From the Shadows

I pace restlessly around the small corridor and swallow down the queasy sensation that tends to wash over me whenever I’m in a tight space. I clench my teeth and refuse to look at the walls, hating the repulsive gray color for making the room seem so much smaller. I try to keep my mind occupied with mundane things like writing my latest report up in my head or counting the strands of my hair that hang in front of my eyes, but despite that I can still feel the dizzying panic swelling up inside of me.

Alastair leans against the wall, body relaxed in an all too human slouch.

I can feel his blue-gray eyes burning holes into my back each time my pacing causes me to turn away from him and I have to bite back my anger. It’s not his fault; he doesn’t know what he’s doing to me. Nevertheless, I want to snarl at him that I am not some kind of display put here for his amusement. But I don’t, I can’t, because I really don’t want to confront the emotions in his eyes when I turn back towards him and he pretends not to be staring at me.

Pacing is doing nothing to relieve the agitation that has made itself at home inside of me so I stop and move over to the wall opposite Alistair. I refuse to let myself lean against it the way he does.

I watch the door and ignore Alistair. Out of all the wolves in the pack, why did they have to partner me with a pup? I can’t stand the young ones, especially the ones like him. He’s so full of life, so eager to learn. But I have nothing to teach him. All the knowledge and wisdom that I have I earned with my own blood, my own pain, and I would wish none of it on him.

I feel his eyes on me again and turn my head sharply toward him, catching his gaze before he can look away, “What?” I growl, sounding more annoyed than I feel.

He casts his eyes downward and I can practically smell his nervousness as he holds himself self-consciously under my gaze.

Alistair has only been partnered with me for the last three weeks; and he’s driven be insane since the moment we met. He’s mellowed a little, but only after I made it clear that I dislike small talk with a fiery passion. He still persists in his annoying attempts to be my friend, and nothing I do has been able to make him stop staring at me. He just doesn’t get that I have no wish to be friends with someone as naïve, as foolish, as he’s proven himself to be.

I look towards the door as I hear footsteps on the other side. Alistair hears them as well and his posture straightens to one that is more respectful. Seconds later the door slides open and Kennedy strolls into the corridor.

The Irish Beta turns to me with a grin, “Got a job for you,” He holds out a file but doesn’t let go when I reach up to take it his expression becoming a little more serious, “If you’re up to it.”

I jerk the file from him a little too forcefully, grumbling, “I was ‘up to it’ weeks ago.”

He looks at me with his piercing blue eyes, “That’s not what Gabriel said.”

I grimace, what the hell does that damned witchdoctor know anyways? I was almost completely healed when he’d examined me, and still he had me taken off the regular assignments, instead placing me in the demeaning position of babysitting a pup all because he was convinced that I wasn’t properly dealing with what happened.

I was handling things just fine, I didn’t need that bastard’s interference, and I especially didn’t need to be forced to stay with someone as frustrating as Alistair. I clench my jaw and examine the contents of the file.

“It should be fairly straightforward, just a simple patrol over one of the more secure borders. But nevertheless, you’d best take some weapons with you.” Kennedy says, “There’s already another team up there, they’ll bring you up to speed on the whole situation.”

“What other team?” I ask, passing the file to Alistair only because his pout is getting really annoying.

“Lena and Jaeger.”

I nod, smiling slightly. Lena and Jaeger; they are an unorthodox pair surely, but all the more successful for it. I glance at Alistair, finding him watching me again, not paying any attention to the file in his hand.

I take it from him, nodding to Kennedy as I turn to leave. Alistair follows close behind as I head towards the weaponry room. I set a brisk pace, grateful to be free of the confines of the corridor.

The guard at the door nods to us as we enter, looking only slightly bored.

The first weapon that I grab is a whip, leather braided with a wicked steel tip at the end. Not the best weapon compared to some, but I prefer its reach to the shorter ones of a sword or an axe. Next, I go over to the cabinet in the corner, choosing two regular looking guns to be a part of my modest arsenal. It’s really all I need, besides my own fangs and claws.

A crash behind me causes me to turn, just as every single shelf on the far wall collapses to the ground right in front of where Alistair is standing. The pup wrings his hands, an expression of horror on his face as the metallic clang of swords and axes hitting the concrete floor echoes through the weaponry room.

I feel myself smirking as the guard enters the room to ensure that all is well. He looks at the mess, then with a gruff laugh turns around and walks out again. I roll my eyes, this would be why I can’t stand being around pups. They’re always causing trouble.

Alistair catches me watching him and his face turns bright red as he sees my amusement, “I’ll be waiting by the car.” I say, and then head out to the garage, leaving him to finish up by himself.

A while later Alistair comes out, still looking embarrassed and tucking his reddish blond hair behind his ears as he hurries over to where I wait by the side of the car. I slip into the driver’s seat as he approaches, not bothering to buckle in. Alistair slips in beside me in the passenger’s seat and glances forlornly at the radio as he clips his seat belt on; days ago he would have turned it on without permission, now he sits there silently as I turn the car on. Somehow, I find it even more annoying that he actually does what I said.

As I drive out of the garage and into the city that is darkened by the shadows of the looming rainclouds I remember back to the day I finally got fed up with his maddening antics and had almost given into the urge to smack him around until he shut up. We’d been in the car then as well. The pup had been shooting off question after question, seeming unfazed that I didn’t answer any of them.

“Don’t touch the radio,” I snarled at him after he’d changed the station for the fifth time. He shrugged and sat back, not even taking a breath before plunging back into his one-sided dialogue. I let his chatter go on for a few minutes before slamming my foot on the brake, jarring us both forward in our seats.

He immediately sat up, thinking I had seen something outside the car, “What is it.”

I turned on him, my left hand going around his throat and pressing him against the leather back of his seat. Shifting out of my seat I gripped his wrist with my right hand and dug my knee sharply into his gut. Sitting on his thighs I waited for him to stop struggling before I said anything.

“Listen child!” I growled, squeezing his throat just a bit harder as the word child passed by lips, “I’ve never liked puppies, you are certainly not an exception.” He gasped for air, trying to say something. I let go of his throat long enough to backhand him across the face before regaining my grip.

“Now, you are going to sit back and shut the hell up!” I snarled, flashing my fangs a few centimeters from his face. “Is that understood?” Alistair had done his best to nod and I released him, returning to my side of the car.

The silence lasted until the bruises around his neck faded, then it was as if nothing had happened; except he has yet to touch the car’s radio again.

I drive the car through a puddle, splashing water over the sidewalk as I park on the side of the road. I get out, feeling a chill run through me that is not caused by the drizzling rain. I bite my lip, closing my eyes and shuddering slightly for the second it takes me to regain my composure. I am ready for this.

I head into the building, inside, away from the sound of the rain.

“Mar!” a voice calls out as I step inside, “How did you get assigned to patrols? I would think it’d be too mundane of a job for you.”

I smile tightly at the dark haired huntress as she comes to greet me, already clad in the standard patrolling uniform. “Gabriel insisted that I take it easy. Meanwhile…” I say, and wave my hand at Alistair as he comes through the door after me. “I’m educating this pup.”

She raises an eyebrow and smiles at me, mischief in her olive green eyes; I scowl at her then look behind her to nod at her silent companion. Jaeger nods back and smiles, his brown eyes glinting with the same gleeful devilry as his partner’s.

The silent wolf steps forward to the pup his hands moving in the air, 'Hello. I am ‘Hunt,’ the dark haired female is ‘TorchMoon’ and you?'
Alistair stares blankly for a moment, and then visibly shakes himself, “I’m Alistair.” He looks to me, uncertainty clear in his eyes.

Lena snickers, I look at her disapprovingly but she catches my gaze and it only makes her laugh harder.

“We’ll get geared up, then you can bring us up to speed, and we can begin our patrol.” I suggest, heading towards the dressing room. I know where it is, all the patrolling stations are built the same to avoid confusion in times of stress.

I can hear, smell, and almost feel Alistair behind me as I move through the building; he’s so close he’s nearly stepping on my heels. I know it’s a natural reaction and try not to let it bug me. He’s young, he still subconsciously registers unknown older wolves like Lena and Jaeger as a threat and therefore feels the need to get as close as possible to anything he’s used to and comfortable with, namely, me. I sigh; it’s going to be a very long couple of days.


A.N.: I'm sorry about all the jumping of tenses. I'm trying to make it so that when a character thinks of events in the past, the details of that event are done in past tense, otherwise it's supposed to be in present.