You Taste Like FEAR [Nika]

[MIKHAIL VLADMIROVICH KNOROZ]

Tonight I found myself stretched out across a couch back stage at Cirque de Mort. This is where I worked. It wasn’t a big time job; more or less it was just something for me to do when I wasn’t involved in pack business. Oh yeah, I’m a werewolf. I’ve been a werewolf longer than I can remember. All I know is that I was infected, details have been long forgotten. The only remains are the four ragged lines down my chest, pink angry lines of scar tissue. Lycanthropy is highly contagious, just a prick of tooth or claw as long as it drew blood would have seen me shifting into a wolf on the next full moon. Those four lines are the only thing that tells me that it was an attack. Well, of course people telling me I was attacked too but you can’t blame a guy for being a little cautious after waking up with his skin spliced open.

The full moon was a bitch. Don’t get me wrong, I love being what I am. I love the freedom that lycanthropy has given me, the power of it all. The draw that the moon holds for all of us terminally furry kind of unnerves me, how powerful the draw can be, how badly I want to shift just because of the whispers I hear in the back of my head whenever the big silver lady raises her elegant face. I’ve never been so drawn to anyone or anything than the full moon. She’s like the perfect lover, someone who knows right where to touch, the best place for a wet trail of tongue to elicit a moan.

Since I don’t try to hide my lycanthropy in the least it was hard for me to find a job. People just don’t understand that just because I turn into a beast once a month doesn’t mean I can’t be civilized. Everyone who I’ve encountered thinks I’m some kind of whack job anyways because of the government doing such a bang up job on brainwashing the masses into believing that we don’t exist. Silly masses just roll over and believe them despite the evidence in the contrary. The Circus was more than happy to hire me though. I guess they didn’t have a werewolf walk in too often that didn’t have any objections to any act they wanted to do that included anything from nudity, shifting, and me having to deal with the painful bite of silver.

The Circus didn’t even question my rather… shady background. They just gleefully said yes and hired me on the spot. You could say that the piles of bodies pile up around me. Militsiya, the police, of Russia have been trying to nail me for I don’t know how many murders and other various crimes. I’m not stupid, I know how to my job, my former one at least, without being tied to it. I had been an enforcer in my pack in Russia; I did all the dirty work that our Alʹfa, our Alpha, didn’t have the stomach to do. This went anywhere from torturing and maiming to just flat out killing. What my Alʹfa told me to do I did. That is how the pack works. Or at least that is how it worked until my Al’fa finally brought me something to do that I could not or would not do. This is how I now found myself in these United States. Exile. A wolf without his pack. Yes I have joined one of the local packs, but it is not my pack. This is just a substitute for what I should be a part of. This pack is broken and without an Al’fa. It was a sick and weak pack. Someone with enough of a back bone needed to step up and take the reins and show these wolves what it means to be part of a healthy pack.

A pack is built on a thousand little comforts. A pack is built on a million little touches. We are social creatures, as human and wolf. We are meant to be together more often than we are apart. This pack is unhealthy. I haven’t seen a single pack mate in the two weeks I’ve been here in the states. I don’t think it is just resentment that I’m an out of country wolf coming in and mucking in their pond. No, I think this pack just doesn’t know how to be what they should be.

This is the rather condensed and vague story of how I found myself naked and stretched out on this couch in the back of The Circus. I was lying comfortably on my stomach, no other position was comfortable. Last night was the full moon, apparently another werewolf got a little overzealous because there are three lines of ragged flesh scrawling from my left butt cheek to about twelve inches up my back. Every time I moved there was a sharp twinge. Thankfully we werewolves heal quickly so I’m already on the mend and the wound is already not as bad as it was this morning. Still, it is not a pleasant thing to have especially given its location. If anyone looked I could have passed as sleeping. My body was melded to the couch with each and every muscle relaxed as possible. My face was lax with a contented ease. My eyes were closed. If you were trying to focus on something hard enough your sight just got in the way, I was listening to the hustle and bustle of The Circus crew and the growing crowd that gathered in the macabre circus tent that held the main shows. I was one of those main shows. I played pet werewolf for this petite young woman.

Each and every act pulled gasps, screams, and even surprised laughter from the crowd. I’ve seen all the shows; it was nothing new to me. The Circus always drew a crowd. It amazed me that the place has remained open for so long given the government’s view on lycanthropy. I guess it’s been kept hush hush from just the right people for it to remain open.

“Mikhail?” someone whispered my name, making it a question. There was fear in the underlying edge of their voice, they were afraid to wake me up. Silly humans. Did they really think that I didn’t know they were there in the forty-seven seconds they were standing there trying to decide about how to go about waking me up? Eyes cold as winter skies opened to roll up to the woman who was going to be my handler in our act. Funny. I was good enough to sleep with, I was good enough to work with, but she still feared me. She has seen the whole show of what I am, of course I may have been with holding a whole hell of a lot of information about myself, but she knows exactly what I am and I haven’t shown any of these humans an ounce of aggression. If only they knew what I was capable of other than just putting on a show. Something dark rolled behind my eyes, my wolf slinking just behind the surface. If only they knew.

With a liquid boneless grace that all werewolves seemed to possess, I rolled from the couch to bring myself to my full six feet four inches height. That dark slithering mass that had rolled behind my eyes was gone. All that was left was a bright, rather amused, glint in my eye. A soft smile spread across my lips as I offered the young woman my arm, who said chivalry died? ”Come now, let’s go put on our show,” I said to the woman when she hesitantly took my arm.

The show that we put on amuses me so. I forget what the story behind it all is. I just do my part and shift when the time is needed. I wonder how many little kiddies will run to their parents after the show and ask for their own pet werewolf. The young woman who is supposed to be my master has this black leather collar and leash. Like that would really hold me, I could snap that with a flick of my finger. It is all an illusion though. All of it is a grand illusion. All of it except for the fact that I could, and would given the desire to, jump into the crowd and tear them all limb from limb.

I had gotten to thinking about what I could do to the crowed and pretending to be a good little pet werewolf that I almost missed my cue to shift. I let loose whatever power it is that keeps the wolf inside of me. The power of it whipped around me, ripping a soft gasp from my lips. Bones snapped and relocated, you could see them moving under my skin. You could see tendons, ligaments, and muscles slithering under my skin like giant snakes as they worked to reform in a totally different shape. I dropped to my knees from the sheer force of how quickly the wolf was coming out of me. I had a rare talent among the werewolves, only the truly powerful were able to stop in mid shift to achieve the classic wolf-man appearance. Golden eyes flicked up to the crowd as I raised myself to an upright position again. I was tall while I was human, when I’m like this I was well over eight feet tall. People gasped and let out muffled shocked screams. Guess they thought it was just going to be someone pretending to be what I truly am.

Their fear wrapped around me like a well loved cloak. It called to the animalistic side of me. They were nothing but food and out of the entire crowd I doubt there would be anyone who could stop me from making them food. I usually had better control than this but all the fear that was in the air got the better of me. Muscles bunched just a second before I jumped from where I was standing to the hand rail that separated the stadium and the circus ring. I perched on that thin railing, the metal groaning under my weight. A clawed hand held onto the railing to help keep my balance between my legs. Slowly I leaned forward to the man that was lucky enough to be sitting in the front row. Fur along the back of my neck and spine rose to stand on end. A sound that should never have ever been heard on this earth rolled from my mouth, an eerie sound that was a mixture of a laugh and growl. This human’s fear called to me.

A single ear rotated backwards, listening to panicked sounds of the staff and my “master.” They really thought I was going to eat him. Maybe I was going to, but I was able to use that iron control of mine to keep myself from doing so. That iron control didn’t exactly extend all the way down to keep me from being amused enough to snap my teeth just inches from his face. The girlish scream was well worth it. Muscles moved in ways that no human or wolf body could as I hopped down from the railing to the narrow walk way between the first row of seats and the railing. I walked awkwardly between two, three, and four legs. Claws clicked on the cement as I moved. Fur brushed the knees of the terrified first row.

What happened next shocked me. I’m not easily shocked. Someone actually reached out and touched me. I froze instantly. One of those alien golden eyes rolled to look at the woman whose hand trailed through the thick fur along my side. A low growl emanated deep within me, it seemed to vibrate all the way down into the ground.

One second I was watching the woman and the next I was on the stage again. Strong arms wrapped loosely around my “master”, I had to kind of squat behind her to be able to do so. Her body shook with fear, she really saw me as a monster. She thought I was going to eat someone. My head rolled against her side as she scratched along my throat as any dog owner would do with man’s best friend. She kept her composure well given how afraid she really is. She tasted like food. How badly I wanted to turn my head just a little and take a chunk out of her side…

OOC: General idea of what he looks like

[NIKA ADALI VOLKOLV]

What the hell Nika was doing in this sideshow attraction was well beyond her knowledge, the woman had been actually out looking for some Wicked fun times, but it seemed to have eluded her that night and the Russian beauty was just not in the mood to be alone or with her pack. It wasn't a new problem, since Matthew had been killed, something she could have agreed with in theory only found it to be detrimental to the well being of her pack. Even with knowing though that it had been Wicked and his brother to have killed Matthew Nika couldn't really bring herself to hate him or even really pull away. Sure she had been inclined to repay the favor he'd pushed on her when they'd decided to take a nibble of the Kinbok Alpha but to be honest they'd only done what so many had been wishing they'd done (herself included) long ago. No one had been expecting the waves of anarchy that would follow after his death and as much as Nika hated Wicked for having been the cause of it.... She was grateful that he'd done it.

As out of control as the pack was, as much as they fought one another over who would rise to the top, there was still respect among them and if a well established dominant had tired of the antics the younger pack members, it could often times be snuffed out fairly quickly. It wasn't what Kinbok had been known for but it was working itself out for them strangely enough and who knew maybe given a few more months that whole alpha thing would die out... Nika wouldn't be holding her breath on that one though.

The night was relatively young though, and while Nika wanted to be out, something the thought of going to Envy unaccompanied even without her brother just sounded like it would end in some sort of hostile confrontation with Nika and a few of the patrons of the place and she just wasn't looking to spend a night in a jail cell and given how close to the full moon they were more then likely the woman would have in actuality ripped the handcuffs off and force fed them to her arresting officers, she was just in that sort of mood.

The woman wasn't sure what had dragged her to the cirque de mort, honestly Nika avoided it like the plague because it just got her blood boiling to see werewolves make a mockery of themselves for the amusement of humans, she had heard of some of the going ons and she'd never wanted to go there because if she did Nika could only guarantee that she'd be cleaning out house and taking out whatever wolves were around for even allowing this to go on as long as it had. The circus had been around as long as Nika could remember, well since she'd come to the states with her family, she'd been told stories by the older pack members, by Matthew as well. She remembered all too vividly what he'd done to one pack mate when he'd found out that the man had gotten a job as one of the newest freak attractions. The man hadn't even made it rogue... That night Nika had known what it meant to really cross her former alpha and some nights she wondered how she'd ever lived past her teens and gotten away with the things she had.

Nika had always known Matthew had wanted more with her than she had ever cared to accept and she had known that towards the end he had been getting tired of her blatant refusals why he never did to her what she knew he had probably been fighting himself not to, Nika wouldn't know but coming here only reminded her how lucky she had been. The humans practically flooded the place, their fear and excitement was a delicious cocktail that had Nika's mouth watering but she easily fought it off as she made her way through dark circus tent set close to the woods just on the edge of town.

It was cliche and only made the woman role her eyes but still she walked through the pitched tent taking note of just how full the place was and the buzzing around her ears surprised the woman. As convinced that they were that the boogeyman was all smoke and mirrors, they were still here, they were still afraid and Nika had to ask herself that if they really knew.... Why come? Did they think that the lycanthropes playing doggy were really going to control themselves? It was so close to the moon it was a deliciously intoxicating scent that filled her, and Nika a woman who didn't really care for tearing humans limb from limb was finding it hard to control her inner wolf, was she walking in on a potential blood bath? If so, Nika didn't know what it was exactly she'd be doing.

On the one hand, the woman was tired of the hunters and government on not only her ass but every werewolf, despite what any of them did, stay out of a human's hair, blend in, play nice, all it took was one of their own, one wolf with a chip on his shoulder and a few missing brain cells to ruin whatever calm the lycanthropes had. Being a werewolf wasn't a disease, and it wasn't simply because she had been born with the condition that ran in her blood, Nika had honest to god freedom, as out of control as her pack was acting they all cared for and watched out for one another, something that humans rarely did. They liked to look down on werewolves like they were primitive beings and yet... They were willing to trip the other if it meant saving their own asses and Nika liked to think that werewolves were slightly more dignified then that.

And on the other hand, it was a full moon, and if her furry wanted to taste blood... She wasn't really thinking about stopping it right now.

Casting those thoughts aside and keeping to the side of the stands while the humans continued to pile in Nika watched the center ring in amazement. There was but a simple hand rail that separated the joke from these people, Nika had to give it to whoever this sob was because had it been her? Well she highly doubted anyone would have made it out of this tent alive, then again Nika wasn't known for her virtuous patience was she? Her thoughts were cast aside though when the lights dimmed signalling the start of the show and the woman who had been leaning against the bleachers, one boot clad leg perched up against the side, pushed herself off and leaned closer to the railing when she heard the start of a show and it made the woman want to guffaw at the sight.

The woman was a mere mouse, a cute thing for a human at least but the rubber catsuit really didn't suit the woman's personality at all and the naked man, she could see from the distance that - .... She knew that man. That was impossible, it couldn't be, Mikhail in the states? That just made no sense, he was married to Russia hell he was married to Nika's former pack, why? It just didn't make sense. There was no denying it though even if she'd only been a child the last time she'd seen him, he was the same cocky son of a bitch with a smirk no one could get rid of she'd remembered... And he didn't look bad with that collar around his neck, though she could think of a different werewolf that might look better in it.

Smirking at that thought the woman trekked further when she saw the man begin to shift leaning forward onto the railing, laughing to herself when she heard the murmurs about her death wish. If only they knew...

She could see a security guard coming her way only to see from the corner of her eye get struck stupid when Mikhail's admittedly impressive wolf man form jumped onto the bar not so far from her terrorizing a man who Nika was almost willing to bet money had just soiled himself. The Russian woman couldn't help but to tease the man, because she saw the look in her comrade's eye, he was holding on to his sanity by a string and he should have known better then doing something this stupid under the lure of a full moon. Nika walked towards the oversized dog perched like a parrot on the railing slowly with no fear, and just a dash of arrogance and she could hear the people that weren't dumbstruck in fear whispering about her, the 'psychotic' woman with a surefire death wish.

It was when he turned to leave, when his so called mistress had called him back that she had noticed Mikhail hadn't noticed her, but Nika wasn't surprised, he was afterall practically digesting the man in his mind and that was why Nika surprised Mikhail when she reached out to stroke the surprisingly soft coat of fur that surrounded him, a smug expression on her face when he locked eyes with hers and had she been given a fraction of a second more, Nika might have made the quick brush turn into something that really would have had fido wagging his tongue.

The full moon did things to her that Nika couldn't really apologize for, it was why she had been on the search for Wicked and if she couldn't find him, as under her skin as Mikhail got he would be a close second. Though the lingering fact that she'd probably never be able to get him to shut up about it did happen to stop that thought process right quick but the still didn't stop the woman from leaning on the railing once again, her eyes glued to the furry man before her, and tough there was a distinct desire to sit over the very railing he had just perched himself on, Nika knew that he'd be able to tell her apart from the rest.

After all what mere human would dare to laugh in the face of such a fierce creature?

[MIKHAIL VLADMIROVICH KNOROZ]

I just couldn’t grasp what was going on right now. It all was just too much for my mind, no not my mind but my wolf’s mind, to be able to wrap around. I was able to grasp everything just fine but it was like my mind was working in slow motion because I had to work everything around wolf logic, he didn’t understand human emotion or interactions. He only understood hunting, dominance, how to take orders and give them. He understood what it meant to be in a pack, it is how we operated. Everything was simple in a pack, we were told what to do by our Al’fa, which was the extent of his comprehension. He didn’t care what was going on past the pack life.

What I was trying to understand myself as well explain to him all within the same thought process was giving me a splitting headache right behind our eyes. The something in the air that just made me on edge… wasn’t just something it wassomeone. It was pack. Not just Kinbok pack, but old pack. Our pack. The pack, the only pack that matters to us even in our exile. Our pack from Russia. A Russian wolf was here other than me. Not just any wolf either, but a friend. A good friend. Time doesn’t wreck havoc on a good friendship, at least not with me. I don’t know if she would feel the same, but I think she did if she had the courage to touch me just a few moments ago. If she thought me as an enemy I doubt she would have done that, she didn’t know how time could have changed me. No, we were pack. We were one in the same. Our hearts beat the same. Our blood was the same.

My eyes were locked now on that very woman. Nika. The name was still familiar on my tongue even after all these years. It was so tempting, not to just me but to my wolf as well, to see if I could get some kind of this reaction. We wondered what she would do if I were to infect this petite woman who carelessly trusted me enough to allow me to wrap my arms around her. It would take no effort at all to just squeeze. In no time would I feel the life draining away from her. Just the thought of it my arms around he twitch, to constrict. Her so fragile hand patted one of my furred arms, trying to signal to me that my grip was too tight without alarming anyone. Foolish. If she wanted to get a distracted werewolf’s attention she would have had a greater effect if she punched me in the face. All my attention was trained on the woman leaning over the railing, that tiny little strip of metal that gave the audience a sense of security. I already proved that it served no greater purpose other than a nice perch for me.

The woman let out a soft squeak; it was starting to get difficult for her to breath. Suddenly my grasp loosened, causing her to sag against my arm and nothing but my loose grip around her waist kept her standing. Slowly, the blunt curve of a claw slowly ran up and down the woman’s arm. I was just biding my time, just waiting to see if maybe, just maybe, someone would stop me before I would draw blood and make this woman become more than just a pretend wolf handler. Just a prick of blood, that was all I needed and the chance was there for her to contract the disease. My eyes were firmly locked on Nika. I wanted to know what she’d do. We had only been kids when we last saw each other. Dominance of a pack did not matter to use then. Now it did. I needed to know who was dominant between us. This was nothing more than werewolf politics, games, or grandstanding.

Slowly, deliberately my thick, wet tongue flicked out to caress along the woman’s neck. The shiver that ran down the woman’s spine from that simple action quickly brought our attention back to her. It disgusted us. The way she leaned back into us, the way her body was now boneless. She loved this. She was enjoying the thrill of being in my arms, not knowing what would happen to her. I think my form gave her even more pleasure out of the situation. Ears swiveled back to rest flat back against my skull, my lips pulled back to expose a long expanse of gigantic teeth. I dropped the woman from my arms, almost pushing her away from me as if she burnt me. My jaws parted as a low growl rumbled in my chest. Games I had been playing with Nika were forgotten as I rose from the almost sitting position to my full height. Fear. That was reflected in her eyes. Yes, that is what I wanted. I wanted fear, not lust.

Fur that had smoothed back down against my body along the back of my neck and spine once again rose to stand on end as stared with dark eyes down at the woman. The expression in them was pure primal need, there was nothing human left in that look, and the human intelligence has left the building. The security has finally picked up that there was something wrong, took them long enough. A young kid made his way slowly out on the stage. This had to of been his first job, maybe even the first day on the job. He shook in his standard mall cob black boots. Poor kid, I almost felt bad for what I was about to do to him.

I turned to the woman who was still huddled on the floor. I don’t know if it was because of the “afterglow” from a sexual high that kept her on the ground or the fear of me. I was hoping it was the latter, either way it was going to become the latter. An expression that was not meant to be expressed across wolfish features made their way across my face. It was a lust of my own kind, not for sex, but for blood. I moved with an eerie amount of grace, muscles rolling in ways that no man should ever possess as I made my way to her where she laid just a yard or two away. I sat back on my haunches next to her. Those golden alien eyes of mine locked onto her face. ”Never forget what I am again,” I whispered low enough for her to hear. It was awkward to talk in this form, it was hard to since wolves are never meant to talk. It was manageable, but my voice was nothing but a bass growl. A clawed hand reached out, a claw dragged quickly across her stomach. Not deep enough to injure, only to draw blood and that I did.

That kid was jumpy, he didn’t like was I was doing before I even before I touched her. I could tell that by all the yelling he was going on about, he wanted to shoot me, or at least so he said. The shake in the gun said otherwise. His fear was a big werewolf cocktail. I wanted to drink it down. I stood quickly, smoothly as if I was pulled up by invisible strings. I turned toward the boy. He was spooked big time. He uttered his last warning for me to step away from her; stupid kid. He obviously wasn’t a true hunter because they don’t give werewolves warnings. They just shoot you first, and then ask questions if your brain isn’t splattered across the floor. He didn’t even finish the warning before he shot. The bullet lodging in that tender spot just under the collar bone, the fleshy part right between your chest and shoulder. The look on his face spoke volumes; he didn’t really mean to pull the trigger. And that he sealed his own fate. The bullet wasn’t silver, another fatal mistake they have made. It just hurt like any other wound but it would be healed in no time. In fact I could feel the itching sensation of the skin starting to close over the bullet already, I was going to have to cut my arm open later and pull the bullet out, always a pleasant task.

Those golden eyes of mine rolled down to look at the rapidly closing hole in my shoulder, looking at the blood that rolled down my furred chest. The same crawling growling laughter escaped past those massive teeth of my wolf’s. We were pissed beyond belief that he would harm us, injure us no matter how short the injury would last, but in the other hand we felt free. It was like all bets were off. I was given the green light to do whatever my wolf wanted to do. Even scarier, what I wanted to do. It all happened in the span of a couple breaths. One moment I was standing there with that odd laugher rolling out of me. The next I was riding that young boy to the ground, teeth buried into his shoulder. The metallic and bitter, but oh so sweet, flavor of blood spilled across my tongue. I was none to gentle when I extracted my teeth from his shoulder, flesh tore away from the force of it.

I could hear the scramble of boots against the cement. I guess they were going to come after me now. Guess I can’t blame them when I more than likely infected two of their people. Serves them right for them being an all too literal animal lover and a shooter. I quickly exited stage right. My wolf form melting away as I moved. The scratches along the curve of my butt and back had been reopened, blood trailed down my leg. The bullet wound had already closed but blood left stained across my chest. One would probably wonder why one injury hadn’t healed but the other had. It was simple. Wounds caused by werewolf claws or teeth always healed slower, of course they still healed quicker than at human pace but it would still be a day or two before they were fully healed.

I easily avoided my pursuers. If they were actual hunters I would have been in deep shit. If they had actual hunters here they wouldn’t have sent a rookie out on the stage with me. The morons should have hired a hunter, real or by hobby, to keep tabs on me. I’m going to guess here that I no longer have a job. I managed to make it to a small dressing room where I left my clothing without being detected, not that it was any sort of a challenge. I pulled on a pair of black gym shorts, no under wear or jeans because of my particular injuries location. It would have rubbed and would have been far more of a pain than it was worth. I pulled on a black zip up swear shirt, foregoing the shirt that I had originally wore. I needed to get out of here. I slipped on my Nikes and was off at an easy walk. I pulled the hood up, pushed my sleeves up, and kept my head low as I moved out of the employees only section and out into the surging mass of cannon fodder – excuse me, I mean the public masses.

Now that I was mingled in with the public I knew I was safe. They’d never be able to pick me out among the masses, not with none of them being hunters. Instead of high tailing it out of here like any sane being would do after doing what I had just done, I casually mingled my way back into the circus tent that I had just vacated. Now I was easily bouncing down the steps back toward the stage, everyone was cleared off the stage. Not the blood though. I had a terrible urge to leap that pathetic little barrier and go lick up the blood. Barbaric yes, but I’m not human so I have no qualms against those urges, alas I was trying to avoid a bullet in the head because silver or not I didn’t know if I’d survive that. I sure as hell wasn’t willing to find out.

I moved up behind Nika, it had really only been a couple minutes ago that she had reached out and touched me. Now I was reaching out to her. I moved up behind the slender woman, my hands sliding around her waist in an all too cozy way, all too intimate as I pressed myself along her back. I made sure that from chest to feet, every inch of my tall body was pressed against her, pushing her into that railing she was leaning against. My lips brushed against her ear as I spoke, ”do not over react or you may draw attention to me which I really don’t want right now.” I was hoping that she wasn’t going to haul off and punch me or something for maybe having my hands an inch or two too low. That was all I needed right now, a pissed off woman. ”I think I may have worn out my welcome here, how about we get out of here? Go to somewhere nearby and talk?" The offer I had whispered almost breathlessly into her ear was innocent enough, but the actions that accompanied them were anything but innocent. With the sharp taste of blood still in my mouth my tongue flicked out to run quickly along the shell of her ear. A low rolling chuckle seemed to just pour out of me, but even that had taken a rather husky tenor that seemed more appropriate for the bedroom. The fingers of my right hand had wiggled just under the hem of her shirt, to run slowly across her stomach.

[NIKA ADALI VOLKOLV]

For all of Mikhail's little show, Nika could only smirk as he asserted his dominance on the weakling humans all trying to assert an order over the man that they knew damn well no one had. The smell of blood and fear though had Nika's grip tightening on the flimsy rail, her mouth watering for just a taste of that rare elixir being waved around in front of her. Her parents had always taught Nika and Ami to respect the humans, to let them live their lives and not go out and blatantly attack them like some of the others in their pack. Her parents were respectful of all life and Nika supposed that was why they were often respected among the pack and were sought out for any sort of decision making. Her parents had seen a lot, things they wouldn't even speak to their children about but they made sure to engrave respect for all beings into their children something Nika never really picked up but understood well enough.

If her parents had seen this mockery of lycan kind though, the woman wasn't exactly sure her parents would have had so many qualms about the show Mikhail was putting on for her. Their eyes were locked the entire time as if in a test of will, of who would break first and though Nika would have hated to step in, the woman wasn't exactly wanting to test just what lengths the pathetic guards would go to to control the wolf, something that only a werewolf or hunter would ever be able to do. Still Nika leaned closer onto the railing, the screams and panicked running from those less brave and more intelligent serving to amuse the woman more as she ran her tongue over her top lip, savoring the blood that Mikhail had drawn from the girl and Nika only wished that he'd have had the decency to at least finish her off because the last thing Nika wanted was another half wit former human bitching and moaning about a disease they had been forcibly pushed to.

Who was the girl kidding though? Nika could practically feel the girl's lust hitting her when Mikhail had run his tongue across her but again Nika couldn't blame her because even with their eyes locked in a silent dominant battle, Nika could almost swear she felt his breath on her neck and it took some fighting on her and her wolf's part not to shiver at the reaction. The rest of the scene unfolded rather quickly at the first sign of blood the tent cleared out many missing the magnificent show of the poor high schooler's shoulder being ripped apart and Mikhail's swift departure but Nika stuck around for the show, her mouth watering at the panic filled blood stained air that she was nearly drowning in.

Her eyes had darkened notably from the usual amber hue they reached this time of month to something slightly more smoldering and as they dragged away her pack mate's victims Nika's eyes continued to travel down to the blood and the security guards that had all taken off down Mikhail's trail but if they even had half a brain they'd know that he was long gone. Then again....

Nika knew that Mikhail wouldn't be able to control himself, and really she was curious as all hell to know what he was doing here. They had been close in Russia, her entire pack had been united in a way completely different from that of Kinbok under Matthew's rule. They were all at east with one another, they were friendly some more than more but always there was respect for one another and like Nika had said as often as Mikhail would look to get under her skin it was because he knew he could without the same amount of bodily damage as most.

So she didn't move from her spot, merely stayed amused by the fact that the tent was clear of all bodies, she could hear the orders from the mall cops asking everyone to remain calm and evacuate the area, she could hear them fighting with one another over searching for the rogue wolf and the woman couldn't help but to smirk.


The blood looked and smelled more inviting then Nika could care to admit, she'd had her taste of human flesh before but the times were few and far between, the woman didn't like the idea of being responsible for too high a body count, the voices of her parents always somewhere in the back of her mind guilting her for it, though she knew they themselves were no saints, Nika would never want to be a disappointment to them and because of that she did her best to control the urge of snacking on the stray camper or drunk that wandered to close to her territory, though sometimes... Like tonight, it just couldn't be helped.

Nika liked to think she had a bit more dignity then lapping up the blood on the floor like some sort of dog looking for scraps and if her needs weren't left sated soon, she'd find her own means of satisfaction.. At any costs.

It was almost like clock work that he would walk in at that moment, it hadn't been difficult to decipher him from the rest and it wasn't only the bond of pack mates that told her. It was the entire calm air that just screamed Mikhail, as though what he'd just done wasn't even worth the bat of an eye and the woman had to admit that much arrogance in one werewolf, would have pissed her off.... Had it been from anyone else, but this man got away with things most wouldn't even dream of around Nika.... Like grabbing onto her as though she were property.

Now Nika was torn between two things, first and foremost breaking each and every one of his fingers for even thinking he had the right to take those sorts of liberties with her, he didn't know if she was otherwise taken (something she hadn't exactly hashed out but then again labels aren't Nika's style) and the way he had her bent over the railing wasn't exactly what one would call a friendly hug. That being said and it being clarified that Nika wasn't a fan girl who would fall on her knees at the sight of a dominant male wolf... This was the full moon, this was a dominant male wolf.... This was familiar. Mikhail smelled like home, he was reminding her of Russia of their old pack, of what her parents had taken her away from because they had been convinced that life in the states would have been easier and Nika wanted to melt into him because of that..... The copper tinge of blood not hurting the man in any way shape or form either.

For the time being Nika let Mikhail keep his hold on her in the dark of the suddenly abandoned tent with no one left to bother them. The woman hardly thought that any of the circus owners would be coming back tonight, not with the moon and a wolf on the loose and they were smart for thinking that Nika thought to herself with a smirk. Hearing his request with her not to make a scene made the woman laugh softly as she kept vague attention of just how far his hands traveled but making no moves to stop him.... Yet, after all Nika was at no real disadvantage hear, she was trained and she knew well enough how to get out of any sticky situation but the one she was in right now Nika could hardly say she minded.

The woman wasn't sure who was fighting to keep their cool and assert dominance more because he'd already lost his calm once tonight but the game they're were playing now was a whole different ball game and Nika hardly thought this was Mikhail's first rodeo when it came to the other sex. Nika though as cool as she was playing it couldn't lie and say he wasn't affecting her in any way. The light touches and caresses that weren't lingering in one area for too long and his hot breath on her ear, the scent of warm blood invading her senses it was driving Nika practically mad but she wasn't going to act like he was needed around her because he most certainly was not.... But he was convenient.

"Why in such a rush to leave Mikhail? I certainly couldn't have been the cause of that little show could I?" The woman teased, her voice sounding slightly breathless but nothing short of amused as she pushed against Mikhail amused to find he complied with her request to stand straight though she had to wonder if it had been more so for an ease of access to more of her skin because as his hands continued they exploring beneath the hem of her shirt Nika couldn't help but to feel impressed that he still managed to tower over her in this position, something very few men could do.

Nika would have been content to let him continue the light teasing and touching, exploring of her body if it hadn't have been for his move of licking her ear, it sent a shiver down the woman's spine and her wolf didn't seem to like that she was becoming far too complacent no matter how friendly he was. They had worked hard to earn their respect for some werewolf with a roleplay fetish to step all over it.

In the bat of an eye Nika turned herself around in Mikhail's arms and snuck her hands down his gym shorts, amused to find his lack of anything else as she let her hands grab at his ass freely amused to see his reaction and surprised to find the wound that was there though that didn't pull at the woman's heartstrings as she in fact squeezed a little harder, biting her lip to see what reaction she'd get as she let out a throaty laugh knowing fully well that their playing around was not something any old somebody would do regardless of familiarities but Nika liked to think that he, like herself, was a special breed of somebody.

"And just where exactly did you want to take me talk? Besides who said I wanted to talk to you?" The woman said with a smirk before lifting herself up just enough to run her tongue across the man's neck, cleaning off some of the blood from the security guard that had made the mistake of shooting Mikhail and not knowing what the hell he was doing and she had to admit that it tasted almost as good as it would have tasted coming straight from the man's heart, if she did say so herself.

[MIKHAIL VLADMIROVICH KNOROZ]

Having Nika so close, the smell of her, it pulled at something deep inside of me. It had nothing to with me being a mad and with having a very attractive woman in my arms. No, it wasn’t as basic as something like lust. It was much more primal than that. It was that deep down nose wrinkling, musky smell of wolf lying under her perfume and soap. Even past that, the feel of her against me, that hair prickling trickle of power that prickled against my skin causing a shiver to run along my spine. The taste of her was my tongue glided over the shell of her ear. It was a very good thing that I wasn’t some weakling or new wolf, if I had been things could have gone very differently and not for the good. Everything about this woman called to my wolf like a siren. If I had been anything less than what I am I could tell that she would have been able to call my wolf out without being my Al’fa. Past the clean smell of soap and that sent all us wolf have was home. I’m not just talking about the Kinbok. They aren’t home to me, not really. I was talking about thousands of miles away. Home was Russia. Home was our pack back there. No matter where I moved to what was home. Just being able to feel that again, feeling it all the way down to those deep recesses my wolf lived in caused a tension I was carrying between my shoulders to release.

I rubbed my cheek against her shoulder; there was no special kind of meaning behind that little touch. For the time being all the lecherous teasing was at a standstill. It had nothing to do with a man and a woman. It was just one of those hundreds of touches that strengthen a pack. It was just one of those thousand caresses that brings comfort to a fellow pack mate. I may not be bringing Nika comfort but it sure was helping me. My world had been fractured, I had thought beyond repair, when I was exiled from Russia. I wasn’t that good of an actor to keep myself from falling apart indefinately, my little slip up on the stage was proof of that. Bur touching her, and through her our old pack, my old didn’t seem so fuzzy around the edges anymore. Everything was just that more solid. I turned my head to nuzzle my cheek into the crook of her neck, the scruff along my jaw scraping lightly against her flesh with each little movement. ” Vy zapakh doma moego malenʹkogo volka,” I sighed breathlessly against her neck.

I must confess that it surprised me a bit that Nika had allowed me to put my hands on her has I had. Sure we were both from Russia and both formerly belonged to the same pack, but that was a very long time ago. Neither of us really knew what the other one was like now. For all I knew she wanted nothing more than to kick me in the shin… or a little higher… right now. I was not about to voice my opinions on the subject because I very much so wanted to keep her close to me, keep touching her even if it wasn’t sexual. I needed that little bit of home to keep me grounded right now.

A deep, rolling masculine chuckle spilled out of my mouth at what she said. I shook my head into her shoulder, still chuckling some. ”So, you’ll just walk up to the Hunters that will probably be spilling in here before too much longer and just say ‘excuse me good sir, but you’ve got the wrong werewolf. I’m the kind that’s house trained and only kills people once a month. The sociopath you want just went teetering down that way.’” I raised my right hand my index finger slowly trailed along the left side of her jaw, my forearm resting lightly on her right shoulder to be able to do so. ”It would be a lie if I were to say that you were not at least part of the reason that what I did up on the stage moĭ malenʹkiĭ volk. I have not seen you in such a very long time. Your wolf calls to mine. I have not had such little control over myself in a very long time.” My voice had dropped to a husky drawl causing my accent to become even thicker.

I was damn near putty in her hands; I was more than compliant to let her turn around to face me. I just wanted her close, what position she was in did not matter to me. So I had just simply rocked back onto my heels a bit to give her more room to turn around. I couldn’t keep the surprise off my face when her hands slipped into my shorts; it was just not something I could even pretend I was prepared for. I gave a sharp intake of breath when her hand slipped over the wound over my ass. It wouldn’t have been so bad if I hadn’t reopened the wounds just a few minutes ago with my little stunt up on the stage. It also wouldn’t have been so bad if her hands stayed out of my shorts. I’d be a fucking moron to voice any complaints about the situation though. A low growl, a growl that was nothing human and that was all wolf, rolled from my throat when her fingers dug into that tender bit of bleeding flesh. My voice was a deep rumbling base as the growl still vibrated in my throat as I chastised her, “that hurts moĭ malenʹkiĭ volk.”

It would be a flat out lie if I had said that the feel of her hands upon me left me unaffected. We may be pack, but I am just a man. When it comes to a beautiful woman with her hands down my shorts my will power seems to go out the door, now was no different. The growl that had been rumbling deep within my chest faltered when her tongue glided over my neck, a soft moan mingled with that growl. I was not proud of the fact that it took most of my mental capacity to be able to understand what she said just before she had done that. If anyone asked though I’d deny it anyhow. That little trail of her tongue was the signal that had me “taking off the gloves” so to speak. My hands that had been behaving and wandering innocently along her jaw, stomach, or lower back now trailed down over that sweet curve of her ass, taking her full in my hands and pulling her full up against me. I wiggled my hips between her legs as I lifted her so she was now wrapped around my waist, taking her weight like she weighed nothing.

Lips trailed across her collar bone, not really kissing, just a ghost of a touch. ”Please moĭ malenʹkiĭ volk, could you honestly say that you are not the least bit curious of how I ended up here instead of remaining in our beloved Russia? As to where, I’m not particular. I just know I don’t want to be here when the hunters arrive, I do not wish to test the theory of how well we heal bullet wounds. I may be able to heal ones from non silver bullets without batting an eye but I do not think it is within my power to sustain a shot in the head or heart from a silver bullet. I already have to cut out one bullet tonight; I do not wish to increase the number if I can avoid it.” As I spoke I began to place random kisses along her chest, up her collar bone, and over her throat. I hesitated above that sweet spot where I could just feel the soft pitter patter of her pulse under her flesh, like it was just begging to be set free. I bit lightly onto that spot, a graze of teeth then a quick pass of my tongue over the same spot.

I straightened myself a bit then, leaning back some so I’d be able to look at ”If you really do not wish to speak to me then say so now then I will leave and not bother you again.” It pained me to offer that, of course not because of our current situation, but because she was the last familiar thing I knew and was allowed access to without offering my throat up for slaughter. No matter how painful it was, the offer was real. If it was what she wanted I’d leave her be. I bowed my head then, my forehead resting lightly on her collar bone. I had quite the nice view right there, the thought of that forced a low chuckle from me. A smirk twisted across my lips, not that she’d be able to see it anyways. Slowly my tongue flicked out to trail slowly over the mound of her breast that showed above the neckline of her tank top.

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Vy zapakh doma moego malenʹkogo volka – You smell of home my little wolf
moĭ malenʹkiĭ volk – my little wolf

[NIKA ADALI VOLKOLV]

Nika knew what it must have seemed like to let Mikhail practically claim her like property or territory but something in him was pulling her to the lycan, it was more than the scent of home , of her motherland. As a young pup Nika had never cared for Mikhail's arrogance and because of that she had never bonded to closely to the older werewolf yet now in this delicate position, past the carnal hunger and the battling dominant powers at war, despite the fact that Mikhail had called to her wolf with no restraint Nika hated to admit that he was bringing her peace and calm. A part of her wanted to give into him because of that, wanted to let him do what he may with her as he unabashedly grabbed hold of her ass much like she'd done to him earlier and again Nika couldn't help but to grin as he lifted her effortlessly and her long legs obediently wrapped around Mikhail's lithe, well toned midsection. Everything about this making the woman dangerously compliant as she soaked in the feather light teasing touches of her pack mate uncaring to how her defenses had fallen.

But that ust wouldn't do.

The wolf in Nika had been docile for the most part but they had battled for respect too long to let hormones play a part in ruining that image. She wasn't going to lie and say he hadn't affected her though. The woman's rough mood had come and passed and she had allowed herself to return the soft sentiment of brushing her cheek against Mikhail's while he doused her in his tempting ministrations as she wondered to herself what it was that could have driven Mikhail from their beloved homeland.

Nika herself had always dreamed of what returning to Russia would be like. The whitest of winters she could disappear in unlike here where her stark white coat stuck out against the dense brush of the Louisiana forests. To reunite with her childhood pack, a pack that though she didn't remember well Nika remembered fondly. There had always been respect among the pack member it wasn't like the ridiculousness of Kinbok that only erned respect through fear and manipulation. Nika wouldn't sit there and say that she had been above that every now and again but sometimes you just had to do what needed to get done to earn your way and Nika wouldn't apologize for that.

She was quite bull headed in that way, Nika did what she felt she needed to and if someone was hurt in the process that's just the way things happened. If it didn't kill you, leave it alone and quit bitching. The pecking order in Kinbok was vicious especially if you were a woman... Well if you were Nika. Maybe she did it to herself, maybe her pack mates weren't all against her but it sure damn felt that way when they would all stand down in silence as their now deceased Alpha tried to force Nika to submit to him. Maybe there was a chip on Nika's shoulder towards her pack and maybe that was why she was drawn to Wicked, the man who had gotten rid of Matthew for her. Maybe if she had stayed in Russia things would have been different...

It was amazing the things that Mikhail's simple presence was stirring in Nika, not that anything about the man was simple but he didn't need to do much to bring about a storm, just kind of show up exactly the way he had. Throughout the soft touches and the heavy petting the woman was vaguely aware of Mikhail's lips brushing against her skin as he spoke to her, teeth gliding over every now and again eliciting a thrill right down her spine, he offered her an out almost begrudgingly which made the woman practically scoff in disbelief. How would she honestly let Mikhail go so easy? He was a new tie to home and the fact that he would show up here of all places, that had to be explained after all, Kinbok was strong but not stronger than their former pack so why?

The woman didn't speak through his ultimatum and had in fact been uncharacteristically silent after Mikhail had opted to take control. It was his assult on her expanse of skin that drew her from her silent musings. Mikhail's hot tongue gliding across the supple flesh of her chest practically made the woman melt as she fought to swallow down a low moan of excitement at his actions. The woman did tug on his hair though, softly enough not to be rough but firm enough to bring his eyes back to level with hers as she spoke to the man.

"Boyusʹ , moy malenʹkiy volk?" (afraid, my little wolf?) The woman teased Mikhail, throwing the nickname he'd seemed to have instantly given her back at him as he commented on the hunters but she knew he was right, they were on borrowed time and it was only a matter of moment before the hunters came storming into the tent and the surrounding area to try and find the monster that had dared to taint one of their own.

Without warning or resistance Nika easily unwrapped her legs from Mikhail, sliding down against the man making sure to press every part of her body against the taller werewolf in a teasing way after all Nika couldn't let things get too serious. For a moment though, the woman didn't move once she was on solid ground and instead pressed herself against Mikhail, no intentions of teasing or sexually charged actions of the sort. Nika simply rested against Mikhail, inhaling deeply, taking in his scent, finding it was fast becoming her favorite smell. It was the trees, it was the earth, it was Russia but it was something more. It was him and whatever that meant for the woman for now, it meant calm.

She wasn't sure how long they'd stayed like that or if Mikhail had come to notice how her disposition had relaxed despite the fighting of her wolf telling her to remain strong and not to fall into the trap of this wolf simply because it reminded them of home. Nika didn't understand why it was that though she was glad to be around someone familiar her wolf seemed to be fighting it. Was there something Nika couldn't see? If that was the case though, it would have to wait until tomorrow because for now all Nika wanted was out of this freak show and back to something a little more... Comfortable.

"See if you can keep up." Nika spoke suddenly, a smile on the woman's face, playful and genuine a rare thing to see from Nika but it was there and what it meant for Mikhail the man would just have to wait and see as she without warning leaned off of Mikhail and made her way to the exit quickly, her long legs put to good use as she turned to look back at the man walking backwards a few paces as she called out to him. "Let's see how well you can control yourself Moy volk." The woman said with a laugh before turning back around keeping her brisk pace as she led the way back to her home. It wasn't too far off, even in her human form but she was curious to see just how long Mikhail could go with his hands to himself, with her game of cat and mouse, even if Nika herself really would have preferred to end the games but even Nike needed a little fun now and again, with anyone willing to play.