Quote from Mae on January 4, 2019, 6:14 pm

----(~HG~)---

“That’s a good thing, you should be scared” Ziet growled to Ulric, glaring at him for a moment, before releasing the poor wolf,  “Kratos is lucky I caught you first. He knows not to take my horses without-” She stopped speaking after a moment, sounds of movement catching her attention, one being that of hoofsteps moving away, which meant someone else was messing with her horses. When would they learn to leave someone’s possessions alone? Never touch what it isn’t yours.

Or just avoid interacting with Ziet’s things, lest you lose a limb or something worse....

She growled, moving to leave when something moved closer, and seemed to be moving around her and Ulric. Her hackles raised at that as she tensed up, for once loving her stripes, seeing they might help her blend in a bit better against the surroundings. that might give them a few minutes to figure out the new threat and plan accordingly. She had other things on her mind then trying to deal with whomever had appeared.

She took in a deep breath, already irritated with the dogs growling at her. They should know who not to mess with, they had no chance against two werewolves. And one happened to be in a terrible mood now. She let out her own deep growl, baring her teeth as she glanced around to the dogs, seeing one opening to take so she could go after the person on horseback. If she left soon enough, she could still catch up to them.

Maybe she’d get lucky and catch the two troublemakers along the way.

She swung her muzzle over to a different scent, taking a deep breath as she watched the human. That little human did not know whom she was up against. The beta looked over to Ulric, before moving away. “Ulric, new orders, deal with her” she commanded, “Then follow me. It’s time to clean up this mess and go home.” With that, she moved. She had other things to do besides dealing with an idiot  human and her mutts who didn’t seem to realize that they were outmatched, even if she left Ulric back on his own.

The lithe wolf took off, easily following the trail left behind by her horse. She could smell Logan now, and she grinned, seeing as she at least found one of the people who had lead to ruining her day. She picked up her pace, her whole body surging forward, ready to take out her frustrations. At the moment, she wasn’t thinking as clearly, set on bringing her horses home and dealing with the packmates who had taken them.  Such a mindset wouldn’t help in a situation that could easily become deadly for the wolf.

Her eyes narrowed, stopping as she saw the figures ahead, hearing Logan’s plea and the humans talking. She made note to get Logan to make it up to her later, as the Beta seemed to have come at the right time. With no hesitation, the werewolf strode up behind the Officer on her horse, keeping distant enough as Daylight Dreams began to move, knowing the scent of the Beta wolf. With the horse already uncomfortable, she let out a loud, deep growl. This earned a whinny from the horse as it moved nervously. The werewolf glared to the figures as she bared her teeth, hoping to at least capture the attention of these humans. Hopefully Logan had enough of a brain to take advantage of this situation.

She studied the groups, eyeing the Officers closely. Well this is going to be fun, she thought to herself.

Quote from Mae on January 4, 2019, 6:15 pm

---(~Indy~)---

Lyra looked fearfully at her commanding officer, the words unable to leave her lips but the full horror of what had unfolded earlier already displayed on her face.   A faint tremble could be seen in her limbs and her teeth were grinding into each other. Her eyes were ever wandering, sifting into the gray shadows for some sign of danger.  Lyra drifted closer to Roger until her uniform almost touched his, like a child seeking comfort in her mother.

“I’m afraid you will not find her too helpful, in that regard,” Tom answered for Lyra where her voice had failed her, “Both my lovely associate and I questioned her to the best we could and found she could not survive more than a full sentence before shutting down.  Whatever happened, it appears her partner was taken down and she escaped. I fully intend to look into the matter, rest assured”

Crack!  Lyra was the first to detect it—a sudden Flash emerged from the woods.  Lyra watched the Flash, the fear deepening in her expression as more details became visible.  When at last her face could hold no more fear, the young officer felt her feet collapse underneath her.  Lyra was among the fortune to endure the next few minutes incapacitated and entirely unaware of what events transpired.

The Flash’s sudden appearance had an immediate change in Tom’s posture.  Gone was the sense of ease and calm; the willowy man’s body tensed so it seemed he was as sturdy as iron and his face twisted into grim focus.  A hand reached beneath his thick coat, settling on an object in his belt…

BOOM!   Click… BOOM!

Two bullets were fired into the air, aimed at the Flash with hands that were not often used to missing a target.  There may have been more shots fired, but just as he reached to fire again, a frantic woman emerged from the safety of her trees.  With a sudden motion not thought possible for Melinda’s petite frame, she brought a palm suddenly down on the gun. The weapon fell to the floor.

“Stop shooting you idiot,” she hissed, her eyes fearful but an ominous with knowing, ”You can’t shoot fast enough to stop it!”  

Quote from Mae on January 4, 2019, 6:15 pm

---(~Addie~)---

Roger didn't get far in his conversation when a deep growl erupted from behind him. He turned the horse around and of all the things he might have seen that night, the creature behind him was not one of them! The horse reared up and he slipped down off her back, before she began into the forest. Having the wind knocked out of him, he struggled to his feet and then remained hunched over briefly, before his eyes shot up to the striped beast. Quick as a whip he withdrew his gun and took his place in front of officer Lyra, but before his shaking hands could even fully grasp his own weapons, two gunshots broke through the air! Now he waited, watching to see if they had taken the beast down.

In the meantime, Logan had watched everything unfold - it all happened so quickly that she couldn't make heads or tails of the situation. But once the beta had emerged from the forest, she immediately recognized her and her intentions seemed clear enough! Logan rose, pausing briefly as a fire shot up her leg, but now was not the time to let it faze her. She turned and began into the forest behind her, and yet she felt that the beta could not be left alone for long, the situation was far too dangerous.. no, she refused to be held accountable for that. The mystery assailant from earlier would definitely prove useful in this situation, but it seemed he had left the scene at the same time as Diane, perhaps following her.

She knew Ulric was here somewhere, perhaps he would be just what they needed to bring this mess to a halt! Immediately she began to seek the Little Alpha with every ounce of willpower left in her.

Quote from Mae on January 4, 2019, 6:17 pm

---(~HG~)---

Within the next few moments, the Beta’s temper not only shot off, but landed her into a fueled rage.

She stood there, unable to react fast enough to avoid both shots that had echoed off into the woods, one hitting on her left side. The striped beast let out a howl of pain, taking a step back to recover for a moment, stilling as she took in a deep breath. Her eyes focused on the two with guns, the one that had fired had his down now, but one stood where her horse once was, and he was aiming right at the injured werewolf. She bared her teeth once more in warning, but already knew it would be too late for these ones to run away.

Never add more fire to a wolf’s anger.

Her body moved suddenly, moving swiftly as if she had been a race horse suddenly released from it’s cage. Her first target was the gun, she’d rather not end up with more bullet holes in her, plus the guy kinda stole her horse... That was two strikes in her book. He deserved what he was going to get, or at least, that’s what the Beta’s rage fueled mind told her

She lunged up, moving up and locking her teeth around the Officer’s hand. While her teeth sunk into flesh, it would be a minor wound, only meant to keep more lead from being fired and to get one more person off her back. Zeit jerked her head back after that, letting go before backing up, keeping her eyes glued onto both sets of humans. She was concerned now about the other gunman, even if it was down, he had been the first fire. He could still be a threat with it in his hands.  With her hackles raised she stared the other pair down, deliberating on whether or not to attack or simply bolt.

After all, Logan and her horse had now managed to get away from this fray.

Quote from Mae on January 4, 2019, 6:21 pm

---(~Mae~)---

Ulric's auburn eyes flashed up at the police officer as she had come around the tree, but he remained on the ground until Zeit had issued her order and departed the scene. Then it was his turn to move, and he did so carefully.

If anything in Ulric's heart or mind could have wavered, now seemed the time to falter and retreat. But for once and for all let all doubts concerning Ulric's integrity be stilled, for his whole soul was devoted to his pack, and as surely as the love within it he would not shirk any task entrusted him.

Rolling over very slowly though still near the ground on his elbows and knees, Ulric met eyes with the frightened officer. She was startled and uncertain of him, and immediately Ulric sympathized with her feelings. Her loyal companions were likewise frightened, and he understood that also, but he did not know just then how to appease their fear. He had never before come in contact with a dog, and he believed he knew so little about their behavior. However, he understood their body language and how much they relied on their master's control; Silently the hounds seemed to be communicating that they would be alright if she was alright, so Ulric gave easing her feelings priority over theirs.

Everything that had transpired before he had arrived was unknown to him, yet Ulric knew that all three had at one point fallen and then awoke in the dark, which likely added to their confusion. So he moved to relieve their sense of disorientation.

 "Yehhh...yehhh...yehhh..." Ulric whimpered, pinning back his ears and wagging his tail very submissively. In his own quiet way he was pleading that she put her fake weapon away and let him be, trying to appeal to the dogs at the same time. But he was not a dog, so this might have achieved nothing more save enticing the hound's curiosity rather than fear, depending on their personalities.

Then suddenly two successive shots split through the air and rang through the trees!

Ulric ducked instinctively and pinned back his ears, his feet jumped with nervous anticipation, but he held himself steady lest he find himself in a worse predicament. Now he knew he had to act, and swiftly, but whether it was his compassion or some thoroughly reasoned common sense, he did not run.

---

How would it have been possible during the chaotic scene for anyone to have known what approached from behind?

No sooner had Jackie given her reply when those first few shots rang out and Kratos turned his attention in the same direction. His ears were more highly attuned than any average man, thus the Alpha heard Logan's shout for help more easily than did the unwanted company which arrived on the scene ahead of him.

Jackie having relinquished her strength to his, Kratos forgave the wayward wanderer and lifted her onto his back as easily as a father would his child. He gave her no consent on the matter before he set off, but he did not carry her far before letting her down into the brushes at the base of a stately tree, and then he moved on again without her.

 "Stay where you are." Was his only words, though he had no faith that they would be obeyed.

The large black bear-like figure went with quiet haste, moving like a solemn shadow on its errand of a serious deed. So came he to the standoff just as two fateful bullets met their intended target and left their mark.

Oh, what a terrible thing it was, for no creature in the world could have taken the blood of Zeit more personally than did Alpha Kratos, and his wrath was kindled against the hand from whence the shot was fired. Thus with all the power that the mighty beast possessed, Kratos roared out from behind the company with a voice that might well have shaken the trees! Then with astonishing force and speed he raced forward and brought himself down into their midst!

It was indeed fortunate that Lyra had fallen, for she was mostly ignored, and as Zeit had already disarmed the man nearest her, Kratos' attack fell mainly upon Melinda and Tom. But even so it was the latter that was in the greater amount of danger, for Kratos struck him in the back while Melinda was simply thrust away with the forearm of the beast! It was not a strong strike from Kratos, for even in anger he was capable of controlling himself, yet it was a hard blow on both sides of him. The incredible beast pursued no other foe save Tom, whom he held to the ground as his sharp yellow eyes narrowed on Roger and began to stare him down with a fatal dare.

Quote from Mae on January 4, 2019, 6:25 pm

--(~Indy~)---

Melinda struggled for air, each breath bringing new understanding on the current situation.  She was lying on the ground where she had been standing sometime earlier. The side of her ribcage felt tender; not broken, but the skin from the impact still was tingling with outrage from the sudden intrusion.  She checked the rest of her form, progressively twitching from fingertips to toes until shakily sitting upright and concluding she was no worse for the wear.

Her date was not so lucky.  She watched the willowy man flutter in the air for a brief moment, his progress seeming oddly graceful given his means of transportation, before awkwardly colliding with a nearby tree.  The sound was sickening to listen to and almost immediately Melinda suspected he would have a pleasant purple bruise and perhaps a broken rib. Despite her own hammering heart, the woman managed an unpleasant sneer at his pain.  It served him right for not listening sooner.

In any case, Melinda was afforded within those brief seconds a chance to consider the actions that had led her to be seated on the earthy floor -- stunned and winded-- while a beast attacked her associate.   The leafy shield had been enough to hide her, certainly; had she not moved, it was likely this monster might have ignored her and continued onward to the main course. But it seemed some fleeting impulse—dare she say it, mercy – had directed her path otherwise.  At the cost of a perfectly good getaway, she had stepped forward to save this ‘date’ of hers, despite the clear convenience in leaving him for the wolves.  How unlike her.

In any case, it was clear her actions were not irreversible.  This monster seemed far more interested in the man who had posed a danger to one of his own than he did with her.  With any luck, he would not pursue her if his current prize proved far more rewarding… Inch by inch the woman urged herself farther away from the scene.  She dared not stand, in fear this might attract Kratos’ attention, but nonetheless managed to shift herself away with a slow crawl. It was by cruel happenstance her fingers came across the unconscious form of one police officer… and for a brief instant it seemed she would leave her behind.  But yet again the fleeting impulse arose. Before her mind had much more time to consider, she gripped the collar of the woman’s uniform tightly and began to drag her away. The underbrush slithered aside.

In the meantime, Tom had found himself dazed at the tree.  He did not know what he was seeing and if the hulking, massive black form was really what it appeared to be or some hallucination caused by a solid hit to the head.  He fell against the tree, struggling to understand and coming up with too few answers to make a good course of action. As it was, he struggled to replenish the air in his lungs.

“Monster…?”  It was more a question than a challenge, a quiet plea to know if this is indeed what lay before him or some other thing altogether.  Tom had only vague childhood nightmares to work off of; and certainly the alpha seemed much like any monster that had lingered in those dreams.

---

Jackie had not expected being picked up like some overgrown child.  She had rather anticipated the alpha might let her weight slump to the ground so she might regain full range of motion in her body.  She did not struggle as she was lifted, although she did look rather indignant about the matter, like a cat that had just finished its bath.

She did not respond as the alpha spoke, only stared distantly at the dark horizon.  She watched his massive frame go without as much as a twitch. Yet much as the alpha may have predicted, she did not remain inanimate for long.  As soon as enough time had passed that she was certain he was too far to notice her movement, she rose immediately to her feet.

“I’m sorry,” she told the passing wind, who’s cool temperature felt like a judgment,” I promise I’ll be back soon.  I need to run a quick errand first… “

No more words were afforded to the wind.  With the same purpose that had possessed her stride earlier, Jackie continued-- although with a good deal more uncertainty of what lay ahead and a slight hesitation between steps.  Still, she continued her quest and her eyes scanned the darkness for moving shapes. It seemed she was looking for something. Or perhaps, someone.

Quote from Mae on January 4, 2019, 6:30 pm

CH 6: BETWEEN MONSTERS AND BULLETS

---(~Addie~)---

Kimberly quietly watched the scene unfold before her.. first, the more terrifying of the two beasts shot off towards the sound of gunshots, and then the other had turned towards her. At first she thought he might attack, but then he began acting.. very oddly. Her brows furrowed and she straightened her posture a little, shaking her head and looking on with careful curiosity. Her dogs, despite that she had long dropped their leads, stayed by her side, but their demeanor had quickly changed and she no longer knew what to make of the situation. Then two more shots rang out and she flinched, but her gaze only left the creature for a moment before returning to him.

Call it a female's intuition or just plain obvious, but it seemed that the monster before her seemed anxious to get to the scene of the commotion.. and she was just as well, it could be her comrades caught up in whatever chaos was ensuing, and standing idle during such a situation did not set well with her. She "holstered" her imaginary weapon, and reached down, picking up the leads of the dogs before tying them up to a tree with quiet command to stay, never once turning her back on the creature. Then when she finished, and though she didn't know why, she gave the beast before her a slow nod, and the next instant she bolted off and began towards the chaos!

Just before delving completely into the madness, she noticed the mysterious woman, whom she recognized vaguely, from the scene at the mall, and then her comrade Lyra. Quickly she crouched down beside them. "Are you two alright? What happened?" she asked, though her frantic questioning need no more than a peer outside of the brush barely shielding them from madness that ensued.. She looked beyond it and her eyes grew wide at what she saw - first and foremost was the large black creature pinning Tom down. She stood nervously and moved to get a better look, although her limbs trembled and her heart pounded against her chest.

A cautious glance in another direction revealed a figure she soon recognized as her commanding officer, but by his stance he seemed injured. And then not far from him was another recognizable form, but this one was far less comforting a sight - it was the striped beast from earlier, however it seemed to be injured as well, and Kimberly made a guess at what had happened, if there was any method to madness at all. Then at last her eyes settled again on the large black beast that pinned a man to the ground.

"Please don't hurt him." she muttered, but she did not know where the words came from, and she suddenly felt like she might melt into the earth.

Roger, who had not spoken or moved at all, save a roar of pain when the beast had taken a bite at his hand, was returning the sharp stare that the black beast sent towards him. But now his attention shot towards the direction of Kimberly’s voice, a sound he was worried he would not hear again.

Kimberly emerged from the brush, using every ounce of courage and might that had been instilled in her body during her training, and despite the violent shake in her legs, she moved closer to the black beast. "P-please, he was just s-scared - this can all be dropped, we can all go home, nobody else needs to get hurt." she tried to look the creature in the face, but found herself far too afraid and instead glanced down at the ground, wondering if she might at any moment pass out.

Roger snarled a curse to himself, "Kimberly, are you insane?! They can't be reasoned with, they're monsters!! Get back!" he shouted. Kimberly paused, looking back at him. "We can't run and we can't fight either!" she called back, taking another step towards the monster. Now she held a hand out, as if asking him to release the man to her, and dared to look up into his bright yellow eyes, which to her seemed sharp enough to pierce a soul. "Please?"

At this point, Roger, questioning her sanity but opting to protect her, threw himself quickly to the ground and picked up the gun in his good hand, aiming it towards the black monster! "Kimberly, move!" he barked. The blonde looked towards him again, and then the next instant, two shots were fired before the gun was out of ammunition.

Kimberly moved. Between the beast and the bullets.

Both shots met with her torso and sent her small frame tumbling back a couple of paces, before landing against the creature and then slumping to the ground.

"Kim.." Roger muttered in disbelief, dropping the weapon. He could not move but trembled, no longer in fear of the creatures but in fear of what he had done.

"I-it's alright." the blonde murmured through small gasps, "P-please d-don't let anybody else get hurt." she added towards nobody in particular, resisting the urge to cry out against the pain. Everything seemed to slow, and she wondered if she was even speaking, because she could not hear her own voice over the ring in her ears. "Will someone.. get my... dogs.. please?"

Already you could  hear the anxious barks and cries of the dogs. They pulled and tugged on their leads but to no avail.

Quote from Mae on January 4, 2019, 6:31 pm

--(~HG~)--

Over the course of a few minutes, it seemed like all ---- had broken lose.

With the arrival of Kratos, the Beta had focused her attention on the man she had bitten, see now that he seemed to be the main threat. The Beta kept her body tense, preparing to attack again if needed as it seemed this man was protecting the other officer on the ground. Her adrenaline was beginning to die down, the pain from the gunshot making itself apparent. She winced, already know the injury would be another thing to irritate her in her day to day life until it healed.

Her attention was pulled away from the officer, when another being entered the clearing. She let out a warning growl, remembering the scent from a few minutes ago. She hoped Ulric was okay, but as far as she could tell, there was no scent of blood on this female, meaning the other wolf should be safe.  What really got her attention, was the female’s words. The new officer was defending the wolves, how odd, yet it made Ziet relax a little. Hopefully the others would listen and this little stand off could be over and she could focus on finding the troublemakers.

It was when the male officer moved once more, that Zeit tensed, but by time she moved to try and protect her alpha, it was too late. And the shots echoed through the clearing.

The werewolf stood still, in shock of what had happened, fearing the worst for her alpha. She slowly turned, and saw a sight she did not expect at all. She stood there, frozen for a moment as she listened to the girl’s last plea, shocked to see the human had protected Kratos. Ziet paused a moment, getting over the initial shock of it all before slowly moving forward to the girl, and sniffing her. The wounds were bad, but the wolf could not help her now. Maybe the girl’s companions could if they got her help as soon as possible.

The wolf bent over and gently picked up the girl, moving her away from the pack alpha and gently dragging her over to the officer. She shot a glare to the man, and if she could speak to him she would had something along the lines of protecting your pack. She huffed, setting down the girl, before returning to her own pack mate, for once trying to end the the situation instead of starting one. She sighed, not liking the outcome of what had happened, feeling guilty for not paying attention enough to protect her own alpha, letting a human get hurt instead.

She gently nudged the large, black wolf, trying to get his attention off the man. “Let’s go,” she muttered to him before exiting the situation, moving in the surrounding brush. Now was the time to gather everyone up and go home.

Quote from Mae on January 4, 2019, 6:35 pm

---(~Mae~)---

The great black beast had not moved when Kimberly appeared, save to look in the direction of her plea. He watched her carefully, but his heart was not softened toward those who had issued the first offense, and he did neither release the man held to the ground nor relent his wrath while his eyes turned from her again.

Ever those fierce yellow eyes glinted in the direction of the other man, narrowing when he objected to the young woman's attempts. But it was not long before Kratos' line of sight was blocked by the courageous and trembling officer before him, and thus the greater threat was obscured from his view. It seemed he gave no answer in reply, but he could not ignore her as she stretched her hand out before him, and at length his attention rested upon her...

So it was that Alpha Kratos had not seen the weapon drawn up from the ground, nor anticipated the swift shots which were abruptly stolen before they could meet their target.

~Meanwhile~

The moment the young officer was gone from sight, Ulric dropped down into the dirt and changed form, rolling as he did so and coming to his feet just as quickly! He was off at a run, unknowing what was happening with his pack, and fearing for both Zeit and Logan. He did not know the whereabouts of Jackie or Kratos, but he knew that the Beta had gone to answer Logan's call for help and that gunfire had been heard shortly thereafter.

So running with casual haste, not expecting what lay ahead of him, Ulric came nearer to the place of the commotion and heard the voice of a girl speaking. He caught only a few words from what was said, and then he heard the shouts of a man, followed by the sudden sound of gunfire, and when he came upon the scene - Kimberly had fallen to the ground!

There wasn't time to think, and if Ulric had been someone else, he might have hesitated, might have paused and been taken in by the cruel clasp of shock and confusion. But he was not, and he went straightway to the most immediate need in the area.

 "No, don't move her!" Ulric shouted as he fell on his knees beside the wounded officer not moments after Zeit laid her down. "Someone call for help!"

There was no knowing if anyone had the means to call an emergency team, and he himself had no knowledge on how to tend a gunshot wound, but instinctively he gave his service to the need that was in his ability to meet; At the very moment he found himself helpless to be of physical aid, Ulric took the officer's hand firmly in his and set his eyes upon hers to draw her focus.

  "It's alright," he said, speaking softly now but determinedly. "The dogs will be fine, they'll be okay. Hold on."

All while these things transpired the great Alpha did not withdraw. His gaze turned toward the man whose weapon had caused the hurt, then he looked to the young woman who had in self-sacrifice pleaded with him. But there was nothing that could be told of the way he thought or felt; He was silent, and did not move, leaving nothing to be seen or said.

When Zeit gently nudged the Alpha, prompting him to come away, he tilted his ears back in acknowledgement, and then at last he complied. The man that was held captive to the ground was now released and the large black beast turned and walked away in the direction of his friend.

Ulric would not go just yet, he had work to do here, which he would not forsake. He did not look up when his adoptive brother and leader turned away, but held onto Kimberly and silently urged her to endure. The dog's voices he could hear, and he promised that he would not let them go unanswered, but for the present the young officer's condition was the most pressing matter.

  "Help will need someone to direct them here," Ulric thought presently, and he looked up to see if anyone was moving to action.

After a short time following in Zeit's footsteps, leaving the scene and the urgency behind them, Kratos motioned for the Beta to stop. He did not glance over his shoulder or even act as if there were trouble behind him, but he spoke calmly and turned toward Zeit.

 "You are hurt. Sit down." He instructed in that deep commanding voice of his, though it was gentle in a way that only others who knew him would know. Then the great black beast vanished away, and standing in its stead was the large man who knelt in the darkness near his friend.

Unbeknownst to anyone but himself, this was the place where Kratos had instructed Jackie to wait, however he wasn't surprised to find that she had gone. It would have been hoping against all reason if he expected that she had obeyed. But he could not go and look for her just then, and that troubled him in a way which no one knew. Yet he was solemn and quiet, his eyes that still glinted and reflected every light were focused, and for everything telling about him he was calm...