lt_safe_house | Rose invites Raphael for a walk in the woods

Rose was confused. Hurt her? Why would Peter hurt her? The confusion showed in her voice.

"Peter wouldn't ever hurt me, he's my twin. He wanted to prove to the other adults that he is an adult as well so he went after the killer all by himself instead of telling our alpha. If the PI hadn't found out who the marksman shooting members of our pack was that same night we wouldn't have found Peter as fast as we did."

She breathed in deeply, then out again.

"The moment I knew where Peter went I changed form and ran after him, followed closely by the friend of our pack who had brought the PI to us. As he isn't quite human, he managed to follow me - barely."

She wasn't about to reveal Henry's name or his true nature. Just because Raphael had accepted her didn't mean he would accept a vampire.

"We made it to the barn and I caught my twin's scent and just sprang. I would have ended up in one of the poisoned traps Mark Williams had hidden under false floor if our friend hadn't tackled me and shielded me from the impact with his body. We rolled over the floor and barely managed to avoid the traps.

Storm - my brother in his fur form - lay on a table and Mark Williams stood in front of it, covered in an apron and holding a knife in his hand. I managed to squirm out of the hold of our friend and attacked, but before I could close my jaws around Williams' throat our friend grabbed me again. We fought, me trying to get free, him trying to get through to me, to tell me that Storm was still alive. I stopped struggling when I finally understood the words and our friend commanded me to stay put."

And she had felt so helpless, trembling with the need to get to her twin and still unable to disobey Henry.

"Then others arrived. Uncle Stuart and the cop who's a friend of the PI and then Carl Biehn, the one who had shot members of our pack. Carl Biehn was one of our nieghbours and up until some years ago he came over to our farm regularly. You see, he was very religious and he always tried to save our souls - we aren't baptised and we don't go to church, you know? We were all so fed up with it but he wouldn't stop. One day, the twins - well, the other twins, my younger cousins Marie and Jennifer - were about six or seven, he came over again and he talked to the girls, telling them about hell, scaring them so badly they started to howl. Uncle Stuart chased Mr. Biehn from our property and if it hadn't been for Aunt Nadine he most probably would have changed form and attacked. I mean, you just don't do that to cubs. Jennifer had nightmares about his God for months.

And some day he must have found out about our true nature. When he arrived at the barn he started questioning his nephew, Mark Williams, about what was going on and they kept calling us the devil's creatures, satan's minions, claiming that killing us was 'doing the Lord's work'. While Mr. Biehn seemed to be satisfied by just doing something his God wanted him to do, his nephew wanted our pelts, to sell them. In the end, that was what worked to our favour as they were arguing and Mr. Biehn decided not to help his nephew."

Another deep breath in and a slow exhalation.

"When Williams realized his uncle wouldn't help him, he brought his shotgun around to shoot Mr. Biehn. I can't tell you why I did it, it must have been instinct, but I, still in fur form, just sprang, hitting Mr. Biehn squarely in the chest with my front paws so we both went down and the shot hit neither of us. In the meantime our friend managed to push Williams back until he stepped into one of his own poisoned traps and died. Him only being human meant the poison worked much faster in his body.

So the danger for most of us was over, but my twin still lay dying on the table. We knew that his chances to survive would be better if he were able to change form because that cleans out infection and even poisons to some extent. But he was unconscious. It was the PI who came up with the idea that saved my twin's life. As our reactions were more linked than ever before now that I was approaching my first heat she suggested that if I, in two-legged form, were to hug and call him that might force an unconscious change. She was right, my touch and my scent made him change into Peter and the change helped him fight the poison. You can't imagine how glad I was...

After that all's a bit blurry for me, I was much too happy that my twin would survive to pay much attention. Mr. Biehn approached me, he apologized and said that he was wrong, that the way I had saved his life despite what he'd done to my family was the true way of the Lord. He thanked me. While the others were discussion what to tell the police, Mr. Biehn went into a corner of the barn and shot himself.

The PI and her friend, the cop, instructed all of us what to say and to do. Then they set fire to the barn to cover all suspicious traces. It worked. Nobody else found out about what really happened. But I was approaching my first heat fast now and they couldn't send Peter away who was still too weak and needed to recover from the poison. So they decided to send me to a distantly related pack in London, UK, to stay there for an indefinite amount of time. The alpha female there protected me during my heat, making sure nothing happened, but that pack just wasn't the same as my own pack. They were so different! They lived in town and they'd adapted themselves so much to human life. They seldom changed, there was no running around outside, chasing rabbits and playing with the other wer. They'd go on trips outside town when there nature called so strongly they couldn't ignore it anymore, but I still felt like I couldn't breathe there. They made me wear all those stupid human's clothes and learn about etiquette and behave like a human. When I couldn't stand it anymore, I packed a backpack with everything I needed and ran away. I just took the first bus I got, just to get out of London. Then I travelled on foot. I realized I'd have to find work if I ever wanted to be able to return to my true pack and that's how I ended up at the manor. I'm saving all the money I earn so I'll be able to get a flight back to Canada. And then I can just hope my alphas won't be too angry at me for running away, for disobeying. I really hope they'll welcome me back."

But she didn't know what would happen. And it showed in her trembling voice.

Raphael's embrace tightened as she told her story, and his blood chilled to ice upon hearing that murder had been committed in the name of his Father.

Now Rose was alone. She was separated from her pack and he knew that pain. He knew what it was like to be cut away from the home you loved.

He closed his eyes, rubbing slow circles on her back, trying his best to come up with something to say but mere words did not seem to be enough. His friend had been hurting all this time and yet, she was still so strong...

"Rose...?" His voice was raspy and barely a whisper but he knew she would be able to hear it. "When... That day that I found you injured... You seemed so afraid of me. I'd always thought perhaps it was because I had discovered your secret. But... Did it have anything to do with that man claiming to be doing the 'Lord's work'?" He chewed his lip a moment before continuing to speak. "Rose... It... It isn't. They were wrong. They were wrong. Father loves. Sometimes he teaches us, and it hurts, but what happened to your family... Oh Rose, I am so so sorry..."

He held her tightly against him.

I will protect you, Rose... I promise...

Rose held onto Raphael tightly, burying her nose in his chest, soaking in his warmth and his scent. When she answered his question her voice trembled and reached barely above a whisper.

"Ever since I got here I was afraid one of the angels might find out and share Mr. Biehn's opinion. That night I jumped out the window? I lied at the banquet, I knew exactly where I was. I had just woken from a nightmare in which Michael had been hunting me, calling me vile names, claiming I was Satan's creature and had to be killed. I met Adam in that dream and he fell down a slope and then Michael reached me and I stumbled and fell down the slope as well and then I woke up. Shortly after that Michael barged into my room and I could only think that he had come to finish what he'd begun in the dream so I jumped out the window..."

She shuddered and breathed in deeply, hugging Raphael so tightly it had to hurt.

"And then you found out and I was so afraid you'd kill me or you'd tell your brothers and they'd kill me or you'd tell your God and he'd order you or your brothers to kill me and my pack. It's not only my life at stake if someone finds out. And I just can't risk it."

A distressed whine emerged from her throat.

He lightly stroked her hair, his heart aching for his friend. "I won't say a word, Rose." He had promised her this many times before but he would say it as many times again. "They would have to get through me first. I won't let anyone hurt you."

Not that that would have been much to comfort her. Even in full-strength he would be no match for the Warrior of God. But he meant it... He would die before he let anyone harm her or her pack again.

She practically melted against her friend, seeking as much contact as possible.

"Thank you..."

It was but a whisper into his chest where she had buried her face. It felt good to have someone here who knew her story, someone she didn't have to lie to anymore.

Raphael held her close. After awhile, he pulled away a little and looked around. It was a beautiful day and they were far enough away from the manor.

He smiled at her. "Would you like to... I mean, if you would like that sort of thing..." He showed her a fuzzy red ball that he had tucked into his robes. "And afterwards, I could brush you. If you like?"

Rose's face morphed into a broad grin and she took off her clothes in record time.

Putting everything securely onto a branch she could just barely still reach she changed into Cloud and looked up at Raphael, still grinning quite obviously and wagging her tail with evident enthusiasm.

Raphael's smile broke into a grin. He took the ball in his hand, pulled back and let it fly to land between two trees still shining with dew.

With a last wag of her tail Cloud turned on the spot and raced after the ball, barking loudly.

When she grabbed the ball with her teeth her momentum carried her hind legs further and she rolled over, kicking up leaves and dirt, before she got a good grip again and could run back to Raphael.

Cloud pushed her snout with the ball between her teeth against Raphael's hand and wagged her tail again.

Raphael gripped the ball, laughing as he tried to pry it away from her teeth so that he could throw it again. He moved to his knees, playfully wrapping an arm around Cloud's soft middle and bracing himself for a wrestle, still holding the ball with his fingers.

right now, there was nothing to fear, nothing to regret...
There was only unfiltered laughter, pure joy and shining eyes...

There is a friendship rooted in deep trust, a trust he will never break...

He grins mischievously as he frees the ball and throws it, a little further this time.

Cloud gave up the ball easily, hoping her friend would throw it again. When Raphael hugged her middle she twisted around to lick his neck, then leaned against him a bit.

Her eyes followed the ball as soon as it was thrown again and Cloud broke into a run, barking. She nearly crashed into a tree in her eagerness to get the ball but managed to avoid contact.

Only moments later she returned to Raphael, ball held securely between her teeth, head held high and tail wagging, ready to drop the ball into her friend's hand.

Raphael had chased after her at the last throw and when she brought the ball back he laughed again and playfully tackled her, dropping to his back with arms full of fur.

The leaves and brush stuck to his hair and clothes but he didn't care, only threw the ball again and feeling so very happy.

Cloud yelped when she was tackled and then started struggling, swatting at Raphael playfully. Playing with her friend was so much fun!

Then she raced after the ball again, this time managing to catch it before it even hit the floor, returning with her head held high in pride and her tail wagging madly.

Rose invites Raphael for a walk in the woods

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had to put it in two posts, was too long for one

I am so sorry it took so long to post this!

Re: I am so sorry it took so long to post this!

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I love your new icon!

Thank you. Ricky found it for me

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