A Little Reunion

"Stupid mutt; it's shit like that, that'll blow out cover. What's she doing with the Alpha anyway? Isn't she like dog-shit Omega?" a werewolf girl whispered to her friend. The friend looked too frightened of Aslin to respond, and the one who had made the comment obviously didn't think she had been overheard. Caitire bit her lip, closing her eyes. He knew she was concentrating on her eye color, on controlling her thoughts. Before he could say anything to the girls, Caitire grabbed his hand and lead him into the nearest dress shop. It wasn't the most expensive in Seattle, but it still had some nice designs. Caitire gave Aslin a shy half smile, and began to walk among the dresses.

"What color do you think I should wear?" she asked. She put a hand to her pale lips.

"I was thinking a white dress with another color to accent. Do you have any preferences? I am your date after all," she said. She giggled a little, and Aslin saw a bit of blue sky tint flicker in her eyes. She cursed, and looked down so no one else could see. She it her lip again, and looked back up. Her eyes were gray again, though a very light gray.

ooc:// That was his hint to suggest blue.

Aslin tensed as he overheard the female werewolf speak, and prepared himself to comment on her words, but Caitire had already pulled him into the dress shop. That fact was most likely for the best. The words he had been considering saying had not been pleasant at all.

“Blue should be the second color. It is my favorite because your eyes turn that color to show that you love me.” Aslin gave her a charming smile then started to look through the dresses, “You would look nice in anything, though.”

Caitire stared in amazement over the words that had just come out of her Alpha's mouth. Her eyes darkened a deeper gray, and then burst into an inhuman sky blue. She her someone laugh, and realized it was herself.

"Well, after all, I only have to keep them one color. I suppose blue is just as normal as hazel," she giggled. She swatted him on the shoulder, scolding him in a whisper for making things difficult for her, and grabbed a dress. He hadn't time to look at it before she disappeared into a changing room. Her mind wheeled about wildly as she took off her clothes, and slipped on the dress.

Well, at least he knows how I feel, and he loves me. Wait, he didn't say so. But he does. Doesn't he? I think he does. He said he loved me, didn't he? Yeah, he just...didn't want a life-time commitment. Great. He probably wants to fall in love with someone of a higher rank, like I could blame him...

Of course, Aslin heard none of this, but finally a groan escaped through the curtain. He assumed the dress didn't fit. He assumed wrong. Caitire threw back the curtain and floated out gracefully to look at herself in the mirror. The dress was strapless, low cut, and white at the top, the exact color of her hair, but as it fell, it changed into a pale blue and got darker. Finally, the material around her feet was a deep navy blue. There was no back to the dress, just bare skin, and Caitire turned around and around looking at herself scrutinizingly.

"Well, I'll need to do something with my hair, of course. It'll need to be up in some sort of pretty design; I think I remember how to do that. I think I have some blue jewelry still...at the house, you know, with Cathal," she prattled on. Her blue eyes were narrowed. She was never satisfied with her human appearance.

"What do you think?" she asked. There was a shyness in her voice. She bit her lip, and Aslin could tell she would be hanging on his every word.

ooc://http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/3016434/0~2376776~2374327~2374331~6014179?mediumthumbnail=Y&origin=category&searchtype=&pbo=6014179&P=1

Aslin thought over his words carefully. He did not want to word things wrong. He had when Caitire had asked if he was going to pledge to her, and that had led to disaster. Thinking before speaking was something he was going to do from here on out.

“You look beautiful in it.” As smiled at her then continued to speak, “If Cathal got rid of the jewelery by mistake I will buy you some, not that you need it. You look wonderful already. I really wish that you would be more confident in yourself.”

Caitire felt her eyes start to change color, and she disappeared back into the changing rooms. It was a few minutes before she returned, holding the dress. Her eyes were now a deep, dark sober blue.

"I have been a horrible sister to Cathal...I have been no sister at all," she whispered. She was talking more or less to herself it seemed as she straightened the white beret on her head again, trying to look human, and failing. She sighed, and looked up at Aslin. Her eyes lightened in color just a little.

"I am glad you like the dress. I am certain that Cathal has not gotten rid of my things. He...he would never do that," she said. Her eyes darkened again, and she became silent, lost so deep in her own thoughts that Aslin wondered if he could ever really return her. Caitire had never been normal, not after her gift had surfaced. Before the gift, as just a pup, he remembered how carefree and happy and bubbly she had been. She had changed much when her parents were killed. She had blamed herself for not foreseeing their danger, and he knew she had never forgiven herself for it. It was why she had taken the solitary pilgrimage. She had to make sure her gift was honed enough that she would never lose another loved one again.

Aslin sighed as Aslin zoned out and he just stared at her, waiting for her to snap out of the trance. After a moment he grew tired of waiting and pressed her lips to hers, hoping the kiss would bring her attention back to his. “Caitire, we need to go.”

Aslin's tactic worked, but it was somewhat of a rude awakening for Caitire. Her eyes clouded over, a dark gray. Confusion. She backed away from him, as if he had struck her, instead of kissed her softy. She backed away from him, and fled out the door. She was walking swiftly, though her body had gone rigid, but Aslin kept up easily.

"That's hardly proper behavior from an Alpha to an Omega, don't you think?" he hissed over her shoulder. The female that had called Caitire a name before, overheard her, and stepped in front of her. She grabbed Caitire by the throat, and threw her up against a nearby wall. The Omega did as she should. Nothing. This female was of higher rank, and unless Caitire challenged her to a fight, that wouldn't change. The female sneered at Caitire, her fangs bared. Caitire was submissive, glancing downwards.

"You want me to remind her of her position, Apha? She should at least be reprimanded for talking like that to you," she hissed.

Aslin stood still, having been taken aback by Caitire's reaction. She was not supposed to take it like that. She was supposed to view it as him still caring for her. He let out a sigh of frustration this followed after her, movements swift so he was trailing closely behind her.

He opened his mouth to respond to her comment, but closed it just as soon as the other female werewolf through Caitire against the wall. “No, release her. I do not want my future mate hurt, and I doubt you would want to trouble your soon to be alphaess.”

The female's mouth fell open, and her hand fell limply at her side. Her friend grabbed her by the arm, apologized quietly to Aslin, and dragged her away. Caitire's eyes were tinted red.

This just wasn't going well.

"You haven't even claimed me," she hissed, eyes flashing a beautiful scarlet. She turned on her heel and practically sprinted off again. Aslin knew Caitire well enough to know that she was trying to get out of the city as soon as possible. Why? Because she would shift, hide her emotions, and run into their Mother's wilderness. Out of his grasp. Just as Caitire turned down one of the last alleys on the outskirts of the city, she turned around to face him so quickly that Aslin almost ran straight into her. Her eyes were flashing three different colors now. So much for looking mortal.

Gray. Red. Navy.

He was looking so closely at her eyes, he didn't see her hand fly. He did, however, feel the sting of the back of her hand. That would certainly leave a mark. She hadn't been gentle.

"What is it with you? All I ever wanted was to be with you! To be at your side! I left to keep you safe, Aslin! I'm a selfish wolf. I didn't leave to help the others with my gift. Everything I've ever done was always for you! And....and, first you...you didn't try to stop me! I...I wouldn't have listened, but...it still would have mattered! To me! And then I get back, and we....we have the same spark that we did when I left, and I tell you I love you, and what do you do, Aslin? What do you do, Aslin? You say, 'yeah, I guess so!' Even the lower ranking wolves claim their mates with more fervor. What kind of Alpha move is that?"

It was the first time Caitire had really unloaded on him, without fear of his authority over her. She certainly had a lot to get off her chest. She had been screaming at him, but now her eyes were only deep navy. Tears stained her pink flushed cheeks, and she was panting for talking so quickly without stopping. Now she sighed, throwing her hands up, and turned her back on him. She was trembling, and did not speak for a few moments.

"Even the Omega of your pack, Alpha, has pride. I will not be claimed by any male who does not love me irrevocably, who does not wish to spend the rest of his life with me, who....who claims me halfheartedly," she said. At her last words, her voice broke, and he saw her shudder. He recognized the shudder. She was doing all she could not to shift, and she was quickly losing control.

Aslin listened to Caitire's words thoroughly, keeping silent until she was completely done speaking. It was nice to hear her express herself for once, to see her stand up for what she felt. He reached out a hand to wipe away her tears. A rare smile came to his face and he dropped his arms to his side.

“All that I can do is apologize. The past can not be changed. What happened, happened. I wish that I could take it back. I wish that I would have answered with 'Yes, I want to be with you, I love you and want to spend the rest of my life with you'. I did not though.” He sighed then thought over what else to say. He wanted her to forgive him. He wanted to prove that he truly did feel for her. “What do I have to do, Caitire?”

Caitire's eyes were only navy now.

At least the red was gone. Aslin wasn't sure he was quite ready for another of her slaps again.

She sighed, and pushed her silver white hair out of her face, shaking her head.

"I...I don't know, Aslin. Maybe the Mother herself is against our unity. You are Alpha, and I am Omega. I don't know. I've asked her....for answers for nights innumerable, and she has been silent as the moon she shines down upon us from," she said. She had stopped shaking, which meant she wasn't about to shift and run off on him. She looked down, her eyes becoming a soft brown.

Shame...

"Forgive me, I shouldn't have spoken so...disrespectfully. I...I need to know that you love me, Aslin, as I do you," she said. She looked back up at him with hazel eyes. She was confused, perhaps as much as him. Uncharacteristically, she walked forward and let him wrap his arms around her. She was silent, and he could feel her breathing deeper, filling herself with his scent.

"I will put you through no fiery trial...perhaps I just need time....time to be convinced that you do love me, Aslin," she whispered.

“Those ranks should not matter, Caitire. What should is the fact that I love you, that I want to claim you, and have you run the pack by my side.” When she approached him Aslin was shocked. Despite that, though, he wrapped his arms around her.

“Do not apologize. I do not want you to. This is my fault. I did this. I caused our problems. I created these issues, and I am going to fix them as I should.” The alpha wolf would figure out a way to prove his love to her. He would show her that he really truly desired to be with her.

Caitire sighed again, but Aslin could hear the contentment flow out of her lips. She did not move away from him for a long time. When she did, she was smiling.

"I'd agree with you on you screwing up, but I've probably done enough, judging by that little red mark," she said with a girlish laugh. She reached up, and kissed his cheek, but her smile faded. It was such an often occurrence, her smile dissolving. Perhaps her gift was more of a curse.

"I need to be with Cathal tonight. He is...very upset. The loss of Bridgette was enough to send him over the edge, and he regrets the repercussions that hurt her so," she said softly. She gazed into Aslin's eyes for a moment, and they changed.

Bright, vivid, blue. The kind of blue you see when the sun shines, and there isn't so much as a wisp of a cloud. The color sparkled and danced in her eyes until it was overwhelmingly, and captivatingly intoxicating.

ooc:// This scene's almost over, I'm afraid. HFCP, if I can find her, and I will finish the fight with Max, and then we can move on /WITHOUT/ further delay to the laboratory assault where I'll kill some charries and things will get fun.