The Curse

[Rose]

Logan stepped out of the taxi a mile from the house, walking the rest of the way. He needed the time and the air to clear his head, or at least fill it with the distracting sounds of the waking city. He couldn’t help but think back ten years to the first time he’d set foot in the house. Luke had found him dying in the streets, mauled by a group of werewolves he’d had the misfortune of targeting for a theft. He’d been a scrappy kid back then, 16 and angry and always looking for a fight. Luke had brought him in, hid him away during the first terrifying year of his transformation. He would have died if it wasn’t for Luke, and he would have been lost if it wasn’t for the years of care he got after that.

And the house never would have been complete without Alice. She was a little thing when he met her, six years old and already fiercely independent. Their first meeting involved her doing her own hair up into terrible pigtails and insisting Logan let her do the same to his. He had refused, despising the little runt at first, but no one’s heart could stay cold to that little girl forever. As the years went by, Alice started following Logan around everywhere, stating little girl things like how they would be married to him one day, or how he was a gross smelly boy, depending on her mood.

As he walked, Logan laughed distantly at a particular memory. Luke was out on business, leaving Logan behind once again to watch over the little girl. He’d demanded to go with Luke, but the old man insisted that having someone watch over his little girl was far more important than having someone at his side. Logan begrudgingly agreed, and when Luke finally returned home early the next morning he found the house a mess. Chairs had been toppled over and couches pushed together, all draped with blankets. Alice was found sleeping beneath one fort, with Logan passed out somewhere beneath a table, his hair in lopsided pigtails. It was shortly after that Luke finally entrusted him with the secret of Alice’s true nature, and a few years later that Logan left to keep it safe.

The wolf reached the house faster than he wanted to. He found a huge lump in his throat that he couldn’t swallow past. He had no idea what to say. Would Alice remember him? If she did, how did she feel about him leaving so suddenly and without a word? She’d been a teenager then, had more important things on her mind….surely she couldn’t hate him still. Logan took in a deep breath and stepped through the door into the dimly lit room without knocking. This was a conversation they needed to have inside.

“…Alice?....Alice, its Logan. I heard about what happened.”

[GnomesAteMyCake]

Lance stared out of the truck window for the whole of the ride home, hiding the hurt of Gavin abandoning him already. But, he'd abandoned him the moment Logan left them, he thought sadly to himself, curling himself into a smaller ball on the back seat. He could see it when the vampire looked at their Alpha...the blind devotion and love Lance knew was on his face when he looked at Gavin. A look that he would never get back.

Lance waited a few moments longer in the car after Gavin and Lillian got out, sighing as he ducked out of the car and headed towards the loud group of Lycans who all cheered and bolted for him. They all had a great respect for Gavin, as well for every vampire under Logan's roof, but it wasn't the same as it was for a fellow Lycan; something about the pack ties. Considering Lance was so young, he was considered the baby brother, the pup that needed looking after by the other dogs.

"Hey, Lance!" one of them yelled, wrapping his arms around the ginger's waist and lifting him up, Lance wincing as the larger wolf squished his cut.

"Matt, put me down man!" he managed to choke out, landing on his feet as the man put him down, tousling his hair with something like pride as the other dogs surrounded them. Shaking his head, Lance lead a few inside, the others staying with Lillian.

"So how'd it go, Pup?" Matt asked, bounding along at the youngster side. "I see you scratted your face up. That could scar, you know."

"I doubt it darling; I know how many hearts would be broken if that happened," Lance shot over his shoulder, winking at Matt as he made a brave attempt at his usual sexual bravado, putting a slight wiggle in his step to the laughter of his fellows. There was the beginnings of a grin on his face as they entered the main room, but it died the second he spotted Gavin in one of the battered armchairs. He distantly heard Matt asking him to celebrate his return with them, since there was a game on, and they'd gotten to go out and buy a few beers each for the occasion...

"Sorry guys, the nurse said no alcohol because of the painkillers," he lied smoothly, running a hand through his hair.

"Gavin's drinking," Matt insisted, pouting slightly, though he had nothing on Lance's perfected puppy-dog look. Shaking his head with a smile, Lance faked a yawn, meeting Gavin's eyes briefly before looking away, praying the vampire wouldn't blow his cover.

"Gavin didn't have any painkillers. He's one hard bastard, right?" Lance muttered, smiling shyly at his Lycans. They chuckled appreciatively before heading towards the fridge for drinks. Now that the attention was off him, Lance snuck out of the room and into the corridor, practically bolting to his room, ripping the door open and slamming it behind him, leaning against the door briefly before sighing. Taking slow steps, he approached the small window in his room, pushing the rotting frame up so the window opened. Looking up, he saw it was a full moon. Smirking, he settled himself on the window-sill, his arms crossed against his chest, the moonlight raising the bites on his own neck.

[GnomesAteMyCake]

The sound of a voice in her house made Alice jump, dropping the glass of water she'd been holding as she wurled around, her eyes wide with fear despite her lips being pressed into a hard line as she snatched up a knife from the side.

"Logan? I don't know any Lo-" she started, holding the knife out in front of her as she inched into the main room, her eyes searching for the figure before finally seeing the outline of a hulking figure stood by the window, his outline easily seen against the moonlight streaming through the net certains. Reaching a slightly shaking hand, Alice flicked the light-switch, narrowing her eyes at the bright light.

She took in the dark hair, impressive physique and near golden eyes. He looked rougher than last time she'd seen him, and more tired, but it was still her Logan. Her mouth opening slightly, the knife fell from her limp fingers as she stared at him.

"....Logan?" she whispered, honey-brown eyes flitting over his face as she causiously approached him, a hand reaching out to touch his face gently, stroking down his face, her eyes slightly dream-like.

That state didn't last long however, as her eyes sharpened, her face transformed into a snarl and she drew her hand back to slap him with all the strength she could summon.

"You asshole! You complete and utter asshole!" she yelled at him, eyes narrowed as she took a few steps back, a hand raised to point at him. "What the fuck are you doing here?!"

"Alice, I-"

"No Logan! You don't get to explain!" she ranted, plunging both her hands into her hair as she pulled at the light hairs, spinning on her heel to pace before re-turning to face him. "I haven't seen you for ten years, Logan! Ten! No letter, no phonecall... you could've been dead for all we knew! Oh-" she laughed humourlessly, tapping her chin in mock thought, her words biting, "-that's why you're here, isn't it? You heard Luke died and needed to check in on poor, defenceless Al! It doesn't matter that she's had to fend for herself everyday since you left, now that's she alone she needs you, right? You've got such a ner-"

Alice was cut off half-way through her rant as she was swept up into a pair of strong arms, Logan lifting her off the floor as he clung to her, his face buried into her hair. Punching at his shoulders and arms, Alice attempted to push herself out of his grasp. "Logan! Put me down! Don't you touch me! I said don't touch me!" she continued to hiss, pushing in vain against his chest. Sighing in defeat, she hung limp in his arms, refusing to hug him back.

"You're only here because of Luke," she muttered monotonously, staring ahead over the Lycan's shoulder. "If he hadn't died, would you have come back? Heh, you wouldn't have spared me a thought. I'd have kept living, not knowing if you were...."

There was silene between them, Logan attempting to defrost the young woman in his arms while she remained icy in his grip. If he was hoping for things to be the way the were before he'd left, he was sorely mistaken. She was a child then; she had to grow up without him, and now he was here, she wasn't sure on whether she was happy to know that he was alright or not.

[GnomesAteMyCake]

"Why did you send in backup, Alec?!" Manic shouted over the desk, her hands on her hips as she stared down her boss, refusing to resieve treatment for her wounds untill she'd stood in front of him. Kaleb had been surprisingly quiet on the way back, considering the wolf never shut up. Manic assumed he thought she was furious with him, which was true, but it wasn't the same as being pissed at Alec; she and Kaleb were kindred spirits. They were the same. She couldn't be angry with him in the same way she couldn't cut off her own arm.

Tearing her thoughts away from the blond Lycan, she continued to stare down Alec, one of her eyes focused somewhere to the right of the room.

"Kaleb and I had everything under control! We didn't need any help!" she insisted, collapsing into one of the leather chairs, her arms crossed.

"Cassandra predicted your need for assistance," Alec said softly, a dangerous sign to anyone with the intelligence to realise they were digging themselves a hole. Manic was not one of those people.

"Cassandra's a fruitloop! Since when have you ever believed anything she's predicted?" Manic scoffed, looking down her nose arogantly as if the older vampire stood before her. Kaleb sat silently beside her, chewing his nails. "Anyway, because of the distraction those men caused, all three of Logan's group, him included, got away with injuries, and you're boys were all killed."

Standing up, Manic planted her hands on the edge of the desk, focusing her eye on Alec. "Next time, think before you underestimate me. However, all is not lost-" sitting on the edge of the desk, she looked over her shoulder at her boss, a smile blooming over her face. "I know how we can get Gavin, and through him, Logan. All we need to do is pull the right strings, and put a few events into motion..."

[Rose]

Gavin stayed in the main room for a while. He’d been convinced to watch the game with the boys, and for a few hours their loud cheering and happy insults echoed through the skeletal building. The more time that went by and the closer it got to evening, the colder the concrete walls got. When the game ended, Gavin tipped his beer to the lycans and some of the others who had emerged from their holes to party. A few of his friends booed, asking him to stay around for the next game, but he declined with a charming smile and a wave.

“I gotta go check on the pup, eh? His wounds might have killed him yet!” The boy laughed, knowing that they had all received far worse wounds. They just liked picking on the youngest, the Omega of the crowd. Gavin slipped out of the room, following up the stairs to the sleeping quarters. He knocked a few times before going in, dancing in with his beer in his hands.

“Hey sweetcheeks, how’re ya feeling?” He asked with a smirk, kicking the door closed behind him. He laughed, and there was a bit of alcohol on his breath. Whatever sorrow he was showing before was either gone or pushed away. “What’s with the sobriety back there? Don’t worry, I didn’t say anything. The boys might think you are more of a puss, though.”

[GnomesAteMyCake]

Lance jumped at the sound of his bedroom door opening, but smiled when he saw it was Gavin. He truely hadn't expected Gavin to come and see him, despite what he'd said before they left. Marking the page of the book he was reading, he pushed himself up off the bed, wanting to push a hand through his hair to make sure it was presentable but refraining, not wanting to appear more girly than he already did.

"I'm fine, honestly," he answered, feeling better interacting with Gavin than he had before due to the sorrow in his eyes had completely gone. "Just a scratch, right?"

“What’s with the sobriety back there? Don’t worry, I didn’t say anything. The boys might think you are more of a puss, though.” Lance looked up at Gavin, his face open and disbelieving as he pushed the vampire slightly, his hands balled against his chest.

"I'm not a pussy! I mean....well, I guess I am. But thanks for not telling them. I just...I needed to think about what happened, you know?" he answered softly, wanted to respond with his usual cocky jabs but not quite able to fall back into that mold. He felt changed, as if he were the wrong shape and that previous version of Lance was gone, leaving the weak one in it's place.

"C-Come here," he stammered, reaching up with slightly trembling hands to undo the buttons of Gavin's shirt, wanting to shake himself. Come on, Lance! You've undressed him before! You've undressed him a lot.What's so hard about it know?? "Let me look at your wound..."

[Rose]

Logan held Alice firmly in his grasp, his hand on the back of her head like she was 8 and crying again. But he didn’t have to kneel to her level anymore. And she didn’t give in; she didn’t cry to him and tell him what was wrong or ask him to make everything alright. There were no monsters in the closet for him to fight off, only real monsters that he’d been fighting so she’d never have to know about them.

Logan swallowed hard, slowly, reluctantly releasing her, though his hands rested on her shoulders. The large man bent his head down, forcing her to look him in the eyes. His were pained, and so were hers, he knew, but like when she was a little girl she hid it well with anger. No one would ever be so strong, so independent, and so bitterly stubborn. Logan could have smiled about it in any other situation.

“Alice….Alice listen to me. I know you hate me, and I don’t ask for your forgiveness. But you have to understand that I left to protect you. And I was never really gone. I’d never just abandon you. I promised Luke a long time that I would always keep you safe, no matter what happened. That never changed.” Luke did smile then, recalling some far off memory. He took Alice’s chin in his hand, lifting it gently as she tried to look away from him, her arms crossed firmly against her chest. “Alice, remember that boyfriend you used to have? Hell, what was his name….Steven? You remember him? I saw you guys on a date, and he pushed you. After that night you never saw him again. Why do you think that is?”

“…..YOU’RE STALKING ME NOW?!” Alice screamed, punching Logan in the chest. His eyes twitched and he threw up his hands, but Alice cut him off and punched him a few more times. “You dick, what did you do to my boyfriend? Did you kill him? I’m calling the cops!”

Logan rolled his eyes and grabbed Alice’s hands, easily stopping her from storming off. He sighed, shaking his head. Maybe that wasn’t the best story to start off with. But how did you explain to someone that the entire life they thought they knew was only a tiny sliver of a bigger picture, one that you were born to see fully when the time came?

“Alice, Luke had me watch out for you sometimes. Listen, he was worried about you, so I tagged along when you went to far from home. Do you have any idea how many times you’ve nearly been mugged?!” Logan asked, exasperated. The Diseased were naturally drawn to Alice, and Logan had spent countless nights killing people silently behind Alice while she walked merrily along the streets at night. “Speaking of, why the hell do you walk down so many dark alleys at night? Do you think you are invisible or something? Because you’re not. And neither am I, so stop it.”

[Rose]

Gavin just looked down idly as Lance unbuttoned his shirt, sighing after a while and gently pushing the trembling hands away. He reached over and set his near-empty beer down before taking over, quickly sliding his fingers over the buttons to release them. The vampire slipped his shirt over his head, discarding it into the corner. His bare chest was revealed, slim but moderately muscled from keeping up with Logan’s escapades.

“Its fine. I was shot in the chest once. They used those zapper things on me to bring me back….those…those hospital things that zap your chest. I dnno,” Gavin rambled, turning around so Lance could see the patched spot on his back. He picked off the gauze from the side, peeling it back for Lance. “And once in the stomach. I don’t care what anyone else tells you. That’s the worst. I’m not going into details.”

Gavin pressed the gauze back down and turned to face the boy again, taking him by the arm and prodding him thoughtfully.

“What about you kid? You say you’re fine, but that looked nasty to me. You’re new to this and all….maybe we shouldn’t have taken you. I don’t know what Logan was thinking. I guess we all expected it to be a little easier.” Gavin chuckled suddenly, ruffling Lance’s hair with a proud smile. “But ya did good. I mean, did you see the way that vampire came at you?! All I saw was a flash, and bam, there’s a knife. And I saw you take out those others. Not bad at all.”

[Rose]

Alec took in a deep breath, closing his eyes. He was struggling to keep his patience. He had to set a fine example for these imbeciles, though. He had to show them that the best way to victory was a clear head.

“Manic,” He said, his voice commanding silence as well as a listening ear, though it was just as soft as before. “If assistance had not been needed and you had everything under control- as you so fervently insist- then there should have been no chance of failure. Pray tell, how did you go from winning with two on your side to losing Logan and the others when you suddenly had more? And armed assistance, might I remind you. No, my dear, this situation does not add up at all.”

Alec stood from his chair, his suit as fine and unwrinkled as if it had never been worn. He crossed over to her side, taking the woman’s hand in his and gesturing for her to rise.

“Come, Manic. I have something to discuss with you.” He started to lead her from the room, holding up a hand to Kaleb. “No. You stay. This does not concern you. I’ll return shortly to further our discussion.”

Alec took Manic into the elevator that only they used, the one separate from his business route. They were taken down into the basement, and then down to the floor below, one that only Alec had access to. The trip was made in silence, but Manic knew the room. Either she guessed what was going to happen and was taking it well, or more likely she was clueless, following her master where he took her. Alec’s hand tightened unbreakably around the woman’s wrist, just in case.
“"Next time, think before you underestimate me, Manic. And I suggest you learn to think before you speak as well. Your mouth is by far your ugliest quality.” Alec dragged Manic into the concrete room. On both sides were cells of thick iron, separated only by a thin passageway down the middle and stone walls between. Alec opened the first cell and pushed Manic in unceremoniously. The cell door closed with a loud, echoing bang.

“You have forgotten your place, Manic, and seemed to have forgotten how to speak to me. You’ll stay here until you remember who is in control.” Alec went over to a thick metal box by the door of the room. Inside was a small refrigerated box. Alec withdrew a packet of blood and tossed it onto the ground, just out of reach of the cell.

“I hope this helps refresh your memory.”

Then the vampire, his face as calm as always, withdrew a shining gun, its surface reflecting the cold room around it. He whipped around, firing a bullet into Manic’s shoulder. A second met with the packet of blood, exploding everywhere. The red contents leaked across the floor, absorbing into the pours of the hard surface. Alec turned and left, hesitating in the doorway.

“Let me know when you get thirsty.” Alec flicked his wrist and the lights went out, leaving manic alone in the darkness with only her sense of smell, enticed by the draining blood. “I’ll be in to check on you later.”

The door slammed shut, sealing off the last of the light. The vampire’s voice called from the other side of the door as he locked that as well.

“Learning some manners would be nice, too.”

[GnomesAteMyCake]

Lance flushed at Gavin's compliments, a small smile on his face as he smoothed his hand over the padding on the vampire's side, pressing the medical tape to his side.

"I don't know about that," he murmured, looking up at Gavin and smiling openly, his green eyes sparkling. "And I'm fine, I promise. Yeah, it hurt like a bitch, but complaining won't make it heal quicker, right?"

Lance held Gavin's gaze, taking a small step forward, closing the distance between their bodies till there was barely a hands withe between them. His heart and breath quickening slightly, Lance ran his hands lightly over the others skin, smooth and warm beneath his fingers, the vampire's scent in his head, clogging like a purfume.

"I meant what I said in the trunk," Lance whispered softly, refusing to meet Gavin's eyes. "You shouldn't have done what you did. You're more important than I am; pack members do whatever they can to keep the others safe. You're our Beta. If I had to die-" sighing, Lance lent forward, slotting his head under Gavin's chin, his hands pressed against his chest.

"-then I would've done."

[GnomesAteMyCake]

"I can't believe that you've been following me!" Alice snapped at the confused looking man, her arms folded across her chest. Her usually warm eyes remained narrowed, her blood pounding loudly in her ears. After 10 years, it was too surreal, having Logan standing in the centre of what used to be hers and Luke's living room. "Are there any other secrets you've been hiding from me? Wait, don't tell me, I don't want to know."

Stomping into the kitchen, Alice skirted the broken glass on the floor, pulling open one of the cabinets on the wall and pulling out a bottle of Luke's scotch as well as one of the crystal tumblers he liked to use. Pouring herself a descent amount, she knocked the alcohol back, coughing at the heat that coursed down her throat. Swallowing a few times, she placed the glass in the sink, turning to see Logan stood in the doorway, a look of almost dissapointment in his eyes.

"What?" she snapped, looking anywhere other than the man before her. "I'm not the innocent little girl you left behind, Logan. I've had a lot of growing up to do since then." She watched him for a moment, finally sighing as she ran a hand through her hair, looking world-weary.

"Why are you here, Logan? Couldn't you just let me mourn in peace?" she said in a resigned voice, her eyes listless as she waited for the large man's response.

[GnomesAteMyCake]

Manic hardly registered the bullet in her shoulder after she was thrown into the cell. Staring at her boss, mouth open, Manic felt genuinely betrayed because as far as she could tell, she'd done nothing wrong.

"Alec..." she muttered, confused as the man shot the blood-bag, the sharp metallic tang of the liquid hitting her as if it were a wall, her fangs lengthening.

"Let me know when you're thirsty. I'll be back to check on you later," Alec said in that same soft and deadly tone, clicking out the lights and shutting the door, leaving the bleeding woman in the dark.

"I don't understand... I did good. We can take down Gavin, sir..." she muttered more to herself, her thumb slotting itself into her mouth as she back into the cell corner, trying to escape the rich scent of frozen blood blended with her own. "I did good...they distracted me, I couldn've done it, master..." she continued to babble, drawing her legs up underneath her body as she rocked, trying to egnore the clawing hunger in her belly as the pain finally hit her and reminded her that she was bleeding out.

Despite this, she knew that the best way to get back into Alec's good books would be to complete his game, to be the winner and go after Gavin. Once she brought him the vampires head on a plate, everything would be well. Logan came second after Gavin. He left her, left them all... now she needed to remind him of thier past and get him back, or kill him.

And oh, what a game it would be.

[Rose]

Logan looked hurt at Alice’s comment, but he couldn’t blame her and held none of her words against her. He stepped cautiously into the kitchen, filled with a bittersweet familiarity. Even after so long the old kitchen still looked the same. Of to the side was a picture of Logan and Luke laughing together with a theme park in the background, a 12-year-old Alice between them looking moody because a silly hat had been shoved onto her head. Without looking, Logan knew where the cups were. He knew what kind of juice would be in the fridge for Luke and what snacks Alice would have stashed away in the cupboard. Logan knew the stuffed wolf Luke had bought the little girl for Christmas when she was 8 had been thrown into the closet but not in the trash because she couldn’t bare getting rid of it. He knew a lot of things that hurt him to remember but he’d never let himself forget.

“Alice...” the man said looking broken, his eyes tired. She had no idea what he had gone through. If he had any say in it, she’d never know. “When you love someone, you’ll do anything for them. You’ll do whatever it takes to keep them safe, even if that means hurting them.”

Alice glared at him, shaking her head. Of course she had no idea what he was talking about. She didn’t know the gravity of his words. But it was time she knew. It was time she knew everything.

“If I told you that all those stories I used to tell you before bed about gods and werewolves and a cure were true, you’d laugh at me. So I have to show you instead.”

At his words, Logan’s form began to twist. His bones crunched, his face warped with pain, he stepped back, out of the kitchen so Alice didn’t have to see it all. The Transformation was too much for someone to see all at once. Maybe one day she could see it if she wanted to, but not now. Logan cursed, but sound came out guttural, hard to understand, and then it wasn’t words at all but a deep, animalistic growl. Logan trotted forward, back into the soft light of the kitchen. But Alice didn’t see the man she knew. She saw the huge frame of a chocolate-brown wolf, his head and ears lowered cautiously. The animal raised its eyes, and in them were the only trace of humanity he had to show.

[Rose]

A hand gently took Lance’s chin and tipped it up, making him look at the man before him. Gavin smiled a vampire’s smile, but his eyes said he was serious.

“Lance, we all look out for each other. I acted quickly, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t know what I was doing. I knew I could save you. I knew I could take that hit,” Gavin said confidently, that indestructible air about him again. He pushed a bit of red hair out of the pale boy’s face, his grin turning mischievous. “Besides…..I made a promise to meet up with you tonight. I couldn’t let that be broken, now could I?”

Gavin slowly wrapped an arm behind the boy as he had done earlier, mindful of the fresh wound on his side. The vampire bent down to Lance’s neck, softly kissing the wounds from the morning as if the touch of his lips would make them go away. He drew his mouth upward, gently teasing the skin with his teeth, mindful not to leave a scratch.

“I’m a man of my word,” Gavin muttered against Lance’s warmth, chuckling as he nibbled the boy’s ear playfully. His free hand traced down the lycan’s chest. “I wouldn’t let something so petty as a bullet make me a liar.”

[GnomesAteMyCake]

Lance felt his eyes flutter shut at Gavin's gentle caress, leaning his cheek into the vampire's larger palm as he spoke quietly above a whisper. “Lance, we all look out for each other. I acted quickly, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t know what I was doing. I knew I could save you. I knew I could take that hit.”

"Just because you c-could do something doesn't mean you sh-shou'ould have," Lance stuttered on the end of a sigh, his hands balling into the front of Gavin's shirt as the man's lips desending onto his neck, not out to bite this time but laying gentle kisses over the mark from the morning. Lance felt his arm slide around his waist and tighten it's hold as his knees trembled, the red-headed Lycan flushing slightly at the cliche betrayal of his limbs.

“Besides…..I made a promise to meet up with you tonight. I couldn’t let that be broken, now could I?” Lance felt a breathy moan rise from his throat as Gavin transferred his teeth to his ear, nibbling at the lobe while the boy could feel him smiling. His hold on Gavin's shirt became tighter as the vampire ran his hand up the boy's chest, stopping him from pulling their bodies together. “I’m a man of my word. I wouldn’t let something so petty as a bullet make me a liar."

Smiling, Lance pushed the vampire away before pulling him back, crushing their lips together as he reached up to thread his arms around Gavin's neck, flattening himself against Gavin's body as he staggered backward and hit the wall. Carding his hands through raven hair, Lance continued to kiss him, pushing all thoughts that weren't focused on the vampire he was pressed against from his mind. There was only Gavin, which was all he ever wanted anyway.