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[center][color=#90F1FF][b]Location:[/b][/color] Eclipse [color=#DE83B3][b]Time:[/b][/color]FridaY NighT[/center]
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Tessa arrived at the Eclipse within the half hour. She trudged over to an empty alleyway and transformed painstakingly back into a human. Winded and gasping for air, Tessa doubled over. The stitch in her side was a sharp reminder of her evening. Once she recovered, Tess left the alleyway. She glanced around her surroundings and adjusted her eye-patch carefully. 

With a sigh, she texted him she had arrived and continued searching for him. The noise polluted her eardrums and the smells of alcohol, smoke, and drugs filled her nostrils. Her shoulders began to relax. The thumping music mixed with the laughter, cacophony of voices and supernatural life around her was intoxicating. Her racing heart didn’t relent. 

Luther took a deep breath before he entered Eclipse. Somewhere Angel was lost amidst this crowd of people but he was not looking for her right now. She was not the one who needed him at this moment. His hands smoothed out the small wrinkles of his blue suit. It was more a comforting gesture than anything. Tessa would smell it on him. No hiding that. That didn’t mean he couldn’t be there when she needed him. 

It wasn’t hard to find her face amidst the crowd. He could pick it out anywhere, and no it wasn't just because there weren’t that many badass lycan girls with an eye-patch. Luther used his size and presence to slip past the sea of bodies undulating against each other. The club really seemed lively tonight. A good distraction if he could take her mind off whatever got her troubled. 

[color=#90F1FF]”Boo.”[/color] He said flatly coming from her blindside, though he was willing to bet she picked out his scent the moment he walked in. His eyes lacked the humor his words were meant to convey.

[color=#90F1FF]”I’m here Tess. What’s going on?”[/color] Luther adopted a softness in his voice as he laid a hand on her shoulder.

Luther’s familiar scent wafted through her nostrils. She glanced around, but with only one eye, it wasn’t easy to find him. His voice in her blind-spot nearly caused her to jump; however, seeing him brought her a mixture of butterflies and relief. The lack of humor behind his words wasn’t lost on Tess. The scent of a female on him temporarily made her blink her only good eye. Nonetheless, she didn’t focus on it.

[color=#DE83B3]”Luther!”[/color] She exclaimed with glee, momentarily forgetting her plight. She smiled at him, and then the reminder of the night brought back a wave of grief. Tears sparkled in her left eye, and she set her hand on his. Her voice was strong, but underneath it, it shook like an earthquake waiting to erupt. 

[color=#DE83B3]”Not here, can we go outside or somewhere private?”[/color] While it was noisy, talking seriously in a club filled with supernatural beings capable of unnatural hearing would not be wise. Tessa bit her lip and waited for his response.

There was a certain satisfaction that seemed to come whenever Tessa spoke his name. It was dulled this time by the hurt look present in her eye and the tense expression she wore. A Coldfang was trained to always be in control of their emotions so it made picking out whenever someone was about to break easier. [color=#90F1FF]”Yeah, yeah. Let’s take a step outside.”[/color]

Luther took the lead walking to the exit, his hand remaining in constant contact. Now that he got to see her in person, he was only more worried about Tessa. He knew the signs when she was in a dark place and the more they talked the more flags were raised. Angel was his ride or die best friend in the entire city of Halcyon, but Tessa was not that far behind. [color=#90F1FF]”Now, mind telling me what’s got you like this?”[/color] Luther turned to face her once they had found a suitable place just outside Eclipse, the overbearing music a humming bass.

Tess’s shoulders relaxed once they were outside. A quick glance around told her they were alone. Whatever passer-by existed were not close to them. She glanced up at him with her left eye and swallowed hard. 

[color=#DE83B3]”Dom doesn’t want us telling anybody this but you’re allowed to know I’m sure he won’t mind.”[/color] At first, she rambled, then her voice quaked as she continued. [color=#DE83B3]”Logan, he’s dead, in our territory. We don’t know who or what. You can’t tell anyone.”[/color] The tears swelled up in her eye once more. Saying it out loud made it even more real. [color=#DE83B3]”He meant so much to me, Luthy. He was like my second dad besides Dom.”[/color] 

Her voice cracked now and the hurricane she fought against threatened to erupt. Her entire body began shaking as she pressed a hand to her eye. [color=#DE83B3]”We don’t know if whoever did it wants more of us gone either. Luthy, I’m worried for you too.”[/color]


Luther knew the moment she began with that first sentence the next one was not going to be good. He almost wished she hadn’t continued with what she said next. His heart sank and he gritted his teeth seeing the look on Tessa’s face as he told him. Fuck. That was a huge bomb she had dropped. Nuclear, even. There were a million things he wanted to theorize and contemplate but he needed to be here for Tessa right now. He wanted to.

He wrapped his arms around Tessa, palms pressing against her upper back to push her towards him. [color=#90F1FF]”No, Tess. Now is not the time to be strong. It's just me and you here.”[/color]

Luther had never gotten along with Logan, especially after Tessa came into the picture. That said, he understood well what the old bastard meant to her. [color=#90F1FF]”Please, don't worry too much about me right now. I'll talk to my father and see what the Coldfangs know.”[/color] He detested speaking with his father but for Tessa, he would pull any information he could. 

Luther’s hug around her petite body felt like being wrapped in a warm blanket. She melted into it and pressed her forehead against his. Her tears soon stained his shirt, but she knew he wouldn’t mind. She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tight. The world had taken Logan, but it better not take the rest of her pack or him. When he provided permission, Tessa allowed herself to cry and clutch him, as if letting go meant he’d disappear. Being emotional was hard, she had been trained to hold on so much over the years as a Warden and not let them get in the way of her investigations; however, since turning, she had been unable to hold it in well anymore. Alarm bells rang inside her mind when he mentioned talking to his dad.

[color=#DE83B3]”Oh, Luthy, no, don’t talk to him. He’s not worth this.”[/color] She looked up at him with her left eye. [color=#DE83B3]”No, don’t. It’s okay. Let Dom handle it; besides, we can’t let many people know we know.”[/color] She tilted his head down to look at hers and she wiped her teary eye. She hugged him gently.

[color=#DE83B3]”Just promise me, you’ll stay safe, yeah? Just let me know where you are and if you’re safe. Don’t worry about our investigation… Just, don’t do anything reckless.. I don’t want you ending up…”[/color]

Tessa refused to finish that sentence.

Maybe it was the night he had. Maybe it was the soft vulnerability in Tessa’s voice and eye. He just wanted to comfort her and rip out the throat of whoever did this. His hand slide up her back and began to gently stroke the back of her head. [color=#90F1FF]”It feels like I should be saying that to you.”[/color] His tone lacked the playfulness that statement would normally carry. [color=#90F1FF]”I promise to keep in touch and survive whatever is coming. You just better do the same. Relationships are a two-way street, you know?”[/color] Luther smirked at his tease, trying to bring some levity.

Tessa glanced up at him. The humor and playfulness absent in his tone did not go unnoticed by her. She bit her lip and watched him with concern. She nodded and laughed softly. [color=#DE83B3]”I’ll do it for you, Luthy.”[/color] 

Honesty, he really didn’t know how to take hearing just how much she worried for him. There was a different kind of concern in her voice than he felt from Angel earlier that night. Luther was only so close to Angel because he hoped that if he ever turned to that nightmare version of himself she’d be able to grant him mercy. Celeste had changed for him, whatever strange pull she had on the strings of his fate beyond his comprehension. A part of him wondered if this sudden shift in his own life was related to something more going on in the city.

[color=#90F1FF]”Just let me know if you need anything from me. One call and I’ll be there, alright?”[/color] There had been times when he thought about letting Tessa in on the curse that plagues him. It was times like this that made him not want to tell her. Hell, Angel didn’t even know the full picture but after the incident earlier today he thought the time to tell her was coming closer.

Tessa nodded and took a deep breath. His words had calmed her storm and she began sobering up, at least for the moment. She hugged him tightly and nodded in agreement. [color=#DE83B3]”The same for you,”[/color] She replied earnestly and then let go of him. [color=#DE83B3]”What’re you going to do now?”[/color] Her eye glanced at the club, then back to him. The rush of adrenaline tempted her to go do something–anything, but focus on the issues at hand.

Luther followed her gaze and then smiled looking back at her. [color=#90F1FF]”I’m going to head back inside and let loose some more. I’d love to buy you a drink…or two if you’re up for it?”[/color] He honestly had no idea what or who Angel was getting into so there was no telling when they’d be heading back. Sure, he could have headed back on his own but on nights where they let loose like this they tried to have each other's back.

Tessa eyed the scene and a grin managed to wash across her face. [color=#DE83B3]”Let’s see what kind of trouble two lycans can cause in there,”[/color] She let go of him and wrapped an arm around his waist for one more hug, then released her grip. [color=#DE83B3]”Gotta act like nothing’s wrong, anyway,”[/color] Guilt filled her with the thought of Dom wondering where she was, so she sent him a quick text: 

[color=DE83B3][i]At one of my favorite places with one of my favorite people.[/i][/color] It was mysterious enough, and spoke in code so nobody could understand it. [/color]