Faline

Changeling.

One who is born from an animal and Were pairing. How does that even work?

Which would be considered worse? Turning into a bald, naked, pink thing or bleeding for three to seven days? Guess that would depend on who you ask. Debate on asking the healer if she knows anything about them, but I doubt she does.

Stopping in front of the door, I take a deep breath and open it. Trisha has the water and Seth has hold of my papers while I look in at the stranger. Familiar gold-green eyes find me instantly and stay, focused and intent.

That first room I'd gone into heralded this man’s own personal hell. Being raped by another while tied down and made helpless, drugged. Now, much like Skeet and Diego had been, he's lying on his belly.

Would imagine it needed if the part of you that hurts is usually where you would station yourself while upright. Close to the wall and on a combination of his belly and side, one leg is brought up and hiding his groin. Don't think it's all that intentional, just a better way to balance himself.

Head lays on one arm that's stretched out while the other is bent in front of him, palm pressed into the floor. Long brunette hair helps cover his back and parts of his face, undertones of gray spread throughout. The parts of him that I can see have multiple burns.

Buttocks, inner thighs, and the bottoms of his feet look as if someone had used him as an ashtray. Wrists and ankles are rubbed so raw that several layers of skin have been removed and are still seeping blood. Shoulders, neck, and the sides of his face are all scarred and pink.

Thick on his shoulders and neck, the ones on his face look much like his wrists. He'd been gagged when I found him, as they all were, but it looks like he was constantly fighting his. Sides of his mouth so raw and red, that he looks to have a Chelsea grin; commonly known as the joker smile.

I walk towards him slowly. He doesn't move, but I hear the growl in his throat. Stopping, I hold my hands out to him, palms up to show them empty. Keeping my voice low, I make nice.

"Do you remember me? You kept watch of me much like you're doing now. I probably don't smell the same, having been around so many within the past few hours. I swear I mean you no harm, I just want to help."

Just like a few of the others, the bandage that had been covering the removed brand has been taken off, his lays a few feet from him, dried blood coating it. Do Changelings not heal as the others do?

They have to heal better than humans, with all the recent looking scarring, or they hadn't had him long and the marks are from just before he was captured. Either way, he's pretty messed up. Just looking at his body makes mine hurt.

Recent bruising covers his backside, explaining why he isn't sitting upright. My step forward has him growling again, so I kneel down. Forgot that some animals don't take kindly to being hovered over, especially when injured.

Clenched muscles all down his body relax a little once I'm on my knees. The heavy scent of wolf hits my nose, along with blood, sweat, a wildness, and...spice? The wolf is coming from him, not the one who was killed, and the blood's from all the exposed flesh. Sweat is obvious, but it isn't all his. Don't know how he isn't going crazy with that man’s scent all over him. Scrunching my nose, I try engaging him again.

"Don't know how you can stand that man’s smell on you, I'd be going insane. Heh, think I did actually. Quite possible this is all a fucked-up dream and I'm still tied to a bed myself. I'm not entirely sure you can understand me, so some kind of acknowledgment would be really good right about now."

Don't like having to keep going back into my own past, but if it helps them know they aren't the only ones dwelling in that pain, then it's worth it. Hope so at least. Not sure how he will react, since he isn't ‘originally’ human...

A Shifter could probably give me a better insight as to how an animal thinks when it's more that than human. Since they aren't human at all. Not really.

Those eyes keep watching me, blinking here and there so it isn't anywhere near as bad as when Lady does it, but he still has a lot of intensity coming through. Reaching forward slowly, his hair is soft. Soft, yet has a coarseness to it, if that makes any sense.

When he doesn't object to my touching him, I move more of his hair away from his face.

"Not sure how we're going to do this if you can't understand me, but I'm sure we can figure something out."

While in my cat form, I can't speak, so body language is what others get from me. May be what has to happen here. A small cat would be less threatening than a human right?

Something else grazes my fingers while moving the thick mass. Startled, I pull back, eyes flying to his. Curiousness greets me, but coiled wariness is still there.

Looking back to where I'd touched on a different texture, I lift the hair out of the way to get a better look. Seeing it now, I'm not sure how I missed it before. Then again, there was a lot going on, so I'll blame that.

At the base of the neck where the human hairline ends, fur begins. A good couple of inches long, it trails down the line of his spine. Couple of inches wide as well, it's the same colors as his hair.

Only thing marring it is the several human bite impressions along either side, few not so human included. Bypassing those, I run my fingertips down the fur line. Goes all the way down to his butt-crack where it thins and disappears.

A smile crosses my face when I see goosebumps rise on his skin, so I pull away. Wide shoulders lead down to a tapered waist, muscle tone very distinct. Even marred as it is, his skin looks tanned as if he'd spent most of his time out in the sun totally nude. Isn't from the sun though, just his natural tone.

"Well, that's new. Only time I've seen that on the animals here is when they're shifting. You're going to be a difficult one as well, aren't you?"

There's a smile in my voice, so he knows I'm not angry. When his mouth finally opens, both top and bottom canines are longer than normal, looking much like that of a Were in mid-shift. Would appear it's normal for him though.

"Why?"

I blink at him, not understanding his question. No idea what he's referring to, anyway. His voice is deep and sounds strained.

"Why what?"

He pushes himself up but doesn't sit upright. Thick hair once more falls around his face. Just looking at it makes you want to touch it, but I keep my hands pressed to my legs. He's talking, I don't want to spook him.

"Why did you help me?"

I see. My face softens as I look over his. While clearly male, his features are almost feminine. Thick eyelashes, naturally arched brows, high cheekbones, a straight nose, and full lips.

Hard to distinguish just what it is exactly, whether it's the overall shape of his face or placement of parts. There's a draw to him that makes it so you want to touch, to pet. Think I know now what it was that drew Eddie or Geoffry to him.

"Did I need a reason to? He was causing you pain; holding you against your will. Was obvious you didn't want to be there."

Not entirely sure just how to explain to him that it wasn't like I was there for him specifically, he was just part of a 'package'. Sounds wrong to be put that way, but honest. When he keeps watching me, I sigh.

"The Mistress brought me with her on this run, it was my first time going to a 'pimp house'. Word was that the man who had you and the others was known to be cruel and went for the young. I didn't know what was going to happen exactly, it just kind of played out on its own after I saw everything. Wasn't until after the woman, Tabitha, that I found out we were lured there."

Can't help but smirk at that. They basically called death to their door.

"There were six who'd originally been brought out, but I heard the others. You. When lured away by Eddie's woman, she was taken down first, then I found you. Even if I hadn't originally gone in with the intent of killing the man, I would have after seeing what he was doing to you. From the room you were in, I went to the other that held Skeet, the coyote, in much the same predicament."

Playing it all out in my head again, other things come up that I could have done differently or better. Hindsight, right? Heh.

"After killing the man torturing him, we went below where the Mistress and I fought the Werewolf, Geoffry. I left the killing to her and went to help the others that'd been tied up. You're totally new to me; your species I mean. Don't know how long you've been human, but if it hasn't been long, I can tell you right now that not everyone is fucked up like they were."

My eyes slide away as I admit cruel truths.

"Where you are now is the same kind of establishment that you were saved from, only here there are Vampires involved. Much of what you left is here as well."

I have to stop as I feel a seeking in my head. Kie is trying to connect. Opening to her, roiling emotions fill my head. Wincing, I let her know I'm a bit busy right now.

Can feel her disappointment, but she pulls out, shoring up her walls. Blinking back tears, I swallow hard and get back on track.

"Not all here are bad. I don't interact with many Vamps - try to avoid them usually. The submissives here call this place home, many saved from situations like yours or from the streets. In return for food, care, and relative safety they...work. Sex, blood, and flesh are the primary three sold here."

I still can't look at him, thanks to Kierra's issues whirling in my head, my emotions are starting to go all over the place. Shame being a big one.

"The sex is obvious, as is blood when sold to a Vamp. Flesh would be what the coyote had gone through. The humans aren't supposed to be available for that option, but things are a bit screwy right now. Shifters, humans, and Weres make up the submissive populace. This place is also a safe house for supernaturals who come in, mainly Vampires but others are welcome as well."

Safehouse for those harboring captives like I'd been, with bloodsucker politics keeping others from being able to interfere. In a saving capacity anyway, seems I was open for others to torment if they got a hold of me alone. Madaline and Max fly into my head; haven't seen them lately, so I'm sure they're up to something, especially since Maddy has a hard-on to get me gone.

Scowling, I collect myself back up. Golden eyes go to his as I stiffen my spine. Upon seeing it, he looks even more curious.

"I'd been a prisoner here once, my sister came for me. I chose to come back, having made friends and wanting things to be better for them. Since they call this place home, I want it to actually feel like one instead of a lifeless prison. Why did I help you? Because I was once like you, and I take issue with those who torture others."

Giving in to the urge, I reach forward and slip fingers through the thick strands of hair. Careful of the tangles that have formed from days of not seeing a brush.

"I can't stop everything that happens here, but I hope to change it enough that it isn't so horrible for those who are on the market. If you heard everything that happened with the others that had been in that house, you should know that you are free to leave if you have a home to go to."

My brow furrows. Do the wilds count as home for him or does he have a place? This shit is getting confusing.

"As with them, I wish you stay to rest and get some food into you before you go. The head Vamp here will wish to talk with you as well, but after all that, it's up to you."

Had been watching my hand in his hair, but I look back to his face for an answer. Can see the wheels turning as he weighs my words for honesty and worth, looking through his options. The Changeling male blinks at me then moves to stand.

Since he does, I do as well, teetering a bit when I get to my feet as a wave of sleepiness washes over me. Screw it, when I take him to the room with the others, I'll sleep in the damn doorway.

Have to fight scrunching my nose again as the collective scents on him waft toward me.

"I don't mean any offense, but you really smell."

His lips twitch, but a smile is still yet to come. When upright, he's a couple of inches over six-foot. Sweat, dirt, blood, and other assorted fluids on him make his skin a bit difficult to see, but the scars that I can make out on his shoulders and neck look like claw and nail gouges.

When held down and ridden, the riders were anything but gentle. It's a wonder he hasn't attacked anyone here. Tortured animals can be unpredictable, add human male to that mix and there's sure to be an explosive reaction.

"Um, there are others who are with me. The healer, a young girl that's her apprentice, and a Werewolf who is like my bodyguard. He can be a bit of an ass, but please don't attack anyone."

Golden grass eyes alight on me, amusement in their depths as if he knew where I was going before speaking up. His head dips slightly.

"For you."

Well now. That's nifty. Giving him a smile, I lead him out into the hallway with the others.