or no. So, the riddle was...where did the big ass wolf go?

Man, sometimes, he hated his life. Like...really, really hated it.

With a strangled noise, Kev let himself fall to the damp embankment, not caring that he was currently squishing his ass into a mud pile. A bit dazed, he stared at the angel in front of him with both confusion and disbelief.
"Dil...just answer me one question, alright? How long have you been in that lake?"

[Dilana Polyak]

If only Dilana could have made the most of this moment. If only she could have moved through the water like some seductive vixen, letting the water slide off of her as she wandered up the bank and forgot the rules for just one night. But no, Dilana was far too petrified that he had seen everything, that everything would be twisted up with the loss of that one secret she had fought for centuries to keep quiet.

Now, with just one stupid action, she could have screwed this to a place where it could endanger the pair of them if it ever got out he knew. Their secrecy was of the utmost importance and it wasn't unheard of for those who stumbled across it to be removed from the equation. Why had she been so stupid? Why hadn't she checked the area properly!!? Oh God, if her mother found out she would literally skin her and hang her pelt on the wall!

It didn't even occur to her that he was staring, though in a similar sort of way she could have turned away from him. The staring, the drooling, the... tenting in the trousers, all went unnoticed to the wolf as she remained frozen in the water, watching him with the same, wide eyed expression that he had used on her. But then he turned, fast, causing Dilana to flinch. Thankfully the gun disappeared back to the safety of the holster, at least he wasn't going to fill her head with lead. She wasn't even sure that would kill her, silver bullets would definitely, but would normal bullets through the brain do the same thing??

~Jesus, I'm so frikking sorry, Dil! I didn't see anything! Well...uh...okay, maybe I did, but I swear to fucking God that it wasn't on purpose! I got this call from a bunch of campers high on who knows what, saying that there was a huge ass wolf in the area. I just caught sight of it and--~ Oh fuck he'd seen her naked. That should have been the least of her worries but it was a very, very close second to the fact she might have just given away the fact she was a human who could shift into a wolf... and the fact she was old, like old enough to be his great grandmother... oh that was wrong! He looked at her, begging her to get out of the water and Dilana was quite literally about to, just to cover her tracks, when his brain seemed to figure it out. Feeling her heart seize up as she could practically see the jigsaw pieces all slot together on his face, Dilana bowed her head.

Now how the hell could this go? Honesty? 'Ah... yes, you saw that huh? Well, guess what! Wolf is me, I am the big ass wolf you saw jump into the water. What's that? No, I'm not a werewolf, I'm a shifter. We're born this way... oh yes, I'm over a century old.' Yeah, not so much! Blame him? 'Hey Slame, how much have you had to drink tonight? Actually, more to the point, am I even here? Or am I just a figment of your imagination... whoooo...' Hmm, also not a great idea. Blantantly lie?

All Dilana could think to do was leave it up to him. She knew he had already pretty much guessed, though he seemed to be in denial so Dilana figured it was best to let him choose what he wanted to believe. Letting out a very shaky breath, Dilana met his gaze, looking at him slumped on the mud like he was. Oh the sound he'd made before that question, it actually twisted her gut into knots. Taking a moment, Dilana gulped to remove the lump that had taken residence in her throat, "Would you believe me if I told you I'd been here for ages? That I heard the wolf coming and dipped below the water to hide? Or that the wolf cracked its head on some rocks and is lying dead on the bottom... ?"

[Detective Kevin Slame]

Oh man, at this point, he really would have appreciated being called insane. Maybe he was having another blackout? Dreaming? Staring off into space and imagining a really naked, really freaking hot Dilana morphing into a wolf? Maybe he had some kind of animal fetish, or he’d fallen asleep with his eyes open in front of the TV, again. Yeah, yeah, maybe this was his subconscious informing him that Animal Planet was on?

Jesus Christ, had he finally lost his ever freaking mind? Of course she hadn’t just changed from a wolf to a naked human girl! What, was this some kind of bad, B-rated horror flick or something? Was Count Dracula going to jump out of the underbrush and drink his bluuuud? Did he have some kind of pentangle on his palm?

Fuck, she was never going to talk to him, after this, he just knew it. Okay, Slame, just take a deep breath, keep your eyes on her face…NO, HER FACE, GODDAMMIT, HER FACE! Fuck! Stop trying to find that goddamn birthmark you saw before! Jesus Christ, she was going to kick his ass!

Slapping a hand over his eyes to keep himself from squinting at the dark water covering her, Slame did his best not to fall backwards and ram his head against the mud. She was just going to think he was a pervert, that was all. What was new? He could definitely deal with her thinking he was a psychotic pervert with mental issues—

As her words sank into his brain, the detective froze. Oh Jesus and Mary, was she really saying what he thought she was saying? Aside from the really obvious hypothetical situation…no. Just…hell no. No, no, NO.

“Would I believe you?” He repeated weakly, his hand slowly lowering to his lap. He looked a bit green around the gills as he looked at her, for once not having any trouble keeping his eyes on her face. “Truthfully, I would really want to believe you with every part of my freaking being, but I wouldn’t, because you twitch your nose when you lie…and there it is, twitchy nose.”

He felt a bit numb as he slowly pushed himself to his feet. Slipping out of his jacket, he held it at arms length in front of her and waded into the water. He shook it a bit, looking pointedly at a tree off to the side. “Here, just…wear this and come out? And explain to me what happened before…please. I really need you to be up front with me, Dilana, ‘cause if you don’t, I’m gonna jump to all kinds of conclusions, and none of them are gonna be possible…”

[Dilana Polyak]

Perversion was the last thing on Dilana's mind, all she figured was that he was in shock, and she couldn't blame him one little bit. Feeling utterly lost and helpless, Dilana could only watch from the safety of the dark water as Slame continued to freak out, a sense of impending doom drowning her. She wanted to run, but how could she? He needed an explanation, one she wasn't technically allowed to give. If they ever found out he knew, well... she had an idea what they'd do to the pair of them. Secrecy was the foundation of their survival and her stupidity would likely be dealt with severely. Oh Jesus, and he was a cop, a detective! If he disappeared, it would certainly be noticed!!

Caught between a rock and a hard place, Dilana gulped, looking down at the water as he spoke, unable to look into his eyes as she felt her gut tighten so much that it hurt to breathe. Pretty sure she could taste bile in the back of her throat, Dilana let out a slow breath. Who was she kidding, after what he'd seen of course he wouldn't be able to believe her, no matter how he wanted to. Plus, being a detective, it wasn't like he could just go into denile. And the nose twitch... Dilana's hand moved to her face as he mentioned it, she'd never noticed that before, no one had ever mentioned it. Damn he was observant, it was a wonder he hadn't already guessed what she was from that night at the bar!

Dilana could only look up at him when she heard him move into the water, fear gripping her at the thought that he might be coming to grab her, yank her into some lab and run tests on her. It was only when she saw the coat in his hands, his gaze burning a hole in the tree nearby. Here, just…wear this and come out? And explain to me what happened before…please. I really need you to be up front with me, Dilana, ‘cause if you don’t, I’m gonna jump to all kinds of conclusions, and none of them are gonna be possible… Resigning herself to the fact she was going to have to talk to him, Dilana waded through the water, taking his jacket in her hand so she could wrap it around her form, tucking it over tightly so it would cover her dignity, what little she had left at least.

It smelt of him so strongly, more than she had ever smelt him before, even when they were sat together in the bar. He smelt good. She would have to remember to roll in mud, or at least be around a lot of people before she went home, if they smelt him on her, all Hell would break loose. Moving past him, so she was completely out of the water, Dilana's muscles begged her to keep moving, not run, but move, just to get rid of some of the pent up feelings that were building inside of her. She needed to do something, but what? Part of her wanted to break down into tears and tell him she couldn't tell him a thing, for his sake and hers, beg him not to ask anything, just ignore what had happened. But another part of her wondered whether she should risk the wrath of her mother, her brothers and the Fenrisulfrs and tell him the truth, swear him to the secrecy she lived by and pray he didn't betray her.

She wanted to tell him, this huge part within her screamed that she could trust him... he had his issues, she hadn't judged him... maybe he might do the same for her? As her bare feet plodded against the mud, pacing back and forth, Dilana ran her fingers into her sodden hair, turning to face him, "If you want the truth... you have to promise me, on everything you believe in, everything you care about, that you won't tell a soul." After waiting for his promise, Dilana sighed, trying to form the words in her head before she spoke, not wanting anything to be misconstrued. "Okay... what you -think- you saw... what you think isn't possible... it is. I am... oh god..." Dilana stomped her foot in frustration at herself, letting a growl resonate from her throat, "That wolf... it's me. I was born this way, it's not a curse... it's not a werewolf thing, it's not catching... but please, you cannot tell anyone. This is a secret my kind have carried since we began... they'll kill you if you say anything, they'll kill me for telling you!" With that, Dilana took a cleansing breath, wiping away the tears that had formed in her eyes.

[Detective Kevin Slame]

Somewhere in the back of Slame’s mind, a voice started whispering about how he’d brought this on himself. He’d gone and thought of her as the perfect girl; put her up on a pedestal of gold and said to the world; ‘see here? She’s the finest example of the best kind of woman. She’s hot, she doesn’t judge and she fed me instead of kicking my ass. This is the kind of girl I would shape up for.’

Him and his damn pedestals. Well…at least she didn’t turn out to be a serial killer? Jesus Christ.

It took him a few moments to take in what she was saying. So okay…the wolf had really been Dilana. She could morph into animals and freak the shit out of tourists. Okay…this was a first. How did the guys do the discovery thing in the movies? He was definitely ready for some girlish screams, that was for shit sure. But first, the ultimate test while the girl was so obviously waiting for an answer from him. He lifted one hand and flashed his forefinger in her direction in a ‘please hold’ motion. Then, his eyes still locked on that tree over yonder, he proceeded to make sure that he wasn’t dreaming.

Aka, he slapped the shit out of himself. Jesus, Mary and Joseph, he wasn’t doing the hallucination tango! Gah, he could bitch slap like a bro. OW, goddammit!

”Okay, so this is really real,” He said after spitting out a bit of blood off to the side. Note to self; don’t do the dream-test with a ring on his hand. Jesus. ”And you’re…you’re some kind of shapeshifter. And not a Hollywood shapeshifter? Really?”

Turning back to look at her, he couldn’t help but enjoy that little tingle he got when he saw her in his jacket. She looked damn good in his clothes…gah, focus, detective! Shaking his head, he lifted a brow. Okay, so he was taking this well; thinking about how he liked her wearing his shirt and nothing else, rather than running around in circles screaming for his mommy.

”Baby, I don’t know who you think I’m gonna be telling this to, but personally, I like suits instead of straightjackets.” He paused, looking thoughtful for a moment. ”Then again, this makes sense. Your brothers always did smell like wet dog in a downpour…”

Hardy-har-har. Thank God for humor, or he’d have attempted to shoot her, then himself. With slightly shaking hands, he took out a cigarette and lit up, taking a deep, much needed drag. His eyes were darting around a bit, as he took a step back from her. ”Yeah, you know…those campers must’ve been really high, so they couldn’t have seen anything. One little drug charge, and they’ll clam up. I’m…uh…I’m gonna go call that in. False alarm and shit. You don’t gotta worry; I ain’t gonna say nothin’. Department thinks I’m psychotic anyway, so even if I did, nobody’d believe me. Not that I will.” With a nervous laugh, he took another step back. ”So…yeah, I’m just gonna go. Sorry for interrupting your…uh…swim. You keep that coat. Call it a thank you for saving my ass the other night.”

Another drag, another step back and he was sure he looked as freaked out as he felt. Crap, B-movie reject, here he came.

[Dilana Polyak]

She'd done it, she'd told him, now the ball was in his court. Everything he thought of doing, the girly screams, the running around in circles screaming for his mother, she wouldn't have blamed him for doing. It confused her though, now it was out. She had spent over a century keeping her secret safe, safe from all the handsome men that had taken an interest in her. He wasn't the first guy she'd sat and played agony aunt to, he likely wouldn't be the last, so why had she trusted him enough to tell him, not made him think he had blacked out? Why had she wanted there to be no secrets between them?

Watching his reaction, taking in the fact he told her to wait, Dilana's mouth closed. She would give him time to let this sink in... but then he started hitting himself, hard. A flinch made her recoil at the sound of his hands connecting with his face, the power and aggression was rife and she knew that had to be hurting him. Wanting to stop him, wanting to just run over to him and grab his hands, Dilana knew that wouldn't likely help, she was a wolf shifter, she'd just told him everything he thought he knew about her was practically a lie. Besides, her body wouldn't move, it just remained stationary in fear that his little outburst might suddenly come her way.

Okay, so this is really real, and you're... you're some kind of shapeshifter. And not a Hollywood shapeshifter? Really? She agreed, he really was taking this well. No yelling, no screaming, just facts, questions. It should have raised warning bells for the wolf, but she was just glad his gun wasn't aiming at her or that he wasn't calling her in. No one took it that well to begin with, she'd heard others speak of it, how people had cried, gone into denial, but she'd never heard of someone being so chaotically calm about it all. That had to be a good point, right?

Right?

Humour, humour was good! And he was right, people would likely throw him in the loony bin rather than come and check her family out! He was one guy... and Dilana's mental image of him in either attire had her agreeing with him, suits definitely did suit him better. A sense of guilt washed over her, he already had enough to worry about, as he said, his department thought he was psychotic, he was worried about his blackouts and what happened in them... and here she was laying another shit storm on him. Nice one, Dil, very nice.

The cigarette, the story he was concocting to explain what the campers had seen, it worked for Dilana, especially when he promised again not to tell a soul. Dilana gave him a solomn smile as he laughed and stepped back, only to have it drop from her face as he spoke again. Well, what was she expecting? That they were going to have a romantic night under the stars by the lake? Talk it all through? With a nod of her head, Dilana wanted to stop him from leaving, she wanted to make him stay, talk to her, tell her everything was going to be alright. Every cell in her body seemed to reach out for him, trying to make her follow him and make him stay, her lips burned to press themselves against his, prove that her shifting didn't change the fact she was still the same person he met in the bar.

Watching him walk away, Dilana's stomach twisted and turned, making her groan gently as her hand pressed her stomach. She felt sick... or she was going to faint. She needed to sit. Now.

Her body crumpled against the mud he had sunk into earlier, shakes taking over her own form as the enormity of what she had done settled in. She'd told an outsider. A detective. She was running one a very fine razor's edge. He'd left, Dilana knew she had to give him time to deal with this... it would be okay, it would work out... it would. She trusted him. She trusted he would keep the secret as if it were his own. He wouldn't hurt her, just as she wouldn't do anything to hurt him because...

Oh shit.

Dilana's breath decided it didn't want to come up anymore, lodging itself in her throat at the realisation. He wasn't just a bad boy who had her filled with lust filled urges anymore. She wanted him to know what she was, why she didn't want any secrets between them...

She loved him.