Awakening Destiny [Callista/Open]

The pack had grown in itself, and it was flourishing. He knew there were wolves out there, wolves which needed to find a home. But what was more important, was the fae he had met at the borders, his borders. Callista, who soon became his Beta. She was beautiful, and intelligent to match. Though he never thought of her to be his type, he decided it was time to get to know her better than just as his Beta or a member of his pack. If things were going to get crazy, he would need a wolf to go to for aid or even just one he could trust whole-heartedly. He moved to her den, standing at the entrance he asked for her to join him. He did not have anything planned, just wished to share information between one another. Lucian did not know what she thought about the pack, him, or the other species around them. It would be best for the brute to get it all sorted out with one wolf, and besides, she held the highest rank beside him. What could hurt if the two actually treated one another as equals every now and then? As he waited for her, he shook his primal coat, allowing the chilled breeze of morning to blow through it. His scent overpowered the place, resting on every rock and tree around them. His great height was tall and deafening. It would scare any human to shit his own pants at the mere sight of the beast. Lucian knew of this and smiled to the other. Home was where they could be the way the world had intended, wild and free. "Greetings Beta Callista, I have called you out for the purpose of speaking to you. Would you accompany me to Traverse Tunnels? There is something I wish to show you." With that being said, the Alpha moved from her den and raced towards the darkened tunnels, which led to the humans land.

The Beta had been accepted into the pack some months prior, and she had settled in and occupied herself with her duties straight away, securing a job as a police dog handler within a matter of weeks. Every morning as soon as she woke up she would patrol the borders, though there hadn't been any others since she had joined that were wanting to commit themselves to the quite promising clan of werewolves which resided within the borders. However, on the flip side no dangers or enemies had been detected stalking around the grounds, including humans and vampires, which although she would love nothing more than to rip their limbs from their bodies, the pack was not very large to be able to fare well against a great number of their foes. Many of those whom she shared the territory with hadn't been seen around lately, and Cal was pissed that her and the Alpha were the main ones doing their work. She had hoped, when she had decided to look for the man that changed her, that Lucian had created and collected many of their kind into a formidable force. That hadn't been the case when she finally had found him, but she was intent on discussing a plan of action with Alpha Lucian as to how they could improve the pack. Indeed more members were necessary, but they also needed the best, the fittest, most dedicated and intelligent.

As she rose from her cavelike den, she stretched the aches out from her spine and limbs, her tail curling over her back as she yawned. Her five inch long fangs glistened in the small ray of sunlight that crawled into the den. The werewolfess prepared to go for another morning border check, but as she took one step towards the den entrance the familiar smell of her leader flooded into her nose, soon followed by his very voice calling for her. She padded out into the light and greeted him. "Alpha Lucian", she stated, her ears flicking back against her head and her frame kept small in his presence. Briefly looking over his great form she knew he was an impressive beast, capable of making any other creature and even some werewolves cower before him, and as her dark eyes locked onto his face she found his smile said it all. She allowed herself a hint of a smile in response as she listened to him greet her and explain his reasoning for calling her out. With the wolves being so in tune with each others thoughts and actions, it seemed she had been able to sense him about to sprint away, so she was soon hot on his heels in pursuit. Her great forepaws cut deep into the soil with each agile step, the print they left behind neither fully canine nor human but more like a clawed hand. Soon she got in stride with the male, racing alongside him as her fur was slicked back against her body. She had decided she would accompany him, to see what it was he wished to show her as well as a chance to learn more of Lucian than what little history they shared already granted her.

She was with him, following closely behind as he raced towards the tunnels. How was he going to tell her what she needed to know? How was he going to explain in easy terms that things were not going well for their race? He did not know the answer to such things, but kept on running. He breathed heavily until they came to a dark sewer on the edge of the forest. The tunnel itself had been ruined by time, covered in rust and grime. Lucian moved through first, showing her she would need to duck to get through. Once he was inside the dark area, he shifted to his human form. He turned and waited for her. Lucian looked to her, then to the rest of the tunnels. "I brought you here for a couple reasons. The first is we seriously need to talk about matters for the pack. Second, this place actually leads to lands owned by none. It leads to neutral lands, in the center of the city. We only show this to our pack, to the ones we can trust. I do not wish you to show anyone just yet, give it some time. Plus I think you will need to learn this area better than the back of your own hand. These tunnels can be very dangerous, a maze beneath the city streets. Many have found their end here, none of our kind of course. But the endless walls can drive anyone foolish and crazed. Please keep this in mind, and feel free to grab onto me if ever you need it." Lucian moved through the tunnels, stepping in the shallow pools of water which had collected at the bottom. There were rats that scampered from place to place, fueling their desires to search for food or a new shelter. He wondered how long they had been trapped down there, eating of the crumbs from the outer world. "Is there anything you wished to speak with me about, before we begin?"

Noticing they had reached the edge of the forest, she slowed to a walk. Her brown eyes glanced to the unwelcoming sewer tunnel. It was obvious this was the Traverse Tunnels he had spoke of, and she watched closely as he moved through the algae coated entrance. Imitating his method of fitting through the hole, she ducked her head low, creeping into the dark passage on all four paws. A few seconds were all that were needed for her eyes to adjust to the lack of light, and during this short time of temporary blindness she could smell the grimy water and rat faeces. Once her eyes had activated night-vision she saw Lucian waiting for her, stood in his smaller form that didn't have fur and bulking claws. Callista did the same, withdrawing back into her human shell as she travelled deeper into the dark and neared him. Listening to the man speak, she nodded slightly at the points to show she agreed and understood. "Agreed, we need to discuss the pack. Also, I will make it a priority to learn these tunnels thoroughly, and I shall not show them to anyone whilst you do not wish me to." Despite how little she spoke, she certainly took her leader's warnings seriously, though she highly doubted that the place would be able to drive herself to insanity. It was quite remarkable, a whole maze of tunnels beneath the city streets, and she knew it had the purpose of being used for the pack's advantage, allowing them to slip in amongst the other races and out again unnoticed. Perhaps Lucian was full of surprises, and there were other developments he had made that she was unaware of. The Beta followed close behind as he walked further, a slight smirk on her features as she considered this. "About the pack. What plans do you have, Alpha? I have not seen many around, and there has been no new blood as far as I'm aware." She stepped through the stagnant water, its foul smell something she hadn't endured since the Victorian era. The scent made her head throb slightly, reminded of the disgusting living conditions of that previous age, and as one of the rodents scrabbled up her leg she found herself having to hold onto the Alpha's arm to balance herself while she shook it off, the pest being catapulted down the passage. She felt like a fool for clinging to him and whispered a cuss to herself. Quickly she apologised. "Sorry about that. Carry on."

Moving through the sewers, he ran his hand along the walls, feeling their course feel to the tips of his fingers. His other hand rested within the depths of his pocket. As he walked slowly with her, he moved through each tunnel, knowing full well exactly where they were. "The pack, we need numbers and we need them quickly. In my nights I am no longer in my den, i am normally out trying to spy on the humans. During the day they do not speak of their plans against us, but at night, their drunks give it all away for free, down at the lounge. They speak of plans, blurred and slurred, but still, the humans are going to be making moves soon. We do not have the numbers to face them. Not as we are now. We also need to make contact with Marie and find out what is going on with her. I have not seen her for some months now. I suppose she is out gathering herbs often, but it has been very little contact from her." He continued to move through the tunnels, keeping his eyes forward as they moved. "But I really think we need to find more wolves to join us. Perhaps we can go out on the weekends and look for them together?" he said as he turned his head to look at her. His eyes turned to look into her own, smirking gently at the idea of clubbing with the Beta. She was a beautiful creature, in primal form and her human shell alike. There was something about her, which forced the Alpha to become even more intrigued with her. Perhaps it was the way she carried herself, or how he undressed her with his eyes, imagining what she looked like beneath her clothes.

During their slight moment, Lucian pulled his eyes from hers and continued on his way. he pulled his hand from his pocket and lowered the other from the walls. Taking each step carefully, he moved about the rats and other vermin among their feet. But before he could continue any further, she was holding onto him. His head whipped back to see her form, staring at a rat which had waddled past them. A slight smile traced the corner of his mouth and slowly faded into the darkness. As she lifted her eyes to him, uttering an apology, Lucian could do nothing but stare down at her. As he helped her stand upright, he smiled tenderly and pulled her even closer to his body. He stared into her eyes, moving the bit of hair from over them. When her face was clear, he smiled and lowered his face closer to hers. he placed a hand on her cheek, feeling her skin with his thumb. Slowly he leaned in closer, closing his eyes, he placed his lips against hers softly. Once contact was made, he held it there for a few seconds then slowly pulled himself away from hers. he stared into her eyes, waiting for a reply from her as his lips quietly uttered, "sorry.."

This is awkward. As she was assisted to stand straight again and she saw the faint grin on his lips, the she-wolf felt herself being pulled closer towards the alpha's chest. Their eyes connected in those moments, and many thoughts raced through Callista's mind. Of their first  meeting, of how he helped her then and how he had just helped her now, and how she now served him and needed to repay Lucian for all he had done for her. For him, she knew it was as simple as handing her the vial of his blood that day, but for her it had been the single most important event in her life so far. At that angle and such close proximity she saw the fine features of his face, the different tints of colour in his hair and most of all she could feel the heat of his skin. He was the first born, the original of their species; he held power and a unique quality that she could not explain. Unlike her expected reaction to being forced so intimately with another, she did not fight him away or remove herself, but just simply remained where he held her. She followed his fingers with her gaze as they brushed aside the few strands of hair that fell over her dark brown orbs, allowing him still to do as he wished. Ultimately, she knew what was going to happen, she was not a fool. What a strange setting for it though. The male's hand cupped her cheek, and she felt the olive skin grow hot. Whether she had blushed or whether it was just his hot palm she wasn't sure. Subconsciously, one hand snaked up his shirt and clenched the material at his collar. Within moments, their lips were gently pressed together and her mouth moulded softly to fit with his. His eyelids had dropped but hers were still open, watching him calmly. Seconds later they were separated again with him apologising.

Confusion was the first feeling to surface. She had never expected to be close with the alpha in such a way and she couldn't fathom if she wanted to or not. Lucian was different to her, he had a special role in her life, but she knew that of course she did not love him. For now, all she did was shrug and took a small step back, letting go of his shirt and slipping her hands into their usual position in her pockets. "You said to grab onto you if I needed to and I did. As for what just happened, don't worry about it". Breaking eye contact, the beta female looked down the current tunnel they had been walking down and began to move along it once again while she thought back to what he had been saying before the kiss. "I shall try to find the healer, either myself or to send someone else out on the search. You say humans are gong to be making moves? More wolves are definitely going to be needed against them. If you think going out and looking for more of us together would be of any use, then sure. Where do you suppose we should go?", she asked as she glanced over her shoulder at the silhouette of his figure.

She accepted the kiss, enjoyed it even. Possibly. He could not be entirely sure. She moved from him almost as quick as she could. He had made things awkward, but to Lucian it only felt like it was the right thing to do. The werewolves would need an Alphess to look up to as well, perhaps a kind and considerate one to be the opposite of his brash and aggressive tones. Lucian was not an easy wolf to get along with, it took a special character to be able to accomplish such a feat. He looked to her and then the tunnels around them. Not the best place to share a first kiss, but still a good start to their expanding relationship, not only as Beta and Alpha, but possibly more. He shrugged as he thought to himself and rolled his shoulders backward, looking at her again. "I have wandered to the Lavender Lounge, but I think they would gather in the wilds, or perhaps other neutral lands. Not many know of me, from what I have heard, but we need to open up and expose ourselves so they will come to us. If we can grab only a handful more, we will be more suited than we could even begin to imagine. We could take this pack and make something great of it. Two dominant figures leading the way into battle, if that sort of thing actually comes to be."

Standing with her now, he tilted his head to the side, "come, we have much more ground to catch.." He walked for a few paces and soon a scent covered his nose. It was a strange one, but not completely foreign. He had smelled it before, in his borders and around the territory. A low snarl rippled from his lips as he stared into the darkened tunnels. He quickly picked up his pace and moved about the way he knew. Taking a deep breath, he was ready for anything to come out at them. He had an idea of what it was, but the scent was strong and it was here. It was here now. Lucian did not shift for the ceiling was already close to his head in his human form. He looked back to Callista, "stay close, we have company here.."

Four paws had found their way into the tunnels. His nose led him to the inner tunnels, searching for food. The small vermin were not a delectable meal, but they were something to eat. The starved creature had been wandering for a long time now, until finally making his way to the tunnels themselves. From which way he entered, he did not know. Which way he should travel, he did not know. He only knew of one thing, to eat and survive. He moved through the tunnel, slow at first, acclimating to the change in atmosphere, the poor lighting and the intense smells trapped within the walls. The first scampering of feet he heard, led down a dark and gloomy path. But he followed anyway, relying on his senses more than his own eyes. The pools of water were cold to the touch, but his pads had been used to the chill of winter. His tail curled behind his back as he moved, head low to the ground. The first thing to spring before his muzzle, was the small fat body of a rat. The wolf snarled quietly, though the voice echoed around him. Might as well give it a good show, he thought as he pushed his weight to his rear paws. He pounced in the dark, feeling the small creature beneath his mighty paws, fighting for its life. It even bit at him, while the wolf fastened his jaws around the smallish creature. The rat eventually came to its end, dying in his grasp. He bit and tugged at the thing, ripping the head off and devouring the rest of the body.

With a slightly filled stomach, he continued on his way, searching for the sounds of other prey to eat. For a few moments, there was complete silence, forcing the wolf to move even deeper into the tunnels, finding a couple areas that were well lit from the sun filled holes above. Hours he spent down here, and the prey had scattered. His stomach grumbled with the anticipation to devour more things. But he could find none. As he continued to travel on his way, a distinct and powerful smell attacked his flared nostrils. Werewolves. He snarled and lowered his body to the floor, barely grazing the water on his stomach. But the wolf knew it would be soon to where the others would discover him. Starvation and confusion forced the wolf to propel himself forward. He stood at about half the height of the humans forms before him. They smelled of werewolves, but did not look like any he had seen before. Normally they were large and over powering. These "wolves" looked like humans. Feeling a wild hair up his back, he snarled and growled to the male in front. "Greetings fake wolves... such a pleasure to see you both. Now do me a favor and surrender, so that I may eat you both and fill my belly."

Watching him as he started to speak, she stopped moving and stood calmly. Her fingers balled into fists within her pockets and then flexed out again as she thought of other things whilst still listening to his voice, hearing most of what he was was saying. The werewolfess mused over what could become of the pack in the future; whether he was hinting at her having the opportunity to lead alongside him if she was able to recruit new members, whether their relationship could develop further to a level of friendship or something else, and whether he actually had plans for a war. "Wilds would seem like a likely place to find others of our kind. So maybe we could hangout there and search for them. We'd have to think of a strategy as to how we could advertise the pack to the wolves without humans and other races knowing of us also. Perhaps like a secret network or a hidden code. I agree, with a few more packmates we could do so much, and show the other races what greatness truly is". The idea of creating a strong, loyal pack of fighters to battle against the pathetic cult of vampires and humans would make Callista's cold heart pump faintly and slowly with adrenaline. The pupils of her eyes dilated, making them appear dark with desire for the possible bloodshed.

Still occupied somewhat by her thoughts as they ventured deeper through the darkness, she glanced to the male quickly with steady, dark orbs as a snarl erupted from his throat. Following him as silently as possible through the water, the she-wolf maintained a quick pace to match the alpha's hurried movements. There was no awkwardness between the beta and her leader now, whatever the kiss earlier had signified and whatever the reason for it was currently forgotten as she scented the heavy air of the passage. Beneath the many smells of decay, rats and filthy water she could detect the smell that belonged to the threat which Lucian had picked up on. A familiar scent of a predator, not too dissimilar from themselves. It was something she had smelled before sometimes outside her den as she slept, and she recalled noticing the smell briefly as they had travelled through the forest to these tunnels. Callista was not afraid nor much concerned, but stayed close behind the alpha as he requested her to. Hearing the snarling, she glanced down and saw the wolf from which the sound came from approaching them. Although it was tall, it was thin and evidently hungry, she could smell the rat blood around his muzzle. The beta smirked as she watched it threaten to attack Lucian and communicated to them both, arching an amused brow at its words. The creature looked confused to see them, and driven insane by his hunger, seemed to think he was able to kill and eat the two werewolves stood over him. She leaned against the wall to the side of the male of her own species and folded her arms across her chest, considering making a sarcastic reply or shifting to her primal form and seeing how much it thought she was a "fake wolf" after that. However she made no move to speak nor hurt the wolf as she found him quite entertaining and simply stood back, glancing to her alpha for something to happen and equally prepared to attack if needed.

This was familiar, all too familiar. The stench of dank water filled with the smell of decay and garbage and of course, rats. To his side there were even some broken shards of alcohol bottles bobbing along in the water, most likely from previous visitors having thrown them out of rage or accident. The labels had been torn off either from the force or just aged and peeled off. He could even smell some alcohol mixed with the sewer water. Vodka, rum, whiskey and gin among many others. His enhanced sense of smell would recognize those particular smells anywhere even when they were broken and dissolved with liquid. No wine but no one would pour wine down the toilet, not willingly anyway. That was the good stuff. It would've been a good place to go if he had some kind of obsessive interest in collecting broken bottles. As it was, he was down here purely to explore. Tunnels were complex mazes with many twists and turns. It was a challenge he relished in and the possibility of getting lost was only another challenge that he knew he could overcome. As usual, he'd spent the time getting accustomed to his surroundings, inspecting every nook and cranny for any cracks or abrasions that might become a problem in the future. He kept his ears and eyes open for signs of his fellow pack-mates as well as other dangers such as poisonous insects or sharp objects. As he walked in the darkness warily, one calloused hand brushing against the hard walls to feel his way across and feet taking careful, assured steps three scents wafted through the air invading his senses. One was his Beta, the other...the other was one that he had come to know as his Alpha. And the third smelt like a normal wolf which was the only puzzling piece of the overall jigsaw puzzle of people present in the tunnels. Following the scent, he slowed to a stop as it got closer at an intersection.

A tunnel to his left, one to his right and one straight ahead. The one straight ahead was the one that led him to his fellow pack-mates and the wolf. The one to his right was the one that he had traveled along earlier so he knew it connected to the tunnel ahead which would lead him to his pack-mates all the same. He heard the wolf snarl, a threatening one that signaled he was willing to attack. There was no way a normal wolf could harm two werewolves but under-estimating the opponent was the most dangerous thing someone could do and perhaps, in one of those very rare chances, the wolf could get lucky. Darius made up his mind instantly. A pack was a pack. Family was family. He would be there to help because that was what family did. The good news was he smelt like a combination of leftover fish that had been left out in the sun too long and dirty water (he'd had to wrestle in a dumpster for a stunt for work earlier). This had not improved when he'd gone gallivanting in the tunnels without showering beforehand. So the wolf, being pre-occupied with his Alpha and Beta, would most likely think that he was rotting fish and sewer water if he got close. Most likely. But Darius was a werewolf at any rate. He could handle a normal wolf. And even if he wasn't, he had fought larger animals and won before. Silently and swiftly, he made his way down the tunnel on his right keeping close to the wall. And he spotted the figures ahead, illuminated in the few pockets of sunlight that shone through the holes at the top of the tunnels. The wolf was visibly starving. Spying the headless dead rat a few meters behind it, he edged closer. He was on the wolf's left shrouded in black though that didn't matter. He was easily visible for a wolf who could see clearly as day in the dark. There was nothing for it. He had to reveal himself but in a way that would benefit his pack-mates. There was one thing he could do and that was provide a distraction, a signal for them to attack if it may be. He cupped his hands around his mouth and called out in a loud, booming voice with words that were taunting and jeering,"Hey, who's afraid of the big bad wolf?!"

"The wolves could also be hiding among the city areas. If we make a common and easily noticeable mark, the wolves will find it, but the humans will be oblivious to it. Much like dragging your claws through a tree, you can give these marks to buildings, street lights, or ever the trees within the city itself. The werewolves will be able to smell our scent and hopefully look to joining us. We will go to the wilds, and leave the marks there as well. That is the only thing we can really do without being found by the humans, or worse, vampires.." he whispered to her. But soon they were joined by an unwanted guest. When the wolf appeared, Lucian gave a smirk to the newcomer. A snarl rippled from his throat as the words, "fake wolves" were heard. He could control himself for a short while. He held his human form, holding back the aggressive primal form from showing itself here and now. "Fake wolves, you say? What gives you the right to call us fake wolves? We all come from the same genus you moron.." he snarled as he stared to the wolf. His eyes narrowed on the creature, watching the form it had taken. It was defensive and also aggressive at the same time. "I suggest you leave wolf, go back to where you came from before this becomes a negative situation for yourself."

Lucian smelled the scent of another werewolf within the tunnels. The scent had hardly been covered by the stench rotting fish. It was a horrid smell, especially with their fresh air gone. They were trapped within the tunnels, unable to see barely any of the open sunlight of the fresh sun. He heard the call of the male, his chastising words towards the wolf, he assumed. His eyes looked to the male, but moved back to the wolf. This was a new werewolf, one he had not yet met, but he figured Callista had discovered and accepted him into the pack. "You seemed to be even more outnumbered than before. The jig is up canine. It's time for you to leave, before you find yourself headless.."

...*pokes NPC Wolf*