ᚢᛚᚠᚱᚯᚷᚾᛁ

Her expression faltered momentarily, unable to control the slight twisting of her lips at the mere mention of her childhood, however briefly it was. She’s more than grateful for the squeeze, leaning herself all the closer to Tamryn while a sigh escaped her, an attempt made to ignore her darkening thoughts. 

She gave a thoughtful glance down to the bracelet around her wrist, hues observing the status of the stone embedded in the wiring. “I know that but still I want to say it to you. I’ve been thinking about tweaking the bracelets a little more, maybe adding a few more spells to it, I’m not sure. I don’t want to overload the stone but not knowing your location sometimes, has been proven to be dangerous.” She scrunched her nose up disapprovingly, letting her gaze wander from the beauty in front of her. 

“I know I know… but it is still rude.” Elidi said with a huff, “You have a certain reputation to uphold.” Though as Tamryn stated she’s already seen the people she needed to see, Elidi gave her another look, tugging the redhead closer to her toned frame. “Well mi amor, why didn’t you say that earlier?” 

Though Elidi couldn’t understand why anyone wouldn’t ask Tamryn to dance, she doubted she was the reason behind it, and since she personally didn’t find Tamryn scary, that reasoning didn’t cross her mind either. She merely shrugged in response to her lover, “Perhaps Red…. though I am pleased that no men are asking you to dance.” She couldn’t remember exactly, but she knew Tamryn had dated men before, Elidi herself had only dated women. A terribly dark thought threatens to cross her mind but she is quick to shut it down, the grip she holds around Tamryn tightens considerably as she forces herself to breathe, a reassuring smile crossing her lips. “I guess the beach was just… an eye-opening trip for me.”

She followed with a smile after Tamryn, glancing once more over her shoulder as the pair departed the party and walked out into the open air. Elidi took in a deep breath, welcoming the fresh air as it hits her skin, her smile only growing as she beheld the stars above them. The witch halted in her tracks, watching as Tamryn took a few steps ahead of her, bright hues looking briefly past the redhead and toward the line of trees. Despite this being a party, and plenty of supernaturals around, she couldn’t help but scan around for danger, only when she sensed none did she let her attention return to Tamryn, gaze softening.

Under the pale light of the moon, the hue only seemed to kiss her fair skin and highlights the red strands of her hair. Elidi allowed herself a few silent moments, merely admiring her lover before she stepped forward, claiming her hand as it was stretched out to her. She felt her heart flutter, almost feeling as if she were viewing Tamryn for the first time. Elidi leaned over briefly, pressing a chaste kiss to her cheek, “It is beautiful mi amor. If only we had some music.” 

An idea occurs as she finishes her sentence, fetching her phone from the little clutch she brought along with her. “Is this… where you want to dance?” Elidi questioned as she scrolled through the music app on her phone, determined to find the perfect song for them to dance too, blue eyes lifting to Tamryn as she awaited her response. 

 At the mention of tweaking the bracelets Tamryn lowered her gaze to their wrist arching her brow as her love explained what she wanted to do, a soft smile forming to her lips as she tilted her head fondly,

 “Mon Amour, you do not have to ask me if you want to update these, I trust you and if you feel it needs to be better then by all means darling make it better. Perhaps I could help? maybe with us both being there while you work on them it will be more in tune?”

 While she seemed to be close to the Magika Official and she had experienced much of the witch backlash over the ages she didn’t exactly know more into the magic they held nor did she really care to venture into such topic given her narrow perceptions of other Supes over the years. Now being with Elidi she had a new found appreciation for her magic, and wanted to show that in whatever ways she could. She also was curious if them both being there would somehow strengthen the already strong connection. Hearing the concern in her love’s voice she leaned in and kissed her as if to reassure her that she was there and safe in that moment,

 “I agree, and with how things are with these cryptics in the woods I don’t exactly like leaving things such as your safety or mine up to chance. However that isn't something we need to worry about tonight, and it’s only rude if they take it personally then that is on them. You are allowed to take my full attention whenever you want, That is the beauty of being the one I say I love you too. You come first and foremost over these people. Now if it were the Pack that would be a bit different but this, this is all just politics at play dear...That is why I have no problem telling you it is okay to take me away whenever you want. As for my reputation I am sure you hear more about it than I do, if I felt anything would damage my image you would know about it darling. I may be blissfully in this world we have created together, but I am still aware of my duties and who I am in the process, I am very skilled in enjoying myself while still upholding my order and power so to speak.”

As she was pulled up against Elidi’s toned body she smiled wildly and placed her hands upon her shoulders loosely like she always did when they were so close. The red head let out a soft and playful growl as she looked into her lover’s eyes,

 “See, you have it in you. I shouldn’t have to tell my lover that it is okay for her to take me away when she wants to, you should just know that because I have said it at almost every gathering we go to together now. Why would I want to sit in idle conversations when I could be in these moments with you. I spent years playing face, I think we both are entitled to be a bit selfish with this, at least I am.”

 Her tone was light and playful though she did make solid points. Elidi at times was too chivalrous though the Alpha didn’t mind it, she just had to reinforce the idea that Elidi was the only person able to make demands of the she wolf, everyone else fell into place where they may. At the comment of men asking her to dance the she wolf gave a slightly prideful smile,

 “Most do not ask me to dance in general, I haven't been seen dancing like this since it died with the times..”

 She didn’t exactly need to feel the dip in energy through the bracelets to feel the hold tighten around her and hear how Elidi forced herself to breathe, reassuringly she embraced the tighter hold and moved her arms around her lovers neck to bring them face to face aside from their masks, looking into her blue eyes Tamryn found her focus and smiled,

 “Hey... The beach was eye opening for me as well. Clearly look at how much has changed since we went there. Like I said, people know who I belong to, and I do belong to you Eli.”

 Once outside Tamryn stood apart from her lover for a moment, seeing how she was looking at her the she wolf removed her face mask and dropped it down to the grass beneath her feet. As exciting as the Ball was, being alone with her love she didn’t want the mask to conceal whatever emotions would register across her features with her love while they were now alone. For a moment she too took in how beautiful her lover was under the night sky, it made her all the more willing to be off and alone with the woman who had taken her whole heart by storm. A smile rested upon her features and she let Elidi take her time before finally gripping her hand and carefully pulling her nearer.

“Well, no I would rather be in the woods however I wasn’t going to go into there if you didn’t want too...Here is fine, but I am also not afraid to go in there if you aren’t”

 She arched a brow at Elidi, almost testing her in a way though she wasn’t very direct with it. Tamryn had survive narrow encounters with the beasts before, and she knew Elidi had similar run ins given the fact she still had not come outright and told her that she too was attacked, it was as if Elidi was sparing her the details though Tamryn was observant and noted how she seemed to dance around the subject of how the encounter went. While the risk was present, Tamryn felt that together they were safer.

 “We can dance here, or a little bit more in the woods, we don't have to go far, but behind the Veil doesn't seem as romantic now that I think of it. However the setting isn't what matters, slow dancing with the woman I am completely captivated by is what my focus on.”

Viktor took a moment to appreciate the redhead’s appearance- the wolf mask suited the were-queen perfectly. Tamryn’s taste in design was as exquisite as ever, something the vampire took notice of. He wondered who she had commissioned to get such garments designed and if she had taken initiative in the process. 

“Je connais pas mal de langues européennes. Cela est utile pour la diplomatie étrangère.“ 

Viktor grinned at the were-queen’s reply, gold eyes meeting blue through the masks each adorned. 

“Armani. I am a fan of Italian designers.” He admitted, thinking back to his full wardrobe back in Russia. “Though, I’ve made a point to try collecting a designer piece from each country. As you can imagine, I have quite a few pieces.” Money had never been an issue in Viktor’s life, so the vampire had no problem spending it. It was refreshing to meet another supernatural with such refined taste and Viktor hoped the two would get the opportunity to discuss designers and perhaps even go shopping together. Tamryn would certainly maker a better shopping partner than Garridan, who balked at every price tag and hid from every employee. 

“What about you? Your dress is stunning, I must say.” 

 She gave a nod and a slight shoulder shrug at his statement of diplomacy, with a wicked smirk she narrowed her eyes and placed a hand on her hip as she stated,

 “I guess we all have our tactics for handling foreign affairs...Mine didn’t involve much speaking.”

 The High Alpha was not often known to handle things with words. While she was a politician in the truest of senses she spoke through actions more so than her words though she was never faltering in either. Most knew that if the she wolf said she would do something she would, what many didn’t know were the things that went unsaid that she still fulfilled. Distracted for a moment by looking over the others outfit she perked up hearing who had designed it a smirk formed to her lips as she met the lavished vampires eyes,

 “The Italians do know their fashion. Mine is an independent designer from Milan, while I love designer brands, I am also always looking for those freelance designers to possibly bring up int the industry. There is a lot of talent out there that just need to be discovered. We all have so much in terms of assets If I can waste money on buying new cars the moment the hit the show room floor then I think I can give back to starving artists, specially if their work can rival the works of designers I have been working diligently with for decades. Plus when I show up to press events or public outings dressed in something and someone no one has seen, I feel it is the correct form of exposure for both parties involved. Not many freelance artists and designers can say the High Alpha promotes their product. You will see soon enough once I start to wear your works.”

          He could feel the grip on his glass tighten as he attempted to maintain his cool. Thus far, Tamryn hadn’t seemed to recognize him–or if she had, she didn’t state this. To his relief the High Alpha seemed to accept his compliment in full, seeing as despite regarding her with fear he couldn’t bring himself to be in-genuine. Garridan always made an effort to be kind.        Upon her compliments, the blond felt flustered. His makeup and mask were well done? While the stereotype for morticians stated their make up skills were lack luster, this was very much opposite for Garridan seeing as he’d spent years procuring his skills. He’d been able to take grisly corpses and turn them into relatively normal-looking palettes.      “Oh–uhm…thank you. Thank you v-very much.” The blond squeaked, feeling a cold flush race to his cheeks. While Tamryn was probably keeping with formality, he shifted slightly as he looked down upon his outfit. Garridan thought it to be lackluster and shoddily made, but he decided to answer the she-wolf’s question. “And ah–my outfit…right. Uhm…I made it myself.” As the vampire stated this, he didn’t seem to come off as arrogant seeing as Garridan had never been one to inflate his ego. He did quite the opposite, actually. “So uhm…I suppose it is custom–but uhm…I just prefer to keep my hands busy with crafts…and I like to sew.” Pausing, a sense of panic overrode his limbs. “Apologies. I didn’t mean to ramble—feel free to…ignore w-what I just said.”        Taking a hurried sip of his drink, Garridan couldn’t help but wish he’d had more to drink. If he were drunk he may have been emotional, but his senses would have been dulled significantly and perhaps he may have been able to withstand the conversation. Noting the she-wolf’s silence, the mortician remained unsure of the next choice of plan.          “You and ah–the LSA planned this… correct? I’m sorry…I just uhm…you all did a wonderful job.” Flashing a nervous smile, the blond attempted to keep his trembling hand still so as to not give way his anxiety. Garridan certainly didn’t want to cross the she-wolf or test her patience, though he felt as if the latter couldn’t be avoided.   

The she wolf stood and looked over the fine details of the vampires attire as he stated that it was made by himself. Her elegant brow lifted in sudden interest though she didn’t speak on it in that moment, instead she eyed the outfit for a moment longer before responding to his question about her and the LSA planning the Ball. With a huff she shook her head somewhat before looking around the event to as she spoke,

 “More like they mentioned doing something to ease the tension and then left it upon my shoulders to plan, though I prefer things that way most of the time. I at least know I leave no room for error when things are left in my hands. It has turned out rather entertaining thus far. I do love everyone's outfits, I often forget that most of us probably still own attire from this time period.”

As she spoke she took notice to his tense grip upon his glass, only her eyes drew attention to the grip he had, acknowledging it without words she decided to not press the matter of his uneasiness. While she was aware he was a vampire, the lack of being able to sense emotions and other scents beyond the underlying scent of death and rigid energy had Tamryn unaware of exactly which vampire she was speaking to. While it didn't exactly matter to her, what did matter was that she was aware she was taking notice to how people seemed to react to her with little to no provocation. She made others uneasy, and while she didn't mind it generally she did mind that she was taking notice to it more often than she would before. It was in this moment that she decided to bring the conversation back to a more personable topic for the vamp considering that they liked to sow, Tamryn tilted her head in thought as she was temped to ask more about the thread work he could do. Though did she really want to solicit another vampire into her fashion entourage, Her sister’s words taunted the back of her mind as she shifted the subject,

 “Your handy work is impressive if I must say so myself. I almost thought it was some designer brand I had never seen before.”

“I would love to know more about your past mi amor, anything you want to tell me. Your lifetime is so much more vast than mine is, I find it very intriguing that you’ve lived through such different time periods, the things you must’ve seen and experienced.” Seeing she got a little sidetracked by this fact about Tamryn, she shook her head, a small smile adorning her features. “It’s just fascinating… maybe because my lifespan is so short compared to yours, ah, even if I am 32, which might seem relatively young to you. I feel so old.” Elidi’s nose wrinkled in disgust, readjusting herself more comfortably against the pillows as her lit gaze traveled upward toward the ceiling. “I never thought I’d live to be this old.”

Elidi was aware the statement seemed a little dark, her gaze averted from the ceiling to the corner of her eye, where she stared at the wall, observing the flecks of paint dried onto the wood. A smile quirked the corners of her lips, her brows raised, “It’d be a little weird wouldn’t it, if your bodyguards came along on a romantic trip with us wouldn’t it?” The witch gave the woman in her arms a gentle squeeze, moving to let her hands reside back on the swell of her hips. “I would never let anything bad happen to you.” Another smile adorned her features reaching her eyes, satisfied she could make Tamryn feel safe without the need of her guards. Her brows wriggled playfully, “Is it because I am super strong?” Not that she needed Tamryn to boost her ego, she was plenty cocky on her own already.

Her dominant hand reached for Tamryn’s visage, stroking lovingly underneath her chin, her head tilting to the side down at her, “Wouldn’t that hurt if it were… erm, a little harder than usual? I mean I know some people like that sort of thing…” Her lips stretched into a grimace, not really seeing the point in marking her skin if it only hurt Tamryn, a faint blush settled across her cheeks, her hand tracing a faint line down the length of Tamryn’s neck. “I mean - ..” Her hues averted, clearing her throat. A frown took hold of her features, “Pity.”

“I would love to make this something we do regularly.” She paused, halting her excitement as she looked back up to Tamryn, “If you’re comfortable that is. We could do something you want to do too, like visit an art museum or mmm - go wine tasting?” She spoke casually with a shrug, leaning to press a quick kiss to Tamryn’s cheek, chuckling at her comment. “I mean… perhaps? .. I don’t know enough information about aquatic life to discuss, which is odd itself because I love the water and the ocean so much.”

Content with her answer, she flipped their positions, straddling Tamryn’s waist as the redhead so often did to her. Her skin tingled where Tamryn pressed a trail of kisses along her skin, she only mimicked the action, letting her arms wrap around her in a sweet embrace, simply holding her for a moment before she reluctantly released her, removing herself from the bed. “I’ll get the cooler ready then,” The witch paused, glancing over her shoulder to the redhead laying on the bed, her lips quirking. She was beautiful. “If you want, we can buy some more alcohol from the hotel shop, I only brought a bottle of wine or so.” Elidi shrugged indifferently as she moved to start repacking the drinks, making sure they had a snack or two inside the cooler. 

 She was thoughtfully silent for the most part when the topic of sharing more came up, the smile present upon her red lips showed that the idea of sharing deeper into their past was something she was open to despite not speaking up until Elidi mentioned feeling old, her brow arched almost in contest as she tilted her head in a slightly teasing way,

 “If at the physical age of 32 you feel old I can only imagine what you think I must feel. Like I said, I don’t see you as younger, or old in that sense. I see you for who you are, in what you say and how you act, and I am entirely drawn to you for everything you are. Though I have no problem sharing more of my youth with you, granted times were, different back then..I have lived through many lifetimes. Granted, I didn’t think I would live to be this old either.  Considering I have lived a fairly dangerous life, even for a werewolf. I was never very subtle even back then when we all had to be. Though I do have some stories you probably would not have expected out of me.”

  As the Alpha spoke she took notice to how her love looked off, knowing all to well that she was more than likely thinking of her own dark past, Tamryn didn’t voice it out loud that she took notice. Instead she let her lover take that moment before she smiled and perked up at the mention of her guards. Her light blue hues narrowed almost in contest to  her statement of it being weird,

 “I’ve had them by my side ever since my mother was killed, the only place they do not go is my bedroom. However with you I feel safe and I trust you enough to want to be entirely alone with you, which says a lot considering my guards usually are my pack. You mean just as much as they do to me, and our bond we built together is just as strong if not stronger.”

 “My trust in you goes without needing to be spoken darling, you should feel it in how relaxed I always am with you and when you are near me. It is of course because you are super strong, le plus fort Mon Amour.”

 She chuckled softly and leaned into the touch, giving her lover a look of fondness and admiration. Though with the witch’s words she arched her brow in curiosity. Sitting up a bit more she narrowed her eyes, a smirk playing to the edge of her lips as she spoke,

 “I never said it would hurt. If you think you could hurt me beyond going to an extreme of like shocking me or something then you underestimate just how durable I am not only as a woman but as a werewolf as well, Love. Plus, you may have magic but I am stronger, it isn't like you could really hurt me, physically that is.”

 At the touch against her neck her eyes involuntarily glowed their vibrant golden yellow hue. She didn’t question the statement her lover made, her brow just arched as she tilted her head but she let the subject change take hold rather than pressing the subject further. She smiled warmly at the agreement of them doing things like this more often together. Any reason for Tamryn to treat Elidi like the queen she saw her as was more than enough of a reason for the she wolf to agree even if water still made her extremely uneasy. Though by her lover’s side she seemed to almost not mind appearing so vulnerable.

 When Elidi flipped their positions Tamryn growled softly but also went rigid for a moment as she was now on her back and in an animal sense, submitted to the witch fully. While every Alpha trigger was going off within the red head’s body only her eyes seemed to glow in response to the action. Aside from her own Alpha mentality working under the surface she didn’t mind the action nor did she mind letting go of her Alpha ego when it came to her lover. A playful smile formed to her lips as she took in the moment of being the focus of her love’s affections. Holding her equally as tight as she embraced the kissed and the hold she almost didn’t let the witch go once she moved to get off the bed. Finally letting go as she sat up she watched the dark haired woman move about the room with awe and affection in her eyes.

 “I will never say no to more alcohol. So we should stop there before heading down to the beach.”

 She moved off the bed and went to get more dressed for their night on the beach. She went with a more casual look and loose fitting sweats and t shirt as she didn’t think they would need to dress up just to walk the shoreline at night. She moved towards the cooler to offer help she knew Elidi would more than likely brush off, while it was charming and worked always in the witches favor she still wanted to at least show she wasn’t expect such treatment given her status. Their love and relationship was a mutual thing and she wanted to make sure Elidi knew she didn't always have to do everything. Tamryn was pretty as well as capable though she often didn’t mind just sitting there and being pretty.

 “You know I can help, I definitely can carry things darling, though it is entirely attractive how chivalrous you are Mon chevalier en insigne brillant. Though I do like to watch your process of packing the cooler, and how you always make sure there snacks and alcohol. The only two things we would need besides one another of a stranded island.”

  She teased as how simple yet complexed they were. Moving forward to wrap her arms around her lover and to pull her away from packing for a moment she hugged her closer as she focused on those blue eyes looking back at her with amour,

 “Earlier you said we could do things I wanted to do too, I hope you know that all of this is something I am also wanting to do. From being in the ocean to the aquarium. I want to do everything and anything you want to. I never force myself into situations I don't want to be in. So know that everything we do together I am equally in these moments, and enjoying them with you Eli. Also know that I can carry that for us this time if you want to be the one who just looks pretty tonight. I’m ready when you are. Perhaps on this walk we can start telling each other a bit more about our youth. The parts that were not so dark, or they could be dark, our dark usually ends up in deeper understanding anyways.”

   Once they finally made it back down to the Cabana they managed to convince the rental people to let them keep over night. With Tamryn no price was too far out of her reach when it came to keeping their trip romantic to the fullest. Once they got everything set back up she stepped out and looked to the moon above the ocean as the waves came towards the shore line, The second time down the ocean did not seem so vast, nor did she seem so hesitant. She had trust in her partner and it was on a whole new scale given the confession of their love for one another. She was content and it showed not only in her features but in her energy as well. Turning to her love she reached to hold around Elidi’s bicep and forearm as she leaned in, resting her head upon her love’s shoulder,

 “Even with my discomfort for the ocean this is still by far the most romantic view I have seen in a long time. I wouldn’t want to share in these experiences with anyone else but you.”

“You don’t need to apologize Red, I know you have other matters to attend too. I don’t mind. I was just a smidge lonely.” The witch stayed contently in their embrace, hues scanning the others delicate features as she noted the intrigued expression cross her visage at Elidi’s inquiry. Of course, she was always interested to learn more about the Alpha, but she didn’t want to seem too nosey, or prying into past affairs. Though her interest deflates some at Tamryn’s answer, “I hadn’t thought of it like that…” Her nose wrinkled in disgust, there was no way Elidi could have lived during those time periods, attempting to change the tone of the conversation, she raised her eyebrows, “I bet you looked adorable in those dresses. No matter how… uncomfortable they sound.” 

She chuckled somewhat at her response, “I was around in the 80s you know. Well… the end of the 80s anyhow. I don’t remember much of my childhood, nothing that was pleasant anyways.” Though Elidi remained quiet at the slight mention of Tamryn’s criminal history, her brow arched in response, Elidi didn’t exist back then, and there was nothing she could do about the past. If it were something worth mentioning, she was sure Tamryn would bring it up in future conversations.

“You flatter me all too much, amor de mi vida,” She leaned to press another kiss to the corner of Tamryn’s pout, lingering with her rose-tinted gaze residing on her lover, “I love you more than anything, don’t you know?” Her cheek leaned into Tamryn’s familiar touch as their kiss deepened, fond of the exceedingly warm temperature she left against her skin, euphoric to feel her lips pressed to her own once again. Although they hadn’t necessarily been apart from one another, she missed having Tamryn’s attention even if the Alpha said she could have it entirely. She giggled, shaking her head at Tamryn’s words, “As much as I would love that, I couldn’t do that. You put so much effort into this mi amor, you should enjoy it with your guests, mingle, you are the host, after all, however, I wouldn’t mind stealing you away here and there. I’m not fond of sharing.”

She pressed the tip of her nose against Tamryns, a brief subtle moment of intimacy before she parts, “I would hope so darling, I don’t know if I could stand the sight of you dancing with someone else.” Elidi paused, her head tilting to the side thoughtfully, “Well perhaps there are some exceptions?” Though she didn’t sound completely certain on the matter. Her gaze wandered at Tamryn’s question, pondering how to word her suggestion, “Slow dancing? Preferably just the two of us, under the stars, or dim candlelight with some slow music playing in the background.” Finding Tamryn’s blue gaze, her lips quirked into a small smile, her cheeks reddening as her thumb brushed over her lover’s knuckles. “Does that sound alright?”

 A soft growl was breathed past the she wolf’s red lips as she smirked to the mentioning of how she looked in the dresses of the past, shrugging somewhat as if to not object to it she still arched a brow,

 “Even I barely pulled off the looks of back then, style was not about how it looked but more so how much it costs... I guess the same could be said about the fashion of today as well to an extent. I do not miss them though. I prefer the slimmer styled dresses of today.”

 Tamryn often didn’t give much thought to how young Elidi truly was for a witch. Her  lover’s demeanor often reflected that of those far older though in moments like this when it was brought into focus Tamryn found herself given it a bit more thought without expressing it directly. Instead she tilted her head at the comment made and arched her brow,  

 “It is interesting to think that during the time I actually became Alpha you were merely a child. Not that it matters now, nor that I see you as someone significantly younger than I. I almost don't notice until its brought up like this. But It would make for some interesting late night conversations...”

 She trailed off as the subject drifted towards a conversation she knew the witch didn't want when it came to her child hood so the she wolf tightened her hold as if to regain her lover’s focus once more,

 “Flattering you is something I will never apologize for, you deserve it entirely Mon amour.”

 She stayed still only leaning somewhat into the kiss pressed to the corner of her pout with turned to a smile the moment her lover came closer. Her vivid blue hues stayed focused on Elidi’s face before she answered,

 “I know. I can feel it, remember, and beyond the bond we created I can feel it when you say it to me.”

Giving off a soft pout like sigh as Elidi objected to maintaining her attention for the entire night Tamryn gave her a look and sat into her hip somewhat as she did so. She loved how modest and thoughtful Elidi was, though in the moment when the she wolf wanted her to be possessive she was more so willing to be passive.

 “My love if there is anything you can learn from being with me it is that you need to take what you want when you want it. If you do not want to share me then don’t, which you don’t.”

 Her gaze was strong and honest, she felt the need to make that much clear though she knew the context of which her lover was speaking she still wanted to make it clear where her loyalties lied. She looked over the guest who seemed occupied among themselves for the time being,

 “I may have put this all together however I am not the guest of honor here. I do not have to entirely entertain those in attendance here. I am more than capable of being taken away by you whenever I want to be, which that is all I want right now. To be by your side and enjoying all of this with you, not people I honestly could care less about beyond the superficial standpoint of being someone in the public eye. The few I cared to see tonight I have. Which means I am all yours for the rest of the evening Mon Amour.”

 Her smile resurfaced as she listened to how Elidi didn’t really want her to dance with anyone else, it was that possessiveness the Alpha craved from her lover and when it surface she took notice to it immediately,

 “To be honest, I think most are afraid to ask me, more so now of what you may do than what I may do. I kind of like it, even men are hesitant knowing that I am yours now. It’s amusing, though obviously if Jaylah of the others wanted to dance I would consider, lucky for us Jaylah hates this sort of dancing so.”

 At the mention of slow dancing the she wolf felt a flutter in her stomach before she gripped her lovers hand and leaned into her fondly,

 “I would love to slow dance with you, specially under the stars, I am loving this romantic side that's surfaced within you since the beach..come on. I know the perfect place.”

 She turned looking around the party, everyone seemed so preoccupied she knew that them sneaking off would go unnoticed for the most part. Looking to Elidi once more as if to show her that no one was taking notice to them she turned for the back exit of the Veil. Pushing the doors open to the cool outside air she stepped out and took off her heels leaving them by the door before she turned to face the distant treeline of the woods. Taking a few steps out towards that direction she looked up and seemed to be lining herself up with the night sky. Tamryn stopped suddenly and then looked to her lover and held out her hand,

 “Come here and look, tell me what you think?”

Having picked up on the familiar scent of the were-queen, Viktor decided to pay her a visit. After all, Tamryn was one of the people who put together the event- he needed to pay his proper respects. 

“Je suis d'accord. Les fêtes sont trop … ringardes de nos jours.” He replied smoothly, taking a drink from his glass and looking around the Veil. It truly was beautiful- so much so the scene was almost comforting. Viktor had grown up attending parties like this and the decor and ambiance of the place brought a sense of nostalgia to the vampire. 

“You have outdone yourself, Koroleva. This party is perfect.” He praised, enjoying his opportunity to wear a flashier suit than he would on a daily basis.  

 Caught off guard by the perfectly spoken French the she wolf turned, swinging her red hair off of her shoulder as she eyed the man by her side through her decorated white wolf mask. While refraining from using her sense of smell to break the illusion of mystery within the party she eyed the mans attire before smiling somewhat in response,

 “il est rare que d'autres comprennent souvent le français, et encore moins puissent entretenir une conversation dans la langue.“

 Upon hearing the specific title used only by the designer vampire she had taken on as her jeweler the she wolf’s smile became more welcoming as she tipped her chin in response to his praise of her efforts with the party.

 “Thank you dear, I always tend to try and out do myself when I can.”

 Her smiled turned to a smirk as she arched a brow over the brim of the mask,

 “I do love your attire for the night, who designed it?”

          “I very much agree with the sentiment. While the times may have been conservative, there was an element of character that I feel has been lost in this generation.” Stanislav admitted; knowing that the she-wolf would likely understand his meanings. Gender-roles, societal standing, the politics of the time–they were quite frustrating then–and while he much enjoyed the freedoms granted today, there was an aesthetic of which had been lost in the wave of technology and public affairs. “This was very much needed. We’ve both been working tirelessly, as well as our colleagues. I’d say this event was much more intriguing to plan than anything else on our to-do list.”                Noting her smile, the vampire king felt at ease knowing that the High Alpha was a wonderful conversational partner to have when discussing such topics. Not only did the Were embody characteristics that had been fruitful within his past identity, but Tamryn was a woman who understood things far more intimately than anyone else. As much as Stanislav could appreciate the younger vampires–the ones that weren’t neonates for that matter–none of them had lived quite as long as he had.            “Escapes can be quite nice,” he commented. However he knew better than to let the illusion catch up to him. While he would enjoy the Masquerade regardless of the current happenings, Stanislav wasn’t keen on letting his guard down. It simply wasn’t in his nature; and this was for various reasons he held near and dear to his unbeating heart. “But you are right…though I am looking forward to the night’s offerings, I’m unsure if I could bring myself to relax entirely.” This was as close as he had come to willingly explaining his current feelings to the she-wolf. A long time ago he wouldn’t have thought such a feat possible, but in light of recent events he’d come to hold the she-wolf much closer within his circle than any other. Besides, the Reznikov was neither invasive or untrustworthy–for now.       Deciding to enjoy the time he had to chat with a colleague he viewed as an equal, he looked to the she-wolf knowing he had an offer that the High Alpha more than likely couldn’t bring herself to refuse.         “Would you perhaps like to indulge in a few drinks, Miss Reznikov? I wish to enjoy the company of a respect colleague until the crowds sweep your attention elsewhere.”

“The culture that the youth today is rising up under is almost cringe worthy.”

 The she wolf viewed the guests from where they stood as she spoke, a subtle smile remained upon her red lip. Nodding softly at the mention of escape. Her attention abruptly shifted to focus on Stanislav when he hinted to not relaxing. An arched brow indicated she caught onto his meaning before she rolled her eyes somewhat,

 “You can still relax while maintain vigilance, Stainislav. Don’t mistake me enjoying myself in any setting for being open, vulnerable, or exposed. I am always watching and always aware, though I could see your reasoning behind being on a particular edge. It is in your nature after all. Drinks are always a yes for me darling, specially right now considering I haven't had one since the doors on this place opened.”

 Tamryn took notice to how he mentioned her also being pulled away. Silently the notion set in deep with her for nearly everyone she even had a inch of desire to associate with that night seemed to be concerned with the amount of time they had with her, almost as if their company somehow was a time restraint to her. It caused her to furrow her brows in thought though she didn’t outwardly voice what went on behind those icy blue hues. Instead she turned on her heel and lead the vampire king towards the bar. Ordering three shots for herself and the usual blood drink she often saw Stan order himself she leaned her back against the bar and watched the guests for a moment,

 “Never in my vast life time would I have ever thought that I would remember a vampire’s favorite drink, nor that I would be ordering it.“

 She admitted with a smirk as she let her gaze fall upon her Colleague, it was strange as she thought about it briefly. How so many new species had found their way into parts of her life, it often left her in awe at how progressive she had become over the years when it came to forging connections and alliances with certain species.

Elidi listened intently as Tamryn spoke, her hues while attentive, soft as she gazed at the redhead. Her head shook slightly once Tamryn finished speaking, "You can know whatever it is you want about me, whenever you feel like knowing. I'll tell you anything." There was a small pause, as the witch pondered her words with deliberate consideration, "... From my childhood, teen years, all the way up to adulthood. Maybe we could make a night of that, hm?" Though when the duo tended to talk about their past, the tone always descended into a darker territory, but the end result brought them all the closer together. Elidi found solace in that.

Elidi's eyes slip shut as her lovers fingers comb through her hair, relishing in her touch, stirring only at the sound of her voice. Looking up at Tamryn's accusation, she's quick to shake her head to dismiss the comment, no matter if said in jest, "Of course not darling. Tabula can't hold a candle to you. We could be... just out and about on the streets and I'd still prefer it over Tabula. When I am with you, there is no greater place to be." She spoke matter pf factly, a wide grin on her lips before she scatters a trail of kisses along the Alpha's skin available to her. "I am plenty relaxed."

The grip on her hair, once placid, now firmly gripped darkened locks, Elidi's brows raising in surprise. Bright eyes take notice of the yellow hue in her lovers gaze, a side of Tamryn she wasn't all too familiar with, but enraptured with none the less. Only abuse it in the right way, huh? A smile covers her lips, adjusting quickly to press the tip of her nose against Tamryns, amused. "How cheeky." Though upon noticing the change in Tamryn's demeanour, she's quick to alter her own, "I know Red... and I hope you know the same. I never want to hurt you, and I would never intentionally do so. I want to be someone you can always rely on and come too with whatever you may need. I don't have a pack or as much authority as you in mattera of protection, but only the very best of my abilities to assure no harm will find its way to you."

Elidi rubbed the back of her head, sheepish and embarassed, she hadn't decorated the room entirely up to her standards, but if Tamryn liked it she supposed it was okay. She wanted nothing but the best for her amor. Listening as Tamryn explained her slight tolerance to the sun, Elidi let out a hum in thought, "I see... though I do agree completely. Your skin is divine. Heavenly. It makes it all the more tempting to mark." She faltered, "Not that it would stay."

Watchful hues observed as Tamryn sorted the little candies into a heart, a faint chuckle leaving her as she found the small act adorable. "Well... I know, I know. I just, want to make sure it is something you want to do too. Just off an assumption here, but I doubt you come to the beach much, so it is a rare occurence. I want to make the most of it, with as much as you're comfortable with."

Accepting the piece of chocolate, she grinned as she chewed, finding Tamryn much sweeter than the little treat. Her hands found their way around the redhead's waist, guiding her hips down to sit upon her thighs. "It won't kill me." Elidi teased, although entirely swooned at Tamryn's consideration of her burn. "Besides that is all I want to do, be near you." Digits idly toyed with the ends of her fiery red hair, brushing stray hairs from Tamryn's palid visage. "Maybe we can sit on the beach like you suggested earlier." Elidi turned her head to look out the balcony window, "Seeing as I dozed off once or twice there, by the time we get everything prepared, the sun should be setting."

She sat up partially, holding Tamryn securely in her lap as she pressed a lingering kiss to her lips, a small grin evident on her lips.

"Oh! We can even go for a walk on the beach, that's romantic. Isn't it?" The suggestion, albeit her own, seemed to perk her up significantly. "Then we can drink. See, I have now planned a proper evening. The aquarium can wait."

  “I would actually love that, and like wise I can tell you more about my youth, granted the time periods were...hundreds of years apart. It would make for interesting conversation. I want to know everything there is to know about you Eli, as much as you are willing to share with me. Nothing you have told me so far has made me fall in love with you less, if anything I have fallen for you even more so now.”

  Feeling her lover’s nose press to hers she growled playfully and flexed the grip of her hands in Elidi’s hair as if to reinforce the statement made, her elegant brow curved in devious nature as she spoke softly in response to her love’s reassurance,

“I do know you don’t intend to hurt me. You also do not have to have a pack for me to feel safe with you. You being who you are alone makes me feel safe enough to pretty much leave the state without my pack or my guards. We did come here alone, that says a lot considering I have had some sort of guard detail with me ever since my mother passed.”

 The she wolf seemed to regain that glowing hue to her eyes as her love mentioned marking her skin, a topic that suddenly caused her to tilt her head as if in contest to the statement, nonchalantly she offered out as she smirked,

 “Don’t assume they wouldn’t stay, you could leave marks if you wanted to. You would just have to try harder than you are probably used to.”

“I do not often plan trips to the beach, however I wouldn’t mind making it a thing we do together often. I don’t see myself being as comfortable doing this with anyone else really. Trust me Mon amour, if there is ever anything I am uncomfortable with I will not shy from voicing it. I have no problem speaking my mind as you have seen thus far. I am having fun, even when we were in the water. And I think it would be romantic in a way if we did go to aquarium. I wonder how sea life respond to Were scent?”

 Her last statement was more of a joke than anything though she was excited to explore all these new reaches she was willing to go to with her love. An aquarium was not as overwhelming as the ocean itself was, and the fact it was something her lover wanted to do only made the she wolf all the more willing to do it as well.

  Feeling her lover’s hands around her waist and how she guided her to sit fully caused the Alpha to be complacent to the action when she would have gone rigid had anyone else tried to command her body in such a way. With Elidi, specially now it was almost euphoric to give over such control even if it didn’t stand out to the witch in the moment. Rather than acknowledge the power clearly held within those hands Tamryn simply remained internal with her thoughts as she smiled down to the dark haired beauty she now sat upon her focus shifting to how the witch played with the ends of her hair. It was another simple action that the she wolf did not often let other due but she found it to be a favorite thing of hers when the detective did it.

 “I was just being careful is all. And you are allowed to be as close to me as you want to be Mon amour. You don’t have to ask to be shy. We can do that, I would like to do that.”

  She turned to look out towards the slow setting sun before smiling as her love adjusted underneath her only to hold her closer in a kiss. Holding the sides of the witch’s face she returned the kiss before pulling back enough to let her love speak though she couldn’t help but trail soft kisses down her love’s jawline and neck as she spoke. Distracting herself for a moment before she perked up hearing about walking on the beach and drinking. Leaning back to smile fondly at her romantic partner she leaned down and pressed her forehead to Elidi’s as she smiled even more,

 “You are romantic, and yes so is that idea. I say it’s a prefect way to end this night. Plus there is something about you being near the water that is becoming my favorite thing to see so let’s get ready and head down there. We should have the beach entirely to ourselves.”

“It’s not blind trust, I just don’t think she has any malicious intent..” She pulled back from her embrace to hold eye contact with Tamryn, she didn’t want to argue with her girlfriend, but she did want to have the discussion if necessary. If Tamryn didn’t want to just let it go entirely that is. “I know you’re looking out for me, mi amor. I adore that about you, I’m not used to having someone in my corner, so to speak.”

Her arm moved to a more comfortable position as Tamryn nuzzled into her neck, digits carefully stroking her fiery hair as her gaze shifted to watch the random park-goers go on about their day. “I’ve never been unhappy with you, Tamryn. Worried? Yes, but not unhappy. I just didn’t care to ruin this extraordinary bond we’ve created together. I know I’ve said it before, and maybe one day you’ll grow tired of hearing it, but I’ve never felt like this with anyone else. I don’t want to mess that up. What makes our relationship so peculiar is how open and honest we are with each other, it’s healthy. I want it to stay like that. I’ll call this… a small hiccup, a scary one but something fixable. We’ve certainly done worse, yeah?” Realizing she had rambled, she felt the familiar warmth spread across her cheeks, her head tipping to press her visage into red locks, a quick shroud.

“Danger does tend to find me…” She mumbled at the mention of the gift. At least she wore goggles the second time the jar exploded.  "I thought it was a cute idea, I just wasn’t sure if you would think of it as such.“ Elidi paused, somewhat dejected, "I’ve never really purchased presents for anyone outside my family, maybe signed a birthday card at work…” She averted her gaze, “I am not a very social person it seems..” She shook her head at Tamryn’s initial comment of ignoring the Alpha, “Maybe if you had been someone else.” A small pout briefly found its way to her lips, “I don’t want you to stay away from me.”

Her gaze found Tamryn’s as she hovered over the witch, a smile pulling at her lips as Tamryn ran her fingers through her dark hair. Such a simple gesture that left her pleasantly warm inside, over the moon. Her thoughts paused, letting her gaze scan Tamryn’s features in a moment of silent admiration. Her Sun. She stayed silent on the matter of tears, overjoyed just to have the familiar shape of Tamryn’s lips pressed to her own, her hand moving to cradle the back of her head carefully to deepen the kiss, mindful of the grip on her own hair. “I love you, I trust you.” She spoke softly against the Alpha’s lips, pressing a lingering kiss to the corner of her pout before moving to settle herself back against the bench. “I took the day off Red. I wasn’t sure how long this was going to take, or how it would end.” Elidi admitted with a grin, the hand around Tamryn’s waist tracing faint circles along the material of her shirt, “What do you feel like doing?”

 Hearing that Elidi had taken the day off she seemed to brighten even more, though she gave her a look at the mention of not knowing how it would end, with a reassuring growl like purr she arched a brow at her lover’s grin,

 “Considering that we still talked even somewhat during all of that should have been some sort of sign that we would eventually get back to this. I can’t stay away from you for too long, even when you wanted me to stay away before all of this I had a hard time. Even if it takes some time, I will always come back to you because our relationship means that much to me.”

  Feeling as if they had spent more than enough time talking about the subject she stood from Elidi’s lap and smoothed down her dress before reaching to help her love up from the bench. Her bright blue hues stayed captivated by her love as the distance apart seemed to make her grow even more fond of being around the witch. She casually focused on her features, taking them all in again in her own silent form of affection as she tiled her head fondly,

 “I am glad you took the day off, We can do whatever you want today. Be it dinner or simply going somewhere to get away for the night. I just want to be with you, and show you that I do love you, and that I am sorry for it ever coming into question.”

  It wasn't that the alpha felt like she had to make it up to her love, she truly wanted to. While she didn’t have regrets in how she handled the situation initially, Tamryn did feel bad deliberately avoiding her love and avoiding the subject of her affections. It was a defensive tactic she didn’t need to use when it came to the detective, at least it was something she didn’t want to use with her lover. The she wolf reached for the witch’s hand, holding onto her forearm as well as she intended to remain as close to the witch as she would be allowed,

 “In fact, if you cant think of anything off the top of your head, I do have an idea. We would have to go now though, because it would be dangerous to do such a thing at night with those things in the woods.”

Elidi was all smiles as soon as Tamryn turned to face her, returning her kiss with a content hum. “I have missed you terribly, and even though this event is just as beautiful as I knew you would make it, I am glad you hopefully won’t be as busy as before.” Now that her hand had claimed Tamryn’s own, she raises their joined hands up to her lips, pressing a chaste kiss upon her knuckles as she often did. Elidi was just happy for things to be normal between them again, comfortable.

With Tamryn’s compliment lingering in the air, Elidi smirked, her brow arching almost challengingly, “That is a lie mi amor, you clearly need to take a better look at yourself.” Elidi’s gaze only wandering briefly to examine the area as Tamryn spoke on of the updated adornments. The witch debated if now was an appropriate time for one of her inquisitive questions, cerulean optics holding Tamryn’s own blue hues, seemingly making her decision. Who knew how long Tamryn would be around her for the remainder of the evening. One question couldn’t hurt to ask. “Is it one of your favorite time periods?”

Elidi let a small moment of silence pass between them before interjecting, “Well… without me of course.” Leaning in to close the gap between them she captured her lips in another kiss, shorter than before, gentler, a soft smile spread across her reddened lips. “All of that aside, it really is amazing what you’ve done here Tamryn.” She brushed some red hair from the Alpha’s shoulders, hues watching as the lock falls back into its proper place. “How long do I have you for, before you’re whisked away inevitably?” As much as she’d like to have Tamryn by her side the entire evening, she would feel a little inconsiderate, seeing as when they were usually together they ended up alone together in their own little world. With such an elegantly decorated event, Elidi didn’t want to reserve all of Tamryn’s attention away from her guests. Hopefully Tamryn understood what sh meant exactly. She held the Alpha’s gaze as she awaited her response, a fairly light blush dusted across her cheeks, “I want to dance with you,” dark brows draw together, though amusement is clear on her features, “Just not the type of dancing I’ve seen tonight..”

“I am never too busy for you darling, I am sorry if it came off that way. Though after tonight I will not be as busy, this was sort of a sudden thing. I am all yours once more, Mon amour.”

 Smitten by the kiss placed to her knuckles she leaned into her lover more and kissed her cheek fondly before she took notice to the challenging look her love gave back with her comment. Almost vainly the she wolf added with a grin,

 “Love, I look at myself way too often to be mistaken in what I am saying. If what I was saying wasn’t true I wouldn’t have said it.”

 As the couple stood in each other’s hold and looked over the venue Tamryn tilted her head at Elidi’s question before letting her gaze fall back upon her lover. It was rare that the witch asked about specific in her past when it came to the time periods she lived through, so hearing the question not only took her by somewhat of a surprise but also excited her to see that Elidi was taking some interest in the she wolf’s extensive history.

 “No, god I hated the poofy dresses and the ridiculous social expectations women had back then..No my favorite time period was the 1920s, for all the reasons you probably as a law enforcement official wouldn’t want to hear me say aloud...If not then, the 80s were a fun time too...One of these days I will have to tell you some stories, about the 80s, I did a pretty good job keeping my past in the 20s hidden for the most part.”

 She smirked to her lover as she spoke, while there truly was no crime back then she committed that she legally could be held accountable for now. Tamryn still didn’t want to shed light on that aspect of her past and present with the detective if it was not directly brought up between the two of them. Her eyes narrowed at Elidi’s sly comment of it being her favorite time period without her and she shrugged a shoulder as if to not deny what was stated by her love, clearly not ashamed of their deep bond,

 “That is true, I would have to say the time I have with you now is becoming my favorite.”

 Meeting the kiss as quick as it was the alpha caught the witch by her jawline carefully as if to take a moment to actually deepen the kiss. Tamryn knew Elidi often had trouble slowing down, specially if she felt Tamryn had a lot to do as well. It was in those moment that Tamryn made it clear she was the one in control of her own pace, and if she wanted to set time aside for Elidi she could regardless her obligations at hand. Pulling back from the kiss she looked into her lover’s eyes before glancing about the venue as Elidi complimented her efforts once more, though her focus broke as she heard the question to follow,

 “You have me always, and for as long as you want. No one commands my attention but you dear. Everyone else can wait in line, you take priority always in my heart and when it comes to my time. You want to dance?”

 The she wolf looked a bit shocked at the request but then seemed to ease as Elidi mentioned not wanting to ballroom dance. While Tamryn was well established in those forms of dance simply due to her status as a Royal throughout history she didn’t exactly want to show off she knew how to dance, nor did she favor dancing compared to arts such as painting or singing. Her gaze drifted to the dance floor before she smiled and pulled Elidi closer to her as she nodded in approval of the suggestion,

 “I would love to dance with you, and only you tonight. I must admit I was a bit worried when you suggested it, but I am glad you are not meaning this type of dancing. I mean, I can do this, but...I don’t want too.. what kind of dancing are you wanting to do?”

     Making note of the bow, he gave his usual nod of acknowledgement. The air seemed light around them, as often as it had been in their recent endeavors. To his surprise, Tamryn didn’t seem to think his outfit was in poor taste which brought a slight twinge of satisfaction to the elder vampire.       Giving a slight chuckle, though maintaining his usual stoicism. “Ah, I figured since we’d lived during such times I ought to try and encapsulate it as best as I could. Though I wasn’t quite fond of the attire myself…seeing as I maintain my modern touches.” At the mention of the dresses, it briefly brought Stanislav back to their conversation in the French Quarter. What a night that had been. While he understood quite well of how uncomfortable those dresses were–he’d had to wear them himself–he showed no sign of breaching his identity. “Rightfully so, those dresses seemed to be uncomfortable. At the very least you are both regal and comfortable for this party.”         Maintaining eye-contact with his colleague, he didn’t expect any less of the Reznikov. Her red hair certainly stood out amongst the silver and blue, but it would all the more draw attention and charm to the High Alpha.         “Yes, I suppose one couldn’t argue with your reasoning. Though I do not think you’d prefer subtlety.” Seeing as how the other LSA official much preferred the spotlight and adapted seamlessly into routine of being a public icon, why would she choose to be a shadow at a party they had put together?                  “I’ve been fine, thank you. And yourself? It’s been quite busy–though in the end I suppose the LSA’s efforts to host such an elaborate party have proven to be fruitful. On my way here, I noticed quite the array of masks and other such costumes–but mind you, our state is well-known for our Mardi Gras. I’d assume anyone within Tabula would like an excuse to be elaborate if even for an evening.” The vampire admitted.            “I can’t help but think of our previous conversations of the past…while this event is modern, I feel as though it is not that different from how things used to be after all.”               

 While Tamryn had been busy since their last adventure she had not forgotten about what that moment on the top of the LSA building held. The side she had seen of Stanislav still lingered in her thoughts as she maintained focus within their conversation of the past. She chuckled at the mention of what he had seen upon his way to the venue and she was pleased to know that such an event seemed to do it part in getting all to become involved in some way shape or form.

 She was pleased with the outcome and it showed in the way she carried herself. Tamryn was always one to walk with pride, however in this event she seemed to have a bit more natural regalness about her given the setting and given out into the theme everyone was,

 “It is great to hear so many are getting dressed up and into the idea of the ball. While I know few have lived during such times it is wonderful to see it brought back to life to some degree, like wise we all know that everyone in town has been on edge so to speak, this is an excellent way to ease those stresses for even just as night.”

 As Stanislav mentioned their previous conversation of the past the she wolf turned to face him more directly, her brow arching as she spoke to her all the while a smile formed to her reddened lips,

 ‘I was hoping to bring as much from then to life as I could given the times now. While it is not exactly the same it is fairly close. Those around then will appreciate it while those who were not will feel transported to that time period to some degree. it’s an escape if anything really, one of which we all are in need of to some extent.”

     Having been staring at his glass, the normally observant vampire hadn’t seen the flash of red-hair accentuated by bright blue and silver. The mortician had also grown accustomed to the coagulation of smells coming from all sorts of supernaturals–that and his slight buzz seemed to inhibit him slightly–so it was no surprise that when she smelled the Weres, he hadn’t been able to locate Tamryn.         It wasn’t until he heard that voice break into his thoughts wherein a chill raced up the meek vampire’s spine. How could he forget that voice? It was none other than Tamryn Reznikov; a woman he regarded as a predator and someone he knew better than to cross. Even then, it seemed no matter what Garridan did he’d wind up being the subject of her anger, perhaps-? His mind was foggy, but he could recall the few times the she-wolf had threatened him though whether or not these were genuine were of no knowledge to the vampire.                Grateful he was wearing a mask and some eye-makeup to at least hide some of his identity, given the she-wolf hadn’t called him ‘little rabbit’ made Garridan suspect she hadn’t caught onto his identity just yet. Panic flooded his lifeless veins as he gave a nervous chuckle. Well, I’m fucked. While the blond was never one to curse in any given situation, even internally, Tamryn seemed to be the only exception.       Attempting to salvage the situation, he responded quietly. “Yes…you’re right.” Quickly bringing the rim of the glass to his lips, he took a long sip as if to avoid speaking.The familiar tang of AB+ positive blood gliding down his throat was a welcome comfort seeing as despite getting quite sick when drunk, sometimes it helped dull out his growing anxieties. Or it gave him an excuse to excuse himself to the bathroom and empty the contents of his stomach–either way, he had a fail-safe. Even if the latter was unpleasant.           Not wanting to be impolite, light blue eyes surrounded with carefully applied black-eyeliner and touches of red eye-shadow briefly scanned the she-wolf’s mask and gown. Wow, it was certainly lovely!         “You ah…you have…a nice dress.”                            

 The High alpha watched the obvious vampire as he responded to her, with a smirk upon her lips she saw how he finally took a drink she let her strong gaze fall elsewhere within the room. Her vision only met with the man by her side once more upon him complementing her dress, while it was in a rather awkwardly stated way she vainly looked herself over and smiled while taking the compliment,

 “Thank you darling, I was just going to say that your eye makeup and that mask is well done, your outfit by the way is probably my favorite upon the ones I have seen the male in tonight. Where did you get it made from, clearly it is custom work?”

 Had it not been for her growing connection with Stanislav and other non Weres Tamryn would have never found herself sitting there talking fashion with a vampire, yet she seemed to find that as well as history in common with many of them. While many other Weres lived as long as she had, most were equally as progressive in thought and often did not reflect on the pasts as much as she found herself reminiscing with the likes of the undead on certain occasions.

 It was something she chose to not give too much thought into however it often crossed her mind when she seemed to fall so naturally into the conversation with vampires she had no connection to. It was in those moments that she was becoming more aware of how open her mindset was becoming towards those beyond her own species.

For the younger Reznikov, she had a busy day at her salon, Groomer Has It, as she was booked from open to an early close making many hairstyles that day for the Masquerade Ball. The only hair she didn’t touch that day was Tamryn but that was only because the Alpha was busy and put other things in priority which was no sweat off of Jaylah’s back. In fact, it even gave her a chance to get herself ready this year which was especially important now that she would be celebrating a major event with her reunited Spanish black wolf.

After spending some time dancing with her beautiful date, Lupe dismissed herself to grab a few drinks and touch up her makeup. Jaylah then took the time to scan the crowd for her sisters face while she sipped on a glass of wine, taking extra precaution not to bump into anyone. It didn’t take long to find the other redhead in the crowd, despite masks causing confusion on identifying one from another. Jaylah strutted over to the taller she wolf and sipped from her tall glass, almost waiting for some sort of sarcastic retort from the assumed stressful day.

Hearing the french remark, Jaylah couldn’t help but smile and agree to an extent. Though she doesn’t quite remember such a time, a memory of how well their parents were dressed was heightened in her mind.

“Ils ne montraient pas beaucoup de peau au 17ème siècle. Ça c'est sûr. I’m pretty sure that one over there fixing her dress bought it at une boutique de lingerie or Sujet Brûlant… Tu es magnifique Tamryn, even if I didn’t do your hair this year.”

 Her head perked up and her eyes shifted to the side to glance at her younger sister upon hearing her speak to her in French about some of the guest in attendance. Smirking to herself as she chuckled softly she turned to face the younger wolf as she mentioned how the older sister looked that night. While looking her sister over Tamryn nodded at the compliment before offering out her own,

 “You loo beautiful as well dear sister, I like how even when apart we still seem to color coordinate. I saw your she wolf earlier, she looks beautiful as well. Well we are in the land of Mardi Gras, so many youth these days often confuse the two concepts entirely..However I do not mind the dresses nowadays..Imagine everyone if they dressed for the actual time period. I would hate to have to wear those huge dresses again. I rather like being able to reveal certain things I want to and conceal others.”

 She smarted with slight tact, though she did take notice to how Jaylah seemed to mention not doing her hair this year. The Alpha frowned somewhat but recovered as she furrowed her brows and tilted her head back to respond almost directly to her sister as she spoke,

 “I figure it would be more important for you to get ready and experience all of this with your loved one, since you two have much to catch up on. I have a whole team in place to handle my hair when needed, though if it was something you wanted to do then you could have reached out, I never really know how far us being civil these days extends to be honest.”

Lupe soothed sweaty palms over her dress with a slow exhale of breath. Dancing calmed nerves to some extent while extended hand grasped glass of a passing silver platter that a waiter was carrying that contained amber liquid, warming her throat on the path of her throat on the way down. Was it wise to take to substances from strangers that she didn’t know? Perhaps not. But this wasn’t an instant of ‘stranger danger’ and ‘free candy’ taped to a sketchy white van in an abandoned parking lot so there wasn’t a chance of her being on the CNN news broadcast at five o’clock thankfully. The contents of the glass was enough to soothe frayed jittery nerves sense.

The voice heard over the the others had Lupe’s hand reach for two more glasses, one for herself and one for Tamryn before turning to face the Alpha. Glass was held out in her direction, a smile of her own offered with a small nod.

“A bit of coaxing on my part helped matters. But she also came for you too believe it or not. After all, you are her big sister. She knows these little shindigs are pretty big for you.” Lupe smiled. “Actually talked me into coming, so thank her that.” chuckles softly. “You look quite extraordinary yourself there Tamryn.”

Lupe was genuine in her exchange of words with the Alpha. She was even willing to attempting to go as far to mend bridges of the past which she knew would take time for the sake of all around them. Especially that of Jaylah. Because Jaylah and Tamryn and Jaylah were family and she refused to have a rift between the two. Family is all one had in this life. Even if you lived to be 500 and something years old.

“You seem to have a knack in throwing parties together. Planner in a past life, si?” Lupe arched a teasing brow beneath her brow as she lifted glass to her lips attempting to make small talk. “When Jaylah said party I wasn’t expecting something of this magnitude but then again, I shouldn’t be so surprised by someone of your abilities either, should I?“

 The Alpha’s smile seemed to broaden as the turned wolf mentioned how her sister showed up for her own sake as well. While Tamryn knew Jaylah would not directly admit such a thing she also knew that Lupe had no reason to lie about their reasoning for being there, specially to the likes of her. Nodding in respect to the compliment given back to herself the Alpha took the drink before she let her gaze scan upon the rest of those in attendance of the party. While the two of them spoke in a civil manner, the red head could not help but think of how unlikely the whole situation of them talking was. It was something she never saw herself doing had certain things not played out the way they had.

 As the younger wolf mentioned past lives the Alpha huffed a small laugh, while she had never truly been a party planner in her vast existence Tamryn did have a drive when it came to throwing events.

“No, I just happen to know how to throw one hell of a party. That and I actually lived during this time period unlike most of the guest here so I at least knew how to represent it to its fullest given the times now. Some parts may be a bit modern to extent but for the most part it is accurate to the times..”

 The she wolf looked over her works with a prideful smirk before it faded to a sly grin upon hearing the she wolf mention that she shouldn’t be surprised by someone with her abilities. It caused Tamryn to face the she wolf as she responded with a bit of a darker context to her words though she spoke then with a sly grin planted to her red lips,

 “Certainly you of all people should know better than to underestimate me in any aspect darling. You know better than anyone the lengths I go through to execute something. However I did get some help here and there.I just hope it eases some rising tension due to outlying factors...The city was in dire need of an escape and we the officials noticed that.”

   One good thing about Stanislav and Tamryn’s recent connection stemmed from their mutual understanding of the past. While he hadn’t been to a masquerade in decades, the vampire king had noted the High Alpha’s attention to detail. He’d helped here and there, but avoided too much input seeing as despite his understanding of the olden days; his personal aesthetics had been subject of comments by his peers. He was much a man of functionality, and the masquerade called for something that Stanislav knew he didn’t have: an eye for flair.              Able to spot his colleague based upon both her scent, mask, and red locks; he approached her and observed her behaviour. Hearing her speak french, he knew not of what she meant. Though that part was unnecessary.       “Good evening, Miss Reznikov.” Greeting his colleague with a dip of his head, he avoided looking directly at her as his gaze rest along the decorated venue. “I wouldn’t have expected any less. Save for the modern qualities, this space very much embodies the olden days.”         His gaze rest on the she-wolf. “Your mask–it suits you.” He didn’t necessarily care for fashion or colour schemes, seeing as the elder vampire lived in monochrome. Those words were the closest he could get to forming an accurate compliment, and it was clear from the way he spoke that this wasn’t meant in a derogatory manner. Besides, despite their species’ distrust in one another it was clear that Stanislav held Tamryn to a higher standard of respect. He knew better than to cross the she-wolf, seeing as she proved herself to be better an ally than an enemy.

 A casual smile broke her sly smirk as the taller man approached her, in a obviously sarcastic approach she bowed in a noble way to greet him. Though it was a short lived action as she returned to her naturally regal stance, her eyes scanned over his attire and nodded in approval to the detail he put forth in his efforts,

 “Good evening to you Mr. Dabrowski, surly this outfit is from within this time period. If you have pulled something out from the vault of history I would feel as if you were personally trying to out dress me. I thought of the idea myself I must admit. Wearing something I have from this actual era. However as stated before I hated those oversized dressed and under skirts.”

 As he mentioned her mask she seemed to smile even more, seeing through to his compliment she nodded a thanks and stated as she glanced over his mask as well,

 “While being anonymous is the key I already knew I would be noted for the hair and my commanding presence alone, so I figured why not at least accessorize to a degree with it all? How have you been Stanislav, beyond helping to some extent plan this out there has not been much time for us to catch up as of late.”