Hell of a Wakeup (OPEN)

[Georgia Levita]

It was cold…

…So freaking cold.

Where was she?

Gia opened her eyes slowly and looked up at the brooding sky above, it was raining and the water was overflowing from the guttering, dripping down onto her face from above and sending a shiver through her. She had no clue where she was or what was going on which was disturbing, she didn’t drink enough to black out, she didn’t do drugs, there was no reason for her to be passed out in an alleyway but she was.

…She was naked.

Slowly she sat up, glancing down over her body to take stock of any damage, she was coated in blood but it was obvious it wasn’t her own. The taste of copper was on her lips and in her mouth, her hands and chest were thick with sticky crimson blood but as far as she could smell it was at least a few hours old, kept wet only by the rain. Had she changed? It had been full moon not long ago and she was due a change, she’d been putting it off to go and work but she rarely lost control, even then she generally had memories. What the fuck had happened to her? The dawning light was still fresh and grey under the clouds but she didn’t even know what day it was… her brow furrowed heavily.

Slowly she hauled herself forward until she was crouching on the balls of her feet and moved to where the gutter was leaking, using it as some kind of low pressured shower, washing away as much of the blood as she could from her body until her skin was almost pink. She couldn’t be seen coated in blood or people would ask questions, being naked was bad enough but she could pass that off as being a victim of a mugging or something, maybe someone might have spiked her drink.

…That was a point. She’d been out last night.

Not out drinking heavily but she had been out to meet her friend, catch up in one of the local wine bars and have a few laughs. She remembered sitting at the bar but that was about it, she couldn’t even recall whether her friend had found her or not. Hesitantly she straightened up and stole down the alleyway, tracking her own scent mingled with the blood as if to find where she had come from, she had changed, she could tell that, she recognised the scent of wolfish musk that was her own natural smell. This was really fucking bad.

At least luck was on her side it seemed for as she ran down the street she saw a charity shop and outside of it were some black bags. Shooting toward them she found some clothes, old but well made at least and she wouldn’t stand out in the street. Pawing through them she grabbed a shirt and jeans, pulling them on as fast as she could looking for a jacket of some kind but of course Gia was never that lucky. Sighing, she retied the bag and continued now on the main street, sniffing and scenting as she chased her own scent, looking desperately for the source.

It lead her six blocks away, running in her bare feet she found the site and she found police there already… the scent of blood was overpowering, the scent of death too and her own smell everywhere. Even the pattering rain hadn’t washed it away. Slowly she stalked toward the site along with a few other curious bystanders. The body was gone but the scent of the man’s blood hit her like an electrical shock. He had bought her a drink last night; he had bought her a couple of drinks. Trying not to groan her eyes flashed this way and that and she saw… well she didn’t see ragged clothes but she did see an abandoned bag. It was hers, just outside of the police lines, she had obviously dropped it on the way here for some reason. Moving slowly, trying to look aimless as if she were simply getting a better view of the alleyway she crouched down and picked up her bag quickly, slinging it easily over her shoulder and returning her eyes to the scene, trying to look horrified.

She could hear the whispers of the crowd… apparently Mr Moore had found him mauled to death, some kind of stray dog probably but something massive. They thought maybe one of the guard dogs from the local warehouses had gotten out and chased the poor man down. It was enough for her, she knew what had happened or at least she knew how it had ended and now she knew she had to get out of here, get out of the way and find herself a place to calm down.

Gia moved slowly, getting out of the crowd and walking down the street, finding her way into the nearest café, desperately scrambling in her bag, finding her purse and paying for a coffee. Thankfully all of the ID she had in her bag was fake but that really would have been bad if they’d have found her, she would have had to scrap that bank account instantly and all the funds in it. She was lucky, thank fuck.

Taking the coffee to one of the uncomfortable plastic seat she sat down, pulling her feet up underneath her and sitting on them to keep them warm and hide the fact she had no shoes. The heavy black Americano in her hand was a godsend, she sipped at it lustfully and ran her fingers through her cropped hair, trying to look less like a confused victim and more like she just didn’t like mornings. Dear god today was going to be a hell of a day.

[Vaughn Logan]

He looked outside of his living room window into the dark haze of a day. The trees were blowing harmoniously in the wind, dark clouds filled the skies, and rain was pouring. Vaughn walked to his bedroom and shut the door behind him. He had just finished working out in the gym downstairs and knew he had to get ready for the day if he planned on leaving the house.

After throwing his clothes on his bed he walked into his bathroom and turned on the shower. As he got in he nearly slipped and knocked his head on the faucet (which he had done before), but he caught himself. The water was hot and he let out a little bit of a yelp before adjusting to it. He squeezed out a quarter-size amount of body wash and started to lube up his body. As he did he managed to find some bumps and bruises he didn't know he had. That's a bonus of being a Hunter; always finding cuts and scars you never knew you had. Vaughn stepped out onto a blue shag carpeting rug. It was comfortable under his toes; like stepping onto a pillow.

He pulled a long white towel off of his towel rack and dried off his hair. Then he wrapped it around his body and stepped back into his bedroom. A shiver shifted through his body as he realized he had left a bedroom window open. Vaughn walked over to the window and shut it closed before dropping his towel onto the floor. He threw on a black shirt with a grunge-like graphic on the front onto him, slipped on some boxer briefs, and pulled on a pair of dark denim designer jeans. After putting on socks he put on some black dress shoes he grabbed his stinky work out clothes and headed downstairs into his basement.

In his basement he kept his washer and dryer, and quickly he threw his clothes into a waste-bin that sat next to the washer. They were clothes that he knew he would have to wash later, but right now he didn't have the time nor the motivation.

He ran back upstairs and slowed down to a peaceful walk when he reached the top. He made his way to the front door and grabbed his car keys from a key hangar, and then grabbed a black sweatshirt and baseball cap. He put them on quickly and then set out the door into the rain. He piled into his Jeep and started it up, backing down his long paved driveway. When he reached the road he gassed the pedal and zipped away. He looked in his rearview mirror and rubbed his chin. Vaughn's stubble was getting longer than he liked, but it wasn't too bad.

Vaughn grabbed his sun glasses that were hanging from his rearview mirror and put them on. He didn't care if there was no sun, he enjoyed wearing them when he could. There was some traffic, but nothing too bad. Luckily he was in third gear most the way and didn't need to really shift unless he came to a red light.

When he made his way into the city he spotted from the corner of his eye a tan colored blur. He stopped the car, knowing there was nobody behind him and spotted a naked woman running down the sidewalk in the opposite direction. He backed up and trailed her slowly, staying a distance behind. She reached a black bag and started to put on some clothes. Vaughn pulled along a sidewalk and watched her. "What is she doing?" he thought to himself. She was an attractive woman, and in great shape. But he figured there was more to this than anything else. As he drove down the street he noticed a section of the street blockaded and tapped off by police. Vaughn decided to pull off onto the side of the street and see what the commotion was about.

He stood behind the woman he saw from before changing. Vaughn looked down and noticed she grabbed a purse from the crime scene. This was all too suspicious. He noticed she walked into a Starbucks.

Vaughn ran casually down the street on the sidewalk and looked around the room. He spotted her sitting alone at a round table. He ordered himself a hot caramel macchiato. With coffee in hand he sat opposite of her and pushed his glasses above his head so they rested on top of his hat. He tried to play it off casually, as if he didn't know what happened at all.

"Hope you don't mind me sitting here," Vaughn said with a smile. "But you looked like you could use the company."

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Words: 794

[Georgia Levita]

As Gia leaned over the steaming black coffee she considered where she had woken up and the blood splattered alleyway she had found nearby, her scent was obvious to her though another werewolf or vampire would have some trouble picking it out amongst the scent of blood and the city. The rain had washed away so many traces of her now it would be difficult to connect it to anything other than a stray dog which mysteriously disappeared into the night. Gia was always careful, accidents like these were lucky to happen once a decade. Of course she had to eat and she generally would eat a human every now and again but she supplemented that diet with the hunting of other animals and all her hunting was done outside of the city. She wasn’t a moron.

Taking in a deep breath and clearing the night air out of her sinuses she leaned down and raised the coffee to her grateful lips, drinking deeply, barely minding that it was burning her throat and mouth as she drained it. She actually felt hungry too which was the bad thing, by the looks of the blood in that alleyway she had gotten a hell of a meal last night but then again she had a hangover coming on, maybe it would be better to wait for eating later. Maybe she could get take out…

Gia was already forgetting about the murder, she wouldn’t get caught for it and the worst consequence was the fact that she had bare feet and her clothes had disappeared. She suspected already what had happened which was something she would have to mention to one of the pack doctors. The effects of date rape drugs on werewolves weren’t exactly a popular study, they didn’t often hit the journals so she wasn’t sure exactly what they would do to her system but considering they removed all inhibitions and control it seemed logical to the little were that they would remove her control over her shifting too. Besides it had been a good while since she had changed and that made it just a little more difficult to control, she could feel it inside her like a nail, scratching the inside of her skin sometimes when she left it too long.

Taking a deep sip of the coffee she pulled out a slightly damp cigarette from her bag and lit up, holding the lighter to the end of the smoke for a few extra seconds until it finally caught and lit up, glowing cheerfully as she took one long breath… and then nearly choked as a man sat down at her table. Gia might have all but forgotten about the murder that had taken place last night but her paranoia was having all kinds of fun away in her subconscious mind and the man that sat down at her table set it all off at once. Everything from ‘he’s a cop’ to ‘he’s that guy’s brother who is secretly a werewolf and is going to get me kicked out of the pack’ crossed through her head but she settled for a blank stare passing across her features for a long moment before finally the smile formed on her lips and her carefully constructed façade came back into place.

“Well hey there!” She smiled widely, her smile almost chipper as she tried her best to kick her brain forcefully into action. She had assumed so many identities in her life, crossed, switched and changed that sometimes she lost track of who she was supposed to be in the human world which was why she dropped into one of her favourite charades of nerd with a fine ass. “Why would I mind, I always love company over my breakfast.” She smirked softly, for a moment something flickering across her eyes but it was unreadable and lasted for less than a second.

“You’re up early, early riser or late to bed?” She asked with a playful smile, sipping at her coffee while she tried to ignore the paranoia having a party in her head and inviting all his friends known as doubt, concern and vanity and with the way they were going at it, it was no surprise she could feel a headache developing over her right eye, spreading slowly across her forehead. She knew she looked a mess, hungover to all hell, like she had spent the night in an alley in fact, there was no way she could get past that but perhaps she might have to go with the whole… walk of shame story. That the bastard had fallen asleep on her clothes and she couldn’t get hold of them but stole his? Did that seem too farfetched? Hell it could work if she was awkward enough about it.

[Vaughn Logan]

The coffee was warm, sweet, and sensual. Just what he needed to wake up and get a kick start on his day. The coffee house was small, but had an urban feel to it like a train station or corporate office. Coffee shops now a days seemed to have some sort of theme to it to attract customers. This Starbucks was different looking than the others in the area. He determined this particular Starbucks was most likely private owned. Whatever the case, they made damn good coffee.

She was a very lean, sturdy built, and attractive woman. Vaugh tried to maintain eye contact with her, but it proved to be difficult. It was as if her mind was elsewhere. In his mind he could still remember seeing her running through the wet streets completely naked. Being a man he was still drawn to a pretty lady, but knowing she was an immortal kept him at bay. Wondering whether or not she was rogue or not was another story. Considering how she seemed friendly and was sipping coffee, he doubted she was a ruthless killer. But at the same time he knew he had to be careful. She was a part of a crime, whether she did that intentionally or on accident was another matter that he hoped he would figure out. Vaughn wasn't going to upright say it, especially here in a public place in case she tries something rash. So instead he decided to try a different approach.

"I was up late last night, I'm guessing you were too right?" In truth he was up late last night working on stuff for the Hunters. But she didn't need to know that. He could say he had a one-night stand or was at a bar or club all night. He figured he could go a lot of ways to make it a believable story. What reason would she have to think differently?

"I'm kind of curious why a pretty woman like you isn't wearing shoes?" Vaughn wanted to be coy, but he couldn't help getting into it if but for just a little bit.

A police man entered the coffee shop and looked around. Vaughn turned to the police officer and looked at him. The policeman then walked over, looking at the woman and her bag.

"I believe this bag is part of a crime scene," the policeman said as he reached over for it.

Before the woman could speak Vaughn stood up and grabbed the mans hand. "Excuse me" he said with a serious look in his eyes as he stared at the policeman, "But I believe that's my wife you are talking to. Are you excusing her of a crime?"

The officer stopped reaching for the bag and turned to face Vaughn he met his gaze the entire time. The policeman then reached for his handcuffs before Vaughn interjected.

"I know my rights. You have no authority accusing my wife." For a moment he felt the possibility of spending the night in a jail cell. It wasn't something he fancied. But at the same time he knew accusing an immortal would be a bad idea, especially if shes unable to control the other form.

The policeman watched Vaughn and stared at him, but eventually walked away and left the coffee shop. Vaughn let out a deep breath, and then set down, looking back up at the woman across the table. "So, what do you say about getting out of here and maybe finding you some new shoes? It beats walking in the rain ."

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Words: 600

[Georgia Levita]

Georgia sat in someone else’s cast offs, sipping coffee in a strange café with a stranger after waking up with no memory of the night before. Really this wasn’t the best morning she had spent but at least it couldn’t be numbered with her worst either; her worst had to be the first morning she woke up after being changed with her entire body crippled in pain. Or maybe it was the morning after she had given birth in renaissance Italy, after all medical care there had been sparse guesswork at best. In fact this count be counted as a pleasant morning if it wasn’t for the fact that she was paranoid she would have blood in the corners of her nails, her skin had a hint of scent, of blood that she could smell was human but to others it would hopefully just be the innocuous scent of human; her nose had always been far more sensitive than the average were’s.

Drinking her Americano with pleasure, she felt her insides slowly warming up, Gia had been chilled to the bone and if it hadn’t been for her ridiculously fast metabolism and probably a furry coat for a good deal of the night then she would have frozen to death, the worst she had in store now was probably a bad cold. Pulling her feet up under herself she sat on them, body defaulting to comfortable, habitual actions now that her mind had given it some respite, running away with her thoughts. Only when the man spoke up did she actually snap back. There had to be a cold building up in her or Gia would never have all but forgotten the presence of the human at the other side of the table.

”You could say that!” She gave him a wry smile and a small, actual blush coloured her cheeks, true embarrassment showing through though of course the reason remained disguised. ”Or at least from what I remember which isn’t much after getting to the bar.” A light giggle escaped her dark lips as she covered her face with her hands for a moment, hiding her humiliation. This stranger, this inoffensive stranger was getting the rather dilute form of the truth though of course he would never have guessed the details she was leaving out.

Oh how ignorant she was, with her headache and stomach that was twisting bitterly, already complaining about the coffee she was tipping into it, whining for food. She heard the deep rumble just as the stranger before her started asking about her shoes. She would have panicked if it had been in her normal nature but instead she just smirked slightly and had the grace to look embarrassed. ”If I told you I didn’t know the place I woke up in the morning would you judge me?” Her blush deepened. ”I don’t remember much from last night, just woke up in a strange place and panicked. Forgot my shoes on the way out.” She looked uncomfortable as she talked about her ‘loose morals’ for good reason, really she had just told a half truth.

She was relieved she was sitting on her feet when the police officer came in. She smelled him a mile off, the smell of cheap aftershave, deodorant, sweat and junk food poured out of him in waves, hell she could smell the Chinese he had for dinner last night, and probably the night before that too. With the hangover she could feel burning through her it made her want to through up, she was about ready to spew on his shoes when he asked her for her handbag back…

FUCK.

Barely did she manage to piece together a shocked expression of insulted innocence and the fake curiosity about what on earth the crime was that she might have committed, like a woman dying to get the gossip when the man across the table from her did something highly unexpected; he lied for her.

If she hadn’t been so quick on the update her look of irritation toward the police officer might have looked like bewilderment at the fact the absolute stranger in front of her was claiming to be her husband. It was lucky she was fast indeed. Instead she sat across from her ‘husband’ and tried to look dignified, nodding as he spoke and defended her, smiling at him endearingly right up until the police officer left the café at which point she leaned back from the table and pulled away from the man before her.

It took a very long time before she spoke, the fact was she was over three centuries old and not easy to fool, him covering for her was weird in itself, very very weird and not just the kind of ‘I think you’re hot’ weird but more the kind of… stalker weird you want to avoid. Lying to the police was always a big sign. ”We? I don’t normally have company on my shopping trips.” She was doing her best to keep a friendly face but she couldn’t help but be more than a little paranoid, after all she did have something to hide.

”You giving me a lift then?” She grinned lightly.

[Vaughn Logan]

Vaughn leaned back into his chair and stretched his arms outwards and behind him. The rigorous nights of hunting and lack of sleep had made him become very sore and tense. He could feel his muscles begging to relax whenever he moved or readjusted himself in the seat. The inflamed feeling of his body almost felt supernatural, but it was something he had become accustomed to over the time he has spent being Commander.

He sat upright once again when he felt his muscles weakening in his stretch and knew his intentions were complete. With his index finger and thumb he grabbed onto his straw and swirled the contents of the cup around, watching the caramel swirl go round and round in a sort of hypnotizing way. When the woman spoke up he lifted his chin slightly and looked over at her, a grin appearing on his face. "I wouldn't judge you for that. Happens to all of us," he said, trying to be reassuring and also hide the fact that he knows she's a Lycan. Sometimes it was fun to act like the oblivious bystander and live in an ignorant state of mind.

She told him she didn't typically have company with her when she goes shopping. He gave her a sly grin before replying with, "Well the clothes you are wearing now seem like they barely fit. I wouldn't be surprised if they slide off of you the next time you stand." Vaughn kept his grin and was teasing with her now. He knew she had found the clothes randomly in a black bag, probably belonging to a much larger man or person. "I figured I could help you find some more suitable clothes; you try them on and I judge whether or not they work on you."

His grin grew wider and he looked at her and took another sip of his coffee. Vaughn knew what he was doing, he was teasing her and playing to her character, hiding the the fact that he knew the truth. What made it more enjoyable was how susceptible she was to it. Who knows, perhaps at the end of the day he would make a friend.

As much as he wanted to stop, he couldn't. He had to keep playing with her, but a part of him spoke the truth. Vaughn was a terrible flirt, and a sucker for a pretty face. It was a quality both him, his father, and his brother had.

When she spoke again about him giving her a lift he let out a smirk and smiled at her, revealing his godly smile of a greek-god and white teeth.

"I know what you are..--" he said, leaving it open for a moment as if he was speaking about her Lycan form. He then pointed a finger and continued, "You are a woman who loves a good time," He finally said with a warm smile. "I stood up for you against the cop, it's only fair if I take you out to dinner after we go to the mall."

He pulled his keys out of his pocket and put them down on the table next to his coffee, ready to grab them and go if she were willing. Vaughn took another drink from his coffee, the sweet, cold, and refreshing liquid sliding down his throat. He was glad he had followed this woman, he got a coffee out of it and perhaps a hot date.

It wasn't in Vaughn's nature to go off of lust or go after a pair of hot legs. But this woman was different. She wasn't someone he would possibly consider "bringing home to the family" (as if people still do that) but she was someone he knew he could have a fun time with; a friend, ally, or even bed mate.

Deep down he knew he had some attractive feelings toward this woman. Truth be told he hadn't been with a woman in a long time, especially after a girl he was seeing ended up becoming engaged after only a few weeks (if that) or not speaking to her due to obligations towards the compound. The woman in front of him was very attractive, and had a golden smile. She was smart, and careful. Vaughn didn't know how she would react when he would finally tell her that he's a Hunter and that he knows her dark secret. Perhaps it would be something the two of them would laugh about later together, or perhaps she would claw his face off and spit on his dead corpse.

At first his toying and playing with this woman was strictly professional, but something deep in him morphed it into something more than that. Vaughn accepted it willingly, it helped him remember that he was still human, and he had a social life outside of work. Lycan, Vampire, human, it didn't matter. If the person inside had genuinely an attractive personality to Vaughn's standards, he wouldn't turn away from it.

Vaughn looked up from his coffee and looked across the table towards the woman. He looked her up and down with a serious face that soon turned to a grin. Vaughn grabbed his keys and gripped them hard in his hand, grabbing onto his coffee with the other. "So, you up for it?"

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Words: 890

[Georgia Levita]

The motions of the lean yet powerful man before Gia didn’t go unnoticed, she watched the muscles moving across his body though she did so subtly, her glittering orbs flashing over him (mildly appreciatively as a connoisseur might regard a fine bottle of whiskey he would not taste) before she let them stray over his face, tracing his features. Gia was drawing her breath in slowly and yet deeply through her elegant nose, lips parted ever so slightly as she let the scents fill her senses. For one brief moment she closed her eyes lightly and drowned out all of the noise around her, tuning it out until scent was the overruling sense left, until it was all that mattered.

So close after her change last night her senses were still sharper, the longer she spent in her human form the duller they got but right now they were as sharp as a knife. She could smell every human around her, she could scent the city air outside, the smell of a family passing further down the street but all of that was just noise, she had to focus on one thing; the man in front of her. The coffee was getting in the way of real focus but she could smell… no fear, she couldn’t smell sweat or adrenaline, she could smell confidence and what seemed like pheromones exuding off him but then, that wasn’t a crime. Nor was being attractive.

She couldn’t get the focus she needed to really study him, not without every person in the area giving her some very strange looks as she went about her observations. Instead she opened her eyes only half a second after she had closed them and gave the very relaxed man before her a calm, measured smile. Gia was old, not so young as to fall to a pretty face or a little flirting from a handsome man but she had the good grace to smile charmingly and play with her hair a little, just the normal human responses.

It seemed pointless to try and make up some further cover for the reason she was wearing terrible clothes or what she had been doing last night so she simply nodded and smiled, pressing the point would be… well, pointless at this stage. She didn’t know whether he believed her, her gut instinct was telling her that he knew she was lying and what with being a creature driven by instincts she thought that she should be listening to them. But then… what did it matter? He might know she was lying but so what, she could be a thief or something for all he knew… though he had to have seen the crime scene just down the street, she could hear the police from over here (though that was down to her especially sharp hearing)… he must have passed it on the way in which meant that when the police had gone for her handbag and this gentleman before her had lied for her, he must have known why.

But now it was time to focus on the talk, the human social dance all had to perform. He was talking about her clothing, and were it acceptable she would be quite comfortable to shrug out of it and walk down the street naked, clothing was disposable to a woman that spent many nights a month running around with fur sprouting from her skin. ”Only if you’re lucky.” She said with a roguish smile that looked far more dangerous than anything she previously had adopted, almost predatory for one short moment until the innocence returned to her face. ”Oh where have you been all my life? Finally a personal shopper… as you can see I really am just utterly hopeless at dressing myself.” She waved a hand down her body, the baggy clothes hanging from her muscular frame, disguising the strength and making her look more skinny than lean and powerful.

His wide smile would have been reassuring but Gia was getting the feeling they were both playing one another, something about him smelled like a conman and she knew she was playing a role here, the real Gia would not have been sitting and flirting in a café with a stranger, she would have been curled up at home in a hoodie and a pair of underwear surfing forums, working on bits of computer code or even playing games. She was a home bunny, as much as being outside could be fun generally she preferred to avoid it… unless she was running.

”Oh you think so?” Her smile was wry as she leaned back and finished her coffee, leaving the final drops in the bottom and the bits of ground coffee they contained that really were not all that enjoyable to drink. Her heart had pumped for a moment when he had mentioned he knew what she was but her expression didn’t change, she remained calm and cool as he spoke, even smiling, the only tell was the slightest vibration in her throat which was almost invisible to the naked eye and definitely not in the human auditory range. The growl would have been difficult for another werewolf to pick up, never mind the man sitting across from her.

”Now now, don’t get ahead of yourself, promising things you can’t deliver.” A smirk flickered over her lips this time as she paused, considering. The fact was she was well out of her own way and she would draw attention to herself walking down the street with bare feet. Hell she could at least get a lift to the nearest mall and ditch out there. It wouldn’t be difficult for her to avoid him in the crowds and rush of people, she was a stealthy mother fucker when she had to be and no one, not lycan, vampire or hunter could keep up with her when she got running.

Besides, as much as she liked staying at home… this could be fun. She had eaten apparently last night and her body was filled with all kinds of urges left from her change, all kinds of adrenaline still flooding her system now and again and even though she was hungover to all hell… he was still tempting.

As he raised himself from the chair her eyes flickered, nerves jangling a little but calming as soon as he grabbed his keys. The little Italian hesitated for one long moment before the smile widened across her own face, mirroring his and she slipped from the chair, and moved across the room, feeling tiny in comparison to the man beside her. At five foot one she was a petite sized wolf at no mistake and without the extra couple of inches from shoes she really was feeling tiny. With the way he looked he could have knocked her off her feet with one blow. ”Well… I mean I do have a pretty busy calendar but…” She paused here for dramatic effect and tipped her head slightly to one side. ”You’ve talked me into it, lead the way!”

[Vaughn Logan]

Vaughn knew what he was doing. The baiting, toying, leading-on turned into a serious friendly flirt. He knew what she really was, and knew what she was capable of doing. But that didn't matter. She was a very attractive young woman with an enjoyable personality. Right now he wasn't Commander of the Hunters. Right now he was Vaughn Logan; the man with the hot date.

When he stood next to her he looked down and noticed the large difference in height. You found some humor in it because it reminded him of Russian matryoshka doll. Vaughn twiddled with the keys in his hand before opening up the door to the coffee shop and holding it open for her. When she walked past he offered a smile and then walked over to his Jeep. He shoved the appropriate key into the key-hole and turned, a click acknowledged that it was unlocked. Vaughn opened the door slowly, careful not to hit her with it and held it open for her, offering a hand in case she needed help up into the Jeep since it had a fairly large lift on it that came up to the woman's breasts. He didn't know if she needed to take his hand, or even wanted to, but he offered it in good gesture if it was needed. Since she was a Lycan he figured she would be alright and could merely hop right into it. But as a cover-up she may try to act clumsy and grab onto his hand.

Vaughn jogged over to the other side of the vehicle, opened the door and hopped in. He quickly turned on his vehicle, took it out of 'park' and put it into first gear. After putting on his seat belt he zipped out of his parallel park and onto the main road. He lowered his window a tiny bit to air out the Jeep and turned on his stereo system. Soon the vehicle was blasting with hard rock n' roll. Vaughn quickly turned it down before looking at her, "If you want you can turn it back up." He said, keeping his eyes on the road.

They passed the crime scene and the police officer from before eyed Vaughn, and Vaughn stared right back at him. He was tempted to give the officer the finger, but decided not to. He was in no mood for a ticket or getting pulled over just because he lost his temper. "So, any store in particular you would like to go?" Vaughn said as he looked over at her with a smirk. He then looked at his rear-view mirror and saw his sun-glasses. Quickly he grabbed onto them and put them on his head. The sun wasn't necessary out, but he enjoyed wearing them anyway.

"So that guy you were with last night. He must have been pretty big. Your clothes almost fell off when you got into my Jeep," Vaughn said with a laugh and spotting a large grin on his face.

Traffic was pretty bad due to the crime scene and backup. Vaughn sat in traffic, a little impatiently. His left arm was resting on the steering wheel with his elbow on the window, and his other hand was on his lap tapping on his pants. He turned to the woman in order to pass some time and forget about the traffic before saying, "So you live around here? Got any family?" He didn't want to sound nosy or poke into her life. But it was either that or wait for the traffic to lighten up. By the way it was going now, that wasn't going to happen.

Vaughn looked over at her again and cocked an eyebrow, "So you got a name? Or should I call you something else?" He didn't know what he could call her that was fitting. Maybe tight ass, or hot legs or..--Why was it so hard for him not to check her out? Vaughn didn't notice how long he had been away from a woman until now. The urges were strong, but with her being a Lycan and her a hunter he resisted...kind of. Vaughn didn't see anything wrong with being attracted to her. Hell it was natural...sort of.

He looked at her, almost staring but not quite until a honk from behind him woke him from his daze as he looked back onto the road. The cars in front of him finally moved so he gassed the Jeep forward. Traffic due to construction. Sounds about right, especially in a city like area. Vaughn looked and noticed construction for a new lane on the highway. Was this what his tax-dollars were going towards? A new highway lane? What was wrong with this one? It's never slow or over packed unless there's lots of idiots on the road or construction.

Quickly and all of a sudden Vaughn realized his exit was coming up and changed lanes. As he approached the exit he looked over at her, "So what first?"

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Words: 838

((OOC: So we can either continue here or make a new thread with the same title in the mall area of the forums. Up to you!))

[Georgia Levita]

If Gia had been the kind of gal to be easily intimidated then she would never have been in public without her high heels, her tiny height was a throwback to the people of Italy back before food had been so prevalent and hormones were pumped into everything. It’s why she did look so petite but also why she didn’t really look out of proportion to anything, unless she was trying to reach something from the shelves in the supermarket. As a Parkour buff she had learned to take advantage of her lack of height, slip through holes that others couldn’t and make up for her lack of reach with pure lycan power, she knew she didn’t have to be ashamed of her height.

And yet when she rather felt like she had to look up at the man that was offering her a lift elsewhere, she did feel a little short then; by all appearances he could have thrown her across the room with little effort. Actually, he probably could, she herself was strong but she didn’t have the weight that would count in a fight; in a fight against another were they would floor her before she got the chance.

Slipping out of the café with him she stared at the car she was presented with, she had seen big cars but considering the step in came past her chest this was a whole new meaning to the term big. She would have had no problems leaping onto it from a standing start if it wasn’t for the fact she was supposed to look entirely human and not many humans could get their feet that high up in the air without a little assistance. Stepping up to the car she raised her eyebrow at the gentleman who held his hand outstretched but she didn’t hesitate in taking his hand and using it to boost herself into place with as much grace as she could despite the slightly awkward positioning of the car.

…She was surprised he didn’t bring a stepladder for his dates. Maybe he only dated giants.

The car rumbled to life and rolled out into the flow of traffic easily even before Gia had thought as far as seatbelts, she put hers on mostly out of courtesy; after all they didn’t need even more trouble with the police right now. Settling back comfortably in the seat she pulled one of her legs up to her chest, the spacious cab was more than big enough to accommodate, wrapping an arm around it in the first actual gesture of real relaxation since she had entered the café earlier. Driving away from the crime scene, the smears of blood and the moving police officers was relieving her stress, she never hunted in the city like that, never drew attention to her kind. Hell, she preferred to hunt animals, they were far more of a challenge but human flesh was a necessity to keep up her strength and as lacking as she already was in physical strength she needed every edge she could get. It wasn’t like vampires, she couldn’t just drink their blood and let them walk away afterwards but she wished she could.

Just as she was beginning to relax music blasted from the speakers and Gia jumped, in fact it was all she could do not to shout in pain and panic. Her superlative hearing made that amount of noise agonising, especially considering how hungover she was at this moment. The fact that the man in the car glanced at her and turned it down forced her to compose her face quickly, back into a calm smile, trying to hide the wince of pain that had shuddered over her face. ”I like my music low, there’s enough to listen to out in the city as it is.” She smiled softly and rubbed a long finger across her temple, pressing at the pressure points and feeling some of the headache alleviate. It wouldn’t last too long, her metabolism would burn out whatever was left of that drug quickly enough she figured, it would pass.

”Ummm, there’s an Urban Outfitters not far from here, I think three blocks west… or Fred Segal on the highstreet but I really don’t mind which.” She almost groaned with her idiocy of the honest answer, the fact was she shopped at both of those regularly, they were her favourite stores though Fred Segal could be rather expensive. The fact was after several hundred years she wasn’t short on funds, especially when she had nothing against a little bit of defrauding or some switching of numbers.

She was snapped out of her mistake by his comment about her clothing, the smile that wandered across her face seemed almost predatory as she eyed him. ”More like you wish I had.” She answered with a laugh and ran a hand down her body in what might have been a sexy motion if it wasn’t for the fact she was giggling. ”I didn’t pay much attention to the clothes, and the guy I remember even less about. I don’t even know how I got to his.” Close to the truth, she didn’t know how she’d gotten into that alleyway; she didn’t remember leaving the wine bar. She should come with a warning for all rapists ‘Do not drug, will chew your face off’ but then people would wonder if she was on bathsalts.

Then he started asking questions, she had wondered when it would happen, there was no doubt about it. He seemed almost apologetic though as he asked but perhaps she was wrong. ”Call me Gia. I’m not from here originally, the family come from Italy as it happens but I do rather have an extended network of family by… err… marriage in the area. That’s why I came over here really. Got an apartment not far out of the city centre.” It was enough to answer most questions but she was still vague really, that wasn’t enough to help him track her down even if he wanted to. ”What about you? It’s only fair I get to know your name in return.” After all, she couldn’t keep calling him ‘that buff guy’ in her head whenever she needed to refer to him.

”Might as well head to the shopping mall, it’s not far off right? I mean… they should at least have enough choice there.”

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OOC: I prefer keeping things in one thread, it's easier to organize and all but if you want to open a new one you really can. ^^

[Vaughn Logan]

Vaughn turned a corner and was welcomed with open arms by some mild traffic. He stopped and rubbed at his forehead. As they sat he noticed the clouds parting and the sun shining. Light reflected off of the rain on the ground, Vaughn was glad he had put on his sun glasses. If he hadn't he would probably be squinting the entire way there.

"Segal's it is then. That place is pretty expensive, what do you do for a living?" Vaughn looked around him and waved for some people to cross the street in front of him. It wasn't like he was going anywhere anytime soon. He rolled down his window and leaned out, looking as to what was causing the traffic. A tow-truck was blocking the road and from the looks of it was clearing out a nasty car accident.

He had noticed the way the woman grabbed at her temples and realized the music was probably hurting her in same way. Perhaps it was the Lycan hearing, or perhaps she had a hangover. Either way Logan turned it down even quieter because with the traffic and everything happening at once, he too was getting a little annoyed.

When the woman made the comment about him wishing the clothes would have fallen off, Vaughn immediately stopped what he was doing, grabbed at his face with his hand and laughed. He wasn't blushing or anything, but the woman had caught him off guard. "This isn't about what I want." He said as he offered her a smile, "This is about getting you some clothes that actually fit. I don't know what we'll do with the one's you got on. Unless you want to keep them. The guy you were with last night was smaller than me it seems." Then again, Vaughn knew most guys were smaller than him. He got that trait from his father no doubt.

Vaughn was feeling confident about himself, and while the traffic wasn't moving he decided to play with the woman a bit. "Italy huh?" he said with a nod and a grin before returning to look at the woman. "Woah, woah", he said with a smile and a playful sound in his voice, "Slow it down. I haven't even taken you on a date yet. I don't need to know where you live." He let out a laugh and then reached over towards her, extending his long, toned arm towards the glove compartment in front of her. "I think I've got some extra sun glasses in here if you want to wear them. It might help with the glare, and no doubt your headache."

After a while he managed to find some slick, sharp edged sun glasses that were almost identical to is but a little smaller. He placed them on her lap before returning his hand back to the wheel and looking at the cars ahead of him. Luckily the traffic moved--an inch. She asked for his name and said it was only fair. He scratched his stubble and looked at her. "You can call me Logan" he said. He figured there was a 50-50 chance she would know he's a Hunter, and the Commander of them at that. Even if she did, what was she going to do? Jump out of the car? She had no reason to fear him, plus a part of Vaughn knew she was interested in him, flirting even. Or perhaps that was his confidence talking.

"Alright, shopping mall sounds good to me. I'm guessing you don't have any money on you or anything right?" He looked over to her and gave her a grin, "It's not a problem if you don't. You can always pay me back in some form or another."

The traffic ahead of them finally moved. As Vaughn drove he looked over at the wreckage, two cars had smashed into each other head on. Some blood lined the shards of the front window. He shook his head and kept on driving, "That's a shame." He said to himself in a quiet tone. The people in front of him were going slow. Too slow for his comfort.

"Hang on", he said as he switched gears and sped up besides them. His Jeep, although not the fastest thing in the world, did it's job and managed to out speed the jackass besides him that tried to not let him pass. A car was coming towards Vaughn, heading in the opposite direction. He sped up, and then turned into the lane, cutting off the jackass in the car behind him. Vaughn laughed slightly and looked in his rear-view mirror, "That's what you get asshole," He said, laughing a bit harder. He looked over towards Gia, seeing if she found that enjoyable at all. If not, he made himself look like an asshole. But he figured otherwise.

"Yah know, when I get my Chevelle done I'll be able to out speed pretty much anything in this city. Hell, if I would have known the sun was coming out today I would have taken my bike out for a spin."

After a few red-lights, illegal speeding, and quick-maneuvering Vaughn made his way to the shopping center. He quickly hopped out and rushed over to her side, ready to help her out if she needed it.

They walked along the sidewalk and towards the mall. He stayed close to her, feeling a bit protective over her when he didn't know why.

The sun shone brightly on his face , gleaming on his hair and black shades. He turned his head to the right, looking at her. "Lead the way", he said with a smile and a wave of his hand.

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Words: 953

((OOC: Yeah it'd be more organized if we kept it here. Good thinking Arc.))