Shopping (Tei and Mel)

At the House...
Gabriel's lips twitched with the hint of a smile as he heard Melissa's words. He gave a slight bow of his head and as he spoke his voice was thick with his Greek accent, "Why, of course I do." His smile was crooked and playful before his face returned to normal as he looked back at Teimhnin. He nodded, a slight smile pulling at his lips. "Of course you may. Anything you guys want on this trip you may have." Why did Gabriel feel as though he'd regret those words later?

He chuckled as Tei started out the door and ran along with them, giving one large bound before phasing into his wolf form, his silvery grey pelt shining in the moon's light.

At the shops...

Gabriel phased back into his human form as they neared the town. Any humor that
d been left on his face was gone and his face was stoic. His shoulders were stiff and a serious air hanged about him.

"We're entering natural territory. If we meet any Eternal wolves here it might still break out into a fight. Ignore them the best you can, but if you can't find me immediately." He didn't look at them as he continued, mixing into the humans perfectly. He fell back though, waiting for the girls to lead the way to where they wanted to go.

Melissa grinned as Tei flew past her and Gabriel, asking them if they were coming. She skipped the steps and landed easily on the forest floor. Gabriel too flew past her and swiftly changed into his wolf, Tei taking off after him. Melissa slowed from her swift run to a hesitant stop. That's how they were supposed to get to town? Mel swallowed thickly. She'd only changed a couple times, and then it was only when she had gotten out of control. She had never been in control during the change before.

Neither of the two seemed to be even close to stopping, caught up in the excitement, something Melissa didn't understand. Changing had never been a pleasureable experience for her. She always ended up blacking out, then waking up smeared with someone elses blood. Melissa shivered, pulling her arms around her. What would she do? All of her thinking was done in a matter of seconds, and her mind was made up. Melissa took a deep breath, and began to run.

To the shop...

The wolf's eyes were wide and slightly terrified as they neared the town. All her senses were heightened and she couldn't believe how fast she was moving. This was the first time she could remember her phased moments. Would she remember them once she went back? Her own wolf let out a bark of joy, startling Melissa on the inside. She was on the inside now, her wolf let out to roam free.

The female wagged her tail, ears lowering because of all the noise. She could smell them, her leaders Gabriel and Tei. They up ahead further, closer to the city. The female closed her eyes and went still, letting Melissa take over...

Melissa blinked multiple times, her eyes reajusting to the light. Melissa took a step forward then stopped, looking down at her clothes. They were clean, not a scratch on them. She still wore her light blue top and loose fitting jeans. She smiled down at them, happy to find that they were still whole. The sound of voices made Melissa look up, smile, then race forward.

Up ahead stood Gabriel and Tei. Tei looked wild and powerful, her red hair flowing freely behind her. I wish my hair was that pretty. Melissa thought to herself, walking forward to stand next to them. She looked at the rush of people then to Gabriel whose face was scarily serious. Melissa felt silly, for she couldn't stop smiling, so she looked down to the ground as she listened.

Eternal Wolves? Melissa was lost. She could tell by his tone and warning that whoever they were, they were bad news. But Gabriel had forgotten that this was all new to Melissa. She didn't know a darn thing. She shook her head, looking down at her dirty toes.

Her Toes! Melissa's head shot up and she started walking forward before either of them. A shoe store would be here first stop. Along with some socks.

Teimhnin had shifted into the snowy wolf that was her when the other two had, her wolf eager at the thought of a run. Her paws pounded against the ground, muscles stretching and coiling with her strides. Teimhnin's fur plastered against her form as she darted over the ground with a smile on her face. By far, the beta's favorite form was her wolf. They never argued, living in perfect sync with one another like a wereling and their wolf should. Teimhnin felt very sorry for Melissa, she wouldn't get to experience the satisfaction of knowing that she had a companion until death. When werelings are bitten, their wolf wants to take control and not let the human come out. Teimhnin wasn't against turning humans, it could actually be a favor to them. Sometimes transition go well and the human ends up with their wolf being cherished and close to them. Looking at Melissa, though, it was obvious that the girl and her wolf didn't have the experience.

As Teimhnin came up behind Gabriel she shifted into her human form. Her wolf resting silently and without argument. Ivory paws turned to dark combat boots, white fur turning red. Standing on two legs, Teimhnin placed her hands on her hips and waited for her Alpha's words. The beta was aware of Melissa showing up behind her, and she gave the other girl a smile. When Gabriel began to speak, Teimhnin turned her attention to him. She did nothing at the mention of Eternal wolves, knowing full well that they were the enemy pack. Teimhnin didn't think of them as that unless she was battling against them though, believing that not all of them could be pure evil.

As soon as Gabriel let them go, Teimhnin was walking casually towards the motel she had stayed in. It was sort of run-down, but Teimhnin hadn't wanted to bring any attention to herself at all. Walking into the place, she laughed that the man running the desk was yet again asleep. She walked into her room, a sigh of relief at finding it wasn't disturbed one bit. The beta walked into the closet, grabbing her large duffel bag. Opening it, she took out a random shirt and pair of shorts. Teimhnin then stripped out of the clothing she was in and put on the more comfortable wear. A smile lit her face as she saw that her shirt was black with the word "Kickass" spread across the front in graffiti. Her jeans were plain and had tears from violent use on the legs. Taking off her boots, Teimhnin slid on a pair of black and neon green converse. The beta then stuffed her other clothes back into the duffel bag, but not without taking her $5,000 in cash out of the pocket. If Gabriel asked about how she had so much just in her pocket, she would have to think of something to tell him that was far from the truth.

As she left the motel, Teimhnin walked down the crowded sidewalk and to the hair salon. Walking inside, she relayed what she wanted done to the woman at the front desk. Sitting in a chair, Teimhnin was completely obedient as a woman both washed her hair and cut it so it all lay one length. The beta had grown tired of her hair swaying around her hips, and it took forever to straighten. As the woman blow dried it, Teimhnin smiled at her actual self. Her hair now fell just under her shoulder blades, wavy and still its naturally red color.

Teimhnin walked out of the salon and down the street. The sound of sad whines entered her ears and Teimhnin's heart lurched. Running across the street, she fell on her knees in front of an abandoned shop and looked down at the creature. A small puppy sat in a small alcove in between the two buildings. By the looks of its appearance, it was a Rottweiler. Teimhnin ran her hand across its small back, watching it wriggle beneath her hand. The beta's heart melted, lifting the small creature into her arms and cradling it. Inhaling, she followed the scent of her Alpha until she found him. Teimhnin's eyes never left the now sleeping puppy within her arms, speaking to Gabbe. "I don't care about buying anything else. If you let me keep him, I won't need anything." She looked down at the small pup in her arms with a warm smile on her face.

Mel returns out of the shop with two rather large bags, and one smaller one. One large bag was filled with an assortment of sandals. Some were simple flip flops, a couple wedge sandles, and her favorite, thick sandles with a big toe loop. In the other bag was one set of heels, multiple pairs of boots, and a new pair of tennis shoes were on her feet. They were small and simple, white and blue nikes. In the small bag was socks.

Needless to say, she probably went over board with shoes. Should probably go to my dorm room before I buy more stuff i don't need... Melissa sighed, standing on her tip toes to look for Tei and Gabriel. She easily spotted Tei's red hair and headed in their general direction.

"Cute cut Teimhnin." Melissa smiled, guesturing to her new hair length. "Well Hi there." Melissa's voice went high for a second as she reached to pet behind the small pups ears. The pup tilted its head back, pushing into her hand. "Where'd you find him?" Mel asked, looking back up at Tei.

Once the girls had split and taken off elsewhere Gabriel sat on a bench and pretended to take a nap as he leaned his head back and closed his eyes. His senses were on alert though, picking up every little sound and noise. Dogs stopped to try and gain his attention by licking his hands, confusing their masters as to why they seemed to gravitate towards the normal looking, but handsome guy.

The sun felt good on his face and Gabriel sighed, wishing he weren't some place public so he could Change into his wolf and have a run. It would freak the people though if he were to phase, and as amusing as that sounded he didn't exactly want to get in trouble with the Council...

Hearing the girls approach he stood and his eyes caught Teihmnin as she made her way towards him. The first thing he saw was her new haircut, and he smiled, about to say something when he saw the bundle in his arms, turning the smile into a frown. When she approached he closed his eyes and grave a small sigh as he rubbed his head. Opening his eyes again he gave his Beta a stern look. "If you promise you'll watch after him. I can take you to a pet shop to see if we can't find him supplies." He lifted his hand as though to pet him, then shook his head, a sad look appearing in his eyes. He'd had a pit bull and mastiff mix not long ago that'd been killed by some loners he'd fought. The pup brought those memories back, but he wouldn't deny her her happiness.

"Come on." He jerked his head in the direction of the pet shop. His eyes darted down to Melissa's feet and he murmured, "Nice shoes." Before going on that way, his head already going to his pocket where his wallet was.

The beta gently rocked the pup from side to side. When Mel placed her hand on his head, it awoke the pup. Immediately, Teimhnin's hand moved to remove Melissa's hand. She gently nestled the pup into the crook of her own elbow, cooing at him to go back to sleep. "I found him in a small alcove between these two buildings. He didn't seem to have anyone taking care of him. His ribs are showing and I didn't have anything to give him." As Gabriel made her promise to take care of the puppy, her eyes never leaving to bundle of black and tan fur. "I promise to take care of him and train him. He'll be like a guard dog, my little Hades." Teimhnin turned her head up to look at her Alpha, a huge smile on her face. She used to have a dog, a mutt specifically. It ran away on her sixth birthday, but now she promised herself to keep Hades by her side.

Grinning at Mel, she nodded. "Thank you for the compliment, your shoes are pretty." She nodded to Gabriel and walked to the best pet store she could find. The giant sign of a person washing a dog is what caught her attention. Walking into the store, she immediately brought Hades to the lady at the desk. At the sight of the puppy's dirty appearance, the woman's eyes widened and she directed Teimhnin to the grooming room. The beta gently nudged her puppy awake, placing him into the tub and not leaving his side as a woman cleaned his fur. The water was brown at first, fading into clear. Hades put up a small fight, making Teimhnin laugh soflty at how cute his little face was.

Now done with his bath and fully dried, the pup's black fur was soft and shiny in the light. Teimhnin had already picked out a black leather collar that was in the shape of chain links for him and a very long leash so he would have room to run on walks. Turning to Gabriel, she asked him a question softly. "Do you think that we will have the types of medicines that vets would give him? Oh, and what kind of food and toys should he have? I haven't had a dog since I was six, but I cannot resist such a face." Teimhnin looked down at Hades, who just coincidentally gave an awe worthy yawn.

Melissa smiled down at her shoes when complimented by both her superiors. She listened quietly as they spoke of heading towards a dog or pet store of some sort. Mel couldn't help but wrinkle her nose. She always hated the smell of wet dog, she avoided it just like she had avoided the perfume isles in the more popular malls. So many different smells, and not all of them were pleasant. Melissa folded her arms, bringing a finger up to tap just beneath her lower lip. Would that bother her even more now, since werewolves were supposed to have heightened senses and all that? She sure hoped not...

"You guys go ahead, I'm just gonna..." Mel drifted off, not seeing the need to inform them. She felt as if they wouldn't hardly notice her short absence. Instead she walked down the opposite road, hailing a cab with an oversized driver. He reeked of swet and some nasty cologne that failed to impress her. Holding her breath, Mel shoved her bags of shoes into the trunk before hopping into the back seat, giving the man her former address. Resting her head against the cool window, Mel waited for the familiar campus to come into view.

(Will post again later, don't have time to finish)

When they finally did pull up, Melissa was quick to jump out of the car and take in a deep breath of fresh air. After a second or so, she walked back around, leaving her stuff in the trunk, till she came to the drivers window. Without giving him a chance to say some cheesy pick-upline, She flipped her hair and leaned her arms on his open window as her beautiful skyblue eyes found his. "Would you mind waiting out here till I get back? I have some things i need to fetch." Melissa flashed a flawless smile as he agreed a little to quickly, his eyes tracing her body as she walked up the steps to her dorm.

What a pig! Melissa thought to herself, throwing the rest of her hair behind her shoulders as she raced up the stairs to second floor. It wasn't like she was much better though, she had used her body to convince him, although it probably wouldn't have even been needed. She just wanted to make sure that he was there when she came back down, that way she didn't have to call Gabriel to come pick her up.

Just as she arrived on 3rd floor, Mel's hand went to her back pocket to grab her phone. But just to her luck, it wasn't there. She probably lost it somewhere before she even met Gabriel and Tei, plus it wasn't like she knew their numbers by heart. How would she reach them!? It wasn't like she could just ask one of her friends for a ride if the cabbie ditched, they hadn't seen her for 3 months. They'd probably go berserk if they saw her...

THUD!!

"Ouch! Watch it! Jeezus are you blind or --- Melissa?" Mel rubbed her shoulder where she had ran into the man infront of her, another groan coming on. Just my luck! Melissa thought to herself, because standing infront of her was Drake, captain of the football and baseball team, and Melissa's most recent sexual interest. Things could not get any worse....

"Hey where have you been? Seems like I haven't seen you in like 3 months or something. Hey wait where's the fire?" Drake joked, following Melissa as she continued on towards her room. Figures, he wouldn't have noticed her absence. Between the drinking and pot, it was a miracle he remembered Melissa's name. This made her laugh just a bit, but that only encouraged Drake, which made her scowl. "I've been at a volleyball camp up in the colorado mountain." Mel wasn't sure why she was engaging in conversation, this was exactly what she wanted to avoid.

She held her breath when she tried the handle for her room. she didn't have a key, so she prayed that it would be unlocked. It was. Breathing agian, Melissa stepped inside. Why had she been so worried? June never locked the door because she always kept forgetting her keys. Glad some things don't change... Mel walked to her side of the room and was suprised to see her droid Razor sitting next to the bedside lamp. She went over to pick it up, and nearly dropped it when she heard Drake, still behind her.

"Colorado huh? I think i may have went there for football once or twice." Melissa continued on around the room, grabbing a duffel bag and a sutecase before filling them with clothes. "Jeezus Mel, You just get back and your leaving again. Keep that up and people here will start taking it personally." Drake's tone was casual and teasing, but when Mel looked up she could see that he was indeed a bit hurt. Melissa sighed, slowing down as she grabbed her favorite jewelry and carefully set it into the suitcase. Then she sat down next to him, laying on her back as air wooshed out of her.

"Life's been kinda hecktic recently..." Melissa drifted off, staring up at the ceiling as she recounted all the events. The club, the mysterious man, the change, numerous nights filled with nightmares, meeting the Braveheart pack, meeting Gabriel... Melissa's eyes closed as Drake lie down on his side, propping his head up to look at her. It was weird, Mel could hear his low breathing and the steady beat of his heart. She lay there, thinking she may fall asleep to the rythemic beat when it suddenly picked up pace and his lips found hers. The kiss was hot and intense, and shocked the bejeezus out of Melissa.

She pushed on his chest, making little space between them. "Um." Mel felt Drake push against her, then give in and flop back down beside her. "God Mel." His words were laced with amusement and mostly annoyment as Mel got up and again begun packing. She didn't say a word, and apparently Drake took that as an invitation. "Come on Mel where you going? Relax will ya. Look if the cab driver leaves I'll just give you a ride to... well whereever your in such a rush to get to." Mel sighed, resting her hands on her dresser drawer. Drake could be sweet, but there was times when he was a bit pushy.

But when Mel looked outside her window, there indeed was the cab driver, taking her things out of the trunk and rolling away with a pair of blondes. Asswipe. Mel glared at the window, sighed, then turned to Drake in defeat. "Alright fine, but no pit stops alright?" Mel rolled her eyes and Drake pushed himself up from the bed, grabbing her now full suitcase and bags. "Whatever you say boss." Mel shook her head, smiling just slightly. She followed him out the door, admiring the muscles that lined his arms...

Then he ran into June. "Ow!!" You have got to be kidding me...

"Wha--Drake what are you doing here?" [color=grey]"Melissa's back!"[color] "What!? Mel!!!" Melissa laughed as her best friend ran to her arms and hugged her. "Oh my gosh where have you been! It's been so lonely without you!!!" Before Melissa could reply, Drake called back from the stairs. "Mel's on her way to some fancy secret trip and She's late!" June turned to Mel, convinced she was going to use her famous puppy dog eyes and tears to make Mel bring her along when Drake called again. "It's a math trip June!" At the m word June's face got all twisted. "Ew, nevermind. Have fun Mel!" June hugged her hard again, then dissapeared into their dorm room. Mel shook her head, smiling as she ran up to catch up with Drake.

"Thanks for that." Melissa bumped him as they went out the main door, swinging by her other bags for Mel to pick up. "Don't worry about it, You have to tell me where your going anyways." Mel was about to argue, but then Drake tossed her bags into the back end of his pick up. His new pick-up. "Is that seriously yours?" Mel asked, tossing her bags of shoes into the back and tracing her fingers along the shiny new paint. "Your dad aint the only one with money." Mel grinned right back at him, hopping into the passenger side. The ride there was surprisingly peaceful. They made small talk, Drake filling Mel in on the latest. Who was dating who, the highlights of the last baseball game, normal stuff like that. For a while Mel could actually believe things were back to normal, and everything had really been just some bad dream.

But it was short lived. As they rentered the area Mel had last seen Gabriel and Tei they slowed to a stop. Mel got out and walked around the the back end where Drake was already grabbing her bags. "Thanks." Mel smiled as she took her suitcase from him, pulling out the long handle so she could propel it on its wheels. As she reached for the other bags, Drake spoke up. "I figured I was giving you a ride to a new house or small apartment building, not the center of the shopping district." Mel smiled slightly nervously, avoiding his gaze as she reached for a bag out of her grasp. Drake had longer arms than her and could easily grab it, but instead of handing it to her he held onto it. "Seriously Mel, where you going? I can't just leave you here."

Mel tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, looking all around behind her. Where was Gabe and Tei? "Mel..." Hearing her name repeated, she had no choice to turn and look back at him. "My friends will be meeting me here soon. They'll give me a ride." She said this with finallty, using her tone to clue that she didn't need him to stay. She turned her head again to look down the sidewalk and thought she saw a wisp of red hair heading her way. "I've got nothing else to do, might as well wait right here. Who else is gonna scare the creeps away?" Mel looked at Drake with a disbelieveing gaze as he glared at a pair of guys with saggy pants that walked past.

Unbelieveable....

(We will just keep the thread going until Gabe gets back. ^_^)

Stroking her new puppy, the beta put on his new color for him. Hades didn't seem to resist it, and she kissed his head for being such a good boy. Clipping the leash onto his collar, Teimhnin walked him out of the store. She knew full well that the Alpha would pay for what she bought, so there was no need to stay there. The pup bounced around at her side, seemingly more happy. He would need food, but he had looked like he had eaten something when she had found him. Hades barked at a few birds, but Teimhnin kept him from chasing after them.

Teimhnin realized that Melissa wasn't with them after a few minutes. Inhaling, she found the warrior's scent no far off. Coming closer, she realized that her scent was mixed with a human. Oh, does little Mel have a loverboy? That thought made her smile. Melissa would have to leave her human, that much was obvious. If she wanted, she could continue her schooling but being apart of a pack should be her first priority.

Coming upon Melissa and her human, she walked up to both of them with graceful movements. "There you are, Melissa. I was wondering where you were." Turning to look at Mel's little friend, Teimhnin smirked at him. "Who are you? I didn't know Mel had anyone else she was meeting." Teimhnin let her silver eyes trail over him. He was attractive for a human, but still not worth anything more but one night. This was a moment of truth, Mel's final decision. Would she go back to living at a school or go back to her pack where she belonged? Teimhnin had a feeling that the human wasn't going to let Mel go easily, but one clean break to his arm should make him rethink that. He may look strong, but he probably couldn't snap a large branch in half with his bare hands. Personally, the beta didn't really care. She didn't know Melissa very well, and warriors were replaceable.

Gabriel paid for everything and followed Teimhnin out of the shop, his golden eyes scanning over everything and everyone. Being in the neutral territory with his pack mates made him nervous. He knew they often times came out here by themselves, but if they were to get hurt with him around he'd never forgive himself. He turned his attention on Tei as she asked about the medicine and dog toys. Sighing he fished out a twenty and put it in her hand. "I don't know about dog toys, but something he could teeth on. As for medicine I have some left over from the dog I had before I moved here."

Gabriel looked up to look for Melissa and frowned as he noticed she wasn't near. Anxiously he scanned the area, looking for her brown curly hair. He finally caught her scent and looked up as she came by in a car with some human guy. Gabriel raised an eyebrow as he watched the two of them and followed Tei over to them. He remained silent, his eyes going from Melissa to the human. He raised his eyebrows as he mentioned keeping away the creeps, but remained silent. Gabriel had learned long ago that the best way to stay out of a situation was to remain silent, and he had no wish to talk with a human for fear of making a new friend, or enemy which would never know what hit him... Gabriel, despite being a tad bit intimidating, tended to make friends, and enemies, easier then honey attracted flies.

Melissa pushed off of the truck when she saw Tei coming closer. Melissa smiled, glad to hear she hadn't completely forgotten about her and had indeed taken notice of her absence. Melissa had issues and always believed she would be abandoned, it was a forever going fear for her. Mel pulled her hair all to one side so it draped down just one shoulder as Tei looked over to Drake. "I'm Drake, Mel's friend from campus. I ran into her in the hall and thought i would help bring her stuff to her new home. You must be her roomy?" Drake stuck his hand out towards Tei, smiling politely. Melissa was suprised by his behavior, most of the time he wouldn't hesitate to flirt with the new cute girl, but here he was only polite. Was he intimidated?

Mel shifted her weight to her other foot. Her beta was looking at Drake with distaste, and that made Mel nervous. Would she not be able to have any of her human friends, was there something wrong with her seeing them? Melissa looked up as Gabriel joined them shortly after Tei, and instantly turned around to get her bags. She knew Drake wouldn't be happy to see her with another guy, especially one he didn't know. If she wanted to leave here she should probably do it fast before Drake did something stupid. He would most likely end up taking Gabriel as a challenge, and well Melissa was sure Gabriel could easily rip him to pieces. A chill ran up her spine has Melissa's all to creative mind painted a very graphic picture for her.

Turning around with her suitcase in hand and a bag strapped over her shoulder Mel made quick introductions. "Teimhnin & Gabriel, this is Drake. Drake, Teimhnin and Gabriel. They are my new roomates..." Mel drifted off uncertainly. What was she supposed to say? She doubted she could actually tell Drake about her new lifestyle, but it wasn't like Gabriel and Teimhnin had told her what their coverstory was.

The beta backed slowly to her alpha before nudging him with her elbow. She looked at Drake with a huge smile on her face and pretended to be a human. For all he knew, she was a perky little redhead. Teimhnin grasped his hand and shook it gently. "Just roomates?! Aw, c'mon Mel, we're closer than that. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Drake. I'm Mel's cousin from Ireland. I've been all over America, but I decided to come her because I missed Mel. I told her that she could come live with me and my boyfriend, right dear?" Teimhnin looked Gabriel, willing him to just play along. She gave Melissa a quick hug, whispering into her ear. "I you wish, just ask the alpha if you can still go to school." Pulling away from her "cousin", Teimhnin skipped over to Gabriel and slipped her hand into his and resting her head on his shoulder. In order to convince this human, they had to at least look like a lovey dovey couple.

Teimhnin looked to Melissa and winked at her. She hoped that Drake was convinced and that the situation was handled.

Mel quickly fell into routine. This was just like when she would go out with friends for "dinner" and would have to relay the night's events to her dad incase he called to check in. Lieing was easy for Mel, but that didn't mean she felt good about it.

"Well it would have been a lot easier to just stick with roommates. No need to go down memory lane." Melissa's laugh was light and sweet, bumping Drake lightly before rolling her eyes in Teimhnin's direction. She gave her a light hug, pretending to laugh at the comment that was whispered in her ear. She looked back at Drake, then back at Tei, giving Drake the idea Tei had asked about him.

Mel shook her head slightly, her blue eyes lighter than usual but still shining in the sun. She turned to Drake, casually placing a hand on his upper arm. "I better get going, been up all day and could use a power nap." Mel shrugged as if it were nothing, letting her posture droop just a bit to emphisize her exhaustion. Drake did the cute half-smile thing that sent Mel's heart skipping as he pulled her in for a hug. Luckily there was no kiss this time, just a wish for her to call him later. She smiled and agreed, then left his side to join Tei and Gabriel's as they walked down the sidewalk.

Once out of his view, Mel let out a rush of air. Holy cow, she really was tired. The multiple bags weren't helping either. "Home then? I've had enough adventure for one day..." Mel stopped her suitcase, sitting ontop of it and staring at the ground as Tei waved down a cab.

(We can continue or just end it here. Sorry for the long wait.)