Garden of Good and Evil [[Patrick]]

[ella]

Ella spread out on the soft patchwork quilt. She smiled lazily as she looked up into the sky. Watching the clouds take form and shift through the open sky was her favorite thing to do when she was younger. Back when life was simple. Nothing was simple anymore.

The sun felt warm and pleasant against her face. She looked over at Patrick and laughed. It was rare that she allowed herself to so such simple things for pleasure. She was usually too buried in her business to enjoy any free time.

Her silver gaze shifted through the gardens. Gardens in Paris where more immaculate than any she had ever seen. She had never traveled anywhere and been as satisfied with any other gardens. She watched a small lady bug crawl up the side of the quilt. "Do you know why they hate us Patrick." Her voice droned off and she felt distant from the garden, as if she was traveling somewhere else.

"They hate us because we have every ability that they have. We are just a strong;just as fast. Our senses are equally heightened. But still, we are better and they know it." Ella slid her gaze back to Patrick. She rolled over on her belly and drew herself up to her hands and knees. She slinked over to him and placed herself at his feet. She curled herself around his legs.

Ella had been Alpha and Ulfric of her pack. She had killed her own leader the night he made her Alpha. She didn't mind being second, but he had it in his mind to make a slave of her. She refused to allow that to happen. She didn't mind following Patrick. She was only his co-leader, but he treated her as an equal. He didn't try to make a slave of her or their pack.

"They hate us because we are still living. We get to enjoy the sun as well as the moon." She smiled up at him. "We are superior to them." She despised vampires. They were worthless in her eyes. "We have heartbeats and pulses, blood runs through our veins." She leaned against him. "They have nothing" She absently traced the small scar at the corner of her eyes. She would kill the girl who gave her this and she would kill the man who had sired her.

[rowanashke]

A rare day of quiet; a moment of peace. Patrick had come to treasure moments like this. He watched Ella out of the corner of his eye, a slight smile curving the edges of his lips. His co-leader's voice seemed to blend into the quiet, to fall like soft poisoned rose-petals on the ground. He knew that poison; he shared it. He took it in willingly.

Shared hatred.

He listened to her words silently, not acknowledging them but agreeing nevertheless. Ever since he and Ella had merged their packs, he'd had her by his side and he'd never regretted a moment of their odd, sometimes interestingly complicated relationship. Absently, he brought his hand up to run through her hair, his eyes settling on a blooming flower. A splash of red. Sort of fitting for the thoughts in his mind.

"It's true." He said at last, smiling again. "It doesn't matter." He sighed, fisting his hand in her hair a moment, a silent instance of dominance, as absent as his voice. Almost before he'd completed the motion he was through with it; he'd long ago proven himself the alpha and he had no desire to continue to prove it-what they had was very good, and balanced, and he was content. "The pack is getting restless; the rumors are getting worse."

He sighed and tipped his head back, staring at the sky. "A vampire werewolf alliance; it's ridiculous. As if those bastards could think of anything but themselves...as if we'd calmly submit to them..." his voice roughened. The rage that was always present in his heart bubbled up a moment, then quieted. "We have to investigate the rumors, Ella. We can't allow this to happen. It would destroy us."

[ella]

Investigate the rumors. A shutter of anger coursed through her body. There could never be an alliance between the two species. Vampires were too cocky and too arrogant. What further annoyed he was that eventually they would have to work with vampires who shared in on their beliefs. A low growl rumbled from her throat.

She knew too well of the rumors that were fluctuating around. She was tired of hearing about them. She was also tired of the scant whispers of combining forces with the vampires that were so much of a lower species. "I do not agree that this would destroy us dearest. But it would lower our standards. I will not stand for our pack to be degraded in such a manor. It is disgusting."

She pulled away and turned, positioning herself to face him. She traced his jaw line. Her silver eyes starting to grow yellow with her anger. "Do we know who our little flamboyant Were is? Perhaps we could seek her out and finish this before it gets out of control."

Ella knew that it was a female. It made her sick to think that a fellow sister would be the one to bring on such a dishonorable shame. Females were already looked on as being weak. She had spent her entire life trying to prove against that. "I do not want to even merged forces temporarily with the blood suckers. Even if it meant stopping the alliance. Can we not do this on our own?"

[rowanashke]

Patrick tilted his face up a little, exposing his jaw-and throat-to the only person he trusted enough to do such a thing for. As absent and unthinking as his earlier dominant move; it just was. "No." he said in answer to her question. "We don't...not yet. It may not even be true..." he didn't believe it though. He'd heard rumors of other werewolf/vampire pairings, but for some reason, in Londen, this particular one seemed to have caught everyone's attention.

He sighed and took her wrist in his hand, tugging her closer. "We can't." He pulled her against his chest, nuzzling her hair. "We may be forced into a...temporary agreement...with..." god, it cut him to ribbons to even say it. "We're not strong enough; if we truely wish to stop this, we may have to...work with them." His voice was a low snarl. "There just aren't enough of us who are battle-ready, and I think it will come to battle."

He sighed, closing his eyes. All the time I've spent strengthening my little group-finding Ella's group and agreeing to merge; healing their wounds, propping up their spirits. All this time. And now I'm seriously considering taking them into a war. Can I do this? How can I not?

He opened his eyes, staring bleakly at the blood-flower. Splash of blood. If this went the way he thought it might, it wouldn't be the only blood he would see...

Keep them safe...

[ella]

Ella calmed her body and tried to free it from her anger. As much as she despised the words coming from his mouth she knew he was right. She would be forced to play nice with the vampires. She trusted Patrick to protect their pack. They could not always act on there own urges, they had their people to keep safe.

She nuzzled against him as his worry seeped over her. She was struggling with breaking her rash acts of brutality, They would have to act this out cautiously. He knew best. "If anyone can help to prepare them dearest it would be you." She pulled up to nuzzle his neck. She kissed the side of it.

"You brought our packs together, completing it." She lightly brushed her lips against his ear. "Do not trouble yourself with this now. We can wait, we can begin training the pack." She brushed her lips over his. "Besides, if we have to look to the vampires for aide, I think I know where we can find some that would be most willing."

Her thoughts flashed back to the vampire who had escaped from her pack. Had she stayed, she could have killed him, but she was too eager to find his newest pet. Now, her folly might turn out to work in their favor. His hatred for her had matched her own for him. They would work together and then after, when the alliance lost its need she would kill him. She would kill his entire coven.

Ella purred against Patrick. It made her unhappy to see him feeling pain. "We could seek them out if it would please you."

[rowanashke]

Patrick sighed, allowing her touch, her reassurance, to soothe the worry in his heart. He closed his eyes, submitting to her caresses, and gently rubbed his fingers on her hip, a wry smile curving his lips. She could always get him to relax. It was one of her gifts to him. One of several.

Opening his eyes, he stared broodingly at her a moment, then nodded. "Yes." His voice was low and unhappy, but firm. "I don't have any contacts at all; if you know of someone on that side we could talk to...someone who would be reasonable, but who would dispise this situation as much as we do..."

Finding someone to listen would be hard. To hate werewolves as much as they hated vampires, but still be willing to see the necessity for an agreement...he didn't look forward to this. Nor to telling his pack that it was necessary. He internally winced, thinking of some of their reactions; he hoped they could trust him to do the right thing. He didn't need a challenge right now. At least he knew that Ella would stand beside him, and not be leading the challenge...

He drew her down and kissed her for real, lingeringly, then sighed. "See if you can set up a meeting. But be careful..." he looked into her eyes, his own dark with worry and banked anger. "If you were to die right now, I'd be lost. You know that, right?"

[ella]

Ella rubbed her face against his. Enjoying the lingering taste of his lips on hers. Her pleasing him made her pleased with herself. "Not as lost as I would be without you precious." Ella had always been pleased with Patrick. He cared for his pack and her. Loyalty without expecting something to gain in return was rare to find. That was why it was so easy for her to follow him.

"I'll go to him. He stays in London. I've contacted him before. It wont be too hard to get in touch with him again." She sighed against him. The leader of the Black Nail Coven was ruthless. He and his followers would be excellent allies for them. She wasn't sure how trust worthy he would be though. It would take a lot of reasoning and compromise on both parts for them to work together.

It mad her sick to think of it. He would be most displeased with her. She had tried to kill him. A dark grin curled about her lips in the memory. It would be interesting seeking him out again. "When would you have me leave?" She didn't like the fact of leaving without him, but they could not both go. Someone had to stay with the pack. They could not bring the pack to London, not for the first interaction. Xavier might think of that as a threat and they had no time to wage their own war. There was too much at stake. Ella could be very persuasive when the time called for it.

[rowanashke]

Patrick curled his fingers around her and closed his eyes, weighing his options. "Tonight." he said unhappily. "Go tonight...the sooner we get going, the sooner this can be over. I need to speak with some people about going to London and nosing around anyway..." he mentally shuffled through his options, not really liking any of them. "We need to find out the identities of these two-the werewolf traitor and the bastard vampire."

He sat up, gently but firmly disengaging from her hold. "Be careful, Ella. Go cautiously...this is important." He stretched, wincing as his back popped-not as young as he used to be anymore. "Don't get into any fights. I don't care who it is...just do what you go to do and come back to me." he reached out and grabbed her arm, his fingers digging into her skin. "Come back."

[ella]

Ella pulled her arm forward bringing Patrick with the force. She enfolded him into her arms. She tenderly placed soft kisses over his face. "I wont fight anyone dearest." She pulled his face up to hers and locked eyes with him. "And I will come back." She kissed him briefly before releasing him.

She stepped away from him tossing him a look of perfect content. "When I come home you can show me how much you've missed me." She blew him a kiss before turning and walking away. Since they had joined she had always felt a void when they where apart. She could feel the void beginning to open already.

She would go quickly. She already had a good bargaining option. She smiled to herself. Soon the vampires would not think themselves to be superior. She hummed a soft tune to herself. As much as she hated leaving Patrick, she enjoyed the thought of meeting Xavier again.

She had an offer and information that he could not turn a blinding eye too.

[rowanashke]

Patrick watched her go, a slight smile on his face. He couldn't help it; no matter what the situation, she always could make him smile.

He sighed when she was gone; sitting up, he rubbed his face, staring at the grass. He was already worried for her...sending her into a nest of vampires...he closed his eyes, wishing for a bare moment that he still believed in god-it would be nice to be able to pray for her. But she was strong; she was a survivor. She'd come back to him.

Rising, he scratched his side, his mind already turning towards business. Need to think about who to send in for information; I need to know what's really going on. And who they are...who can I send?

He bent and scooped up the quilt, pausing momentarily to rub it against his face. Then, slinging it over his shoulder, he turned and dissapeared, leaving no trace of them behind.