Eyes in the Night

@ Sweet.Persephone
The smell of iron was faint as Vince carried Charlotte back towards the house. No dought her ankle and wrist were probably killing her. Being cut by a knife and being bit by a wolf were not easy things to handle. His heart ached as he listened to Charlotte's quiet voice. Her said words clenched at his heart, making him feel worst for what he had allowed happening. "You didn't know." That was the only thing that Vince could come up with to say to her. She just lost all of her friends in one day. How do you comfort someone when that happens?

The rest of the walk was silent. Not a sound escaped past Vince's lips as he carried Charlotte the whole way back to the house. He could hear his packmates trailing behind him, but keeping a small distance, just in case the other pack tries to attack while their backs were turned. Trust and respect flowed through the pack, and Vincent knew that he could trust them to lay their lives down for him, and now Charlotte if she decided to stay with him. Once he gave her the choice that is. Blinking out of his thoughts, Vince saw that they had arrived back at the house. Marcus was at the door and held it open for the Alpha and didn't speak a word or glance towards Charlotte as Vince walked inside. She had lost the respect from the oldest member of the pack it seemed.

Moving up towards his room, Vincent moved straight towards the bathroom and sat Charlotte down on the edge of the tub. "Can you roll your pant legs up?" Vince asked her, as he stepped back for a moment to grab some boxer shorts from his room before joining her once more in the bathroom. Except, he didn't go straight towards Charlotte, instead he went to where he kept his first ait kid. Grabbing a bottle of peroxide and some bandages, setting them down on the ground before moving towards the tub faucet and turning it on. "This might hurt, but I have to clean everything before I wrap it. Alright?" Vince said calmly as he sat down next to Charlotte. He gently grabbed her hurt ankle and set it on his lap. Leaning over, Vince tested the water to make sure it was warm and then proceeded to lightly cup some water in his hand and lightly pour it onto Charlotte's ankle. Then, he started to lightly wash it with some soap he had before doing the same thing with her wrist.

"Here comes the fun part," Vince said quietly as he then started to pour a little bit of the peroxide right onto Charlotte's wounds. The sound of the sizzling chemical cleaning the wounds sounded through the bathroom quietly. Vince paid extra attention to the wound on Charlotte's wrist. Seeing as it was almost a deadly slash. Thankfully, it didn't seem that Oliver knew to cut the vein. "Are you hurt anywhere else?" Vince asked, his gaze finally lifting to look Charlotte in the eyes. Clear worry was etched into Vince's eyes as he watched and waited for the young human girl to respond.

@ FallenHope95

As Vincent set her down on the tub, Charlotte averted her eyes away from him. It had taken her some time into the walk to realize that Vincent was naked, and now that she knew it, she was trying to give him some privacy. That was literally the least she could do after Vincent had come and saved her. Once he was out of the room, the woman leaned down, pulling her shoes off before managing to pull up her pants, revealing the bite marks. It wouldn't have been possible for her to roll them up with only her non dominate hand. Besides, she was doing her best not too move too much as it hurt to do so.

When Vincent came over and started to clean her leg, Charlotte gripped onto the side of the tub with her good arm. Tears welled up in her eyes as he touched her injury there. While it was an unpleasant feeling, the two bites to her leg didn't cause any major injuries. Just punctures in her skin and some major bruising. Though as Vincent started to clean her arm, tears were rolling down her cheeks. The knife cut was deep but luckily had no hit any major arteries. Even so, it was a concerning amount of blood for Charlotte to see coming out of her. Of course, Charlotte didn't know how much blood did one need to really start worrying. And, to make matters worse, Oliver had worsen the injury to Charlotte's hand, turning a simple sprain into a broken hand.

The moment Vincent poured the peroxide right onto her arm, Charlotte bent over in pain and grabbed onto Vincent's knee tightly. "Fucking kill me." Charlotte groaned out to herself as the tears started to fall harder. It took a moment before she was able to catch her breath and get herself to sit back up. That was when Vincent asked his question and she hesitated to look up at him. Though she was quick to avert her glaze, having a difficult time meeting his eyes after what she had done. Charlotte slowly shook her head in response, her head down. Oliver hadn't physically hurt her anywhere else. Though she felt that her heart was broken. And she was trying her best to keep herself together in that moment as Vincent tried to fix her injuries.

@ Sweet.Persephone
Keeping his focus on Charlotte's wounds, Vincent did his best to wrap her up firmly. He didn't want to have Charlotte accidentally injure herself further. "You'll live," Vince murmured when Charlotte cried out. His hands moving slowly as he worked. Then sat up straight as he finished wrapping her arm and ankle. "All done, how do they feel? To tight? Too loose?" Vince asked, arching a brow as he waited for a response from the young human.

Once Charlotte has the all-clear, Vince slowly stepped out of the tub. He leaned down slowly and hooked his arm under her legs and one behind her back. "Hold onto me again," Vince said as he slowly picked Charlotte up. Then carried her back to the bedroom. "Are you in pain, do you want me to grab you something?" Vince asked as he walked towards the bed with his mate in his arms. Her little body weighing practically nothing to him as he carried her towards the bed. Setting her down, Vince tried to be as careful as he could.

Stepping back once Charlotte was in the bed, Vince let out a small sigh and looked down at her. His arms slowly crossed over his bare chest. "What were you thinking when you drugged my pack and me?" Vince asked, wanting to ask something that wasn't about how Charlotte was injured. "You could have overdosed someone and killed them, Charlotte. You're just lucky that we're not human." A small sigh escaped from Vince as he slowly shook his head. He had no idea what else to say to her.

@ FallenHope95

"They feel fine," Charlotte whispered to him as she moved her arm back into her own body. She was ready to curl up and hide forever. And it seemed that she was going to be given that Chance when Vince moved out of the tub and picked her up again. As he requested, Charlotte leaned into him and wrapped her arms loosely around his neck. Though this time she pressed her head against his chest, hiding her face in him. She was quick to shake her head as he asked if there was anything she wanted. All Charlotte really wanted at that moment was to be left alone. Though it felt like too big of a request for her to ask after Vincent and his pack had saved her. And after he wrapped up her injuries.

Once Vincent set her down on the bed, Charlotte thought she was going to get the solitude that she was longing desperately for. So when he started to interrogate her, Charlotte's body grew tense. Her hands moved up for a moment, covering her ears for a second as she really didn't want to listen to it. It hurt to listen. Hadn't she been punished enough? What more could Vincent want? Though she forced her fingers to relax and her hands moved down to cover her face instead. The woman took in a deep breath, trying her best to calm herself down, still trying to not let herself completely break until he was gone.

"You told me that you wouldn't let me go until there was proof that I was safe. I thought that if I could go see them, I could prove it to you and you would let me go home." Charlotte whispered to him. "I didn't know how else to get out without everyone being knocked out...I knew you wouldn't let me go talk to them. You wouldn't even let me go to my own home. I haven't even gotten a chance to talk to my own mom - I." Charlotte closed her lips tightly, taking a moment before continuing on. "I didn't put in enough Nyquil to overdose anyone. Even if one person ate all of the cookies. I had thought about that. I just wanted to go home, okay? I thought you were wrong, that they were my friends and that you were just mistaken. That you didn't even know anything about them."

Charlotte grabbed onto the blanket with her good hand and started to wrap it up around her before moving it to cover her head as well so she was completely engulfed. "You don't have to worry about me anymore. I won't do anything else. You were right. I was wrong. I'm sorry that I drugged you and your pack. I'm sorry you had to come to save me and fix me up. I'm sorry that you still have to deal with me."

@ Sweet.Persephone
A sigh escaped from Vincent as he listened to Charlotte. His head lowered and eyes closed. One hand rested on his hip while the other rubbed tiredly at his eyes. He should have done things differently with Charlotte. She didn't deserve any of this. She didn't deserve to be kidnapped. She didn't deserve to be told that monsters like him exist and she most definitely didn't deserve to know that her friends who she grew up with were planning to hunt and kill her. She just didn't deserve any of this and it was seeming like Vince's fault. Except, what was he supposed to do? He had a feeling they had something up their sleeves. No pack marks a human without having an actual reason for it. The reason that came to Vince's mind seemed to be right.

"I'm sorry," Vince said quietly, he lowered his hand and opened his eyes to look at the young human who wrapped herself up like a burrito. "I'm aware that it was stupid on my part to just kidnap you out of the blue, but I had no choice really." Vince knew she was probably going to get upset with his wording but he really didn't care at this moment. Too much had happaned to try and redo it. "My wolf sensed danger and it wanted, no needed to protect you."

Vince slowly stepped towards the bed and kneeled down at the side. His eyes looking up at the young human with two different colored eyes. "I'm sorry for not making things clearer, but I swear I'm not an enemy, Charlotte. I'm just trying to help. I'll find a way to let you talk to your mom and get your things. Right now though, I need you to rest and heal. Can you do that for me? Rest and heal, then I'll get you the things from your apartment and a way to call your family. Deal?"

Desperation washed over vincent as he looked at Charlotte. Hoping like hell that she'd believe him and relax. To not get mad at him for being a fucking idiot. "Please Charlotte, I'm really sorry," Vince said quietly, looking up at her with the best puppy dog eyes he could manage.

@ FallenHope95

As she heard the man move besides the bed, Charlotte slowly pulled back the blanket over her head. She just let the upper part of her head out of the blanket burrito, now looking Vincent in the eyes. Her eyes fluttered a few times before looking down once again, still finding it difficult to meet his glaze. He was apologizing to her now. And, Charlotte knew that he should, that he had done wrong by her as well. But it just felt so wrong to hear after the man had saved her - from what she believed to be - her death.

When Vincent started to make his request, it pulled at her heart strings. It was such a simple thing that he was asking from her. Essentially, to do nothing. To lay in bed until she felt better. Finally something that Vincent wanted from her that Charlotte felt like she could actually do for him. And, it was hard to say no when Vincent was looking at her like that. Perhaps, in some ways, Vincent was more like a dog than he was a wolf. "I can do that." She whispered to him. "That sounds like a deal."

Charlotte shifted in the bed for a moment, hesitating before she continued on. "If it's not too much to ask, can you play with my hair for a little bit?" Her big, sad eyes finally lifted up to meet his own again. Although she had originally wanted to be alone, Charlotte just wanted to fall asleep now. And, the easiest way to do that, was to have someone message her head or play with her hair. If Vincent were to leave, she would get wrapped up in her own thoughts. Going over what happened today, how it came to this, how she didn't see the signs over and over again her head.

It was less likely to happen if Vincent was here. Even more so if he was doing something that would calm her down. Charlotte didn't want to think about any of this right now. Her heart ached and her body was in pain. Now seemed like the best time to pass out and let it all be tomorrow's problems.

@ Sweet.Persephone
Relief washed over Vince as Charlotte agreed to his request. It would seem that she was becoming a little bit more compliant with what's going on. Starting to understand that Vince really was doing his best to try and protect her. To make sure that she stayed safe and sound, That the reason for the marking of a human wasn't something that would point down darker and more dangerous routes. Although, he wasn't happy that things had to happen like this for her to understand. Vince understood that Charlotte was just wary, after all, she just learned about the supernatural creatures so it was understandable she wouldn't know their kind or folklore.

What Vince wasn't expecting though, nor did he see coming. That was when she asked him to play with her hair. Hiding his surprise expertly though, Vince offered a small smile instead and slowly nodded his head. "Sure, just lay down first." He told her as he slowly stood up so that he could sit on the side of the bed instead. Then, once Charlotte was comfortable, Vince slowly reached out and ran his fingers through the girl's hair. Feeling the soft strands moving through his fingers and slowly fall back into place. The small smile that Vince had slowly turned into an actually relaxed smile. This was feeling like something he could get used to.

----

It's been about a week since everything went down. Charlotte's ankle's swelling had gone down a bit and her wrist was looking pretty good as well. Meaning that Vince's over protectiveness was good for something at least. So, seeing as how Charlotte hadn't been causing Vince or his packmates any trouble, it was about time to live the bad on her exploring the house or cooking for the pack. After all, it seemed pretty clear to Vince that Charlotte was starting to slowly come to terms with things. At least a little bit.

Walking towards his bedroom door, Vince knocked lightly and waited for Charlotte's voice. It was kinda weird to knock since it was his bedroom, but for the time being, he was fine with sleeping in a guest room or on the couch. Once he heard Charlotte's voice Vince walked into the room. "Hey, do you want to get some fresh air before breakfast?" Vince asked as he looked at the young human. He figured a small walk would do Charlotte good since she'd been stuck inside for a while. Plus, if she started to feel tired then he had a reason to hold her and be closer.

@ FallenHope95

As she heard the knock on the door, Charlotte hesitated before telling Vincent to come in. The last week had been more difficult on her than she would like to admit. How could it not have though? She had leaned that her friends weren't really her friends. To the point where they wanted to kill her. And now she wasn't just kidnapped but had to accept the fact that her kidnapping was probably the only thing keeping her alive.... It was easy to say that had very little interest in leaving the bed over the last couple of days. Charlotte mostly stayed wrapped up as a burrito. Sometimes she would read or sleep or cry her eyes out.

At the moment, Charlotte was sitting up in the bed with her back relaxing against the wall. She was still wrapped up in the blanket, as much as she could be while still reading. Which meant that upper part of her face and her hands were uncovered. Though when Vincent walked into the room, Charlotte closed the book and her eyes shifted to look up at him.

His words caught her by surprise. She really had not spent much time outside of the room in the last week. Nor did Charlotte even bother to ask for any after what had happened. She actually really didn't ask Vincent for much at all. Her fingers pressed down against her book for a moment she nodded to Vincent with great hesitation. "Yes..."

Charlotte seemed a bit lost for a moment before she pulled off the blanket that was around her. Since she didn't have her own clothes there, the young woman had been forced to borrow some of the packs - or rather, some of Vincent's. She was wearing his black sweatshirt with the hood up and a pair of grey sweatpants.

Slowly, she moved off of the bed, being careful of her arm and leg. There was still a deep ache there when she set her injured foot onto the ground but a week of rest had done it some good. Charlotte's wrist, however, was still wrapped up tightly and broken.

@ Sweet.Persephone
The corners of Vince's lips twitched up into a light smile, glad that Charlotte wasn't going to turn him down. "Okay." He said quietly and watched silently as Charlotte seemed to hobble a bit as she got out of bed. Moving forward, Vince didn't give Charlotte much of a choice as he easily picked her up bridal style. "I feel like the stairs are going to be an obstacle. You can walk once we're down on the main level." Vince explained, not wanting to hear Charlotte telling him how she was fine and that she could walk. He knew she could, he saw her walk a few steps. That just didn't mean that she'd be able to do the stairs though.

Turning towards the door, Vince kept to his word as he carried her out of the room and down the stairs. Moving slowly so that he didn't accidentally jostle her too much and cause her wrist or ankle to hurt from the sudden movement. Then, as they reached the main floor, Vince slowly moved to set Charlotte down. Being careful so that she didn't fall from the sudden movement of having to stand on her own. "You good?" Vince asked, a little skeptical since he saw Charlotte limping and wasn't sure how much she could actually put onto her ankle.

Slowly, Vince stood up straight and stretched his arm out. Offering for Charlotte to lead the way towards the back door. "We have some chairs on the back porch to relax on, or we could try and take a small walk on the trails if you feel up to it," Vince said as he offered her a small smile. Now thinking that it was a bit too soon for her to be walking on the trails. Her ankle still seemed a little swollen and he wasn't sure how much longer it'd hurt her to walk.

@ FallenHope95

A surprised little 'ah' left Charlotte as Vincent suddenly decided to pick her up. Instinctively, she grabbed onto him, not wanting to get dropped on the floor. Though once it was sure that Vincent had a tight hold on her, the young woman seemed to calm down a bit as she leaned into his body. There was no point in arguing, not that she was going to. In truth, she didn't want to try and conquer the stairs aways. Though when they did reach the main floor, Charlotte was happy to be back on her feet. Her hands slowly slide from him as Vincent set her down, only moving back to him when he offered his arm, which Charlotte took.

Her eyes fluttered as they headed out of the house through the backdoor. She was still limping a little and the ache in her leg was uncomfortable but she figured that she could handle it for a walk. "Yes, I'm okay," Charlotte responded to him. "And I feel up to it, lets walk on the trails." Perhaps it was a bit on the foolish side but she did want to spend some time out of the house. Hell, over the last week she barely spent any time outside of the bedroom.

Once they were starting out from the house, she glanced up at the man for a long moment. "So... What made you decide that you'll lift my outside ban for an hour?" She asked him before turning her head to look out in the woods. Perhaps Vincent knew where her old friends were and felt safe to move around the forest. Or maybe the pack had agreed to stay away from Charlotte in the meantime in case she tried to poison them again... She wouldn't. But Charlotte supposed it was fair enough for it to be a worry on their mind.

@ Sweet.Persephone
Slowly nodding his head at the idea of walking the trail, Vince started to follow Charlotte. His hands slipping into his pockets as he looked up at the fall sky. It was a decent day outside so far, a little chilly and cloudy but he couldn't sense any rain. So, that was a win in Vince's mind. Especially since Charlotte didn't have anything to keep her warm for the time being. He still needed to figure out how to get her things for her. Allowing Charlotte to head back to her place on her own would be a suicide attempt, Going with one of his packmates would be a bad idea as well. Meaning, that Vince would have to go because he was the one most familiar with Charlotte's residence and the other pack. Shit, he might need to put Charlotte into the middle of things just to get her things back.

"Hm?" Breaking from his thoughts, Vince glanced towards Charlotte. He missed most of what she had asked him but after a moment of looking at her understanding. "Oh, uh, I spoke with one of my packmates who knows about bruises and he said you should be good to start walking," Vince explained, his shoulders lifting a bit in a small shrug. "Do you want me to take you back to your room and lock you up longer or something?" Vince asked, arching an eyebrow at her. It was meant as a small tease, but as soon as it left his lips Vince instantly wanted to take it back.

Releasing a small sigh and looking away from Charlotte. Vince looked down and saw a rock on the trail. Picking it up before either of them stepped on it, Vince pulled his hand back and tossed it off of the path they were slowly walking on. His eyes watching as the rock was thrown through the air for a bit before disappearing into a bush. "No one likes being locked up when they can see sunlight just on the other side," Vince mumbled quietly, then winced once more as he let something he didn't mean to let a slip put. "I uh, just thought it'd be nice to get some air. Don't you think?" Vince asked, offering Charlotte a small smile. Hoping to the gods above that she'd ignore his earlier words.

@ FallenHope95

A bit of a frown moved over Charlotte's face as Vincent mentioned keeping her locked up for longer. Her head turned away from his, looking off at the other side of the forest. Although he meant it as a joke, it wasn't really one. Sure, Vincent was allowing her to be outside for now but that could end quickly. She was out in the fresh air but that didn't meant that Vincent wasn't going to shove her back in the bedroom. It was hard for her to swallow down. Charlotte knew it was safer like this but...This wasn't her home. She didn't know these people.

She wanted to make a jab at him as he mentioned being locked up. How did Vincent know? He was her capture in this, not the other way around. This was not something that she could ever do to another person. But instead of snapping at him, Charlotte just shoved her hands into the large pocket at the front of her sweatshirt. She didn't really want to yell at him. Vincent was her key to both freedom and protection. Plus there were times where he offered a little bit of comfort through all of this... It wasn't like the others in the house ever came to talk to her.

Charlotte's eyes welled up a little but nonetheless, she nodded to Vincent. "Yes, it's nice." She whispered to him, her nose burying into the sweatshirt a bit, taking in a breath. After a week of wearing someone else's clothes, Charlotte had started to realize that she liked the way they smelled. That taking in even the smallest breath seemed to calm her down. She wondered what detergent they used. "Vincent..." Charlotte whispered. "When do you think the other pack will be over me?"

@ Sweet.Persephone
A low hum escaped from Vince as he looked up towards the sky. He didn't have a solid idea for charlotte and he knew that she'd get mad at him for being honest with her. But lying to her also wouldn't be a good idea because if she found out then it would destroy any and all trust he's managed to build up with her in the past week or so. "I don't know." He spoke, choosing honesty and her anger over betraying her and losing her trust in him.

The silence was Vince's friend for a couple of moments as he thought. He wasn't completely sure what the other pack had planned for her, but he had an idea. It wasn't one he was very happy to explain to Charlotte, but it was definitely something he felt she should be aware of. "They might never stop trying to get you," Vince said quietly. "While you're still human, that is." Vince pursed his lips together before he slowly lowered his gaze from the sky and looked towards Charlotte. He did his best as he saw her smelling his hoodie. He briefly wondered if she could smell him on his clothing, even if she was human.

"I believe that the other pack intended to use you as a sacrifice for Fenrir." Vince started, then looked forward as he tried to not shiver at the thought of the Norse god. "Some of my kind believe that the wolf god would grant the next generation more strength if they manage to kill a human in wolf form after marking it. A bonded human's spirit would be trapped by the spirits of my ancestors and carried to the Vanguard and taken straight to Fenrir to devour. If the spirit is to the beast's liking, it'll grant that pack's member a gift to take on and pass into their offspring."

Slowly, Vince ran his tongue along his lips before looking towards Charlotte. "Many don't believe in that lore or tradition anymore. Although in the olden days, it was a practice that was done almost yearly. Now, though. Only a select few that are twisted enough in the head still do it. We've come a long way in learning about genetics and health that we, as living beings. Know that you don't gain power from something that doesn't exist." Vince slowly stopped walking, his gaze focused on Charlotte. "Those who still practice though, are quite dangerous and set in their ways. Charlotte, we're not dealing with something simple. We're dealing with something that digs deeper than you could ever imagine."

@ FallenHope95

A deep set frown came over Charlotte's face as Vincent admitted that he did not know when the other pack would stop - if ever. It made her stomach twirl and twist around with the thought that she was going to be hunted for the rest of her life. She only felt worse when Vincent started to explain why that might be. That they might have wanted to sacrifice her to a Wolf God to try and gain gifts. What a horrible thought. Not only were they just trying to kill her - which had already been bad enough. But they were going to sacrifice her? Why did it make a terrible situation so much worse?

At first, her head was hung up on the thought that she was akin to some virgin sacrifice to the wolves. Thinking over how terrible that ritual would have been waiting for her... How they had been grooming her for that moment as well. Though before Charlotte went too deep down that rabbit hole, she stopped walking and looked at Vincent. "Wait." Charlotte said, her voice abrupt when a thought suddenly came into her mind. "You think that they are never going to stop hunting me down? So does that mean you were just planning on keeping me locked in that house forever?"

Charlotte didn't even wait for Vincent to respond before she started to go off. The fury that she had was instant and felt like it was ripping through her. "You can't do that to me. You can't FUCKING do that to me! I realized that I can't go home until this is resolved but you are out of your mind if you think that I am going to spend the rest of my life locked up in that house!"

As she yelled, her small frame grew rigid. "This is the first time in a week that I have even left that bedroom! I-I-I did what you asked of me. I just rested and I-I healed and I tried not to cause any trouble. And I tried being nice despite the fact that you literally fucking kidnapped me. I-" Her hands moved up to her head, her palms covering her eyes for a moment as she forced herself to hold back tears. Charlotte continued after a moment, now no longer screaming but the stress she felt was coming through clearly. "I understand that um - that your wolf just wants to protect me. And I appreciate the help. Vincent, I really really do appreciate the fact that you're stopping people from literally killing me. I actually do kinda think that you're a good guy just really misguided about the way you go about things but I can't do this forever."

Charlotte's hands dropped from her face as she looked up at him. She had managed to hold back any tears, mostly due to the rage she felt inside. "This is not sustainable for me. Do you have any idea what it's like? Being locked up in a room all day and night? I hate it. I hate being locked away, I can't even step outside of the house. And I just feel so desperate. I want to go out in the sun! To swim, see my friends, to go to class. I just want to live a normal life so. fucking. bad."

Her hands reached up, gripping onto her shirt as she felt it getting harder to breath. Though her voice started getting louder again. "And what makes it even worse is that I have this horrible weight sitting on top of my chest, thinking about my ex-friends. It's so fucking heavy and I am just waiting for it to fucking crush me. But it's all I can do, is think about them because I am locked up in that room because of them. So all I am doing is thinking about is all the things I want to do but I can't because I am stuck there because my own fucking friends wanted to kill me. And I can't even understand why they wanted me as their god damn sacrifice! And I ask myself, did they never like me? Was this some big trick? Or did I do something that made them want to pick me? How did I not realize they were going to hurt me? AND NONE OF THAT SHOULD FUCKING MATTER BECAUSE THEY'RE THE CRAZY ONES!"

The girl's face was starting to grow pale as she was having a hard time breathing properly. Charlotte found it impossible to stop herself from spiraling, feeling like somehow the whole forest was closing in on her. Her hands tightened down harder on her shirt. "I can't. I can't do it, Vincent. I won't just stay in that little room forever. That's not an option. Get it out of your fucking head right now that I am going to allow that to happen. Because it won't. IT WON'T."

@ Sweet.Persephone
Not a sound escaped from Vince as he listened to Charlotte erupt with pent up energy. His lips pursed together and his arms rested at his side. He understood Charlotte completely, on a whole level that she wouldn't be able to understand. He could feel what she was feeling right now because he's been through something similar. Except, instead of losing his friends. He had lost his family, and his pack. He housed the scars for it on his back and wore them with pride. They didn't just show his troubles, but they also showed his strength and determination. Vince wasn't someone to be held down, he was a fighter and he would fight to protect any and everyone he possibly could.

Without a word, Vince stepped forward and wrapped an arm tightly around Charlotte's waist, and held her arms to her sides as well as he hugged her with one arm. His other arm moved to the back of Charlotte's head were used his strength to lightly press Charlotte's head to rest against his chest. Allowing for her to hear his heart beating in his chest. The calm rhythmic sound was something that Vince used to always rely on when he was young. Except he'd rest his hand on his heart and feel it thumping. Remind him that he was alive and that he was going to make it to the next day.

"I never said you'd be locked up forever," Vince said quietly after a while. The hand on the back of Charlotte's head slowly started to play with her hair. He was doing his best to get the girl to calm down and he hoped this would help as well as being close to him. "I'm doing my best to find a way for you to be safe and not have to worry about being attacked at any moment. I'm doing my best to find a solution for you to live your life as normally as you can." Vince paused and slowly licked over his lips. "I don't want to let you go right now, because I'm scared that they'd be hiding in your school apartment. I'm scared that they'd take you when I'm not around and do who knows what to you. I'm trying, Charlotte."

Pursing his lips together, Vince closed his eyes and breathed in deeply through his nose, and held it for a couple of moments. Then, he slowly exhaled. "I don't want to keep you locked up, alright. So get that idea out of your head." Slowly, Vince released his hold on Charlotte's head altogether as he looked down at her. "I don't want to hurt you, I don't want to force you to stay against your will. As soon as I find a way for you to be safe, you'll able to move about as you please. I promise, but until then. You're going to have to work with me. Help me find a solution to get that other pack off your ass so you can get your life back. We're going to need to work together Charlotte. It's not easy to stop a whole pack who believes in a fake god ya know."

@ FallenHope95

As Vincent moved forward and started to wrap his arms around her, Charlotte could only feel the weight on her chest growing heavier. She was scared of what he was doing, worried that she had finally pushed the man over the edge. And that anxiousness only grew as he pinned down her arms to her side. For a moment, Charlotte tried to shake him off of her but was unable to. And she had finally ran out of air, unable to breath, feeling the weight of it all finally crushing her. Her face was pale now and the blood rushing horribly fast through her body.

None of it stopped either as Vincent wrapped another arm around her and brought her head down against his chest. She just kept questioning what the man-wolf was trying to do. At least until a moment passed by and he just kept holding her. Vincent was just pressing her against him in a tight hug. That was all. He wasn't trying to do anything but calm her down. Charlotte's eyes fluttered for a moment before closing slowly. She could hear his heart beating in his chest and slowly Charlotte started breathing with it again. It was... nice. This was nice.

Feeling Vincent play with her hair was soothing. To the point where Charlotte was just willingly melting against Vincent. So when Vincent stopped, Charlotte's eyes fluttered open and her head tilted back so she could look him in the eyes. Once he stopped speaking, she gave a little nod to him. "It makes me feel better, hearing you say that." Charlotte whispered to Vincent. Her now free arms sliding around Vincent, pulling him into a tight. Her once pale face was now just flushed instead and the young woman felt like she could breath and think with some ease again. Her head laid back against the spot that Vincent had placed it at first, wanting to keep listening to his heart to calm down the rest of the way. Also, to keep her relaxed as she responded.

"I'm sorry that I got ahead of myself." Charlotte whispered. "And I'm sorry I yelled at you. I know you're helping me, keeping me safe. I just... feel so anxious and scared. I don't want to get killed but I don't like being in that room either." Her grip tightened on the back of his shirt before she continued. "Can I at least start being free to walk around the house and the front yard? I can..." Charlotte swallowed hard before continuing on. "I can handle just being in those areas until we figure out what to do about the other pack. I just don't want to be trapped in the bedroom again. Please, Vincent?"

@ Sweet.Persephone
A small sigh escaped from Vincent as he noticed Charlotte's visible relaxation. Feeling her arms wrapping around his waist of their own accord, Vince slowly followed her lead. Wrapping his arms around her tight enough for her to feel him holding her, but not so tight that he was crushing her. "You don't need to apologize for anything, Charlotte," Vince said quietly once Charlotte was done speaking. His right hand slowly running up and down her back in a comforting sort of manner. Wanting to show her how he was fine and not mad at her in the least bit.

"You're scared, I can sense that. So, jumping to conclusions and thinking things are happening is all a psychological way for you to cope. It's all understandable." Vince murmured quietly, his shoulders lifting slightly as he shrugged his shoulders in a nonchalant sort of manner. "As for the being locked up part, do you know why I've had you locked up?" Vince asked as he glanced down at Charlotte. "Because I didn't want you doing something that could hurt your leg even more. It's bruised now, but imagine the amount of pain you'd be in if the thing was broken. I don't think you'd want my help going to the bathroom." He offered a small wink as he tried to tease her and then let out a small sigh. "Really though, I didn't want you hurting yourself any more than you are. You already hurt your wrist on your own, I wasn't sure what you'd get up to with my back turned."

Slowly, Vince ran his tongue along his lips. "But I'm fine with you exploring the house on your own. The front and back yard though, you're gonna need to have someone watch you." Vince explained. "I'll tell everyone that they're good to talk to you now too, so you can start building friendships with them." A small smile slowly flickered along Vince's lips before he went back to having a neutral smile. "Just please don't try cooking, that'll get them to worry again."

@ FallenHope95

A sigh left Charlotte as Vincent revealed the reason why he wanted to keep her in the room for the last week. Because he was worried about her hurting her foot more. Of course. It was beginning to feel like she just misunderstood that everything Vincent was doing. One second, it would feel like his actions were malicious and then, in the next, she would discover that he had been doing it for her all along. Charlotte was just having such a hard time figuring the man out and what he was trying to do instead of what she thought he was doing. "You make it sound like I just go off and injury myself." She murmured into him.

"I can get someone to come out with me." Charlotte told him, trying to show that she didn't have the intention of running away... Well, at least not yet. At this point, Charlotte would stick around and get safety from Vincent. But if this whole thing ended up taking too long, then Charlotte might just risk it in an attempt to just get out of the country from both of them. It was a dangerous plan but only something she would be willing to do if there was no end in sight for her freedom. Right now, Charlotte still saw the possibility of this being resolved. And being with Vincent and the pack didn't seem so bad. She just needed to calm down a bit now.

She hummed gently in response to her building friendships with the others in the house. Charlotte couldn't blame them if it turned out no one was interested. After all, she had drugged them all and knocked them out... But it wouldn't hurt to try, right? She liked the idea of having someone else to talk to that wasn't just Vincent. "They don't have to eat my cooking." Charlotte joked lightly, a bit of a smile on her face.

@ Sweet.Persephone
"You mean you don't always just hurt yourself?" Vince asked as he glanced down at Charlotte as he slowly moved a hand to brush some hair away from her eyes as he looked down at her. A small smile playing along his lips. "Have someone accompany you outside, and if you want to come onto the trail you can just ask me," Vince said quietly as he rested his hand back on her back for a couple of moments more before he started to slowly pull away from Charlotte hold on him.

"Speaking of cooking, Max should be done cooking breakfast. Want to go and grab some food before it's all gone?" Vince asked Charlotte, offering her a small smile as he slowly moved a hand to rest around her waist as he started to lead the young human back towards the house. They didn't get very far on the trail, but Vince wasn't upset with it. Charlotte was still injured and he wasn't sure if that other pack was going to come back and try to attack Charlotte again. Baby steps, they needed to take a couple of baby steps.

"After breakfast, why don't we watch a movie?" Vince suggested as they started their slow walk back. Vince's gaze shifting down towards Charlotte's injured ankle, making sure she wasn't limping too much before looking forward once more. Trying to show that he wasn't paying too much attention to Charlotte's well being.

@ FallenHope95

"No, I don't," Charlotte mumbled, looking up at Vincent as he brushed her hair away. In truth, she could not blame him for his little comment. She had been getting injured since she was brought here. First, slamming her head against the tree and then getting so mad that she actually punched a wall. The other injuries were not her fault though... But for him to think that she might worsen them didn't seem so far fetched when the woman actually considered the last week. "Okay, I can do that." At least she was going to be allowed outside. Charlotte didn't so much mind walking the trails with Vincent and she supposed spending time outside with the rest of the pack wouldn't be all that bad either. Although this was all a bit strange, at least they seemed relatively nice.

As he pulled away from the hug, Charlotte stepped back and allowed her arms to drop down to her side. Only for a moment, however, as she was quick to reach out and lightly grab onto his side. She was still a little wobbly on her feet. Especially as she had been standing on her bad foot for some time now. When he rested a hand on her back, Charlotte leaned into his side, wanting to take some of the weight off of her leg. "Breakfast sounds good," She told him before beginning to walk back to the house. It was a good thing that they didn't make it very far up on the trail. Otherwise, she probably would get Vincent to carry her home. "Do you know what he made?"

A little hum left the woman as she thought over whether or not she wanted to watch a movie. But, overall, all Charlotte wanted was to be out of the room she had been stuck in. So, being in the entertainment room and watching a movie didn't sound so bad. "Yeah, that sounds good to me. Maybe we can watch something new?" She said as her grip tightened on his shirt for a moment before relaxing again.