The light rustling of leaves alerts her to Fenrir’s approach from the direction of her home. The bushes part to allow the large black wolf through, and he drops from a lope to a trot, tongue lolling from his mouth. He comes to a stop and whines softly. She lets him into her mind, and she sees the cars driving through the desolate roads. They would be arriving shortly, even with how fast Fenrir could run. She gets into motion once more, moving swiftly on light feet with the wolf right beside her. She slips in through the back door in the nick of time.

She opens the front door and steps out into the yard of her home, just as the car pulls into the base of her driveway, slowly winding its way up. She comes to a stop, folding her hands in front of her to greet her unwanted guests. The car door opens and Roland is the first to appear, unfolding his muscular body from the driver’s seat, sharp eyes scanning the area before stepping to the rear door of the black sedan. His gaze locks with Lycana as the wind takes his long hair, making it fly about his head. She slams the locks on the walls in her head, already feeling his powerful presence about her. She shows no emotion on his face as he opens the door of the car.

An elegantly dressed man with flowing dark blond hair emerges from its depths, throwing his arms open as he approaches her. “Lycana! Such a pleasure to see you again! Your home, it's so....” he looks around, the smile slipping for a brief moment. “..... charming.” Lycana pastes a smile on her face as she drops a curtsey, then allows herself to be enveloped into a hug. She wiggles her way free from his exuberant grasp after long moments of him not seeming to be letting go anytime soon. “Welcome Dion, I hope you find your stay to be pleasant. The pack lands are....” Dion waves his hand dismissively. “Yes, yes. I'm sure theyre fantastic, but for now... I'd like to talk more about this whole... wrestling thing you are doing. It sounds positively brutal my dear!”

He looks at her with eager anticipation, his gaze taking in all her fading bruises from her match with Marf. Lycana knew that he would want to know every detail, enjoying hearing about such things but not actually getting his hands dirty. “It is, I can tell you all about it over a cup of...” she is cut off once more by a waving hand. “Yes yes... I am exhausted! I must rest. Where am I to stay, I do hope the pillows are down, afterall....” His voice fades away as he disappears into Lycana’s house without waiting for anybody else. She grits her teeth as she turns and comes face to face with Roland. They stare at each other once more, distrust coming off both in waves. “Lycana.” “Roland.” After that titillating exchange, he follows Dion into the house.

She is about to follow when something stops her dead in her tracks. Standing on the opposite side of the car, is a familiar scarlet haired woman. She starts sauntering over, victory already alight in her eyes at getting one over on Lycana. “Cate sent me, to be sure you were still faithful to the order, rather than that merry band of ghouls you're palling around with.” Lycana’s rage threatens to bubble to the surface as she feels her body go hot, then numb with the hatred coursing through her. Her false smile is fixed on her face as she struggles for any semblance of control over herself as Arcana comes to a stop before her, looking rather pleased with herself.

“Arent you going to invite me in?” Arcana practically bats her eyelashes to try and bait Lycana. “What, are you a vampire now?” she scoffs, rolling her eyes. “Don't be silly Lycana, those don’t exist. I was just waiting for you to be polite and invite me into your oh so charming house!” Lycana opens her mouth to tell her just where she could go, when a throat clears behind her. “Actually, they do... just there's not much left of the Brood we think.” Lycana and Arcana both gape at Roland before exchanging a glance. “They were last in Vegas that we know of, but...” “Oh come, come! These two don’t want to hear about things like that! Lycana wanted to tell me all about this... group of letters federation... thing... she's in!”

Dion tosses his arm around Rolands shoulder, effectively cutting him off this time. He smiles at everybody. “I think Arcana here has been training as well, haven't you darling?” She nods eagerly, seeing yet another chance to needle Lycana. “Yes, under someone who was well known in the ring, Syren. Who did you train with again Lycana? I don’t think she was ever in the ring, was she?” Lycana can't help but picture Arcana’s death at least twelve times over as she forces some kind of weird grimace to her face and points inside her house. “Why don’t we all go sit down.” She stiffly walks into her house wondering just how in the hell she was going to make it through a couple days of this. Someone was not going to survive. And she wasn’t sure if it would be her or one of them.

She steps back out from her kitchen carrying the tea service tray, having to had really hold herself back from just poisoning the liquid. It wouldn’t have worked on Dion anyway, and then she would be in a lot more trouble than she wished to be right now. She joins the rest who are all settled, and sets the tray on the small table in the middle of the room. She pours for everyone. She then seats herself and looks up to find Dion staring expectantly at her. “I managed to catch some of your last match, it was very... savage.” Lycana relaxes with a smile. This was at least ground she was comfortable on. “Yes, it was wonderful.” Dion leans forward now, pointing at the marks around Lycana’s neck from getting strangled. “Those are quite... lovely.”

Lycana begins to talk about her time in the ring with Marf. The brutality, the ruthlessness, the utterly delectable sharing of violence that they had experienced together. It had been even better than she had expected. She shivers lightly as she recalls him simply manhandling her over the ring ropes with zero regards to where she landed. She extolls on his virtues on both dishing out, and taking the pain. The fact that they both started dripping blood before ferocity overtook them, and it went from just an incredibly barbarous wrestling match, to a pure battle of predators looking to hurt one another. The glorious amount of pain she was in for ages afterwards. How his hands felt while brutally slamming her body down to the mat. In turn, how it felt to wrap her legs around him and send his large body hurtling across the ring. She was getting heavy into the details about how his hands felt crushing her throat as she lifted the teapot to pour another cup when she looks up.

Dion’s eyes are glazed over and his hand is running slowly up his own thigh. Lycana gapes at him, fumbling the kettle and spilling scalding tea all over her own hand. She sucks in a breath, bringing her hand to her mouth, eyes round as saucers now faced with someone who just might be a little be more openly depraved than she was. Arcana sat chuckling in the background as Roland awkwardly prodded Dion. The pained look on his face clearly said this wasn’t his first rodeo of this kind. “Sir, this isn't the packlands so uh... perhaps?” Dion shakes himself out of his trance and grins at all around. “Oh, spoilsport. I was merely enjoying Lycana’s story!”

Awkward silence overtakes the three as Dion really doesn’t seem to give a shit that he had been so blatant with his intentions. Arcana is the first to break the silence. “Well, my training is going quite well. I know Lycana is so excited that I'm going to be joining her in the XWF.” She cheerfully dives into how much fun wrestling was, and how much harder it was than it looked. And on and on and on. Lycana spaces out, as to avoid the venom boiling over once more. She had to keep on pretending that she didn’t want to slice Arcana’s head from her shoulders as much as she wanted to. That sort of thing was frowned upon and would be her ticket right out the door. It wasn’t worth it. Yet.

She shouldn’t be too surprised about Dion’s public display; he was quite the... free spirit when he was among the wolves. Huge parties with all the drugs, booze and orgies were commonplace. Typically, she wouldn’t bat an eye at such goings on, but it was quite another thing to start going on in the middle of her living room with two other people she despised in attendance. Lycana was a great actress, but even she had her damned limits. The poor country wolves weren't going to know what hit them with Dion in their midst. Hopefully Roland kept him fairly well tamed or she was going to have to retrain the whole damn group again, something she didn’t have time to do before she flew off to the next XWF event.

“Right Lycana?” She comes back to reality with all faces turned her way. She blinks trying to recall just what had been said that she was supposed to agree with. “Um, yes, that’s right.” She cringes a little. Being Arcana, she had probably noticed that Lycana wasn’t paying attention and had used the moment to announce that they were going to be the best tag team ever or some outrageous notion like that. She sees the flicker in Arcana’s eyes and mentally curses herself. “I'm so glad! I knew you'd be willing to show me some of your moves before we leave!” Lycana nearly expels a sharp sigh of relief and gives herself away right there. Instead, she inclines her head with a sugary smile.

Yes, she would show Arcana some of the things she had learned in her time at the XWF, but it sure wouldn’t be to trade knowledge. The opportunity to actually get her hands on the girl without needing a reason to hurt her was far too tempting to pass up. It would help get some of her frustrations out about being stuck here handling this instead of putting her mind fully where it needed to be... and that was her next match. She and Ash Quinn would be teaming up to step into the ring together, facing Corey Smith and RL Edgar. She didn’t know too much about the latter, but she had met dear Corey at the same time she had met Marf. Yes... she could recall him quite well.

“It's almost dark, perhaps we should depart to meet the pack?” Roland rises without waiting for confirmation, Dion following with eager anticipation. Thrilled to be getting them out of her house and probably out of her hair for a little bit, Lycana also comes to her feet gracefully. She leads the way out the door, Fenrir bounding out of nowhere to greet everybody much to the delight of Dion who loved the actual wolves just as much as he did the lycans. The small group makes their way through the woods, not bothering to make small talk, which was just fine with Lycana. She was slowly coming to realize that she would be stuck behind this night with Arcana, and her mood had soured even more.

A familiar redheaded figure steps out from behind a tree and hails them. Oh, the night kept getting better and better for Lycana! Rolfe bows low to Dion, and Lycana makes all the proper introductions. They make the rest of the short trip, and step out of the woods towards a large campfire. Lycana hangs back, even knowing she should be up front leading this exchange. She’d rather being listening to one of Tommy Romeo’s ‘stirring’ speeches against the Left Hand. He was as brainless as his prized possession. And just as full of hot air. She catches Roland’s disapproving stare and sighs, hustling her way to the front of the pack, to introduce Dion one by one to the members of the Seven Devils pack, who all about fell over one another for the honor of touching his fingertips.

Once done, she melted back once more, watching him charm his way easily through. “You know Cate sent her to watch you, and be sure you weren't leaving her for this Baphomet.” Lycana nearly groans in actual pain. Honestly, she would much rather be getting her ass handed to her than deal with this. She turns to face Rolfe. “Why thank you, I'm not an idiot.” Rolfe looks concerned. “I don’t know Lycana, I’d watch myself if I were you...” “But you're not. And there is nothing to worry about.” She spins on her heel and walks away from the annoying werewolf. He was not something she needed or wanted to deal with right now. She still had to sneak away while they were busy and meet up with...

A bunch of howls rent the air as the pack shifts into their wolf forms. She watches Rolfe glance back it one last time, before he too transforms and joins the rest of them, tails all wagging with excitement. They all gather around Dion before the entire lot of them up and disappear into the shadows of the woods, to look for their fellow canine brethren, to enjoy everything the night had to offer. This left Lycana standing alone with.... she turns her head to see Arcana walking towards her. She had to figure out a way to ditch her, she had important matters to attend to, not exchanging snarky remarks. Her match was coming up fast, the days were just flying by, and she had to be ready.

The night was dark, clouds hovering over the moon, giving everything a muted glow. Lycana paces her clearing, worry evident on her face. She knew she had plenty of time before the wolves settled down for the night, and she was far enough away that they shouldn’t even come out this way, but Arcana was another story. She had tried to be rid of her nearly the entire night but the obnoxious bitch just kept talking, and needling, and doing her damndest to get under Lycana’s skin. And doing a good job of it, she was quite loathe to admit. The inane prattle about how incredible her trainer was and how much she was learning from this Syren... it made her want to eyeroll so hard shed catch a glimpse of her brain. Finally though, she had gone up to her quarters, supposedly to rest and Lycana had made her quiet getaway. She had managed to get word out to the hooded man that she was going to be late, but had been unable to provide a time. Perhaps he had grown tired of waiting for her. Perhaps she herself should just go home... but no, she would wait a little longer. After all, he was doing her quite the favor by being here this night. It would be the least she could do. Her patience ends up being rewarded by the sounds of a footfall, nearly silent to those without her type of hearing. There were some benefits to being connected to the wolves. She turns her head to see him trudge in. She goes to meet him before he goes any farther, stopping before him, looking up into the deep hood that hid any trace of his identity from those who might be looking on. “My apologies... I was, unfortunately detained by something beyond my control. Tonight, we must be discreet, let us walk.” The duo move back into the woods, walking slowly in companionable silence, only broken for Lycana to show him where to find the more difficult of ingredients, or how to pick the best of whatever it was. Granted the night was not the best place for such things, but it was always best they meet under the cover of darkness. She glances at him sideways, studying him. He had been an apt pupil, surprising her with how willing he was. Add in all the strange little occurrences, and he intrigued her. “Thank you, for meeting me tonight. I know you also have obligations that take you elsewhere. I had not expected to be back from my tour with XWF, but I am pleased we can take advantage of such.” The hood shifts in her direction, a simple nod seeming to be her only response. They walk a little further when a deep, low voice emerges from the depths of the hood. “You are welcome.” Lycana did not understand the strange pull she felt towards him, thus far all their conversation had been ‘business’ related. Her curiosity gets the better of her eventually. “You have done well with me. I must admit, I wasn’t sure you would be as you are. You... are compelling.” both praise and the confession came hard for her. “I feel that you understand more than you say. What are your thoughts on pain?” He comes to a stop and turns to her, and she responds in kind. He is quiet for a moment before answering her. “Pain is everything...and pain is nothing. My relationship with pain is close to my heart, but you know that already don’t you?” The corners of her lips twitch upwards for the briefest of moments. “I do. Pain is also something to be shared. It can be powerful, bringing two together. You freely partake in things that will allow me access into your mind's eye... why?" He reaches out, placing one large hand on her shoulder. She braces, waiting for the strange current that seemed to randomly pop up during their contact, but once again, nothing happens. “I can feel it in you...the desire to inflict as much pain as me. Maybe more, if that’s even possible. We are one in the same when it comes to that. I can trust you...” She focuses on his face under the hood, inclining her head in agreement. “Trust, must be built... but our foundations are solid. Come, let us talk more...” Together, they make their way through the gloomy woods, disappearing from sight.

Lycana is moving through the woods again, alone now making her way slowly back to her house. Her ears strain to catch any sounds of the wolves, wondering how things had went with Dion. She would be able to see all, hear all once Fenrir came home. She would have to find a moment alone with him, without the nosy Arcana snooping around. As it was, she had to sneak her way back into her own home, rather than have to offer up the lame and overused excuse of not being able to sleep and going for a walk in the middle of the night. She couldn’t wait to get her hands on her tomorrow, for that little ‘wrestling lesson.’ She could recall her first meeting with the ruby haired bitch. She had hated her from the moment she had laid eyes on her. She was so... precocious. The favorite, the one who could do no wrong. The one who was the best student.

THE PAST, TIME UNKNOWN

It had been a very special day, for Cate had been around rather than ensconced within her business place in New York City, which was very rare. Usually, she sent one of the highest-ranking members, but she had something special to present to Lycana. She could barely contain herself. Perhaps she was getting some kind of powers already! She wondered what they could be. Maybe control over one of the elements? A cloaking ability? She longed to have the powers of shapeshifting, but she was so new to the order she wasn’t sure that she could have earned such a thing quite yet. She had to have done something though, that caught someone's eye. Perhaps it was all the sacrifices...

Perhaps it was all the training she had been putting in to become a wrestler. It showed discipline and a willingness to learn right? She was so sure she had finally laid to rest the rumors that she was a ticking timebomb, one who could not control the darkness inside, too dangerous to hold powers of her own. Her head whips around at the melodic sound of Cate’s voice saying her name. She nearly simpered as she dropped down into a low curtsey, waiting until she was acknowledged before rising to face her goddess. “Lycana, I have heard that you are doing quite well with both your training here, and with that barbarous sport you insist on. I do hope you will do as you say, and let it help you more with your studies here. And that you bring me more that benefits the order. Now, I have brought you a great gift. You are to be trained under Arcana here.”

“Yes, and I am so pleased that..... what?” Lycana blinks, the words not what she had been expecting at all. She had been so focused on Cate, that she had completely missed the short red-haired girl who now steps out from behind her to smile at Lycana. Lycana’s eyes go back and forth between the two. “Arcana is my star pupil, she has been with me since she was a child. You would do well to do as she says. Farewell.” Cate turns and glides out of the room, without so much as a second glance backwards, leaving the two bright haired women together. Lycana feels the seething poison sliding up the back of her throat, her anger nearly palpable.

She turns her eyes to the kind looking Arcana, who was looking at her with some concern. She hated her already. This... THIS was the great gift bestowed upon her? To train under this piteous fool?! Lycana nearly chokes on the poison she feels inside. She struggles desperately to keep some form of control. She sees Arcana open her mouth to say something. “NO!” the word bursts from her in venomous tones. Her anger exploding like lava from a volcano. She snarls, grabbing the first thing that came to hand, a small dagger and flings it across the room, it going by the startled Arcana to embed itself in the wall. The implications should that dagger been a couple inches to the side slam into Lycana and she drops to her knees, her breath heaving, regret weighing heavy upon her. There would still be repercussions.

It had not been her proudest moment. Lycana opens her eyes to find her hand resting on the doorknob of her home. She still struggled with containing the thick sludge of rage that bubbled inside of her, but it was quite a bit easier to do so now, than it had been back then. Tempest had included some ideas in her training in the ring, so that she wouldn’t always fly off her rocker and try to maim her opponents. Still though, it chafed at her to hold back and follow the rules. It was needed unfortunately, if she ever wanted the damn powers that she STILL had never been granted. She thought she should be rewarded for all the restraint she had shown thus far, but obviously nobody else seemed to care.

She would also have to call upon it in the ring, when her bloodlust was creeping along the edges of her being. Not everyone could be quite like her and actually enjoy the sport for all its savage nature that it could be. They were in it for the ‘sport’. The wins and the glory. While she could appreciate the testing of skills, she just really wanted to expend all her energies to hurt someone and get hurt in return. She opens the door and slips quietly into the darkened interior. She creeps up her stairs, carefully avoiding the creaky step. She skulks down the hallway and smoothly into her office, shutting the door behind her before turning on the computer. It was time to do a little research for her rendezvous with Corey Smith and R.L. Edgar.

“Night is not something to endure until dawn. It is an element, much like wind or fire. Darkness has its own kingdom; it moves to its own laws. Many living things dwell in the dark. Some are merely hiding. Others are hunting, and those are the ones you need to watch out for. The beasts that lurk, watching, waiting, going unseen until it is far too late. Creatures who exist in the light, often fail to run in time, relying on the darkness to shelter them from view. Instead, the darkness lovingly grants its harshest residents', the most power, the strength of the hunt under its warm covers.

I hunt the roster of the XWF, testing defenses, learning about people without them even knowing it. A passing interaction, can be a wealth of information without anyone being the wiser. Watch how they act, listen to the tone of their voice, their expressions. All ways to study your prey, to be ready for them when you come face to face in the ring, the climax of it all. I’d be remiss if I didn’t study those I was going toe to toe with. This coming Warfare, I get not one, but two new toys to play with, with Ash Quinn by my side. I know that she is looking forward to this little adventure as much as I am, and we both plan to rain a whole lot of hurt down.

My darling Corey! It seems that I will be getting that date you owe me after all... granted it’s a double date and I’ll have to share you, but I digress. It has been far too long since I have had the pleasure of your company. I often think back to that night, do you remember it? The one where you called out to me, only to turn tail and run off because you couldn’t handle the briefest taste of the dark? No matter, because out of that little meeting came something that was of much benefit to me, and that was a chance to meet Marf and draw him to the Left Hands side. He’s quite an asset, and I have you to thank for it! Don’t think I'm going to go easy on you because of that little favor though.

Once we step into the ring together, there will be no escaping. No running away because I scare you. Unless you wanted to forfeit, but that would be no fun at all now would it? It certainly wouldn’t be as pleasurable to me. You might be better off doing so, but I hope you don’t! I am looking forward to our date, our first dance inside the squared circle. Your hands on my body, and mine on yours. I could just about swoon with the euphoria this brings to me! You see Corey, I want to do things to you, things that will bring a tear to both of our eyes. Tears of pain to yours, and joy to mine naturally. Alas, I do not think you can give me back the sort of things I dish out like my last match, but I do encourage you do try your best.

Regardless of your efforts, I fully intend to bring you to your knees. From there, to your back. You will have time then, as you gaze into the lights, to reflect on what a mistake it was to call me out of the shadows in the first place. Perhaps I would have gone a little easier on you, if you hadn't been quite the disappointment that night. I’ve had plenty of time to reflect on it, and picture having you under my boot, laying across you for the pin, taking your body and slamming it into every available surface. Do you like the feeling of flying Corey? I can oblige you in that, I too love to fly. Dragging you up top and taking you for a ride on my Metamorphosis, hearing your breath torn from your lungs as we slam into the mat.... I can hear it already.

And your partner! Dear R.L. Edgar... I have not had the delight of meeting you yet, but even though you are crashing my special one on one time with Corey, I look forward to it! In fact, I’m bringing a friend along, I thought it might be a little rude of me not to comply with the powers that be. I couldn’t take up TWO men's attention all by my lonesome. Well, I could... but that sort of thing might be frowned upon by some of the more tame members of the company. Pity. Let me put your mind at rest, that while I have Ash Quinn in my corner, I will give you equal attention R.L. No playing favorites with Corey! And I will let her have all the chances with both that she wants. I am an excellent sharer after all!

I know almost nothing about you R.L... but that just serves to tickle me all the more. It gives an incredible air of mystery about you and what you'll be bringing to the table. Oh sure, I watched your old matches just to get an idea. But do they really help me out now? No. How do I know you haven't totally changed in the time from then to now? No, I prefer to keep you with the air of mystique about you, and await with bated breath what words you have to offer me before I get to see your true nature on Warfare. Perhaps you too will be one out of my wildest fantasies, and be a bloodthirsty beast hell bent on trying to take a limb off. Probably not, but a girl can dream can't she?

The dark lives inside me, like a functioning organ, it drives my life, pushing every action I take. Both of you, will get a little taste of what that means come our match. Ash and I, will dismantle you and leave little behind to be scraped off the mat. We will overwhelm you, dragging you down, until you feel yourself falling deeper and deeper, until you swear you can take no more. Still, we will push you on until you break under our demands. Your cries of pain, will be as the whip to a racehorse, pushing me to hurt you further still. I plan to bring so many delights your way boys... I do hope to hear from you both soon, all your promises in return. Don’t keep me waiting too long.”

Lycana is getting to her feet when she startled by a light tap on the office door. She cautiously moves on silent feet, padding over to the door to press her ear against it wondering if it had been a figment of her imagination. Instead, she hears a whisper. “Lycana, why are you talking to yourself?” Seriously, where was Romeo when you needed him? He could put anyone to sleep within minutes. What had she done to deserve such hellacious punishment such as today had brought? And it wasn’t over yet... there was still another full day and night to get through. Closing her eyes and drawing a on all the powers she had available not to kill Arcana right there in her hallway, she opens the door. Arcana’s expectant face looks at her. “Go to bed.” Her face falls. “But...” Not waiting, Lycana makes her way to her bedroom, slamming the door behind her, locking the door with an audible click, effectively ending the conversation before it can even get started.