Kierra

Blowing air through my nose before going into the house, I stop just inside when a memory surfaces. Feeling the need is urgent, I turn and run back out. Don't care if anyone's following, but I need to do this. I run full bore straight to the home that had belonged to Asher and his wife, ignoring the house itself as I make my way cautiously up to the garage and its half-opened door. From the fading scent, I know Asher had come here before he left.

Shade is a few steps behind, waiting for any signals or cues. The snow around the door has been disturbed, more than likely wild animals seeking shelter. Asher's prints are around, but they don't go near here. Smelling nothing more than small game, I creep inside. The interior is much the way Faline and I had left it. Now knowing who all this belonged to, I feel guilty for having messed with any of it.

Metal tables stretch along the walls with several boxes and crates spread around. This place is a graveyard and I don't believe in stealing from the dead, but this is needed. When my midnight wolf was human, he worked with his hands. Whittling.

The first time Faline and I were here, we found multiple carvings that had been boxed up. With the way things had gone in his telling of it, the only way these items are here was because they were before the fire. Boxed up I mean. Some of the carvings had been smoke-tinted from being in exposed crates. The dog house had been a joke from some friends of theirs. While some of the packed items had been from storage, others were from their thoughts on moving; to get away from the Vampire altogether. They didn't get that chance.

Walking softly up to the table in the corner, the small carving I had set aside still sits there. A wolf captured in mid-howl, it’s colored by the smoke, making it black. The detail is precise and fine, the attention to it complete. Rearing back on hind feet, I grab the small statue carefully between my teeth. If I recall right, the date on the bottom marks it having been made twenty-seven years ago. Two years before his curse.

Stepping back out, I only go so far before turning, reaching up for the door to close it a little more. Shade helps, even though it isn't needed. Dipping my head to him in thanks, I head back for the house. All are back in human form and dressed, waiting in the living room. Bastion is laying on the spot Asher had claimed on my older brown ‘L’ couch. Going up and nosing him, I drop the carving in his lap. Looking at him, I project to everyone.

"My sister and I had gone on a walk once. We'd come across a burned-out house and a half-closed garage. Being the nosy people we are, we let ourselves in and went snooping. Sure you all know by now the house belonged to Asher and his wife. Within the garage, they still had many boxes and crates that managed to survive over time. Among the other things found, there had been several wood carvings done by his hand and dated. This is one of them."

Bastion'd picked it up and looked at it as I told my story, sad eyes remaining so.

"There were also pictures, but I left those since that isn't how we know him. This is. When first finding it, it had caught my eye. I'm sure he wouldn't mind me giving it to you so you have something of his."

Tears fill his eyes before hugging me hard, arms wrapping around my neck. After a few minutes, he lets go, holding up the wood to look at it more.

Leaving him to it, I head to my room, whispering to Xavier to follow. He does so, but he looks grim as if he knows his ass is going to get chewed on, and not in a fun way. There's really no point in shutting the door, but I ask him to do so anyway. Ask him another favor of grabbing the robe within the closet as I begin my shift into human skin. Being quite the gentleman, he holds it out with face averted, eyes also closed from him being pointed towards the mirror. I touch his arm gently to let him know he can open his eyes when ready.

The bathrobe is a cream color and hangs to my knees, one of those fluffy ones meant to be put on right after a shower, which I plan on taking soon. He turns to look at me when I sit on my bed, amber eyes taking in my disheveled hair and dirty feet with a smirk. The assortment of blades laid out behind me probably looks like a fetish scene waiting to happen.

"I need to go to Ava's to give her the boys' papers for school. Figure you and they also come with so you can see and use the training grounds we'd set up. It's more for throwing practice than anything else, but I'm sure you can manage something."

He nods, looking off into space as if picturing it.

"Have you seen it already?"

"No, just trying to picture Ava with blades."

I snort and smirk.

"She doesn't do blades, that's all me. She uses the bow and is very good."

His brow goes up, but a look of respect is there as his head tilts. While going to my basket to look for a towel, I pitch in a little more.

"Where I like to be up close and personal, she doesn't. Wonder if it's because of all that white fur she has. Doesn't want blood stains."

My whole reasoning there is flawed all to hell, but it still makes me smile.

"Please tell me there's at least one more clean towel in the bathroom."

"Nope. Mine is hanging up in there to dry though. Guess it's a good thing you planned on going over already isn't it?"

That pulls me up short. We’re more than welcome to take clothes over to wash, but the fun part is going to be getting them there.

"Uhh, do you know when Shade and Z go into work? My jeep is so not big enough for all this. Still have to get some painting done too. Speaking of which, the four out there have to be run to the gallery."

When he doesn't say anything, I turn to look at him. Stretched out on his side on my bed and watching me through half-closed eyes, the shorter hair around his head looks soft and he looks too...too something laying there. Way too comfortable for one.

My eyes narrowing at him has one shoulder going up then down.

"Well you're not very helpful, are you?"

A slow smile creeps across his face, arm bent and laying on his side as the twitching fingers catch my gaze. Snug shirt has rolled up from his lounging stretched out, jeans dipping low and showing off the very happy trail leading into them from his navel. Bare feet hang off the edge of the bed, he just barely fits on the darn thing, but right now he's laying more across it than the length of it. His hand once more catches my eyes as he slides it back to rest on the exposed skin of his hip.

"Need to put you in a skirt."

He chokes and laughs, expression alone asking what the hell I'm thinking.

"Well, kilt. Not 'skirt'. We already did that and it didn't work all that well, the sad part is I think you fit Faline's skirt better than she does. Huh... Ooo! I still have video..."

Can feel the evil grin crossing my face as his eyes narrow at me. The muscle in his jaw jumps from it clenching, which just makes me smile more.

"I think you just want to see me in fewer clothes, that way you can blame them when I get ravaged."

"Ha! Only ravaging going on there would be from Ava if you go around her without a shirt on again. I'll be sure to get you some catnip lotion. Does catnip work on feline Shifters?"

The smile in my voice cannot be contained as I picture it.

"I think I just found another sketch to do. You getting chased around by a cat twice your body length, only to be caught by the smaller one pouncing on your head. Yes, that should look quite amazing..."

Lily is quite the butterball in animal form, and she's still a kitten. She can easily topple him when she isn't getting tangled in her own feet and tail. Xavier's face is priceless.

"Still want to get ravaged there, my friend? Their tongues aren't as rough as Faline's, but I can still see you enjoying it."

He rolls onto his back and lays his arm over his eyes as he laughs. The displacement and reach of his arm raise his shirt more, the defined muscle bunching with his laughter. Biting my lip, I have to turn away. Many other things I can draw him doing and none of them have anything to do with animals. Just the pose he's in now I'm sure I could sell for big bucks to frustrated older women. That's a thing, isn't it?

My breath catches when realization dawns that my scent spiked and has caught his attention. Amber eyes glitter at me as I try to avoid his gaze.

"Oh, would you look at that. Time for my shower. Toodles."

I raise my hand as I hurry out and go straight for the bathroom, closing myself inside before I get myself into any more trouble. A long towel hanging over the shower rod is slightly damp but still usable. Only problem is it has a maned wolf’s scent all over it. Groaning internally, I toss it onto the sink and get the water going. If I didn't know better, I'd say he planned for things to happen that way. Wouldn't put it past him.