WHO: Astrid Clover and Rhys Hunt WHEN: Monday, 8/12; Afternoon WHERE: Prison & Ride home WHAT: Astrid gets released WARNINGS: Talk of time in prison, language STATUS: Complete
______________
It had been a long year, well a little more than if you counted the trial. She’d behaved. It had been hard. There had been so many times that Astrid had found herself resisting the urge to bite back when someone tried to push her buttons. Sure, she wasn’t the perfect inmate, she’d gotten in a couple fights- but nothing that would extend her sentence. Even if the temptation to fuck up everyone who crossed her path was there. The therapy helped- though she wouldn’t admit that.
Then, the day came. She was escorted out, given the items back (her wallet, phone, keys and sunglasses) and allowed to change into real clothes for the first time in a year. God, it was nice. She gave a small nod to the guards and walked to the door after everything was signed and good to go. Once the door opened and she walked down the isle of fences to the gate it was one final step before she was out.
Astrid paused a moment as she took in a breath of air, it seemed to just smell better. She reached up and pulled her hair out of it’s pony tail and shook it out a bit before glancing around. It only took a second for her eyes to land on the blond man waiting for her at his vehicle. A smile pulled wide upon her lips as she ran toward him and leaped slightly so her small stature could reach his shoulders as she draped her arms over them. “Rhys!” She said, embracing him. “Damn, it’s good to see you.” Good to touch him- anyone from the outside. The visitors she did have (like her uncle) she was restricted from contact with them. And she didn’t really want contact from her fellow inmates. She took a moment to take in his scent, the familiarity of him that told her he was pack.
After a moment she let herself pull back and look at him. “Let’s get as far from here as we can, k?”
--
It wasn’t very often that a member of the Hunt pack found themselves on the wrong side of the law but it happened and was inevitable when dealing with turned wolves who unlike born ones still had a lot of stuff to deal with including but not limited to very strong emotions. That said Rhys’ dad had been very clear in that Astrid was never to find herself in the firing line again because reputation was everything, not just for wolves, but for everybody in general. Still, it was really good to see her, especially as she and Rhys were similar in age and he did miss the younger generation when he was surrounded by the old guard at pack meetings.
As she leapt into his arms he encircled her waist and offered her a grin as she finally leaned back to look at him properly. “Right back at you, Astrid.”
Pack was important regardless of how they might have fallen from grace and it wasn’t complete until you had everyone present and accounted for.
“Couldn’t have said it better myself,” Rhys muttered with a smirk as he headed around to slip in behind the wheel of his car. “You hungry?”
--
“Oh definitely!” She exclaimed, placing a hand on her stomach as she slipped her sunglasses on. “Something not made in a cafeteria would be wonderful. I’d even take some cheap drive through right now.” Astrid chuckled, then gasped. “Oh! Taco truck… tacos sounds so good right now.” She sighed and looked out the window as the prison was left behind, once Rhys had started the car. It was definitely a place she didn’t want to go to again.
It had been interesting to sit across from the judge during her sentencing. He’d asked her if she regretted what she did. The answer had been more complicated that she could have imagined and even after serving her time, it was still very much the same. She didn’t regret acting. Stepping in when she saw a guy- or anyone for that matter- not listening to someone say no. But she did regret losing herself. She regretted embarrassing her pack. But if she’d been in the same situation, she’d still act. Just, once he was down… she would have called the police instead of… well… what she did.
“So,” Astrid took in a breath, her voice sounding a bit more timid than usual, the tone she took when one of the elder wolves spoke to her. “How mad is he?” She wasn’t sure what to expect on her return to the packhouse. She anticipated sleeping in her van a lot. Would they be happy to see her again, or was she now the black sheep of the pack? Her fingers ran through her brown locks and played with the edges of her hair, twisting them nervously as she looked over to Rhys driving.
--
Rhys grimaced faintly when Astrid asked just how pissed off the Alpha aka his father was and figured it was better to be honest than not. “You’re not his favourite person right now,” he shared as he glanced over at Astrid as he fed into the busy traffic of the Los Angeles roads. “He’s definitely expecting you to tow the line and not get into any more trouble.” She wasn’t the black sheep of the pack but she was going to be watched especially as what had happened definitely impacted the pack and made his dad look a complete fool who couldn’t control his own wolves. “And he wants to talk to you when you get back to the packhouse.”
He’d be in attendance as he was in all pack matters and so he knew how his dad dealt with things so he got a feel of what it was to be the Alpha and in charge.
“But Tacos? I can do Tacos.”
--
“I figured. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to people actually caring about what I do.” She said softly as an offhand comment. Her parents definitely didn’t care. At least not until their pro-human asses found themselves with a werewolf for a daughter.
Astrid stayed quiet until they got to the taco truck. Once they got their food she took a seat at one of the tables set up and took a bite. Her eyes closed and she hummed happily at the taste. “Oh my tacos, I have missed you.” She looked up at Rhys. “How mad are you at me?” She inquired, honestly curious.
She knew she was lucky to have been taken in by the pack. They’d taught her a lot, but her baggage and temper just seemed to keep getting in the way. It was like the moment things started going well she couldn’t help but sabotage herself.
—
“Well,” Rhys began. “I don’t disagree with why you did it, guy had it coming, but the whole kicking him when he was already down and not really knowing when to quit? That’s the bit that really disappointed me given the fact the whole point of you fighting at Tooth and Nail was to y’know work off some of that aggression.”
He glanced over at Astrid. “I’m not mad, just don’t really understand why you’d put everything at risk like that.”
Anger was easy, simple, and it wasn’t beyond Rhys’ range of emotions, but at the same time when it came to pack it was important to understand why and see what could be done going forward. Wolves were by their very nature unpredictable and headstrong so if you got mad every time one of them fucked up you weren’t going to be a very successful Alpha.
--
Astrid picked at some of the meat that had fallen into the wrapper and put it back in her taco as she considered his comment. “I don’t know.” She admitted, eyes focused on a spot between them on the table. “I was just so mad. He lipped off to me when I told him to leave her alone. Like he was better than me or something.” She shrugged one shoulder as she shifted in her seat a little. “I know the fights... “ She wrinkled her nose slightly. “They get shit out. But that night I just- like I saw red and that was it.”
She placed the half taco she had left down and wiped her fingers on a napkin. “I know I should have stopped, done better. They had me seeing this therapist inside.” Astrid’s eyes glanced up to Rhys, somehow making him disappointed felt like it might be worse than the elders. After all, they were older and she was used to authority figures being disappointed in her. She’d spent her whole like a disappointment to her parents. But Rhys was on her level, or slightly above. She looked up to him as a friend. “We talked a lot about shit and what not. Triggers and how to manage them.” Astrid took up her drink and took a sip. “He said I need different outlets- other than violence. Really had fuckall ideas. Recommended something with my hands, tried to get me to learn how to knit or draw.” He tried, and some stuff he said helped and made sense, but he was a volunteer therapist at a prison, they did their best. “Was too quiet, couldn’t stay still that long.”
--
Rhys was currently battling with his taco as the contents kept making a run for it and it was... aggravating. He was familiar with that red haze of anger that Astrid was referring to, every wolf had that in them and had the capacity to be violent, it was definitely harder for the ones who were turned than those who had been born.
He was mid bite when Astrid made eye contact and he chewed slowly as she explained what had happened during her time inside. "You could get a physical job," Rhys suggested. "Like construction or something. Beat the shit out of stuff all day long and you won't have all that pent up energy to worry about.”
The pack had connections and he wouldn’t mind pulling some strings.
---
“I could probably rock a hard hat and safety vest.” She chuckled. “I liked working at the bar, was good at it. Just hated seeing when someone crossed the line.” Guy or girl- though statistics had it more guys.
She slipped her hand into her hair and held the back of her neck as she rested her elbow on the table. “Is it always gonna be this hard?” Astrid asked softly. Sure, she’s been an angry kid before it all, but it was more mouthing off that outright violence. Now, either could happen. “Does it get better? Easier?” Even then she felt a little restless. Like she needed to fight or fuck or something. She could run around the block a dozen times and still not feel relief- okay maybe not a dozen, but point made. “I’ve been a fuck up most my life, I don’t know what I want to do with it, but I know I don’t want that anymore.”
—
Rhys’ lips tugged into a smirk. “Yeah, I could totally see that.” He could definitely understand where Astrid had been coming from in regards to what the guy had been trying to do but unfortunately for her she’d lost control and suddenly her act of kindness turned on its head.
He popped a piece of meat into his mouth and chewed slowly, thoughtfully.
“It won’t,” he assured her. “It would’ve been easier if you’d been born the way we are but you weren’t, you were turned. That makes the transition difficult, near impossible at times. You’re lucky though, you have a pack, a lot of others don’t have that.” And it was not pretty. “How about you and I spar on a regular basis? Might help stave off some of that urge to beat the shit out of things.”
---
Astrid nodded, regarding him softly. “Just beat the shit out of you?” She teased, knowing Rhys was much better skilled and could easily take her. “I’d like that.” He was a good pack brother. She knew she was lucky to have him.
“So, have you gotten up to any trouble in the last year?” She asked, trouble being metaphorical. “Any new people in your life? Anything exciting?”
—
“Or try to,” Rhys returned with an equally teasing remark and an accompanying wink. “Would definitely be a challenge and I promise to switch it up so you don’t get bored.” He was good at that sort of thing after all.
Trouble? Him? Pfft.
“Met another wolf, guy by the name of Ryder, he bartends at Tooth and Nail as well as Midnight. He’s a cool guy.” Which was something of an understatement but he’d never been the type to kiss and tell especially when feelings might be involved. “He was turned so doesn’t have a pack so I’m introducing him to my dad soon to see if he can hook up with the pack.”
---
“Another orphan. That’s cool.” Maybe she’d have someone struggling just as much as she was. “That’s really cool of you. Wanting to help out- bring in others.” Even when some didn’t fit the mold perfectly. “I know your dad saving my Uncle was huge, and I’m grateful because it gave me a home. And if you say he’s cool, I’m sure this Ryder guy is cool.” Astrid nodded. “Cool name too.” She smirked as she took a drink from her soda.
“I suppose I shouldn’t put off my fans any longer.” She joked. “I’m sure you’ve distracted me long enough for them to get the welcome back party set up.” Astrid was joking, using humor to cover her nerves over the scolding she knew she was about to get from the Alpha. She laughed and folded up the wrapper of her tacos and got up to toss them in the trash.
--
Well actually they had maybe arranged a small thing to welcome Astrid back into the fold. It wasn’t much but it was a dinner with the entirety of the pack because sure she’d gotten into trouble but she was still important to the pack and his dad whilst a total hardass did have his softer points.
“Yeah, can’t keep you all to myself, especially when there’s pack for you to get acquainted with again.”
He wolfed down what remained of his taco and tossed his rubbish in the nearby bin before rising back up to his feet.
“There’s also some new pups.”
---
“Well then, we shouldn’t keep them waiting.” She said with a soft smile as she got into the car. Once belted back in she glanced over to Rhys. “Thanks. Like, for all the support and shit. Being there.” Astrid said, showing a bit of sappiness that was rare on her and looked out the window in such a way to say don’t speak of it.
It was good to be out, she just hoped she could justify her second chance.