Quiver

15

Clothed, human and no longer in the pack house, but in a hotel room, all of us sat quietly. Elliere still hadn't grasped how I'd shifted into...what I was after the first two shifts were normal. Roman was squeezing my hand comfortingly and projecting loving emotions that wove into the bond and pulsed to me. It relaxed me and I knew no matter what I'd have Roman if everything else failed.

I gazed around, taking in the bland hotel. Everything was gold and white; sheets, blankets, pillows, curtains, bathroom decór, just everything. It held a microwave for heating food, a T.V. and a phone for room service, but nothing else. It made me think of how lovely the bedrooms at the pack house were and I felt a pang of hurt that I may not return after all this.

"Maybe it was the serum," Elliere mumbled, now pacing the hotel room.

"Hm?" I said, confused.

"The serum Claire used to keep us in human form. The first two times you shifted it was probably in your system, but now.. it's probably gone entirely. It may have acted as a shield, keeping you in your regular Lupus form, but once it burned off it allowed whatever she injected you with to fix you to activate...and now you are..what you are," he mumbled, making my heart race with fear. But I knew he was probably right.

"But... weren't you fixed too? And you shifted in her facility with the serum in you," I muttered cautiously, afraid Elliere might snap. He wasn't a Lupus to mess with.

Elliere closed his eyes, hissing, and then opened them as if remembering awful things. Which I'm sure he was. "Yes, I was. But Claire and the Jaecars often improve what their injecting supernaturals with in attempts to fix us. Obviously they failed with me so they'd have to improve it, right?"

I nodded. It made perfect sense. Like finding the cure for cancer... only this wasn't a good thing Claire was doing..it was twisted and vile.

"So... Rori will be this way for life?" Roman finally spoke.

Elliere looked over to my mate, his face grave and full of sympathy. "Very unfortunate, but yes. Rori will always remain in the form you've seen her in recently..."

Roman blew out a sigh and I began to feel panicky that he was upset because I'd never be normal. "Well that makes adjusting the pack harder."

"Adjusting the pack? You still want to keep her there?"

"Of course," Roman snapped, running a hand through his curly hair. "We are a family and I won't tear it apart and I won't allow them to make her an outcast which means you're going to help her adjust to her new form, tell her everything she'll need to know and in return we'll help you with whatever you want."

"Whatever I want?"

"Yes," he growled. "I didn't stutter, did I?"

Elliere bristled, his eye darkening. "No, you did not. But I suggest you watch who you're talking to, boy."

Roman sneered, but backed down. He was younger and Elliere seemed as though he'd lived decades.

"You will help me take down Claire and her team of Jaecars here, once I help Rori, of course."

"Perfect," I murmured and grinned, making them both look at me. "I wanted to take down Claire anyways after all the shít she's done to me, Cole, us and him."

"We have a deal then," Elliere said, a smirk on his face. "What do you want to know?"

**

Hours later and Elliere had left, going to his own hotel room while I sat with Roman in ours, absorbing all that had been said to me. I found I didn't have reactions to silver like Elliere and I'd only know if the moon effected me once it was full, which would be in a few days. Elliere explained that I didn't emit a scent that was extremely foreign to normal Lupus so with gentle reintroductions I would be able to remain in the pack, it would take time like Roman had explained. He said, after examining my Lupus form thoroughly, that I could probably lean back on my heels and see further than the other Lupus for danger or prey on hunts. He explained I would be slightly stronger, though faster wasn't a sure thing until I went on a pack run. Other than those things, however, Elliere said I would be just the same. Everything would be back on track.

I had been relieved as he left, telling him to be in touch after this week so we could properly discuss about tearing down the Jaecars. He gave me a nod and a smirk, vanishing. He was strange, but I couldn't be happier that he'd helped.

I sighed as I relaxed back on the rather firm hotel bed. It certainly wasn't Roman's, but it would do since I wasn't surrounded by hostile Lupus. I wondered if my brother was fine, but I knew he would be. Yorik and Annalise take very good care of newly changed Lupus and people in general... It's just the freak Lupus that are hard to manage.

I turned on my stomach, my ashy blonde hair wavy around me, and stared at Roman with my sea green eyes. His own marvelously blue ones sought mine immediately. He raised an eyebrow questioningly, but his mouth remained in a firm, serious line while his curly brown hair was touseled from anxiously running his hands through it. With a small smile, I crawled up his prone form and sat astride his hips, watching his expression change from serious to amused and then surprised as I settled.

"What are you doing?" His voice was raspy with restrained desire.

I felt his erection beginning to grow beneath me and it sent shivers everywhere, but I had questions for him, not sex on my mind.

"I wanted to ask you some things..." I murmured.

"Like this?" He asked, gripping my hips tightly and making his point by thrusting up.

I gasped as need shot through me. "No!"

"Hmm. Well, ask away, love."

I gazed into his eyes; blue, clear and full of deep desire as well as the love he had for me. I knew I could tell him anything and ask him everything.

I blew out a sigh. "Why aren't you bothered by me? Like the pack?"

"We're already bound. I told you, Rori, you're my mate and nothing will change that," he said softly, earnestly.

I played with an errant string on his shirt while I bit my lip. "So if we weren't bound?"

"I'd still love you and push past the instinctual abhorrence that normal Lupus seem to have for the more...unique kind," he murmured, his fingers beginning to trail up my sides. "Anything else?"

"Will everything be okay?" I asked, my voice wavering.

"Yes, Rori, everything will be fine. I'll see to it," he said firmly and suddenly his hands were tugging me down to him and his lips were telling me in a different, more meaningful way that shít would be okay.

**

Roman

I was shocked, to say the least, that Rori had become... different like the Lupus that saved her, Elliere. It was frightening and even more so because the pack had looked at her as a foreign Lone Wolf rather than a member of the pack. It was disheartening and it burned me in ways I didn't think I'd have to ever worry about. I had been reluctant to accept help from Elliere, but I knew Rori had needed it and well, he did save her when I did not. It was the least I could do as well as help take down that god awful Claire. That bítch was the one who created all these hideous complications and problems between us and I was sick of it.

My fur bristled through my skin and a soft growl slipped out of my mouth, making my beautiful mate stirr in my arms. I froze and waited for her to relax back into deep sleep. My anger subsided slightly and I remembered with great fondness our night of love making. It was wonderful and with Rori I knew it always would be.

I gently kissed her hair and scribbled out a note, telling her if I wasn't there when she woke, I would be shortly and told her to order room service. I hated leaving her here, but I needed to go talk to my family and pack about all this. It was necessary and when I came back to the hotel I was going to see if Rori wanted to try out the adjustment process -- strictly in human form and for just a few hours. As the week progressed I wanted to be able to have her within the pack house by Thursday and able to shift Saturday. By the next week, I was hoping to have all of us going for the run that I was sure got delayed entirely.

With one last longful glance at my beautiful sleeping mate, I dressed and stepped out. This were going to be okay, dámmit.