just keep running..

[authenticnights]

<center></center>

time is a very interesting creature. there are days where it drags by and you feel like you've noticed the passing of every minute, other days it flashes by you. leaving you alone to wonder just how it past so quickly. then sometimes, it's just disappears. you blink..and it's gone. the days since allyson, thefight with hollywood, and dozen of liquor bottles had been exactly like that, there was little recollection of that time. flashes of it came back to him as he woke, the club, flashes of lights, pills, and the alcohol flowing like water. the woman beside him stirred and made him aware of her existance. there was no sudden recognition when he caught a glimpse of her face in the moonlight, he still couldn't remember her name. there was dead silence as he slipped from the bed and foudn his jeans. though he couldn't begin to guess where he'd been last night at least he had a good idea of what had happened in that bed. the girl moved again and he froze until he was sure that she was still asleep. gathering the rest of his clothes, he dressed quickly and slipped out.
and1s hit the sidewalk below her apartment building and the street assassin glanced around. emeralds slipped to his watch and he cursed. how could he have lost that kind of time? there was another, more calculated look around and he breathed a sigh of relief when he spotted the dodged docked at the curb. slipping behind the wheel put him at ease, but heading for his own home..did not.

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ October 14, 2007 05:50 PM: Message edited by: back alley assassin ]</font>

[authenticnights]

it might have been hours, seconds, days, years...he couldn't tell the difference anymore. they all faded together like if he blinked he might miss something. the street assassin was fairly sure that it had been about a week. he ran down who she'd been running with and casually toyed with the amusement putting a bullet in their heads and leaving her to deal with the homicide unit would bring him. he resisted that childish urge however and instead slipped just a little further into the gutters and miles closer to hell. it was almost as though he could feel the flames licking at his heels and hear the crys of the damned. it was probably just the acid.
while there was void in his life where hollywood used to be, he found that filling it with chemicals and whores wasn't much helping. he hadn't seen his shadow in a few days either, but it was hard to tell when she'd pop up out of no where with the promise of a long night and a warm bed. that had never been what he'd been looking for. though he hadn't known that he'd been looking for it when he'd found it. just noted that his life was somehow different with it and now that it was god he felt empty. this annoyed him. little of his time before had been spent on dwelling on one woman and now that he was and he couldn't have her..he didn't know what to do. other than be bothered. it was keeping him up nights and he didn't know why. he couldn't figure out just why he couldn't forget about her and let it go at that. just another back alley whore that meant as much to him as the black tar they served as coffee at the diner. no, that wouldn't do. wouldn't do at all.
emeralds glanced over the edge of the building and he sighed. just doing his job, could he blame anyone else for doing hers? of course he could, but that didn't change anything. it only ripped into him just a little further. lids slipped shut and he sighed again. metal clicked against metal as he worked the rifle into place. the grinding of the rifle as it came to life sent something through his veins. something he almost thought could replace her, but the feeling was fleeting and when ink greens opened there was only the gun and nothing more. mildly annoyed with the gun, though it was anything but the fault of the weapon, he slid it across the rooftop and settled in next to it. looking down the scope he found the man on the other end increasingly interesting. people were so much more raw when you watched them through crosshairs.
his mind flashed back to another scene, another rooftop, and another shot. she'd been on the other end of that slick black rifle and he could have pulled the trigger. could have ended the mess before it was started and saved himself the humiliating lesson he'd had to learn. the possiblity of that decision kicked him back into reality and a chill went down his spine. how easy it would have been to cap them both and end the story before the pages were filled. the thug hadn't done it, no matter how much he should have, he couldn't. though now he wondered what he would do if see were to walk in front of the bullet right now. would he make the same decision? maybe, just maybe, he would see something there that she wouldn't show him before. something more real, more raw than the rushed out apology that she'd offered him before. people were so different when they couldn't feel you there. would he even be able to watch her, knowing exactly the power he held? life and death in his hands, could he simply watch and ignore the feeling of playing god when it washed over him as it did now? no, he decided. he couldn't. a flick of his index finger dropped the man on the other side of the scope. what had he ended? what had he stopped from happening with the slightest move of his finger? he wasn't sure he wanted to know, more power than even the gods deserved.

[authenticnights]

that alley behind the diner didn't look at all inviting to the officer. blanketed in deep shadows, even the moonlight was afraid to touch what they might hold. pulling the flashlight from his belt the agent debated the consequences of using it. there was another worried glance to the alley and he decided not to announce himself anymore than he already had. the shadows continued to dance through the alley, flickering street lights and notorious headlights sent them scattering like cockroaches when someone flipped a light on.
incased in the midnight, the assassin watched his brother carefully. the darkness that surrounded the street rat appeared untouched, as though the light were scared of him. the officer was highlighted in the entrance by a shining outline of moonlight and it continued to stalk him as a glitter off that polished shield even after he entered the shadows. the gleam caught devon's attention and it made him physically ill. the night didn't like the intruder and it mocked his stupidity. the same stupidity that had led him back to devon in the first place, it was continuing to follow him. emeralds darkened as the pig drew closer and he considered taking him right there. turning him over to the gods and letting them decide the fate of a traitor. the officer danced around the patches of moonlight in a clumsy attempt to avoid detection. even the moon was afraid of the devil and it's light did not give him away, without so much as notice of the death god in the shadows the agent drew closer. as he past the darkened patch, the assassin grinned. when the uniform made his way further into the darkness, the silver-tongued devil spoke from the shadows.
"just because the wolf is in sheep's clothing can hide among them, he'll never be one of them."
the taunting street drawl broke the silence of the night and stopped the agent dead in his tracks. shawn was visibly shaken that he'd past so close to death without ever knowing it. his grip on the nine millimeter tighened and greens searched the darkness for the demon.
"you can even train the wolf to watch the flock..but eventually he's going to get hungry.."
the challenge of his character narrowed his eyes and he continued to search for the source of the sound. the gutter rat stepped out of his hiding place and into the moonlight and the so-called wolf in blue found himself face to face with the demon himself. a sadistic smirk was fixed on his lips, one that only the devil himself could match. shawn didn't need any concrete evidence to tell him that his brother was a killer. it rolled off him in waves. death surrounded him and he wore it well.
"it didn't take long for them to castrate you.."
the pure rage danced through his eyes when he noted the simple amusement of the alpha wolf. the officer snapped and slammed devon back into the shadows and the unbending brick of the wall. the characteristic growl cane, surprisingly, from the cop. if anyone here was a goddamned danger to society, it was devon. when that laughter rang out into the night it only furthered his anger and earned the shadow another sickening crack against the wall.
"...getting hungry bro'..?"
another slam back into the rough brick and he could feel the blood breaking out and tearing off into spider webs along his back. the pain rocked his system, but the morphine fought it back and brought about a smirk and another burst of hollowed laughter. there was no emotion about him, nothing there but a shell of a man with no control over himself. they had been on that same road to hell when shawn had left to play the other side of the law with the military. the officer found himself having a stare down with his reflection in those god damned mirrored shades.
"i'm nothing like you..."
now he shoved the uniform back, pinning him by his throat to the wall. there was that blind rage that shawn remembered so well.
"that's where you're wrong officer."
the last word was spat out as though it were a curse that made the street thug sick.
"i take people like you off the streets..."
those emeralds narrowed behind that smokey glass. the assassin's grip on his brother's throat wasn't tight. he could still speak, breathe, and be completely annoying. one hand still rested on his gun, which devon had a hand over, and the other was tightly around the wrist of the devil.
"people like me.."
the statement amused him and he let the cop go before stepping back. that demonish smirk had returned to his lips.
"i seem to remember a time when you were me.."
that time so far in the past where the brothers owned the back alleys of new york city and their names were infamous. a time when they were untouchable.
"yeah and look at me now..."
though he knew the statement was futile the instant he'd made it.
"look at you now.."
the gutter rat circled him to get a better look at him.
"..a caged tiger. how utterly poetic."
devon had never enjoyed life's cages. he'd perfectly avoided any institution that might attempt to put him back on a leash.
"i'm going to figure this out bro'.."
the smirk faded into a full out smile and he lightly tapped the cop's cheek.
"..you're not the first to try. good luck."
then he was gone. swallowed by the shadows and eaten by the darkness. the uniform that had started to respond, but he knew the wolf was gone. instead he slipped down the wall and to the ground, shaking. this wasn't going to be easy.

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ October 18, 2007 12:32 AM: Message edited by: back alley assassin ]</font>

[authenticnights]

it was early, probably extremely early. that was evident by the bright red glare on the insides of his eyelids, which was what had woken him in the first place. or it might have been the birds, he knew there were birds. they were loud and he wanted to kill them. something slow that would scare the entire bird population into shutting the hell up. wait, where the fuck was he that there were so many goddamned birds? and for that matter, why the hell was it so damned bright? those brilliant greens opened as far as slits and shifted around before quickly closing again. the assassin was curled up on the hood on his car in the middle of some parking lot. sitting up slowly, he let his eyes slip open again. confused as to his whereabouts until emeralds landed on that all too familiar diner. how in the fuck did he end up here in the first place? the street rat was fighting with a thick haze over his memory. there were black holes in his recollection of the last couple days. there had been a fight with his brother. hollywood and renton were there, it happened in the diner. no, that wasn't recent. shaking his head back and forth in an attempt to move the clouds, he thought. the alley behind the diner, there was another fight with the cop. then what? there was another futile attempt to shake the fog. it didn't work either because he was quickly distracted by the low whine of that damned dodge. the devil stepped out and it was a matter of seconds before he felt her fingertips on his spine.
"did you get in a fight with a bear?"
those confused words brought his attention to the pain that was beginning to wake within him. the sniper's gaze drifted down to the dried blood that covered his bare chest and flashes of memory came back to him. read and black eyes that had darkened from an amazing teal color. pearl white fangs incased in a beautiful smile. a deep crimson wash of blood, his blood, it seemed like it came in gallons. sharp pains mixed seductively in pleasure. slowly he started shaking his head, a hand running through his hair and momentarily resting at the back of his neck before it slipped away.
"think it was a vampire..could'a been a werewolf.."
for all practical purposes, he really wasn't sure. not that he was going to walk around crying that there were demons walking the earth, but he was starting to believe. sliding off the hood of the care made him notice his lack of clothing. his bed had consisted of his leather jacket, but his shirt and shoes were gone. on further exploration, the thug found no clothing under his jeans and he smirked as he shook his head. ducking through the window he came out of the dodge with a bottle of jack. it was the perfect cure for a night that tries to convince a man that there are vampires among the populace. taking a long pull from the bottle the clouds in his memory were replaced with a new set and he felt better.
"a fuckin' what?"
his normally controlled shadow was frantic. what the hell had happened?
"wha' tha' fuck did ya' do to piss off a goddamned vampire?"
the shadow's accent thickened as she frantically looked him up and down. he was a little worse for wear. taking another pull from the bottle, he sat it on the roof of that midnight machine. the instant he sat it down, she grabbed it up and started drowning herself. back in through the window, the junkie was searching for one of his pre-loaded needles. finding that life-giving black box, he popped it open. when he pulled out of the car there was no mistaking the haze in his eyes. turning to her, he took his bottle back and took a drink.
"i didn't piss 'er off..."
no, he remembered now. the details had come rushing back to him.
"i fucked 'er.."
though one could debate who'd really been in control of the situation just by looking at him. there was a short pause as he looked over his wounds again.
"..and apparently she likes it rough.."
that brought a wicked smirk to his lips and he took another drink to hide it.
"you're fuckin' stupid bitches that they they're count dracula!?"
she was upset, probably even pissed off and all devon could do was stand there and look amused.
"what the fuck dev'?"
she circled behind him to get a better look at all his wounds.
"at least the whore didn't send you home dripping your own blood!"
though someone had stopped the bleeding or he'd have already been dead. there was a disinterested roll of ink greens and he finished off the bottle before tossing it away.
"i'm going back.."
"you're what?!"

[authenticnights]

the station was long dead, this was his time. there were still people wandering about, but the agent found himself mostly left alone. shawn should have been finishing up his report, instead he was running searches on the mysterious shadow that had once been his brother. the street thug was a ghost, it was like he never existed. that was impossible when days ago the man stood right in front of him and declared a private war. the officer had picked up a few details in some city slum, but nothing he could use. the darkened devil had cast a blanket of fear and respect that held tight when shawn decided to pull at it. so involved in this thoughts that he didn't hear the devil's shadow come up behind him. agent lucas wasn't aware of his broth until he was in front of him and leaning against his desk. the shadow earned his name, dipped in midnight and clothed in s.w.a.t. black. with that gun on his hip and who only knew how many other hidden dangers, the officer was nervous. drops of sweat ran tracks down his neck and along his back as he eyed that handgun. the assassin was deadly enough without it.
"find what you're lookin' for?"
behind smokey, mirrored glass those greens were dancing across the screen and lit up in amusement. his younger brother looked as though he was torn between screaming and fainting. the fear in his eyes only amused the gutter rat further.
"how...how'd you get in here?"
it took him a moment to find his voice and even then there was a certain shake to it. maybe he was starting to believe devon was a ghost. the devil looked amused with the dear and there was just the hint of a smile that graced his lips.
"smoke.."
the one simple word answer startled him in ways he couldn't explain. his nerve was further shaken and the killer was in control of the situation. slowly he moved from the chair and put himself back on even ground.
"yeah, alright batman. get the fuck outta' here."
devon glanced up from the glock in his hands, his own still shackled to his hip. the officer moved his hand to his belt and realized that the gun devon had was his own. until he saw the gun he didn't realize it was missing.
"whatcha' goin' do if i don't?"
that was an exceptionally good question. it was really too bad that he didn't have an answer for it. the devil returned the gun to the desk in pieces as he waited for an answer. when he realized that no response was coming he shook his head.
"be careful what you ask.."
with that, he was gone. just as quickly and silently as he'd shown up. leaving the cop shaking at how easily his brother could come and go as he pleased.
"fuck.."
the officer slid back into his seat. he needed to check out that diner.

[authenticnights]

<center></center>flashes came back to him as he turned restlessly in the sweat slick sheets. that stage right before sleep trapping him in a memory of her. her body over his in the moonlight forever burned into his brain. a long, lingering kiss that was followed by three words he knew a back alley slut could never mean. that pain racked deep in his chest again with the memory of her touch and the lies that came with it. another woman, any other woman, could throw those words around and they'd never touch the wall he felt he had to live behind. she'd been different and he's allowed himself the same fantasy that he created for so many women that crawled into his bed. holly wood had brought him to his knees using only that allowance that he'd given himself. the sheer stupidity of his actions sickened him. the crushing heartbreak that drilled a hole in his chest slid away to reveal a white hot anger. this had been something he'd facilitated. she never tried to hide who she was from him. that had been in his face from the start. when she'd promised him that she'd give it up for him, the lie had been right there in her eyes. she would try to give it up for him, but she ad already known that the thug wasn't worth that to her. she'd known it too. the second that it had appeared in her mismatched eyes he'd caught it, but had let himself forget the truth. hollywood was a whore and nothing more, some quick fuck while he was in town. the assassin had let himself fall, believe a lie that he'd clearly seen. the only thing at fault his own stupidity. when she'd claimed she'd give the lifestyle up for him and that she loved him, he'd wanted to believe it. so, he'd made himself. stupid. quiet suddenly more annoyed with himself than he'd been the instant it had happened, he slipped from the bed and into his jeans. sleep wasn't going to happen tonight, might as well hit the streets.

<font color="#000000" size="1">[ October 19, 2007 07:10 PM: Message edited by: back alley assassin ]</font>

[authenticnights]

there weren't very many people lingering around the billiards hall at this time of morning. a few straggling regulars were hanging around the bar trying to talk scott out of a few after hours drinks. when the street assassin wander in, scott was glad that he hadn't. the pool hall?s owner hadn't been himself lately and he was deadly on a good day. slipping around behind the bar, he took a moment to glance over scott's paperwork and dispatch the drunks back to their tables.
"they try that every night.."
devon was under the bar digging around for something, but he threw up a muffled answer anyway.
"yeah, they got rilez last night."
the rookie tender was still green, innocent in all the right ways. he made an exceptionally good cover for the backroom operations. the thug thought it was best to keep the boy around despite the mistake. coming up from under the bar with two bottles of throat rawing moonshine, just what the doctor ordered.
"her again?"
there was no answer, scott hadn't expected there to be.
"you?"
there was an entirely different situation. scott had walked away from the woman he loved, because he was a pussy. so deathly afraid of ending up where devon was that he refuse to take that kind of a risk. the tender offered no answer either, but he accepted the shot when it slid his way. heartache, self-induced or not, wasn't a pretty thing to watch.
"think this will be the bottle?"
"nah..."

[authenticnights]

<center></center>at least when he woke up there was no questioning where he was. when greens came to life he was looking across the room and into his closet. there was a pounding that centered directly between his eyes and though his wounds had begun the healing process they still screamed at him. just the simple action of slipping from his bed caused protect in his muscles. moving slowly through the house and dipping his head into the fridge, the injured wolf found breakfast. moonshine and morphine, the breakfast of champions. he took a long pull from the bottle as he loaded the needle. the process took longer than normal between pain and the emptying of his bottle.
the chemical flooded his veins, slipping through his blood like ice water. the pain would fade now, it would take a few long moments, but after them he would think. slipping down to the floor, he stretched out. before he could focus his eyes slipped closed and he lost himself to the land of dreams.

[authenticnights]

so many times change had come and went long before the assassin ever noticed that it was in his midst. self-awareness was generally something that he prided himself on, but there were times when things were shifting on a larger scale that completely escaped his attentions. some where in the last several months hollywood had all but disappeared from his world, those nightly trips to the dinner that had held his attention with this city had all but stopped completely, and that playful ambiance that toyed with chemicals and other recreational sports had vanished. then there was her, such an unexpected twist that happened somewhere in the middle. another hunter slipping among sheep and daring to catch his attentions, but rather than hold the unpredictable, blood lust of his temper she held something else. it amazed him just how easily things had fallen into place and how long the journey seemed at the same time. like a puzzle that was always meant to fit, but had taken him longer to figure than the box suggested it should. constantly a shift, but some things never change.


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there was little that could compare to the scene that lay out before anyone daring to slip through on to the unhallowed ground that made the near sacred home away from home for the wolf. currently the pool hall was sated by shadows and a dreary red glow, though that was possibly caused by the blood that dripped from the only light bulb remaining intact in the room. shattered glass littered the hardwood and made the foot falls of his counterpart resonate through the room. the sniper remained unmoving and invisible in the shadows that made up his corner of the room. the scent of blood ran on the coat tails of broken whiskey bottles and made tracks down his forearm. the spider web trails of blood and sweat that soaked his t-shirt was ignored for the time being and allowed to further degrade the floor. emerald greens were narrowed towards the shadows that made up the far side of the bar, that darkened stare tracking the movement of what appeared to be another meaningless shadow until it dared to speak.
"cat and mouse. the rush calls to the blood, but this is a little excessive."
a smirk cut across his lips as that pain filtered through the tone his shadow struggled to keep even. for a long moment it seemed as though she spoke to nothing more than the darkness and it didn't find fit to sate her curiosity with an answer. the shadows she'd been watching down the barrel of a locked and cocked forty-five caliber smith and wesson shifted, but the answer didn't come from them. instead there was a flash image of the wolf lounging casually on the bar top as he dipped the tip of the cancer stick into the flame then darkness captured his form again.
"where is he?"
the question baited several responses from the similarly midnight cloaked assassin, but none of them verbal until she approached the bar.
"andrew is a rather hard one to pin down.."
fingertips grazed along the wooden counter and found that nothing lay upon it's scarred top though it still warm from where he'd rested and where the sniper had left the cigarette sitting bait in an ashtray. the near silent click of a safety release coupled by the icy touch of a gun barrel visibly startled her in the mock night of the bar, only the safety of the shadows hid her response. it nuzzled her neck at the top of her spine and traced a line slowly down until she shuddered back against the very instance that could end the count of days. instead of shying forward the shadow leaned back until the muzzle was certain to leave a bruised tattoo on her spine before she pulled against the bar's edge and turned slowly to face the gun that was now leveled between light blue gaze. blood dipped nail ran along the gun barrel until it traced along his trigger finger, the brashness of the move enough to lower the gun and narrow the eyes of the demon.
"russia."
barely an answer and not one the wolf had time to dwell on, the distraction allowing him to fall prey to the next move. a shift in his weight dropped him back a second and the knife missed it's mark to leave a bite along his throat and instead added another gash to his torso along the lines of muscles in his left shoulder. something of a feral growl pulled from the bottom of his throat and rather than the gun his hand caught the blade of the dagger that was meant to end his life. more blood dropped from his palm and mixed with the cocktail that was already running trails along the wooden floor of the bar, but the knife was drawn back to the bar's edge. the cutting edge of the blade was released for the advantage of catching her wrist and pinning her back to the bar with the weight of his body.
"where?"
fingers of her free hand ran across his chest, but only for an instant before they dropped down his stomach and then disappeared entirely.
"st. petersbugh, how cliche'.."
the sniper let her go and retrieved what was left of the smoke he'd left in the ashtray.
"get out."

[authenticnights]

<center> </center>

the edges of buildings allow a man an entirely new perspective on his surroundings and fellow humans. everything below looks so different that it appears when you aren't in the thick of the flock. somewhere off in the distance the thunder growled above the roar of the city's night life and caught the sniper's attentions for a brief second before it returned to the depths below him. instants after the crash lightning pieced the sky and outlined the predator against a clouded pitch black sky for but a second. no one bothered to notice, the flock rarely looked up for the signs that it was all about to end. would simple warning of the wolf's presence save the sheep from their inevitable fate? somehow devon doubt it, but then again he wasn't sure he believed in things a trivial as fate and destiny. karma, possibly. the rain that was the cities current threat finally began to fall, not as a calm drizzle, but in a hateful downpour of gallons at a time. ink green pools watched them scatter off towards, what they wanted to believe were, the safeties and securities of home. how little they realized even when it was laid out across flickering television screens for them. that was when the wind shifted to carry that deadly metallic click to his ears. a slow smirk crossed over his lips, the sound of the thunder had concealed the shadow's already nearly silent approach.
"twenty-four hours. i didn't expect to wait so long."
hands raised just above hip level and palms out when he sifted to face her in a mock surrender. gazes locked for a long moment before his arms crossed over muscles and he regarded the forty-five that he was currently looking down across the space. just enough space that her safety wasn't in question, yet. their tangle the previous night had left the both with fresh wounds, her more so. apparently, the notion of a round two didn't worry either hunter. though why she'd press such with poisoned blood so close to the surface was beyond the wolf. the storm continued to brew around them, the rain plastering clothes to skin like freshly inked tattoos, but again neither seemed to mind. thunder continued to crash with hurried intensity, but even the slightest shift would have showed weakness, distraction. neither of those things had a safe haven in the moonless midnight that surrounded their chosen ring. the rain slicked gutter rat dared a step in the shadow's direction, but paused when she slowly shook her head and gestured him back with the semi-auto.
"how's it feel to have the upper hand?"
the wolf side stepped as he spoke, the street drawl of his voice slicked with something that enticed threat and a perverted flirtation with death and seduction that was hard to pin down. cautiously, though his wariness didn't show beyond his own thoughts, the cat paced easily along the roof's edge. the circle was loose and though she tracked him with the gun barrel set to keep him at bay, the loop ended with that steel against his chest. nothing more than her reflection glaring back at her even with him so close. without the distance to sate her mind she found it on overdrive, wondering just where the wolf's fatal bite would fall and if there was something that she could have done to prevent it. could have pulled the trigger when she had the chance, but the thought was dry humor because they'd both known she wouldn't shoot him. there was more that lay there than a quick death would allow, if she wanted for the sniper's death then the shadow would see to it that it was slow.
"or is the struggle to hold on to it simply too much for you?"
his fingertip traced the barrel as hers had the night before, but instead of falling victim to the same trap the shadow had lay for him her eyes narrowed and never left her reflection in those mirrors. as his finger slid over the side of the barrel he pressed, the gun moving from his chest to the side. instants later it had disappeared completely and she stood in the rain watching him. how simple things looked when the weapons disappeared and anyone who walked up on the scene might see a well-drenched couple, so much in love they couldn't take their eyes from one another, on the receding tide of a lover's spat that merely tested the depths of what it meant to them. the tone in her voice had turned towards that suggestion when she spoke again.
"andrew is calling for your blood for that little stunt you pulled on your trek to find whatever it was you were looking for dev'."
the words that had come on the tone changed the situation for an onlooker entirely, should they be close enough for the meaning to find them. no longer lovers, but not nearly enemies either. not as they looked mixing the other's blood on the hardwood the night previous this one, but not quite friendly either. the tension laced the air and warned off any of the flock daring to come to the heights of the city for a thrill. danger and death swirled the air as though carried on the wind and not the very essence of their beings. the frown that creased her lips was genuine though he saw no need for the concern that was written in her eyes. as far as the alpha was concerned the threat was minimal despite the urgency with which it was delivered. a roll of the muscles in his shoulders produced a shrug, show of the indifference that rushed his veins.
"they offered me the contract, it's funny seeing your name laid out on one of those slips of paper. you thought you were in control of it didn't you dev'? answering to no one but yourself, barely the courtesy to work for me while i was still in a position to demand such of your talents. how does it feel to lose the upper hand?"
somewhere, while the wolf had been tending to other business, things had began to crumble under his feet. at least where things such as work were concerned anyway. mind laced over the information until he found a suitable solution for the contract that was currently ringing his neck.
"you surrender much too easily."
as though the upper hand was not in fact lost. somewhere on his quest for information about gavin and the hallows he'd stepped on someone's toes. andrew's, and he was set on letting the wolf know just how that made him feel. that was fine, when a dog stepped out of the line he was meant to follow, you simply put him back in it. though, curiosity took over for a moment and from his lips slipped the only question that was left to be answered.
"what's it worth? my blood?"
a red shoved between his lips as the storm began to calm into a summer shower and dipped into a waiting flame.
"more than i'd pay to see you dead."
there was little more than a nod to this information, the number wasn't something that would have meant anything anyway. the more pressing matter was how one dealt with this sudden inconvenience. that thought slipped through his mind as though pressing death was nothing more than an annoyance and worry had no place in the set of things at all.
"i would think it safe to assume that with your denial that andrew has bothered himself with a trip to the city then?"
the nod that she gave him matched the one that he'd given her to the information of the value of his life, or rather the lack of it, as she slipped into the same indifferent gestures. though something caught in her eyes and the demon saw it long before the smile began cutting across her lips.
"what do you think would happen...?"
the question remained unfinished because the rest of the words were unneeded, the meaning already there before the words were offered life. pandora. though the thought stuck him with worry for her safety for an instant, but then the constant reminder of who she was flickered over him and the worry erased, he need not worry for her life. death by the likes of andrew wasn't something that he'd have to worry losing her too, but then the meaning the shadow had started with flashed him away from thoughts of her.
"..if she'd been, or still may be, offered the contract?"
the wolf smirked as he finished off the question that didn't need an ending.
"i suspect time taking a flash back to days where we killed the messenger, even if they didn't know any better of their message."
"or you've not only to worry about andrew, but someone substantially more deadly."
no response came to that because it wasn't even worth the effort to fall to her bait or because the wolf wasn't sure what he'd say to an accusation quite like that one.