A Cold One Among the Pack

Candra shot out the door, ignoring the small pain in her foreleg. She'd live, it would just hurt more later. She ran far out from town, the cold wind and snow didnt seem to faze her much, not with her winter coat fully grown in. She ran deep into the woods, the scent of intruding wolves hitting her nose and she growled. Then she caught Luke's scent and her tail lowered out of respect to his position in the pack. Soon enough a small group of wolves came into view and she trotted up to Luke wagging her tail and licking his muzzle, her ears folded back. She submitted to him and the alpha alone.

"hm?" The doctor looked over, lighting up a cigerette. "You want to go out in that weather?" he looekd to tates and blinked. He haddnt even heard him move, but he was already at the door with his jacket on.

"Ill be back soon."

"NOway- shes not my responcibility you are, youll freeze to death!" he got up, tossing the cigerette into the flames.

"Your talking to me." tates said grinning, his red eyes narrowed. "I know death... We'll be fine."

He opened the door, letting the wolf out before following after it- leaving the doctor alone with the snake.

Candra's attention had gone to the howling outside, most of it was covered by the howling wind but she could hear the faint howls of wolves. She got up and strotted over to the window looking out into the white blizzard, her ears perked up, her tail was still which was odd for her in wolf form. "Are they serious?" She thought to herself. Apparently other packs had heard about her having a hard time being dominated and were challenging her. She walked through the house and towards the door scratching it and barked. She'd be coming back...most likely with a lot more injuries. Males weighed more than her and were much bigger, she was swift and had stealth on her side as well as being strong but an outsider...she didn't know what to expect

"... tates-" Detrex paused when the dark haired boy looked over... He would always see him as a boy. "Will you be alright here?" he asked.

Tates blinked, putting his plate down and pushing it away. "I'll be fine." he said. "It'll take a little getting used to- but I feel safe enough."

"I was refering to your emotions." the vet said crossing his legs and resting his chin on the back of his hand. "I dont want you to be so.... loathing."

Tates chukled, streching and laying down. "Ill be fine. The humans here might just assume im a wolf- or not pick up on anything at all. And it looks like the moon walkers-" he used a very common nickname- though undoubtedly any species conchious wolf would object "-wont have an issue with me so long as I show I can keep my fangs to myself."

Detex chukled, hiding a grin.

"Whats so funny?" he blinked.

"You dont have any fangs." he pointed out, laughing as tates threw a still closed soda can at him. He cought it with the same kind smile he gave everyone. "Well you dont."

"Says you." he twitched, half sitting up.

Outside the storm raged on, howling angerly at the windows and trying its best to put out the fire. During their little conversation the power had indeed gone out.

Candra showed where the meaning of 'wolfing down you food' came from. She was licking her muzzle and then the plate, making it look at if nothing had ever been on it. She didnt beg though she laid down looking at the fire, though her ears were folded back listening closely to the others

"Thanks." tates said taking his plate and soda.

Let it never be said vampired only drank blood.

He poped it open and took a deep chug before setting it down.

"Thirsty?" the doctor blinked.

"You have no idea." tates said, slowly eating the chicken.

Candra stayed close to Tates, sitting almost on top of him, she couldn't help herself, a good portion of her enjoyed his scent. She looked to the doctor smelling the chicken and started to wag her tail, when her's was placed on the floor she began to eat happily

The lights flickered as the wind whistled hard outside.

"... We should get away from the windows... just incase." tates sugested, eyeing his father. He couldnt promice total control of himself if god forbid a shttered window sliced his wntire arm open...

He headded into the livingroom, ruffeling his dark hair.

The doctor frowned and sighed, grabbing the chicken off the burner. he turned off the stove and made the dishes before headded in after his son./

Candra saw the forced smile and went back to all fours on the ground and went back to Tates. She was in all honesty proud of him. She heard rumors of how hard it was for vampires to control their thirst. And to have to smell real blood compared to the fake stuff he was drinking...he definitely had control

The doctor wrapped his hand up and covered the blood, eyeing tates hessidently. He seemd to relax osme- seeing no reaction.

"youve gotten better at that." he said with a proud smile.

It seemed... forced.

Tates looked over. "At cleaning? Yeah- I guess." he blinked.

Candra walked over to the doc and stood up on her hind legs, her paws going onto the counter to look at the doc's hand. Sure during simple tasks she felt kind of helpless since in this form she didn't have hands to help

He took out a small broom and dust pan, leaving the vacume stay where it was.

"Thisll do."

He knelt down and swept up the remains before tossing them away.

Candra tilted her head when he mentioned being attacked by a wolf, her ears went back as he pet her and she whined turning towards him as he went to the closet

The doctor looked over at him as he cleaned u the glass, in slight shock that he haddnt seen any sort of reaction.

"You tole me on one letter you were in the hospital." he noted, washign his hands. "Was that when-?"

"No- she was gone before then. I was attacked and endded up there." tates said.

"Attacked? by what?"

"A wolf." he said carefully picking off the small shards of glass. "wheres your vacume?" he asked.

"Closet." the doctor said simply and frowned. He wrapped up his hand and walked over to a fish tank where a snake was coild up- basking in the heat lamps light. "You didnt write for a while after that. was it serious?"

"Ive got a scar or two from it- but im fine now." tates said and pet Candra on his way by her to the closet.

Candra got up soon after Tates following him into the kitchen, her ears flattened, not in aggression but a slight sadness. She gave a soft whimper, only low enough for Tates to hear

Tates opened one eye, looking down at the wolf. he smiled a bit and said nothing of it, closing his eye again.

"Oh- tates. Ive been meaning to ask in our letters." the doctor called. "Hows your mother doing?"

"...' tates opened his eyes and frowned, lifting his head. "Shes been dead for a good 5 years."

He heard glass break and blinked, gettin gup. He frowned entering the kitchen. "You didnt know?"

he doctor shook his head, picking up the broken piced of the plate.

"... It never really occured to me." he said.

Tates frowned. "Ill get that... dont cut your-"

Tates frowned, his nostrils flaring at the strong smell of fresh blood.

He sighed, walking closer to his father. "Go wash your hand." he said taking the plate and picked up the rest of the pices.

Candra looked at Tates as he laid down near her, She rolled over laying on her side, her back up against Tates chest as she laid on her side, laying her head down after yawning

"Tates- dont harass her." the doctor warned as he went into the kitchen.

"I wont." he replied laying on the rug by the fire.
He closed his red eyes- soaking up the heat.

Over the crackel of the fire the wolf could hear a faint heart beat. the kind that woudl in a human result ina hospital ER run.

He looekd totaly at ease as he lay there on his side, his dakr hair in need of a good washing- but other than that he looke cute.

Candra let herself drop back to all fours and barked again, glancing back at Tates, her multi colored eyes met his red hues before she turned and followed the doc into the living room. She laid down on the floor looking up at him

He laughed, petting her. "Come on. when the powers goes out id like tp be by the fire." he said.

Candra barked happily at the mention of food, she hadnt eaten in awhile, usually the pack didnt eat food, unless they hunted for it, but Candra had learned that the doc could cook really good. She jumped up resting her front paws up against the doc's chest, her tail wagging happily

he got up and opened the door got her, watching the doctor come closer. "Chickens almost done." he said.

"Oh... alright." he glanced at his watch. "the powers gonna go out tonight. it already flickered."

Candra had heard the doc coming and fazed back into a wolf, looking towards the door. She barked and got out from the blankets and walked over to the door, putting light pressure on her leg

"Oh."
he said. "Well, I guess we both learned something new." he smiled at her.

"Tates- you on the phone still?" Dr. Retex called from down the hall.

"No." he called back, looking to the woman in his bed.

Hm...well, our blood has to mix with theirs" She said simply. So if we want to change someone we bite them, wound ourselves and mix our blood with the humans, we dont have a venom, our gift is in our blood" She said