The sun rose brightly over Shawangunk Ridge; the fresh spring air cool and crisp. Shome sat on the porch of the cabin breathing in the perfection of this morning. It was pristine in undefinable ways. When she closed her eyes, she could hear the buzz of cicadas all around them as the birds and the squirrels began to stir. A light breeze rustled through the pine needles, ruffling her hair and drawing her attention to the many scents of this wild expanse. The air was bright, almost alive, crackling with the energy of a new day... laden with the sweet smell of thawing sap, deep spring water, morning dew, misty moss, and... bacon? 

The heavy, enticing scent of sizzling bacon coaxed Meko from her reverent contemplation; drawing her attention back to the cabin... her temporary haven... a little slice of paradise in an otherwise hellish landscape of lonely unrest... heaven on earth as far as she was concerned. She smiled warmly as Ely and his pack - plus one - gathered around the table once again, all wearing the same besotted smile of exhausted euphoria. Even with the few hours of sleep they'd managed to steal from the wee morning hours, the moon weighed heavily on them. ...all save for Shomecosse, who looked as though she could rival the sun with her ecstatic glow. 

Surprisingly, she'd held her own last night. Far better than anyone had expected; even outmanoeuvring Elyan more than once. It was as if she were somehow a new person... looking at the world through new eyes, with all the vim and vigour of a pup in her youth despite her previous injuries. And she had the smile to prove it; free and dazzling. 

As people filtered in, it seemed everyone lent a hand in their own way. Tar was busy slaving away over a cast iron skillet. Jakoby was busy slicing and prepping veggies for omelettes. Ely and Demitri were sequestered in a back office - just off the kitchen - muttering in low whispers; about her, Shome thought, for sure. And young Audolf... sweet, strapping, shirtless Audolf... was faithfully chopping wood for the day's events. The rhythmic 'shlunk' of axe through pine nearly lulling her to sleep as she tried not to eye the youngling; nearly 400 years her junior.  

'Cradle robber!' she heard Tar call from inside with a teasing cackle. Assuming the joke was aimed at her, Shome gave a groaning chuckle as she peeled herself from her rocking chair perch.  "Anything I can help with?" she asked with demure submission. The surprised glance she caught from the pack-mother told her perhaps she had not been involved at all. Tar smiled quickly, shifting her focus to the skillet in front of her with a guttural cough. "Uhh... sure, hon..." she stammered with an awkward chuckle,  "The boys will be needing more fuel for the office fire. Why don't you be a dear and go grab some." 

Meko wasn't sure if she was simply being sent out of the room or if that was truly all the woman could contrive. But she silently complied nonetheless, removing herself from the room to lean against the rough-hewn arch of the porch. Eyes cast down, Meko mused to herself about her precarious place in this paradise, watching the fallen pine needles dance along the worn yard in the gentle morning breeze. Huffing softly, she decided it was best not to look a gift horse in the mouth, and resolved not to sulk about the work she was given. It was work after all, and that was an improvement. But as the breeze stirred again, the birds and animals of the forest stilled to an alarming hush. A strange and troubling scent danced on the breeze that brought Shome's thoughts crashing back to reality. 

A low, mewling growl emanated out from the forest around them, stealing her very breath away. Scanning the treeline of the property, Meko's heart nearly stopped. From one of the low-lying boughs, a hulking mountain lion paced, silently eyeing the sweetly oblivious youngling still diligently chopping wood. How can he not sense that?! 

"Audolf," Shome called sweetly, hoping to coax him away from the treeline calmly, "Bring me some wood, would you darling?" The naiive man smiled goofily from ear to ear, "Sure, Meko. Just a second."  Shome watched in tense distress as Audolf slowly stooped to gather the best pieces. Behind him,  the mountain cat lighted to the ground with a soft-pawed agility; crouched and ready to pounce. Shome gulped audibly, glancing behind her. NO ONE was reacting. Not a single person in the cabin seemed to even NOTICE another predator encroaching so brazenly on their territory. NO ONE knew Audolf was about to... about to... about...to... 

Something snapped in Meko's brain and she bounded from the porch, her voice dominant and compelling as she screamed, "Audolf... RUN! NOW!!" 

Fear and terror washed over the youngling's face as he turned to behold what terrible thing Shome could be charging. For a brief second he hesitated, but at her command, he ran for the house. And it was a command. Enough for Ely to feel inside, undoubtedly. But in that moment, she didn't care. He could scold her later... if there was a later. 

Three steps... three lunging, running steps, and Meko was no longer there; a burlap-and-copper coloured wolf slamming into the mountain lion with vicious, unbridled momentum and savage brute force just as the beast lunged for the place where Audolf previously stood.  The cacophony of yelps, growls and yowls that followed were enough to rouse the dead; Demitri and Ely scrambling from the office as Tar ran to meet them at the door. "It's Meko!" Her voice wavered with pressured panic as Audolf clamoured over her in unison, "It's a LION!"

"She's actually... She's not bad, Ely. If you were looking for my approval, you have it. Unheard of as it may be, I'd be happy to have that hybrid in our pack. I saw she even got the better of you a few times." He chuckled and punched Elyan's shoulder. Ely, smirking, returned the hit. "Aye, just think what she could do to you if she got the better of me!"

The two laughed a bit, Ely taking a sip from his coffee mug before stepping to the window in the study. He could see Audolf chopping wood for the next trip to the cabin. It would give the green logs a month to dry out so they could burn better. Everyone had their jobs today, even Shomecosse; to help Tarmarand with whatever was necessary. Turning back away from the window, Elyan turned and smiled to his long time friend...

"What do you think of her -beyond- a hybrid? As Tarmarand says, I'm not getting much younger..." Demitri smirked, and Tarmarand's, "cradle robber," call from the kitchen had them both laughing. Demitri slapped Elyan on the back before nodding. "Again, it's unheard of... Especially for a bloodline... But, she's technically a bloodline too soo, ehh?" Demitri shrugged in slight confusion as to how to actually answer that question. Ely smiled and sighed, unsure himself how to even approach it... Over seven-hundred years, and he'd never found himself in -this- situation.

None-the-less, the two didn't have much more time for debate on the subject... Yowls and growls could be heard, loud enough to rouse the dead, but that wasn't what grasped Ely's mind... It was a command, that wasn't his, in his territory. As he and Demitri rushed for the door, Audolf and Tarmarand both came running and met them. Ely, already certain of what was going on, pushed passed without even acknowledging them. His clothes shredded as he broke rule number one of the cabin, no changing in the house... He was already in full sprint by the time he launched off the porch, a large gray wolf barreling along the path to where the sounds came from... Demitri's white form following on his heels. They could both hear Tarmarand both scolding and cheering them...

Once the two reached the scene, they noticed a standoff between a badly injured mountain lion who refused to back down, and a protective, hardly scratched coywolf. Elyan, growling ever low, got the mountain lion's attention... The animal was obviously mad considering it did not back down from one apex predator, let alone three. Demitri rushed in on the cat, proving for naught as the cat lunged out of the way and slammed a clawed paw onto the large wolf's backside. A yelp, and then what followed was madness. Demitri proved why he was Elyan's right hand, and why he was the enforcer. His neck whipped around and caught the large cat's leg and jerked the animal hard, bone crushing underneath the power of his maw. The cat howled in terror as a large paw covered it's throat and ripped the esophagus straight from the being.

The blood covered white wolf stood triumphant over it's kill for merely a moment, making sure the animal stopped breathing and moving, before he drug it over to place before Ely, bowing his head in submission. A low, guttural growl emanated from Ely's throat until it grew into a piercing howl... Demitri answered, as did Shomecossee, whether she'd intended to or not... Ely's blue eyes seemed to stare directly into Shome's soul through her own eyes, holding her gaze until he snorted and turned away, slowly walking back to the cabin. He stopped a few steps away and looked at both of them, as if saying, -"You coming?"-

The trio made their way back to the cabin, Demitri dragging along his prized kill and dropping it near the fire pit. Looked like roasted mountain lion was on the menu for the night. Ely shifted back into his human form and looked at Demitri and Shomecossee. "Join me in the study once you've cleaned up."

He made his way up the stairs into the cabin, taking the robe that Tarmarand offered him and disappearing through the doorway. Tarmarand walked up to Demitri and offered to take the cat and prepare it for dinner, as Audolf ran up and hugged the coy-wolf. "Thank you, Meko! Thank you!" The boy was still shaking a bit and he buried himself into her fur, hiding his fear from Demitri and the others, though they could surely sense it regardless.

Shome tucked her chin into the crook of Audolf's neck, allowing him some pretence of privacy until his heartbeat slowed and his hands stopped shaking. As his breathing slowed, Meko's copper fur melted away without a second thought; leaving the young man crouched against her chest, very nearly in her lap. Instinctively he pulled away, eyes wide and cheeks flushed... stammering. But with a sweet smile, Shome pulled him back again, cradling him tenderly and running her hands through his hair. "It's alright. Audolf. It's quite alright,"  she pressed her cheek against the top of his head, the heavy scent of fear rolling off of him like a churning whirlpool,  "I'm glad you're safe. We're all glad you're safe." 

The man-child relaxed with a heavy sigh, melting into her embrace like a scared child who's awoken from a nightmare. As she comforted him, Meko waved Tarmarand over; the two women exchanging place and passing the very shaken Audolf off between them with unspoken ease... as if by some ancient unwritten knowingness between women. Demitri didn't miss the subtlety of it... the flow and the fit. It uncommon that an outsider transitioned so smoothly in their midst. Standing, Shome smiled meekly at Demitri, his face smeared with blood... blood that had been shed protecting her... again. Pacing to the sink, she wet a towel and approached him slowly to rinse the crimson stains from his face and hands with careful care. The water was cool, but it would have to do. Cold water was better than no water, after all.

Once he was suitably clean, she waved him on to meet with Ely in the study with a gentle, silent nod. Demitri smiled... a warm and brilliant, breathtaking grin that crinkled his eyes and dimpled his cheeks... but he didn't budge. Much to her surprise, and to those around them, he took the rag instead and silently returned the favour; paying careful attention to the tender scrapes and gashes that still dotted her body as he wiped away the blood from her face, chest, and back. 

Meko blushed softly but nodded in quiet appreciation before fetching her shawl from the railing of the porch. It was her only article of clothing that hadn't been shredded in the last few days. And truth be told, the most precious she owned. Draping the gossamer fabric around her like a sarong, she pushed passed the silently staring pack and slipped into the office with a timid half-smile; ready ONCE AGAIN to place herself at Elyan's thus far liberal mercy.

Demitri followed the she-wolf into Ely's "den", shutting the door behind him. Turning, he quickly took his seat sitting next Shomecossee and across from Elyan. The three sat in silence as they listened to the muffled conversation outside the door...

"Did Dem just..." Jakoby started.

"Mhmm, shush, child..." Tarmarand continued.

"But... That's not-"

"I said hush child..." Tar scolded.

"Okay, did I miss something?" Audolf asked.

"SHHH!" again Tarmarand scolded the younger boys.

Demitri, Elyan, and Shomecossee sat quietly on the other end of the door for some time, until Elyan just started laughing loudly. SO much so that it startled Shomecossee...

"Hein-yaa!" she squelched, Demitri quick on the follow up.

"Oh-Hi-yah-haaa!" he mimicked a native American call... Elyan stared at him in disbelief of his blatant cultural disregard, and Shomecossee eyed him, deadpanned, until she couldn't hold back her laughter anymore, chuckling into a belly-aching laugh. Laughter is contagious, and with Shome's animated chuckling the two males couldn't help but join her.

"Okay...Okay..." Elyan chuckled out as they calmed down slightly. "Let's move on with this so we can go on with our day." He took a deep breath and looked at Shomecossee.

"So, as I said before the run... You are welcome to stay with us as long as you'd want." Elyan smiled. "I'm sure Audolf would love to have you around. Also, I have to say, you honor us by protecting our youngest. And to shift at command, no small feat. Even Tarmarand can't do that, and she's older than Demitri."

Demitri chuckled at the comment, but bowed his head to Elyan, "Mine only comes from years upon years of tutelage from you."

"Nonsense, Demitri... Your willpower is testament to your own strength," Ely praised, a large smile still gracing his face, before he looked back to Shomecossee. "But, we aren't here to speak about Demitri, are we?"

Demitri sucked his teeth as Elyan pulled out a decanter of bourbon and poured a drink, offering one for each member at the table before continuing.

"I'd like you to consider joining us... What would you say to becoming a member of our pack? Hmm?" Elyan sipped from his glass, eye Shome to see if her eyes might betray her thoughts. Demitri turned his gaze on her as well, curious. He added, "Of course, you don't have to decide now..."

Meko was silent as she waited for the other two to settle into their chairs. The conversation occurring on the other side of the door sounded very much like the one running in her own head. Chewing her lip, Meko contemplated all the ways in which her weekend excursion had gone horribly off course. Meko worried the morning's events would only serve to further solidify her exile. She had, after all, far overstepped her welcome as an outsider. And Ely's patience, she thought, would no doubt be wearing thin.  The ornate executive desk between them felt like the grand canyon... a gaping crevasse dividing them. And everything she tried to do right was just one more misstep, bringing her ever closer to the precarious precipice of its cavernous edge. 

She was so lost in ruminating anxiety, that she nearly jumped out of her skin as Ely's boisterous laugh cascaded across the space between them. The resulting yelp brought a bashful flush to her cheeks. But, thankfully, she had little time to wallow in her embarrassment thanks to Demitri's quick draw quip.  It was shocking for a moment... coming from the usually sombre man. Shome blinked. The racial joke was almost too tired to be humorous at all. But Ely's shocked expression... 

Meko tried to hold a straight face. Part of her really wanted to watch Demitri squirm... but the slack-jawed shock from the boss was just too much. He actually looked as if someone had thrown cold water on him and then slapped him in the face. A guttural sputtering started low in the female's throat, growing into a coughing chuckle, and then exploding into an all-out belly laugh. Ely looked momentarily taken aback, but both men followed suit in short order. 

The cheerful relief was short-lived, however, as Ely quickly turned the conversation toward business. Shome fidgetted uncomfortably as he complimented her. Sure, to them being able to shift at will might be some mark of achievement or badge of honour, but to her, it was simply a matter of survival. Being praised for survival... or indeed, being praised at all...made her feel somehow quite exposed and vulnerable; which was to say nothing of her thinly veiled nudity. "I assure you," she whispered softly with downcast eyes, "It is no great feat for a child, alone, exiled to the wilderness. In fact, I daresay it is coming back that becomes the true mark and testament of will." 

Meko jumped at the bourbon with a heavy sigh of grateful relief; her white-knuckled grip on the glass speaking volumes to her frame of mind. She was almost sure that there would be some reprimand... some punishment or chastisement for having stepped so far out of line in his territory; and as an honoured guest, no less. Much to her surprise and breathless elation, such was not the case. 

"Yes!" Meko yipped, very nearly coming out of her seat before her mind or her self-control had any time to catch up. Her whole body shivered with glee as she resettled in her chair, clearing her throat,  "I've never met anyone like you, in all my life. You're kind and fair in ways I've only dreamed of... and it shows in the way you treat your family. And they're a wonderful family. I've never had a family. I never hoped I could have a family. I would gladly embrace omega my entire life if it meant I could be part of your pack."  Her voice lilted up with unconcealable joy as the words spilled from Shome's lips unfiltered. As the overwhelm of the situation... and the strength of her reaction... settled in, Meko quieted; eyeing her glass in a thin attempt to hide the tears that stung her eyes. Her voice was soft and flat, tightly controlled, when she continued, "What I mean to say is it would be an honour and an unforeseeable turn of fortune." 

Clearing her throat again, Meko shifted uncomfortably in her seat; trying to no avail to control the excited shimmying that vibrated through her body, causing the burgundy fringes of her shawl to dance and jitter. Meko smiled meekly at Demitri, as the tassles continued to dance beneath her, "Truth be told, my decision was made before my toes ever touched lake water."

Demitri chuckled and nodded. "Aye, Meko. T'was the same with me. Not the lake here, of course, but when I was turned... It was unequivocally a yes as well. Long before Elyan decided I was trusted enough to be with him forever. Matter of fact, the only one with us here who wasn't given a choice was young Audolf." A smirk played across Demitri's features as he continued to chuckle, Elyan smiling from across the desk. Shomecossee's quick answer was exactly the kind of excited answer he'd started to get used to with people joining him on this journey.

"Good good! I'll be glad to go about that soon... However, before you jump in unaware." Elyan tossed back his bourbon, pouring another, and leaned back in his high-backed leather chair. His legs crossed and his fingers interlaced as he took a few slow, deep breaths. Demitri leaned back as well, rolling his thumbs over one another. The air was absolutely heavy, and Shomecossee would easily sense that there were other things at work in this pack.

"I'm sure you're aware that it's difficult for our kind to work in the normal, lawful human world surrounding us. Many have tried, many have failed. You've walked a path that may have shielded you from some of the horrors we face, perhaps not. Not to say you haven't faced equally or worse, of course."

Elyan cleared his throat and took a drink from his glass.

"I suppose what I'm trying to say is that this pack, as well as many others, have taken to the underground to make our money and live a safer life. Prohibition was great for our kind; bouncers, hunters, trackers, hitmen... We aren't monsters, per se, but we are in an extraordinary situation where our... condition... opens a certain kind of work to us. Are you, or would you ever be, opposed to working in the criminal underground, Shomecossee? I know you've walked the edge of civilization, and I'd be asking you to step right back in it. Will this be a foreseeable problem? If so, you may remain here with Tarmarand while the boys and I handle our business in the streets."

Demitri continued to twiddle his thumbs. He didn't mind the work, hell, it was quite fun sometimes... The unsurety of this situation, however, had his stomach in knots. Everything he'd been through, and it was always this conversation with a new associate that made him queasy. Why though? Even saying no, she'd still wanted to be in the pack... She could stay with Tar, and probably would opt to do so if she was worried about the work. He wasn't quite sure what made him so anxious...

Elyan on the other hand sat cool as a cucumber, wrapped in his robe, drinking his bourbon, and fishing a pipe out of his desk drawer. It was already packed with tobacco and he sat it on the desktop as he awaited Shomecossee's answer.

The scent of Mugwort, Motherwort, Mexican Tarragon, and Catnip would fill the small office den quickly; Demitri visibly beginning to relax as soon as the pipe had been brought out. Mugwort to get into a deep meditative or trance state, Motherwort for astral projection, Mexican Tarragon for ceremonial purposes, and Catnip to calm to a state of greater receptivity. If she accepted, the blend would be smoked and the three would join their minds as well as her joining their pack.

Meko scoffed a bit and then chuckled, "Really, Elyan? A peace pipe?" She took it from the desk, giving the mixture a light, savouring sniff. "And you thought Demitri's little comment was in bad form," she teased him playfully, sliding the pipe back across the desk with a wink. Reclining back, she took a deep breath... savouring a moment of silence to choose her words carefully. Demitri's anxiety rolled off him in waves, dulled only slightly by the scent of whatever odious mixture lingered in the pipe. 

Reaching over nonchalantly, Meko took his hand in hers, massaging several spots on his wrists and between his fingers as she spoke.  "I've been an exile and an edgewalker all of my life. Continuing that lifestyle now gives me few qualms. I have only a few caveats. I do not take life wantonly or without dire reason. And I do not extort or otherwise apply pressure to those with children to provide for... unless they have already put themselves at our mercy by their own actions. Any other work I will be happy to accompany the family for. If at any time I feel uneasy with the work that must be done, I will recuse myself until the business is complete. With your blessing, of course." 

Patting Demitri's hand, she set it gently back in his lap. "If my answer suits you, then I say let's pass the pipe and be done so we may continue planning for the rest of this adventure. Yes?" 

Elyan nodded happily, the answer suiting him just fine. With a firm hand, he snatched up the pipe and took a match to it; puffing, puffing, puffing away until smoke billowed from it's bore and chamber. Taking a large pull off the pipe, Elyan then passed it to his right, across the desk to Demitri who did the same... As Demitri pulled on the pipe, Elyan exhaled and blew into the air. A calm demeanor fell on his face as he leaned back, staring up toward the ceiling, watching the smoke swirl and dance it's way upward. So many stories were being woven into one at this very instant, and it was an exciting time to be alive! Even for a near eight-hundred year old being.

Demitri passed the pipe to Shomecossee and leaned back, blowing his smoke into the air to join Elyan's. His features relaxed just the same and the two seemed to be at utter peace with what, and who they were. A transcendence of consciousness was happening before her very eyes, and she would join in it soon enough. She would see the intertwining of fates, and she would understand the collective mind that was Elyan's pack. She would finally belong, and she would have a family to call her own. A family to support her as she supported them. She would finally be complete, no longer lacking that of which she'd so harshly been thrown out from. This time, she was invited in to stay... A family that CHOSE her.

So that was that...

Meko took the pipe, following suit with a certain neglected familiarity and ease. It was, after all, a ritual not entirely unfamiliar to her. The blend was smooth and easy on the lungs, with a slow kind of kick that only settled in on the exhale. The world around her swirled a bit as she watched the smoke dance along the ceiling... the colours of the world bleeding into each other like a watercolour menagerie of thoughts and experiences... past and present... and, perhaps, future. Leaning her head back against the plush, worn leather of the overstuffed office chair, Meko allowed her mind to melt into that welcoming nebula of unbounded consciousness, and with it, released her inhibitions. 

Standing slowly, she stretched... lithe and graceful... the tasselled fringe of her shawl dancing enticingly around her hips and thighs. Placing the pipe at the centre of the desk, her thin fingers trailed the smooth grain of its dark wood as she padded slowly around its heavy frame... eyes alight with the keen hunger of a forest huntress. Sliding into the highbacked executive chair behind the desk, she straddled Elyan's lap with a lewd and fetching smile, the silky, diaphanous fabric of her shawl all that separated the warmth of her bare thighs from the part of his loosely tied robe. Carnal lust and primal desire dripped from her like the heavy scent of sweet desert oils; every inch of her screaming 'I'm yours now. All yours.'  Running her long nails through his hair and down his back she slowly trailed warm kisses across his chest and up his neck before kissing his lips deeply and passionately. He sighed throatily, moaning her name against her lips. The warmth of his breath crashed over her like a tidal wave and tasted like sweet pipe smoke; sending shivers down her spine as she whimpered softly in reply. "Meko." It felt like the sweetest secret anyone had ever whispered; like no one had ever said it nor would ever say it quite the same in her whole life.

"Shomecosse..." the call echoed through her mind, stirring something within her... something grounded and real in a way she couldn't quite place... 

With a sharp inhale, Shome's eyes snapped open... still staring at the dimly lit ceiling; smoke dancing in tendrils like silk scarves in the wind. A saddening, sickening realization crashed over her, forcing her eyes ever wider. That. Had ALL. Been. A dream? 'Oh, sweet Mother Earth' Meko groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. That had all been a dream. And worse than that the kind of shit you'd expect from some libido-fueled pubescent teen... the kind of cheap, cheesy fantasy smut that desperate housewives hid under mattresses or bought off airport magazine racks. Self-loathing and disbelief coiled around each other in the pit of her stomach. She was so much better than this!!!

Maybe they hadn't... SURELY they hadn't...

Meko grudgingly dragged her eyes from the ceiling, a dark blush spreading over her face, chest, and shoulders as she stole an apprehensive glance in Ely's direction; the shit-eating grin on his face telling her she could never be so lucky. Demitri, at least, seemed oblivious to her humiliation. And that much she counted as a blessing as he grinned goofily between the two... like the nerdy kid who knows they're out of the loop but can't quite place why. And Meko was keenly aware of his prodding curiosity as he leaned in toward Ely as if asking silent permission to be let in on the secret.  

Clearing her throat Meko twirled one of the tassels on her scarf nervously, embarrassment drenching the room as it seeped out of every pore. "So....?" she prodded, her voice tipping up in anxious abashment as she chewed her bottom lip; her eyes begging Ely to end her suffering and dismiss her... his sly, cocky half-smile telling her he had no intention of doing so quickly. 

Whimpering softly she squirmed on the spot, fully aware he was enjoying the spectacle, as she waited for the conversation to turn or to end. Either was fine. Desperately fine.

Elyan sat there, a huge smirk across his face as Demitri leaned forward, begging to know what he'd missed; Shomecossee's squirming only making it worse. He cleared his throat and chuckled before clapping his hands.

"Well then, now that's settled. Welcome to the pack, Shomecossee... We are delighted, and I am -excited- to have you." He looked at Demitri. "Go and inform the others that we will be leaving for Seattle as soon as we leave the cabin. There is a meet, and it's imperative that we show up in force. Several of the nation's packs will be there. This is to settle territory disputes after the fall out from the huge war." He looked at Shomecossee...

"I'm sure even you've heard about all the deaths lately." His lips pressed together, "We lost a lot of good wolves, and others, in that war. It's time to put new players in positions though. Unfortunately, a lot of that falls on me being one of the council." He sighed, his gaze falling on Demitri who still sat there.

"Didn't I say go?" Demitri's eyes widened and he nodded, "Yes sir, sorry!" He jumped up and ran off, shutting the door behind him.

"He's really a good lad, I swear it." Ely chuckled and then smiled at Shomecossee... "So, about that dream. Why don't you come over here and show me just how much you're mine now?" The smile on his face shifted into a wicked grin, the wolf still certainly ready to play... And admittedly, seeing inside her mind had aroused his primal, animalistic natures. He pointed at Meko, then rolled his hand, crooking his finger and silently suggesting she 'Come Hither'...

Meko scoffed and blushed, hiding her face from him as she stood shyly. A bashful giggle escaped her as she climbed into his lap, "I'm not usually so forward. I promise. I've just been... very lonely... for a very a long time."  Her bare shoulders flushed a deep, telling pink as she brushed her long hair away from her chest. The same dark blush coloured her cheeks as she looked up at him from beneath thick, dark lashes; a satisfying smile tickling his imagination as her fingers lingered teasingly over the belt of his robe. "So..." she tugged lightly as she trailed off, "Where exactly does this leave us?" 

Her timid smile turned wayward and impish as she leaned in and kissed his cheek, the knot that held his robe closed disentangling itself with striking ease. "After all you've done for me," she continued, her voice echoing up from somewhere near his neck, "I'd hate to have any misunderstandings... or..." a throaty chuckle danced up to his ears as moved to kiss his mouth,  "tensions..." she lingered on the word, "... in the pack so soon." 

Chewing her lip, she pulled away; a flicker of naive apprehension in her eyes telling him she was quite serious. Her hands stopped what they were doing, and she settled heavily into his lap. "Truly. You'll need all the support you can get within the council, Elyan. And this, " she motioned to herself, "isn't likely to make that any easier."  Her smile turned sad as she ran her fingers through his hair, and gently caressed his cheek.  "I'll be yours... all yours... till my last moon; proudly, if you'll have me. I just..." 

Meko sighed heavily. This was going south fast. And it was all her fault. Again. But, she didn't move. And that was, at least, saying something. 

"I'm REALLY bad at this," she admitted with a lighthearted chuckle, the tassels of her scarf-dress bouncing against his exposed skin. "All I mean is even just the once... and I have to admit I'd want sooo much more than just the once," Meko stammered, words tumbling out of her mouth like an ungated dam, "...even once would be enough to stain your reputation in the minds of many. And I don't want to be the reason for that... unless you're actually prepared for it... and what am I even talking about? Of COURSE, you're not. You're the alpha and I'm... I don't even know WHAT I am. I'm a hybrid.  I just got here. We met YESTERDAY. I'm sorry." 

Meko covered her mouth with one hand, the other trailing with a melancholic resignation down his chest as she shifted to move away from him,  "Maybe one day... when you've really given it some thought." She smiled at him with a bittersweet sadness, "Spirits know it's all I've thought about for hours now." She smirked and pulled away; lingering in front of his chair as she waited to be dismissed. 

He gripped her hips as she tried to move, pulling her back down on top of him. She wasn't going to get away that easily...

"That's just it, Meko... I am an Alpha. And more than that, I'm a wolf... And a male. You're a wolf of sorts, and a female. It's only natural." His hands held her down on his lap, his fingers gripping tightly around her backside with a squeeze.

"And no one on the council frightens me. I know about every one of their little dark secrets. If they know what's wise, they'd allow me this single indiscretion and forget about it, because I've chosen you. It doesn't matter if your a mutt or hybrid... You're a bloodline, and that means something more. Especially now in this day than ever in the past."

Ely sat up, pressing his face into her neck and biting lightly... She would be his, they both wanted it, and the council didn't frighten him in the least. The two would become one, and she already knew Tarmarand was accepting of their union. And she was PART of their pack now already. Anything the council wanted to make up, they already could. He'd allowed a hybrid into his pack, they were already all marked simply because of that. Why not drive the nail deeper and make him a stronger candidate to lead the others? If he could join Coyote and Wolf within the same pack, what else could he do?

Demitri looked at Tarmarand after leaving the office... "I think he's going to tear her apart... He's been alone for so long, Tar!" Tar chuckled, a light flush coming to her aging eyes... "Not so long as you think, child... But without mate, this is true. But believe there are ways I take care of...Took care of Elyan that you never could. I'm not just some useless old bitch, you know."

Demitri's jaw was practically on the floor as he stood there, still nude. As Tarmarand turned around, she chuckled. "Things I can do for you now if you'd like... But we should prepare for Seattle. I heard him tell you. So you should go tell the young ones to get packed."

Tarmarand made her way toward the office door as Demitri left from the cabin. Quietly, she opened it, just enough to see Shomecossee's head toss back in the throes of it all... Tar smiled wide, and shut the door silently before running off to pack. They were finally going to start seeing some progress in the old wolf...