We Need To Talk [Lucian]

Eden pulled her hair into a sleek, bright blonde pony-tail which ran along down her back to at most below her shoulder-blades in length. She managed to pull on a pair of leather brown boots to keep her shins warm before grabbing a sweater to pull over her tanktop on the way out. Tucked in her boots were her favorite jeans. They were perfectly fitted to her figure and beaten black and blue to it's best. Small tears formed around where her knees were, mostly due to the stress she had put them through lately. Her kind was naturally warm on their own, as their animal-like souls contained a none-human body temperature, much stronger than that of a mortal. She was lucky enough to also enjoy this season, too. The shifter wore no make-up to cover her smooth, lightly tanned complexion, and decided her best bets were to go all natural and comfortable for what she had planned for the evening. Instead of her usual bright blue eyes, they were hidden behind the lens of her thick-framed reading glasses she mostly used only in the office. She looked at her watch around her wrist and bit her lip just slightly. In one hand, she held one of her favorite books, while the other was a fresh cup of coffee. A sigh withdrew from her lips as she remembered her days of mourning had finally ceased, though a majority shall probably haunt her for eternity. A thudding of paws came up behind her, to soon accompany her thigh with a warm leaning gesture of welcome. She forced a smile down at Bronx before scratching behind his ear and clipping on his leash to take him out. Looking out into the open, she let out one of her hands to catch a fallen warrior dressed in red and yellow, their suits freshly made and still rubbery around the ends. Eden held the specimen and cradled it as if it where her young as she walked off into the neutralized zones amongst Lunari today.

Casually moving onto the sidewalks, Eden decided to keep the leaf as a souvenir for this year's autumn and possibly place it under a rock nearest to her loved one's graves. She would do this because the leaves did not stretch that far into the meadows, and so that Diallo and Shailene too, could enjoy the colors this year has provided. She looked both ways before crossing the street into what looked to appear like a dog park. The regina made herself comfortable against a tree that had yet to be marked by one of the canines roaming the opposing half of the public greenery. Bronx seemed to have a steady gaze on a particular female off into the distance whom was playing Frisbee with what she assumed was her owner. Unfortunately, Eden knew that the likelihood of his intentions becoming a reality were impossible. She patted him and then tapped the ground next to her for him to lay, which he obeyed quietly too so that he could lay his head across her one thigh. The tigress pulled out her phone and began staring at the one contact that still found a way in her life. Lucian. Calmly, she looked up to see if anyone were in range of hearing, sniffing the air slowly to take in any familiar scents that could lead to a possible threat. She smelt mostly mortal, none which smelt of Diallo's killer or any of that sort. This was good, the coast was clear. Pressing the green call button, she closed her eyes, took a breath and eased the phone up to her ear. It started to ring. "Pick up.." She whispered while cupping her cup of coffee with her freehand and watching Bronx at her side safely. Now with what all had been happening to her kind, she tended to bring her dog out a lot more often for protection. If she were to bring her dragon out, she'd probably be arrested, and officials would try to either kill Armagedon or sell him back to the black market, if that were even possible. "Come on, Lucian.." She mumbled again, hearing it ring for the third time.

There was something to be said about the lonely. It was often something they could not help. Lucian was lonely. After losing his chance with Eden, he discovered he could have companionship after all. It was in a dog, a male to rest beside him, to keep him company. Others might think of the brute as weak for needing such an animal, but in reality, he did not care. Lucian knew this dog, Kane, would be of great help to him. If only the dog understood the concept of sleeping in. Low growls escaped from the canine's lips, and the tugging of the blankets began. Lucian pulled them back onto his form each time, and eventually rolled them around his body. But it did not stop the woken pup. Though he was two years of age, he often held a puppy-like nature. He was rambunctious and wold most days, filled with hyper activity and spirit. Most days, Lucian accepted it, even welcomed it. But today, he did not. He only wanted to sleep, for maybe a few more hours. But Kane had other plans for the pair. At first it was the tugging, but when it failed, he started barking. First they started out low, then they climbed to higher voices. The barks echoed in the cave, bouncing off the walls and surrounding his ears as he tried to sleep through it. The sound was too much. He covered his ears, but still Kane did not cease. The large dog ran to the entrance of the den. Finally Lucian thought he could sleep, he believed the dog to have taken himself for a walk. How wrong he was. The large male came trotting back with his leash draped gently between his jaws. He jumped onto the bed and dropped the leash on Lucian's head. The metal beat against his head and an angered moan escaped from his lips. "Damnit Kane..." but he did not strike the dog. In fact, he did not even think of hurting the smaller creature. Instead he reached out his hand and rubbed the pup's head. "Fine, we shall get up. But we are not going to the lake again for you to get all muddy. Instead we will go to the dog park. Perhaps you can bother some other mutts instead of me."

He grabbed the collar around Kane's neck and latched the leash onto it. He stirred from his bed and changed his clothes into something more street-appropriate. When he was dressed and presentable, he grabbed his coat. It was not for the reason that he needed the warmth, but for the purpose of keeping appearances. In the fall the winds picked up and the humans started to bundle themselves up. Kane stood ready and waiting at the waterfall. His tail wagged and his eyes lit up looking to his master. "Alright boy, wait." But the dog whined and cried as his tail wagged faster and faster. "Fine, you win. But I will be getting a coffee from the cafe before we go." He reached down and grabbed the leash and walked out with Kane. As they stepped through the water, Lucian covered them with his umbrella, and then rested it near the entrance to his den. There was no point to them getting soaked when there was no rain falling from the sky. It would look suspicious. As the pair walked out of their territory, they made it for neutral lands. By now, Kane knew the way, he knew where he wanted to go, and he tugged the leash slightly as they strolled. He tucked his hand into his pocket and walked with him, keeping their quick pace. When they made it to the streets, Kane slowed. He knew he was about to rest outside the cafe, waiting for Lucian to get his cup. Kane rested his rump outside the place while Lucian walked inside. He was only gone for a few minutes, and many people came to pet Kane as he waited. Finally Lucian appeared, and grabbed the leash once more.

Heading for the dog park, Lucian felt his phone vibrate. He stopped walking and pulled it out of his pocket. The screen displayed a single name "Eden". Was he going to answer it? Did she find out the truth? How was he going to be able to speak to her? As he was about to push the button, Kane lunged forward. The leash was ripped from Lucian's hand and off the dog went. "Kane!" he yelled as he tucked his phone into his pocket and ran after him. Kane dashed for the dog park, they were so close he could smell it. His tail wagged behind him as his leash dragged on the floor. When he made it to the park, he rested at the outside of the gate. He whined and wagged his tail. "Kane! Don't you ever run off like that!" He looked to the dog as he ran to him. He knelt down to his knee and rustled his hand in his fur. He had been worried for his companion, but when he finally saw what Kane had been staring at, his heart dropped. Eden was here. He took a deep breath and unlatched the leash from the collar. With a single push of the lever, he unlocked the gate and allowed Kane entrance to the park. Immediately, the male ran around the territory, lifting his leg and marking various spaces. When he finally slowed, he moved to Eden and her dog, sniffing the dog laying on the ground. He took steps back and barked at him, trying to get the pit bull to play. Lucian watched all this as he walked through the park and locked the door behind him. As he stood there, looking to Eden, he was speechless. Taking a few steps, he walked up to her side and spoke gently, "Eden, sorry I missed your call. I figured seeing you in person would be for the better."

As the phone went to voice-mail, her eyebrows narrowed and her lips flattened to an annoyed frown. She pressed the locking button before it could cue the tone to record a message, gently throwing it to the ground next to her thigh. Sighing, Eden ran her fingers down her pony-tail and looked to Bronx, whom lifted his chin from his legs to look back at her. "Looks like it's just me and you.." She mumbled to the canine, even though she knew he couldn't respond in any other way than to stare or put his head back down in a silent agreement. Before she could lean her head back against the tree or so as to dare try calling again, she turned her face right and left to hear shouting. Bronx too had turned his head along with hers as he wished to know the loud commotion. He usually ran away at the sound of yelling, as Diallo seemed to do it once in a while to show who was in charge. It wasn't hard once the dog had found that tigers were a lot bigger than pitbulls. Perhaps a dog had broke into a playful tackle which took a wrong bite and the owners were yelling at one another to control their animals. Eden looked around, only to be met with two brown eyes and a friendly tongue-lolled smile. The tigress returned the smile with a weaker one, holding out her hand to let him sniff her before it's attention turned to her companion lying next to her. "Someone wants you, Bronx. Go say hi.." The dog seemed to not want to move from her side, and looked at her in the fear of being alone with the other. "Do it for Daddy?" Eden pleaded to her dog, allowing him to play, so he did. The brown and blue-eyed pit slowly moved up and stretched before moving carefully around the shepherd's side to sniff it's end. She began to wonder where this dog's owner was, maybe they were looking for them, or were just trusting enough to allow the pet to wander alone for a while with the other dogs. She thought this because it would be the same for her if Bronx were the shepherd next to him.

She watched them for a short moment, only to be taken away to the individual standing near her. Eden knew who it was before she could turn her head to look at him. Her soft blue eyes peered slowly up at him, darkening in color with the despair she had contained, along with the slight feeling of joy that he was here. She always was able to feel a sudden comfort whenever Lucian used to be around her. For some reason, that comfort had not been able to rub off quite yet despite their lack of contact. "Seems to be that you had your hands full anyway.." She said quietly, grabbing the side of the tree to help herself up and to then cross her arms over her some-what large chest. The shifter looked to her dog, whom was wagging their tail and enjoying a playful conversation with the other by mumbling soft whines and yips. He has done this ever since he was found, Eden remembered. Looking to Lucian, the first thing she saw were his eyes. The pain of seeing the color only brought sadness to her mind. She hated this. "..How've you been?" The Regina had not wanted this to be a small-talk conversation. There were things that truthfully needed to be discussed asides what they've been up to this entire time during their departure. He certainly hadn't changed a bit in appearance, though she wondered if he knew what had happened to her. Eden knew that it was over the news. The sudden possibility of enormous tigers in that part of the neutrals was a danger according to the news, she only could wonder if Lucian knew that was really a shifter. Probably not. "I didn't know you had a dog.." She mumbled, innocently glancing at him behind her large, hipster-shaped glasses.

Kane barked and used his paws to push against the other dog, wagging his tail and being as hyper as ever. He smiled to the dogs as they played, while he looked to Eden. She was as gorgeous as he remembered and beneath her beauty, he could see the sadness. What had he done to her? He took away her love, he took away her joy, but most of all.. He broke her heart. Lucian felt horrible on the inside, but he knew he had done the right thing. It wasn't as if he killed Diallo himself. It was the human. Should he tell her of the human? Or just kill him and save the trouble. His green eyes, how they hid his deepest and darkest secrets. When she stood up, he wished to wrap his arms around her, to pull her close and kiss her like he once had before. But he knew it was far too soon. He did want to comfort her, for her loss, and the endless amount of loneliness he felt without her. "Oh Kane, he's a friend of mine's dog. He passed away and I was asked to take care of him, so here we are." It had been a lie of course, but how could he tell her the truth, that he needed companionship after he found out about her and Diallo. Maybe things would be easier if he could find a way for her to want to be in his arms. He could tell her he knew of Diallo's fate or he could tell her the truth. So many decisions rolled in his mind. But which was the right one? "I have been.. better to say the least. How about you?" He paused for a moment and tried to muster a small smile. "I heard about your loss, and I am sorry. It's never easy losing a loved one. I should know. I seem to lose everyone and everything I care about. I'm surprised after all these months that Kane is still by my side. He's a good dog." He smiled gently, and drank some of his coffee. He looked to Eden and fought off the feeling to hug her close to him. "How is your pack taking the news?"

Sympathy shaded in the color of her eyes as she looked up at Lucian, but her lips remained as sealed as a fragile package that was preparing to travel across the giant lake. There seemed to be too many deaths all of a sudden, perhaps it was a sign that the world was falling apart after all. Despite the fact they shared a common bond between their loved ones perishing beneath anothers hands, Eden did not feel the need to discuss further than just a simple nod. When he asked her of how she was, she had no words to respond with. Where to begin, she thought, rolling the emotions and images around in the depths of her mind. "I've been.. better." She finally managed to say, which was in reality a thick lie to cover up what she really wanted to answer, brushing her fingers slowly through the ends of her platinum blonde hair. "I guess.." Forcing herself to stop fiddling, she balled her hand into neat little fist and held it behind her with one hand clutched around her forearm. It didn't surprise her to know that the werewolf knew of her lover's death, nor did it bother her to hear his concern for her. They could relate strongly on such topics, but bringing up the past would only surface the feelings once more. She didn't need another endless amount of tears coming out of her cheeks while wallowing in the silence of her, what is now, empty den. "I'm used to the amount of losses.. I loved him.. and my daughter very much. I just hope for the best of them now, to wherever they may be." She was not sure if Lucian knew that about her, they had not spoken in so long, it felt as if they were still strangers some how to each other.

When he asked her about how her pack was coping with the idea of their Rex's death, she shot up a dumb look, how was she supposed to know? Or, for the matter, why did she want to know the pain of others? She instantly took back the look and shook it off with a shrug before sweeping the topic in total away. Eden didn't want to talk anything of death or mourning anymore - now was a time for importance. It would make it a lot easier for her to speak to him if it weren't for his luscious green eyes staring down at her. "I was calling you to talk about our packs.. actually. Now that the humans are interfering and getting closer to my kind, my rank has become a target. Jagara, my Auxiliary, has held close relations I've heard with your Beta. I still have yet to meet with her upon what all she's learned, but I was wanting to kn-" A huge force pushed on her back thighs, sending her forwards by the lack of balance. She pressed unintentionally against Lucian and looked behind her to see what had caused her to almost fall. It was Bronx, backing up between her legs as Kane had rounded him into a cornered position. Perhaps the other canine was almost too playful for the pitbull. Now that Diallo was gone, there wasn't a lot of joy in the canine of hers. "I-I.. um. I'm sorry about that, Lucian." Pressing one of her hands against his chest, she took the other around her dog's collar and pried him away so she could stand. "Where was I again?" She said, looking up at him as her body was to the slightest of an inch from his body. Their heights differed immensely.

She has a daughter? he thought to himself as he looked to her. One hand stayed in his pocket, grabbing at the material of his jacket, while his other held the coffee cup. He took a sip of it as he listened to her speaking of her loss. He knew loss, he knew it well enough to know when it was time to let it go. But what Lucian did not know, was if he played a hand in the death of her daughter. If he had, if Wesley had found the daughter and father together, and taken both of their lives, he would never forgive the human of such an act. He would kill him with even more pain than he had planned before. He was curious to know that eden had a daughter, let alone that she had lost her as well. What did happen to the young tiger cub? He was not going to push the subject for hopes that she would forget about it in his presence. In the time she had been gone from his life, Lucian had loved her all along. He realized it their last date before she slipped from his sights. No texts. No calls. There was no contact between them both. Many times Lucian had found his finger hovering over her contact in his phone. But he could never build the courage to call her. She would come to him when she was ready. But time passed and no contact came from Eden. He would have to play his own hand into fate. He made the deal with the devil, the brown-eyed son of a bitch. But what the human did not know, was that Lucian had planned to go back on his word from the start. As an act of love, he would bring the bastard's dead body for Eden to do with as she pleased. The thought of this almost forced a smile to surface from their gloomy conversation. But he knew that could spiral her out of control. "Eden, I had no idea you had a daughter. I am sorry for your loss. The loss of your mate is one thing, but losing a child is irreplaceable. No parent should have to bury their young. Not ever." His voice was soft as velvet when he sympathized with her. It mostly had been when they spoke to one another. He loved her after all. "A while back, I studied the human folklore, and they speak of a place so peaceful and perfect that the angels themselves live there. It's called Heaven, and though I do not know if this place does exist, I like to think my loved ones are there, with yours, and they are enjoying their afterlives together." But Lucian was not thinking of his mate, no, he was thinking of his son. Jasten was taken far too soon and far too young. With the change of subject from her lips, Lucian averted his mind to think of other things, of neutral things. His pack, for one, was something she wished to speak of.

"Ah, yes, Beta Callista.. I have smelled a Shifter upon her body, but I did not know if it was a friendship or much more than that. I will have to discuss with her on the subject. But as far as an alliance, I would be open to it. I would not want the humans to cause anymore pain than they already have for your species." But when Lucian wished to speak more on the matter, Eden was pushed into him. His eyes immediately caught the pups playing, and knocking into her. Kane had forced the other male to be pinned against his mother. His barks were low as they tried to ease the other pup from the human-things. But it came to no avail. It seemed the pitbull had been frightened by the large German Shepherd and would not leave his mother's side. Kane, heel.. he thought to the other as he glared to the German Shepherd, just as Eden looked to her own pup. Kane lowered his ears against his head and moved slowly to sit beside Lucian's leg. When Kane had silenced himself and looked to the other, he finally released a whine. Get out of here, go play.. Lucian commanded through his mind to the other. Kane moved from the couple and headed for the water bowl a few feet from where he was. When she pressed against him, it felt like a defibrillator had been used on his heart, jump starting it to force adrenaline to course through his veins. He did not want it to end. But she moved only a few inches from him. "Do not apologize, it was an accident." Lucian placed the coffee cup down, almost tossing it to the ground as he pulled his other hand out of his pocket. With both of his arms, he grabbed Eden and pulled her close to him once again. Only this time, her face was pressed against his chest and he rested his head on top of hers. He breathed slowly, inhaling and exhaling as calmly as he could. He wrapped his arms around her, tight and close, protecting her body from the elements around them. With Lucian, the wind would not bother her, and the cold would not shock her.

Suddenly, Eden realized a change in her dog's behavior, as he removed himself quietly from her side to then begin in a slow trot far from them to the center of the park. Her brows furrowed at the strange display, how quickly that had altered in a matter of minutes. Perhaps it was because Kane had backed off and allowed the pitbull some room - whatever it was, she dismissed it and shook her head slightly before fixating her attention back on the werewolf leader. "I've heard of heaven, though my beliefs do not stretch that far for it being true. My family taught me to believe in the stars rather than what the humans look beyond them. However...I shall have to save that for another time when we discuss such argumentative topics in a more, less opinionated area. We don't want to start a debate.." She said with a soft laugh, noticing an elderly couple slowly walk on passed with a few small dogs at each of their sides. The image made her smile fade as the memories of loneliness returned. She would most likely never be able to feel that ever again. Taking off her glasses, she wiped them gently with the end of her shirt, revealing a small amount of skin which consisted of her hipbone and a hint of her tattoo. When Lucian spoke of an alliance, her mood brightened fairly quickly. She put her glasses back up and smiled, "That's wonderful. And even more wonderful to know our right-hands are way ahead of us in getting along.. It means the world to me, Lucian, and I promise to keep our ties only between us. You're the only alliance I've made in my position of Regina. I only hope our kinds become well adapted to being around each other a lot more.." The tigress said, the color of her hues finally, after so long of being grey, grew to as crystal as the ocean blue.

As he brought her disruptively into his arms after her clumsy act, Eden looked up at him in first alarm, but slowly adjusted to the wall which she was pressed into. His body was firm, built as strong as a bull, not even the most fit NFL player could compare to what she felt. She couldn't remember how long it had been since she was in a man's arms like this, but she wasn't complaining either. The Regina shared a nice relationship with Lucian, and sought to find a brighter future now that they were open to an agreement if war ever came or danger closed in on her race, or even her, and likewise. Her cheek leaned against his chest and her arms found a way around his lean torso. She felt his chin settle atop her head, and the strengthening of his broad arms squeeze her even closer, if it were remotely possible. If anything, she almost believed to be stuck to him, until she slowly hugged him back and released him so she could breathe. "I've missed you, Alpha. It's been a long time.." Stepping on the ends of her toes, Eden attempted to get as close as she could to his level so she could quickly kiss his cheek and stand back down. Backing up, she shyly held her arms behind her back and smiled down at the ground as she rocked on the balls of her feet. She sheepishly laughed before looking back up at him, "I wish I could show you my lands, they're quite nicer than the neutrals.. but treaty is treaty." Shrugging, she smiled still, "What is your pack like? I never had the chance to ask after I ran out on you when.. you.." Thinking back, Eden remembered it as clear as day. She had made a excuse after kissing him back, as she was too confused with knowing who to love more and what would be better for everyone else rather than herself. Turns out, she truly loved Diallo, and it seemed more natural to choose him over all. But, in another look, she was attracted to the strong werewolf, a different creature other than herself and something considered as a beast to all man-kind, when really, they were of the many beautiful creatures just like the shifters, trying to live in peace but fighting to get by till freedom is reached. They would be fighting forever, both races, and hopefully with their alliance, that would no longer come a problem if defeat arrives. They would have each other. "But," She quickly said, holding up a finger before laughing it off, "in my defense, I do have a dragon with a hearty appetite at home.."

"It is only something you can think about to make things better. Thinking positively will help to keep your mind at ease. Yes, they are not coming back, but in order to move on, you have to become 'okay' with it in a way. They will always be in your heart and nobody or anything can take them away or change that for you. But you also need to let them go. Thinking about them constantly will only leave you in a depressed state." He looked to Eden, trying to sort though everything in his mind. He stared to her, then looked the two dogs. They were off on their own, keeping far from him as he had told them. Kane seemed to be attacking the other as before, playfully of course, but again the pitbull seemed to dislike it. If Eden truly wanted an alliance, then Lucian was going to have to think on it. He knew Demetri was after his race, he knew Demetri was after his own head. The Vampire King had made a promise in the crimson of his mother's blood. It was a blood pact, that one day the two males would be pit against one another on the battlefield. It was this reason, that Lucian withheld from agreeing to it right away. "Eden, my pack is not the best to be aligned with. There is a clan, much stronger and older than both you, myself and the humans. The Vampires seek our blood more than anything else. They claim it keeps them young and youthful. We have had a hatred for each other since my kind was created. If anything happens, I would not want your kind to be attacked. I will have to think of this alliance idea and I shall return to you with an answer when I have one. As of right now, I will say it is an interesting one indeed." He paused for a moment as he looked to her in deep thought. "But I will promise you this... If anything happens to you or your pack by the hands of the humans, I will defeat them for you. What they did to your family is unforgivable." With their embrace, Lucian stopped speaking. She pressed against him, close and he wrapped his arms around her. He loved the feeling of her being close to him once again. He immediately thought of the night he kissed her for the first time. She ran from him that night, and it had been the last he saw her for months. Lucian thought of trying to kiss her again, but it was far too soon. He did not want to lose her again. Instead, he allowed her the space she needed. Instead of telling her how much he thought of her, how much he loved her, how much he wanted to be with her, he spoke these simple words to her in a somber and low tone. "Eden, it has been far too long.." He gave her a faint smile, charming and satisfying as if he had given her the full blown style. When her skin touched his own, her lips set his already warm-blooded skin felt like it was set aflame. It burned with a desire from her lips, sending all kinds of signals throughout his body. But he knew it was only as a friend type of kiss. She was not ready. Perhaps even Lucian himself was not ready. He was unsure, to be completely honest to himself. "My pack is very interesting. I have many and yet few. Our strength is unmatched, even to the Vampires I am sure of it. But that could be because I am so proud of them. They are growing in their training, learning the things I can teach them. I have only one who I truly trust to hold a high rank, Callista is her name. I believe she is the one who is friends with your Beta? I apologize for not knowing your ranks. I can only compare them to what I know as my own. I have a few Warriors underneath us, a couple has recently expressed their love for one another. I have no doubt that in the coming months they will be welcoming young of their own to the pack. There are few others after that. But what of your pack? I would like to know of your ranking system." But the most interesting thing she had said through their whole conversation, was the fact that she owned a mythical beast. "You own a dragon? How is this even possible? Is it alive?"

The Regina paid little attention to the domestic as they shared their acts of barking and playfulness within the confinements of the clean cut grass. She was far more fascinated in finally reaching an appetizing conversation with the werewolf she had made strong ties so fast with. The tigress knew of the consequences, for she was very wise and alone she was able to study the liked of vampirism as it could be a possible threat to her shifters - she would sacrifice herself to save such a beautiful species. She nodded along, to whatever advice Lucian had to grant her that she had already heard room others which had attempted to sympathize with her amongst her clan. But they were no match, only a true victim of such a loss could compare - and Lucian was a prime example which she was whole heartedly willing to listen to if it be the last of her. "Your numbers may not be the strongest, or wisest, but I have faith, and that faith rests only in one individual's hands.. And those are yours. The vampires may be stronger upon genetics, but love conquers all." Eden attempted a broad, shining smile as the color in her eyes soon returned with one fast blink. "I know full well of what I am risking, but I am need of a savior within such dangerous times.. And if war were to erupt, you'd be the last other than my race I would want to see perish. I only wish to grant your protection as well and vice versa. Take as long as need be... I ensure you that this will not be the last we speak again.. If not then I can only hope." It was indeed true that the humans had made a great impact on the maiden's life, first here father was poached when she had not even come close to the light of earth, next it be when her mother was in need of great care and the humans said they could do no work because they could not afford it. Then there was her eldest sibling - Darren, who signed for war only for Eden to find a note that he was missing in battle. That was ages ago, she could only wonder if he was alive, and pray he was alright if he were. And lastly - her first real love. It had nothing but lonely nights full of tears and endless weeping, but still the anchor did not leave her to drown in the ocean of despair, but lift her into the great blue sky.

She took one step further back and stretched out her arms, as her position had left her stiff and bent in ways which were now paying a toll on her joints. Perhaps the werewolf would be willing to sit with her rather than stand, now that the pets of theirs had found the freedom they deserved, they would be here a while. Might as we'll get comfortable until the animals wore out, she thought to herself. Her sweatshirt rode up her abdomen as she stretched out her arms, exposing the skin underneath covering her hip ones and stomach, which wove a fresh tattoo of winding roses up the half of her torso and stopped just beneath her left breast. Once she was finished, she was brought to the attention of Lucian's curiosity of her pack, as well as granting answers to her question from early involving his own. "Ah yes, Callista, is it? She must be the one that's been speaking with my Auxiliary, Jagara. Excellent right hand if I must add, she's very serious of her work. Nice feline." Eden said happily, wondering how close the two were beginning to be and smiling at the thought of there being a chance that the Shifters and Werewolves could eventually all get along. "You say your Warriors are in love? Ooh. How marvelous!" The tigress exclaimed, leaning skeptically on her toes as she wished to hear more. "I've met a Warrior of yours actually... Oh what was his name.. He was quite the mysterious fellow.. Very handsome and limited on words.. Carius... Darwick.. Darwin, perhaps? I apologize.. I don't remember names very well, mostly faces, but he treated me so kindly. Quite the gentlemen." She giggled, then slightly jumping onto him and messing up Lucian's hair purposely due to his lack of memory as well.  At least she wasn't the only one, and with that, she was not as embarrassed. "Silly goose, I've told you my ranks before," Eden hugged him strongly around his shoulders and laughed once more before releasing him. "But.. Other than my Auxiliary, Jagara who is a snow leopard. I also have an Elite, which is Epror Niko, another leopard. And for Warriors, I have a couple, but only one has stayed true to my side since the death of my significant other. His name is Kenai, a grizzley bear. He has helped me a lot in getting me back on my feet.. If it weren't for him.. I might not be in the neutrals right now. Probably still at home.." The tigress openly confessed, blushing a tad as she nervously rubbed over her elbow and looked off more towards the dogs that chased a squirrel up into its home within a tree. She looked up quickly as she remembered another, "Oh, and we just recently promoted an Omega of ours to Mender.. Real quiet girl.. I hope she breaks out of her shell soon, her name is Blake, a white lioness. Most of our ranks are felines.. Though I hope some diversity like Kenai starts to show up. I would enjoy seeing some more different faces, not that I don't love felines... But, you know? It's like having a bunch of just black werewolves come into your ranks.. You would want to see other colors as well right? Maybe it's just me.." She knew she was beginning to rant, but she couldn't help it sometimes. Once she usually started, she tended not to be able to stop until she has made her point clear. Her habits we're quite annoying, she could only hope that Lucian not be so irritated by it like most we're around her.

When the mention of the word dragon came up, evens eyes widened and she quickly covered his mouth before looking side to side. Thankfully no one had heard, or least she thought. Dragons were to be known as mystical creatures, beasts created only by myths and old folk tales, if the public were to find out, if would be the end of them. As she removed her hand, she gave him a look telling him he would have to be quiet if he wanted to know if this secret. "Sit." She indicated to the ground with a soft, short nod of her head, slowly easing onto the grass where she once was and taking a quick sip of her coffee. Once he was comfortable, she moved to his side with her journal and opened if up to a show a drawing she made of her baby dragon at home. "His name is Armageddon, and he is small, for now. Hopefully within a decade, perhaps five years if I am lucky, he should be the height of you in primal form." She spoke in a soft, slow tone so he could comprehend while she kept if at a reasonable level in fear of others ease dropping. Her smile widened, slightly shaking her head with no surprise if he was astonished that such things could be alive, "Dragon eggs are sold at the Black Market.. The woman drives a hard bargain, but he was worth it.. I was able to pay him with the money I have saved from guests staying at the island I own in the neutrals. So far he is showing scales in the color of black and gold, and showing signs of intelligence. He still has yet to fly, his wings are too small and frail. He is very much alive, indeed," the shifter paused and looked at the drawing, allowing him to take it if he wanted a better look, and if not, she would simply shut it and put it down where it was next to Bronx's leash. When she was done, she would lean against Lucian's side and look up at him with pleading eyes, "You have to promise me you'll keep this a secret. Okay?" Eden slowly then held out her tiniest finger on her hand, extending it towards him and then peering to him with complete seriousness, "Pinkie swear?"

The dogs stayed away from the pair as Lucian had commanded them both. He did not wish to be interrupted by the lesser canines again. Instead, they found other pups to play with, tackle and chase. Kane had a grand time, racing after the others and barking like a crazed loon. The Alpha watched them closely, seeing how the other humans in the park would react to his behavior. Some did not understand the dogs, how they played. Some say it as aggression, when they really did not know true aggression. They only knew what their movies portrayed as danger. Damn filmmakers. He looked to Eden, smiling to her as he watched her. "I do not want you to be in anymore danger than you are already. I will think long and hard on this alliance, and I shall get back to you on it. I promise." When she stretched her arms high above her head, his eyes trailed to her body. He caught a quickly glimpse of a tattoo, one which he imagined went up her whole side. What in interesting mark to have upon her body, and he could only allow his mind to think of it completely undressed, able to eye the rest of her naked form. Quickly, he forced himself to think of the pressing matters. He was with Eden, in public, once again. They shared a common interest in canines, though he would guess hers was a much stronger interest, as a feline had wrapped herself securely within his mind. The thought of her doing so was far more pleasant than he had originally intended. As she spoke of her "Beta", Lucian thought of complimenting his own, but would Eden react to that? What if he said something she became curious about, like how close they were or what he truly thought of her. But as Eden told Lucian of a Warrior of his she had met, he found himself feeling one such emotion he had locked away for a long time. Jealousy. He had felt it last when he discovered Eden texting Diallo, her now deceased mate. Then he was about to break the seat in the theatre, but now, he had it under control. He did not speak the name, not wanting to hear anymore of him. How much did Eden know this male and how much of her did he know? How exactly had they met and what were they doing in meeting? But once she spoke of a bear, Kenai, he could see her cheeks flush. He knew it was not due to the cold chill that had just swept past them, but something she was not telling him. Again, his rage flashed, but he did not act upon it. For Eden, he could be civil. For Eden, he could be a gentleman. And to be completely honest, he did not want the humans to discover what he was. No wolf never truly knew who they could trust. When she spoke of her next Shifter, he took little interest. It was only when she tried to compare their two packs together that he smiled briefly. "It's not quite like that among the wolves. The color of our pelt is of no importance, it is in the attitude and honor we hold to the pack. I have seen black wolves, white, tan, grey, brown, and blended coats as well. I can see how it would be different for you, a multitude of felines could be rather tiring." He knew full well the old mate of hers was a tiger, and a few others were felines, but still he could not think of how that could truly matter. As she commanded him to sit, the pup within him listened immediately. He grabbed her pinkie with his own. "I promise." When he released it, he stared at her in amazement. What else could he possibly ask her? It was a crazy thing being the owner of a dragon. "So what are you now, the mother of dragons?" he asked with a coy smile as he whispered to her.

Eden's lips morphed into a wide grin at the promising of the other within the smallest gesture of a finger, eyes twinkling much like the constellations found most bright at night fall whilst she kept a neat composure. When the nimble appendages loosened, and then departed from one another, the tigress resumed the conversation, following his question with a mild response containing a soft voice, "I'm only a mother of the shifters - they are my family, and with all do respect and honor, I will treat then just as I would with my own flesh and blood. As for the dragons.. Perhaps only the maiden of one, for now," she flashed a playful look, before hinting a small shard of humor in her tone, fixing the plastic frames of her rather large glasses to fit well against the top portion of her nose. His presence alone was enough to make her thrilled, partially overjoyed mostly due to the fact that he was no longer mad at her, if he ever was, that is. She would hate to be in such shoes to be felt like she was forgotten once after kissing another, only to watch that one figure run out and never speak to again. The situation was uncanny, but for now, she dismissed the grief and replaced it with the present. And the furniture would remain inevitable. Her upper set of teeth overlapped her bottom, plumpish lip as her gaze dazzled amongst his features a tad longer than her intentions had initially withheld. The tigress drowned herself in the flitting thoughts and suit of emotion which he had felt that night, attempting to out herself in those shoes. She drew a sharp blank other than that of abandonment - regret, perhaps even. The whispering of his voice made her smile, and the smile which danced across his mouth sent shivers down her hollow spine. All she could think was if she could pay the debt that she left behind in order to fill the void in her heart that gave her so much guilt.

The weight of her body shifted in place, leaning more so on her opposing palm closest to the werewolf's side. As she did this, she casually removed the slick hair pulled into a band at the center of her head so that it swayed over her shoulder, far from him. Her eyes moved apart from his to look at the pages of her little journal, flipping quickly passed those which had sentimental scripts of the memories - experiences both beautiful and tragic about herself. Lucian, nor anyone else was allowed to see such things apart from herself. It was her little book of secrets. The last page of the entire book, which she purposely turned to while mindlessly finding her eyes back in his, was one in fact of a werewolf. She had kept it at the back of her book in case Diallo had found it, there was still plenty of empty pages before it, as it was a way of tricking one into thinking there wasn't anything left written. Eden allowed him to look, if he wished, but her eyes could not be taken off him. This was not love which she felt, but a thin admiration for the Alpha. Still, the thoughts from earlier began to swirl. She leaned in real close and tilted her chin up towards his until the air between then was filled with both of their faces. Her lips pressed softly against his, allowing some time to pass before she felt it was long enough. The Regina looked to him with a tilted smile before chuckling quickly after as the coloring of her cheeks returned, "Thought I would pay my apologies for long ago... I hope I didn't leave a bad rep behind when I left you in that diner." It was the first time she discussed the event aloud, but as of now, things were needed to be said if they were to potentially depend on each other in the future, if there was one. Just as she was about to look away, Bronx had come running into her lap. She giggled and held her arms around the canine in welcome before petting behind his ear. She looked to see that the other dog hand returned tiredly to his owner's side, both panting and having a hard time getting their breath as they began to rest next to their laps. "Looks like we're going to get a good night sleep tonight.. Pups are all worn out. I hope I don't have to carry you home after this, bozo." She said slowly at first it Lucian before glancing to her pet.

At the shift of her delicate body, Lucian supported her weight against him. It was a simple task, one he would not take advantage of. When the wolf looked to her book, he immediately removed his eyes from the pages. He could tell this little thing was near and dear to her. But what the pages held was something entirely secret which he did not wish to see. If there was anything Eden wanted him to know, he knew she would tell him. Or he would be able to sense something in her mood change. Lucian had been pretty good about that. Eden was a very expressive being. She would often tell him things with her body language alone, allowing him to fill in the pieces with the bits of intel she would present to him. As she leaned in closer, pressing her soft and pouty lips to his own, he could not help but to kiss her back. His hand stroked her cheek gently as he moved the fragments of hair behind her ear. They stayed in this state until the Regina pulled from him. Holding back the urge to growl, he smiled. His hand stayed on her face, holding it gently in his hand. "Eden, do not worry about the past. For it is in those actions that we are who we are today." His voice was calm and smooth, like a shot of whiskey. She had this calming affect on him, turning his attitude from something animalistic to peaceful. He would have spoken to her more about his affections, or even kissed her yet again. But soon the bumbling fools which were their pets came back. The pitbull crash landed into her lap while Kane followed close after him, halting only a foot from Lucian's side. His ears were pinned to his head, knowing full well that his master had told him to go. His tongue lolled out of his mouth as he panted, and droplets of drool could be seen slipping from his maw. He looked to Kane for a second, forcing the dog to look away and tuck his tail. Kane... Go now! Go play! he told him through their mental connection. This time he did not command the pitbull, hoping it too would follow suit and head off with the other male dog. Kane barked playfully at Bronx, dropping his chest to the floor while his tail hung high over his back. He barked and jumped from side to side. Without hesitation, the dog raced from the couple and headed back over to what looked like a Chihuahua. Immediately Kane started to dominate the dog, placing it's tiny head within his mouth. Lucian smiled as he watched the dogs, but looked down to the Regina. "I am told that Halloween is coming up within the next week. I am curious to see if you will be doing anything... Would you possibly like to go out for dinner? It would be my treat, and if you wished to dress up, I already have the perfect costume in mind for me. I shall be Ironman, I mean he's the best suited superhero out there. He has the brains, the looks, and the money of course. So what do you say? Will you be my Penny?" He looked to her with a smile, flashing some of his teeth.

Eden watched as the werewolf's companion, shortly after which had come to them, turned around and dashed off to play some more. She could only wonder and laugh as to how such an animal could have that much adrenaline in such a body, but she shrugged it off and paid her attention to her own. The Regina prodded him to move from her lap, which he did, lazily to then walk around the tree and plop along side it in a neat, brown and white orb. Eventually he would look up, his eyes half way awake and his ears perked in spite of there be danger around them. Eden glanced to Lucian with a smile, rubbing her side just slight of his whilst she fidgeted from shifting into her primal form and roll in the soft grass. She muffled a low growl at the mentioning of her most favorite holiday which the humans had celebrated for so long. Shifters did not particularly celebrate the event, mostly because they appeared too old in their human disguises to participate in the candy giving and recieving, but she liked seeing the costumes. "I might be handing candy out to little tykes at my office, but.." Her face moved closer, seducing eyes peering through to his as she bit her lip, "you'll have to persuade me to cancel. How about dinner, somewhere isolated, you choose the place." Eden curled her finger slowly beneath his chin, withdrawing a single claw from her nail as it crept against his skin until she leaned away. She giggled slightly at the comment on his costume, wondering if he knew that Ironman was actually her favorite superhero amongst the old comics known as Marvel. The tigress thought it was cute of him to ask such a thing, but she just shook her head and stayed with the dinner idea. Perhaps they could get even a bit closer as the night would push on.

With the kiss, he smiled and kissed her back. When she pulled away, Lucian wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close again. He pressed his lips to hers, gently of course. Lucian held his eyes closed as he slowly pulled away from her and bit his bottom lip. "Handing out candy is lame, and very boring. I will take you up on your date idea. I shall take you to the perfect dinner and at the end of the night, we can do anything you would like. Maybe we could even crash a party somewhere. You know everyone will be celebrating downtown." He smiled and looked over her. He leaned in and kissed her cheek gently. "Well, I should be heading home. It looks like Kane is rustling up some trouble with that tiny dog up there. He should be getting tired around this time anyway." Lucian got up from the ground and placed his thumb and index finger in his mouth. With applied pressure from his wind pipes, he blew a whistle for Kane to come. As the sound filled the area, Kane perked his head and looked to Lucian. He took one last glance to the Chihuahua and ran towards his master. When he was close, Lucian clipped his leash to the collar and began walking to the door. "I will be giving you a call this week for the directions for you to follow. Have a good night Eden. It was a pleasure seeing you again." As he walked out the doors, he headed back home to the Werewolf pack.