Kierra

Waking up when you haven't been able to move from an injury really, really sucks. Add in those around you that are all furnaces and it's quite cozy in its stiflingness. Don't get me wrong, I'm digging the whole puppy piles thing, but when you're restricted on your movements, it can lead to crabbiness.

In my human skin, I wouldn't be able to stand all this heat. The only non-super warm spot is at my belly. Warm, but not overly so. The scent reaching my nose comes with images of a spotted and striped cat, oftentimes called a mini-leopard but it isn't one at all. The ocelot. One of the smaller 'big cats'.

Wildflowers smelling of lilac frame an image of the cat as it pokes its head out from some underbrush. Sandalwood smoke drifts through, combining with the flower and mixes with the smell of Faline, a homey scent that gives the feeling of home and family.

Faline.

She's finally home.

Unable to contain it within me, my exuberance bursts from my mind to all those around me. Bastion had moved at some point, now laying under my head, his belly had become my pillow, while he leans back against Asher, whose shoulder had become the boy's pillow.

Black forelegs are tangled amid mine as he's on his side facing me. Judging by scent placement, Lily is stretched along my back, and Xavier is using my hip as his headrest. Wouldn't be so bad if he weren't laying on my tail. Faline is curled up to my belly, the small coyote between her and my front tangled legs. Ava and Orion's scents are around, but not strong enough for them to be here at the moment.

My poor left shoulder, which had once again been the focus of someone's teeth, is throbbing from my laying on it. The slices all over my abdomen are a dull ache, having closed but still tender. Think they're closed anyway, judging by the tightness feeling.

The gaping hole in my right side is the big concern, ribs don't feel all that great either. All the bleeding has stopped, even internally, the lung is no longer collapsing and my liver isn't a pincushion. Combination of Faline's Vampi-ness and the collective animal heat has sped my healing dramatically. My own Werewolf mojo would have been fast, and combined with everything else... Yeah. Considering I should be dead right now, I'm at the peak of health.

Won't know just how healed I am till I get up and see the damages. Shifting back to human is going to be a bitch and will probably jack up a lot of what has knit closed, so I think I'm gonna stay wolfy for a little longer.

My outpouring of emotion has Asher raising his head, his nose only being inches from mine, I can feel his breathing against my whiskers. Opening my eyes, I seek him out. Find him easy enough, since he didn't raise his head far and he's now staring right at me.

Ocean eyes glitter in a mix of emotions, the biggest one being exasperation at me. I send him a wide smile. Dipping his head closer, his maw opens and clasps my nose within it. Not hard, but not exactly soft either.

His aggravation fills my head, but all I can do is smirk and whisper that I didn't die, so it's all good. That just seems to make him all the more irritated. Pressure on my nose steadily increases till my eyes snap fire at him.

Finally releasing, I get a look of straight-out belligerence. Blowing air at him, my lip raises as I pull at my damn tail. The maned wolf may not be extremely heavy, but the feeling of confinement is not doing me any favors.

The attempt shifts me enough that everyone rouses. Well, everyone but the sleepy kitten at my back. Xavier's head rises then looks down as if trying to figure out what's moving under him.

"Your bulky ass is on my tail. You have a bony hip."

I get the sense of a grin as he looks down to where his head was.

"I have too much meat on me to be bony, so you have nothing to go on."

He snaps his teeth at me before slowly getting up. Remembering the injuries I'd seen on him, I look him over. Looks like he might still be favoring a foreleg but the open wounds over his shoulder and abdomen are closed.

"Why did you let yourself get pummeled by a Vamp?"

I tease him, but also send my thanks for helping me. From the way the Werewolf I'd fought was going, I was extremely lucky to have gotten away from him that first time. He was no slouch, and he hit like a damn Mack truck.

"I had to protect my pretty face."

Choking, I glare at him in mock annoyance. Giving me a canine grin, he heads to his clothes. Tell him to grab them and go upstairs to shower, since he, Asher and I are all covered in dried blood.

While he moves away, Faline and her friend stand and shake. With my long tail finally free, I whip it up to resettle the fur on it. My doing so has the masked coyote jumping then crouching down.

"Awfully jumpy, isn't he?"

I project my words to everyone around me, Faline nods while nosing at him.

"Want to take him to your room for some clothes? Doesn't look like he's that old."

Rolling her eyes at me, she heads up the stairs with him on her heels. Now that I can move freely, I slowly raise up. Boy under me is rubbing his eyes. Once upright, I lick his tear-stained cheek.

It gets me a small smile, but I can tell he's still shaken. I nudge him with my nose, placing my head on his shoulder so he can wrap his arms around my neck. Doesn't bother him in the least that I'm covered in dried and hardened blood, pretty sure that's saying something.

His shaggy blond hair tickles my nose and I'm glad to feel that his shoulder isn't quite as bony as it was when I first found him. Yellow eyes open, they snap at Asher before I start ignoring him again. Pulling back from my Imp, I pull my legs under me and stand.

Skin pulls here and there, but nothing too horrible. Ribs shift a little bit as flesh moves around them. They're back in their right places and fused, but still tender.

"Asher, how are your wounds?"

He had also been favoring a leg and it sounded as if his ribs were busted. Looking at him, I can't really tell if there are any open wounds because his fur is so thick and dark. Mine may be just as thick, but ten times lighter.

Standing as if he doesn't hurt at all, I leave him to do whatever. Turning myself, I walk around testing my limbs and find that the only thing that really hurts at all is my side. Shoulder and belly feel fine once I can stand, discomfort in those areas more from lack of motion.

Dipping my front half down in a stretch, ribs protest even more, but it feels good to move. Bastion heads up, but before I can follow him, my path is blocked by a black giant. The boy keeps going, so I've a feeling the wolf told him to go.

Yellow orbs find glittering light blue-green jewels. Posture upright as he bullies me back, tail and head raised high. My ears go back as my lip raises in a growl.

Yes, I know I could have died, almost did, but I didn't and I'm here. I accomplished what I had set out to do thanks to his and Xavier's help. That does not mean he has the right to treat me like a child.

Unable to read his eyes or emotions, I'm in the dark on what his problem is now. Damn wolf is just as moody as a woman, I swear. Blowing air through my nose, I move to go around him.

Even manage to get a few steps before he's on me, teeth burying in my scruff as a heavy body pushes mine down. Not wanting to open my wounds, I go down easily enough, but I start snarling at him. His growls sound through the mouthful of my coat, legs straddling over my form.

Looking up, can tell the basement door has been shut. What the hell. Growling again, I move to stand. Don't get far as he lowers onto me so I can't.

"What do you want Asher? An apology? I refuse to give one when it was my sister's life. I went into what I did with open eyes, I knew the risks and accepted them. If I can, then so can you."

I whisper it angrily into his head but get no response for a few minutes. Then surprise fills me as he floods my mind with worry and fear. The memory of my screams of pain during the fight, the amount of blood that I'd been covered in, the knowledge that he knew I was hurt worse than I'd let on but could do nothing about it. The fear and heartache when I had laid dying in front of him. Scared when Faline exchanged with me, not knowing what all it would do to me.

His relief when he saw that I was alive, but frustrated... He cuts off before I can get any more of that trailed off thought. Relaxing under him, I settle with no further trouble.

Feeling it, he lets go of my scruff and proceeds to rub his face into the thickness. Unsure what to do, I stay put. A warm tongue slips over my face and muzzle.

Feel sorry for him, I have to taste all sorts of horrible right now. A glimmer of warmth comes from him as he works on settling his fears. Moving back and down to look at my side, he noses fur from it before resorting back to his tongue.

The warmth is soothing, if a bit weird. Laying my head down on outstretched legs, patience is tested on the length it will last. He keeps going till I start getting antsy, stopping only then just to move back to my face where I get another bath.

His muzzle presses to the side of my own, so I return the favor. Cleaning up his snout to his ears, poking my nose into one before rubbing my head against his.

"Thank you Asher, for all you've done for me and my family. If there's any time you need help, I hope you'll come to me."

Color and emotion pour from him before he backs off and allows me to go upstairs. I'm about to the middle of them when the door opens with my sister standing there, worry on her face. I give a light bark before pushing my head into her belly.

Now the trials really begin. Battling like that in front of all those Vamps and animals, word will get around real fast. Our lives are about to get real interesting.