Under Your Skin {Were Plot}

[cal]

Catching her tremble hand in his, Caleb silently ordered the beast in him to be silent and stop ramming against its cage doors. It wanted blood, it wanted to tear down the bastards that had hurt her, but to hell with what it wanted. Ash needed him, and at that point it was all that mattered to the were.

Holding her as her knees faltered, he kept her close, he struggled to keep his heart and breathing steady in hope to impart some sense of calm into her, no doubt her enhanced senses would kick anytime soon and he wanted to help it be as smooth transition as possible.

Caleb could remember how it had been the first time he saw through the eyes of the beast, the first time he felt the curse racing through his veins. How easily had been to get lost in it, to revel in the feeling of how powerful it made him feel, how strong…it almost wiped all sense of humanity in him. In the pack, such nature was not a choice, it was imposed. You’d either become a monster or was torn apart by the others.

It was only a wavering flicker of humanity left in him that made him protect that kid against the others before they descent upon him like a pack of rabid animals. If it wasn’t for Derek Devoux that day, he wouldn’t be the one he was today. Heck, he wouldn’t be even alive.

The shifter had done more for him that he would ever be able to thank the man for. Made him remember who he was, helped him to find some sort of balance between the man and the monster inside, it had taken some times for Caleb to come to terms with what he had done in the past, there were still some nightmares at times, but he had endured.

Now Ash hadn’t crossed that line yet, she was strong and with the right guidance she hopefully would be able to avoid falling into the same pits he had, Caleb wouldn’t allow it.

Nodding to the doctor, he carried Ashling to the bed and gently placed her down, allowing her space to tend to the wounds.

“I think I should apologize to you doc. Thanks,” he added simply before falling silent.

But his hand, it never left Ash’s.

[Mercedes Rowe]

Mercedes saw the different emotions flicker across Caleb’s eyes. She could even smell it as it permeated off of the wolf. Her nostrils flared slightly as the wolf in her approved of the man. He had lost his cool earlier, but Mercy had already waged that he was under a lot of stress.

She nodded when he apologized and dropped her gaze back onto Ashling. “We all have our weak points, and I can tell that you care for her a lot. Your name is Caleb, correct?” She asked with an unsure tone to her voice. During the hustle and bustle a lot of names had been tossed her way, so it slipped her mind.

“I am Mercedes,” she offered her first name. It was her way to show that no apology was needed. In this moment she was offering a frest start between the two. She would have offered a hand to the other were in a polite gesture, but they were tied up. Plus, her own hand burned from where Ashling had sliced it. She knew it would be only a matter of time before it healed on its own, but if it was stubborn enough she would shift later to make it heal quickly.

She got one of Ashling's wrists cleaned and started to stitch it up. Her eyes were intently focused on the job at hand, but it didn’t mean she couldn’t multitask. She had seen some doctors that couldn’t talk during surgery because they needed to focus on one thing at a time.

“So,” she spoke, breaking that moment of silence, “I’ve never been assailed by this many shifters on one night. From what I have gathered, correct me if I’m wrong, there is a war between clans going on?” That was the first thing she had gathered from what was being said between the shifters while they were in the room.

“The reason I ask is because I’d like to know where I sign up.” She was serious about helping them. She wasn’t the most powerful were, but she was strong enough to hold her own. “Ashling seems like a very caring woman. I’d hate to see others hurt like she has been. Like – we all have been.” The good doctor didn’t care much for violence, but she would toss it all aside and let her beast mangle the hell out of this other clan if it would put a stop to a war.

[cal]

There was a fake sense of peace that now emanated from her, like all of this were just a bad dream. And Caleb wished that was, but unlike fairy tales, some things just don’t work no matter how hard you wish for it. Sometimes you just had to adapt and live with things, and this was exactly one of those things.

No, he wouldn’t be able to erase the attack on her as if it had never existed. But he would be able to take bloody vengeance on those who had dared to do so. And the one that had bit her, he had the bastard’s scent and would never forget it. On this part Caleb was exactly like an animal, it made him a more perfect predator.

Even know he could feel the best growing stronger in her, but that didn’t put him off the least. She was still the same beautiful kick ass girl he had the hots for.

At first he was silent hearing to the doctor speak and leaving her the space needed to work on Ash’s wounds, letting go of his hold of her hand only enough for her to take care of the wound before taking it into his own hand again. He was pleased to notice she wasn’t going to make a big deal about the way he had reacted earlier.

“Are you sure you want to sign in doc? Those men, they aren’t weres but shifters. You know that to many of them our kind is nothing but a disease, vicious animals that shouldn’t be trusted. The ones who did this, they are your…our kind, and they just proved to be all those some shifters hate and despise. They took the daughter of the big blonde one, he is the shifter’s leader. Siding with us is basically the same of being considered a traitor for most of our kind. I will be out for blood doc, lots of it. Are you sure you want to be on this path?”

[Mercedes Rowe]

The doctor moved around to the other side of the bed to work on the other wrist. She got a distant look in her eyes and sighed. She did really hate violence, but she couldn’t stop it when the wolf in her gained control. She considered what Caleb said to her. It was a lot to really think of, but she didn’t think they were the bad guys. It was the ones that had attacked this girl under her care.

She lifted her gaze after a moment of thinking. “Answer this, would you fight just to be out for blood or are you out to get blood because someone you love has been horribly mangled by them?” She dropped her gaze back down then. “Because if you are fighting for a good reason then yes..I want in on this fight. I am in good shape. I should be able to do something.”

Her thoughts wandered over a certain man that had recently caught her interest. If he had been harmed like Ashling had she would be out for blood as well. An angry look crossed her features for a moment. Oh, the rage that she would cause. The wolf in her agreed. It would tear someone apart.

Her thoughts shifted then to this hospital. She was going to need to start a separate practice for the supernatural. That would have to wait until later, but she did know she was going to have to get Ashling out of there before she lost control. “We are going to have to move her soon. We don’t have to do it tonight. I don’t think she’ll shift for a couple of days, unless you want to do it now. I don’t mind either way, but she can’t be here when it does happen.” She paused as she thought about it. “Actually, I think this place might make the change come sooner.. The stress and smells could bring on a change fairly easy. I can take care of her wherever we move her. I’ll get her back to health, until the change happens.”

She felt bad for the woman. She would never wish to put anyone through the pain of shifting, especially the first few months. It takes a lot of understanding to just let it happen. The more she would fight the change the worse it’d feel.

Her hand gripped Ashling’s wrist attentively. “I think I’m done here.” She set her hand down gently. Now, to see if Caleb shall decide if Ash stays or goes to a safe place.

[cal]

Fighting for a good reason.

Caleb would laugh if he wasn’t so concerned with the blonde next to him. His life had been a fight, starting with the bullies in the orphanage when he was just a normal kid. It was when he run away and grew up in the streets, it was so when he joined the army, when he got drafted into the pack and them the fight was within.

To control the thing he had become.

Now, now he lived for the thrill of the fight, it was one of the things he couldn’t get enough. Like it was written on his DNA or something.

But friends were something he would protect with everything he got. And Ash, she was so much more than that to him. She was more than just a sexy body he wanted in his bed, she was important to him…even more than he knew at that point.

“Hurting Ash was the last mistake these bastards made. Once I start I won’t stop until they are all dead. You know about all those crazed weres you hear about doc?”

Caleb raised his head and looked at the doctor.

“I’m the worst of them all.”

Taking a deep breath, he allowed the scent of the place get to him. She was right, it was almost overbearing, the myriad of chemicals, the blood and sweat in the mix was affecting the animal part in him. That was why he hated hospitals.

“You’re right, we need to get her out of here, the sooner the better. The healing in her should start kicking in soon and she will grow in strength. She need to be in a more peaceful environment.”


(I hope this works for you Ash?)

[Mercedes Rowe]

Mercedes nodded as Caleb asked her if she knew about those crazed weres. There was a distant look in her eyes before she looked away. Oh, she knew. She had dealt with it firsthand. It was how she had become the monster that she was. If she hadn’t been attacked as a teenager she would be like any other normal human, but fate played its hand and decided to change the course of her life forever.

When Caleb raised his eyes, she frowned. He was bluntly telling her that he was one of those crazed weres. In a way, Mercy believed that they were all a little crazed, some were worse than others. She wondered how long it would be before she began to forget about human qualities and started to act more like the beast. He was helping someone he loved, that was nothing like the man that had attacked her. He wanted to eat her alive and nearly succeeded. “I don’t see a crazy were in you,” she told him.

She stood with a firm nod. “I believe that will be for the best. I would rather take care of her in a more secure environment. I don’t want the hospital locking Ashling up for being a raging beast.”

Now all they needed to do was to get the girl out without trouble. “Here’s the plan. I’m going to wheel her out, tell them I’m taking her to another floor for testing, but I’ll make a break for an exit on the other side of the building. There’s nothing back there except dumpsters. If you could be there waiting you can take us to this safe place.”

She started to prepare by going through the table next to the bed, grabbing all and anything that she thought she would surely need. Grabbing a bag that held clothes for the patient, she started stuffing hospital supplies in it. Then a thought occurred to her. She couldn’t put Ashling into a tiny vehicle that might make things hard on her. She needed a big backseat. “If you have a small vehicle we can take my car, which you’ll have to drive. I’m going to need to make sure nothing happens. The IV will stay. I’ll have to hold it up to keep the drip steady.”

[cal]

HA!
If Caleb wasn’t so tense he might have laughed.

She didn’t know him at all if she believed there wasn’t a crazed were in him. But then again she didn’t know of his past and of his lust for violence. Even if those two were deeply tied together, his hot temper and his need to fight were indeed affected by the memories of what he had done, a way of proving to himself that he wasn’t a mindless animal and to channel his aggression in a good way.

Still Caleb didn’t see himself as any sort of hero, more like a reformed baddie trying to atone. He didn’t believe the innocent blood on his hands could be washed away.

But he did all he could, strived to move on.
Still, NO ONE would be able to mess with those he cared about and walk away with it. There would be bloody retribution…but first, to get Ash to a safe place.

“Thanks doc, I know you’re taking a personal risk here and helping two complete strangers. Let me talk with those outside, Wulf might have give us a better option for a ride. I will meet you outside.”

Turning around, he wandered out of the surgery room and went back to the others on the waiting room.

Gazing up to the blonde shifter, Caleb looked him in the eye even if the man was considerably taller than he was.

“Ash is out, but she is recovering. We need to get her out of here for her own sake, this place isn’t good for the beast,” he could see in the man’s eyes that no further explanation on that detail was needed, “The doc is going to help, but we could use your hummer to carry Ash. Once she is safe we will help you get your sister back, and rip those bastards to shreds.”

Standing there, he waited impatiently for the shifter’s reply to his request.


_{(I had in mind Caleb would have a cabin in the woods and was thinking they could bring Ash there if its alright with you?})

[Mercedes Rowe]

Mercedes glanced up from stuffing items in the bag. She would need to sneak by the storage room and steal a couple more items. “We have to stick by our own when the time comes,” she said and truly believed that. She nodded at his solution for a ride. She didn’t care who it was with, as long as Ash had the room to rest comfortably while allowing Mercy the room to hover over her.

After Caleb walked out of the room Mercy put on a very serious face for the staff. If they should question her along the way she was going to lie and tell them she needed x-rays or some other bull. She had unhooked all the wires and draped the IV drip over Ash’s middle, letting the cold bag rest there. She pushed the gurney and headed out of the room, going straight towards the back exit, but she made sure to stop by the supply closet. She wanted to get some more bags of saline to have on hand, along with some other things, just in case.

When she stepped out of the room there were a couple of staff doctors standing not far off, talking to one another. She quickly dropped the stuff on the gurney and started pushing Ash towards the exit. “Dr. Rowe?” One of them questioned. She refused to look back and pretended not to hear them, until she heard quick movement. Then she stole one glance to see that they were coming after her to stop her.

“Shit,” she grumbled and took off quickly towards the exit. When the exit got closer, she ran down the side of the gurney and got to the other side to pull instead of push. Her back hit the emergency exit door. She slammed through the doors and hoped the ride was there. She really didn’t want to face these doctors and explain why she was stealing a patient, but she knew it was inevitable. They would be coming out that door in about five seconds.

She knew as sure as ever that she would no longer have a job. A frown settled on her lips as her brow furrowed. She had a love for this job. All she knew was that she would have wanted someone to help her like this as well, if she was ever in a similar circumstance.

She turned to see if the vehicle was there because if it was she was hailing them down quickly to help her. If not, she was going to have to be a royal bitch to these doctors to keep them away from Ash, which would involve her beast. She hoped it wouldn't come to that.

[Wulfgar Fenrisulfr]

All you desire.As she begins to turn cold and run out of time.
You will shiver, till you deliver.
You will remember it all.
Let it blow your mind again.



Wulf, Brom, Erik and Banning were all pacing the hall when Caleb finally came out. Their sheer size was enough to frighten anyone else away but it was the air of danger that surrounded them that had hospital security lurking.

The sound of footsteps approaching made them all still and Wulf meet the were's eyes when he gave the prognosis. The only hint of reaction was the slight relaxing of the shifters posture and the nod of acknowledgment.

Reaching into his pocket, Wulf took out a set of keys and handed them to the other man.

"You can have use of the Hummer. Brom won't mind. We ... don't really need the transportation back to the house." he spoke quietly. "When you are done, please let us know. We will need to make plans. The rest of us will go and find out as much as we can about where they might have taken Kaera and then contact our allies. This insult can not and will not go unanswered and if any harm has befallen my sister...... The world will see a war the likes of which they will hope to never see again."

Glancing back towards Ashlings room, the ancient Viking frowned.

"Can you get her out of here or will you need help? Are you sure the doctor can be trusted?"

[cal]

Things were about to get bad and fast. Even if Caleb was towered by the other four men in the waiting room, he showed no sign of fear or uneasy around them. The were was a scary monster on his own and even that always had been some general uneasiness between the shifter and were groups, he never give a damn about what one was, for him it only mattered who one was.

Taking the car keys from the blond shifter, he nodded and considered his question for a moment.

“The doc seems alright so far, she is taking a great risk in helping us. If she turns out to be untrustworthy I will deal with her. We will be taking her out from the back and I will contact you soon.”

Then stepping closer to Wulf, Caleb faced him with a certain determined madness in his eyes.

“The one that but Ash, he is mine and anyone that stands in my way will be going down with him.”

It wasn’t a request, it was a warning.

Wandering out, he hurried out to the parking lot and into the hummer. Using the stolen vehicle would been a bad choice, evidence was the cop that seemed to be checking the vehicle license plate just outside the hospital. Luckily by the time the cop would manage to find something that pointed to him, Caleb would be already be far away.

Wasting no time to get to the hospital back exit, he opened the passenger door just as he saw the doctor slipping out with Ash.

“Let’s go doc, everything is about to hit the fan.”

[Mercedes Rowe]

Mercedes was glad to see that Caleb was outside with a vehicle. It was a Hummer, no less. That was more than adequate for fitting the injured woman comfortably inside. She just about flung the items she had stolen into the passenger seat of the car door that he had opened. She had all intention on lying Ash down in the backseat and sitting back there to make sure she didn’t fall or hurt herself. “Shit’s already hitting the fan,” and just after she said that the doors behind them opened.

After she said that she turned to the approaching doctors, her face serious and grave. “Dr. Rowe, you are not authorized to move that patient.” She gave a shrug, not caring what they thought. They didn’t particularly understand the entirety of the situation. “The patient has been requested to be immediately removed. Whether you two like it or not, it’s happening,” she said frankly.

“Grab her legs and hurry,” she told Caleb as she grabbed Ash under the shoulders, clasping the IV bag in her hand and stepped into the backseat, pulling the woman with her. The doors opened again, this time it was security yelling out for them to stop. “Shit! Drive! I’ve got her,” she yelled out to Caleb. She moved so quickly at this point. Once she got Ash in and had her in her arms, she reached forward to slam the door shut. She watched through the window as a couple of security guards ran up to the vehicle, trying to block its path. “Those idiots,” she grumbled. They were stupid to try and get in the way. They were standing down a hummer with a chaotic wolf behind the wheel.

“I had hoped I wouldn’t get caught. Dammit!” She growled and slammed a hand against the back of Caleb’s seat. The beast in her paced as the anger in her rose. “Sorry,” she grumbled, willing herself to calm down. “I am officially unemployed, and no hospital will take me in for insubordination.” She sighed heavily and leaned her head back against the seat to shut her eyes briefly while holding the woman’s head on her lap.

[cal]

(Are we to keep going, skip ahead or start a new thread? I don't want to leave Ash out and unable to post)

[Marissa Skye ☀]

(we can skip to the cabin if you like.... Once there, I can have Ash wake up a bit or something...)

[Mercedes Rowe]

((No idea... I'll let you two decide that~ ;D ))