The pack was doing very well. At least, Hadley felt it was. There were lots of members, and despite the fact that every time a new member showed up his nerves ended up shot he felt pretty good about it. Isa was acting a little strange recently, but that was understandable considering what he'd done. Females in heat were bad news. He'd acted solely on instinct, something he'd never thought would happen. Then again, he'd never been around someone in heat before.
Walking over to the nearby city Hadley glanced around nervously. He had brought some bags to carry supplies back in, as the expanding pack would need more supplies for building, but nothing to really defend himself with in case Amy was there. He had been to the city before with her. Sebastian had finished the purchase for him here as well, setting him free from her grasp. The fact that he was truly free of her hit him again, smiling widely out at the world. Never again would she touch him.
Sidra had set up fort in an abandoned barn nearby for a couple nights. She thought that maybe if she searched enough of the abandoned houses in the nearby cities that she would find something useful. Soloman had been left back at the barn with Kativa and her own mare. Sidra had no possessions on her today, she was traveling in Lupus form which was a rarity for the gold and ember female. Her lean figure gave her the swiftness she needed to get from the barn to the city quickly. She didn't think she'd be finding anything anyways, but if she did she'd simply hide it and come back for it tomorrow.
When she reached the city she stood at the entrance for a few minutes. Opal eyes scanned the surroundings. Sidra raised her head to the sky to get a good whiff of the town. If she was going to enter, she had to be sure there weren't any strangers here. Especially since she had no weapons to defend herself with. To her surprise, one scent could be found. A single male probably scouting the town like she had come here to do. For a moment, she considered simply turning around and heading back to the safety of the barn, but her pride told her she wasn't afraid of a single male. Sidra entered the city and padded over to where he was, she kept herself hidden behind some wreckage and peered over at him. A earthy Optime wolf stood with a goofy grin on his face in the middle of this ruin. What a weirdo.
The male's presence made her hackles raise. She didn't feel safe in this form. The slender female took a couple minutes to shift back into Optime, the form in which she was most confident. Once shifted she made her way into view of the wolf. She had an unpleasant snarl on her lips and hackles raised, no male would get a nice greeting from Sidra. "May I ask what you're doing here stranger?" Though her words were kind, the tone in which she asked wasn't.
Hadley startled at the noise. He whipped around, ears flattening to his head. The sight that greeted him was not something he'd hoped for. Hadley had thought it might be a stray cat, or something crashing from the old age. Instead it was a ferocious wolf, teeth bared in a snarl. His tail whipped up behind him, tucked between his legs. Had he trespassed or something? Running back to Casa was the first thing that occurred to him, not really wanting to linger.
The cold words produced a whimper from the large male. I...wanted to get some supplies. Backing away from her he glanced around, wishing that he hadn't decided to go out on his own. Just because Amy wasn't going to hurt him anymore didn't mean there weren't others that wouldn't choose to hurt him, and hurt him badly. At least no one else was here to get involved. I can leave. I didn't mean to intrude on you. I'm sorry.
The stranger's reaction to her presence only fueled Sidra and gave her the confidence she needed. He spun around and his ears pushed back when he saw her. Her eyes wondered over him slowly, she noted every detail in his submissive posture including the way he pulled his tail up under him like a scared pup. This brought out a smug grin from Sidra as she walked a bit closer. Her hackles relaxed and she assumed a more dominant posture. She gazed at the bags he had with him. He'd obviously come here to scavenge like she had. Though, she hadn't found anything of use yet. The male's pathetic whimper sent the female's tail swaying behind her happily. It would be much easier to get what she wanted if she had some help and something told her this male would suite that purpose perfectly. Maybe he could lead her to where he was going to find his supplies and she could bring back something of use.
Sidra approached him as he backed up. She got close enough to him that she could peer right into his pupils, she sniffed him noting every sent that lingered on his coat. He was definitely from Casa. The scents on him matched perfectly with the scents she'd picked up on Aro. Sidra reached out to touch his chest as she looked into his eyes, an attractive smile spread across her lips. "That won't be necessary, I think you might be able to help me." The clawed finger she placed on his chest drew a line down to his belly button and then back up to where she started. She removed her hand and placed it on her hip. "Tell me stranger, what should I call you?"
She was smiling. Not good. Not that smile. If Hadley had been capable of disappearing inside himself he would have done that right then and there. She was so frighteningly similar. So dominant, power coming off her in such a way that Hadley felt like he needed to roll over and expose his belly, even if he was in optime form. She was going to kill him! Or at the very least, leave him curled up in a corner muttering to himself in fright. Each step closer sent Hadley's tail higher up, shoulders pulled in more, ears tightened a little more.
She was staring at him! Why was she doing that? Hadley immediately averted his eyes, staring at the ground. Concrete was a very good friend. Solid, grey, never really did much. Just laid there, waiting for him to look so he could be comforted by it. A shudder ran through his body at the smile, the one that said she knew what she was doing, that she was experienced in using others. That she could hurt him, and would enjoy it. He flinched back at her touch, eyes wide, desperately trying to increase the space between them. His mind screamed as a clawed finger traced over his body, tripping over the scars.
She didn't cut into him, thankfully. That was one thing Hadley could appreciate her for. Hadley didn't know what kind of help she wanted from him, but whatever it was, the hybrid knew he wouldn't want to be the one giving it. H-H-H-H... There went his voice. Hadley swallowed, trying to bring a small bit of moisture back into his mouth. Hadley... Why was he so scared? He should have been stronger than this. He wasn't though, pathetically staring at the ground.
Sidra was feeding off of the cowardice in the stranger's eyes like it was nectar to a bee. So sweet. It radiated off of him so intensely and she was enjoying every moment of it. Every little motion he made to further submit himself to her gave her a tinge of joy. She needed this! To be in control of a man, to make him so scared that he might just die. His cringe, sent her tail on a rampage. It flicked behind her happily. This was better than any goods she might come across in this worn down town.
Finally, he answered, just barely getting the word out of his mouth. She was having such a powerful effect on him. A small chuckle escaped her as he stuttered. If only he knew that she wasn't going to hurt him. She wasn't like that. Yeah, she could fight and yeah, she was capable of inflicting pain. But she would never hurt someone so innocent and cowardly. Especially if he came from the pack she was thinking about joining. Hurting Hadley would ruin any chance she had at becoming a part of Casa. Sidra wouldn't let him know this though, she was having way too much fun mentally torturing him.
The earthy wolf was avoiding any eye contact with her, his eyes were firmly planted on the ground between their paws. She leaned down to try and get a glimpse of his eyes, but he wanted nothing more than to run in the other direction never to see her again. This got her thinking. Why was he so scared of her? In reality, she wasn't some terrifying creature or towering behemoth. She was but a slender female standing no higher than six feet. Hadley towered over her and could easy topple her to the ground if he wanted to. Instead, he chose to remain caught in her mental trap which she never meant for him to get caught in in the first place.
Sidra outstretched her arm to place a hand underneath Hadley's chin. She motioned him to raise his head and look at her, instead of at the ground. "Hadley huh? Well Hadley, I'm Sidra. How about we talk business. Will you help me?" Sidra had the same attractive grin spread across her face, she looked up at him with eyes that pleaded for his attention. With a sweet voice, she tried to persuade him. "Hmmm Hadely?" Her tail continued to say behind her, hoping to get another amusing reaction out of him.
He was completely mute now. The ability to talk was forgotten in the panic, simply wishing for her to disappear from his life and leave him alone. He hadn't done anything to deserve such a thing. He hadn't even broken any slave rules. He had permission to travel freely, something that Hadley had taken his sweet time gaining the courage to use, and was working for the good of the pack. Hadley wasn't even a slave anymore, so why was she coming after him? He stared numbly at the ground, thinking that maybe if he didn't react she would go away.
His head was lifted, forced to make eye contact. That sickly grin was still there, waiting for him. Watching for his choice. Her name was given in return, confusing Hadley. Why did names matter? Didn't she just want to use him? Unless she was planning on keeping him and not letting him return to the pack. Shaking his head Hadley backed up. No. That wasn't going to happen. He wasn't leaving Casa! Turning he broke into a run, heading further into the city. Hopefully she wouldn't follow.
Sidra frowned when she didn't get a response from him. Their eyes locked and she could see the pure fear that was engulfing him. That's right. After all those years of being used, tortured, and tossed aside by men she was finally getting a little bit of pay back. If only it had been one of the traffickers she was striking fear into. The deepest part of her felt badly for Hadley, her poor frightened victim. But this was simply too amusing to give in to her guilt. It was rare that Sidra felt guilty for the crimes and acts she's committed. There was just something about him that told her to go ease up. She was just about tell him not worry when he started to shake his head. She cocked her own head wondering what he was thinking. A second later, he was running off down the street. She stood there for a moment, dumbfounded by what had happened and then burst into laughter. Her hysteric cackles echoed through the streets of the run down city.
She watched him run as fast as she could tears streaming from her eyes and gut aching from the laughter. She didn't follow him just yet. Instead she yelled after him. "Hadley, Hadley! Get your sorry ass back here! What do you think I'm going to do to you?! Kill you?!" She laughed some more unable to contain it. It was just a priceless sight seeing the large earthy wolf running down the street like he was in a race. Then, she started to sprint after him. She was fast. Her slender figured was easily carried by her powerful hind legs. She kept him in sight as he ran hoping to catch up with him. What was she going to do when she got to him? He obviously didn't want to be caught and there was no way she could restrain him. Not that she wanted to do so anyways. She just wanted him to cooperate with her. She yelled after him some more. "Hadley! I promise I didn't come to harm you! You have my word, now stop running. You're killing me!" She continued to follow him, maybe he would listen and stop these shenanigans.
.
Laughter broke out, terrifying Hadley even further. He ran as fast as he could, paws pounding against the cold concrete. A piece of glass lying on the floor was picked up by his paw. The hybrid stumbled a little, but kept going. A little bit of pain wouldn't kill him. He'd experienced worse. Blood marked his path now as he continued through. A few turns in and he was completely lost, unable to find his way back through the city. Tall buildings stared down at him from every angle. They were unwelcoming, places for Amy and her ilk. Not for creatures like him. Worth nothing more than to be used and thrown away like trash.
Told to return Hadley slowed down a touch. The ingrained need to obey was fought with briefly before he continued. He didn't listen to orders anymore. He was free. He had a partner, and a pack, and something to fight for. He wasn't going to give it up so easily. The promise of no harm made his ears flick back, but he didn't believe her. Her actions had been cruel, dominating. There was no way she was telling the truth. Turning Hadley slowed, panting. He had to hide. Ducking into a building he walked through, desperately looking for a place he wouldn't be seen from.
The chase continued for a while. He wasn't listening to a word she was saying. She meant what she told him! It was putting her in a bad mood. Why was she even chasing him? It wasn't that important that he help her find some supplies. She could simply find them on her own if she looked hard enough. She slowed down too continuing to follow his trail. Soon, she could smell blood too. She looked down to see drips of blood on the concrete. He'd gone and stepped on something sharp and was now leaving a visible trail. She looked back up, and he was out of sight. Sidra stopped and released a long sigh. He wasn't going to get away, especially since she could now just follow the blood to where he was.
She kept walking, watching her step so she didn't make the same mistake Hadley had. Eventually, the trail veered off into a building. She stood outside and rolled her eyes. This was a silly game he was playing and she wasn't amused. Sidra entered and looked around. This is where his scent ended and the blood had led her here. She sat down in a chair that was placed in the building and called out to him. She tried to soften her tone a bit and relaxed her body so she didn't look so intimidating...not that she should be intimidating to someone so big. "Hadley...why don't you believe me? Why are you so scared of someone like me? I mean, you're a damn brute compared to me. Could knock me over with one push if you wanted." She continued to ramble. "I swear on my life that I won't harm you. I know you come from Casa...I was actually thinking about joining that pack. Your pack mate Aro made it his mission to convince me." She wished she had brought her things with her. A drink and a snack would be nice.
She was in the room with him! Hadley's heart pounded so loudly he was sure Sidra could track him from that alone. Swallowing dryly he stayed still, hoping that she would give up. Maybe it was pure luck. Maybe she would decide it was too difficult. There were all kinds of reasons for her to leave him alone. Unfortunately, Hadley knew that the desire to control another and feel that dominating power could override those reasons, send her after him relentlessly. He shouldn't have run. Hadley had probably simply made it worse.
His ears pricked as she spoke. Hadley had no reason to believe her, coming forwards snarling and intimidating. She had remained dominant, had done nothing to put him at ease. This was probably a trick of some sort to get him to come out, make it easier to capture him. Shivering he stared at the ground. He often forgot his size in these situations. Hadley was far too aware that size meant little when facing someone stronger than him. Amy was smaller than him, yet had easily captured and tormented him over and over again.
Join Casa? The thought brought a low growl from him. Too late Hadley realized it would reveal where he was. Limping he came out, paw slightly lifted off the ground. His ears were flat down, submissive as he looked over at her. Why do you want to come near my pack?
Even without an answer from Hadley she was sure she was in the same room as him. She made herself comfortable in the chair, crossing her legs like a sophisticated lady would do. She had a grin on her face. She knew that Hadley was panicking wherever he was and that was enough to amuse her. What a silly wolf he was. The way he cringed at her. Something must have happened to him to make her this way. The same way Sidra's past made her so aggressive towards males. Her ears perked on her head, listening up for even the slightest sound that would give away his location. Not that it was that big of a concern. There was absolutely no way he was going to get away from her. If he ran, she would chase him and easily catch up. His hiding place would expire at some point and she was willing to wait.
A few moments after she spoke Casa's name he revealed himself. A low protective growl came from her. Her head swerved in the direction it had came from while her tail swayed with excitement. "Oh, there you are Hadley. I thought I had lost you." She said, joking around with the frightened soul. Soon enough, he left his hiding spot and came out to look at her. He was just as submissive as before. She smiled brightly at him waiting for him to speak. Well, why did she want to come near Casa? That was a silly question. Sidra cocked her head and looked at him. "Hadley....why else would I want to come near Casa?" She fiddled with her single golden braid giving some suspense to the moment. "Everyone needs a home. Like I said, Aro Marino came to me and pleaded that I come to Casa with him. He said they were in need of strong women, like me." She was telling the full truth, she only hoped he would believe her now. She was growing tired of this game.
The mocking words were frightening, but Hadley still felt the need to stand firm. His tail was tucked low, partly hidden away. Despite tat he had drawn himself up tall, trying to act more like a proud pack member than the weak member that he was. She took her time answering, Hadley waiting nervously for her answer. He didn't want her near the pack. Didn't want to see this dark female walking through the fort, free to do as she pleased. He didn't trust her, frightened by her actions and words.
The scarred hybrid shook his head. Clearing his throat he pulled his thoughts together, trying to word what he thought. Casa needs strong members...not ones that would harm others...not ones like you... His voice was even more quiet than before. He firmly believed what he said, despite the struggle to speak the words. Casa had always been a place of safety for him. If canines like Sidra were allowed in the pack, he wouldn't be truly safe. He would be hurt again, with nowhere to hide for protection. He couldn't allow her to go to the pack.
Sidra noted the change in Hadley's posture. It puzzled her slightly. She eyed him from head to toe assessing him carefully. He was bluffing. This was simply an act to scare her off. He didn't want her coming near Casa. That kind of hurt. Even so, did he really think that a simple change in posture would ward her? She's dealt with wolves just as big if not bigger than him that could hold their own in a fight and she could take care of them. The slender female sat higher in the chair bringing her shoulders forward to display her dominance over the male. She wouldn't let Hadley overcome her in dominance, she was the stronger one here and she would make sure he knew that.
Hadley shook his head in response to her words. Then he spoke. His statement made Sidra lower her head slightly, her ears flicked back noticeably. That was a low blow. What kind of woman did he think she was? Yeah, she had been a tad fierce with Hadley but she hadn't hurt him in any way. She would never hurt someone unless they made a move on her like the many males that have before. She treated all male strangers with the same attitude. A small female had to be fierce if they wanted to stay alive in this world. A moment later, she regained her proud posture. A few words weren't going to discourage her. When she spoke, her voice was soft and there was a sad underlying tone to it. "What am I like Hadley? I haven't done anything to harm you and what makes you think I would? You don't even know me." She looked away from him for a short moment before looking back doing her best to disguise the tinge of sadness he's struck into her. "Tell me why you are so afraid? What secrets does your past hold that makes you so weak?" Her face was austere. This was no longer a game and she was no longer going to treat him like a toy. If he was going to deny her a home, then she had to defend herself.
OOC: don't forget adelle thread. why do these threads never go the way i imagine?
Her body became even more dominant after Hadley rallied himself. He managed to remain standing tall, though his tail disappeared completely between his legs. It was so hard, standing up against someone. He just wanted to give in, to submit. Someone had to protect the pack though, and he was the only one there to do it. No one else would fight against her. No one else was even there. He heaved with relief as her ears went back slightly. Perhaps she understood now, and would leave Casa alone. Perhaps he had managed to win.
His eyes flickered in confusion. Hadley thought she had shown who she was pretty well. Granted, she didn't have that dark killing air some did, but she was a fearsome one all the same. You threatened me... She couldn't deny that. Her raised hackles, demanding submission and acting so threatening. Hadley had feared for his life. Those weren't the actions of someone who wasn't going to harm him, even if she hadn't done anything worse to him than send him into a panic, trembling under her touch. Asked why he was afraid he shook his head. He didn't want to speak of it. Didn't want to summon the demon.
How did you think it would go? I won't forget about it.
Word Count ? 000
Sidra let out a short chuckle. Hadley had a point. Although, she didn't really threaten him. She had snarled and looked ferocious, but the only threat she had given was one that would only hold if Hadley had been dangerous. She lowered her head and gave a long sigh running her clawed fingers through the mane on top of her head. "Hadley, Hadley, Hadley..." Then she sat back and let her head rest on the back of the chair. She sat like that for a few minutes thinking over everything that had happened today. She had definitely shown herself to be a force to be reckon with, but she never said anything that motioned she was going to harm him. She simply asked for help and took advantage of his fright...it was fun. It was something she needed. Unfortunately the fun was over. She shouldn't have acted so hastily and should have taken time to think things out. Now Hadley was afraid of her and that wouldn't bode well for her entry into Casa. She knew she should simply apologize but her pride wouldn't let her. She would have to find another way out of this and a hunch told her, it wasn't going to be Hadley.
She stood up and walked over to him simply staring up at the behemoth of aThere was a subtle change in her demeanor. Her tail no longer wagged with enjoyment of the situation and Hadley's fear. "You're a baby. A girl's gotta be tough if she wants to survive, you know? If you're tough, you'll survive too. You don't have to be so afraid." Then she spun around so she wasn't facing him and crossed her arms over her chest in a pouting fashion. Her mind wondered back to the question she had asked him about his past. He had failed to answer it. She began to pace in the room keeping her eyes on Hadley. Her eyes flicked over all of his scars which she had paid no attention to before. She was also covered in scars. They were reminders of all she's had to deal with and a reminder how cruel and selfish men could be. Before, if she disobeyed a simple command she would end up with another scar. She lifted her lip in distaste for the memories they caused. She didn't think he was going to tell her if she poked at him for answers so she tossed the questions aside. "So will you help me?" Probably a large request for how she'd treated him up until now, but she was too stubborn to let him win.
she should meet amy, learn why hadley's so terrified XD
Picking up his foot again Hadley leaned against a wall. His foot still really hurt, but he didn't want to expose himself in a way that would allow her to attack him. The glass that was in there would have to wait to be removed. His mind ran through what would be needed before refocusing on the threat before him. She seemed to be fairly relaxed, if not understanding of how he functioned. Then again, he didn't understand her either. Hadley just picked up how dangerous she was and tried not to do anything that would lead to him getting hurt.
His ears flattened at her approach, wondering what she wanted now. Confusion glinted through his eyes at her words. Be tough to survive? Fighting back had only made things worse. It was submission that had stopped him from being injured as much as he had been. The torment had still continued, but it was a lot less than before. He was living a better life now as well. Hadley had plenty of reasons to be afraid. So much to lose that he was trying to fight for. He watched her pace, surprised at the sudden request. Yes? That was such a random turn of events, he didn't know how to respond, conditioning helping him choose.
That might be interesting. Although, they might end up in a fight. X3
Word Count ? 000
Asking to help and changing the subject was the only way she saw to get out of this. She obviously wasn't going to make him trust her any time soon, might as well get something out of her mistake. When she neared him, he sunk back into submissiveness, ears being pulled back. She couldn't help but get a small tinge of joy from how dominantly she stood over him. It was unavoidable. The slender hybrid continued to pace as she waited for his answer. He looked as though he was contemplating it, what was there to think about? If he was scared of her then he wouldn't deny her help. He answered and that brought a smile on her face. She stopped where she was and siveled on her feet so she was looking at him. "Good! That's what I want to hear."
Her eyes glanced down at his paw, there was blood puddling from underneath it. She sighed strode over to him like she was on a mission. She knelt down in front of him and eyed the injured paw. She had a little experience dealing with wounds like his. "Hey, why don't you let me take out whatever is causing that bleeding?" She looked up at with with reassuring eyes knowing he wouldn't let her touch him if she didn't ask. "We'll be walking around the city, it'll be less painful if you let me help." She put on a smile hoping he would buy it, not that she was going to do anything to harm him. She never was in the first place. Just her luck that she ran into someone so cowardly. It had tempted her to act the way she did.
He startled back at her words. Why did it sound like he had just signed up for something? He hadn't, had he? He was fairly certain the only thing he'd agreed to was helping her with getting some supplies. He had nothing against helping her with that. At the same time, it sounded like he might have agreed to do more than just that. What exactly did she want from him? Confused his gaze dropped to the ground, looking at the blood that was there.
Her sudden drop down to his paws startled him, withdrawing his foot like any wild animal would. He peered at her, confused by the sudden show of kindness. This female was so conflicting for her to think about, ears twitching slightly. The next words made more sense. Amy had cared for his wounds as well when they'd get in the way of what she wanted him to do. He held out his paw, gripping the chair behind him tightly so he wouldn't lose his balance.
Sidra shook her head when Hadley retracted the paw. Even when she was trying to help he was scared. Her curiosity for him was building. She knew there was a reason why he acted this way and that it was something worth hiding, which made it all the more interesting. Finally, after a few seconds of looking up at him, he kicked his foot out so she could look at it. She grabbed the man's large food and looked underneath to see the large piece of glass that was lodged in his flesh. She winced at the sight of it. "How did you keep running with this in your foot!? You big lug." She assessed it for a couple more seconds before digging a single claw in to wedge it out. As gingerly and as slowly as she could she tugged at it until she could simply pull it out. Before she did so she warned Hadley. "Might sting for a second." Then in one tug she pulled it out. She wished she had her pack on her. There were bandages in there that she could use to wrap it up. Maybe they'd find some on their excursion.
She stood up and eyed him for a minute. "Okay, now that that's done we can go. All I need is some help finding supplies. I can tell you came here to do the same thing so you must know where they are. I travel and am in need of some stuff but I can't seem to find anything in this rundown place." She turned to exit the house. "Maybe we can find some medical supplies to clean and wrap that up before it gets infected." Sidra gave a long sigh. What a day. Even though she was having fun mentally torturing Hadley it wasn't the best thing she could have done only dampening her chances of joining Casa. She hoped by the end of today they could put what had happened behind them. Sidra turned to look at him. "Shall we go?"
I won't forget about it.
