Faline

This time I freeze, having to fight to keep from looking at the painting to my right.

"I didn't start this Nicolaus. A couple of Vampires came in with that group, I think they urged them to come in here and start something. I tried telling them to leave..."

"Shh."

My mouth and eyes close as I hang my head, willing things to change back before anyone else notices. Teeth and claws do start to recede as I calm down.

Wolf blood is strong in my nose from the lower half of my face being covered in it. Can feel it pull as it dries. Nicolaus's arms hold me just above the slashes at my belly that are still trickling fluid.

"Put me down please, so I can clean my wounds."

He squeezes tighter before lowering and releasing me.

"You are injured?"

I nod and go to the wall counter's sink. Can feel him at my back the whole way, hovering close as I pull the top off and toss it in some cold water. Don't see why I bother since it's ruined anyway. Kerry comes up slowly, nervously glancing at the Vamp at my back before her eyes go down.

"What is it Kerry?"

"This is all my fault, I should have just gone with..."

I shake my head angrily.

"No. Your place is here, not in that mongrel's bed."

Looking up at her, she doesn't freak out so my eyes must have changed back. I feel tired. When will I be able to stop fighting and just go one day without one incident? Is it possible?

Sighing, I cross my arms and lean against the counter, jerking back with a small cry from my wounds pulling. The Shifter gasps, which has Nicolaus turning me to face him. Blood colors from over my nose down to the black skirt.

I try to pull away, not wanting to be manhandled right now. He growls as he goes to his knees in front of me, pushing me till my back is against the now bloodied counter edge. Looking down, I find that they weren't just shallow strips, but deep angry ones.

Lady comes up from behind the Vampire kneeling in front of me. I'm too tired to be ashamed by my breasts being open to the room, not like anyone in this whole damn place hasn't seen a pair, hell, considering most of the females around here are topless anyway. Her face looks annoyed at me till her eyes drop to my abdomen where she sees the damages, then she scowls, strange eyes flashing.

"What happened this time? Let me guess, not your fault?"

I shrug, wincing at the pull then cross my arms over my chest, hands gripping the opposite arm.

"Why bother saying? Not like you'll believe me anyway, having clearly come to your own conclusions."

"Don't sass me, Pet, just tell me."

Her voice is angry, whether at me or what, I have no clue and could care less at this moment as I just want to sleep. Sighing, I relay everything from the moment they came in to just now, leaving out the parts about my sibling.

"Those Vamps with them created this mess, not me. I tried avoiding it, not even egging him on like I usually would."

My voice is listless as I tell the tale, not sure why I'm bothering, I'll be punished for it anyway. My gaze goes past her to watch the room that's being cleaned and cleared. Nicolaus's tongue makes me jump as he starts his version of healing.

Kerry pipes up to the Lady the same crap she tried with me, but shuts up when I look over to her in anger. Turning back to the Lord of the Castle with the same look, if I'm already going to be punished, not like glaring at her or mouthing off is going to change anything. She shakes her head at me but I ignore it.

"Just like every other fool who's come at me for some stupid or petty reason, that dog got what he had coming to him."

Nicolaus's fingers are digging into my hip, so I slap his hands away. He looks at me in surprise then can't decide if he wants to be angry or amused. I glare at both of them as I step away.

"Now, if you two are done tormenting me for at least a couple of hours, I would like to sleep. I'm tired and I hurt, so just...leave me alone."

Turning, I get two steps before I'm grabbed. Screeching, I throw the hand off and shift immediately, running down the right-hand hallway. The skirt falls away with no problem and Maii trails me in his coyote skin.

I run till I can't anymore. Feeling so tired of everything, so much happening too close together wearing me down. Not like I can really hide anywhere since I left a clear blood trail from my gut still being split open. All the blood intake is trying to heal me, but I keep jarring and ripping it open.

Maii whines next to me as I crawl under one of the random bigger rooms' couches. He follows me with no problem, being a little smaller. I'm panting in pain and exhaustion, he is because he's worried, can tell that by the way he keeps nosing me. Laying full out on my side with my back to the wall, feet are pointed outward yet pulled in so they aren't sticking out, but with smeared blood leading under it, it's a no-brainer on where I am.

We're not on carpet this time, so it should be easy cleanup. Wood itself looks older and worn where people have walked over it for so long, but under here it's relatively untouched, just needs a good waxing.

The shit I think of while laying around in pain. My brain is random.

I get coyote whines in my face again as he noses my cheek. Mouth already open from panting, I curl my lip at him. He knows I won't strike at him though, I've drilled that into him. Then again, thought I had with the others and look what happened. Closing my eyes, I try to nap.

Not like I have to worry about dying, my wounds aren't that bad and now that I'm still, they can heal. A soft tongue has my eyes flying open to see Maii licking at the tears, not sure what Vamp blood will do to him, but I'm too sleepy to care. Since he's more than likely moving fur from the cuts and cleaning some of the mess, I just close my eyes again and rest.

Dozing and only rousing enough to hear coyote growls when someones gotten too close, probably other subs who've gone about cleaning me off the floors and walls that I brushed against. Doubt it's Vamp since they wouldn't let an adolescent coyote stop them.

My breathing evens out quickly as I doze, was only going so fast because my brain is trained to act that way. Most breathing reactions anymore are psychosomatic. Brain doesn't want to let go of something that was so essential to my survival for twenty-four years. Longer if you count womb time.

I'm left to sleep for a few hours, finally getting woken by the healer pulling me out. Awfully brave, this old bat. She talks to Danica and points some things out. Great, I'm now a show and tell object.

That's hardly fair, so I let them go about their business. With all the magic blood I'd been pumped up on, the wounds are pretty much closed. Maii had kept any fur from getting sealed within the gashes.

"The Lady had us come to you and make sure you weren't dying. Took us over an hour to find you since your trail had been cleaned up rather quickly. Seems you have made many impressions, as they either did it so you had enough time to get away and hide, or so help couldn't find you."

I just look at her, unamused. Could be either way, so there's no point in answering when she would know just as much as I. Maii is hovering close, keeping watch over me as if he were a guard dog.

"Your wounds are clean, coyote saliva doesn't heal, but he cleaned them enough to allow them to close with nothing in the way. Be thankful, for if fur had healed inside, I'd have to cut you open again to get it out."

She just sounded a little too disappointed about not being able to, so I eyeball her. She grins at me. Kooky old bat. Danica hovers close, listening intently while looking worried. Hard for me to keep my promise if I go and die on her.

Flicking my tail, I let them know I want to move. They back off and I stand, a little dizzy at first, but nothing major. With a small meow and a rub against both their legs to convey my thanks, I head off with Maii at my side.

Trying out my nose at following scents to see if I can make it back to the kitchen, it's about fifteen minutes before I'm lost. The animal at my side with the white mask is laughing at me. Can tell by the chirp-yips he makes.

Cheeky little bugger, I pay him back with a nip to his tail. He jumps as if I just bit him on the ass, but it cheers me up. I motion him to take the lead and we get to the kitchen in no time. When we reach it and he looks at me with his canine grin, I stick my tongue out at him.

He makes his barking laugh sound again, so I chase him across the room. The others look alarmed till they hear his chirping and read it as it is. Going back to where my skirt was dropped, it's not surprising to see it's gone as it was in the middle of the floor.

Once it's noticed that I'm looking for it, it gets pulled out of a drawer and dropped in front of me. Crouched over it, I shift, standing while pulling it up. Once upright, I take a look over my belly.

I get nervous glances, they again get ignored as I make my way to the sink. Shifting back has torn them open slightly. The shirt is held out to me, I look at it before taking it and throwing it away.

Getting the small bleed stopped, I grab up my apron and put it on. Works as a shirt just as well as the hippie top did. A humanoid coyote comes up next to me in his uniform of collar and loincloth, no worse for wear.

It's gotten to the point that I don't see the exposed boobs with nipple clamps anymore, so used to it. With it being considered the normal wear, it's not like they're constantly getting gawked at. Not in here anyway, safe zone an all that. That had almost been ruined by the jackasses that had come in.

I stand scowling at my counter, wondering how all the food went, wondering what happened to the wolves, and the undead who talked them into it. I know neither Vampire who has my reins will tell me anything, but the animals in here just might. Cleaning off my counter, I hop up onto it and watch the others. It's been a few hours at least, since everything that had been made is now gone, even the overabundance of potatoes.

Kerry comes over when she notices me looking at her, shoulders drooping. Fine.

"What happened after I left?"

She wrings her hands, not wanting to meet my eyes. I put my hands in my lap, clasped together so they're visible. Obviously worried that I'll strike her or something. I give up with these people.

"We got the food you started finished and set out."

I nod, looking straight ahead to my fridge since she won't look at me.

"Figured that much, thank you. The group that came in? What happened to them?"

Since I'm not looking at her, I don't see her expressions. Bad enough I can smell her sweating.

"I'm not sure, they were led out and haven't come back."

She's going to make me ask each thing straight out. What the hell happened that she's being like this? Looking over the others reveals the same thing.

Except for Salem, Marie, and Joey. The Were-animals. When I catch their eyes I motion them over. Marie looks the most nervous, but not as much as the Shifters.

"What's going on guys? Why are you all acting scared of me now?"

Joey is the one who speaks first. Let's hear it for the bobcat.

"When you were fighting, we all seen you were trying to get them to back down and walk away, even avoid the big guy. But then you started changing, much like a Were does in a half change."

My head turns to the painting to my right. Not like I can hide the action so they all follow my gaze.

"Not sure if the new bunch of you know this, so I'll tell you myself. The big painting over there with the wolf and cat? My sister is the one who painted it. From other things I've been able to glean, she's now a Werewolf."

They look to each other, even the further back Shifters. All catching onto the fact of what is painted and reality.

"Before you ask, she did it around three years ago, long before either of us knew any of you guys existed."

When they're all looking at me again, I get back on track.

"Anyway, she and I are connected somehow. I've been in her head when she's in pain and I'm guessing the same for her with me. Nicolaus, my wonderful Maker, has been sending people after her, and each time she fights them, I'm in her head as well."

I have to pause for a moment to get control of my anger. Just had an episode, don't want another.

"The day I had gone after the Mistress, I was channeling my sister's rage. Earlier, I think I was borrowing some of her abilities, but I'm not sure. The claws are mine, it's an ability I got when I was turned."

Looking over to Maii, I point to my eyes, and he nods.

"When my eyes changed, they were bright green?"

They all nod, which leads me to look back over at the painting.

"My sister's eyes are green."

Fidgeting my hands in my lap, I look from them to each person around me.

"I can understand if I scare you. If it's ever in my power though, I would never harm any of you. I don't understand why all this fighting is going on, but I only go after those who come at me first. I hope you all see that."

My eyes go back to my lap. Hadn't cared earlier, but it still hurts that Kerry, especially now, fears me. Waving my hands out to tell them to go back to work, I stay where I am and fight back mood swings that make about as much sense as anything else lately.