Betrayal is such a harsh word (James)

[*Phoenix McKenzie]

Phoenix sat in the living room of the pack house, putting the finishing touches on the drawing of her pack in their wolf forms. She'd promised Kat that she would give it to her when she was done with it. Since Phoenix has a photographic memory, and she had seen all of the pack members in their wolf form at least once, she drew them perfectly, down to the smallest markings. You could look at the picture and point out all the members one by one. She lifted the picture up and cocked her head to one side before putting her pencil back to the paper and adding a little more shading to her own wolf figure.

She put the picture aside on the couch beside her, finally satisfied with it. Her blonde hair fell over her left eye, blocking out one green eye. She was simply dressed in a pair of ripped jeans and a plain black shirt, her hair falling over her shoulder. She was a farily new addition to the pack, so she still wasn't totally comfortable around so many others of her kind. For the last couple of years, since her parents were murdered by vampires when she was 16, Phoenix had only been around one other werewolf for any length of time, and that was her little sister Annie. Phoenix wasn't entirely sure that she knew how to act within a pack.

[*James Silvius]

James hated crossing through the living room to his bedroom. It seemed like a forbidden war zone to him. He took paranoid measures. He would peek around the corner to see it anyone was there, stretch his wolf hearing to the limit, and even go as far as hiding out in a bush or in his room until whoever was in there had left. Since the betrayal, it had been hard. He avoided Patrick to the best of his ability.

On this particular day, James was in a rush. He needed to grab some mail from his room and sprint back to the post office. It had been a while since he last heard from what was happening in Greece. He decided to risk it. He had his hand on the door knob. He could hear movement inside. He crouched like a sprinter getting ready for the race of his life, one leg lunged forward, the other one back. Ok, I don't know who's in there, but all they will see is a blur when I run past whoever it is he planned in his head.

On three he told himself, sucking in a breath. One... two... three! James almost forgot to turn the knob as he yanked the door. It could have been ripped from it's hinges. An unexpected obstacle ruined all hopes for his little scheme. James would deal with the culprit later himself. When he wrenched the door open, he didn't take even three running steps until he body-slammed the floor, tripping and falling flat on his stomach. With a huff air whooshed from his lungs, and there was a moment of panic. Please not Patrick... please not Patrick he begged every God.

He finally gathered the courage to lift his eyes to the sofa. He exhaled with what air was left in his body. Phoenix. Good. The wolf was new. She wouldn't cause him any problems. James groaned and got on his elbows. He looked back at what he'd tripped over. A whiskey bottle was smiling at him, probably shrieking with laughter at the silly dark haired wolf. I am SO going to get you back for this! he vowed his revenge.

Getting up shakily now, he turned to the pretty young wolf. "Eh heh, sorry, my bad," he said sheepishly. All he felt was complete embarrassment for his little display of paranoia. It was really eating at him.

[*Phoenix McKenzie]

Phoenix's head snapped up when she heard a loud thump behind her. She was already on edge, and she jumped up off the couch and crouched low, ready to defend herself incase someone decided they didn't like her around here after all... She was indeed far too jumpy at the moment. She wasn't usually like this, she was normally very calm, and very much in control of herself...This was going to have to stop. When she saw it was just James, and he was sprawled out on the floor, she gave a small sigh of relief, not being able to surpress the small giggle fit at the sight of the werewolf falling on his face.

She quickly regained her composure, shaking her head. "It's no problem James...Perhaps I'm not going to be the biggest clutz in the pack afterall." She said, smiling slightly. She was trying not to feel overly bad for her thoughts about him at the pack meeting the other night, she didn't know him, and certain things had happened lately to make her more sympathetic towards what he is going through. She wondered to herself if he really had stopped seeing the vampire, or if he just told the pack that.

"You didn't hurt yourself, did you?" She asked, letting her body relax now that she knew that he wasn't going to pounce on her.

[*James Silvius]

He rolled his eyes at her laugh. He couldn't say he blamed her. If he was sitting quietly on the couch and a wolf came bursting through the door and tripped over a bottle, he would be howling in laughter. Looking at Phoenix, he couldn't help but wonder what she actually really thought about him. Was she too new to understand? Or was she caught up in this war like the rest of them to turn her nose up.

James straightened his back, trying to regain what dignity was left in him. It wasn't much at all. "No, I'm ok. The floor is softer than it looks," as he said these words he mentally slapped himself. Idiot! You have absolutely no way with words, do you! he began walking in the direction of the stair well. "I'm just going to leave now. Sorry for disturbing the peace," he mumbled under his breath.

[*Phoenix McKenzie]

Phoenix looked him over as he spoke, biting down on her lower lip--a nervous habbit of hers. This was the one who was in so much trouble with the rest of the pack. She felt bad for thinking the things about him that she did when she last saw him at the meeting. She had a different mindset then. Certain...things had happened to change her view ever so slightly...Though only for one.

"You didn't disturb the piece...I was actually kind of bored. For awhile there I thought I was the only wolf left in this place, that everyone else had a life that they had to go live." She said, the words were self mocking. Even though she had a younger sister to take care of, Annie was currently out somewhere, having fun...Something Phoenix no longer did. Since her parents were murdered, she became a loner, hardly ever speaking to anyone other than her sister. When she heard about this pack, she thought it woudl be a good way to flush out the vampires who'd killed her parents when she was 16, and she didn't mind killing any and all vampires that she ran into on the way...At least...that had been her mindset when she first joined the pack...Now she wasn't so sure what she thought.

"Oh and James?" She said as he walked towards the stairs, getting his attention again. "I don't condem you like the others do. And I'm sorry if I snarled at you at the meeting..." She couldn't exactly explain why, after all, they were in the pack house, and there could be anyone lurking around, but she wanted to explain to him that she understood why he'd been with the vampire. She didn't understand it before, was even repulsed by it...But she understood now.

[*James Silvius]

James froze at her words. He slowly turned around to face her. Why would she apologize? Why would she even care? He was partly angry, angry that she didn't hate him. Everyone should. Why the hell were they forgiving? He was ripping the pack apart by the seams and what do they tell him? You can't leave, you're family. He was more than confused. If there was anything about this affair he didn't understand, it was how forgiving some of them could be. Glaring at Phoenix now, he wanted her to see reason.

"No, you can't be sorry. Everyone should condemn me. I betrayed everyone, ruined the alliance, everything is my fault. Don't apologize. I deserved every single snarl. No one in this pack could stand in my shoes. They all hate vampires," he said coldly. He didn't turn and leave like he should have. He stayed where he was. He wanted to know what she would say to that. He was morbidly curious. Maybe she could shed some light on his situation. A wolf he didn't even know very well.

[*Phoenix McKenzie]

Phoenix raised her chin at him, slightly defiant, when he glared at her. She knew that he didn't understand why she was appologizing, hell, she didn't understand it. She should just keep her mouth shut. But she wanted him to know... Who the hell was she kidding? She had no idea what she wanted to tell him, but she couldn't help but see herself in his situation... Only with the pack not being so willing to let her stay. James wanted to leave, but the others insisted that he stay, they all tried to overlook what he'd done. The others had grown to love James. Who was she to them? Just a newcomer. What if they discovered her deepest secret? They would tear her apart where she stood. They didn't have the bond with her that they had with James...None of them would even think twice.

"See, that's the thing James...I can't condem you...Not now." She said the last part in a whisper, looking down at her hands like a child who was being chastized. If she condemed him now, she would be one hell of a hypocrite..."Not all of us..." That too was said in a whisper, talking about him saying that all of them hated vampires. Well, she still hated MOST vampires...Her feelings hadn't changed....Just for one.

She was so confused, and she felt like a traitor, not only to her new pack, but worse, to her mother and father. She felt like a traitor to the only person who really mattered to her up until recently: her sister. And yet no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't just walk away from Tarus. How could she? He wasn't like most vampires. He hunted animals, worked as a doctor in a hospital, and detested what he was. His sister forced what she was onto him, and he broke all ties with his twin after that.

[*James Silvius]

She was hiding something. James could tell with her body language. She didn't meet his eyes, she looked down at her lap, she let her words trail off. What could it possibly be? One thing was for certain, she wasn't dating a vampire. But he could smell something off of her that wasn't wolf or human or any other animal he knew. It was a fowl smell that only a vampire could claim. This sent his eyebrows furrowing in thought. Maybe he should take a whack at it? If he was wrong, then what would it matter?

"Who's the vampire?" he asked her casually. He didn't actually know if she was in some sort of relationship with a vamp. The scent did suggest it, yes, but there was no way to tell unless she told him herself. If this happened to be the case, then he had to help his new sister. He had to make sure Patrick never found out about this. Ever. He didn't know if it was in his place to hide her secret, but he would try. Deny anything he asked him. Phoenix is in love with a vampire? Who knew! he practiced in his head.

[*Phoenix McKenzie]

Phoenix's head snapped up, her blonde hair flying around her face. She hadn't said anything about her being with a vampire...For all he knew, she could just be friends with him... She opened her mouth to lie to him, to tell James something--anything...But then she stopped herself. If anyone in the pack would understand, surely it would be James...right?

"His name's Tarus. He's the only one that I can trust...He's the only one who I can even look at without wanting to rip them apart...He's not like other vampires...He detests what he is, and he's a doctor, so he heals instead of kills..." She kept her voice low, nearly a whisper, so that she could make sure only James could hear as she tried to sense if any other wolves were within hearing distance.

[*James Silvius]

That did it. James' knees gave out and he sunk to the floor. He sat in an awkward position before he could remember how his legs worked. No... Not Nix... Not like me.... She can't... She wouldn't be able to go through the things I had to... face a pack meeting and be on trial by her family. I have to do something, he stammered the conclusion in his head. His expression was nothing less than worried and anxious.

His big brown eyes stared into her's, seriousness flooding them. "Nix... you know you can't stay... if Patrick finds out... you'll end up just like me. I don't want that to happen to you. He will kill him, Nix. He won't talk, he'll just act. Take my word. You do not want to end up like me," he pleaded. She couldn't stay. She would have to make up something for Patrick and then... "I know where you can go. Another pack who likes vampire relationships. Go with them, Nix, fight with them," he urged.

[*Phoenix McKenzie]

Nix ran over to James when he fell to the ground, afraid that he'd passed out on her. Sure what she'd told him wasn't something enough to make him pass out? A sudden dread ran through her, making her already pale features even more pale, almost transparent. He wouldn't say anything to Patrick, would he? What if he'd made a promise with Patrick that he would tell him if he'd found out that any others in the pack had committed such a mutany. If that was the reason that James had been allowed to stay around, then she was in big trouble. Phoenix, you and your stupid, big mouth! Why did you have to say something?! Why couldn't you have just lied to him?! You could have told him anything other than the truth, so why did you have to say the one thing that could get you and Tarus both killed if Patrick found out?! STUPID, STUPID GIRL!

"James...James please don't say anything to Patrick, please!" She said in a hurried whisper, crouching down next to him to make sure that he was okay. Even though she hadnt been in the pack for very long, they were still family, and James was her pack brother, and she could do no other than make sure that he was okay.

What he said took her by surprise, it was the last thing that she'd expected from him at that moment. She sighed in relief, glad that he wouldn't tell Patrick. She closed her eyes, shaking her head in stubborn denial. "I'm glad for your concern, James, but I can take anything the pack throws at me, and they won't find out about Tarus....No one else knows about him but you, and you wouldn't tell, I don't think. I'm closer to you than to anyone in this pack because we both love a vampire...You stlll see her, don't you? And Patrick has no reason to kill him if he doesn't find out our relationship...Which he won't. Me and Tarus are very careful, only going to places where the wolves of this pack aren't likely to be, aren't likely to come and stumble on us. No one suspects anything, and if they smell a vampire on me, who's going to say anything? For all they know, it's just the lingering scent of a vampire that I'd gotten into a fight with...I can't go to the other pack, James, I just can't....Tarus is the only one who I feel this way about...I despise other vampires still...And I won't fight with them unless the pack that I'm already in, the pack that I call family, demands it of me..."

Phoenix knew that he didn't think that she could handle the consequences should Patrick--God forbid--ever find out about Tarus, but she could. She may act ackward around some of the other pack memebers at the moment, but that's because she wasn't entirely comfortable yet, since she didn't know any of them that well, even though she felt the bond of pack family with each of them. If it came down to that, she could hold her own. She wasn't always the shy type, and she could force herself out of it and find a way to deal with things should they find out...And Phoenix was going to do everything she could to keep any of them from finding out. It would be a secret between her and James.

[*James Silvius]

James didn't want to listen to this. He was witnessing him all over again. Phoenix thought she got it but she really didn't. If she was still here, then she didn't understand it at all. Patrick... the poor man. How much betrayal can he take before he gives up on all of us? He looked at the floor, shaking his head. This couldn't possibly be happening again.

He looked back to Nix. "No, Nix, no. I know you don't want to leave. No one here does. I don't want to. Patrick is expelling me. This seemed to have caused somewhat of an uproar. He may... over time... after we've come to an understanding... sort of but not really forgive me. What I'm saying is, a pack leader is only as strong as his pack. If the rest of them want me, then... I don't know what's going to happen," his voice was frantic, trying to make her see reason.

"I know how you feel. You think no one will catch you. You want to trust the wolves to keep your secret but you're afraid to tell them. Nix, I made a terrible mistake. Some caught her scent and then they would have gone to hunt her down if I didn't tell them! Your vampire can be in grave danger. I won't say anything. Just leave while you still can before you get in too deep. Find Vagus and Landon, join them! After this war you can come back... I think," he gave her his advice. If she really cared about her vampire lover, then she would take it.