Trust me

[Lovely]

June 8, 2010
shortly before dawn


Tasa was up earlier this morning than usual but Nick had been restless most of the night, the recent disappearances of people they knew had disturbed them both though Nick seemed more distraught than herself. He'd woken her up several times with his tossing and turning, finally she got out of the bed, saying she was going to get a drink. Once in the kitchen, she decided doing some stretches and breathing would be better for her. She grabbed her mat and headed out onto the patio, it was warm and the fresh air made her feel better right away. It wasn't long before she was working her way through poses and feeling the stress ebb away as the calm flowed into her. She shifted down and sat still for a few minutes simply concentrating on her breathing.. the in and out, her eyes closed and her face relaxed.

Jesse preferred the morning hours and finding the smaller, more docile nocturnal creatures shuffling about before burrowing back into their dens in the safety of their shadows and holes. It wasn't that sort of shadow dweller he was hunting today. He approached the house, ready to simply burst in the door and take the man howling out the window, but there was a better way. The scent brought him around to the patio to find a girl there, reminding him of Mitch a moment with how she sat still and breathed evenly - meditating? His presence went unnoticed, or she didn't mind it as he came up casually. He stopped there and watched a moment to determine if she was simply unable to hear him - but would she scream if he touched her? He didn't mind watching her absorb the warm, early air and certainly didn't mind her scent, finding himself taking in a deeper whiff and sighing slightly.

There were times when Tasa would be less observant about what was around her, the subtle noises and changes in the air. This morning she was very intune with things, enough to notice those changes and the movement near where she sat. She waited a moment as a small smile came to her lips, maybe it was just a dog wandering through and she'd laugh at herself later. "Hello." She spoke softly and opened her eyes to see the man in the shadowed edge of the patio. It was a little early for a visit but she wasn't afraid of him.

"Hey," he smiled, waving slightly from where he leaned. "You live here? Wondered if Nick's home this morning," he said, motioning to the house and stepping up on the patio to head to the door. For a moment he wondered if Nick really was there. For the life of him he couldn't imagine how someone would be dense enough to let this girl out of his sight.

Tasa's mood had improved during her time out her in the fresh air and her smile warmed, seeming to invite the tall dark stranger closer. "I.. sort of do.. live here.. temporarily.." She chuckled and got up from the mat she'd been sitting on. "I'm staying with Nick.. for awhile.. I'm his girlfriend.." She licked her lips and turned to go back into the house, she only took a couple steps before Nick himself came out looking for her. She felt a little bad for stumbling about what she was doing here in front of his handsome friend, so she snuggled up to him and shared a tender kiss.

"Mmm so who's your friend?" He asked with a happy smile.

"What?... I thought he was your friend.."

[Lovely]

Jesse shrugged with a slight, awkward grin - busted. "Aw, c'mon, Nick. Don't you remember me?" His eyes flashed and his expression changed. He hesitated only long enough for the recognition to register in Nick's eyes. In a swift motion, where there had been a man there was now a wolf and he lunged forward to tumble Nick back into the house.

Tasa was knocked aside as the... wolf?? lunged at Nick and she tumbled back over the chair beside the small table as Nick was pushed back into the house. She let out a small yelp and lay there stunned and tangled in the furniture for a moment, she'd hit her head and with how she was dressed, she scraped her shoulder, cheek, elbow and hands on the cement. "What the hell?" She asked out loud as she about kicked the chair out of her way to get to her feet, she charged into the house after the wolf and man. Going on a small adrenaline rush rather than any logical thought.

Inside the house, Nick was already limp and pinned to the floor beneath more than a hundred pounds of angry animal. Jesse glanced back over his shoulder as the girl came in. He moved back enough for her to see it was useless to try to save her friend. As if he'd been as big as a grizzly, only one of Jesse's near-human hands was needed to pick the man up by the collar of his shredded t-shirt and throw him at the well of the fire place, dispersing ash and blood over the hearth. Nick wasn't getting up and Jesse wasn't finished yet. He turned to face the girl. "Tasian, forget what you've seen here," he growled out, approaching her slowly.

She wasn't much of a screamer when it came to being frightened, she usually loved scary movies but this wasn't a movie and she quickly realized she should have run away from the house rather than into it. "Oh.. my.. go.." She didn't finish the exclaimation as the wolf man turned, spoke and started coming toward her. For someone who didn't often do so, her scream was loud and piercing as she tried to get back out the door.

He should have expected it. He turned his head a little to lessen the direct impact of the shrill sound hitting his ears, but his attention wasn't diverted long. It was loud enough there would be neighbors calling soon and she wasn't going to get away that easily. This time he dove at the plate glass, crashing through it and bounding to a skidding halt to block her from running out of the door and off the patio. "Uh-uhn," he warned, creeping back toward her.

She was booking it when he crashed through the window, her heart pounding furiously in her chest as he skidded to a stop in front of her. She started going backward as he came at her, she grabbed at one of the chairs and tried to throw it at him, turning so that she could run for the front door of the house.

The chair bent and ricocheted off his wrist like it was made of paper. He wasn't slowed down much, bolting after her as she ran through the house going for the front door, most likely. She wouldn't like that option either, since his brothers would be waiting after hearing the scream. "Don't go that way, either," he warned, not leaving her many options of where she could go. He bolted past her in a blur, rebounding off the wall behind her and tumbling over her head to again land in front of her. "Just stop!"

She didn't heed his warning as it was, not to go to the front door. She only stopped when she collided with his solid mass after he leapt over her and landed in front of her. Tasa gave a startled cry and started hitting him. "You stop!" She spat at him. "I'll stop running when you stop trying to shred me!"

[Lovely]

"I'm not," he spat back, clasping her fists as they flew at him. His paw-like hands surrounded them completely and he tried to hold her still until his form reverted in front of her. "I am stopping. I mean.. I'm not shredding you, but I have to get you out of here. Now."

"Liar!" She twisted and yanked, trying to get herself free from his grip, one foot remained on the floor while the other lifted to kick at him. "I'm not going anywhere with you.." Her eyes shone brightly with fear.

He didn't let go, speaking softly to her to try and convince her. "You want to end up in the hospital in a psych ward and wear extra long sleeves for the rest of the summer... if not longer? Tasian... listen to me. Anyone that comes here to ask you want you saw is not going to believe you. If I was going to shred you, I would have. I'm trying to help you, now c'mon before they get here."

She yanked one hand free, at least for a moment and aimed a hard slap toward his face. "You killed him!" Her voice in fear and anger, she was shaking a little with it as well. "You expect me to go with you? To believe for a second you want to help me? You're nuts! But I suppose being a serial killer, you have to be." With all the people who had disappeared in this town in the past few months, the couples who both went missing on the same night, the trashed houses.. Tasa shook her head. "Nooo! Please let me go.. please.." She started to panic, the thoughts swirling in her mind of what she knew, had heard, what she'd seen tonight, and her own imagination working in overdrive.

Del was one of the pack that had remained in the darkness surrounding the house, of course they could all hear what was happening inside but some of the sounds were also loud enough for the neighbors to hear as well. Mainly the scream, Tasa's shouts, and perhaps the shattering glass but the people in some of the other houses were stirring. She growled softly and moved from her crouch near the front door, to go inside the house. Maybe a familiar face might help Tasa calm down and help Jesse get her out before the authorities arrived. "Tasa." She spoke quietly as she came into view. "We need to go."

Jesse grinned. "Believe me, yet? Better yet, believe her? Nick's a long story I can tell you on the way, but I promise it doesn't end in anyone shredding you," he said, letting her go and ushering her toward's Del at the door.

Tasa went pale, few things truly shocked or frightened her and this morning was filled with them or so it seemed. Her gaze shifted back and forth between Del and the man.. thing.. man who attacked Nick. Her head shook and it was clear she didn't believe what she was seeing. "Del?" Her mouth moved without sound for a moment. Her hands raised up by her temples and she tried to take in a deep breath. "On the way to where?" She asked softly, not quite as panicked now that she'd seen Del alive and appearing perfectly well.

"We'll explain.. once we're out of here.. you screamed bloody murder and someone has called the police for sure.. we need to go. Jesse isn't here to kill you.. trust me.. trust him." Del spoke quietly but with an urgency for Tasa to come along with them.

He grinned again almost apologetically now and shrugged. "See? Del, can you find her purse and all that, and maybe grab her something for clothes quick? It's faster if I take her. You can catch up, right? Tasa, I need to carry you. Promise you won't scream again if you want to stay conscious. I don't want to, but I will put you out, alright?"

Del nodded to Jesse and darted deeper into the house, moving as quickly as she could to gather what Tasa would need for now. After things were explained and she joined the pack, Tasa might be able to come back to collect more.

Tasa took another deep breath and slowly nodded her head. "Al-alright." Her teeth caught her lower lip to keep it from trembling too much. She was still very afraid but more willing to cooperate with Del also asking her to.

Good way to scare her worse into a trembling ball of goo, he realized, but it seemed she was calm enough to cooperate at the moment. He reached out to lift her to his shoulder. "Hang on and close your eyes if you're the type to get motion sick. The road's gonna go fast. Del! I'm out. Check for cameras," he reminded as well, ready to head out the door and into the last of the dim light.