wrath and mercy

It wasn't until he watched Duncan disappear entirely from sight that Jason turned around, launching in the direction of his home. Henry had every intention of trying to hide what he was still, wrapping around the length of his property. When he arrived at the back of the cabin, Henry shifted back into his human form. Jogging out from around the side of his cabin, Henry ran toward Clio's form. It was only when he approached Clio, shirtless with a pair of jeans hanging low on his hips, that the dog on his porch relaxed.

Henry scooped Clio into his arms, not bothering to explain what he was doing as he carried her up the stairs. He kicked open the door before pressing it shut behind them. He laid her on his couch before disappearing down the hallway. It was a few minutes before Henry returned with a bag that was stuffed with many different medical supplies, plants, and other items he would need to help patch Clio up.

Dropping to his knees, Henry reached out and ripped her shirt from just below her chest so that it would properly reveal the wound on her side. Henry made quick work of putting together a paste to lather onto her side. "This is going to sting but it's going to stop the bleeding. And it'll help more than stitches. I only have silver needles," Henry said with a dry laugh.

Henry looked down to her, raising an eyebrow. "We'll figure out a way for you to eat after," Henry muttered as he began to lather the paste onto her side.

Clio wasn't surprised when she saw Henry come running out of the woods, especially shirtless with his jeans barely staying up around his waist. He looked messy, his hair tousled and sweat dripping down his body. He stopped Clio up in his arms without even hesitating, only confirming her suspicions that he was the second wolf. If he wanted to try and pretend it wasn't obvious, he could, but Clio wasn't that stupid.

She winced and cried when he pulled her into his arms, feeling like her side was tearing with each movement. Henry's dog backed up, barking as he ran up the stairs, growling when he caught scent of Clio.

It felt like Clio had waited for an eternity on his couch, tears streaking down her face when she saw him reappear from the hallway. She hadn't a clue what he was smearing on her side, but oh god, did it burn. Her hand shot to his shoulder, her fingers gripping him tightly as she hissed, her body convulsing in pain. "God damnit!" She cried, biting down on her tongue, forcing herself to relax.

All she could think to do was cry and chew on the inside of her cheek, not sure if what to say to him. She imagined he was ready to hit her with, 'I told you so' or some other shitty remark about how he tried to warn her, even if he hadnt been very straight forward. "I... I need to feed... now," she squirmed, trying to force herself up.

@ castle.

Henry rolled his eyes at Clio's shout, fixing her with an unimpressed look. He shrugged at her, not the least bit sorry because Henry knew that he didn't have anything else to offer her. She would have continued bleeding if Henry hadn't slathered it on her side. "You leave now, you die. The entire pack," Henry paused for a moment, lifting his nose into the air. "Is going to be here soon. And if you think for a second they'd just let you waltz out of here like nothing was wrong..."

No blood would be shed in his home, that was the only thing keeping Clio safe at the moment and Henry damn well knew it. He only hoped that Clio's stubbornness wouldn't get the best of her. If she insisted on leaving, Henry didn't think he would bother to stop her but he was no fool. He knew the fate she faced if she did decide to leave.

"Once your skin starts pulling together, I'll figure something out for you to eat. It'll have to be animal because I'm not bringing a human to their slaughter," Henry muttered under his breathe. He saw no use in hiding that he was a wolf, if Clio was able to piece together the puzzle anyway.

"You can't leave though. Not until you're healed. After that..." Henry trailed off, giving a onesided shrug. "You'll have to leave town. Won't be safe for you here."

Clio tried to make herself comfortable, but it was impossible. The skin around her wound was burning and tingling, the pain almost unbearable. She didn't know what he had slathered on her, but it was doing it's best to heal dead tissue and it did not feel pleasant. Her hand was still on his shoulder, his warm skin felt relaxing under her icy touch.

"I-I can't leave... At all," She whispered, glancing down at him with her piercing green eyes. "Pl-please, I need to drink, now..." She knew it was probably hopeless, begging a werewolf to help her any further than he already had, but she had to try. Her body was fighting against her, burning from the inside out. It had already been days since she last fed and now that she was injured, she didn't know how much longer she'd last without a drink.

She felt like an idiot, hoping the rumors of Bellshore had been just that. She had hoped she could just lie low and that her coven wouldn't even think to check somewhere rumoured to be infested with werewolves. She had hoped this would be the safest place for her, a perfect hiding spot.

Clio stared at Henry, her face paler than usual, her lips dry and cracking. She was still trying to understand why he had helped her, especially if he was a wolf. Why would he go against his own pack to save a vampire? She scanned his body, for a moment noticing his muscles and how they were gleaming from his sweat, but then she caught a familiar scent, a sweet, metallic odor that caused her mouth to water.

He had been scratched by something and just a little bit of his blood was smeared on his clavicle. Clio couldn't help it as she hissed, her green eyes darkening until they were solid black, her fangs growing until they protruded over her bottom lip. She shoved her hand into his chest, knocking him back as she did her best to push herself into his couch. It was almost impossible to refrain herself, but she had to. She couldn't attack him after he had saved her, she couldn't...

@ castle.

Henry's own gaze darkened when Clio hissed, sneering as he looked down at her. He shook his head, setting his hand on Clio's shoulder and forcing her back down to the couch. "Quit your shit, I'm not putting up with your hunger when I just saved your ass. Duncan's a fighter, there's a reason he's our alpha and hasn't been challenged. By anyone. You couldn't have been attacked by anyone else? Literally any other wolf but our Goddamned alpha?"

Rising to his full height, Henry looked down to her with a raised brow. He set his hands on his hips, wondering what he'd just gotten into. Henry had no interest in being alpha but he knew that this was going to change just about everything that happened. Henry knew his pack wasn't going to be happy but he also knew he could handle himself so either way, he would be fine. Or so he hoped.

"What's best for you? Deer? Mountain lion? Rabbit? Squirrel?" Henry's face scrunched at the thought of Clio feeding off of something so small - she would need several for it to have any effect on her wellbeing.

"You stay here. You so much as open that door, I can't protect you," Henry snapped at her as he started for the front door. He stepped outside and made sure to shut it tight behind him before launching into the woods to find a meal for Clio.

Clio felt so frustrated, she wondered why she was holding herself back from ripping his head off. She wanted to shout and argue, wanted to let him know that if he hadn't interrupted she would've killed his previous alpha. But instead, she just rolled over, curling into a ball on his couch, pressing herself into the back of it. Closing her eyes tightly, she still saw him, towering over her. It was a terrifying thought, knowing that with the condition she was in, if Henry wanted to... He could end her. Though, it was also a terrifying thought wondering why he wasn't.

She listened to the door slam shut and she shuddered, feeling uncomfortable alone in his home. Clio could hear his dog pitter pattering around, letting out a low soft growl. It was the last thing she heard as she slipped out of consciousness.

It was more of a surprise to herself when she woke up, hearing the front door slam but felt something furry pressed into her arms, something that didn't smell very pleasant. It was breathing too and before she could fully open her eyes, she felt a warm, wet tongue licking her cheek. "Wha-" she groaned, opening her eyes to see the bear of a dog Henry kept as a pet had climbed onto the couch and forced his way into her arms. She gasped when she realized, flinching back in fear that the mut was going to hurt her, but soon realized he must've been sleeping with her for as long as she was out. Clio relaxed as much as she could, letting her head rest in the dogs fur, unable to deny how comfortable it was.

@ castle.

Henry returned nearly an hour later, dragging a deer behind him. He was tired now, ready to sleep but he had other things to tend to. Henry didn't so much as glance at the wolves circling his home, knowing they wouldn't step into his home to shed blood. There was an unwritten rule that no blood was shed in a wolf's home. Dropping the deer on the porch of his home, Henry shoved his front door open.

His brows shot up his forehead when he noticed his dog, Rex, curled up on Clio's body. His movements slowed to a stop, his head tilting to the side as Rex realized that he was home. The dog was quick to hop down and jog over to Henry, nudging his hand for attention. Henry obliged for a moment before he approached Clio, nodding toward the closed front door.

"There's a deer on the porch. You can feed, I'll stay with you before you come back inside," Henry encouraged. He held his head out to her, helping her off of the couch. His arm slid around her waist and he helped her outside so that she could feed. He leaned against the pillar of the porch, facing outward so that he could watch the wolves that circled. It was clear they weren't happy but Henry had never cared what others thought.

Clio took Henry's hand, pulling herself to her feet even though she felt like she might collapse. With his arm around her waist, she fell into his side, dragging her feet as they walked out onto the porch. The moment they stepped outside she could feel all of the eyes watching her, turning to stare out into the woods, she could see them slowly patrolling. There were at least six of them.

She did her best to ignore them, glancing towards Henry as she grabbed the railing of his porch, getting down on her knees beside the injured deer. It was barely hanging on to its life, wheezing for breath. Dried blood already coated it's fur where Henry had attacked it, and while it was something, the smell was very off-putting. Clio knew it was her only option and there was no use arguing about it. Not like she would've been able to argue, anyway. The moment she caught scent of the blood, everything else didn't matter anymore. The wolves circling his home, Henrys disgust with her, the pain in her side... It was all background noise now as she opened her mouth wide, fangs growing to their full length before she ripped into the deers throat.

The taste was revolting, not sweet and indulging like a humans, but it was enough to quench her thirst, enough to help her wound heal a bit faster, enough to keep her alive. She drank until she heard a loud howling coming from the woods, echoing through the trees. Flinching away, she looked up towards the treeline, blood smeared across her mouth and chin. Her eyes looked wild, glassy and red. For a moment, she wanted to encourage them, taunt them to come for her if all they were going to do was stalk her from the shadows, but she knew how that would end.

"Thank you..." She finally spoke, her voice cracking as she looked back down at the deer.

@ castle.

Henry scoffed at the howl that tore through the woods, rolling his eyes blatantly. He was sure they could tell how unhappy he was with their presence but that didn't matter. The only thing that mattered at the moment was keeping Clio safe. He had no clue why he felt so obligated to keep her safe but he did and Henry had always relied on his instincts more than the need to belong to his pack. His pack was important to him, sure, but it was nothing compared to the need to listen to his inner wolf. And that wolf felt some sort of need to be closer to Clio. To ensure her safety, her survival.

"You can finish. They won't spill blood in my home. They aren't stupid enough to do that," Henry uttered, smirking as Rex neared his side. The dog tensed, its own eyes narrowing as it eyed one of the wolves circling the home. While he was only a dog, there was a reason that Henry kept Rex. Rex made him feel like he wasn't alone, that it was okay not to stand beside others like him. Just because they were wolves did not mean Henry had to stand with them over every little thing.

Once Clio was finished, Henry leaned down to help her off of her knees. "C'mon. Let's get inside," he encouraged her, wasting no time in locking the door behind them. "You have to leave the paste on your side for another hour then you can take a shower if you want to rinse it off. And so you can freshen up," he added offhandedly. The fact that Clio's scent was permeating most of his home now, it made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end but he was doing his best to pretend as if it didn't bother him.

Clio was quick to let herself fall back to the couch, her side beginning to tense up and be sore to the touch. "Why are you helping me," she whispered, grabbing the collar of her shirt and wiping away the blood from her face. "That's your pack, so why are you doing this?" She didn't intend to come off as ungrateful, but it didn't make sense. Why was he going out of his way to help a vampire, when werewolves and vampires were sworn enemies? Why was he helping her when it was only going to make things worse for himself?

She relaxed back into the couch, looking up at him as Rex circled his legs before slowly coming back to her, sniffing at her side, his snout only centimeters away from her wound. She didn't like dogs, almost as much as she disliked werewolves, but it surprised her to see the dog didn't seem to mind her.

"It'd be easier for you to toss me outside... Hell, it would've been easier for you if you hadnt... saved me." She hated admitting it, the thought of her needed to be saved a wolf, it was almost laughable, but it had been true. She slowly raised her hand to rest it atop Rex's back, gently stroking his fur as she tried to relax.

@ castle.

"I don't know," Henry supplied his answer because in truth, he had no clue what he should tell her. He didn't really have a proper answer to give her and he wasn't about to start lying to her. Henry couldn't help but wonder if it was because of his lineage but then, that didn't make any sense either. He may have been related to Lycaon but that would have only meant that Henry was supposed to hate Clio for who she was. He wasn't about to tell her about his lineage, he saw no point. It would likely only cause further problems than what had already transpired.

"Just be grateful I did save you," Henry muttered. He turned, heading into the kitchen before he returned with a glass of water for her. He held it out to her before taking a seat opposite her.

Henry studied her, quiet for several long minutes before he broke the silence again. "Tell me. You said that you couldn't leave. But why? This place clearly isn't safe for you," Henry pointed out as if the vampire couldn't figure that out for herself. He let out a sigh, reaching up to run a hand through his hair.

"They'll kill you eventually - if you so much as step off of my front porch and I'm not here, I can't stop them," Henry uttered. He was frustrated that he couldn't figure out why he felt such a pull to her but it was there and the more that he helped Henry, the more he felt the need to protect her.

Clio took the glass of water, grabbing the blanket that was thrown over the back of the couch, pulling it around herself. She hoped he didn't mind. Bringing the glass to her lips, she took a small drink, mainly just to help wet her dry mouth. "Looks like I'm dead either way." She chuckled, before the smile fell from her face again. "I'm hiding from my coven. They're trying to..." She furrowed her brow, wondering why she was even trying to explain herself to him.

"My mother and my grandmother, and her mother ... They were all descendants from...." She found it hard to say, knowing how ridiculous it would sound. "Dracula. I have some of the oldest blood coursing through my veins. And my coven, has found a way to resurrect him using it." She leaned forward to sit the glass on the coffee table, feeling like a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders, just by speaking what had been troubling her. "They've murdered my whole family and now they're looking for me, I'm the last piece to their puzzle. But I can't let that happen."

She looked up at him, wondering if he would even believe her. She knew how crazy it sounded. "If they awaken Dracula, that's the end. He will bathe this world in human and werewolf blood alike and no one will be able to stop him. I heard the rumors of Bellshore, a werewolf territory and I didn't believe it. It sounded like the perfect place to hide. I'm hoping they won't follow me here."

@ castle.

Henry's breathe caught in the back of his throat when Clio revealed who she was descended from. He let out a low growl, his back straightening and before Clio even could tell what was happening, he was on his feet. His blood ran cold at the thought of what would happen if and when Clio's coven found their way to Bellshore. If they did, it would be an all-out war. There would be no other option before Henry doubted that Clio was lying to him.

Whether they wanted to or not, Henry's pack was going to have to protect Clio. She may have been a vampire but if her coven got their hands on her, their pack would end. The werewolf race would end. But... Henry couldn't help but let out a dry chuckle. But he supposed that Clio couldn't have happened upon a better town. The town with Lycaon's blood in it.

"We will keep you safe," Henry said, before he even considered what his words meant. If he tried to present the idea to the pack now, he was sure he would be laughed at. Whether Henry wanted to accept it or not, he knew what the ultimate answer here would be. "When your cover comes.. because it's not a matter of if.. it's a when, they will be taken care of. We'll start urging other packs to come because this is not something that we can slack on."

Henry ran a hand down his cheek, letting out a tired sigh. "How many are in your coven? Will they bring others or only themselves?"

Clio couldn't help but flinch, pressing herself back into his couch when he growled and forced himself to his feet. For a moment, she believed that was the end. That Henry would just lunge at her and end her miserable life before her coven had the chance to get what they wanted. She froze, squeezing her eyes shut tightly, waiting for the inevitable pain... But when it didn't come and all she heard was a dry laugh, she opened her eyes to look upon him.

"Fifty." Clio whispered, "and no, vampire covens do not mix or mingle with other groups..." She felt sick to her stomach, no part of her wanted her covens blood to run, but if they did step into Bellshore, that would no doubt be the outcome. Even though they wanted to sacrifice her, they were still her family. She couldn't blame them for wanting to resurrect their father, it had been foretold in stories and songs she had heard growing up in the fold. But she could see the destruction and death it would bring.

"Their numbers will only grow if they ..." She hinted towards what vampires did to reproduce, changing humans after feeding from them, when they desperately tried to hang onto to their sad life.

@ castle.

Henry could only be relieved when Clio told him that covens didn't mix. He didn't know much about vampire culture because he had no need to know. He was a wolf, of ancient blood. There had never been a need for him to know anything other than vampires were enemies. Up until he had met Clio, Henry had no desire to ever even have a conversation with a vampire. He exhaled slowly, grinding his teeth together as he glanced toward his door.

"Do you have a way to track them? To know if they are close?" Henry asked after another moment of silence. He started pacing back and forth, the reality of the situation washing over him. He bit back a huff, shaking his head as he paused in his movements. "Can they track you? I know where my wolves are at unless they're further than ten miles out," Henry exclaimed. He set his hands on his hips, looking at Clio. He frowned, wondering just what the vampire felt.

How would he feel if he was in her shoes? He was of ancient blood if his pack figured out how to raise Lycaon from the grave, would they sacrifice him? How would he feel? React? "Pack won't like it but," Henry paused, running his tongue over his bottom lip. "defending you is the only way that we defend ourselves."