The Conquest -Sultry Sombry-

[*sombra delgadillo]

Sombra was excellent at becoming invisible. Why? Well only God knows that one. But she was good at being an illusive, hard to find creature. It was only when she wanted to be accessible that she was so. And as far as Casimir Goetschl went…well he found her because she wanted to be found. He had interloped on her territory - he'd best come with a damn good excuse. At last check he'd be an insignificant douchebag of a fool. But honestly what was he supposed to say to her that was going to relieve her about him being in her dominion? Nothing. There was nothing good that Goetschl could bring. She had seated herself in the mustang soft top she'd just managed to fix, her arms folded neatly over her chest. The female breathed a slow sigh, an exhausted one. Yes, she'd been keeping herself far, far away from Josef and not spoken to him since that night. But he would be waiting for her…wouldn't he…?

Sirens were approaching, and the woman rolled her eyes. Such drama. The screech only added to her annoyance and she stood, waltzing back to the back room so that he could enter to an empty shop. His words rung in the premises and she listened but only just. Sombra Delgadillo. It's special Agent Casimir Goetschl." he would need to speak fast. She was a fast woman and given that he could not spot her in his immediate line of sight, it meant she could quite literally be anywhere. "I've come at the behest of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It's imperative that I talk to you now. I know our last meeting was not under the best circumstances and I apologize but I have firm reason to believe that You and your pack are in immediate danger. I also believe the New York pack is in danger. Specifically Josef Ibn-Abad. I need you to come with me because I have someone sitting in our downtown field office whom we suspect to be apart of this plot. She was picked up arriving in Los Angelas yesterday.

I need your help. Please. If not for your own safety then do it for Josef. He would do that, pull a low blow just to get her involved. Sighing, she stalked out of her hiding place, her arms comfortable in the pockets of her hooey as she stared him down. "What's wrong with Josef?" It was said in a low tone, a dangerous tone that said if he gave the wrong answer. He had better just give her the facts, stop being completely formal and just spit out whatever it was he had to say before there was a beat down on the Bureau .

[*Casimir Goetschl]

Casimir sat quietly on his side of the table, shuffling through the thick folder branded with a bright red stamp that read CONFIDENTIAL. His turquoise eyes shifted from the photos of a particular man, the documents and the folder towards the woman whom sat across the table. Her eyes were locked on the Federal Agent, whom simply stared right back. Casimir did not like Los Angelas. It was crowded, the traffic sucked and the people were rude. It was also hot. Too hot for his taste and the fact that the Agent of the London Field Office being dragged out here was insulting. Even though the reason was just and sound, it was still unfair. Surely the Bureau could have found someone closer to take on this case; even if it did involve the two most dangerous and powerful Alphas in the United States.

Still, watching from the one way mirror, Sombra Delgadillo was watching everything. Call it a favor on the Agents part or outright fear of her; either way, this involved her and telling her she could not listen to a suspect speak of either her or Josef would not have ended well. She was allowed to watch and listen. Her insight would be needed. If anyone could find Josef, it was Sombra.

"Tell me about Josef Ibn-Abad." The game of ignorance needed to be played. Casimir knew Josef, the New York Pack and his affiliations better than he knew his own family. The key was to play stupid, too play noob, so that the woman would feel more comfortable revealing information. Who would want to talk to a man whom already knew everything they were going to say and as such only try and catch them in a lie?

"What do you want to know." The woman spoke with a thick, Arabian accent.

Goetschl pulled a small tape recorder that had been resting on his lap and set it on the table before turning it on."First your nam and then anything peretive to the investigation at hand. We will reward you handsomly."

"Very well. Keep your money. I do not want my name on this report."

"So be it."

"Josef was born and raised through his adolescence in Damascus, Syria. His family ranged in professions from Imam's, to religious clerics, politicians, police officers. You name it the men did it. The women were... as you expected... obedient house wives. He came to the United States at the behest of his family to receive a top rated education through a Ivy Leave University. He came alone, finished secondary school, entered college and did his thing. That's the general boring way to tell the story. Odd thing is, that general boring part of the story is what set the stage for him to become the most powerful wolf in the American North East."

"What do you mean?"

"Syrian family structure is vastly different than the American version. In Syria, you followed in your fathers footsteps, no questions asked. You did what was told, never back talked, you respected your elders. You were raised like a robot. Your life as a boy was structured with every minute pre-planned. In his youth, Josef was all about religious scripture. Wake up, pray, eat, pray, eat, pray, eat, pray, sleep. Repeat that process day after day, year after year for fourteen years. You can image why so many young Arab boys become fanatics in the Middle East but not Josef. His demeanor was imposing, nearly intimidating, even for a Syrian boy but he also held a side of passiveness; especially with his mother. He was close to her, incredibly, during his youth. Yet even that closeness did not quell nor subdue the differences in him. In a society that loved to breed formality, to impose a strict regiment of blandness in their youth, Josef had been different. It was like... even at a tender young age... he was searching."

"Searching?"

"At the time it would have been impossible to tell what he needed, what he sought, what he craved subconsciously."

"Someone like Sombra Delgadillo?"

The womans lips ticked upward in out right disgust at the mention of the Alphess of Los Angelas. "Yes but I'll tell you more about what Josef and her later. He slept around in college and when I say slept around, I mean he did the physical deed yet feel no real emotional attachment to anyone. He cast a lot of women aside. Perhaps he did to them what his family did to him or he was simply just releasing tensions. No one knows for sure. All his family could decipher was the last woman he got naughty with for a one night came back with a vengeance. She broke into his home and attacked the man while he was in the kitchen. Nailed him in his thick calf, back, beck and arm. He was lucky he made it to the restroom where he barricaded himself inside. The she-wolf has not been seen since. Too bad she didn't nail some sense into his even thicker head."

"You really hate Josef, don't you?"

"I'm that obvious?" She smirked.

Casimir shrugged the comment off though he felt Sombra's eyes on the pair in discussion. The invention of a one way mirror was genius. Sombra could watch, listen and no one would ever be the wise. While this woman ran her mouth about her hate for Josef and Adela, one of the two was listening in to everything. "Did he has any clue what had happened to him? What it all meant?"

"He was like every other person. Werewolves and Vampires were only fictitious. They only existed in the fantasies of undersexed teeny bop girls who wanted to do nothing but get stuck in a cliche' love triangle between a woofy and vampire while disgracing themselves with their mommys special shower head. Damn emo's. So when his first change hit, well you know that story."

Oh the rampage through upstate New York. Cas glanced at a picture taken by a street Camera that showed a large dog ripping a parking meter in half. The classic rust, brown and grey colored pattern was easily identifiable as Josef. "Yeah." He set the image aside so Sombra could see it from her vantage point.

"From then on everything changed. His personality stiffened, his relationships suffered, that was until he got the bright idea of enforcing his will on New York City. By now he was a successful businessman. He was strong and he was fast, nearly invincible by wolf standards. His will swept through New York City like his pack. It started with Enda, then Jeremiah. The three of them made sure Vampire knew what species truly rules and other wolves understood that you either joined Josef's pack or if you did not, then you obeyed his laws and stayed out of his way. If you did not, you went missing." Alera noted the surprise look on the Agents face. "That's right. Josef rules like Joseph Stalin. That changed though when that bitch Adela Jager entered his life."

"Adela?"

"Yes, his first mate. Brat was always leaving messes, causing problems. She was, at most, Beta material and thats me being absolutely generous. A Beta who became an Alpha's mate. Fucking insulting. I think the thing that people hated most about her thought was her attitude. Around Josef, she was the toughest woman around. She knew knew Josef had her back if she got into deep shit. When he was not around, she wasn't. She was just passive. Pitiful and Insulting."

"What happened between them?"

"The New York Pack became the targets of some wanna be Vampire. This is where rumors and facts get mixed up. The pack got hit and hit hard. They lost three wolves during the fight with this upstart coven and when it became painfully clear they might not survive, you saw true wolves from the posers. The official story is that half the pack ran off with their tails in between their legs. Thats the story that Josef tells people and thats the story everyone in New York is told to say. There is something very important. There were two wolves in Josef's pack; his Beta Mike Mercer and his Sister. The Alpha looked after them because Mike reminded him of himself. With what Josef was about to do to clear New York of the Vampires, he did something unheard of in Wolf society. He allowed Mike to take his Sister and leave on amicable terms. Do you know what kind of shit an Alpha can get if its heard they let wolves leave in peace during a time of unrest in their territory. He respected them. They proved themselves. Josef never did know where Mike went. He assumed Canada but no one knows. The others though, Adela, Mark, and the others bailed. The night everything went to hell..." She paused momentarily, trying to get the facts straight, "Vampires broke into his home. Mike and his sister had left hours earlier. Josef, Enda and Jeremiah stood their ground but when Mark was injured, Adela took him and ran. The Alpha Female left her mate and her pack to die; as did the others."

"So Mike was given a confidential peaceful leave from the pack for his Sisters sake at Josefs order but Adela and the others bailed?"

"Yes."

"If Josef and Adela were a mated pair, aren't they still a mated pair? The bond can not be broken, correct?"

"Wrong. There is only one way to break the bond of a mated pair. Pack abandonment. The minute Adela jumped ship, she broke her bond with Josef. That forced him to put an order for her death should she ever enter New York or cross his path again along with the others. The bond is special in wolf terms which means that breaking it like Adela did means death. Nothing short."

"So if my understanding is correct, mated were's are mated for life. If one dies, the other never finds another mate so long as both were faithful and the only way to break the bond is through pack abandonment?"

"Precisely."

"So Josef removes the New York Coven, reestablishes his pack, recovers, grows stronger and ensures they know he is still the top dog?"

"Yes. He did the Josef thing."

"Which is."

"Wolf diplomacy. He understood that the Native American Wolves that sat just outside NYC were apprehensive. They did not like unrest and Josef seemed to bring it everywhere he went. The man was a genius and set up good relationships with them. He already looked like them, talked funny like them and was hard to read. Had it not been for his name, he could have been one of them. From then on things went smoothly. He removed any threats that appeared, kept control of New York."

"Got it. So tell me about Sombra and specifically their relationship. Why would anyone be interested in going after her?"

Again the woman showed extreme signs of irritation at the mention of Sombra. "He's actually in love with her. Can you fucking believe that!?" Her voice raised. "Josef Ibn-Abad fell in love with that wench!" She took several deep breaths before continuing, "We thought it was puppy love at first. A typical crush but things grew in him. He did not have to change for Sombra. Josef was Josef when around Sombra and I think that drove him wild. Think about it, being able to just be yourself, to be accepted by someone without worry of having to change. He's tougher and gentler. He's the rock yet shows signs of breaking and letting her in when she needs it. He's grown with her. He's... well... just Joseph when around her. What more could a man ask for?"

"I dont care what you think of her. I want to know why she's been dragged into this?" Casimir glanced at the papers, "This plot. This attempted abduction of Josef."

"Do you know what happened in New Orleans?"

"Yes." Again Casimir shuffled to a document.

"Do you know what happened after it?"

"The Pack Wars of India?"

"Before that, in Syria?"

"Vaguely."

"Ok. Josef went on a rampage. The man flipped. By now he had told himself that Sombra was his Mate and because of that he did what any mate would do. He moved in to protect her. His way of protecting her was through preemptive strikes. When I mean rampage, he went to Syria and eradicated any and all family members associated with the attempted murder of Sombra Delgdillo in New Orleans. He was quickly disowned but by now, Josef stopped claiming to be Syrian. He stopped claiming to be Muslim. He viewed himself as the Alpha of New York and Sombras mate. Nothing more. When he received word that some of his family ran to India, the man followed. The packs of India did not take kindly to his intrusion and a breif war erupted between packs. Sure enough, Josef got his hands on his family, removed them, and let the India Wolves battle amongst themselves. What Josef failed to realize what he had just done. Those whom had not been involved in Sombras attempted murder now wanted him dead."

A smirk crossed her face as she stared at Casimir and suddenly became a bit more confident.

"A plan was put into motion to find Sombra and use her to lure Josef out. There, the surviving Abad's would kill them both. When it was apparent we could not locate Sombra in Los Angelas, some of us went to New York to look for him."

"Wait. We? You're involved?"

Her grin continued to grow "Tell me what time is it?"

"Why?"

"Just curious."

"07:18p.m."

Almost as soon as the woman sat back in her chair, Goetschl's cell phone rang. Picking it up, he noted the womans smile turning into an outright tooth revealing smile. Without waiting for Goetschl to speak, the voice on the other end began screaming, "Sir. Agent Belflour in New York. The Abad residence as been hit. Our S.U.V.s were destroyed. The home invaded and Abad's been taken. We can't locate him. Anywhere. His packs scattered. We..." the voice coughed and heeved for a few second, "...need help!"

"We couldn't find Sombra but we did find Josef. We'll make that bitch go to him. We'll make her watch him die and then we will take our sweet time dealing with her. No one fucks with Abads. Not some disowned family member nor his bitch!" She immediately let out a horrendously screeched laugh that was nearly ear deafening.

[*sombra delgadillo]

Sombra truly despised being summoned. She also hated watching others insult her without the capacity to bring them to their knees. Moreover she hated hearing this woman's account of Josef's life. She summed it up as if it were all so very black and white. Nothing was ever black and white. There were so many greys, so many different shades and tones to be found in a frame. The world didn't cater to this woman's laws or her pleasant dreams of a world conquered by Syrians. As a female herself she couldn't imagine being governed by men and made to feel the way this woman did - worshiping men like gods...The she-wolf's nose wrinkled in disdain towards the woman....what an idiot. Still she listened, however tense to the interview, at least for the most part. She wasn't surprised, in general. Didn't blame Josef for his standards of living or where he'd been. Where he was now was far more important to her. And her patience was running thin...

The woman had about six seconds before the lycan marched in their and tuned her ass up, beat the living shit out of her and made her cry...before even bothering asking her a question. The information about Adela was somewhat annoying but what was she going to do? He'd had a mate before. But again....what was she supposed to do? So he'd loved someone before her...She had too. As soon as the woman asked the time, Sombra knew that she'd run out and turned on her heel, jogging out of the observation room and out onto the street. She was on a plan within the hour and then in New York. The wolves that were left had scattered and Sombra for all intensive purposes was on her own. She rifled through the house, however eerie and silent it was. She rifled through his papers and breathed a sigh, trying to get through all of it while the FBI worked on cleaning up the wreckage. Where...was he.

It came more quickly than she thought it would, her answer. But it wasn't amongst the papers. It was in her nose. She wandered out the front door as quickly as she had arrived and headed down the street. She followed the trail until it hit the airport and then sighed...Losing it for a moment. About an hour of systematic pacing later and she found it again. But the problem with this was she knew the scent would end at the terminal. And it did. But she reviewed the flights...after finding one of those things that has a list of all the flights. She took a wild guess that they had headed back to Syria. It sounded like trouble...and it sounded like Sombra to immediately head in the direction of said trouble. Hours upon hours later?...Syria. It was an interesting place, one that conjured plenty of hostility and glares.

For just about everything she did. She was glared at for looking at men and women alike, for showing so much skin - her arms, a great deal of her legs and a v-neck shirt. She was as one might expect - unapologetic about the entire ordeal. She was tracking...and that made things...seriously difficult amongst all the foreign scents. How they had gotten him through a public airport she would never know...but they had. And they were probably watching her right now. Ah...well Sombra had a few tricks up her sleeve as well. The six pack of Cokes she had in her backpack? Held pieces of her disassembled firearm. One that she put back together in a cab, loading it silently as the driver eyed her in the mirror. A slanted gaze in his direction silenced any unwanted questions he might have posed. She exited the cab some minutes later and eyed the building that supposedly housed the captive. Scowling at the term, she squared her shoulders and marched up the steps. How ironic though...it looked very much like a mosque...but in reality could not be. Far too small for this region.

What she took note of first was that there was no air conditioning. The second? Two men, assumedly wolves, heading in her direction. They weren't looking particularly kind either. Frankly...she was in no mood for games. And she was guessing she had no time left...Pulling the firearm from her back, she fired two shots. Only two. Both planting themselves between the eyes of her foes who immediately toppled to the floor. The silencer kept the sound to a minimum though it had managed to summon three more...They met the same fate as the others. The last one thought, caught her by surprise. She wasn't exactly sure what she got hit with...but whatever it was put her under until she was jolted awake. Something like electricity surging through her body, making her jump even in her restraints. The room was pretty cliche in its set up. Black except for a blinding light in front of her. She was seated in a chair...as if this was an interrogation. Her lips twitched, and in that instant a harsh slap was aimed at her features, an offense that gained whomever it was that poised it a low snarl from the Alpha female.

This went on for some hours...Any change in her expression earned her some sort of anguish, to the point she was making faces just to jack with her tormentor's. They hadn't even spoken yet...they didn't need to. But it did happen, their speech. At first it was in a tongue she could not understand. And then, in broken, very thickly accented English. "You ruined him. He was manageable before this...like some sort of disease But you aren't cancer. We'll destroy you both...restore the name of Abad....You won't even be a memory. Just a joke." Sombra's silent gaze ticked in the general direction of the mocking, slightly haggard male voice. "You camel jockeys are such righteous pissers aren't you..." It was murmured under her breath, the woman sighing and leaning against her restraints. But then she was knocked to the side, toppling to the ground with a small grunt and a laugh. "So is Josef getting such excellent treatment?" The response came after a pause, No...he'll suffer much less than you will, just taking him out back and tying up that loose end. Ah...

What she'd been waiting for. Location. At this she snarled, and shifted. The strength of her bones popping, muscles lengthening as she wriggled free enough to induce a yelp of anger from her captor. She was confronted with several wolves who looked a bit like Josef in stature, all surfacing from the shadows. While she was exhausted, all of their "torment" had been superficial...child's play. That had clearly been waiting for the mastermind to arrive. The first lupine dove for her legs, and Sombra was only too happy to oblige, leaping into the assault, efficiently shoving her appendage down his throat while her jaws settled on his temple, adequately piercing them and slinging him to the side. The second hadn't waited for the attack to finish and so he got the jump on her, easily tearing the flesh at her shoulder. A roar of surprise exited the she-wolf's muzzle as she whipped around, staggering and snapping her jowls at the predator and then the last one plunged into the brawl. It ended fairly quickly - the others incapacitated while Sombra suffered several lacerations along her stomach, shoulder and legs.

Bleeding freely, she stalked through the building at something near a lope. She scrambled through the halls, scenting for the nearest source of "fresh" air, and Josef. It seemed they had only recently moved him. And Sombra had convinced herself that he had to be alive for them to want to move him. Opening the final door with a dramatic crash, the lycan stood, comparable in size to a Great Dane - at least in height, she obviously weighed more. Her lobes were pressed forward and her lips peeled back away from her incisors as she confronted the final issue....She was exhausted. Bleeding. Sore. But frankly she looked forward to this fight. Eying the bastards that held him, her eyes did not stray to Josef just yet. Only to those who would dare put her in such a position. The audacity.

[Josef Ibn-Abad]

He could hear.

His other senses were crud.

Josef's eyes were swollen shut. The lids and eyebrow above expanded to such fashion that it pressed downward. Each cheek bone was nearly shattered, forcing a swelling beneath his eyes. It was over the eye itself that the two swollen masses of purple and blue flesh that appeared to be stretched to the point of nearly tearing. His nose, cracked and twisted sideways was inflamed, the nostrils, albeit typical in shame and side were useless as the broken bones blocked its passages. The mans hands were bound behind him and what appeared to be his Keffiyah was wrapped around his face and stuffed in his mouth to prevent much talking. His once chiseled face looked like a giant blue and black berry. Puffy, unrecognizable, the man was a mess. Still though...

He heard.

He heard the fighting from within. He heard the shouts, the chaos, the screams but most importantly, he heard the growls. He heard the wolf. He heard his wolf. The man wanted to shift. He wanted to be there. His Mate was here. His mate needed him and yet with each attempted shift, his body screamed in agony and stopped. He was useless and at the mercy of his captors. The door caved, the wolf arrived but it was not Josef who greeted her.

"Here poochy, poochy." Another mans voice spoke. Before the kneeled mess that was Abad, a taller, older figure stood. "All of this trouble over some bitch." He spoke to Josef yet kept his eyes on the massive beast before him. "I would have never thought wolves existed had it not been for you Josef. So what happens today is your fault. As I said all along, everything has cause and effect. You caused this and its effect will be a wrath upon you."

Finally speaking to the wolf whom just busted her way through his home, "I am Mahesh Abad, Josef's great Uncle. I am one of only a few male Abad's left and only one of a few whom can bring glory back to our name." His face turned to sudden disgust. "He gave everything up for you. His heritage. His faith. His own family. He spilled his own fathers blood because of you." Josef jerked forward, trying to throw his body at his Great Uncle, whom only kicked backwards and caught the alpha dead center on the forehead. "Down boy." The man spat.

Still, Mahesh refused to take his eyes of Sombra, "Did you know in Islam, dogs are filthy creatures? You know those that you just killed in that home? Those other wolves? They had been pure and untainted family members cursed to live a life of a unclean rodent that Allah could never respect."

"Abdul, B.G." Mahesh spoke. Two men entered the room behind Sombra, and began their own shifts. "You know what I'm going to make you watch?" His voice turned cold, calculating and ruthless. "I'm going to make you watch was they tear Josef limb from limb then I'm going to let my two sons have their way with you. You'll learn what its like to respect a true Arab."

It was here Josef lunged forth again, smashing his shoulder into the back of Mahesh's leg. "You bastard!" The elder spat, suddenly brandishing a pistol from the small of his back and firing twice. The first missed wildly but the second found its mark. The bullet smashed into Josefs left breast, tearing through the muscle, smashing through bone and lodging itself against the back shoulder blade; having passed dangerously close to the lung and heart. The man flopped backwards, his head bouncing off the concrete while a small amount of blood spurt from his mouth when he coughed.

His head became instantaneously foggy while Abad knew the one thing he needed to do. Stay conscious. His focused on his hearing through his chest felt as though it was on fire. The Alpha felt his heart beating harder, his breaths becoming raspy as shock was beginning to take effect.

"You see what you make me do!?" Mahesh shouted at Josef while turning his attention back to Sombra. "Will you boys just kill her already!?"

[*sombra delgadillo]

There comes a point in an argument where you stop listening. Where the words that your opposition has to say become less than important, they become a hindrance, a distraction from the bigger picture. For Sombra it took a grand total of ten seconds to decide that what this…cretin was saying was unimportant. He meant only to belittle her, and frankly she could do that perfectly well on her own. And before that time she had not glanced at Josef. The man with the balls to barge into her life, imperfect as it was, and declare her his. She had not endowed herself the time to pity him or consider his position beyond the obvious - he needed to be far away from here as quickly as she could facilitate. That was another thing about the man who was speaking - he was in the way. And frankly, at present, being in such a place was dangerous…and stupid on his part. Perhaps Sombra was spoiled, bratty…a great many things that women are labeled for when they have a knack for getting what they want. Players by men's standards.

To put it bluntly, she was pissed. All of this foolishness over Josef's infatuation with her. Was she so wrong? So bad for him? Alright that was probably fair. Sombra was not romantically good for anyone and probably would never be. But she did not warrant any such measures. And when I say she was pissed, I say before she took a look at the state Josef was in. As soon as her gaze settled on what she could only presume was "her" Ibn-Abad her pupils narrowed and her nostrils flared. That was not Josef. That could not be him. That man was broken. Beaten within an inch of his life. Tortured. And Mahesh, as he had just dubbed himself, would soon wish he was in hell. A low snarl had begun to bubble in her throat, a soft sound that mirrored the concept of a rattlesnake's rattler. Mahesh was treading on thin ice, the she-wolf's livid gaze centered on him only when he dared kick back at Josef. Like a dog.

The fur that lined her spine stood on end, the whip-like tail stood at attention and Sombra herself appeared to be the devil incarnated. If rage could be embodied…that's probably what it would have looked like. She was not particularly worried about "Abdul" and "B.G.", and would have easily dealt with them had it not been for Josef's clear indignant protest…And Mahesh's response. The two newly formed wolves had begun to stalk towards her, undaunted by the shot that had rung out. Will you boys just kill her already?! The cool facade that had once stretched over Mahesh's features now had diminished, his expression passing for something that might explode. In the background Sombra could hear the distinct sound of Josef's garbled breathing, and while it may have induced a good anxious puking in her human form, the wolf found it much less revolting than maddening.

As the first set of jaws settled on her wounded shoulder, the other landed a blow to her hind leg. And Sombra accepted the torment, let them get a good dig in…For a good two seconds it appeared she would not give much of a fight. And when that two seconds were up? It was a tempest of fur. The lycan twisted about, lunging into the air and ripping her flesh out of the offenders' mouths - tearing her muscle and skin in the process but pain had long since been forgotten. The adrenaline had kicked in - their final mistake was giving her time to let it. The snarl I previously mentioned? It had become a veritable roar. Someone was going down and unlike most wolves, Sombra meant to use every ounce of her being to inflict as much pain as possible in the five minutes she was giving herself to play with them.

As she landed between the two, the first to leap forward was the first to suffer, her neck snapping low and catching a thin tendon in his leg. Ever so neatly she ripped it from the bone and he crumbled. She would have continued, one at a time and all but the other had suddenly tackled her side and was attempting to make a meal of her flanks. Instead of whipping around she bounding in a diagonal sort of hop, smacking her rib cage into his skull and then turning to snag the loose skin at his nape. At this point she drug him around to stumble over his counterpart's weak body at which point she released him. That didn't last long because in the next instant she'd jumped for him again. Ignoring the burning pain in her hip as she launched, her jowls settled on his lower jaw and with a yank she snapped it clean from his face.


Butting him away she made swift work of the others jugular and left them to bleed out. Her otherwise white fur was stained with blood both hers and her enemies as she turned to face this final attacker, murder in her eyes and a snarl on her lips. By this time it appeared some sense of reality had checked in as his gun was pointed straight at her face. In a swift calculation, the Alpha female shrunk back on her haunches, an action so fast that it spooked Mahesh into pulling the trigger. I won't spin tales of fantastic ninja speed - Sombra caught the bullet, and it grazed over her rib cage but she managed to escape with burnt fur and a superficial laceration down the length of them. In his surprise Mahesh had stopped - stunned and Sombra didn't wait for another opportunity; she took the only one she assumed she'd get.

And she didn't take long. She aimed her jowls and lunged, tearing his throat open and falling to the ground with him. As he stopped squirming, his blood spent in the sand her shoulders hunched for a moment and she panted but recognized it wasn't over…despite how quickly her strength had begun to fail. She shifted, ripping some of the fabric from her victim's clothes and wrapping them around her like a towel after a shower as she bent over Josef. Deft hands pressed to the wound at his shoulder that had oozed blood while she turned him over to lie on his back. Her frown was deep, exhausted but concerned. If she had spoken it would have only been to insult him and so her words remained lost for the present. She took Mahesh's cell phone from his pocket and dialed the wolves she brought with her - to come get Josef…and probably to help her out as well.

She had not risked their lives in this war…but they could help with the clean up. Within half an hour they had come, and Josef and Sombra were taken back to the hotel, blood and all. While Josef's wounds had been far more brutal…far more driven by anger and hatred, the ones aimed at Sombra had been in defense and meant to be lethal or just cause as much damage as possible. As much as the pack wolves pleaded she did not sit down or rest until the doctor whom she had placed her trust in to see to her and her wolves had been summoned after supplying himself with adequate medicine and the other necessities and was walking in the door did she dare sit down. On the floor no less. Josef's limp body had been placed on the bed. She watched from her vantage point, having insisted he be taken care of first as the doctor handled his injuries - painkillers as well as immediate treatment coming to him.

During her own treatment she allowed herself to pass out, the wolves posting themselves at the doors and the window and the doctor constantly going back and forth between the two Alphas. In critical condition but still breathing.

[Josef Ibn-Abad]

“There’s nothing I can do about the bullet.” The doctor spoke, staring at the open hole in the chest of the Syrian. “I am astounded that the aorta and right lung were missed. At such close range, either the shooter was an extremely bad shot or the gun was lousy. I’m inclined to think both.” Through his thick monocles, he stared at the hole, specifically the flesh down. Seared, torn and burned, it took a lot of gauze, heat and a good quantity of polystyrene to clot the blood enough to stop the massive amounts of blood loss. “You’ll have a war wound, you old mutt, but it appears you’ll survive. Don’t be surprised that given the location of the bullet, if you feel pain for the remainder of your life. Its pressed right against the shoulder blade and when the muscle heals, it’ll grind. There may come a point that it’ll need to be surgically removed but I just can’t tell and since its obviously too dangerous to move you, I’m not able to perform the procedure myself.” He was amazingly gentle for the most part, only inflicting pain in the chest wound examination when possible. Though he spoke to Josef, he understood the possibility the man hardly heard anything, coming in and out of consciousness repeatedly; though the other wolves had undoubtedly listened.

"Now as far as your pretty mug goes..." The Doctors eyes scanned over the swelling. "Don't expect use of your globes for another few days. I reset your cheekbones and once the swelling subsides, they heal as normal. Until then, there really is not much I can do. Keep ice packs on on his face at all times. Though your nose is straightened, that swelling wont subside for some time and you'll be suffering from some nosebleeds for awhile. Do not smack your face into anything or it will need to be reset again." By now he was speaking to whomever else was in the room, or near it. "I do not want him moving unnecessarily. He could do more inadvertent damage to himself. Watch out for infection. If it sets in, get him to a hospital. I'm sure you could smell it."

Josef simply remained still. His body hurt too much to move. The mans arms, having been bound for days, were tensed, the impressions of various types of binding still imprinted against his flesh. It was irritating not to be able to smell nor see. They were the wolf's two favored senses. Instead he had to rely solely on his hearing. When had he lost consciousness, gained consciousness, then lost it again? The man could not tell. Without sight or someone constantly telling him, the man had no send of time. Was Sombra around? Was she still near? Had she survived? What happened after he had been shot? So many questions raced through the mans head, desperate for an answer of their own and yet incapable of coming out. The doctor, having injected Josef with a large amount of Tylenol III with Codine had ensured that even if Josef could talk, it would come out garbled. The sore face, headaches, light headedness and the drearyness that was cause by med prevented any form of communication.

Almost on cue, the doctor spoke to Josef while double checking the mans nose. "She's recovering across the room. Here but wounded. You both will have some nasty little scars to share." Removing the gauze from his left nostril, he tossed it to the floor while allowing fresh blood to flow free for a few moments. "She's alive but like you, she'll need time to heal."

Josef listened intently, to every word. She was safe. She came for him. She had his back. Before he could dwell too long on the thought that he had caused all of this, the doctor continued, "A Federal Agent named Casimir Goatsomethingorother called earlier. I know this probably isnt the time to tell you but I shall anyway since I know you cant move. He told me about what happened in New York. The ambush on your pack and how the Agents that had been following you inadvertantly led your family right too you. Jeremiah's and two others were buried by Enda this afternoon in a Ceremony on the Oneida Nation Lands. Enda herself is stricken to a wheel chair for the time being, both legs broken."

The wolf inside had fallen incredibly silent. The Alpha mourned, though quietly for the loss of the majority of his pack. They had been good members, loyal members, dieing protecting their territory. Still, it was his family, his blood that had caused this. It was Josef's fault Sombra was dragged into the mess, that Enda suffered and three wolves had lost their lives. "Im going to be stepping away from you Josef and over to Sombra. I'm only going to be checking her wounds and waking her up. I need to ensure her own wounds are still clean." He did this for fomalities, telling Josef why he was doing what he was doing. It kept the Alpha from falling into self pity while allowing him to hold some sense of control of his environment and whom he allowed near Sombra.

The mans lips pursed slightly as Josef whispered and mummbled one name. "Sombra."

[*sombra delgadillo]

As Josef Ibn-Abad knew, Sombra was not the most willing patient. She constantly woke up, constantly was trying to roll in her sleep. Or just escape her accommodations - get up and leave, etcetera. While her wounds hardly permitted her to go, this didn't stop her from flinching away from the caring hands of the physician. She tore her stitches fairly often, even when she stitched herself up. She simply could not fight the wild thing she was. From the moment she'd lost consciousness she'd felt nearly as though she was floating on a cloud. She liked to imagine that on this cloud she would just be, stuck in limbo…no problems. But the interruptions were enough to remind her that reality lurked so close and yet so far away. There were occasional murmurs, the rustle of clothing, the whiff of a scent…Reminders.

Her breathing came steadily though, slow and in a pattern. The doctor was talking and as much as she would have liked to be able to pay attention to what was being told to Josef she could not focus or even stay awake that long. Her wolves had managed to get a towel down beneath her and changed it fairly frequently as she continued to bleed but only at a slow ooze. Her lips were dry, cracked and she noticed in the sting as she opened her mouth a little wider to breath. Her shirt was soaked through in multiple areas. Her ribs had a burn on them from the poorly aimed bullet and her shoulder was pretty badly mangled. There were plenty of lacerations along her right arm where she'd stuck it down one of the bastard's throat. Her hand was badly scratched as well.

They were both wounded, both harmed…both holding on.

She didn't know how long she'd been laying there, but momma wolf was exhausted. It was only the hoarse mutter that broke her back into the real world. Sombra. Her lids fluttered and she tried to get up only to be ushered back to the floor of the doctor who was kneeling beside her. He assured Josef that she was awake even though it was apparent in the sharp gulp of air she'd taken. In doing so she'd started the seeping of the wound on her ribs. She nearly growled at his insistent hands as they poked and prodded around. She really. did not. like. to be. touched. Trying not to tense up, she growled a slow….angry sound that can only e described as threatened. The doctor, however trusted, was warned to watch the scope of his touch. She hadn't caught what exactly had been said about Josef's pack, but simply felt his sadness…Meant it couldn't have been good.

Sombra could have stayed and dealt with the damage. But she'd gone after Josef…again. And she didn't regret it, even if it had cost lives. One at a time. That was all she could save. One at a time. The doctor was unwrapping her shoulder and a hiss of air slipped past her teeth. His eyes darkened and he frowned a little bit. "They really did get you there, didn't they…meant it. Can't believe you felt up to walking after the first go round…he got into the bone…" She didn't respond, just swallowed with a long breathed out sigh. "I want to sit up." The doctor's touch paused and her eyes flicked open, her pupils glazed. "You can help me, or I'll do it myself." The physician breathed a resigned sigh and helped Sombra sit up. She scowled and groaned a little as she straightened. Pulling herself to her feet, she steadied herself with a palm rested on the bed, biting back another snarl, her quiet eyes shifted to the Syrian.

"You still look like shit." It was said with a hint of laughter, though her voice sounded tired and distant…still groggy and hindered by pain as she sighed. "We need to eat," she announced and people began to move. Within ten minutes there was food to be had. "What do you want Josef?" she inquired, having pulled up a chair by the bed and resting her face on the side of it with a small exhausted groan. She was fighting the pain and the exhaustion…the weakness. She always did. Always pushed herself too hard too soon. But she hadn't succeeded in killing herself yet so all as well, if not normal.

[Josef Ibn-Abad]

If he could only have seen her when she spoke, seen the hint of laughter at her comment about looking like shit, "Yeah. Don't worry. This ugly mug will get itself back into shape." The dried voice replied. She had asked what he wanted to eat and honestly, the Alpha just was not in the mood for food. He was not much in the mood for anything except resting. There was so much to do. So much to fix. His mistakes with his own pack. His had put Sombra in harms way and the man knew if he could see her here and now, that it would have been too much to bear. Doctors did not overstate injuries, it was in their nature to tell it exactly how it was. If he said Sombra was messed up, she was messed up. Taken in New York, smuggled into Syria then to have Sombra put herself in harms way like she did?

It was when she pulled a chair next to the bed and simply rested her head beside him that all of the thoughts vanished. All of the worry, the guilt, everything seemed to suddenly subside. Taking only one, still tender and sore hand, he placed it on the top of Sombra's head and simply let his fingers slide through a few strands of her hair. Soft, manageable, and not at all tangled, it was what he had always expect it would feel like.

"Leave us." Josef suddenly barked to any and all gathered in the room. It was a sudden change in his raspy voice, one of sheer dominance, power, yet a hint of humility. The man was injured and he knew the whole can of worms that he was opening up by commanding Wolves of another Pack. Especially Sombra's.

"Thank you." He spoke, "Thank you for saving me." Wow. The Syrian thanking someone for saving his hide. There were still surprises in the old wolf. "Thank you for dealing with my family but thank you for not forgetting about me. I don't know how you knew, whether God himself intervened in some way or another or whatnot but Thank you." Sombra was a magnificant woman and an incredible wolf. It was on this day she proved her superiority to Josef. She saved him.

He listened as those within slowly left, finally leaving the two alpha's to themselves. He knew what he wanted to say, he knew what he wanted to express but it was just building up the guts to say it that was proving hardest. He had expressed his feelings for the woman so easily in the past and yet, here and now, between two badly broken and injured wolves, it was hard. Due probably in large part to the fact that he was so injured, so hummbled. Josef had to let go of the ego. However Sombra would react, he needed to just respect it. If she slugged him, if she kicked him, if she got up and out of the room, it was her choice. He was the boss of no one here. She was the top dog. She had saved his skin. Not the other way around. "We never did finish out Los Angelas discussion, lov...." He cut himself off momentarily. He remembered how she reacted to that word. Did he want to upset her? Did he want to make her angry?

No was the answer to both question. However, it did not mean he was not going to just let it out. "I still love you." His voice was not muttered, his voice though raspy was clear as day and even with his hand still slowly sliding through her hair, a sensation he absolutely adored, the man was focused and slightely intense. He did not jerk around when it came to his feelings. If he said he loved Sombra.

Then he loved Sombra.

[*sombra delgadillo]

Truly it was a shame that he could not have witnessed the light expression that touched her gaze even in lieu of their present weakness. Her present pain. It was something akin to agony, she was sore and tired. Yeah. Don't worry. This ugly mug will get itself back into shape. She nearly scowled, her shoulders rolling in an almost dismissive fashion. "I'm not worried," she assured him casually. He didn't respond about the food, she noted in silence but her face was buried in the sheet on the bed. The sensation of his fingertips brushing through her hair coaxed her to tense slowly though she kept herself from moving. She kept herself from pulling away from him. She remained still even as he commanded her wolves to exit the room. It was only with the slant of the she-wolf's stare that they obeyed. Leave us. And then he continued, speaking to her now. Thank you. Thank you for saving me. Thank you for dealing with my family but thank you for not forgetting about me. I don't know how you knew, whether God himself intervened in some way or another or whatnot but thank you.

There was a part in there that stung, that physically hurt her to hear. Thank you for not forgetting me, he said. She nearly trembled…could have cried. "I won't forget you…ever." Sighing quietly, her shoulders sagged, exhausted….worn out. She had saved him…yes. She could have left him high and dry. At least she had the physical capacity. but she couldn't have just done nothing, not knowing what she knew. Not being so near him. Having grown attached in spite of herself. It was a mistake, it had to be, but she couldn't help it. We never did finish our Los Angeles discussion, love… A growl died in her throat. How she despised that term. Why? Because it made her vulnerable. It made her something other than what she was. It brought on the cage.

I still love you. She growled, a soft sound turning over in her throat. "If I thought I'd make it out of this room, I would go." Perhaps that was hurtful…perhaps that was cruel of her. But it was honest. If she could run, she would have As it was, tears slid down her cheeks, both an embarrassment and a rarity. She was absolutely silent as she wept. She was absolutely unloveable…she was beyond saving. And damn it…Josef should have chosen someone else. Someone functional and worthy of love. She was glad he couldn't see her face, glad they were alone so that there was no one to watch her crumble beneath the weight of it. Oddly, the softness of his fingertips in her hair was comforting. Her mouth opened but words didn't come.

Instead she nuzzled her features into his hand, breathing a ragged sigh against the warmth of his skin. She realized her mistake far too late - her cheeks damp. Immediately pulling away slightly and turning her face back over, his palm back on the back of her head. "You should find someone else, Josef." It was murmured softly into the silence, something close to an admission of guilt. She was the wild thing, the untamable thing and could only bring misery to those who clung to her. She only ever meant trouble…she was somewhat worthless when you got down to the brass tacks. She was good for the big stuff. But for your everyday needs? I'd recommend something less strong, something less likely to kill you. Josef deserved good things and as far as Sombra was concerned, she was no good thing. Her sole goal in life was to do less harm on earth than she caused, and she caused a lot.

She was dangerously near dozing at this point, her exhaustion working against her. It'd been a long day…A long month, really. Trouble followed Josef though, that was something she'd already figured out before this all started. What can I say? She was a little bit arrogant when it came to her capacity to survive. That or she simply couldn't help but save him…no matter the impending doom to follow.

[Josef Ibn-Abad]

Three Days Later

So how did the prior conversation end, one might be wondering? The way one would have expected. Josef rebuttled to Sombra almost instinctively. He informed her that he had chosen her. He informed her that he wanted to be her equal, her mate. He did not want to try and control her. He wanted to simply be with her. The man had also not been lost to the fact that Sombra had been crying but he drew no attention to it. That was not something Delgadillo would not have wanted. Instead, unable to see her but able to smell her tears, Josef quietly let the woman express her feelings physicality but silently. Neither had left, not yet at least. Josefs body was still healing internally though the swelling was truly subsiding by now. His eyes were no longer forced shut and he was able to see clearly, though with limited range and with huge blind spots to his right and left. His nose was still swollen and puffy but his sense of smell was near perfect again. That was the good thing about being a wolf; the rehealing. Though an outright bitch with pain, at least they recovered at more phenomenal rates.

Neither he nor Sombra had said much after Josefs confession of wanting to be her equal and the man, himself, had been put on a self imposed fast. A syrian tradition where a man would fast of food and most drink (except water) for a predetermined period of time; though no one knew how long Josefs fast would last. On the hotel floor, decked in nothing but his mid thigh length boxer briefs, Josefs continued to do crunches. His abdomen ached, though not from hunger pains and his back shoulder where the bullet was lodged screamed in pain. The man needed to get use to the sensation. He had to adapt to the constant pain if he was going to be able to hide it from all. A alpha in pain was an alpha with a weakness and as top dog of New York City, he could not show a weakness. He was without a pack, Enda was still stricken to a wheel chair and the man was determined to keep order in his territory.

Still his mind rested on Sombra and what she thought of their discussion and how it ended. Neither had run and with both still raw from the fight, Josef still recovering himself, Sombra refused to leave. She had dismissed herself in the early morning hours while two of her pack remained outside the front hotel door and in the next room. Undoubtedly watching over Josef... or were they watching him? The man was known for doing stupid things, especially when injured. Perhaps a bit of both? Still, another pull up and he could feel each millimeter the bullet dragged across his shoulder blade, which forced the muscles in his back to spasm. Rolling onto the floor, the man pressed himself onto all fours and forced himself to do what he had not been able to do for nearly a week.

His eyes turned an eerie yellow and a growl rumbled in his chest. Fur burst from his arms, legs, back, chest and abdomen as a tail erupted forth. Sweat instantaneously covered his face as what was left of his revealed flesh turned a deep red. It was always at this point that the change stopped and the man reverted back to his former self. The human continued, pressing on, desperate to see if the bullet out be dislodged with the change to a wolf. His face, still partially swollen, broke apart and readjusted beneath the flesh, expanding and contracting as a snout emerged. His teeth sharpened, his breathing became heavy and before long the Alpha of New York City was in his wolvin form.

Though one thing was different.

The pain that had been in his human shoulder was not in his wolvin. The bullet had refused to move. Stepping carefully about the room on his padded feet, the multi-colored mutt felt no initial pain. Turning it into a quick spring into tight and wide circles, no pain yet when it came to rolling across the ground, the wolf yelped as his weight pressed against the shoulder blade. There it was. So long as he did not apply too much weight, no pain. Still, he had to get use to it. He had to be strong. This was the third time Sombra had to save his hide. The fire in New York, his family in New Orleans and now his family in Syria. She could not always be his guardian angel. The man could take his licks but he had to toughen up.

He had to do it for Sombra.

'Sombra.' Josef thought. 'Lets see if she can hear this...'

Sitting on his hind legs, the body arched forth as the wolf set out a deafeaning and bellowing calling howl which easily pushed through the thin walls of the hotel and the surrounding area. Almost instinctively, the dogs in the surrounding area howled back; acknowledging the Alphas call. Though not directed at them, they did respond and some with their own challenges. Stupid dogs. After a few seconds, Josef let out a second, longer howl before stopping and listening. The area dogs again began their own howls in response. If Sombra did not hear him, she would probably hear the mutt responses to him.

There were different kind of wolf calls. Some were directed at summoning back wolves. Some were directed at checkins where packmates responded back. He was not stupid enough to try and order Sombra around as a wolf. He loved her. He did not want to control her. The one call Josef did use was an alert to Sombra; not so much him demanding her to come back. The wolf was letting her know he was finally able to shift and having a hell of a time in his wolf skin for the first time in over a week.

How Bloody Funny!

[*sombra delgadillo]

Sombra was accustomed to being brought to her knees, either literally or figuratively - life had a funny way of smacking her in the face and watching her tumble. It was somewhat cruel. And yet she had learned to accept it. That was a magical thing about her - while resilient she was adaptable. And if she wasn't she wouldn't have survived the ordeal in Syria. She had fallen asleep that night, sitting up with her face pressed into the sheets at Josef's bedside. The morning after she'd woken quietly and wordlessly gone to get food for them. He hadn't been eating…fasting supposedly and it quiet annoyed her. Fasting was a fine ritual, when you weren't trying to heal from a near fatal attempt on your life. She hadn't argued, but it was evident in the woman's stormy gaze she was not pleased. He had got into a routine and she? Had taken to roaming. It was in her nature to never be quite comfortable in one place at once. Though it obviously wasn't quite the time to be off on her own again. Not when Josef was still so vulnerable. No she and her wolves had been posted, watching him for a few days now. He was healing fast for a human, but slow for a werewolf.

While they were constantly in close quarters, Sombra rarely felt like holding up a conversation - she wasn't positively sure what there was to say. Not to Josef anyway. It was still quite painful, this sensation. The vulnerability. In fact Sombra had every intention of ignoring it. Breathing a small sigh, the woman stared out into the crowd filled streets. Her palms were placed in her pockets as she thought, the white shorts she wore coupled with a teal shirt was quite flattering. One of her female pack members had taken the liberty of shopping for clothes for Sombra and therefore most of what she had was stylish and feminine. And Sombra was simply too exhausted to argue with such a trivial matter as clothing. She truly did not care. She stayed within the vicinity of the hotel, her hair pulled back in a low ponytail to allow her neck a little breeze.

The woman's dark eyes trailed silently over the streets, the golden light shining down on the city was near blinding but the heat was dry - Sombra preferred it to the humidity even if it was technically hotter. Her crimson hair hung limp save for the occasional gust of wind that moved it from its place of rest. Breathing a small sigh, she was prepared to turn around and wander back in the hotel. She'd left nearly two hours before and it seemed a proper time to go eat, though she'd taken to eating downstairs where there wasn't the feel of Josef's stare while he watched her eat and yet refused to himself. Clenching her fists, she stifled a small growl but turned on her heel and began to head towards the room once again. A low, building sound came from the interior - a howl that started off quietly and then gained volume until it was quite evident to be a triumph. So he'd finally shifted. And probably done some damage to himself in the process.

Blinking dryly, she moved back into the interior of the hotel reticently, walking rather calmly to the elevator and taking it up the floors to the room at which point she allowed herself to enter, eyeing him from the doorway with an arched brow. "Quite pleased with yourself aren't you…" She wandered towards the bathroom, barely waiting for the door to close before she was sliding the singlet off, then her shorts and shoes and finally the underwear. She only barely slid her sunglasses off before the change began. Her own wounds were much less life threatening but no less painful it seemed. Her spine curved and she stifled a small groan. At that point she was the wolf, on all fours and standing with her hackles on end. Now to get out of the bathroom. She stood up on her hind legs and then wrapped her neck around her the handle and effectively turned the handle. She allowed herself passage into the room, her tail flicking in a nearly affectionate act.

She looked as war-beaten in wolf form as she did in human form. But unfortunately when you take away the clothing the scars become all too evident. And the tiny chink in her left ear? It looked rather large and noticeable to the wolf whose ears were far larger. A brusk snort sounded from the she-wolf who promptly sat on her haunches and eyed him and his smug self.

Outfit!

[Josef Ibn-Abad]

Had his tail not been attached, it would have flung across the room the moment Sombra emerged from the bathroom. She had asked if the Alpha had been proud of himself and of course he was. This was his first shift in a good long while and though it hurt, and hurt bad, it was something that needed to be done. Her wolf was beautiful, strong, more toned than his own. She came off as more feral, more dominate. She was a wild wolf, not some zoo tamed beast. Her battle scars were apparent. She was truly an experienced Alphess and knew how to handle herself. Josef, on the other hand, was not as built. Partly due to his lack of eating, his figure was slimmer than it should have been. He could have easily outweighed Sombra but today was the day when she was truly the superior. Still, the wolf did not care about ranks, both were dominates and the fact that Sombra had shifted, the wolf of Josef could not help but get excited.

His tail slapped his sides with loud thuds as the wolf lowered his head and snapped his jaws in a playful manner, then followed up by lifting his paw, waving it slightly before slapping it against the floor and again snapping his jaws. The wolf was absolutely excited. Not only had he managed his shift but he now had a chance to interact with Sombras wolf and this would not be an opportunity that the man would let be spoiled by anything. A joyous yelp escaped his muzzle as he spun in a circle before slapping his rear down against the floor and suddenly growing still. His eyes widened though his tailed whished across the floor behind him, refusing to still as the happy behavior continued on.

This was what he wanted. The chance to mingle with the wolf of Sombra Delgadillo. His Mate. His Love. If a wolf could blush, Josef would have been bright red by now. Suddenly, the male wolf lurched forth, his head lowered though his eyes locked on Sombra's own. The Alphess had yet to move, instead holding her ground through all of Josefs antics. He neared the Alphess, though it was apparent that the slower he stepped, the more pain coursed through his shoulder. At least with fast movements he did not feel it until after he stopped. Each step was agonizing physically but were needed. As his muzzled neared her own, he rubbed her gently. his whiskers brushed passed her own before the muzzles pressed. From there, his nose momentarily brushed passed her ears before scrolling down the nape of her neck, shoulders, back but stopped down of the thigh. He circled her, though, still careful before brushing his head against her own.

[*sombra delgadillo]

It was obvious to Sombra that he was pleased at her appearance, and even more pleased by the fact that she reappeared moments later in the fur form. While she was definitely in better shape, his own figure seemed far less marred. Hers was like a tank, built for war and only that. Whether it was beautiful or not she could not judge but it did its duty well. Once she surfaced the quiet filled the air for several long seconds and Sombra wasn't keen on interrupting it. Why would she? Silence was bliss, it was golden…words…were useless and in this particular setting a vain attempt. What use could they serve? None, none at all. Josef's behavior far exceeded her own in terms of expression, his sentiments were made painfully clear by the whelp antics, woofing like a large puppy and yelping…going so far as spinning in place and then abruptly coming to a halt, still wagging his tail as if it was controlling his breathing like a shark.

And she had remained motionless, even as he stepped forward, ducking his head humbly it seemed. His steps were ginger, clearly causing pain - something that Sombra had every intention of fixing once they were back in the States - find him a proper surgeon. It was surprising how much his hurt bothered her, but it did, a lot. It was evident also that the she-wolf was not accustomed to being touched. Again her figure tensed at the sensation of his muzzle pressed ever so gently to hers, her hackles rising and her gaze slanting towards him though again she remained motionless. Forcing herself to accommodate such a display of affection. Every muscle in her spine, chest and legs were tense, down to her very haunches in preparation to spring and save herself from the snapping jaws that inevitably would come.

If this was courting she would definitely suck at it. Everything about it put her on edge, made her want to snap and bring him to his knees. It didn't matter how soft the caress was, how cherished it might have made any ordinary woman feel. She was no ordinary woman. And the physical? Always dangerous, always a mind game…And she wasn't a fan. The physical made her incredibly uncomfortable, did not come natural as if her parents did not hug her enough as a child. Which in fact could be considered in the list of reasons why she was not so appreciative of such proximity. Then again I have no interest in arguing nature versus nurture, nor the accepted behavior for a woman. Her hind legs had edged closer to her forelegs as if to make her being smaller and more difficult to come into contact with. This was definitely a way to get her wound up.

She breathed a slow inhale, slanting her gaze to stare at his profile once again. Would she always be this way? So stern and austere? Such a severe persona? So serious and grumpy? Perhaps. Perhaps spending the majority of her life this way had thoroughly etched it into her being, to the point that it could no longer be changed. Let us hope not.

[Josef Ibn-Abad]

She had not run off and hid. Instead, the Alphess had remained opened and receptive to Josef's display. Granted, this habit was what many wild wolves themselves did. It was a blending of scents, a courtship of sorts. The man accommodated the female, ensuring that he did the work by sliding his body against her own. This was, by all means, instinct. It had come natural to Josef. Her scent coated the outer most layers of his fur and muzzle and he could smell it. There would not be a female wolf around who would not pick up the scent of Sombra when near Josef. This was a impromptu 'This Boys' Been Claimed' scent. Whether or not Sombra would find much appreciation in the man using her scent to claim himself for her only in such a brazen manner had yet to be determined.
His tail continued to wag. He had not been this playful in a very long time and for the first time, Josef simply let his wolvin instincts take over. In the safety of this room, where no one else could see either Dominate, the wolves could just... let it out. Never would Josef have been so forward with others around. Never would he have been so playful. He was the banker Syrian, a man of utmost dignity. For the sake of his pack, his territory and his job, he had to portray such. Sombra, however, brought out the natural beast within him and he fucking loved it.

He leaned forward on his forelimbs again, tilted his head and snapped his jaws in a playful manner while his tongue hung out the side of his muzzle. He pounced forth, pulled back, snapped his jaws. Again he pounced forth, pulled back and snapped his jaws; all the while his hips growing steadily sore from the constant slamming of his four pound tail. He was a monster in size and stamina but he still always kept the knowledge that right now, should she have wanted too, the Alphess could snap him in half in a straight fight.

He respected her far more than any other woman in his past.

With another playful yelp, the Alpha of New York lifted a paw and slapped it down while tilting his head from side to side before cautiously stepping forth and pushing his muzzle against her chest and drawing back.

[*sombra delgadillo]

Damn right. She had not run. She rarely ran…it was only when tears threatened to spill over that it became absolutely necessary for her to make a beeline and get the hell outta there. She was well aware of what he was doing, covering himself in the safety of her scent. He was solidifying whatever this was. And it frightened her and pissed her off. He was assuming that she'd agreed, assuming that things were alright. They weren't alright. She was afraid, of course she was afraid. Why wouldn't she be? The fact that they were in such a crappy state of being was evidence enough that things were not safe, especially as a couple. He was being ridiculous and whelp-like. He was acting like a child. His tail flicked back and forth playfully, now completely at home in the safety of her companionship. She was still sore, physically achey and so it made moving so quickly an impossibility. More than that she was exhausted. He slept constantly…she slept…rarely. She slept when she thought she could afford to.

The fight may have been over. But Sombra's beast had been unsettled with how close she had come to not being able to carry on. Her dreams had gotten much worse, more consistent and always painful. So it was simply better to not sleep wasn't it? Rather than face all of that anguish? She thought so, for the most part anyway. There were times when she was so certain she was going to collapse from exhaustion. He yelped again trying to coax her into playing and the she-wolf considered it but unfortunately. It couldn't happen. She slowly lay down on her stomach, watching him make a fool of himself. The tip of her tail flicked thoughtfully as she watched him, quietly entertained by his antics.


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Wolf form is killing me. ><