[IC] Of Teeth and Fangs [Fluffy and mmidnight]

[Im-so-Fluffy]

The cool autumn wind blowing his fur and the slow, fulfilling burn of his muscles as he ran through the deeply shadowed forests of his home relaxed the strong, lithe wolf. His fur, as white and soft as freshly fallen snow, stuck out amongst the naturally dark, deeper greens and browns of the forest. It was all too soon, at least in his opinion, that his ears picked up the gentle murmur of the small river that provided a definite line between his pack's territory and the vampire clan's along with the patrol of wolves he was to join. It was only a little bit farther before they reached the spot where the river forked and created an island of rich growth.

It was this island, the small stretch of growth, that had caused the once peaceful coexistence of the vampires and wolf shifters to turn into it's current war like feud. In a more recent event, Aiden had convinced his father, the current alpha to offer the vampires a treaty that would divide that land in half, instead of the ever shifting border it currently had. The current borders on the island were rarely obeyed by either side, and as a result there was an increasing number of skirmishes between the two groups.

As the four wolves that made up the patrol approached the island, the two grey males slacked up slightly allowing both the white wolf and the smaller black female to pass them. None of the wolves hesitated before they ran right into the water, treading through the cool water and coming onto the land of the other side. The small patrol paused to shake the water from their fur before they continued on, treading much slower this time to scent the air, really checking for intruders. Aiden stayed with his packmates, not because he needed to go this slow, but because he did enjoy their company and he didn't want to hinder them should they need to fight. One more wolf made a huge difference when facing such strong enemies.

Aiden trotted along behind his wolves until suddenly he froze, letting out a low, irritated growl. He had picked up on something that the others had missed amongst the tangled scents that graced the island, the very fresh scent of one of their adolescent wolves that led right to the border. Alone. That meant three very important things the blue eyes wolf, first that the boy had gone against his very specific orders NOT to cross the border, second that he was stupid enough to it alone, and third that someone would have to go and get him.

Unhappily, Aiden crept across the border and began to track the little trouble maker, hoping that he found the boy before the vampires did.

[mmidnight]

It was a chilly autumn night, the sky was clear, full of stars and the air all around was crisp with the coming winter. There was a stillness to the forest that surrounded the neighboring town that was normally bustling with life, but it had settled for the evening, and the creatures were coming out to play. Decades ago, a lone coven of vampires had free reign of the lands, going where they pleased, feeding on whomever they wished, but their territory had been bisected by a clan of werewolves, and the town hadn't been the same since. It had been a minor inconvenience for as long as Isaac Nix could remember, and it hadn't been personally his problem until a recent death pushed him into a position of power. Now, he was tasked with either creating peace between the two species or getting rid of the furry problem all together.

Having already fed earlier in the night with a small group, Isaac had left the others and was currently making his way through the thick trees. The night was for surveillance, to catch the werewolves trotting their large, smelly paws into places they had no business being. Thankfully, there was a river, a neutral space that separated one world from another, but the constant crossing of it was creating tensions on both sides. Isaac wanted to impress the council and have the rest of the coven take him more seriously as a leader, even if he had never asked for this type of position. Personally, Isaac didn't see what was so bad about sharing, and not enforcing the stereotype that vampires and werewolves were incapable of getting along.

Using his superhuman speed and agility, Isaac's form was a blur in the night as he made his way up a tree that overlooked the river. It was quiet there, a little too much for his liking, and it only made the slight vampire more keenly aware of his surroundings. Black eyes searched over the landscape, taking in the sights of animals scurrying across the verdant banks and the occasional bat flapping its wings, seeking a meal.

It was some time before there was any type of disturbance, but from the other side of the river crept a white wolf. It was odd to see one alone, they usually hunted in packs. Sitting up from his relaxed position among the tree branches, Isaac scanned the ground below. He couldn't see the others, but he thought he could smell them in the area. His eyes returned to the wolf, figuring that he could fight this one on his own. After all, he was quick enough for that sort of things.

Smirking, Isaac cupped his hands to his mouth and let out a mocking howl, wanting to get the attention of the unknown wolf. "You're a little far from home, aren't you?" he asked rhetorically, eyebrow cocked. For now, he would keep his position in the tree, not wanting to be caught off guard and attacked by the others that were lingering somewhere. "You better get back across that river."

[Im-so-Fluffy]

The large wolf continued to creep though the forest, hot on the trail of the young wolf. He had signaled to the others to continue without him, and he could faintly hear them in the distance, traveling along the border. The wolf could hear something in the trees, however he dismissed it, deciding to simply continue moving. He had no interest in starting a fight, only in collecting what was his and returning to his home.

He froze as he heard the howl and his ears swiveled around in search of the source, displeased to find it came from the tree he had dismissed. The wolf wondered which vampire this was, and at the same time wondered if the vampire knew who he was since there was only one wolf that was solid white like he was in the entire pack. He huffed in unhappily as he shook his head no to first the question of him being far from home, then at the idea of going home already. He couldn't leave without the pup, however he knew he couldn't stay there with that vampire. As much as he hated to, he was sure he would have to kill the vampire in order to finish his quest.

For the moment he simply continued walking, knowing that he was getting close, but also acknowledging the fact that he couldn't afford to lead the vampire to the inexperienced wolf. He was at a disadvantage already, being on unfamiliar territory, having to find the adolescent before something else found him, as well as his usual disadvantage. Carefully, the wolf padded on, dividing his attention to listening to the vampire's movements and tracking the other wolf. As it turns out, that wasn't working so well for him because that left him no room to listen for the position of the trees, allowing him to run flat into one in the unfamiliar territory, earning a pained yelp from the wolf.

He turned to face the point where the vampire had been, letting out a low warning growl, he knew he was bleeding, if only a little bit, and from his experience, vampires had a hard time resisting the urge to drink blood if they could smell it.

[mmidnight]

Isaac was surprised. He hadn't actually expected the wolf to leave the territory and go back across the river, but he certainly was caught off guard by such casual defiance. Usually, the beasts wished to stay and fight. Violence had become such commonplace among their races as of late that confrontations had come to be a question of when, rather an if. Regardless, the lithe vampire was determined not to fight on his own, not trusting that the other werewolves wouldn't come charging across the river to aide their lycan brother.

“Hey!” Isaac called, irritated by the boldness of the white wolf. “You can't come over here, you stupid mutt! There was a treaty!” Not that anyone really paid much attention to it these days, but it was the principle of the matter. Besides, this wasn't going to look to the rest of the coven if Isaac just let intruders waltz into their territory without a fight.

Following along on the high tree branches, Isaac kept sight of the wolf. He noticed that the creature seemed to be looking for something, or maybe, someone. The thought that more wolves had already crossed the river without the knowledge of the coven was frightening. War was on the back of everyone's mind, it wouldn't take much action to ignite it. Crouching on a low tree branch, Isaac continued to watch and listen, but there were decisions to made and situations to be handled. This couldn't go on much longer.

The young vampire couldn't help but laugh as the seriousness melted away when the wolf ran right into a tree. Instantly after, the air was scented with fresh blood and Isaac ran his cold tongue over his fangs, resisting the urge to feed yet again. He wouldn't be lowered to that, though, feeling he was better than drinking from a filthy dog. If the wolf kept moving, his scent would spread through their territory, attracting the other vampires in the area. The wolf would be killed.

Coming closer, but still out of reach, Isaac spoke again. “Do you want to die tonight?” he asked, the question far from a threat. “I don't know what you're doing over here, but I don't think you want to be responsible for a war. I'll tell you one more time. Turn around.”

[Im-so-Fluffy]

The wolf simply flicked his ears at the 'stupid mutt' comment, however he hesitated just a moment when the treaty was mentioned. He was a bit curious about this vampire, however he was restraining himself. All he wanted to do was shift and talk to this apparently well meaning vampire. He had never met a vampire that wasn't trying to kill him.

He couldn't stop his body from shifting into his human form any longer, the confusion from hitting the tree making his determination slip. Slowly, he placed a hand on the bark behind him, his fingertips running along the rough bark briefly with a small look of surprise on his face before he returned his attention to the vampire. He knew he was naked, however that didn't bother him, for one it was normal among shifters and for two he couldn't see it anyway. Gently he examined the scrape on his cheek with those same probing fingers.

"I am trying to prevent a war, not start one." The blue eyes man with the tall well toned body gently spoke. His voice was naturally soft and gentle, portraying his kind soul. "I wouldn't be here if I didn't need to be. As for weather or not I survive, it might be better for my pack if I didn't."

Cautiously, the lithe wolf scented the air, only to find that all he could smell was the most amazing scent, however what confused him the most was that it seemed to be coming from everywhere all at once. The older wolves that had found their mates had always told him all he would be able to look at and smell would be his mate once he first found her. Well they were half right right, all he could smell was this vampire with the most tantalizing scent, however his sight was no better than usual. He had figured that finding his mate would be disorienting, however finding out that the other half of his soul was a creature that hated his kind was more than disorienting, especially for him sinse he was to be the next alpha. He was a little more than confused right at the moment. No wolf in recorded history had ever found their true mate in a vampire. Much less have both parties be male. It was rare for a pair of males to be lifemates.

"My name is Aiden. What's yours?" He asked curiously, even as he moved from side to side distressedly, his bare foot eventually catching a root, making him trip and fall flat on his face. "Ouch. This unfamiliar territory thing is really beating me up today, huh?" He joked with a laugh as he sat up, a goofy grin on his face.

[mmidnight]

Isaac watched as the large, white wolf shifted into his human form. It was always a strange sight to witness; the retraction of fur, the change in the shape of the face, the stretching and shortening of limbs. It all looked so painful, something that the dark-haired vampire was pleased to never experience. The werewolves were afflicted creatures, plagued by their own bodies and infected nature. Vampires, Isaac believed, were superior in every way. His own kind were graceful, regal, and best of all, not deformed. Knowing that, Isaac wasn't sure why the werewolves didn't just back down, and be happy to still have the territory that the coven had generously given them.

The nakedness of the other man hardly fazed Isaac, although he did think the boldness was a bit gauche. It was much like a werewolf to have no manners. “Preventing a war by crossing the river and not turning back when I warned you? That makes sense,” the lithe vampire responded with a scoff. He ran a hand back through his dark hair, frustrated with the conversation already.

Raising an eyebrow, Isaac watched as the wolf made a fool of himself, falling all over the place like a newborn foal. He found himself glowering, unable to understand why Aiden wasn't taking this seriously. Isaac had no time for idle chit-chat, and he wasn't going to engage with someone who was incapable of standing on his own two feet without tripping. “My name isn't your business,” he snapped, eyes growing darker. “Pick yourself up and go back the way you came before my coven makes a rug out of you.”

The others were bound to be along soon with that such a stink in the air, like sharks to water, vampires could smell blood in the air a mile away. Blood from a werewolf had a distinct quality, and if one could get past the small, the drink was invigorating and provided extra strength to their already enhanced abilities.

[Im-so-Fluffy]

" It would be best if you didn't know why I am here. I ask that you trust me that there is a very good reason for me being here. If I manage to achieve my goal, then there will be a new treaty extended to your kind. A treaty I personally made the terms for-" The large wolf insisted as he managed to stand, his words stopped as his ears picked up a low growl.

Suddenly a large furry shape launched out of the bushes towards the vampire, intent on slaying him. However seconds before it made contact, Aiden was there between the two taking the sharp, tearing teeth in his own shoulder as the pair crashed to the ground. A single sharp pop to the head and a less than forgiving growl made the young brown furred wolf let go, whimpering. Not two seconds later there was a sobbing fourteen year old boy in the wolf's place.

"I's sorry.... I'm so sorry. Please... Alpha Zero... Please forgive me..." The boy pleaded in his sobbing as the alpha wolf glared at him. "I just wanted... To prove I was strong... That Sydney is wrong...I just wanna be a warrior... I don't wanna be an omega..."

"You fool! You almost started a war! Any vampire you found would have killed you, then not even I as alpha would have been able to stop the pack. They would keep fighting until either us or them were ALL dead." that the older wolf's expression softened a little bit, understanding the boy's situation more than anyone knew. "Believe me, Charles, trying to be something you were never meant to be will lead you to a great number of hardships and pain, however it isn't impossible with the right amount of effort. Look at me, I'm a blind wolf that managed to become Alpha." He smiled merrily before he grew serious once more. " Charles, you need to go home. Now. If I don't make it back, tell Brian that I died for this treaty and that if he doesn't enforce it, my ghost will return to personally kick his ass."

The young wolf nodded once before rushing to complete his orders, disappearing before the white haired man dragged himself to his feet. He knew he had no chance of escaping in his current condition, however he had no intention of just dying either.

"So are you going to kill me now?" He asked with an almost playful smirk on his face.

[mmidnight]

The fact that Aiden was being so flippant about the blatant violation of the treaty really made Isaac see red. At least the other wolves who took it upon themselves to cross the river owned up to their actions when caught. They may not have been the most pleasant creatures to deal with, but they didn't attempt to hide their reasons, and always made it clear why they were so far from home when threatened with consequence. Isaac realized that he was only one vampire, but the number would soon grow, and the dark-eyed man couldn't say that he wouldn't suggested killing this alleged alpha for his attitude alone.

Isaac was poised to speak, about to give this werewolf a telling off, when he paused. There was a vibration all around him, he could sense another being close by, and the smell that wafted toward him was a dead giveaway to another wolf in the area. There was only a low growl before the beast launched itself from between the trees, and Isaac quickly blurred from his position, intent on keeping his life. However, he had not anticipated Aiden's intervention, and considering how reckless and whimsical he had already demonstrated himself to be, being “saved” took Isaac by complete surprise.

As the brown wolf resumed his human form and began to cry, Isaac quickly pieced together what was going on. The alpha had crossed the river to retrieve his inexperienced omega, and then attempted to hide the truth in order to avoid repercussion. The boy couldn't have been more than fourteen years old, but Isaac wasn't in a forgiving mood. With the other vampires not far from the area now, Isaac had a plan, a message for the clan.

Smirking in return, Isaac balked at the idea of killing Aiden. “No,” he shook his head, chuckling and still able to feel the energy of the young wolf who was now heading for the river. “I'm going to kill your omega.”

Isaac disappeared into the night, his body a black blur amomg the trees as he quickly moved across the landscape. There wasn't much ground between himself and the young werewolf, and he intended to close the small space quickly, before the boy could reach the river. After all, no one would be able to blame the coven for protecting their territory, even though the boy was hardly a threat. It was the principle of the matter, and the guidelines of the treaty needed to be respected. While this situation wasn't exactly an eye for an eye, Isaac knew his decision would be appreciated by a handful within the coven.

Werewolves were stronger than vampires, but this one was young, inexperienced and emotionally compromised. More than likely, the trespasser thought that he would simply leave, go home and start obeying orders from the alpha again, but Isaac wasn't about to let that happen. He caught the boy around the neck, which produced a yelp from Charles as they tumbled to the ground. Before the boy could shift and become more dangerous, Isaac twisted his hands and a loud crack echoed through the forest.

He let the body fall from his hands, showing no sympathy for his actions. He wouldn't even lower himself to drink from the boy, a message in itself about the blood that ran through the clan's veins; they were filthy, not worthy of fang, not even worthy of being spilled to the dirt-covered forest floor.

Seconds later, a sister from the coven was standing next to him. Circe was older by hundreds of years, but still only looked to be in her mid-twenties. Her long, black hair was parted down the center, and the moonlight shone from it beautifully. Her red-painted lips curved into a smile at the sight of the boy. “Nice work,” she said, crossing her arms. “Where is alpha?”

Obviously, she had been in the area, sent to keep an eye on him. “Not far behind, I imagine.”

[Im-so-Fluffy]

Aiden rushed after the vampire, cursing the whole time. He knew this would be bad, however he had hoped that the vampire was bluffing. He had to stop when he felt the death of his omega, just as he knew the others did, however it hit him harder than the others. The spilling of innocent blood causing a distinct change in the man.

The wound that had been bleeding profusely healed even as the alpha's face elongated, his claws slide out, and fur sprouted all down his back, on his arms and legs. The result was quite disturbing, but powerful. A wolf half shifted, a man with the power of a wolf. Something only an alpha blessed by the spirits of his ancestors could pull off.

"How dare you!?!" The beast snarled as he crashed through the brush. "You stupid vampires! None of you understand how Fucking hard it is to keep those of my kind from killing all of you! I finally convinced my pack you were not all soulless monsters and this is how you act?!? I won't be able to protect you anymore. They will come, and we all be slain. Vampires, werewolves, humans, all of us. There will be no stopping them. You have just started a war neither of our sides can win with the killing of an innocent in cold blood."

He growled, pissed at knowing that it was his fault this had happened. He had ultimately been unable to stop it, again. They had descended upon the whole area the last time, leaving a handful of creatures, including him to pass on the word. He stopped for one moment to gently touch his deformed muzzle to the fallen boy's head, whispering to him softly.

"Go now little wolf, join our packmates in the great beyond. You no longer need to fear. There is no need to let them eat your soul." He seemed to speak to something just above the boy's body before turning his angry face upon the pair. "Mate or not, the spirits of my ancestors are pressing me to kill you. Give me one good reason I should not."

His sightless eyes zeroed in on Isaac, his face seeming to be frozen in a snarl. He could feel the rest of his pack rushing towards him, every wolf feeling the pull of their alpha's power amplified by the presences of the spirits all around him, trying to press him to do as he was commanded.