Who: Elena, Kitty, and Deucalion When: October 25 (backdated!) Where: Deucalion’s Cabin (Everdale) What: Lunch and conversation Rating/Warnings:Low/None Status: In progress
These last few weeks had been fascinating, and quite surprising to say the least, yet of all that transpired the biggest surprise of all to the man was the fact that he was starting a new pack. After all these years Deucalion never even really entertained the notion; at least not seriously by any means. However given the recent events in Preya, and the fact that the were community found itself being dragged into the spotlight...well the Alpha reluctantly agreed to offer made by Gideon and Scott. Forming the council of Alphas made sense to him, since there was a considerable amount of concern after McCall’s roar was heard by practically everyone around. In truth a part of the old wolf had been hoping that it would just blow over, that the people of Preya would chalk it up to some strange event. However when it became clear that that would not happen Deucalion knew it would be easier to keep those he cared for safe if he started a new pack.
Elena may have been an odd choice by the standards of others; especially since she wasn’t a werewolf. Still the Alpha found himself taking a page out of Scott’s playbook, and allowing her into his pack just felt right. Of course the young woman was capable of handling herself; that vampiric speed and strength of hers having been witnessed first hand. But even then the wolf wished to offer her protection, and a place among his little family. Kitty too had been on his mind, and a part of him cringed at the thought of extending the offer to her. Not because she was ill equipped to join him by any means, but because he knew that the young woman had already had her share of abuse at the hands of another Alpha.
Despite his reservations though in the end Deucalion reached out to her as well; hoping to extend that very protection, and also to hopefully show her that not all packs were like the one she had dealt with before. Oh the irony of it all wasn’t lost on him in the least; the fact that his two prior packs had met a painful end. However Preya was a place of second chances, and for him...he had hope that that second chance would extend to finding happiness with a family/a pack of people he cherished. For all that though the man still felt a tad apprehensive at having them over for lunch. The spread was extraordinary as well; with no expense being spared, and as he opened the front door of his cabin the scent of all that food could be smelled by all.
“Welcome! I hope your journey here wasn’t too bad. I know the roads are a bit...well rough is putting it mildly, but the scenic view hopefully made up for the bumps along the way.” -- To say Kitty was nervous about being a part of a pack again was an understatement. She still had nightmares about the confrontation she and T.J. had had with Carl and Meg, which had resulted in his death and her exile from the pack - and from Denver altogether. She knew that if she ever tried to go back there, it would mean her death most likely. That was all part of the reason she’d come to Preya - that, and because life in that pack had been the worst experience she’d ever had.
But she had agreed to think about Deucalion’s offer, and listen to what he had to say, as well as the other person he’d mentioned, this ‘Elena’. When she arrived at Deucalion’s cabin, Kitty had stood downwind of it for about five minutes before finally walking up to the door and knocking softly. Blinking in surprise at the sudden opening, she quickly gave him a smile.
“No, it was fine, really. And everything in there smells really good,” she said as the scent of the food nearly overwhelmed the scent of Deucalion himself. Once he stepped back, she stepped into the cabin, doing her best not to cower or back down. “Thanks for the invite.” --
Elena didn't really know what being a part of a pack entailed. Back in Mystic Falls, werewolves ran in their own packs--family packs. She wasn't ever part of one since she wasn't supernatural. She wasn't a vampire or a werewolf, not until right before she fled for Preya. She was still getting to know what it all meant for her. So many things were so new.
And now she'd been invited to Deucalion's pack, an invitation that she would never refuse. She'd been to the cabin before, both on her own and when he drove her, so getting to the cabin wasn't a big hassle. When she pulled to the front of the house in her car, she saw Deucalion standing with a blonde woman in the front doorway. Her stomach twisted at the sight of them there.
Elena gave a little wave through her windshield, then turned off the car and climbed out. --
With a soft and warm smile Deucalion nodded his head as she spoke. The mention of the food smelling good drew out a little chuckle, and the Alpha nodded again. “Indeed, I’ve prepared a few things personally but the finer dishes were catered by a few highly recommended places. The favorite so far would be the rack of lamb. I swear my mouth watered the moment the delivery boy dropped it off, and it’s been quite the challenge to leave it be until you both arrived.” Oh the old wolf had snacked a little on a few others things, yet that polite nature of his had kept him from digging in before their arrival. “Do make yourself at home, my dear. There’s a delectable assortment of alcoholic drinks, and I’d personally suggest any of the pairing wine that’s already waiting in the decanters.”
The sight of Elena’s car pulling up drew his gaze, and for the briefest of moments a dark blush swept across the Alpha’s face. They hadn’t really had the chance to talk, not since their little tryst in the store the other day. In truth he hadn’t begin avoiding Elena at all; the wolf simply had a lot on his plate of late. When she waved from inside the vehicle though Deucalion waved back and smiled anew, waiting patiently there on the porch for the young woman to approach before speaking up at last. “Good afternoon, Elena. I’m glad you could attend.” --
“It honestly smells terrific,” she replied earnestly. Kitty wouldn’t have blamed him if he had taken a bite out of it before cooking it, but she was glad he didn’t. It was important to her that werewolves stay in touch with their human sides, and be civilized - and since meeting Deucalion, there had only been one moment of unrestrained anger: when he had killed the elk because he believed it was about to harm her. Despite that, she was still a little uneasy about being in an actual pack, even though there were parts of it she missed. There was just a lot of baggage left over from her time with Carl that she needed to move on from.
Kitty heard the car approaching before it could be seen, but politely waited until it actually stopped before she glanced over. As the woman stepped out, Kitty caught the scent that the wind swept towards her, and tensed. Cold blood - she knew that smell intimately. Elena was clearly a vampire, which made her wonder just what Deucalion was doing by creating a pack with her in it. In Kitty’s experience, she had never heard of anything like it, but that didn’t mean it couldn’t happen. It was just incredibly strange.
“I will...thanks,” she remembered to tell Deucalion, and after one last glance at the woman - and another at the wolf, because she’d caught that slight flush and wondered about it, Kitty stepped past him and into his home. His scent was everywhere, obviously, but also that of Kali and, fainter, Malia. A fourth scent was also obvious to her beneath the lunch - a dog, and Kitty hoped that it wouldn’t be making an appearance and disrupt their meal. Heading for the table, she studied the decanters he mentioned, and after a moment she poured herself a small glass of white wine and a larger glass of water. Since she had to work in a few hours, she wanted to stay clear-headed - plus, she didn’t want to be drunk with a vampire she didn’t know around. --
Elena didn’t know the other woman there, and it made her only slightly nervous. Actually, a lot about this afternoon made her nervous. She hadn’t been avoiding Deucalion after the costume shop, but she’d been busy. Exceptionally busy. They had something like eight hundred thousand Halloween parties (only a slight exaggeration) this weekend, and Elena was going a little mad planning for them. At least she could attend the masquerade without having to worry about set up, clean up, dealing with caterers and crew, decorations, et cetera.
She walked up the steps to the front porch, smiling warmly at Deucalion and Kitty, completely unaware what was going on in either of their heads, so distracted by her own thoughts. It smelled good. She was looking forward to some good food and good wine.
“Hi.” The smile on her face brightened as she approached. “I’m glad I could, too. Thank you for inviting me.” It was probably quite obvious how nervous she was about all of this. She wanted to be a good pack member, but she had no idea how. She followed Kitty into the house and moved straight to the wine. --
It should have been strange, yet Deucalion found himself not nervous at all about having the two of them join him for lunch...or join his pack either. Oh that slight twinge of apprehension was simply the Englishman’s upbringing, and concern over being the perfect host. Still beyond such matters, well the Alpha knew the two women well enough to think them both excellent additions to the pack. As Kitty began to head inside the old wolf chuckled at her passing remark, and nodded in utter agreement. “I dare say I would have used a touch less thyme, but it seems like the chef who prepared the lamb knew what they were doing.” Cooking had become something of a hobby for him of late; well that, beekeeping, and drink making. In truth he really had been hoping to dedicate more time to such pursuits, yet fate seemed to have other things in mind.
As Elena approached the porch he took a half step back, making room for her to head inside as he gestured towards cabin entrance. “Hello again, and you are most welcome. I was glad that you had the time free to stop by, and I took the liberty of making sure that there’d be a bottle or two that you would immensely enjoy. There’s a Wildhaven Untamed Red Blend that has a pint and half of O negative blood already open. It pairs well with the bitterness of the blood, or so the scent led me to believe.” --
In Elena's world, it wasn't really possible for a werewolf to tell a vamp just from sight or smell or sound. Or touch, even, or taste. The mention of O Negative meant two things; one, Deucalion had cared enough to take care of her needs, and two, that Kitty had either either been told she was a vampire, or was just finding out now. There would be no denying it after the mention of the wine. Not that Elena would deny it. They were forming a pack together, and that should be built on trust. She wouldn't start that kind of relationship with lies and denials. She just hoped that in Kitty's world (was it the same as Deucalion's?) werewolves there didn't hate vampires.
Pink brushing the tops of her cheeks, Elena gave him a smile and a nod. "Thanks," she said, then quietly poured herself a large glass. It was obvious to anyone--or, well, anyone supernatural, anyway--which one was meant for her. The smell of the wine mixed with the blood was nearly overpowering. Then Elena moved to sit in one of the comfortable chairs near the fireplace. She kept one eye on Kitty, and the other on Deucalion. Since she didn't know much about these things, she decided it should be up to them to start this... meeting.
Her eyes lingered on Deucalion. A fond expression in her eyes. --
Kitty picked up her own glass of wine to take a quick sip, then switched to the water as she watched Elena, curious. She wasn’t unfriendly, but she had to calm her inner Wolf that they were fine, despite the presence of another apex predator so close. Once Elena had sat, Kitty sat nearby and then - since she was determined to not prejudge the younger looking woman, she stuck out a hand.
“Hi Elena, I’m Kitty. It’s really nice to meet you,” she said brightly, her face entirely friendly even if she was inwardly a little hesitant in general about this entire situation. --
As far as meetings went he hoped this one would be quite informal, especially since the last time Deucalion attended such an affair...well it ended with the wolves going to war, and him getting blinded. Still Preya seemed like a beautiful place, and the chances of there being another war with hunters seemed slim at best. However forming a pack, well it was just a good way to ensure that he could keep those he cared for safe. Plus after Scott alerted the rest of the population to the presence of wolves, and Gideon dragged their kind into the spotlight...the old wolf figured it was better to play it safe.
When both of his guests had grabbed a seat and made themselves comfortable the Alpha finally moved at last. After taking just a little bit of the food from the table, and taking a bite to signal to Kitty that she was fine helping herself to it all, he grabbed his own glass before sitting down. “Well I am thrilled that we could all meet like this. In truth the events of late have been a tad concerning, so after speaking with the other two Alphas...well I thought it best to reach out to you both. After all since I arrived here, you’ve both become quite dear to me...and I couldn’t think of anyone I’d rather have within my pack than you both.” --
Elena sat up a little and broke into a very warm smile as Kitty introduced herself. She reached a hand over to shake hers. Elena's skin wasn't cold, but there was definitely something different about her. She was a vampire, but she wasn't a walking zombie. "Hi, Kitty. It's really nice to meet you, too."
She turned to watch Deucalion as he took his bite, lifted his glass, and settled in. A tinge of pink crossed her nose and cheekbones when he mentioned them becoming quite dear to him. And she wondered for a moment if he and Kitty had the same kind of relationship that he had with her, Elena. Was he building a harem in the guise of a pack? Kind of a ridiculous thought--Elena couldn't imagine him doing such a thing. Then again she'd been fooled by people in the past.
"I'm honored to be here." Elena said, glancing at Kitty. "I've never been part of a pack before, so... I really just want to do it right. Whatever it is." She gave a soft chuckle and playful roll of her eyes. "And now I sound like a complete and total loser, so I'll just stop talking." --
After Elena shook her hand, Kitty kept her smile in place, though she still reserved judgement in general. Since Deucalion had come in with food, the blonde werewolf returned to her feet and walked to the table to pile a plate with various things, taking care not to take too much meat - she was trying to calm the Wolf, not rile it up, and wanted it to know clearly that the human half was in charge during this conversation.
She returned to her seat again, returning Elena’s look and noticing the slight flushing at Deucalion’s words. Yeah, there was definitely something between the two, but it really wasn’t any of her business. She didn’t know them well enough to tease them just yet. Flashing another smile at Elena’s words, Kitty shrugged and looked over at Deucalion as her eyes became serious and the smile disappeared.
“I appreciate the thought very much, and the offer,” she started. “It’s just… well, I told you about my last pack, and I’d really like to know more before agreeing to anything like that again. To be honest, I don’t really know what kind of Alpha you are, yet.” Though she was fully aware her inner Wolf had already started to accept him, Kitty was a little conflicted.
“To put it simply, I need my own autonomy, and independence. Being a part of a pack is one thing, but… I can’t go through that forced dependence again. I refuse to put myself in that situation now that I’m able to decide for myself. Does that make sense?” --
The man once known as the Alpha of Alphas had no physical need to form a pack. Oh the social side of it, the emotional connections, he had missed for a while yet unlike the other Alphas a pack would not strengthen him. After all Deucalion was a pack onto himself; having killed his former pack members and consumed their power for himself. ‘The greater whole’ all in one man. Still after speaking with Gideon and Scott, after seeing the potential threat to their kind...well that drive to keep others safe was rekindled. Silently the man sipped his drink, observing the little exchange between the two of them, but when Elena finished speaking the Alpha quietly spoke up at last. “A pack is something of a symbiotic relationship, Elena. An Alpha quite literally provides strength to his pack mates, protects and provides for them as well. Most Alphas in exchange are granted strength from their pack as well. So there is no need to fret over having to do anything at all. We shall simply do our best to look out for each other.”
Those piercing eyes of his turned towards Kitty as she in turn spoke up too, listening intently to every word and nodding a tad as well. When she finished speaking the old wolf remained quiet, contemplating things for a moment and taking another sip from his glass before finally chiming in. “I am aware of what transpired in your past, and honestly considered not extending the offer at all. Oh not because I thought you an ill equipped potential member, but because I had no desire to dredge up that painful past. Still sadly recent events have brought our kind out into the light of day...and while there is no urgent threat to us, well I thought it far more prudent to err on the side of caution.”
With a soft sigh the man went quiet again, the question of just what manner of Alpha he would be...was one that even Deucalion was still struggling to answer. “I wish I could offer you some grand speech about my better angels and all that, yet honestly it’s been a long time since I was an Alpha worth following. As far as your independence and autonomy though, well those things would of course remain under your control. I have no wish to force dependence on either of you, and with the exception of a pressing threat or attack, I’d have no desire to try and force you to do anything. Now if were to come under attack, well I’d hope that you would heed my advice and allow me to stand steadfast in the defense of you both. After all keeping you from harm, well that is what an Alpha does.” --
Elena nodded, satisfied with his answer. She was still going to feel nervous, for sure, but she felt like she could handle this. Could felt she could handle almost anything with the others by her side. Hopefully they felt the same way.
She sipped from her glass, wondering idly how he came across blood to mix with the wine. And she silently hated that it was something he needed to do.
“Is there anything… I mean, do we have meetings or… any structure I need to be aware of?” Elena asked, then glanced at Kitty again. “Sorry if I'm asking stupid questions. This is all new to me.” --
Kitty shook her head at Elena, smiling a little as she took a bite of her food, though at the moment she wasn’t really all that hungry. “They aren’t stupid questions,” she said softly. “If you haven’t been in a pack situation, it’s perfectly understandable that you have questions. Every Alpha is different, though there aren’t usually meetings, not in my world at least. Most of the time, I wouldn’t see the rest of the pack except on the full moons, when we had to Change.” They always ran together on the fulls. Always.
Looking back at Deucalion, Kitty replied, “Yes, they’re painful memories, but they’re mine to deal with,” she told him firmly. “And it’s not so much what happened as it is the… emotional bonds. I left Denver thinking I would never have that connection again, and though I’ve missed it - I’m also nervous about having it again.” Because what if something happened and Deucalion did become like Carl? It was hard to trust that he wouldn’t, even though she wanted to desperately believe that he couldn’t - except he had already pointed out that he had been like that before.
“I… I’m willing to give it a try,” she said at last, and Kitty could feel the other, wild side of herself rejoice at the prospect of having a pack again - even if one of the members smelled wrong. --
Deucalion did not laugh or crack a smile when Elena asked about meetings or structure, since the question was a valid on. Plus as Kitty pointed out, every Alpha was different in his leadership style. “It wasn’t a stupid query, my dear. In truth there are a few things you should know from; while there aren’t meeting per se, well in times of peril packs can gather and the Alphas discuss how to handle whatever situation has come up. As things stand, well there are only three Alphas, myself included, and so we’ve already spoken and decided to form a counsel. Mostly your day to day lives will remain completely unaffected, but should you find yourself in trouble I will be there to aid you.”
Oh there was more to it than just that, like the fact that he was personally taking responsibility for them both...and so if either one of them were the cause of the trouble, Deucalion would take the blame. That reason was part of why he was being so careful about his selection, because trust was a large factor. For the wolf though, he trusted them both, and so it had been an easy decision. “As Kitty pointed out we also tend to run together during the moon. During the last moon we had a spot of fun taking down an elk, and simply enjoying the crisp fall night air. As far as structure goes, technically speaking you answer to me since I would be your Alpha. However unlike others, well I have no desire to tell either of you how to go about your lives. Now should you happen upon the other packs, and find yourself butting heads with their members, you’d let me know so that I can address it with that pack’s Alpha.”
The talk of painful memories and emotional bonds drew a shadow of a frown to Deucalion’s lips, and his own thoughts drifted back to the happier days when he was with his pack...then those same memories darkened at the thought of his second trying to kill him. “I understand, Kitty, all too well. Still I am glad and grateful that you’d give me a chance.” --
Elena found the more she heard Kitty talking, the more she liked her. She was feeling more at ease now than when she'd first been invited to the pack.
“I don't know if it's a good idea for me to run with you on the full moon,” Elena said, apologetically. “Wolf bites are fatal for my kind.” Even if it was an accident, it would still be a very serious injury for Elena.
She let Kitty and Deucalion talk about Kitty’s past, trying her best not to pry. If the other woman wanted to talk to her about it, Elena would listen without judgement. But she would never press for details. --
“They are?” Kitty looked at Elena with interest. “It’s not like that where I come from. A wolf bite can’t do too much lasting harm to a vampire,” unless they ripped out their throat - but even then, a vampire would eventually heal. She’d seen things like that happen. And honestly, the other half of Kitty was a little relieved at the prospect of the woman not coming with them. Not that she didn’t seem perfectly nice, but her inner Wolf was unsettled by the smell somewhat.
Finally taking a sip of her wine, the blonde gave Deucalion a small, wry smile. “I’ll be honest and say that I’m still not completely comfortable with this, but I’d like to give it a shot. Mainly it’s just my own issues with having someone above me get in the way.” --
If the prospect of running with them during the moon made Elena uncomfortable then Deucalion had no desire to press it. The offer had been extended, and she was always free to join in, yet if the young woman decided against it the Demon Wolf would take no offense at all. “Very well then, my dear. The offer stands, but of course you have no obligation to attend. I am certain we shall find other times to enjoy each other’s company in the coming weeks and months.”
As Kitty spoke up once more that gaze of his focused on her, and hearing that she would give it a chance earned a soft smile from the old wolf. “Excellent. I shall do my best to help ease you into things, and have no fear...I have no desire at all to get in your way. This pack is...well the primary goal is to provide protection and support to you all. Beyond that though, it’s really a chance for me as well to begin forging connections with others like yourselves. After all wolves are social creatures, as are we were. It’s been a long time since I was a part of something, and to have you both become part of our pack...it means a lot to me.” --
Elena nodded, gravely. That was one of the reasons that being in a werewolf pack was a little nerve-wracking. Even if it was an innocent mistake or a loss of control, it was still deadly for Elena. She cocked her head to the side a little, looking over at Kitty. Deucalion had never mentioned that there were vampires in his world, so when Kitty mentioned vampires, it made Elena assume they came from different worlds. This was all interesting information for the new vampire.
Then Kitty mentioned not being comfortable, and guilt bubbled up within her. She couldn't help but feel like she was one of the reasons that the other woman was feeling uncomfortable. After all, she wasn't a werewolf. Did she really belong in a werewolf pack? Even though it had happened before, maybe that was special. Or Elena was just not the right person to be a pack member.
She sipped from her glass again, eyes trained on the coffee table in front of her. She flicked her eyes up to look over at him, then she nodded. She felt honored to have been invited. Being a part of something was a good feeling. --
Kitty picked up on Elena’s uneasiness, and she looked over at the vampire again, inwardly musing that she was probably a younger one. “Sorry, I know you don’t know some of what we’re talking about. It’s just that...my last pack wasn’t a very good experience. So that’s why I’m a little nervous now. That’s all.” She gave the girl a reassuring smile, then shifted her attention back to Deucalion.
“I understand, and you’re right… we are social creatures. I guess I should have known that I wouldn’t be able to last too long as a lone wolf myself.” Shoulders lifted and fell in a shrug, before she returned her attention to the wine and food. “Now let’s get through this lunch so I can get to work on time,” she said as she smiled again while reigning in the questions she personally had for Elena. That could wait for another day.