"I can't have you out there on your own. You don't make a move unless it's with Fang. It's up to you. Fang, you're working on tracking Alexia. I'll have a think on Ruby's clue and send you what I've found later on tonight, or early tomorrow. It's going to be a long list of possibilities, unfortunately." Aaron said turning to leave.
Aaron knew Ashina would come to her senses and relent on working with Fang. She was too invested in finding Alexia, and far too involved in rebuilding the Council to leave now. He knew a kindred spirit when he saw one.
Fang spoke up stopping him from leaving. "Wait, Aaron, she's hurting, can you help?"
Aaron turned rolling his eyes. "Sorry, I meant to fix that earlier, I got distracted."
Ashina shot Fang a slightly confused look from under her lashes, and shook her head at Aaron. "It's fine. It doesn't hurt that much. Don't waste your energy on it."
Aaron raised an eyebrow. "Pup, it's substantially easier to heal than it is to kill. It's no energy at all. Besides with all the dirt you managed to get in those it'll be a miracle if they don't get infected."
Healing was one of a Death Walker's lesser known powers. People were always more interested in the destructive ones.
He pressed his hand to her grazed arm, drawing the cuts, scrapes, and bruises away from her skin, and into his own. There was a flash of pain before he healed, leaving Ashina unmarked.
With a wink he left her apartment, leaving her and Fang alone. Ashina shifted her weight, moving further away from the imposing wolf standing in her apartment. Nervously she ran her thumb nail under one of her fingernails, dislodging some of the dirt from earlier.
"So, long time, no see." Fang said breaking the silence.
She nodded, avoiding eye contact. It was amazing how those four years of growth could desert her so quickly, leaving her feeling like the stupid 20 year old she'd been when she last saw him.
"Ashina why can't you work with me? I know I did, and said some stupid things last time I saw you, and I'm sorry. I'm not the same person I was. You're not the same person you were. This mission, it's bigger than both of us. We need to find Alexia. I'd like your help if you'll give it to me."
His voice was rich and low and persuasive. Just like always. She squeezed her eyes shut.
"Stop it." She whimpered. "Just get out of my house!"
When she opened her eyes again he was gone, and she was alone in her apartment.
After such a rough day and night all she wanted to do was sleep. She curled up in bed, placing a gun under her pillow, and a large brown bear within close reach.
"The fact that I need you here tonight means that I pretty much fail at being an adult." She told the bear, before slipping into a restless sleep.
Four years ago...
Fang snorted as he watched Ashina sway towards the bathrooms. She was very green, 20 years old, one year of intense training, and just barely holding her liquor. Of course he was only a few years older, but he felt eons older after all he'd seen in the past few years.
Ashina had completed the final part of her training undercover with Fang and Angela. She had enjoyed herself immensely, learning the bulk of her skills from Fang as his 'cousin' while he and Angela kept up the facade of being a couple involved in a relatively benign Wolf Pack heavily connected with one they were very interested in.
Working in such close confines with Fang over the last year had left Ashina with a bit of a crush. She had started her initial training with him a year earlier, and he'd taught her everything she knew. He was one of the best, and it excited her to know she was one of the few agents he'd bothered to take under his wing for the entire duration of her training.
Staring herself down in the mirror she wished she had the guts to learn one more thing with him. She had waited longer than most for sex, wanting a special experience for her first time. Ashina was pretty sure Fang would be special. He was huge and a bit rough around the edges, but he'd always talked to her like an equal, and treated her with respect and warmth.
Besides, once you got past the whole scary, rough, and tough as nails appearance than man was truly smoking hot. One glimpse of his wicked half grin could give her heart palpitations for days. And his voice... Wow. It was at odds with his appearance, rich, low and persuasive, every time she heard him speak the contrast jolted her a little.
Fang knew she had a bit of a crush, but ignored it. He was involved with someone else and Ashina wasn't his type - he was too much of an asshole for her to be getting involved with him. He needed a woman with a bit more of a hard edge to her. Ashina wasn't tough - instead she stirred up all sorts of unusual protective feelings in him, leaving him feeling a bit like an honorary older brother.
On the other hand, while she wasn't tough and hard, she was feisty, and at times a bit of a smart-ass He was looking forward to seeing how she developed as an agent and as a woman.
Ashina was beautiful too. She was just growing into her over-large lips and eyes, and still had a slight air of awkwardness about her. It made men stare at her and speculate, which in turn made him glare and wish he could warn them all to stay the hell away from her.
He couldn't quite say what exactly it was that made him revoke his usual 'no newbies, trainees, or tagalongs' rule, but thankfully Ashina had been a quick study.
Fang was relieved to finally be getting into the meat of his assignment - cozying up with a Pack known to be working in conjunction with the council.
His regular partner - Angela - was staying undercover with him. She'd be along later tonight, they had arranged to meet in the woods, and head out in wolf form from there. They enjoyed working together, and they enjoyed screwing around together - discreetly of course. It wasn't really a serious thing, but both knew that in their line of work it was about as close as it would probably get.
Ashina chose that moment to sashay her way out of the bathrooms eyeing one of the young males by the pool-table boldly.
He signed grimly, and finished his beer. She was young, but when she wanted to, she knew how to use her inbuilt wolf sexuality to drive men crazy. He growled a little in warning and she looked over guiltily, making her way back to her barstool.
"We should go. You've had about all the drink you can handle." He said, slinging his arm over her shoulder affably, and suddenly realizing he was a lot drunker, and a lot less in control than he'd assumed.
She smelt very, very good.
They swayed out of the bar towards the strip of forest across the road. He had driven, but they were both a little drunker than expected, so they'd just shift and run home. It was standard practice for most of the Shape-Shifters living in the town, and the bar owner was Pack, so he didn't question the occasional pile of off-cast clothing or overnight use of the carpark.
Stripping they both crouched and shifted form. Their ears, nose, and eyes always changed first, blasting them with an overload of noise, scent, and vision. Then with a wave of hot pricking pain as internal organs shifted, bones creaked into place, and hair swept dramatically over bare skin. Finally two wolves - perhaps a little larger than a biological wolf - crouched panting on the forest floor.
Ashina grinned at the much larger wolf beside her. She knew she was a little drunk, but ultimately didn't care. He'd take care of her - he always did. They playfully wrestled before Fang remembered himself, and rolled away nudging her up and in the direction of the house.
She really was a beautiful wolf. Silvery white she stood out plainly under the moonlight. It was a little impractical for camouflage but they'd worked hard on making sure she could blend in if she needed to. It was a lot harder for a pale wolf, but as long as she stayed aware of her surroundings she did quite well.