elpida

[elpida]

cade was consciously aware of his pack, their thoughts distant in his mind from how far out they were from him right but then the more he listened to her.. the more he wondered. which she hear him? if mates did exist, if you could have a mate across a species... would she hear him if he focused in on her? the symphony of the forest, what a perfect way to put it, a noise he took a lot of solace in listening to himself. his pack knew, if he went off alone it was to think most of the time, to enjoy nature.

"aiyla?" he'd silenced the rest of the voices of his pack, his eyes boring into hers. "can you hear me?" he hoped she could, wouldn't that be enough of a sign for him? wouldn't it become so much more obvious what she was to him and why he felt so drawn towards her, since the first time he had seen her in the forest? she'd never left his thoughts ever since that day. that very moment. "you're not frightened by me? at all?."

as cautious as cade might be about presenting himself to her while transformed, there is something bone deep in the nymph that tells her such fears are unwarranted. but for his benefit, she pays close attention to each minute movement and response the wolf has - her own responses coming near instantaneously despite their inability to verbally communicate. the slight twitch of his ears when she corrects herself is met with a pleased smile of her own, "handsome it is then," she settles for, taking an educated guess.

the nymph doesn't have to wait long before cade is inching forward, pushing himself into the flat of her outstretched palm. a noise of surprise that escapes her at the softness beneath her digits - always having assumed that like their non-supernatural brethren, a shifters coat would be more dense and coarse. a second hand joins the first as she leans forward, slowly combing through the fur at either side of his head and gently scratching behind ears. "you sound like you're purring," she teases with a little grin. a moment later, eyes flutter shut as her head tilts back slightly, basking in a sunbeam as she listens. "but it fits quite well with the symphony of the forest. odd, looking back, how incomplete it sounded before." brows furrow, her attention returns to the wolf, mind whirling with tales of mates cross species - of how others had identified such a thing. "huh."

[elpida]

asher was there far faster than she ever expected, but his presence? his very being there, brought her an ease... he wasn't going to let anything happen to her, he'd sooner die trying... she knew that knew, how fast he'd turned up? just at her call? at her fear? eden was holding around her arm, what a terrible thing.. she could heal anyone, anyone else and take on their pain, their wound... but she couldn't heal her own. a blessing and a curse. "yes- i-" she swallowed but she understood and rightfully so, she was in a state of shock, of fear. she hadn't seen this much blood in such a long time especially not her own, painting across her pale and he'd not been gentle, he had ripped at her flesh.

she scrambled over on her knee's to the cupboard underneath her kitchen sink, everything she touched her blood was smearing across, the first aid supplies she had quickly strewn across her kitchen floor and with shaky hands she tried to do.. do something. the more she tried to do the more of a mess she knew she was making so instead eden just grabbed a tea towel and wrapped it around the wound that foul vampire had created and held it as tightly as she could. she would've been terrified, if she were to witness what was about to happen... and she was already shaking. she was already in shock, fae had always been the same way, battling for their peace but not able to fight for it. they were made for gentle lives, a fairytale of the forest.

the vampire was writhing, his hands reaching for the arm that squeezed his throat, clawing and digging at any part of asher that he could reach and trying to tear into his flesh, to wound him. "she is one- of them-" he choked out, his fangs on full display, her sweet blood smeared across his lips. he would never stop hunting her now, even if she went across the world he'd spend the rest of eternity tracking her, just for another taste, just to drain her of every drop she had. "you- are a traitor, to our kind." he hissed, his nails digging into ashers hand to try and ease the grip. "taste her, she's so sweet." vile, but he stood no chance against asher. he'd intended to kill her fast and then run, a cowards move.

smart girl, he thinks when she doesn't hang up their call but instead slips the phone away - her pocket, if he had to guess by the rustling of movement. it's only thanks to his enhanced hearing that the man is capable of hearing anything the transpires on the other side of the line, and listening to the other vampire - a youngling at that - speak with such disregard for unspoken laws that dictated their kind made the man see red.

it's the usage of the word fae that informs him what's happened long before he arrives to the outskirts of her property - but even if he hadn't connected the dots, the sweet aroma of her scent saturates the surrounding air - like a siren song luring the unsuspecting, it's only familiarity with the smell that prevents fangs from dropping and the vampire from losing his senses.

one moment, the youngling is digging fingers into weeping flesh and the next, he's missing the appendage entirely - asher's frame blocking eden from view, hand wrapped around the throat of the vampire. "you will suffer," he hisses as a reminder, fingers squeezing until he can feel the flesh begin to give way and blood rivet around his digits. "you have gone far beyond overstepping and our laws would prohibit me to seek my justice as i so please." not that any law would stop him from doing what he pleased at this point. there were few older or having amassed more power within his own species at this point, and none of them would care how he handled such a seemingly small slight.

some part of him wants to drag this out. to cause a great amount of suffering to the other because of his transgression - and asher knows he will take sick satisfaction in it. in driving home a point and reminding everyone what it means to cross him. but in that moment, he's more worried about the bleeding, likely terrified woman at his back. releasing an almost disappointed sigh, his tongue clicks against the roof of his mouth. "i must dispose of this miscreant. do you have first aide supplies here?" it's the first words he's spoken to eden since his arrival, and the second sentence is noticeably soft. "i will take but a moment to return," he assures, "but this is not something you need to see."

[elpida]

days, weeks, months. they'd made this ship a home, painted walls, rummaged through peoples possessions for anything to bring them joy or comfort, entertainment. cade had settled into this life, he liked it, he'd go as far as to say he preferred it... thanks to aiyla. eris? well she was still difficult, they'd all sort of learned that after so long, she needed a break, she'd disappear off and recharge, return right as rain or... as right as could be for her. elias was the joker, the idiot of them all but he was useful in ways, handy to have around, always offered to help cade with whatever handyman job he'd found to do and that's what it was about, finding things to do. eden? well she'd settled in to was finding a lot of comfort in cooking for them, from scratch, she'd got quite creative with the rations down in the kitchen.

he'd gone down to what was rightfully deemed as his tinkering room, he had found various tools and useful bits of equipment and it was a glorified garage, or shed. it was all fine, they were going to have a celebration, half a year of this next week, he wanted to get ladders to put some lights up and make it a bit more special but as he stood on the top step the whole ship jerked and a blaring alarm started to ring out. the jerk had the ladder fall and with it him, landing on his right leg and two of the metal shelves came down onto his side quickly, but pain radiated through his leg. when he looked down part of the metal had wedged into the front of his thigh. "fuck-" he groaned as he pulled it free with little thought to the injury, just this simple thought of aiyla, when all the lights turned red. the ship had gone in to red alert. something was majorly wrong. "aiyla!" he called out, pushing the shelves and getting up to his feet but cade was limping and the speed this ship had jerked, the trajectory, it was making everything off and hard to move.

all week she'd had this terrible gut feeling, she'd said it to silas.. just this feeling something bad was going to happen and whenever something was getting bed she'd bite her nails. to the point she'd make the skin around her fingers bleed. when the shit jerked, the alarms blaring, she just knew her gut feeling had been right. silas had shown her a few basics with the ship, how to check diagnostics being the first thing he taught her so she battled the force that felt like it wanted to launch her to the wall to check the door panel in this room. the ship was in mayday, it's course.. it was going to crash, quickly. they'd already entered an atmosphere.

she could send a message, silas would look at the tablet he had, surely it'd still work if they crashed? something quick so all she thought to put across that system was 'i'll find you - eris.' because of everyone on this ship, she'd grown close to him. part of her didn't like that she let him in, that when she needed to recharge that social battery? it didn't count with him, it was like he was an exception to that rule.. he'd just sit with her, in this comfortable silence sometimes. that was more to her than she figured he'd ever realize, that she'd found someone that was so accepting to how she was.. that was happy with her presence and her presence alone.

one minute she was walking through a corridor, hearing elias in the distance and the next she was thrown, well and truly just thrown by the jolt and smashed in to a wall of the ship. her head hit into the metal and she felt everything go hazy. flashed of red in her vision, the shouts of others in the distance, what was going on? "ash-" she tried to call out for him. "asher!?" panic was laced into edens voice, no idea what was going on but everything was a blur... a blur until she was blinking, sprawled across the ships floor, a whole torn into the corridor before her and... was that sunlight? actual sunlight? was she dead? that was her first thought, that she was dead because that sunshine could not be real. there couldn't be a whole torn just a few feet forward from where she'd been walking, the dull hum of the ship? that was silent and it was... replaced, by the sound of nature whirring around them, this earthy smell rather than a methodically clean air conditioned scent always lingering.

"loves it," she confirms, giggling at a memory that pops into her thoughts, "but he's horrible at it. hides in plain sight - behind curtains with his feet sticking out the bottom." an ache forms in her chest, longing for that again. heavily lidded eyes blink up at the man seated beside her, digits momentarily tightening around his. "reading. he's really smart - always wanted another story. and lions. we packed his stuffed lion. he wanted his namesake to protect us when we got where we're going." and now, they wouldn't get there. and there was a chance she'd never relive any of these memories. it ought to have made her weepy, yet aiyla drunkenly sighed. "'m gonna wake him."

easy as breathing. how perfectly put, she thinks. "i'll communicate." she promises quietly. it's a step-up from the avoidance she'd demonstrated to date, too overwhelmed with her feelings. but hearing what he'd gone through? a repeat seemed unwarranted and the last thing she wanted was to have any resemblance to the woman always making him try to fix something he'd not even broken to begin with. "don't wanna fight. just... wanna be happy. breath easy. can we do that?"

she was beautiful when she laughed this freely, and not for the first time, silas wished he had some sort of artistic talent to try and capture the moment. "ahh and i got her to laugh. i'll consider that my triumph of the day." he'd spend any piece of free time working to ensure all rooms he had access to were open to them all... and perhaps in the future, he could invite eris along to discover what they might find. barking out a laugh, he flashed her a grin. "you have to promise to pause the movie then. otherwise i'll yap your ear off and ask a million questions once i return."

it's a nice thought, forming some sort of routine. whether it was just the two of them or the entire group. he's so wrapped up in thinking up additional suggestions that silas doesn't initially catch her correction. it's only once she's beginning to try to get up that he realizes what's going on - fingers reaching out to curl around her wrist. "no, no - not a stupid idea at all." his grip loosens and releases her - not wanting to seem like he's forcing her into something. "i was just thinking of something way cheesier as an additional option. before bed, at night? stargazing, was done back on earth, right? we could toss some mattresses and blankets on a floor, lay with our heads against the glass of one of the windows. point out and name constellations we pass."

bubbly pink was certainly a little brighter than the monotone gray that currently painted most of the ship. asher has to stop himself from speaking immediately - knowing that if he's too careless with his words, she might only imagine bits and pieces of their conversation once she wakens, leaving a high potential for everything to be interpreted poorly. "then you'll have to find your courage. 's not like we're going to be capable of avoiding one another while we're on the ship."

he wanted to believe her - that it was that easy. having someone else to help shoulder the burden alongside him - but asher had grown familiar with the weight of the world and giving even a portion of it to someone else was sure to set him off balance. "think this is the sort of thing we ought to be discussing when you're back in your right mind. it's not a small commitment." and she knew next to nothing about him. chuckling when she parroted his words about being good, the man leaned back within his seat once the iv was in. at least she's no longer pressing for him to be in the smaller than hell cot. "go to sleep, sweetheart."

[elpida]

"...well you can be the first to inform your mainland husband that i will be putting up a fight, a hell of a fight. i take my title very seriously." elias was following her, even as she moved to the fire he was there sitting down beside her. he was so engrossed in speaking to her that nothing else really crossed his mind. "have you been sleeping okay? any bruises from the crash or anything? any remaining soreness?" he asked like he'd go out of his way to fix it if he could, like he'd go out of his way to ease any pain she had, because he would.

"he's that bad?" he asked, because sam made his show in front of everyone, then he was looking back towards aiyla with more a look of understanding. that wasn't someone that little girl needed around her when her mother was so loving and soft on her, doing her best... and the father wouldn't even lay beside her and all cade could think was that if that was his child, he wouldn't be torn from her side with the current risks. what if a wild animal came at them out of nowhere? would he not shield her with his own body? no, instead he'd sleep feet away from them, for the sake of nothing. he'd leave eden to protect her. "... i don't like him." cade mumbled to aiyla rather bluntly.

"...the great thing with kids is that they are resilient, mia is going to remember the world and how it was if nobody comes but she'll adapt quickly, she always does. we moved quite a bit and she always took it so well.. she told me she likes the beach, always surprises me by finding a way to make something bad, good." it wasn't a talent that eris had, she would've loved to know where her daughter got her optimism. "lily won't remember, when she gets older, what the world was like before and this is assuming nobody finds us, who knows really... but i do know we'd have been rescued by now. it's usually a two day turn around for rescues, the percentage of it happening goes down hourly after that. i see this more as a case of survival now." she was whispering, not wanting to upset anyone but there was this know how in her voice, a matter of fact... she knew about things like this, she'd had weapons on that flight, in hand luggage and that wasn't an easy task to achieve. she had prioritized weaponry first because she knew what she was looking for.

"thank you." she finally speaks again, her eyes glinted when she was watching the flames, it highlighted the warmer tones in her hazel hues. "for saying you'd protect her, without me having to ask." she huffed a little laughter. "she'd see a dangerous animal and try and domesticate it... think the only thing she's even remotely mentioned missing from back home is our neighbours cat. frank. he's a real old cat, very gentle natured, she uhh.. every week we went to the supermarket, she'd be able to pick one thing for herself and you know what that kid picked? every single time? cat treats. most kids go straight for a toy or something like sweets but not her, something for the cat instead."

it was obvious enough how upset eden was, and she was trying not to let it show.. but was there ever any hiding when you couldn't speak? for the lump forming in your throat could break the moment any word tried to pass your lips? she just nodded, leaned in to her friends touch and the blanket offered. after a few moments she moved over to lily, used the back of her hand to check she wasn't cold. she took the blanket and bundled it around her middle but watched as her little girl shifted and snuggled herself up, bunched the soft thing near her face, little hands curling in to fists. that's when her eyes started to well up with the tears she wanted to hide. "i'm just gonna take a few minutes, i wont go far." she spoke softly, it's all she could manage to aiyla and rhea. this was why they wanted rid of sam, he tore her down so easily. regardless, she just needed to breath, to feel like she could breath and not have everyone see her cry. she didn't want to be the weak one in the group.

you're a good mom. that's all eden was trying to do, every day, be better than hers had been, to be the best she could be for lily and she'd never understand why sam couldn't do the same... lily was so precious, she was so little and loving, so innocent and part of her questioned, was it that she was so unlike him that he hated her? did he hate how sweetly she viewed the world? she'd walked down to the waterfront, to the waves that's hushed and shushed, that soothed... she liked the sound of the ocean but she stood there, looking out to the moon reflecting on the waves. in a little bout of anger she kicked one of the rocks, let it splash in to the rocks because she was angry, angry at him for talking to her like that and angry that he'd disregard lily like that, what if she'd been awake and heard him talk like that? she was just a child who wanted her little comforts, the things she knew. that's when she moved to one of the tree's, took a branch and just started to hit the tree, over and over and over. anything to get the frustration out until the branch snapped clean in half and those angry tears spilled down her cheeks. "stupid- stupid stupid." she mumbled in those pent up feelings.

"hey, if that's how you plan to make your fortune, i will definitely take your share of the lawsuit we're going to win against the airline." she muses with a grin. "i know what you mean, eli," laughing as the man scrambles to correct himself. "oh no, you're definitely my island husband, you can battle it out with my mainland husband once we're rescued to see who can keep me long-term." another tease - something she's coming to appreciate about the man; his ability to make anyone smile and laugh while still seeing to their survival. "you might get some odd looks if you do," she giggles, the noise steadily dying as she settles down beside the fire.

"we were taking a girls trip - it was meant to be a single-girls trip... get eden away from sam for good sort of thing," she explains beneath her breath, eyes flickering across the space to look at her friend and the little girl she considers a niece. "we were planning to bring them both back to my place when we got back. stay with me while eden got things sorted and then sam insisted on coming with us... wouldn't take no for an answer."

"i was about 95 percent sure it was you guys anyways." he retorts with a sigh. here he was, putting up a valiant effort to be a protector and he was being criticized for it. what the hell was he meant to know about survival outside of the corporate world? silas is prepared to sit some distance from the woman - allow her the space she's so willingly sought from the others, so the eager patting at the space beside her gives him pause and it takes him several seconds to realize she is in fact motioning to her. sinking down at her side, he sneaks a glance in her direction.

full of surprises, he realizes, taking the hair pin. it's elegant in a subtle sort of way, and somehow he finds himself wondering what it might look like tangled up in auburn locks. blinking away the thought, he carefully takes the pin and slides it into his pocket. "thank you," he manages after a moment, leaning back on his hands. "you didn't have to do that, you know? even if i didn't have this, or my flaming stick... i'd tackle whatever i needed with my bare hands to keep her safe, you know? her and lily. they're just kids. deserve better than this." they all did.

"can boil the fish bones with the shellfish, keep it all for breakfast. maybe lily'll drink the broth? extra nutrients." he could remember a time when his younger sister was that age - picky and temperamental - it had been hard enough finding things she'd eat or drink when every day luxuries had been at his fingertips. now? they just had to guess and hope. "wasn't me," he admits, though now he wishes it were given the excitement that's sprung so easily to the woman's face at such a simplistic thing. "just glad we could help you two." two - not three. because asher would sooner let the man - let sam - wander into the jungle and never return. he casts one more glance over the woman before he's moving to take his self-claimed spot at the fire, carefully beginning to clean the fish for cooking.

it's karma, she thinks. for opening her mouth and having such hope that maybe the man might not return, only for him to stumble out of the jungle with his usual cheerful attitude. there's a familiar itch beginning under her skin - one that wants her to snap at the man, especially now that there are so many other witnesses who would never allow him to do anything to her, but aiyla can't help but stay quiet. it's only when sam moves, a touch too aggressive that aiyla flinches forward ( a silent breath of relief escaping her at the sight of cade already on his feet ).

it's only sam has finished his rant that aiyla raises fully from her position and shuffles over to eden, crouching before the woman. "don't listen to him, alright?" she whispers. "lily will learn when she's ready, but until then, she needs some comforts from home, and between her sippy and her suitcase, now she does. you're a good mom. don't let him you believe otherwise, hm?" reaching forward to run her hands up the others woman's arms, she flashes a smile. "borrow my blanket tonight, hm? it's getting cold and you and lil's could use it. i'll be up a bit longer and cade got me a nice sweatshirt. i'll be plenty warm." there is no waiting for a response before aiyla is offering a quiet goodnight and pushing to her feet and over to cade. almost hesitantly, she reaches to give his fingers a squeeze. "thank you."

[elpida]

it'd been at least a day, before the groaning had entirely stopped. eris had warned him, not to go out there until he was certain there were none left, no stragglers of the dead, no more groaning, when silence had taken over and his mom... she'd long since gone entirely silent. he'd tried to make her comfortable, propped her up against a hay bale, tried to elevate her arm, stop any blood loss. he just couldn't sit there and wait any longer so kal had as quietly as he could, unbarricaded the barn door and snuck his head around to scope it out. he needed his dad, he needed help to move his mom, to know what the hell he was to do because she looked so pale and... and he'd never seen the woman like it, she always put a brave face on but this was the first time she'd been so still and so.. so not herself. there'd been moments eris came around, brief and so incoherent, her mumbling that she had to find silas, to make sure he was safe.

once he knew it was done, the herd was gone, he ran.. he ran as fast as he could and burst into the house, battered it so hard that the bookcase blocking it fell straight down and he was bolting up the stairs to find his dad and when he door he simply stood there and looked down at himself. he was covered, so terribly covered in blood. "-it's hers." he choked out. "it's moms." he looked like he could throw up, tears in his eyes and he just shook his head, held his hands out so innocently. "i didn't mean to panic dad i didn't, i tried to- i did try. it was all so fast." he swallowed thickly. "she needs help, quickly."

cade moved forward, his hand on the kids shoulder. "s'alright kid, we'll sort this. it'll be fine-" he flashed a look over to rhea. "you can sort a bed or somethin'? wasn't she teachin' a few of you what she knew? does anyone know their blood types, or hers? she might need a transfusion and we'll just have to fuckin' figure it out but.. butt i'm helpin with eris then i'm going out to find my wife." he turned to silas. "time to pull your shit together si, for her. we won't lose her, alright?" he was speaking whilst moving down the stairs.

when he stepped outside he saw the car first, the lights of it on and moved over to that whilst pointing to the farm. "think i got the kids, you go see to eris." he moved over to the car, the truck they used for their runs for supplies and quickly crouched to snatch the keys up and unlock it. two sets of worrisome eyes, stained by tears showed form some blankets when he opened the door. "it's me, it's okay now... where's your mom?" fern threw herself into his arms, she was shaking, terrified. he was lifting her up and out of the car immediately and reaching for forrests hand that he quickly took and clung to. "i got'ya. i've got you now it'll be okay. forrest, did she run?" the kid nodded his head to cade. "right, lets go home okay? to the house? which way did your momma go?" he pointed and cade simply took it in for when he could give asher that information. ferns hands clung into his clothes, holding to him like her life depended on it. "it's okay sweetheart, your brother he did a real good job of lookin' after you right? you were both real brave, forrest you did a great job buddy. a real great job." he tried his best to soothe them.

if eden was gone, if she ran.. he had a feeling aiyla can't have been with her, so he'd already start in the opposite direction. he simply hoped she hadn't run anywhere on her own, that she was with asher, either that or not too far. "where's daddy?" fern cried, sniffling into cade's shirt. "i don't know right now sweetheart, but i'll find him, i promise i'll find 'em." she held her pink to him. "pinky swear?" he'd seen her do that with eden when she'd been scared, when they first found this farm, the early days.. a way to soothe her. "yeah, yeah i pinky swear." and he did, he held his little finger to hers and let her squeeze around his.

"if someone is o negative that is a blood type anyone can use but i'm b positive.." elias mumbled to rhea. "do we have the supplies for what she is going to need? i mean how bad can it be... if she's bit though we need to.." he looked a bit sick himself at the thought he mumbled to rhea, helping set up a bed downstairs already. he'd already moved the bookcase from the doorway. "if it were you i'd be-.."

he cared about the others - they'd become the family he'd lost and never expected to get back again. but right now? he was so hyper-focused on eris and kal, he selfishly couldn't give a shit about what might be happening to the others. that was his kid. his partner out there. what didn't they understand about that? about the need to get to them? to keep them safe? it's why the man continues to struggle even after he's well outmatched by the combined strength of elias and cade. when he's lifted - toes brushing against the floorboards, scrambling for purchase, his furious gaze swings to focus on cade. the buzzing roar of action without thought slowly begins to dull the longer the other man speaks, and only at the mention of eris damn well skinning him alive for acting stupid does he deflate - the fight seeming to leave him all at once. "alright," he whispers, reaching forward to shove cade off him so he's free to pace away from the door. hands bury within his hair, tugging at his roots as if that will somehow further center him. "fuck," he mumbles, shaking his head. "she's - she's hurt o-o-or worse." the words are explained to rhea, whose been hovering since cade and elias had grabbed the man. she's sympathetic of course - for the plight of silas and cade alike, but the others are right. there isn't anything they can do right now without getting themselves killed.

with a tight smile, she reaches forward to set a hand on the small of silas' back, pushing him in the direction of the stairs. "c'mon. eli is right. attic will be safest for the time being." she's already spent time scrambling to shove a bag full of waters and food from the pantry. no need to explain to the man that she has concerns they might be tucked away longer than any of them suspect. "eris is... she's the strongest women i know," she offers as she shuffles him up the first flight of stairs. "if anyone is going to make it through this and keep kal safe, it's her. she's too stubborn," that at least affords a tight smile from silas, which rhea views as a small victory. "we know she's close. i'd say the barn or one of the cars. we have plenty of supplies from when she helped eden and we stocked up after, remember? we'll make sure they're both safe and taken care of after this is all done, i promise."

the pair was turned around several times due to how the herd had spread itself throughout the woods, and by the time they manage to get into one of the nearby farmhouses, they're miles from home, exhausted and filthy, and the moon is well on its way to creeping back toward the horizon. despite their careful patrol of the nearby area, they've yet to clear each and every surrounding building leading up to the nearest town, and the one aiyla and asher have chosen is unfortunately one of them. it ought to come as a surprise when the first of four members of a family that have long since passed and reanimated ambles down the staircase, but the entire evening has been nothing but a fight to survive and they seem to move on autopilot - if not a bit slower and sloppier than they'd been some hours before.

"we need to move them," asher eventually speaks, causing the hunched over and panting woman to look up at him with furrowed brows. "rotting corpses should mask our scent from the passing herd." it's the only explanation he offers before sheathing the knife at his waist before bending to scoop beneath the arms of the first corpse and begin dragging it in the direction of one of the entrances. it takes another moment for aiyla to follow suit, and longer to drag a much smaller body after asher.

after a quick search of the kitchen to grab bottles of water and a box of likely stale cereal, aiyla and asher find themselves hiding away in the one bedroom that has access to the roof. in case their plan of deterrence fails, she mumbles before slumping against one of the walls facing the door. the woman had had expectations on how an otherwise perfect day would have ended and this? this certainly hadn't been it. now, the pristine white dress she'd planned to hold onto and pass onto the next member of the family who might choose to follow old societal norms was torn, smeared with dirt and splattered with an assortment of blood and innards.

"do you think the others are okay?" the question breaks a lengthy silences and causes the man situated beside the window, watching the herd of undead slowly move around the farmhouse turn to look at his companion. "i don't know." it's the best asher can offer, because he doesn't want to think about what might have become of eden or the kids.

[elpida]

"Easy to love don't sound like it belongs in a sentence that belongs to me." he almost grumbled about it, yet he was flattered by it too. He wasn't sure what he'd done in his life to deserve that kind of love. "Just for you, you know that hm? I've never really been the romantic type but I'm tryin', for you. Comes easier with you really." He noticed it, each time she blushed, the tint in her cheeks that his thumbs moved slowly back and fourth across.

"You need me to start sayin' it more often just so you remember? So you know how true it is?" he was speaking low, his tone husky in these moments of whispering her sweet nothings. "Oh? Then I think I'm gonna have to keep the unkept look, here I was lookin' for a new barber." he joked, his smirk showing, a flash of his teeth, one of his hands resting around her waist and moving up and down her back in slow traces. "Isa I think you're the only person who's ever considered me cuddly at all." it made him laugh, low and chuckly. "Since I'm feeling so generous, just so you can hear it again, I do love you, so entirely."

"I wanted to say somethin' too.. about Daisy? I know before I was uh.. I was really against her callin' anyone momma, but she adores you... she said it to me the other day, asked when her momma was comin' home I thought she meant... but then she said it again, asked where you were and listen, if we're really makin' a go of this, if she does call you momma? Well that's alright with me, if it's alright with you."

Isabella nuzzled his nose with hers again, "what can I say? You're easy to love, handsome." It had started as a crush a few years ago after a couple of parties organized by her parents. She was certain whenever they made eye contact, she blushed and she couldn't help herself. It wasn't just how physically attractive he was, but he was caring, sweet and a gentleman. "I like you being a romantic just for me," she whispered against his lips before giving him a short peck.

Hearing the words from Cade made her heart beat faster, it wasn't the first time either but she always felt giddy, like she was dreaming. Slender fingers gently played with his longer locks, twirling them on her digits as he spoke, "I know now," she let out a small chuckle then sweetly kissed the bridge of his nose. "I'm really liking this look on you, the longer hair... the beard..." it made some thoughts come to mind but she wasn't about to voice them, not when she was getting to see this even more gentle side of his. "You look even cuddlier." Isa teased as she snuggled against his bigger, warmer frame.

[elpida]

Her hands had gripped to his forearms to stop her falling down entirely, the next moment he was lifting her like she was so weightless, he made it seem effortless to hold her up like that but there was no resisting when he lowered to the couch and had her in his lap. Nobody came into this back office without knocking. He was stern in tone and yet she knew it was because he was making her listen, that she'd have carried on if he wasn't firm enough to make her listen.

Something in her eyes softened at the almost instant question of if someone had hurt her. "Nobody hurt me." she answered softly, a defeat in the gentle tone and how her body eased into his, practically melted into leaning against his frame.

"I've just-" she hesitated, like saying would make her sound weak or incapable, that she'd sound so silly in his eyes. "I haven't been sleeping well.. I have these dreams they come back every once in a while, take a while to go so I'm just.." she swallowed, her fingers were fidgeting with the collar of his shirt idly. "I let it bother me a lot..." and if she were honest her solution sat right there, he held her.. and that would easily have fixed it all, if only her dreams hadn't twisted her mind and planted that seed of worry in there. "Then- Then I get busy with work and it's.. that takes over, so I can't think about anything but that.." which was why she'd been working none stop, to keep busy. "I just don't feel good today." she admitted with her brows pulled and her eyes cast down. Her shoulders slumped, a defeated sigh leaving her, that was the tiredness showing, the weakness she'd driven herself to. "I'm sorry, Wes." her tone was just as gentle in return.

@elpida continued.

It was a drastic change. They had spent more than a handful of nights together ever since the event they attended together and now... nearly a whole week and whenever he walked into the room, he felt a tension. His attempts at conversation were cut short and he hadn't even been able to approach her like he would usually do. He hadn't held her hand in days. He missed her lips on his, her hands on his skin, her fingers in his hair. He missed her as a whole. Had he done something wrong?

And in that time, he noticed her becoming sick, he had never seen something like it before. It was so quick. She looked fragile, like she could break if she took a wrong step. And as if it was on cue, not even with how fast he reacted was he able to reach her before her knees touched the floor, "You're not fine, stop saying you are." Wesley said sternly and very carefully picked her up and sad with her on his lap on the nearby couch in her office. "Things can wait."

With a hand, while calloused, he pushed strands of dark hair to behind her ear, his eyes trying to connect with hers. "What's wrong? Did anyone hurt you?" His touch was gentle, the look in his eyes and the tone of his voice filled with worry.

[elpida]

"i would." eris answered truthfully, more truthfully than most fae would be... perhaps because she did have some sympathy for them, to wind up on her shores to shaken and so unknowing of the world they'd been thrust in to. "i wouldn't blame you for hating us, truly." the high lady was nothing if not honest, that did not always work in her favour but she stood by her honesty, even if it earned her some enemies. "the offer of getting you to a good rested state and giving my aid still stands, whether you decide to hate us or not. please be rest assured in that."

neither of them wished to be separated, she may not have known aiyla long but... the connection to each other, through what they'd been through? it felt to strong to want to be separated right now, in a place unknown to them both. eris however gave him a discreet nod, that they should remain together and unseen for the most part, this wouldn't leave them for now. "as he says, please feel free to make use of anything in the room and don't worry eden, you can keep the knife." it wouldn't be much of a worrisome tool against her but if that is what gave her comfort right now? so be it.

this room was clearly intended for two, two bath tubs, two of everything.. not that eden was remotely bothered, she just wanted to feel clean and being alone sounded worse. "he wasn't cruel.." she mumbled, her head resting on the edge of the tub. "they could have killed us within a second if they wanted to, i think we... from what we've heard of their kind, is their offering not against all of that?" she sighed softly, moving a soapy sponge across her skin. "girls? i'm just leaving you clothes on the bed, i'm afraid on short notice these will have to do but i tried to find something suitable for you both." she called through before leaving again. "...do you think we'll have to wear rags?" eden whispered. she'd like to look nice... definitely not for the nice fae man that'd given her a knife.

"i know this is a horrible position but i am at lest thankful we washed up together, that we didn't get torn apart by those waves.." eden hushed. "do you need any help? are you okay?" baths were luxurious, eden came from a wealthy enough family and even then baths were for special occasions. "i'm sorry, that i didn't do more on that beach it was.." overwhelming. everything was overwhelming. she reached up to wash her hair, catching the tips of her ears and wincing. it'd take some time to get used to how sensitive these things were and when she looked in any mirror she didn't feel... she didn't feel like she looked right, she just looked so different. on any other fae she found them so enchanting. "did you see her wings?" eden whispered, like it was a secret to be in awe.

"do you want to explain to me what happened down there?" eris spoke up the moment she'd closed the door in to the room they would soon meet the two girls in, for them to eat. "something happened, i know you.. i saw the way you hesitated with her, you even offered her your knife, you looked at her as though you were scared she'd crumble or self combust asher, what's going on?" she crossed the room, stopping just a few feet from him with her brows raised. "i'm asking as your sister and friend, not as a high lady so talk to me, we're alone... what's happening? is it that they're just young women or something? we have to be... assertive, at the very least and that isn't to say i don't pity their situation, i do, but they need to answer our questions as best as they can."

did all humans fear fae? no - there were plenty that seemed to worship the immortal beings. praised the beautiful and strength they only knew of from tales passed down with each generation. before everything that had happened, aiyla had been indifferent - had never thought much on the topic as it had no impact on her life. but since she'd been grabbed up and kept in such poor conditions? since she'd been shoved beneath the roiling silvery surface within that cauldron? no. now she felt fear - or perhaps mistrust was a better word.

"i don't know how to answer that," she murmurs softly, flickering a glance at the high lady from beneath her lashes. "would you too not be frightened of a being that looks like your captor? that transformed you so entirely?" there ought to be anger in her words - accusations even - but aiyla is too exhausted, and the moment she see's eden's offered hand, she's moving to cling to the woman's side - enjoying the warmth that now seems to radiate off her friend.

the cauldron, controlled by another court and weaponized in such a manner was of the utmost concern, but the last thing asher wished to do was startle their two guests. "there's nothing wrong with you." a reassurance he ought not offer - not before they could properly have to two assessed by a healer. "there is likely more to the story that even you are unaware of. once we piece together everything you went through, we will be able to discretely gather more information."

asher watches the girls exchange a glance and not for the first time, he wonders how well and for how long they've known one another. the way they communicate and react to one another would imply for some time, but nothing is as it appears today, so he refuses to assume and will dig into that later. grateful for their agreement, asher allowed eris to lead them, eyeing the two girls before him and how eden seemed to move closer to him with each step. he wondered if she could feel it - that persistent pull of the mating bond - and whether or not she would willingly accept such a thing once it was explained to her.

his glare keeps most eyes from lingering on the group for long, and by the time they make it back securely behind the walls of the high ladies home, asher sighs. "i'll escort them to one of the guest rooms - i am under the impression you don't wish to separate." the first part is addressed to eris, while the later is for the two new fae. "eris will get you clean clothes and leave them within the bedroom while you bathe. once you're ready, you can come back downstairs and we will wait for you here, in the sitting room. we'll have food and drinks ready."

[elpida]

"oh yeah but come on now, if we get rescued i've a small fortune in airplane food. that stuff is always so overpriced." he looked ahead, eyeballing eris then shrugged. "i think you're probably right, she seems a tough cookie to crack- not that.. i mean it's not like that but either way, i think she's just protective and i don't think that's a bad thing, i don't mean it in a bad way." then rhea might as well have stolen breath from his lungs the way she shocked him but he was smirking about it, the smile growing, the flattery evident. "notice that i'm not objecting to that?" elias laughed, his head bobbing in how he nods. "please do, claim me, like a dog marks its territory." he held his hands up. "for the record, i was single before this too, i don't have like a secret wife or anything i haven't told anyone about so, very free for the being claimed like a dog thing. should i woof?"

"and that fire would do good until it was blown out of your hands. then what?" she hummed. what she didn't expect was the blanket dropped around her shoulders, it had her looking up at him with surprise before paying the choice to tap the space next to her eagerly, her choice made. he couldn't defend himself adequately with a stick and a little fire, it wasn't going to work long term and she'd found... enough. she'd found her case, she'd stayed quiet about it thus far, mainly because she didn't want everyone knowing the strange amount of weaponry she'd managed to smuggle through an airport.

eris slipped a hand into her jacket and discreetly pushed the 'hair pin' towards him, the type you used to type your hair like a stick... just like the kind currently twirled in her hair and keeping it back and secure. "pull the handle and it reveals a blade, long and thin but very effective and very sharp so.. no playing with it. don't say anything." she whispered. "a stick wouldn't save you close range, this would." she didn't look at him, she stared into the fire and then to mia. "only because i want you to protect her if i can't, for whatever reason."

"yeah! yeah we still have water, you've done amazing we can all be fed from this." she beamed but nothing beat the absolute joy that radiated from her at the sight of that sippy cup. "you found it! oh my god she's going to be so happy in the morning!" eden was joyous in that moment that she took it back, there was a relief for her too, knowing her daughter would actually drink plenty now she had that cup back. "thank you thank you thank you!" she was instantly moving to put some of the clean water she'd pre-boiled into the cup, mainly so there was some ready for morning before they used any or all of it. "oh no, no sign of him actually, i wonder if h-" like it was right on queue, speak of the devil. he walked through the tree's and didn't have a damn thing to show for it. if anything he looked like he'd spent the day lounging down at the beach rather than trying to catch a damn thing.

"thanks for sending out the search party." he comments dryly, eden felt it... the look between everyone but she tried to at last seem positive. "sorry, we've all been prioritizing and these guys only just got back too but- but look! look what they found." she held up lily's cup, she was so.. sweetly happy about it and he didn't even crack a smile as he moved towards her. "does that really matter?" edens hands lowered, holding that cup closer. "well- well she finds drinking hard without it she's still so little.." she started to mumble, to lessen her joy and go quiet.. he squished that, so easily. "she has to learn, eden. i mean we're on a fucking island, and a sippy cup isn't fucking priority is it?" he whispered that last part at her, it wasn't nice, he didn't want everyone to hear the nasty tone he could take with her. "i just thought it'd make her feel a little more normal." she mumbled and there was a moment he jerked towards her, like he'd really hit her or lay a hand on her in front of everyone. it was noticeable enough that cade squared up, standing back up as if to prepare for it to get worse there and then. "none of this is fucking normal eden, christ are you blind as well as dumb? open your eyes- actually what have you done today? i've been out there trying to catch us meat, protein and what have you done?"

her fingers were fumbling, her cheeks burning.. she felt so put on the spot. "well i- i was looking after lily and i made.. i made tea." his brows raised at her. "you made... tea. you know what that's pathetic but fuck it, i'm going to go sleep over there." he gestured, raising up what he'd decided was his sleeping bag and making sure he was far enough away that he could curse under his breath and not be heard which at least meant, they couldn't be heard either. "sam you'll be cold-" she tried to sound soft but he waved her off. eden turned to look at the others, mainly aiyla and rhea and she looked so sheepish. "sorry he just... the heat and stuff.."

she was betting using a method that would have passed before, but it seemed elias was adapting surprisingly well. releasing a surprised laugh that earns a glance from aiyla over her shoulder, rhea waves the other woman along. "who would have thought something good would have come out of all of this. fine. you have yourself a deal - remaining plane rations. but see how well asher did with his little... caveman fishing expedition earlier, i think i'll survive if i lose." readjusting the piece of luggage she was carrying, she nodded. "think that one would be harder to place. i think he's going to try and she'll be reluctant." sam might be lingering about somewhere, but the same might be said about asher and eden. rhea already liked the man monumentally more than she did sam. glancing at him at the statement of being oblivious, she releases a soft 'huh'. "well in that case, if it hasn't been clear enough so far, i've basically marked you like a dog marks its territory as mine, so speak now with any objections or forever hold your peace... or whatever."

silas can't help but sputter at her words. "it's fire." he grumbles, tossing the partially lit stick back into the fire after a moment. "i figured if it were an animal coming out of the woods, i could try and scare it off. wider swing range than a knife." that said, he probably should have an actual weapon when push came to shove... but seeing as asher was the only one with a scary looking knife at the moment, he'd have to see about fashioning something out of rock or wood.

trailing after the woman, he takes a few steps around her to snatch up one of the blankets before returning to drop it over her shoulders. "least it's not snowing," he notes, trying to lighten the mood slightly. "she was fine. spent most of the day living her dream and playing big sister and protector to lily. helped with a few smaller tasks as well."

his head dips as a way of greeting, eyes flickering down to look at the knife. he hesitates in taking it back, but eventually determines its better suited in his hands while they're all together than not. "don't search after dark." a fact he'd try and hammer more harshly into the heads of the others as well. this wasn't a stroll through a neighborhood, but an unknown island with all sorts of wildlife lurking in the darkness. "can you keep it warm until dinner?" he asks, shifting slightly to show off the two fish strung up against the back of his pack. "we still have water? got some shellfish too." they wouldn't eat everything tonight, but it would make for a filling breakfast at least. "oh." reaching back with one hand, he unhooks the dangling sippy cup and offers it out to her. "we found this. eris has some of lily's things as well."

a chorus of 'aw's' escaped the two women, exchanging fond glances toward the young girl before looking at eden as if to verify they'd both been alright that day. "any sign of sam since we left?" aiyla almost doesnt dare bring the man up - as if hoping he's tumbled off the side of a cliff and disappeared completely - but better to know his whereabouts than not... especially when the man gave her the creeps. dropping the things she'd carried back, aiyla carefully digs through one of the bags to pull out the sweatshirt cade had gifted her and pulling it over her chest with a content hum. claiming her seat beside the fire, she flashes a smile in asher and eden's direction. "tea and food sound heavenly. especially if its warm."

[elpida]

" a knife- right-" she breathed, at least she still was, but she was keeping the phone with her, racing to her kitchen to find something and quickly found a large knife to hold firmly in her hand. she slid the phone into her pocket when she heard footsteps on her porch, the wood gave her warning but in moments her door was kicked clean from it's hinges and in he came, the very same vampire that'd waited... that'd waited and toyed with her like a rabbit caught in a trap, the irony. "a knife?" the vampire laughed at her, she was terrified and he laughed right at her, louder with each slow footstep. that was deliberate... he didn't have to be slow, he didn't have to toy with his food like he was. this being wanted her frightened, he wanted to taste her fear when he drained her body of such sweet blood.

"a knife isn't going to stop me, little fae." she moved so both hands held the knife, tried to look more firm with it than shaky. "asher stark will.. he will make you suffer if you lay a single fang on me- if you even bare them at me." she swallowed, eyes glued to the vampire. "asher stark wont get here quick enough and i won't just lay a fang on you.. i'll bury them in to your sweet little neck, fae. i can practically taste it already." he may as well have drooled. "i find it funny that you fear me for playing with my food when that's what he's doing, you know that don't you? he's only savouring you... and maybe he'll wait years if he could, just to make you taste sweeter, he's kidding himself if he really thinks that he'd never cave. are you aware? or do you really think he's going to help you for nothing? that it's not for his own greed?" the thing scoffed at her. "he'll not get a single drop, because i won't leave any." he hissed. "i'm not violent but i will- i will hurt you."

it took all of a blink before that thing was in front of her and gripping her arm like steel, twisting it enough to have her yelp, just enough to free one hand and twist her around and she felt it, his breath on her skin. "you can try." he didn't give her chance, fangs pierced into her shoulder deeply but eden heard asher. it calls for it so with her other hand she drove the knife backwards, aimed for anything and buried it into his torso. in response he dragged his fangs through her skin, tore the flesh and threw eden into the cabin wall a few feet away. all so he could feel powerful standing over her and the way she cowered. "remind me, what he said. if i dare touch what isn't his, right?" he reached down, digging fingers into the wound he'd created just to coat his fingers with her blood and have her cry out and coil in pain. she still believed, asher would stick to his word.

previously, the man would have denied how mundane his life had become. even with the new wolf pack lingering just along the borders of the town he'd claimed as his own centuries before - the days had become predictable. there were little blips, interactions with a small handful of supernatural that left things interesting now and then, but things had only seemed to change when a certain fae had begun to frequent starks. usually, she was accompanied by the nymph, but there were those rare occasions she'd show up alone. and those nights tended to be his favorite. little uninterrupted conversations with the creature that left him with an unspoken sort of curiosity.

starks had been having a slow night - what with eris surprisingly absent and cade busy tucked away somewhere with the nymph he couldn't seem to take his eyes off of. it had left asher manning the bar alongside one of his youngest sired, mindlessly cleaning glasses with a rag when his phone began to ring. without looking at the caller ID, he picked up - ready to snap at whatever it was an underling was bothering him with - only to stiffen minutely at the sound of shaky breathing and the terrified voice of the fae he'd befriended. the glass in his hand shattered and he finds himself moving before she's even finished speaking.

"i know you're not a violent creature, but circumstances will call for it," he instructs. "find a weapon - a kitchen knife, fire poker. anything. quickly." the moment he's clear of stark's front door, he's off, the world around him blurring at the inhuman speed. "tell him i am coming and he will suffer if he dares touch what is not his."

[elpida]

beautiful? he wondered what she saw in him that was beautiful, if it was just the appeal of the soft nature of his fur coat or something deeper. he bowed his head again in respect to what she said. handsome though, handsome had him flutter somewhat, a little twitch in the ears that had remained so remarkably still thus far. there was a comfort to having her be so close, to not be so deathly frightened... he'd never had anyone on legs be this close to him willingly and yet here he was, paws on the ground, his body laying down, maybe aiyla didn't know just how much of a big deal that was for an alpha to lay before her.

he inched forward, just enough that he could push the top of his head underneath her hand, a clear sign that he was agreeing. he kept his nose pointed down, letting her fingers push into his fur. it was thick, luxurious even, a softness to it that was warm, welcoming... but he'd only be that to her. his eyes however bore in to her, he wanted to have these eyes remember her in such fond light too, in streams of sunlight, the finer details. he made a noise, not a growl, more of a low hum than anything violent. he wasn't frowning either, he wasn't baring teeth he wasn't... any type of threat to her, like he feared for so long that he would be, the wolf before her was the same man that he was to her face.. unthreatening.

other supernatural's weren't wrong when they believed nymphs to be in tune with their chosen element. to aiyla, the forest always had a particular noisiness about it - a harmony that changed its tune depending on what was happening within the surrounding area. she'd grown familiar with the incessant buzzing that spoke of danger, and the pleased hum that signaled the approach of an ally. cade... had always provoked a special sort of noise that she'd not thought too much about until they'd spoken the other night and the word mate had crossed her tongue.

hues lightened at the change around her, hues peaking beneath lashes in hopes of catching sight of the wolf who tended to linger well within the shadows of the forest, only to find herself pleasantly surprised as he crept closer. "you're even more beautiful up close," she compliments as lips curl slightly, "sorry - i forgot how adverse you are to that word. handsome. otherworldly. perhaps those are more acceptable?" fingers brush against the bark of the tree she's stood before one last time before turning and slowly approaching. there is no hesitation between one featherlight step and the next, and before long she's lowering herself less than an arms length away from the wolf. "can i - may i touch you?"

[elpida]

"kal, it's going to get bad- bad quickly." the boy was already pulling his shirt free to use as a sort of bandage, a wad to wrap around her bleeding wrist. "i know mom, i know. she tensed, when he bundled fabric around her wound, her lack of hand. he was worried, so fucking worried looking at his mother and how pale she already looked in her cheeks. "i didn't mean to fuck up.." he mumbles. "you didn't." his brows pulled at her soft assurance. "why did you come back for me?" mainly because kal wasn't sure he was worth the price she'd paid. "you're my boy, kal, you think i'd ever leave you behind? i didn't make it safe for you at first, when we found you i was... i was cruel and i'm sorry. i don't know how to be a mom, but i want to try. i was going to try- i was going to make us hot chocolate, sit on the porch with you and tell you that i wouldn't mind anymore if.. i know silas would be overjoyed and i-.." she swallowed thickly.. "my parents weren't around for long and they weren't good, but i'd try and be good, if that's what you wanted." he'd moved each leg around the back of her and had pulled her to lean on him, mainly to give eris something to prop against but because kal was distraught, he felt guilty and honored all in a jumbled mix. "i'm already your boy, right mom?" she huffed a little air, a soft smile. "right."

"tell me what it is i do next... tell me what you would do." he asks, his hand moved to wipe or try to wipe splatters of her own blood from her forehead, such a gently sweet notion. "you sit here with me until they've gone and when the herd has moved-" she took a deep, slow breath. "i'll be unconscious by then kal, but don't be scared when i am, you leave mee here don't you try and carry me.. you..." she moved her good hand, closing it around his. he could tell that she was in pain, coherent but she was masking so much pain for his sake. "you go and find your dad okay? he won't blame you, i promise. you get him, you tell the others to hold me down and you tell them to burn it tell... like the- fuck." he encouraged her to keep going. "like when cade brands the cattle? so we know the males from female? you tell him to use something like that, flat and enough to.. they have to burn it, cauterize it. does that make sense?" he nodded. "i just... i don't want to leave you to get him can't i-" she shook her head. "no baby, you let him take over, you've done and are doing, a really good job."

her head briefly lolled into his arm and he panicked. "no no, no keep talking to me mom. you said about hot chocolate, why hot chocolate? why were your parents not around long?" it made her smirk, how easily he asked the questions most would be scared to ask her. "before the world was like this.. bad parents had their kids taken off them, to give to people that'd show them love better. i was one of those kids and... and there was this one lady, she tried to get me to open up with hot chocolate, it was nice. i never did open up, but i appreciated how she tried. she tried more than anyone else so i thought if i..." kal cut her off. "i don't need you to try, i already know. just like i know you're hurting far more than you're trying to show right now mom." part of her hated how he read her like a book, part of her adored it too. "you're like i was, when i was your age. you know that?" he tilted his head down, his dark curls mixing with her red. "i need you to be brave for me, can you do that for me?" that was... the softest her voice had yet to be with him but he felt it in her muscles, her posture, she was getting weak and he shook his head. "don't leave me on my own." he cried into her hair, her shoulder. "i'll wake up, you won't be alone, i'm still here." she knew right now he was just a kid, frightened to lose someone else he'd grown to trust, to love. "i won't ever leave you on your own." and yet despite how eris fought it, she'd lost far too much blood to fight the pull of closing her eyes and kal sat, holding his mom, keeping her close whilst groans continued to move around the outside of that barn.

cade came bounding down the stairs when he realised and heard rhea downstairs trying to control silas and, realistically it'd take more to hold him back so cade was quick to grab him, along with elias and pull him back. "listen-" he started and then he had his shirt balled in his hand, lifting ihm jsut enough to stop him whilst elias' arms cloed around the mans arms to stop him fighting to get to the door. "i don't know how the fuck this happened but my fucking wife is out there, i heard eris, we all fucking did but you know that woman can hold her fucking own and she'll be looking after kal, you know that. screw your fucking head on silas if you run out there, you're dead, i mean fucking christ man do you not think i'd be out there in a heartbeat for her? i'd lay my life down for her but she wouldn't forgive me, and we've all talked about what we'd do, they'll run and find shelter, and we're no good to them if we're fucking dead because we played an unlikely game of chance. are you fucking listening?" cade was seething, that hushed kind of anger through gritted teeth. "eris would scalp you herself for going out there, aiyla would never forgive me either, so we sit here and we fucking hope and pray they're fine and that is the best we can fucking do, alright?" his brows raised. "alright?" he asked again firmer.

"the minute it's done, they've moved on, we all go out and help anyone out there, we all go search but until then, until then we-" elias removed his arms, panting a little and pointing to the door. "cade help me push something to barricade it, then the attic. attic is the best chance. rhea, silas, you guys go get the lads ready up there, we won't be far behind." cade pushed a hand through his hair, moving to shift a bookcase that was relatively empty, that'd do, he could move it alone and once the others were moving upstairs elias tilted his head in cade's direction. "aiyla will be okay. i know... i can't talk, rhea is here, but aiyla will be okay." cade simply nod his head, a thing of appreciation because he didn't know what to say. really, he was spiraling but... what could he do? what could any of them do?

eden didn't know how many hours had passed but she'd ran.. and she kept running. she didn't stop and the exhaustion was starting to hit her. that's when she realized that the sun was rising so it had to have been.. hours now. she could still hear the groans following behind her in the distance and if she were honest, she had no idea where she was. it felt like she'd long surpassed the forest, instead on some sort of stony surface and she knew she couldn't go much longer. that's when she found a cave, a crevice.. a place to hide, that she was wriggling her way in to, huddling herself as far back as she could go. it couldn't be that hard, once she'd rested a little and let them pass to simply go.. backwards right?

while the others had gone off to finish a handful of miscellaneous tasks around the farm, silas and rhea had tasked themselves with carting dirty dishes and various other decorations that would require storing within the farm house itself back inside. both had been content with leaving the dishes for last - rhea drifting in the direction of the living room to carefully sort through the polaroid's, while silas moved to the second floor to deal with some unsoiled linens that needed to be folded and put away.

rhea was in the process of popping photos that were likely once beloved by the previous homeowner from their frames when the sound of a shout could be heard from outside. incapable of hearing exactly what was trying to be relayed given the closed windows and doors, she shook it off - only startling when silas came pounding down the stairs - eyes wide and wild. "what?" she demanded, jumping to his feet as he moved toward the door in the kitchen that led outside. only than did her breath hitch loudly, catching sight of the sea of undead hobbling through their yard and the fields. "no - silas, no!" stepping in front of the man who was storming toward the door with the determination of a mad man, arms banded about his waist, heels digging into the floorboards. "you know eris can take care of herself and kal just fine-" she starts, only to be interrupted by a blood curdling scream that nearly sent her out of her skin and renewed silas' efforts to shake her.

"elias!" she calls upon hearing the man call for her - still struggling with silas, whose hands are desperately scrambling for the door knob, which is beginning to attract unwanted attention from their visitors outside. "fucking - SILAS! STOP! you're putting all of us in danger you idiot!"

with the table clothes dirty from smears of decorative flower petals and crumbs of food, aiyla had ( despite some insistence otherwise from the others ) done a quick wash and was in the midst of tossing it up and over the clothes line when she heard shuffling feet behind her. "hey - can you help me get this straightened out? i want to get a few more things done before we all call it a night seeing as you're all so determined cade and i take a few days for ourselves." not that she'd complain. it would be nice to have nothing to do but bask in one another's presence. hours tangled up in bed, maybe exploring the nearby farmhouses if they really got antsy.... it wasn't what many would have classified as a proper honeymoon, but it was exactly the type of thing she wanted with the man she loved. without an answer, she smirks, "you know if you wanted me alone-" whatever words the woman was about to speak are abruptly cut off by the sickening sound of a knife imbedding itself into a skull.

spinning, aiyla meets the eyes of asher, whose holding a finger against his lips while the other hand is ripping the knife from the skull cavity of a walker. reaching out to snatch the woman's arm, light hues are assessing their surroundings and scowling. how the undead had managed to sneak up upon them with such numbers would forever remain a mystery, but now it seemed the walkers were the herd-dogs and the humans the sheep, slowly corralling the pair of them away from both the farmhouse and barn. he tried to spot any of the others - to catch a glimpse of eden or the kids - but between the bobbing bodies and growing moans and groans of the walkers around them, it was proving impossible.

"asher-" aiyla begins to hiss, only for the man to drag her in the direction of the woods, away from the incoming herd. he'd explored enough in recent months to know they were only a mile or two from another farmhouse. it wasn't ideal - not when there were so many unknowns, but it was the best they were going to get to a solid shelter without the immediate risk of being torn apart. "c'mon," he mumbled, casting one more glance over his shoulder before the farmhouse and his family disappeared and he was forced to focus on weaving through the trees and avoiding the undead creeping closer and closer.

[elpida]

closed starter for @isolatednights

the day had been one of the best they'd had in a long time but they'd decided better to tidy up from it tonight than tomorrow, saved them a job in the morning and they'd not wake the new happily married couple that way. eden, forrest and fern were across the farm, putting away the fairy lights, the two kids working on winding them in neatly. they were nice but, they couldn't have them out all the time, especially in the summer months when the sun was out longer into the night. maybe they'd get them out again when the nights got longer and their daylight hours dwindled.

forrest started to copy a noise, a groan and fern turned her head towards eden, who now listening to him... started to hear what he was copying. "momma?" the questioned, immediately dropping the fairy lights and starting to move to her mom. "stay there baby i'll see what that is." and with that she was slowly poking her head around the door. her heart sunk. there were... so many of them. out of nowhere. she swallowed thickly, slowly pulling the door closed and rushing over to the two children to take them by the hands. "come on- quick. quick quick." she hushed, pulling them with her as she just.. ran. the best idea she had? was the truck out back. they had a rule, keys always in the ignition just incase. "in the car, in the back, you duck down and you stay down." she instructed and was opening the door, lifting each in. "but dad-" she put a finger to her lips. "no no, hush, down, like before, you listen remember?" they both nodded and started to hide in the foot well of the back seats. she was panicking, reaching for a blanket to cover them over quickly. "like hide and seek, quiet as you can, you're really good at that game!"

with that she was slamming the door which was a problem, it'd draw them and she had to draw them away... she made sure to fish for the keys from the front and lock that car. she did however drop the keys on the roof so that they weren't stuck if someone else found them before she could get back. "code red! code red, mayday! herd!" eden screamed it, as loud as she could. the others had to know. "i'm right here you fuckers, you stay away from my kids- that's right, me." she swallowed thickly.

eris was making her way back to the main house, kal was just finishing up so she was planning on getting him a little treat, he'd done a really good job today, done his best and hot chocolate was what people did to be nice right? she used to love hot chocolate when she was his age. she could remember one particular foster mom that really tried to get her to open up, that was one of the ways she tried. hot chocolate on the porch so.. eris was going to try. "eden?" she heard the call, code red? eden wouldn't pull a test on a day like today and then she saw them, dimly lit but... hundreds. how had they missed this? she knew she should've stuck to her guns and been on patrol today.

then it dawned on her... kal. not kal. she looked to the house, silas was in there and eden she'd protect forrest and fern but kal? kal was in a city and it'd been so much time what if he.. froze? what if he panicked? what if all those memories of what he had to do came back? what if they swarmed him? no. eris dropped the bag she'd been carrying and simply.. ran. she ran faster than she'd ever ran before, her feet kicking up dust from the path of trodden dirt they'd created over the months. "kal!" she called out as she skid around that barn door. the dead were in here, two, just two so far, so with sense she bolted that barn door by shoving the metal beam down across it. any more and they were both dead. that being said she moved fast enough to pick up a stray pitch fork and forced it through the head of one of them, pinning them to the wall but she couldn't wedge it free again and when she turned- "no." straight at her boy, not on her watch. she moved so quick, without a thought in her head she gripped him with one hand to pull him back and the other arm went protectively in front of him to stop the snapping jaw from reaching his shoulder.

kal in that very moment snapped in to action, like eris showed him, his knife from his belt, straight up through the jaw that... the jaw that was gripping to her flesh and bright red blood burst out as the thing dropped to the floor. it got her, right on the side of her right hand. "mom! mom no- no- i didn't-" eris hadn't cried in pain, she just moved to grip her wrist, her hand was streaming blood to the hay ridden floor. "listen to me, you have to listen to me. belt, now." he did as told, so quickly, tears in his eyes. "tie it around my forearm, tightly, as tight as you can." she had always performed best under pressure. the belt squeezed her skin and she hissed, he apologized repeatedly. "that axe, get it." he rushed for it, holding it to her. "what are you going to- mom?" she'd already gripped the handle, raising it up high. "look away and breath kal." he stared. "you can't." his tears were streaming. "silas would never forgive me for leaving him, and would you?" he swallowed but.. he shook his head. "then look away or i'm dead."

all anyone else would hear, was the sound of eris' scream. she was tough, but nobody would be able to hold in that gargled scream of agony.

elias came in to the house from the back, immediately pushing up some furniture to wedge it shut and slamming the light off. "is rhea here? is rhea in here?" he asked so urgently. "i couldn't find her- i couldn't find anyone fuck there were so many-" he breathed so heavily, like he'd done a lap of the whole place to get back here.

[elpida]

"only five? i'll put my share of remaining plane rations on it, what do you say? or are you scared of a good wager?" elias raised his dark brows, holding his hand towards her to shake on the deal. he wondered if she was equally as slow or if her hanging back was purposeful, he imagined she'd have been right beside aiyla the whole way, not that he was angry about it or even minded, in fact he was glad for the company. her company, specifically. he just wasn't as bold as the others. "was that something about eris liking silas back there?" he leaned to ask quietly. "i mean i can see it, he seems pretty set on the helping mia to get close to her and that's from someone who's usually oblivious."

eris followed shortly behind asher and raised her brows at eden with the knife asher had given her and then almost burst into a fit of giggles at silas with a... well, a stick. "you're uh... you're gonna do some damage with that? what if i just break it?" her lips pressed to hold back the smirk. "see her-" she points her wiggling finger to the knife. "her i can understand... a knife? well, scary but that, that's just... i think we need to find you a better weapon choice."

after that she made a move to drop the things she'd dragged back and make a move for the fire, holding her hands out. they looked red to the tips, cold. if you looked carefully enough you could see she was starting to shiver just slightly. she might be tough but eris did feel the cold quickly come night time. "you'd think it'd be warmer come night time.." she mumbles, holding her fingers towards the flames as she let out a breath. "was mia okay? she seems tired out, you had her doing anything or was she having fun pretending to be a big sister? she used to go on and on that she wanted a little sister."

"asher." eden let out a breath of relief seeing him emerge and not a beast and after a few moments and eris' words, she lowered down the knife, only realizing then that she needed to give it back to him and turned the handle back. "thank you for letting me borrow this. we were about to send out the search party." as much as she would and did want to.. lily. she couldn't leave her. she didn't want silas to go either. "i made tea- if.. it's still warm i thought that you umm.." she wrung her fingers together. "i thought it'd help everyone rest, with the day you've had. it's brewed for hours so it should be really flavorsome. did everything go okay?" no mention of sam... she almost felt guilty for the fact she cared more for the group and their safe return, enough that she had barely thought about sam.

her smile shone towards rhea and aiyla. "she's spent half the day asking where her favourite aunties went, she didn't think you were coming back, fought sleep as long as she could."

aiyla shoots rhea a warning look but it seems to be too late, as the other woman is already opening her mouth to speak, "right - right, because the preferable view tends to be tall, dark hair, undeniably handsome and good with kids?" while you might be able to brush off silas' attention toward the mother-daughter duo as simply being friendly, he'd gone out of his way to do things for the pair. "tomorrow sounds great," aiyla intervenes, elbowing rhea before rolling her eyes at the foolish grin she's offered. "i think i saw a backpack somewhere too. not the biggest thing ever, but might make dragging it all back with us a bit easier."

asher led the group of them - a job that suited him just fine, as he was using the time to mentally map out what he could of the island ; little turn offs, clear animal paths that would warrant exploration a later day... potentially tomorrow, if he wasn't dragged off on some other expedition. rhea stayed near the back of the group, exchanging soft conversation with elias and casting him a look every time cade seemed to fall back and wait for aiyla. "five bucks says they'll be tangled around each other at night to 'keep warm' before the end of the week," she prompts softly with a grin. meanwhile, aiyla is attempting to lug an awkwardly bulky suitcase through the jungle back to where they've made camp, and each time cade stops to assist her, she can't help but offer him a smile in thanks - fingers squeezing his before they slip away each time.

silas hadn't been sure how long he'd expected the group to be gone, but when the sun began to sink toward the horizon and the threat of night was beginning to creep on them, the man couldn't help but frown. "they're fine. i mean, between the group of them, they can handle themselves." and if the vibe he'd gotten off eris and asher said anything, they'd be perfectly safe. "absolutely not. if we're sending out a search party, we should realistically wait until morning, but if you insist we search tonight, i'll go and you'll stay here with the kids." he sends a pointed look at the two girls as if to silently ask the woman how she'd be okay leaving her daughter when the father was already off gallivanting who knows where.

while eden reacted immediately to the rustling amongst the trees, silas wasn't so quick. perhaps it was foolish to believe their little makeshift camp had some semblance of safety, particularly given they had no idea what sorts of wild animals wandered the island at large come night - but he couldn't help but believe it had to be the others coming back. it's part of the reason he reaches for one of the long sticks in the fire - partially lit while the rest remains untouched by the flames. stepping toward the tree line with the makeshift torch held aloft, he emits a soft chuckle at the sight of asher pushing through the brush with a scowl on his face. "our band of misfits has returned. how did everything look?"

[elpida]

Jensen Ackles as Mark Meachum || Countdown - Blurred Edges (1.05)

[elpida]

"would that be such a terrible thought little wolf?" he isn't smug, he asks to throw her question back at her, to raise his brows and determine her reaction. "i can wait for that answer if you find it hard to answer." that hint of teasing came back, like he was testing the waters with her. then he noticed it, the fact she was taking in his scent and god she had him so curious, so in need of wanting to know more, to know everything.

"i'd like to highlight that you said any good family, but mine are far from that. from good." he sighed, a droop in his shoulders. "we don't get along, we don't agree and see eye to eye as family should. i'd argue they don't see me as family, given how much we have disagreed over the years and it goes beyond arguing. it's been settled by fight before." his head tilted as he listened to what she would do. "i see... i mean you give me something interesting to think about, what it'd be worth to leave, the price of it.. i'll think about it." he didn't want to be with his pack anymore, not when he saw the difference in how hers was run, the peace of protection, of a pack actually feeling like home. he'd like that, to really feel like he had a home rather than being a... wanderer. "i envy you, you know, your pack, how he treats you all- oh by the way if you want my scent, you can just come closer you know?"

the sincerity in his tone catches her off guard - causes the woman to pause and truly look at him. "oh? and you believe you'd be the one to be my star-crossed lover?" its a genuine question, because up until now, they'd done nothing but tease and now he's speaking as if... well, there's some sort of deeper connection between them and rhea finds herself wondering if she's somehow missed something beneath the snark she's used as a sword and shield. her chin tilts and nostrils flare slightly on the next inhale - not even trying to mask the animalistic gesture of taking in his scent.

"any good family would try their best to understand that it was what you wanted and to move on." but it was never that easy, was it? families were so often complicated and messy, coming with far more baggage than was visible to the naked eye, and rhea found herself trying to piece together exactly what his was... outside of the absolute terror of a pack he currently held loyalty to. "if i truly wanted to leave and i worried they wouldn't allow me? or that they might retaliate? i suppose it depends on the quality of the pack and alpha i was leaving them for. some alpha's will step up and fight for their members... and if that wasn't the case, i'd fight for myself. even if it meant injury or death... if i weren't happy, i wouldn't truly be alive."

[elpida]

"yeah and you know what? i can't wait for the rest of our lives, i really can't. even with the world as it is now, wouldn't really have it any other way." cade couldn't have looked happier, he was smiling more today than he ever had and any of them could see that. "you know, i think your parents are here, i mean some blessin' sent us a camera to remember it by right? not a cloud in the sky, think of it that way, here in spirit that's what people said before right? that don't gotta change now."

"right, everyone's gotta have a big smile on their face right?! we've cake, flowers n' we're havin' a bloody good day so, big smiles for that camera. kiddos, we used to say cheese, to have a big cheesy smile like this-" and with that cade was making this big grin that got the kids smiling and giggling. his arm remained around aiyla, pulling her in so close once the camera was set up and everyone was getting into position. they'd pin this up, front and centre, somewhere they'd all see it every day. they might have been a dysfunctional family but... this was their family now, a real family. "how was that for secret cheesiness?" he whispered down to aiyla.

"smiling means you too m- eris." kal caught himself quickly, he didit more often than not, that 'm' sound, the clear sign that really.. he wanted to call her mom. she'd never corrected it after the first time but he didn't.. he hadn't slipped enough yet. either way when she hesitated over kal reached to grab her hand and pull her in between him and silas, as good as shoving her into silas' side. "i don't- kal i don't know pictures aren't really my uhh..." he looked to her, a slight frown before he flashed a look to silas. the seconds ticked. "You hear about the old man that fell into a well?" her brows raised. "apparently he couldn't see that well." kal whispered and as stupid as it was it was like he knew the hint of violence in it, the dark humour in it, the little hint of stupidity... it's like kal knew her well enough that it made her smirk and that was enough. silas was one of the few that'd seen her truly smile but, he got a little smile, he got her dimples showing and that was such an achievement in his world, it had him beam with delight that he'd got her to smile for the photo at all. it was just instinct that her hand had reached for silas' and anxiously closed her fingers around his palm. she'd told him before she didn't know how to handle things like this, everyone else had photo's growing up but eris had said... there were none of her so it was new. it was different but kal? kal had managed all on his own toget his makeshift mom comfortable enough.

"and you're as handsome as ever." she whispered back, eden had shuffled in with the most darling smile, her hand resting down to be on the kids shoulder, one on each of them and her shoulder leaning into asher. "cheese!" the kids exclaimed. elias being the idiot he was, threw up a peace sign with two fingers but above all else, cade was looking at aiyla, nothing else but her, smitten entirely and that's how the picture was, it clicked and the flash went off, right when everyone was happy, smiling.. when they could remember it just like that.

warmth spreads through her - entirely satisfied by his words. aiyla can't help but wonder how quickly the others will grow sick of them speaking with such affection to one another, but somehow that only makes her smile more. "you have the rest of our lives to get used to it - this life, and the next, and the next and so on," she hums, "maybe, but i think i'll tell you more every night when we go to bed how much you mean to me, because even if you were satisfied with them, i don't know if i was." and he deserved to be reminded - deserved to continue to feel this happiness as frequently as she could give it to him. "wedding of my dreams? the only thing different i would've want is our parents here with us, but i know somewhere, somehow they know. the rest of it? it was perfect. i wouldn't have changed a thing."

everything about that day had been a dream thus far, and aiyla's certain this will live in her memory as the happiest day of her life. "your secret cheesiness is safe with me, mr sabelle," she giggles, brows raising in amusement as eyes shine up at him. "the luck goes both ways. i'm really glad my parents started talking to you when they did. it was the start of all this."

silas had watched every interaction kal had with the rest of their family members since they'd brought him back, and thus far he'd been impressed with the boy. there had been slips here and there - a clear sign that the boy had been raised alone and not had a norm reinforced, but everyone had been patient - eris almost more so than the others. he'd watched as the days passed how she seemingly bloomed and softened around the boy, seamlessly falling into the role of mother without even realizing it. each interaction had left a warmth in his chest, and that morning, he'd been keenly aware that the woman had put effort into dressing nice, hair flowing freely. he'd hovered nearby - a constant, reassuring presence for her to lean into should the need arise. "go on, asher'll show you and the kids how to use it before we start," he notes, giving kal's a light nudge. the smile the boy flashes him makes his chest ache even further, and as he excited scampers off to stand patiently beside asher, silas steps closer to eris and offers her his own grin. "should i take that as your stamp of approval?" he asks quietly.

asher stands instructing the three children softly, asking questions to have them repeat back what they've learned before having each take a different step in getting things set up and ushering them in the direction of where they all will be standing. "thirty seconds, get in close." he prompts, setting the time and jogging over to stand beside eden, hand resting on the small of her back while a hand rests on fern's shoulder. glancing over at the woman at the question, eyes flicker down her frame before settling on her own. "beautiful. you look beautiful."

curling into cade's arms, aiyla tilts her head to look up at him, a soft i love you escaping her lips as rhea moves to tuck herself into elias's side with a grin. taking half a step away from the others, silas offers a hand out to eris. "c'mon. you're right over here with kal and i."