Hunger of the Beast

(Well, here goes nothing. First attempt at a story... hopefully will become interesting at the very least.)
There is discord within the pack. Months ago, their most-loved Ulfric, Guillermo Vega, was found nearly dead on the edge of a rival pack's territory. Though he is in stable, but critical, condition, the pack is split. Many shout the call of war, or vengeance and blood. Others, such as Guillermo's wife and Lupa of the pack, Carmen, only wish to prevent as much loss to their pack as possible. She is still struggling with the idea of her husband's coma and his deteriorating state, as well as juggling the politics of their wolves. Many still look up to her as a beacon of strength and leadership, some are beginning to doubt her ability to lead and do what must be done in the name of their fallen Ulfric.

And then, there is Seth.

The Bolverk, a title given to an alpha wolf that could and WOULD take care of things the Ulfric could not dirty his hands with, had risen in the ranks after the near-loss of Guillermo. In his absence, Seth would take the title of Ulfric and rule beside Carmen until Guillermo recovered, or succumbed to his injuries. On the outside, Seth is a strong and fierce warrior. A man any soldier could get behind and run into the throes of battle at his call. Though he has many flaws in character, they cannot tarnish his drive, his cleverness, his ruthlessness, and his ability to lead.

The only one he has yet to fool is Carmen, the woman he watched love the man whose power he hungered for. Whose LIFE and everything he owned... including Carmen... he wished to possess.


Characters In Play:
Carmen Vega: Lupa of the wolves, Wife (soon to be widow maybe) of Guillermo. Feisty, callous at times, passionate, protective, suspicious.
Seth Essex: Interim Ulfric, Bolverk of the wolves. Possessive, slightly obsessive, flippant, snarky and sarcastic, womanizer, raw, blood thirsty, callous, passionate, manipulative, crass, indulgent.

Others can be added as it progresses, will add them here as they come.

Other information for the world:

These werewolves are of the wolf-man variety. The most powerful (those strong enough to be Ulfric and Lupa as well as maybe a couple of the stronger alphas) can partial shift, most can shift at will, newer wolves shift when stressed, hungry, or horny and cannot stop it. The very strongest wolves may be able to force a shift on others. It is a test of will and strength in some eyes, bullying in others. The essence of the lycanthropy is magical and many can "see" or "feel" their wolves lying dormant inside their human bodies. The wolves sometimes have minds of their own, even when the human mind is in control, if the wolf wants something they will butt heads about it. The female wolves tend to want to mate with the most dominant of the pack, as a natural wolf would. Most of the time, the human side is in agreement with the wolf. However, as in Carmen's case, her human side is devoted to her husband while her wolf may be ready to find a new mate. The alpha female wolves tends to gravitate the majority of the male wolves (alpha or lesser) to her, usually apparent in their attraction to the human side, but most male wolves know that she has her choice and she would TEND to choose the most dominant male. Again, there are exceptions to these rules.

Even the forest had lost its allure. In the month's after his body was found, nearly ripped in half, in the swamplands Carmen was finding it hard to enjoy much of anything. Still, she went through the motions. Even if she was nearly hollow inside, the pack needed to see her moving on, continuing to lead. If they thought her lost to her grief it would only be a matter of time before another woman made an attempt on her.

The rank of Lupa, especially with Guillermo as Ulfric, was coveted to say the lease. Carmen, herself, had slipped into it on mere circumstance but all that did was drive her to prove herself that much more. For what true Lupa could not lead, could not hold her own against the other alpha females? Carmen had only been challenged once, since accepting the title, and the end had resulted in years of nightmares and shame.

But, she knew, this was the way of the wolf. This was pack law.

Those were days long since passed. Mere pages in a history book that was Carmen's life. In the nine years since she had been forced to extinguish one of her wolven sisters, her and Guillermo had built a stronger pack. Their territory had prospered and spread along the Bayou and they were one of the largest wolf packs in the region. Peace, civility, prosperity... all the things that Guillermo had dreamed of for his wolves were in their grasp and life seemed at its greatest.

But now she was alone.

Carmen unlocked the door of her home and stepped inside. The crisp, cool breeze of the air conditioner spread an icy chill over every inch of exposed, sweat-slicked skin but it felt amazing after hours in the balmy Lousiana forest.

Music that had welcomed her on her entry had stopped suddenly and her honey brown eyes darted to the living room. Mary-Ann, the young girl from two doors down, was gathering her books and coat ready to leave for the night.

"Thank you again, Mary-Ann... I know it was short notice so... here's a little extra," she offered an extra twenty dollar bill on top of her usual twenty, but Mary-Ann's hand push the second bill back into Carmen's palm.

"It's no problem. He's a little angel, went to bed as soon as you left. Good night, Mrs. Vega." and with her kindest smile she left the Vega home.

Carmen watched her walk all the way home from the front door, making sure she made it inside alright, before shutting it. She made a stop at her son's room before getting ready for bed, letting the light from the hallway flood in just enough in case he woke up.

Xavier, a precocious little 4 year old with dark brown eyes like his father, slept peacefully in a bed that could have probably fit all three of them comfortably. Xavier was everything to Carmen and Guillermo and they probably doted on him a little too much for his age, but he was theirs. Their perfect creation in an imperfect world. Carmen was beginning to think, after months of waiting, that he just might be all she had left.

Kissing her son on the head, she would creep away once more and head to her own room. Her jogging pants were damp from sweat and, in the chill of the A.C., were becoming quite uncomfortable. As she moved into her room, she opened her dresser drawer and pulled out the soft pink cami and the pink and black sleep shorts Guillermo loved on her so much. It was in this house, in these utterly girly pajamas, that she felt safe in letting it all out. Each night, she gave herself this moment, this private moment in time, to let all of her selfish, uncertain, self-doubt take hold of her. Only, she had not expected someone to come and steal her moment away from her...

Blood, sweat too but above all there was blood, clinging to the air making it impossible not to inhale it. More so it was familiar blood, blood she knew as close as kin.

Her human lips unearthed an animal like growl as she tried to claw her way to him, no past him, on the trail of whoever had done this.She took a sniff of the air to seek what might be left of the trail of the attackers. She was not alone, there were others, pulling her back,holding her down. They were her pack, her brothers and sisters telling her not to go that it wasn't the order. She growled at them but still they would not let her go. In the dead of night she met eyes with him while his blood gurgled in his throat and their Ulfric took his last breath...

In the heat of the night, Lita Cruz awoke with a sheen of sweat along her brow at the dream. It wasn't exactly what had happened when they'd found the Ulfric, she had been there, but did not dare step out of line to go to him, and had heeded the warnings of the pack not to go forward with less arguement than she'd shown in her dream. She'd been stunned, too shocked to speak. Somebody larger than life should not be reduced to a pile of blood and skin. Guermillo had lived but was in a coma, no more alive to them than if he had died. And what had she done? Nothing.She who owed everything to him and the pack that saved her....

At fifteen, she'd been an orphan already for six years. There were times when she couldn't see her mother's face any longer. There were also times when she did not recognize her own face. Being an orphan was hard enough for anybody, but add in the fact that her parents had been wolves and it created a whole different set of problems. No family members on were around to keep her, or at least none that were willing to out themselves in order to protect her. Orphanages were unwilling to keep her, what if she were to infect the other children! The one orphanage that said yes tried to keep her in a cage. In the end, she'd simply ran away. The streets had families all their own and if nobody knew her secret, there would be no worry over casting her out.

At nine she'd been stick thin, short, but with a scowl that made even some adults think twice about looking her way. Her size mader her a perfect pick pocket and she excelled at the task, eventually getting noticed by a local gang. They took her in, clothed and fed her in exchange for her skills. As the years past she gained the respect of the other members, but suspcion grew as they began to know her better and the outside world grew more bitter towards the wolves in general. As the world changed around her, her recluse grew. Drugs and alcohol became day to day routine. The gangly child had been slowly being replaced with soft curves and men took notice. It was a form of acceptance she'd never known and her body became a form of control over her nerve wracking situation.

Everything changed when she siddled up to the wrong man. Guermilllo had been around 24, and Ulfric for two years when she had sat next to him at a bar with makeup and a drug induced smile caked on her face. She'd thrown herself at him, partly because she was high and partly because she'd discovered that it was easier to steal a wallet when a man thought you were interested.
Her advances had done nothing to sway the man, but never the less he'd stayed by her side all evening and escorted her out of the bar when she'd suggested they leave. He'd take her by the arm and tugged her towards a waiting vehicle. Sobriety hit as she saw she was being kidnapped and she fought against the abduction with all her might. Though she was no match for Guermillo, she made it difficult for him to get her into the car. It wasn't until there was a whisper in her ear that she settled almost immediately.
"Amelita Cruz, calm yourself and get into the car, I'm taking you away from this, it's time to join your brothers and sisters."

Those words were like camomile tea for her soul and the rest all came much easier. As it turns out, her family hadn't completely forgotten about her. She had an aunt who had been trying to find her, who'd been found by Guermillo and his pack, and then subsequently, they'd tried to find her.

Lita went to live with her aunt, went back to school and graduated with her class to everybody's surprise. She went to college and became a nurse, graduating early by over a year. The party hardy teenager had done a 180, drugs and alcohol never became a problem because she never touched them again. She'd finished growing up idolizing her Ulfric and he'd done his part by making sure she stayed on the straight and narrow. She set out to impress, to earn a place in the pack. She never dated,afraid to let another man touch her, but too stubborn to sort that emotion out for herself. Instead of going out and partying, she trained, lifted weights, ran, studied. Anything to get ahead. Others confused her solitude for coldness, and her fierceness for ruthlessness. Those walls she'd forged so long ago were stil hard to take down, now instead of protection of her secret, it was protection of her heart and protection of the place she wanted to create for herself in the pack. Nursing gave her an outlet to be compassionate, a hidden place from the rest of the pack where she could be soft and kind. Now at 26,Lita liked her life, she was successful, strong, and she was a person she could be proud of for the first time. Everything was a direct result of being rescused at 15 from the cancerous life she was living.


The attack on Guermillo had flipped a switch inside of her. Suddenly all of what she'd been working towards had a direct purpose. Avenge him, protect the pack. Their Lupa Carmen disagreed. Lita harbored a slight resentment to Carmen, the apple of her husband's eye, but she was not a bad Lupa, not usually. This time she was wrong though. Grabbing her cell phone off the night stand, Lita scanned through her contacts and quickly found Carmen's number. Hesitating over the keypad she quickly thumbed out a text message.

::I need to talk to you as soon as you have a free moment::

Tossing her phone back on the nightstand, Lita closed her eyes and attemptd to go back to sleep while waiting for the tell tale beep of a return message.

The tears ran in hot streams down her cheeks, allowing all of that careful control slipping away with each drip. They flowed freely and easily and, though it allowed her grieving heart to ache with a fresh-cut pain, it also came as a bittersweet release. Throughout each day, Carmen held back the emotions that gnawed away at her. Feelings of despair, loss, and chaos clung to her, making her second guess every decision and every action. Was she making this choice because of her sadness? Was she doing this because she was afraid? This coveted time alone let her give these emotions their time in the spotlight. It was a desperate attempt to keep them from reigning over things personal emotions shouldn't have a hand in.

She sat on the bed, a bed woefully large and empty these last several months, and grabbed the framed photo of her and her husband off her nightstand. Her tears dripped down onto the smiling faces, washing over the glass in slow streaks. It was taken a week before Xavier had been born. Guillermo had taken her to the a quite little spot on the beach, just the two of them. It was one of the most relaxing days of her life. Everything felt so perfect. Felt like it was always going to be perfect as long as he was there.

Well, everyone saw how that played out.

"You need to come back now. I can't do it alone, baby. We need you. Our son needs you," her pleas trembled on her voice and she breathed in a centering, albeit shakey, breath.

She wasn't foolish enough to think he could hear her. Even if she was standing right beside his bed, as she had refused to leave it for the first few weeks, he wouldn't hear a word of it. Or, if he did in fact hear her, he couldn't do anything about it.

This was one order the Ulfric couldn't playfully snap to for his wife's amusement.

A sharp chirp twittered from the night stand, drawing Carmen out of her moment of grief. Her phone sat on the smooth cherry wood, silent now, and Carmen set the photo back on the table behind it before grabbing it up and flicking her thumb over the screen.

::I need to talk to you as soon as you have a free moment::, the text had read. It was from Amelita.

Carmen's stomach tightened painfully. Amelita had been one of the wolves that had found Guillermo's body. She and Seth had found him minutes before Carmen and two of the other wolves had caught up to them. When Carmen had seen the distressed and mournful look in the girl's eyes, she had feared the worst.

She wasn't blind. She knew that Lita had favored Guillermo greatly. He had been her white knight; the one who saved her from the deadly grasp of the streets. She couldn't blame the girl, either. She had been just as devoted to him when they met. She only hoped that it stopped there for Lita. She would hate to have to hurt her just to claim her territory. There was nothing personal about this thought, of course. While she noticed Lita acted a bit more cold and disconnected towards her, she thought she was a good girl. An asset to the pack once she could overcome her demons. However, personal feelings aside, the wolf would not allow the Lupa to sit idly by as another female moved in on her mate.

::I'm free now, come on by. Xavier is asleep so don't ring the bell, just come in.:: the words poured from her fingers and she hit send before she could make any excuses not to talk tonight. It was another demon to fight, the desire to seclude oneself and let the world continue without you.

Pulling on her cotton robe, she would wipe her face clear of the offensive tears, try and make herself look presentable. Or as presentable as a woman could be in terribly girly pajamas.

As she sidled into the living room, she took the moment to wonder what it was Lita wanted to talk about. It didn't take her long to have an idea. A couple of days after they discovered Guillermo, there was an impromptu meeting with herself, Seth, and a lot of the alphas. Lita had made it clear she sided with the majority of the wolves, Seth included, in wanting to find the responsible party. While it was ludicrous to think Carmen opposed bringing her husband's attacker to justice, things were still too chaotic to be able to consider everything that needed attention. Lita had started to argue with her about the decision to hold back, just temporarily, but Carmen had made sure to let them all know that no one was to go out for blood. Not until they had a more concrete lead into all of this.

She had to admire the girl's loyalty and passion but she also knew what it was like to have her emotions be the driving force behind certain decisions. She did not want to see Lita go down that path.

Lita hadn't even closed her eyes before the notification on her cell told her there was a text.
She rolled out of bed in one fluid motion, gathering her phone as she stood.
::I'm free now, come on by. Xavier is asleep so don't ring the bell, just come in.::
The Lupa. Very well. Now was as good of a time as any.
Lita dressed in the dark, slipping on a pair of simple jeans and a long tank top and short leather jacket with her favorite boots.
Passing out of her room and onto the landing, she tapped her knuckle on the door across the hall. "I'm going out Aunt Ev, don't wait up"

There was a pause and then an exasperated sigh from the other side of the door. She could picture her aunt sitting up in bed with a crossword puzzle book on her lap, reading glasses perched at the end of her nose.

"Do not bite off more than you can chew girl, rules are rules for a reason"

"I'm just going to talk. I'll be fine"

Lita didn't stick around to wait for an answer, simply took the stairs two at a time and headed out the door.

Outside the darkness enveloped her.The air smelled of rain yet to come. Yet another reason they needed to act now, how long before there would be no trail to follow?

Lita stood on the stoop taking in the night as she gathered her courage. The Vega's lived a couple of miles down the road, the pack liked to stay close when they could, and her aunt was no exception. She could run the distance easily and decided that might be the best way to get out some steam before she met with Carmen.

Sliding a hair tie off her wrist, she pulled her dark hair back into a pony tail and jogged off down the street at any easy pace.Once out of the light of the porch light, she sped up, moving into a speed unnatural for most humans.

Running made the world disappear, there was only feet and earth being pounded beneath them. It was her favorite place and she almost hated to find herself in front of the Vega's house so quickly. There she was though, slipping up the drive and to the door. Her wolf paced inside her as she slipped inside the door and found herself facing Carmen in her living room. She lowered her eyes as a sign of respect as she entered the room. Her arms crossed over her chest out of habit.

"Lupa.." she licked her lip " Carmen, I will get to the point. I know you don't want war, or bloodshed, but.." her voice raised in pitch a little, emotion creeping in as she spoke with purpose 'I want you to send me in search of those who did this, me alone if you have to. Without a statement from our pack we look weak, they'll be coming to take us over if we don't have any show of force. Let me find out who did this to us.And then I will come back and give you the information to do with as you wish. But you know he deserves more than this.."

Carmen stalked the living room as she waited for Lita to show up. She had a faint idea what it was that she wanted to talk about but she still wasn't sure how else to explain her decision to the girl. She was headstrong, stubborn... God, how she reminded Carmen of herself at times. And that was the scary part.

She paced the room anxiously. This was shit-end of being the Lupa. She knew what might very well happen. Lita would argue, once again, that Carmen wasmaking the wrong decision. Carmen would try and explain her position to her but Lita would most likely argue against her. Emotions would flare, Carmen would have to remind Amelita who was alpha. Hopefully, the reminder wouldn't have to become a physical one.

The idea of that just made Carmen feel sick.

Lita is a smart girl, she is just emotional. You can relate. This was what Carmen told herself over and over, trying to maintain a sense of understanding and empathy.

But emotional wolves are dangerous wolves.

Footsteps drummed along the path outside her house, drawing Carmen's attention to the door across the room. Well, this was it. Time to relive this ever-existing argument yet again. She could really kill Seth for getting the girl amped up at the meeting. Sometimes, she thought, he just had no idea the impact he had on people.

Like his tactics or not, he was charismatic. A natural leader.

A voice broke through the silence, followed by the low squawk of the front door as it shut itself again behind Lita. Carmen squared her shoulders and she could feel her wolf perk its head up curiously and protectively.

Just as she had feared, this was once again about avenging her husband. Her eyes lowered to the floor between them, her arms crossed tensely over her torso. She decided to let Lita say her piece rather than interrupt her. She wanted her to know she was truly hearing what she had to say, even if she was about to once again oppose her.

Waiting for the girl to finish, Carmen's honey-brown eyes flickered back up to her before she dropped her arms and gestured towards the couch.

"Please, Amelita," her natural accent would peek through as she recited the girl's name, "sit."

She didn't wait for Lita to sit first before making her way over and having a seat herself. Might as well get comfortable.

"Look, I hear you. I really do. I know you, and a lot of the alphas, don't agree with my views on this but I have my reasons. Without Guillermo we are weakened. Yes, we have a lot of strong wolves ready to take arms but he brought something much more than physical power to our causes and you know this. I do not want to see my strongest wolves run headfirst into war without knowing who it is they are running to. It's too dangerous, ovejita," she used the nickname Guillermo had called Lita as a way of expressing her love for her, for all of her wolves. Guillermo's little lost lamb that he had found and brought back to the flock.

Lita studied Carmen, she sat when she was asked and even dropped her arms to her sides in a purposeful attempt to look less defiant. Her toes stretched against the inside of her boots as her wolf stretched against her skin. Lita fought it back, standing as Carmen spoke, and subconsciously pacing the floor.

"Dangerous? Dangerous is acting like sitting ducks waiting for the next strike to occur. We are not prepared. He would tell you the same.I am not asking you to risk anybody but me! It is no big sacrifice!" Her voice had gotten louder as she spoke, her voice colored with passion and she was treading dangerously into territory she wasn't willing to go into with the Lupa right now. Not that she didn't think she and Carmen might be quite evenly matched, it just wasn't right, not right now.

Forcing herself back onto the couch Lita sat and folded her arms over herself as if holding herself down. Closing her eyes she took a few deep even breathes to calm herself.

"Lupa, forgive me, but doing nothing at all, is making it look like you can't handle this job. And there are those among us that might take that as an invitation to try to climb the ladder. That isn't why I am here. I'm here for the pack as a whole. I'm here to protect those that can't protect themselves, the old and the young, and the ones too stubborn to move ahead when that may be the only choice left. I know what the risk is and I'm willing to take it"
Her breath was coming out nearly ragged as she struggled to stay in control. she'd quieted her voice and remained rooted to the couch.

"I'll leave if you wish, I've said my piece"

She had braced herself for the backlash, but even being ready didn't make it less frustrating. She should have known Amelita would still be as steadfast in her belief as ever. It would take something drastic, if anything at all, to get her to consider the alternative to her own plan. Carmen wasn't sure what that drastic thing could be. She was on her own in this.

Every day that was becoming clearer and clearer.

She pinched the bridge of her nose, settling back into the sofa as she tried to maintain her calm even as she was being shouted at. Hearing Lita label herself as no big sacrifice, though, brought her hand from her face and she looked at her in shock.

"Do you really think so little of yourself? Do you think Guillermo would have saved you from the streets if you were of no importance?" the question hung in the air between them for a while, neither one of them speaking.

Lita sat down again and Carmen took a moment to get her words just right. However, before she could say anything, Lita began again.

"I know what some of the wolves are thinking of me. And I would take any challenge presented to me. There is more to being top dog in this pack than fighting. It's also knowing when to make the choices that are hardest. When no one else supports you." She shifted her weight, then, and sat forward, her forearms resting on top of her knees as she mulled some things over.

"You don't need to leave, Lita," Carmen whispered as she soothed down the threatened wolf within her. Her wolf was grieving in her own way over Guillermo, but there was less emotion to it. Sometimes the purity of an animal's behavior was something Carmen coveted. Were they of the true four-legged variety of wolf, she would grieve for a spell, then find another mate and continue on with life. Obviously, Guillermo was it for Carmen, but the idea of being able to pick herself up by her bootstraps and move on... it was something she was finding herself wanting more and more.

An exhausted sigh escaped her and she hung her head over her hands for a moment.

"What is it you are expecting to find out there? What is your plan of action?" she finally asked her, hinting for the first time since this mess started, that maybe... just maybe... she was ready for a change in tactics.

You look upon me with your lost eyes, seeing what I’ve done knowing who I am. Your breath is shallow, shallow as the grave and soon one and one will be the same. The life you gave, the world that I’ve taken, and yet here we are. No more do you stand in the way of my love.


The faint call of a wolf breached throughout the trees no more of an alarm but a greeting to those who had come back from patrol; even those from a faraway land would alert those abroad and would be met with harmony of their kin. The shadows were the land of those who knew their depth of tact, a world in which truth and lies were often the same. Seth often stood clear of the light allowing others to fall upon the blinding bright, all eyes upon those who are seen and all lives fall victim to those who walk among the monsters.


Seth has been seen as many things and a monster has often come up but never spoken within the realm. He was a brilliant tactician, a commander in battle, and a very Charismatic douche bag. Taken in by Guillermo as nearly a brother Seth barreled through the ranks as an unstoppable force, It wasn’t unexpected as with his human life he grew up within the armed forces mom and dad were both enlisted and being a brat of the pair it was only time before he was just another fighter on the lines. It wasn’t till his first shift in the depths of a warzone that he realized what he really was.

In silence the world would pass him by as the lights flickered the bugs buzzed about, it was another moderately pleasant night, the rain would be on it’s way and all of the evidence would be washed out. He was the first on scene when Guillermo was found, the first to take in the graphic scene the first to call out help, and the last to leave. The night played over and over in his mind as he simply rested atop the back of a park bench, the light overhead burnt out and hardly anyone noticed that it had been forcefully done so. The soft pitting of boots against the ground echoed about his mind ‘Carmen don’t!’ the first words he remembered saying to her as she approached him. His deep brown eyes drifted up slowly watching a youthful girl blaze past him Lita was it? His mind curled over the idea of the pretty pet project Guillermo had plucked from the streets, she was a scamp turned good and yet there was something about her? Perhaps her sideways glances to the Ulfric or maybe the
secrets behind her eyes, either way about her this little wolf was easily roused and would surely play a wondrous part in his little story.

Watching the girl in a full sprint towards his lovely Lupa’s home his head cocked to the side, a lopsided grin curling over his lips as he wonders what such a youthful and often out of line lass would be doing at this time of night going to Momma’s home? Time would slip past him and lost within it he would enjoy the soft harmony of the crickets and frogs; Glancing down to his phone the pale blue light would cast away the shadows, a simple yet knowing message would be off on it’s brave adventure to Carmen’s phone, :Enjoying a late night chat with the lovely Lita?:

Lita was beginning to feel that stubborn wall closing inside of her as Carmen continued to shoot down her request. But then Carmen surprised her by asking about her plan. And she had one, it proved in her mind
that she wasn't just some foolish young pup out for blood. Lita was only 26, but she'd experienced years beyond what other women her age had. Still, she was lacking in some personal skills and though she'd
spent years masking her emotions with a cold empty stare, she couldnt hold back giving Carmen a rare smile. Quick as it was.

"My intentions are to find out their intentions. I want to know why they did what they did. " Lita scooted forward on the couch and leaned forward towards Carmen, bracing her elbows on the tops of her legs.

"I've thought about this. Could it be an isolated incident, just an accident of chance and circumstance? " she shook her head to convey her answer to the question.

"There is no way Guillermo would be out there by himself and just randomly run into somebody that wanted to cause him that kind of injury. It was a group, a group of wolves, humans just can't do that sort of damage. "

Lita's mind flashed back to the way they'd found him and she ha to close her eyes against the image. Being a nurse had its advantages. She saw a lot of injuries and nothing had ever come close to this.

Glancing at Carmen through her lashes she nearly apologized for the visual she had likely given the Lupa, but maybe it was necessary to remind her that while her husband now carried a peaceful expression on
his sleeping face, his body had been ravaged by somebody who hadn't wanted him to live.

"That leaves a couple of choices. Either some other pack has its eye on your wolves, And this territory and we need to be prepared, you need to be prepared or..."

Lita's eyes drifted to the table between them as Carmen's cell phone dinged out a text message. She couldn't help but to see the name of the contact as it flashed onto the screen. Seth, the bolverk. The
irony wasn't lost on her but she simply looked back at Carmen and completed her thought

"Somebody in this pack doesn't just want the wolves, they wanted your husband out of the way so they could have you too".

She licked her lips and sat back again. " I want the chance to decide which theory is right. "She indicated the phone with a nod towards it with her head. "Looks like you have a text"

Carmen knew that Lita would be pleased with her concession. Of course, it wasn't an all out approval but it showed the other wolf that Carmen was willing to truly listen to her. The smile that flashed, so quickly, on her lips drew a smile from the Lupa as well though it was bogged down with exhaustion; both physical and emotional. Guillermo would have been pleased by the fact that Carmen had drawn such a rare treasure from his little lamb. The thought of that warmed her heart.

And then she was off.

Carmen made sure not to interrupt Lita, to give her an open ear and an open mind. She knew, for a while now, that the day would come when the pack did need to take action. Perhaps, it had just been sooner than Carmen anticipated.

She had thought long and hard on this as well, and she knew Lita was right about one thing; this couldn't have been humans. At least, not one or two of them. Either there were other wolves at play here, the Hunters had ambushed him with numbers and weapons, or...

She dreaded the thought. The mere implication that a filthy suck-bag had rendered her Guillermo almost dead was enough to ignite the flames of rage.

Lita's retelling of how Guillermo had been found tightened Carmen's stomach painfully. She couldn't forget it, no matter how hard she tried. She and a few other wolves had been searching the other side of the territory when they got word that Guillermo's scent had been picked up. Her heart tried to beat right out of her chest, almost seeming to be trying to run ahead of her and get to him first.

She had broke away from the other wolves long before she came upon the bit of swamp where he had been found. Her wolf snarled and snorted at the thick aroma of fresh blood still hanging in the air. She ran. She ran until her feet bled.

And then she saw them.

Seth was standing in front of something heaped on the ground. Amelita was sitting on her knees, her skin paled, arms limp as she stared down at the heap with a deadpan stare.

"No!!" Carmen roared through their silent shock and tore through the brush towards him.

She hadn't heard Seth's pleaing, in fact she had barely noticed his arm as it crossed in front of her path, keeping her from her husband. She kicked and clawed at Seth's hold, her wolf thrashing about inside her, not liking being restrained. She needed to see to him. To make sure he was alive. He had to be.

As she struggled in Seth's grip, her wolf tried to climb out of her. Certainly she could get to him. She ran up that wooded path Carmen always envisioned her laying in in her mind's eye and the energy of the wolf heated her from the inside, looking for a way out. Seth's own energy met hers at an equal force and tried to keep her calm but all it did was cause her to lash out at him. Whether or not this was his plan to keep her back away from Guillermo's mangled body, she would never know.

She could remember little else after than. Somehow, they had managed to calm her enough to get her out of there. She had spent two days in her son's bed, clinging to him when he would allow her to. Her family, and her very heart, had been torn away from her.

Thankfully, Lita's theories allowed her escape from those awful memories, still so heavy in her mind. The first theory was one Carmen had been thinking on herself. Typically, the packs stuck to themselves and there was little violence between them. Of course, there were always exceptions. However, the second theory Lita explained halted the gears in Carmen's head to a complete standstill.

"You're implying one of our own killed their Ulfric? Over... over me?" she asked incredulously. The probability of such a thing was nil. She was really no prize to anyone. It wasn't the Lupa that made most wolves challenge their Ulfric, but the chance to lead the pack. To be the top tog. Normally, the new Ulfric would then assign a mate of his choosing to challenge the Lupa for her place by his side.

"Take care in what accusations you sling about, Amelita," her voice dropped. It wasn't in a threatening way but in such a way that might imply such things were not taken lightly. "Many of the wolves would kill over such a challenge to their loyalty. It is not something to be tossed about lightly. And even then, it is simply preposterous to think that is even the motivation behind it."

She picked up her phone and looked at the screen. Seth's name stared back at her and a disgruntled sigh escaped her. Quickly, she thumbed ::Are you watching my house now?:: and hit send, dropping it back onto the table in front of her.

Getting back on track, she would think on Amelita's request for a moment. She knew that time was running out. She also knew that, whether or not permission was given, the girl would most likely let her impulses get the best of her and go anyway. If she gave her permission, then she wouldn't have to dish out punishment later to appease the other alphas.

"Test your theories, then. But do so carefully. I don't know why you believe you are of no importance to this family, but you are Amelita. Your loss would devastate the pack," she wanted to know what would make such a strong woman think so little of herself but Lita kept herself very closed off. Whatever she was hiding, it had molded her into what she was.

"You say you want to find out their intentions... how do you plan to find "they"?"

Seth wasn’t unknown to be the center of problems, Carmen knew this all too well, but it was rather expected from someone in his position he was an enforcer, a fighter, and in most cases the aggressor. Seth held his rank for a reason, the strongest of the pack but never outwardly sought to take
it from Guillermo. Standing in the light wasn’t Seth’s path nor his plan Sure being the one everyone looked to had its perks but you couldn’t enjoy all the flavors of life when the lights were always on, and Seth did enjoy and partake of many of life’s darker aspects.


The soft glow of his phone slowly gave way to the pitting darkness, staring down to the blacked out screen a soft sigh escaped his lips. Seth had seen many lights go out in his lifetime many of them were squelched by his own claws, for protection of others, protection of his brothers and sisters, for his own personal gain. There was blood on his hands. Looking up slowly to the star lit sky Seth’s mind drifted over the ideas of all he had done for others and yet the one small act he did for himself changed his world. Though It wasn’t only his world that changed It never was his world to begin with, it was her world. Patting his hand against his breast pocket, he drew a
rather aromatic cigar, guillotine cutter, and a pair of strike anywhere matches from his leather pouch. A sort of absentmindedness came over him as his hands went to work, slipping his fingers in the cutter, spreading the blades, a strait and shallow cut over the tip of the cigar without even a glance to check. The Rich hint of hazel and maple filled the air around him coating his skin and hair with the pungent scent. Pressed to his lips wetting the end as he would spitting off the stray fibers of a pure cut, and yet a pause his eyes drifting over the starry night searching looking for a response looking for the next step.


A soft scratch rang out as the two matches surged to life, their bright flare exposed the man for who he was, just another man resting atop the back of a park bench enjoying the night and a good cigar. A steady flow of two puffs and a pause till the sinfully rolled cigar burned upon its own, the heavy aroma spreading further as the thick smoke rolled past his lips. Clutched between middle and ring thumbing the tip he sat in sadistic silence, but to what degree the world around was silent and yet his mind a blaze his thoughts torturing him as he watched the sky in awe


A soft buzz and a flash of pale blue light broke his train causing it to crash and kill the lot of them, pressing sinfully succulent cigar to his lips he bit forth to read his new message, :Are you watching my house?


A playful grin bore aside his wondrous cigar rolling from one to the other as he played out his next move, a flurry of clicks and scoffs danced about, “Tonight we dance in the web we weave dearest Carmen.” The words softly broke past his robust cigar for whom they were intended no one shall know. :After the recent events I watch everyone’s home especially your home… I take personal responsibility for not being able to protect… The pack. : Send.

Lita matched Carmen's increduliousness with her own, folding her arms over her small chest stubbornly as Carmen spoke.Her eyes betrayed her cool detachment to the situation as Carmen spoke of her worth to the pack, but she averted her eyes until Carmen finished.

"They" she made quote marks with her fingers in Carmen's direction "Have a plan. What plan is it just to take out our Ulfric and then not follow up? If they plan on taking over then it's easy to think that maybe..you will be next. You and anybody that might be a strong opposition. Maybe they've been watching you, they might know your schedule, or followed you around. Either way, it means they've either been talking to people or they've been seen, by somebody. I want to ask around, find out who's seen what and when, in regards to your locations, and anybody else you think might be a target. And..while I"m doing that, if it turns out that it somebody from within..I think that will reveal itself in just who's hanging around you and why.Basically Carmen, I want to hunt them, if they are hunting us, I will hunt them back. "

She didn't add that she thought her experience on the streets made her the right candidate for the job over any other in the pack. That being a female she'd be discounted somewhat when looking around for the punks that did this. And, that being a nurse and working at the local hospital came with a the perk of being able to easily find out if there had been anybody recently brought in that might have severe wounds such as the ones caused by a fight with a wolf. She didn't think she had to add that, Carmen could figure it out for herself.




"I'll bring you back whatever I find, just say the word Lupa"




SORRY FOR THE DELAY!

Carmen shifted in her seat a bit. The idea of someone gunning for her worried her, whether or not she'd admit it. Not because she was scared for her own skin, but because if someone took her out then what would happen to Xavier? The idea of him losing both parents made her just plain nauseated. She had to survive if only for his sake. It was all she had left.

Lita was right. They were being hunted, this much Carmen knew. Though it pained her to admit it, Lita may have been the only one in a position to do anything without causing more of a stir. She was stealthier than most of the men.

Carmen opened her mouth to ask another question but was stopped when a little voice cooed from the doorway. "Mommy?" Xavier said sleepily, rubbing his eyes. When the three year old saw his mom's guest, his eyes lit up and he squealed delightfully "Miss Lita!"

He ran towards them, trying to climb into Lita's lap if she would allow. Carmen just stared at him, trying to give him a face of nurturing and assurance. She did not want him to see the pain and struggle that their lives had become.

Stroking a hand over her son's hair she looked to Lita. "Do it."

When her phone buzzed again, she would leave Xavier to throw his thousand questions at Lita to look at it. Seth had replied and what he had to say managed to irritate Carmen. She thumbed back to him ::I don't need you watching me, Seth. Worry about the rest of our wolves if you must but I can handle myself::

Lita was normally reserved with her emotions. She doled them out as she saw fit, a smile here or there, nothing that really reached her eyes. Emotions were something she could shut down until she got really hot over it and then her temper took over. That said, she had a weakness for children. Xavier was an especially bright spot of sunshine in her life, the smile on her face as he ran over brightened her features enough that it changed the entire map of her face. Shifting in her seat she helped him into her lap and gave him a quick snuggle before Carmen ran a hand through his hair. She exchanged a silent look with Carmen confirming she'd heard her and then turned again to Xavier with a smile. "You are supposed to be in bed Lobito" She spent a few minutes playing with Xavier on her lap before she lifted him up and onto the floor so she could get to her feet feeling better than she had before coming over.

"See you another time Xavier" she patted him on the head and looked over at Carmen "I"ll be in touch"

There was work to be done, so she didn't linger in the house for long except for to turn in the doorway "Text me anytime, if you need something"

She was sincere in her offer. Now that she had permission to go explore what the problem was she felt somewhat softer towards Carmen. She couldn't imagine what she as a wife was going through right now and still having to take care of a young boy. She tried to smile at them as she closed the door, it came out lopsided, but she figured that Carmen would get the point.

Once outside she took a deep breath, inhaling the air around her. Looking over her shoulder she spotted the smoke from a cigar curling up towards the street light. She followed it with her eyes until she found Seth. Giving him a hard look, masked partly by the night and the wave of hair in her eyes, she stepped away from the Lupa's house and towards her own, a path that would inevitably take her past the bolverk.

Lita acknowledged him with only a nod of her head to show she saw him there. Her mind was already a buzz with what to do next, she didn't need to add to it with talk from Seth. Then again...
Turning on her heel, Lita strode a few paces towards Seth, staying out of arms reach but close enough she didn't need to yell.

" Are you babysitting our Lupa Bolverk? Is there a reason you think she might need watching?"

She watched the way Lita lit up when Xavier came in and couldn't help but smile. There she was; the real girl behind the tough facade. Carmen was all too familiar with that. While her and Xavier were talking, Carmen would glance at her phone again and see that Seth had replied pretty quickly. Her eyes scanned over the text, narrowing with each word as she felt her anger building back inside her. The last thing she needed, or wanted, was to be reprimanded by their Bolverk--er--Ulfric.

She read it over twice, a tidal wave of harsh words brewing inside her, but the chattering of the brown-haired angel next to her soothed some of that rage down. She closed her eyes and took a centering breath before thumbing out a very swift ::Guillermo is still alive. He's not going to die. Goodnight Seth::

With those final words, Carmen shut her phone off and threw it to the couch cushion. She had had enough for one night.

She bid Lita goodbye as she took her leave, catching the softer smile on the girl's lips before she slipped out of the door. She shook her head, wondering if she had just sent the woman to her death in some way. The guilt of such would be unbearable.

"Vamos, pequeño, it's time for bed." she would usher her son towards his room and tuck him back in. He fell asleep shortly after she began to sing him a soft song. She crept out of his room and made her way back to hers, shedding her robe and tossing it to the side of the bed. Seth's words were still reeling in her head. No matter how much her son could calm her down, she was still angry with him. Angry at him for being the one to find Guillermo, for trying to hold her back away from him, angry that he called Guillermo dead and that he was watching her and her son's every move.

She dropped down to the floor next to her bed and started a series of push ups. Sometimes working out calmed her down. Sometimes it only amped her up.

The relationship between Lita and Seth was prickly at best on most days. There seemed to always be a strained under current to their speech. Rivalry perhaps. Perhaps not. As Seth spoke her arms defensively crossed over her chest. Scoffing at his statement.

"If my fate is to end up late at night on a dark street with you while you watch our Lupa's house then I might as well hang up the towel now because my life is lacking something vital"

A snarky smirk was given. " And my business with the Lupa, that is my business. We had girl talk and that's all you need to know" she smiles with a false sweetness, inhaling the aroma of the cigar as she did so." If you're worried about my aunt, her house is the other direction " Lita thumbs in the direction she had been walking. "But I think you'd find us poor women folk can handle our own"

Turning away, she glanced back at the Bolverk. " You're out here watching the Lupa, and the 'pack' protecting us all from whatever invisible ugly there is out there but.." she paused and leaned in for effect "Who is protecting you?"

Twenty push ups were enough to get a bit of the edge off of her anger. She lowered herself down to the floor on her last one and just laid there for a moment, resting her cheek against the cool carpet, and let herself breathe. Seth's words, whether she liked it or not, had clung to her. Words she wasn't ready to hear yet, refused to hear.

She pushed off her floor and pulled back the covers of her bed, sliding into them as her mind ran a marathon inside her head. And then an awful reality hit her; was Guillermo going to die?

The question robbed her of her calm, sucked the very breath out of her body. She had been fighting to believe he would wake up. Any day now, his eyes would open and he would rouse from the hospital bed and come for her and his son. Soon, she would feel his arms around her again, feel his breath on her cheek, hear his laughter as he played with Xavier.

Only soon never came.

Only more time passed since he was struck down, and the doctors had told her that the likelihood of him waking up diminished with each passing day. It was like she hadn't even heard them. He would wake up. That was her whole belief system. He would wake up.

As she sat in her bed and looked to the empty side where Guillermo's thunderous snores could one be heard, she felt her hope shatter like glass. She rested her head on her pillow, rolling to her side and staring at his empty pillow, the tears slipping from the corner of her eye to soak the cotton under her cheek.

She could see him there. Staring back at her with that smile he saved just for her. That smile that told her she was safe, that she was home, and that he was never going to leave her.

He would have reached out for her, wiped her tears away. He hated seeing the Lupa cry but, even more so, he hated seeing his wife cry. She closed her eyes and imagined his hand reaching out for her, brushing gently over her cheek to collect the salty trespassers. "I still feel you, Gilly," a horrendous nickname she gave him that usually drew a petulant pout from him, "just hold on. Hold on for us... for me" her whispered prayer would reach no one in particular as she lay there ready to drift to sleep if only to escape the sight of an empty pillow.

"Fate is a fickle mistress. At least you have a mistress of some sort, the kind that wouldn't mind you spending so much of the night time watching other women. " 

She smirked and began to walk away, turning slightly to look back. " Sometimes their isn't a clear challenger to your throne until after the attack, do try to watch your back Seth. " 

Dark hair fanned around her face as she turned back towards her own house and took off down the street. Conversation over. There was work to do.