To Carve A Personal Image On the Face of the Moon

[FigTreeDoctor]

Erin tapped her forehead. "'S'all in the noggin. We're all linked together through our minds. If any of them wanted to reach us, we'd know."
"As for the bloodsucker, we don't know how he got there yet. He's prolly just a straggler. He won't come too close the Rez. The boys are just making sure everything's okay." Braiden explained.

'I'm getting mud in my fur. Can I go home?' Iggy groaned. Ben elbowed him.
"Shut up! We're gonna do this just to make sure. You can never be too careful with Cold Ones." he said, staring into the dark expanse of trees in front of them.
"Ben's right." Billy added.  

[Aradia Helevorn]

Teresia blinked akwardly when tapped in the forhead but then she turned to glare daggers into her bedroom door. "either way, it's really pissing me off." she growled as she began to pace the hall. felling helpless and useless was the worst of her annoyances. it made her so angry she thought she would explode somtimes but she always manages to stay in check. her temper had once been legendary but sh had leared control as she got older. still those feelings always got to her, espeilly when others were at risk.  

[FigTreeDoctor]

Erin and Braiden exchanged glances.
"Listen, kiddo." she began, using her normal term of endearment. "I betcha any amount of ANYTHING in the world, that the boys'll be here in 20 minutes. Exact." she said.
"You can throw my bet on that, too. They'll be fine. There's nothing for you to worry about." Baiden said, smiling.
Suddenly, Erin's facial expression changed into puzzled. "Teresia, I've been wondering something. You and Ben get along really well. You like him, don't you? Not like... romantically or anything, but you like him, right?"
"Are you sure you want to bring this up right now...?" Braiden ventured.
Erin nodded.

"We're really close, Ben. My eyes are starting to water." Billy said, wrinkling his nose.
"I know." Ben said, still staring ahead stoically.
'We're right on top of 'im.' Iggy said quietly.
"Billy, phase." Ben commanded.
Billy nodded and turned into his wolf form.
"Show yourself!" Ben shouted.
Suddenly, a shadow came forth from the drizzle.
"Good evening, gentleman."  

[Aradia Helevorn]

Teresia bit her lip as she hoped that they were right. she didn't know how long she could take being angry and worried. she wasn't the type to just sit back and let things happen. and then she was brought back to reality and looked at Erin oddly. Braiden was right, that was a very odd time to be asking such questions. she paused and raised an eyebrow, "what kind of question is that?of course i do." She paused and looked at Erin curiously. "Why?"  

[FigTreeDoctor]

"Oh, I was just wondering..." she mumbled.
Braiden rolled her eyes. "We'll explain it to you later."
Erin stiffened. "They found him." she whispered. "They want help."
Braiden's form began to blur. "I'll go." she voulenteered.
"No." Erin said flatly. "I'm Beta, I'll go." she said.
"That's not fair! Just 'cause I'm the youngest, I'm stuck out of the action?!" Braiden shouted. "I can control myself! Really, I can."
Erin just shook her head and ran out the door, phasing into a large reddish-brown wolf.
Braiden cracked her knuckles. "S'not fair." she repeated.

"You're on our turf, vampire." Ben said sternly.
'Get out. Now.'
The vampire laughed. "Not with that kind of tone."
Erin burst out of the forest, snarling. The vampire flinched a little, but reamined otherwise still.
"You're really outnumbered here, freak." Ben said, his form blurring.
The vampire was suddenly gone, reappearing on Billy's back. Erin and Ben howled and leapt at him, both grabbing a side and pulling.
There was a deafening crack and then there was silence.
'You okay, Billy?'
'Yeah, I'm alright.'  

[Aradia Helevorn]

Teresia bit her lip harder as she paced. it was all her fault, they were almost obsessing over protecting her and she didn't really understand why. and the purpose of the question had somthing to do with it, she was almost positive it did. she grumbled and growled under her breath until she heard something, like a limb of a large tree letting go mixed with the grind of broken stone. she looked to the stairs and ran down, pushing open the door to the front yard. she stared into the trees, "what was that?" she asked knowing braiden would pry be right behind her. none of them wold be happ if she managed to get away from the house and the wouldn't let her be there alone, which she thought was strange.  

[FigTreeDoctor]

Braiden cringed. "Oh God, that HAD to hurt.... just as well though..." she said. She looked at Teresia. "Let's just say that we don't have a leech problem anymore."
The rest of the pack came through the trees in their human forms.
"He was a cocky little son of a gun, wasn't he?" Erin laughed. She cringed when she saw Braiden glaring at her.
Ben laughed and smiled at Teresia. "Erin was just telling me how worried you were. And I believe that I speak for all of the pack when I say I'm touched."  

[Aradia Helevorn]

teresia rolled her eyes, "well i'm not exactly the type that just stands back useless and helpless, when others have to do somthing. espeially ones i actually care about." she replid crosing her arms to show that she wasn't only worried but angry too. "i don't jus stand at the sidelines." she sighed and looked at each of them. she couldn't help but let releif leak into her face. "but at least you're all ok." she replied and smiled.  

[FigTreeDoctor]

"Hm. I'll have to remember that next time anything dangerous happens. We'll figure something for you to do." Ben said. He looked up at the sky, which was turning dark.
"It's getting late, guys. I think we should turn in." Billy said, stretching out his long limbs.
"I second that motion." Iggy said.
"Yeah, what they said." Braiden grumbled.
The trio turned around and went back to their respective houses.
Erin looked up at the house on the hill.
"Shoot! I'm gonna go tell Johnny we're okay! See you at home, Ben!" she shouted over her shoulder, loping towards Johnny's house.
Ben watched his sister leave, then turned towards Teresia and offerend his arm.
"Shall we?" he asked quietly.  

[Aradia Helevorn]

Teresia looked as the others quickly disapeared and bit the corner of her lip. she had the distinct feeling that they were doing this on purpose or it just was convienent. they had gone home much later the previous night.

she re composed her expression into a slight smile and looked up to Ben. she slid her small cool arm in his massive warm one. "alright." she replied and then looked at her feet.

she knew what she wanted to ask him about, his sister's question. but she really didn't know how to aproach it without being very up front so she tried the best she could, "um, you know, your sister had asked me about how i felt about you. and i was just wondering if you'd know anything about that. she didn't exactly tell me why she asked though. bad timing i guess." she shrugged alhogh because of hr neves she continued to stare at he ground.  

[FigTreeDoctor]

Ben looked up. "There's a reason, yeah." he murmured.

"Dammit, Ben, cut to the chase!" Braiden said almost silently. Iggy pressed a hand over her mouth, and Billy froze.
"Someone's coming" he mouthed.
Erin and Johnny skirted behind the bushes. "It's just us, Billy." Johnny said.
"What'd we miss?" Erin asked, inching forward for a better view.
"Nothing." Braiden said glumly.  

[Aradia Helevorn]

teresia paused, thinking that she had heard somthing but since it stopped as quickly as she had heard it she pushed it aside. after all if it were dangerous ben would pry know. she took a deep breath and looked up to him now. she was a little confused with his expression.she bit her lip. "well?" she asked implouring him to continue.  

[FigTreeDoctor]

Ben blinked. "Well... uh... not exactly sure how to go about this...." he mumbled, starting to pace. "Y'see, it's a wolfy... thing... we have, called imprinting."

"The boy's falling apart out there, I feel so bad..." Erin said, her eyes following her brother.
"This is way toooooo good." Johnny said.
Erin looked at him increduously. "Imprinting's a really serious thing, Johnny." she said, looking away quickly.
Iggy sat back with a Cheshire Cat grin on his face. "Not so easy, huh, Ben?" he said to himself.  

[Aradia Helevorn]

teresia looked up at ben with a somwhat surprised expression. she kind of new what imprinting was but she wasn't exactly sure. still, one thing she knew was that it was serious, it effects one's whole life. she bit her lip and nodded, "yeah, i've heard of it but i don't remember much. my grandfather used to tease me that someone would be imprinted on me." She laughed slightly. "when i was little i'd laugh and say he was weird." she looked to their path and looked down before puing up a little more courage to look into his face again. he as strugleing so much and shefelt so bad. "what does it have to do with me?" she asked.  

[FigTreeDoctor]

Ben ground his toes into the bare earth nervously.
"Well, he was right. Someone did imprint on you..." he said quietly.

"Dear lord, Ben! Out with it!" Erin hissed. Iggy covered her mouth, too.
Billy scratched a bug off his knee. "Wonder when I'll imprint." he wondered glumly.