[ { * - ( ( M e m o r i e s ) ) - * } ]

Lauralei sat back where she was sitting, her hands coming down on either side of her, looking at him with a slightly lifted brow. "You seem awefully sure as to what I want." Her voice was chilly, sighing a bit. Her mood was bound to change rapidly for a while. All of this was so new to her, and she wasn't sure how to take it in. She caught herself, though, apologising softly. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to snap the way I do. It's habit." A weak smile pulled up at her lips, and she stood again, restless while the snowflakes continued to fall. "Since you need new clothes..." She was only standing about a foot away from him, running her fingertips along where his chest showed from being unbuttoned halfway up. "I suppose I'll come with you." She frowned. "These really are too big. Maybe we should switch." A musical chuckle escaped her throat, moving away again. "Are we going now? Or later on?" She was up for anything. Getting out of the house would be nice. She would be a nervous wreck out in public, but felt that Tristan would help that, in a natural kind of way.

Raphael's eyes opened tiredly, revealing sapphire hues. "Alex," he groaned, his huge frame being sprawled out on the couch. He wasn't fat, but he was built rather well, and was tall -- possibly taller than even Tristan. A dark-haired female was sitting next to him, pulling the hair away from his sweaty face with her fingers. "Raph, he's sleeping. Let him alon--" She was interrupted by Alexander's voice, the male quite suddenly appearing next to her, peering down at Raphael, who started to speak quietly. "Lauralei and the werewolf are going into public somewhere, to get new clothes. Follow them, keep an eye on Lauralei. Too many people at once near him may cause him to snap, and I don't want Lauralei trying to protect him from anything and getting herself hurt." The blonde sighed, but nodded, obeying the other male, heading up a staircase and into his room to retrieve a trench coat. It was rather cold outside, and he didn't want to get sick, as Raphael was.

Lauralei sat back where she was sitting, her hands coming down on either side of her, looking at him with a slightly lifted brow. "You seem awefully sure as to what I want." Her voice was chilly, sighing a bit. Her mood was bound to change rapidly for a while. All of this was so new to her, and she wasn't sure how to take it in. She caught herself, though, apologising softly. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to snap the way I do. It's habit." A weak smile pulled up at her lips, and she stood again, restless while the snowflakes continued to fall. "Since you need new clothes..." She was only standing about a foot away from him, running her fingertips along where his chest showed from being unbuttoned halfway up. "I suppose I'll come with you." She frowned. "These really are too big. Maybe we should switch." A musical chuckle escaped her throat, moving away again. "Are we going now? Or later on?" She was up for anything. Getting out of the house would be nice. She would be a nervous wreck out in public, but felt that Tristan would help that, in a natural kind of way.

Raphael's eyes opened tiredly, revealing sapphire hues. "Alex," he groaned, his huge frame being sprawled out on the couch. He wasn't fat, but he was built rather well, and was tall -- possibly taller than even Tristan. A dark-haired female was sitting next to him, pulling the hair away from his sweaty face with her fingers. "Raph, he's sleeping. Let him alon--" She was interrupted by Alexander's voice, the male quite suddenly appearing next to her, peering down at Raphael, who started to speak quietly. "Lauralei and the werewolf are going into public somewhere, to get new clothes. Follow them, keep an eye on Lauralei. Too many people at once near him may cause him to snap, and I don't want Lauralei trying to protect him from anything and getting herself hurt." The blonde sighed, but nodded, obeying the other male, heading up a staircase and into his room to retrieve a trench coat. It was rather cold outside, and he didn't want to get sick, as Raphael was.

At first, Tristan was taken aback by her sudden change of mood. She had just been so happy and carefree a moment ago. Now, though, she snapped at him. He didn't care though. He knew that she wasn't used to such things. He wasn't either, but he had never had a defensive manner about him. Tristan sighed and shut his mouth, looking down at the snow he stood on. "No. I'm sorry. I shouldn't talk like I know everything." He said, his eyes falling upon her fingers as they gently touched his bare skin. He was warm, a lot warmer that he should be from standing near naked outside in the snow and breeze. It was a welcome change in his being. He could get used to always being warm. "It's okay Lauralei." He said, smiling down at her. "I want you to come with me. Wont you come?" He said, smilng a bit at her. "I enjoy having you near me, Lauralei." He said softly before turning and walking away from her. "Come on Roscoe. You want to come too?" He asked, motioning for both Lauralei and the puppy to follow him into town.

~Elsewhere~

Lucian growled angrilly. "KILLIAN!" He shouted, the windows of the room he was in shaking violenty with the treble of his voice. Before more than a few moments passed, Killian was walking into the room, looking at his brother. "What is wrong?" Lucian was infuritaed. "He's taking the little blood sucker out to the town. Go and watch them. If anything funny happens... Kill them." Killian blinked a few times, unsure of what to say or do. All he could do was bow his head and walk out of the room and move away and down the hallway. He would have to just do it. It didn't mean he had to kill anyone though, right?

Lauralei was oddly drawn to the warmth that he radiated out, and it took her a moment to pull away, following him. "We need a leash if we're taking Roscoe," she said softly. "They won't want to let him inside, and he's just a pup, so he might wander into a dangerous place." She walked next to Tristan, unsure where he was leading them, not having been in the town for a long while. She'd always passed through it, but didn't know what anything was. "It's nice to be near you, too." A relaxed smile had formed on her face, reaching down and scooping up Roscoe into her arms. The small dog was shivering slightly, and she smiled, holding him to her chest and sliding closer towards Tristan, sighing a little at the warmth from his skin. He was like a personal heater, and she watched the snow melt beneath him if he stood in one place too long. "Tristan?" Her voice was curious, but she didn't look up at him. Instead, she kept her eyes ahead of her, tilting her head to the side a little. "How old are you?"

Tristan couldn't help but to smile as he heard Lauralei following behind him. When he had first met the young woman, he wasn't able to hear her whenever she moved. But now, suddenly, his hearing was superior and he was able to hear even her lightweight steps against the snow. "That's fine. We can pick one up in town. That is if you don't mind taking him into a pet store." He said, looking over at her. The town's pet store didn't mind if you brought your pets inside, as long as you were holding them or you had them on a leash. "I don't want something to happen to him either. So we'll be sure to get him one there. Maybe find him a chew toy or something while we're at it." He said, chuckling. His eyes fell onto Lauralei as she picked up the small puppy and then made herself closer to him. His arm casually draped over her shoulders then, holding her to him, but more giving off some heat for her and the puppy. His free hand pet the puppy softly, the warmth from his hands radiating onto Roscoe's shivering body. Tristan's eyes went straight to Lauralei when she spoke, asking him the random question. "I'm twenty three." He said, smilng at her. "What about you?" He asked, leading her down a path that could barely be seen through the thin layer of snow on the ground. Just ahead of them was the town. People could be seen walking around where the stores were, women shopping for groceries. Teenagers looking for clothes. "It's not that bad of a town, you know. They wont pay any attention to us here." He said, smiling at her warmy.

Lauralei didn't mind at all in stopping in a pet store, and she automatically moved slightly closer when Tristan had draped his arm around her shoulder, so casually. At his question, she tilted her head a tiny bit. "Technically, or...?" A grin spread across her face. "I'm seventeen. I was turned just over two hundred years ago. Things were definately different then." She knew that now, since Tristan's true form had escaped and made itself known to the world, he probably wouldn't age too much more. If he did, she'd be surprised; but, all the same, he'd reach a certain point of final maturity somewhere along the line, and usually it was young, before the age of thirty or so. There were others, however, but she wasn't thinking about that for the moment. As soon as she saw the people wandering around within the town, shopping for various items or just walking on the slightly slippery sidewalk, everyone bundled up, she shrank back into Tristan's side, coming to a complete halt. The hair on her arms stood on end, and the pup being held against her chest whined a tiny bit, getting excited at seeing the people. "Maybe I should stay back here..." she murmured, eyeing the people hesitantly. The only people she'd come into contact with were hunters, for quite literally over a hundred years. She was terrified to be near them, and wasn't expecting them to be out at night. When she interracted with people, they were in minutes after sundown, and if you weren't, then you were a fool and punished for some reason or another.

When Roscoe whined again, and licked at her fingers, she pressed more tightly against Tristan, taking a few moments to quiet herself in the shadow they were standing in, of a rather large oak tree. The dog wanted down from her arms, but she was afraid that he'd run off, and she honestly was frightened to go near the people. When she'd been in public before, so many years ago, she got stared at, as if she were some kind of delicasy -- and that scared her further. With Tristan near her, it was rather comforting, but it didn't take away that feeling. "Tristan..." Her voice was only a whisper, eyes darting around each person that she could see, frantically. "I don't know... It's people's natures to pay attention to things. They're too nosy for their own good."

Alexander was dressed in warm clothing, waiting in one of the stores near the pet shop. He realized that she was starting to change her mind about going into public, and at looking into her memories, he honestly couldn't blame her. But he still hoped she'd overcome the fear enough to come out. It'd be healthy for her, to start acting normally again. She'd had to hide for so long, she truly wasn't sure what to do with people around her, unknowing who had a gun, who knew what she was -- but he knew all too well that every time she thought about that, the thought of Tristan being next to her, with his arm ever so casually around her shoulders, it soothed her, and eased some of the fright away, understanding that she might not have to endure what she used to, with him there. The male was saving her in many more ways than just one, and she was like a cub coming out of the den for the first time, looking into the light of things, and unsure as to the surroundings, and others within it.

Tristan had felt her body tense up just moments before Lauralei had pressed her body closer to his. Tristan stopped walking, his eyes falling away from the small town and down to Lauralei's frightened face. Tristan sighed and moved just a little bit, making it so he was between Lauralei and her sight of the town. "They are nosy, that's true. But this little town wont pay too much mind to you. They are usually too caught up in their shopping to pay much mind." He said, running his fingers softly through her hair. "I'm here with you Lauralei. I'll protect you, no matter what." His hand moved beneath her hin, pulling her face up gently so that he could see her face. "Trust me, Little Angel. I wont ever let something happen to you." His forehead rested lightly against hers once again, his one hand caressing her cheek softly, trying to soother her. His other hand rested on Roscoe, petting him gently. "I just want you to come out of your shell, Lauralei. You never know. You may have fun." He said, smilng gently at her as he smiled down at her. "Just calm down. Everything will be okay." He said, pulling her just a bit closer to him to sheild her from a freezing breeze that moved past them just moments after he had pulled her to him. He had heard the breeze coming and was simply acting on impulse to protect her.

Tristan looked down at her after the breeze passed, his hands resting on her waist gently. "Do you trust me, Lauralei?" He asked softly, his forehead still against hers and his nose brushing softly against her own. He couldn't help but to take a deep breath as he stared at her, studying her face intently as he did. Urges swept over his body at that moment, ones he had never encountered before. Tristan had always stayed away from people. He had never wanted to get close to anyone in fears of being hurt. But then Lauralei came along and it all went out the window. Suddenly he wanted nothing more than to be close to someone... Wanted to be close to her. He didn't want her to leave, though he was terrified that she would. Things were so simple with her there. Things felt so much better. Without thinking on it, Tristan moved even closer to Lauralei, his warm lips meeting her cold ones. In almost the instant that his lips met her, her cold lips were over taken by his warm ones, and Tristan realized what he had done. Tristan pulled his lips away from her, turning deep red from the kiss he had just given her. "I-I'm sorry... I wasn't.... I wasn't thinking..." He said, pulling his face back away from her own.

Killian couldn't help but to growl. He knew that he would be hearing about that one a little bit later on. It was then that he was grateful that he wasn't in Lucian's blasting zone. He knew that Lucian was probably breaking things left and right at that moment. It was one thing for them to be near each other, but for Tristan to kiss that leech opened up a whole new chapter for everything. Killian growled again and leaned back on the bench that he was sitting at, the newspaper in his hand flipping pages slowly. Killian wore the same kind of warm clothes that everyone else was wearing, though his warm body didn't need it. Killian's eyes scanned the surroundings then moved back to Tristan and Lauralei. Silently he prayed that the vampire would freak out and run away. That would just make it so much easier for Tristan.

Lauralei was, for the most part, calmed when Tristan had moved in front of her. Her eyes quietly searched his when he'd leaned his forehead in against hers; he was the only one she felt comfortable to be around for the moment. She listened to his words, looking up slightly when he'd pulled her to him moments before a breeze had forced its way into them, causing her to shiver slightly, moving to Tristan's warm body even more.

Her lips had parted just slightly, to respond to what he'd asked her, when his nose brushed against hers, and all of a sudden... warmth, throughout her entire body. She realized it started from her lips, and it seemed to thaw the rest of her, looking away from him when he'd pulled away and spoken once. "Yes... I trust you." She'd heard him apologise, but ignored it, letting her fingers run along Roscoe's fur, holding him against her chest, still, but with one arm, letting him sprawl out slightly across it. "It's getting colder... come on." She was trembling slightly as she moved forward, trying very hard not to pay attention to a few people that turned to stare, most of them being males. Stopping in another shadow, not too far away, she waited quietly for Tristan, shivering. The snow had stopped its gentle fall, but it was still freezing outside, and the clothes she was wearing weren't exactly the best for wintry weather. The dog was silent in her arms, looking urgently at Tristan, wagging his tail and licking at the air a little, as if beckoning the male gently. By now, the warm in Lauralei's body was replaced with something cooler; a blanket of question. She had calmed when he was near her, but now she was completely... soothed.

Alexander seemed to be frozen in place. A clerk had already gone over and asked him if everything was alright, but the male vampire brushed him off, gazing out the window. He couldn't see the two yet, but he knew exactly what had happened. And Lauralei's indiffernece towards it caused his heart to sink for several reasons. Raphael, he knew, would be absolutely furious. Even with him being sick, and resting on the couch, not even his wife Jaylen could hold him back if he got too angry. A vampire to be with a werewolf, or even the thought or hint of it, was such a disgrace; and it was HIS line that was breaking that law, performing that awful disgrace that so many were afraid of. Alexander then wondered what the werewolves were doing, what they were thinking, and who, exactly, had sired Tristan. He knew he wasn't bitten; he would have sensed that, because he was so close to Lauralei. His mother or father had to have been a werewolf. It seemed more likely that the mother was, but as far as he knew, a female werewolf had never, ever bred with a human male. The male would usually end up dying in the process, some way or another. But he knew that there were several attempts, the other way around... perhaps one of them was successful?

Tristan stood still for only a few moments before he noticed that her attitude didn't change at all. What had changed was her opinions about going into the town. Tristan couldn't help but to smile as he turned and dashed after Lauralei, catching up to her a Roscoe in only a few short strides. Before he knew it, he was behid her, his large hands against her frozen arms, moving up and down slowly to get warmth into them. Tristan then led her down the walkway past the first few windows of stores. His eyes moved to look into each of the windows, his eyes falling upon several things here and there. Soon though, he took Lauralei's hand gently in his own. "Over here." He said, leading her into a small store with the large name 'PETS' printed on its front window. Once Tristan knew that Lauralei was inside safe and sound inside of the store, his hand released hers, not want ing to bother her with the fact that it had been there. "The pet store." He said, smiling down at her happily. It had infact been a long time since he himself had gone shopping. Usually he would send Meghan or Erik shopping for him, but this was a special occasion. This was him taking Lauralei out to have fun. "So what all do you want to get the little guy?" He asked, making his way through the store to where the leashes hung. "I know we need one of these." He said, pointing over to the leashes that hung on the wall.

Killian was shaking his head. The blood sucker just didn't care what Tristan did, did she? Killian had been hoping that she would have become enraged or even just ran away. But no, she had to actually become calm in response to the touch. Never had a vampire and a werewolf been allowed near each other in such a manner. Sure, there had been treaties here and there in the past that had brought the two races together, but never had the two races become as emotionally attatched as these two were becoming of each other. Killian sighed and shook his head again. Lucian was going to be furious with the latest updates. He was going to want the two killed immediately. But then Killian thought about something. What if this female was part of that special blood line of elders? What if there was something special about her? Then there could be lots of perks to this new happening. Killian moved, walking behind them as they walked into town, but at a very safe distance. He had to keep an eye on them. He had to learn if his idea was right or not.

Lauralei tipped her head, moving inside of the store without a word. Almost immidiately she relaxed within the calm atmosphere, the tangy scent of animals, rubber, cloth, and many varieties of food wafting into her nostrils. She nearly sneezed, it was so overwhelming, and Roscoe was simply alive with pure excitement at the different scents. "We need a collar," she said softly, almost tensing immidiately and ducking back into Tristan's side when the door to the shop slammed shut, a lady with a young child coming in, the little girl waving frantically, giggling when she saw Roscoe. Her mother toted her away, cooeing the child that she wanted something small; a fish, maybe a lizard. "Mommy, I wanna pet the doggy!" She escaped her mother's grasp, running over to where Lauralei was standing, the vampire stiffening. The tiny child didn't know any better, and she couldn't help but smile at her innocence after just a moment, kneeling down to the girl's level and letting her pet the german shephard; Roscoe giving wet puppy kisses in return. The mother came back around the corner, got her daughter once again, and apologised, once more returning to where the fish and amphibians were. Little by little, Lauralei was relaxing, though she'd gotten extremely nervous when the woman had come over. At seeing that the woman wasn't trying to shoot her down, and was indeed very friendly, she was able to relax, though kept plenty close to Tristan. She wasn't taking any chances yet.

Quietly, Lauralei sighed. "I don't know the prices here. They aren't familiar." She knew that the currency had changed drastically -- when she was just turned, a single coin could feed a family for a day, and pennies could buy you the same thing after a while, when the money started to become more important than other things. Now, it was costing several dollars just for a leash -- and she thought it was absolutely rediculous, but at least knew that things had changed a great deal, not even knowing how much money Tristan had on him.

Alexander sensed something. A werewolf. Not Tristan, but someone else; someone with more power. He swore, staying where he was. If they found out that Lauralei was a descendant of Raphael... he wondered what they would do to her, or to them; to the vampiric species itself. Truthfully, he was worried. Her characteristics didn't really show much, but on a natural day -- when she was being herself, which would probably take a rather long time for her to get to again -- it was almost obvious she was related. Her mood changed like his, her eyebrows furrowed in the same way he did, her nose had the same delicate, perfect feature, and her lips were curved the exact same way, except hers were more feminine, of course. The underlying power that her blood held and pulsed screamed something, but even she wasn't sure what it was, and after a few years of realizing it was there, she had learned to ignored it. Alexander wasn't sure if the werewolves would see it or not, but with how obvious he was, his hopes weren't very high. The thing was.. Lauralei still had no idea of her ancestors. Her father told her nothing of her mother's side of the family, and all he had said was that his own mother and father were killed when he was in his twenties or so, before she was born. Everything before that was concealed; blank, held somewhere that she wasn't able to get to. Not yet, at least.

Tristan smiled was immediately on edge as soon as he found Lauralei was beside him once again, tense and staring back behind him. He turned and heard the little girl before he saw her. It was only a few moments later that ristan saw the girl running towards them. Tristan rested a hand on Lauralei's shoulder, trying to calm her. "It's going to be okay. Just stay calm." He said softly just before the girl was there trying to pet Roscoe. Tristan couldn't help but to smile happily as he watched the way that Lauralei interacted with the girl. It was so casual, more casual that he thought Lauralei even knew. But the easy behavior that Lauralei held was gone as soon as the mother of the child came around the corner to collect her child. Tristan was thankful that the older woman was polite to her and had apologized. He silently hoped that her kindness would show Lauralei that not all people were bad and after her. "See. That wasn't so bad, right?" He asked, smiling warmly.

Tristan then turned back to the leashes and motioned to the collars that were right beside them. "Don't worry. We'll get both of them for him." He said, smiling down at her. He then chuckled and pulled a random leash off of the rack. "Here look." He said, showing her the price tag. "You see this dot right here? Everything before that is dollars. Everthing after it is cents." He said, smiling at her softly. "If the number before it is a ten... that means it will be ten dollars. If the number after the dot is a twenty eight, thats going to be twenty eight cants." He said softly. "This leash is four dollars and fifty cents." He said, hanging the collar back up. "Just go ahead and pick one of each out. I'll get them for Roscoe." He said, grinning to her happily as he watched her.

Killian was now at the front window of the pet store. He stood outside, staring into the window as if he were watching the kittens that played in the display. He wasn't wtatching the kittens though. His attention was completely on Tristan and the vampire woman. But then, as the wind blew gently past him, his attention was on something else entirely. An Elder. He could smell the power in the blood. He could feel the power near him. All his senses went to an alarming high as he stood there, but his face and body showed nothing but calmness. Why were they there? He knew they were watching the two of them, but why so interested on this girl? Then the pieces slowly clicked into place. As Killian smelled the blood of the ancient and as he compared it to the smell of the woman, he could notice a very similar smell. They were of the same. His theories had been correct. Killian couldn't help but to smile to himself. This put them on the winning side. All they had to do was to plan it just right.

Lauralei smiled, pulling down a blue leash and a blue collar, the leash a darker shade, while the collar was a sky blue. "I know what they are. But the worth is different. I can remember when you could buy a feast at the butcher for just a few pennies. And now, you have to pay this much for something so small?" She waved it off, becoming relaxed again, looking up at Tristan's chlorine blue pools, trailing down to the shape of his nose, his lips, and then looking away, a tiny smirk on her face. "Some toys, hmm? Are you sure that you don't mind spending the money? Everything seems so expensive." She poked around through the isles, avoiding anyone older than the age of ten, though there were hardly any people in there at all. "These aren't even made out of leather anymore." Her complaints were slowly releasing her nervousness, and being close to Tristan was helping. She'd gathered a few toys that Roscoe seemed to like when she'd held it to him: a bone, a ball, a squeaky toy, and a small rope. She wasn't bothering with prices anymore. Tristan didn't seem to be worried at all, about the leash and collar, and the numbers were smaller on these items than the rest.

When she was done with the items, Roscoe still in her arms, she moved quietly over towards the counter, shying away again from the young man who looked at her, smiling politely. "Can I help you with something, ma'am?" She didn't answer him, frowning slightly, which made him frown. The expression upon the angelic face didn't seem to match, and he was confused, looking towards Roscoe in her arms, who was completely at ease, watching the window with caution, growling after a minute. The fur on the back of his neck stood on end, baring his tiny teeth. Lauralei shushed him, looking towards the window, and almost immidiately moving back. "Tristan." Her eyes were wide, and she couldn't tear away her gaze away from the werewolf, feeling another presence come close... Alexander. One of the vampire elders. He was drawing near.

Tristan smiled at Luaralei as she lifted up the collar and leash. He nodded his head in agreement to liking them and took them from her so that he could carry them. "Things are just more expensive than they used to be. We all pay taxes now. Everyone wants more money and since there's more people that want money, prices go up." He said, shrugging. "It's all very stupid if you ask me. I don't pay the numbers much mind. If I do, it just makes me upset." He said, chuckling softly. Tristan caught sight of Lauralei as she was looking at him, and he studdied her closely, wondering what exactly the girl was thinking. He causght sight of the smirk on her face, and couldn't help but to smile. Tristan followed auralei around the store, never leaving her side, just as he had promised her. When someone that was older came into sight, he would move even cloer to her, his chest usually pressing against her back at times like that. He enjoyed being close to her, he enjoyed protecting her. And he did it all because he wanted to. As Lauralei picked up the small toys from the shelf, he took them in his hands and carried them for her. At one point in time he had even picked out Roscoe's own dog bowls so he wasn't eating off of small plates anymore. Tristan wasn't worried about how much the stuff caused. Ever since he had started selling his work, he had accumulated more money than any thwenty three year old should have had. He knew that he had the money, and even if he didn't, he had credit cards.

"Tristan followed Lauralei to the counter, watching as she shyed away from the man behind it. Tristan stood beside her and wrapped and arm protectively around her middle, his hand gently rubbing her stomach to calm here. Tristan laid the items on the counter and stood there as he waited for the man to ring them up and bag them. It was about the time the man told him how much he owed him, about twenty one sixteen, that Tristan heard Lauralei's startled voice come from beside him. "What's wrong..." He asked, looking down at her as he dug out a twenty and a five from his back pocket. His eyes then followed hers as she looked out the window. Tristan stopped in his tracks. After a long moment of Tristan and Killian looking at each other, Tristan looked at the cashier and handed him the money. "Keep it." He said, picking up the bag and taking Lauralei by the hand. "Come on. We'll go out the back." He said, feeling suddenly uneasy. The man in the window had been so familiar to Tristan. "I've seen that man before... He's a werewolf. I could smell it..." He said, looking down at Lauralei as he pushed through a door to the outside, walking into the snow covered grass behind the store. "What's wrong Lauarlei? What's bothering you?"

Lauralei was hesitant at leaving the store, never taking her eyes off of the werewolf outside. Alexander was closer. He was around back, where Tristan had come out of, standing in the shadows. His emerald eyes seemed to glow from the darkness, following Lauralei, and the female halted in her tracks, trembling next to Tristan. Roscoe barked towards Alexander, and he stepped from the shadows, power radiating from him now. He wasn't hiding it anymore, as a warning to the other werewolf around front. "Lauralei," he said softly, looking at Tristan, showing no signs of aggession of scorn at all. It was only a gentle calm, there, his voice sweet like honey. "Honey, he isn't going to hurt you. Hush." The vampiress didn't calm very much; the only reason she wasn't panicking anymore than she was, was due to Tristan's arm wrapped around her middle. "Al-Alexander," she stuttered slightly, the side of her face pressed against Tristan's warm chest, her body facing the werewolf, arms wrapped around his torso as if to hold herself there.

Alexander was quiet, his green gaze watching her with a slight look of sorrow. He'd grown so attatched to her, in a way, and to see her clinging to Tristan like she was ached his heart. "He doesn't dare come back here, Lee." The vampiress calmed almost immidiately, hearing the nickname that her father had given her, listening further to what Alexander had to say. "He won't dare come back here with an elder vampire, and a werewolf that's so willing to protect you. There's an amazingly high chance he'll lose." He reached his hand out, seeing that Roscoe was nothing but hackles, and when the pup sniffed at his hand, and got to lick his fingers, he was no longer so protective over his adoptive owners.

Lauralei's eyes were closed, resting her head quietly against Tristan's chest, holding Roscoe close to her chest. She was breathing through slightly parted lips, brows furrowed, as if trying to concentrate. In truth, she was trying to stop trembling. She hadn't been around such immense power of a werewolf before, and hadn't even known that such strength in one existed. "Tristan?" Her head lifted, not looking at him, but looking in front of her, keeping her cheek against his skin. "Can we go somewhere else? Please?" Her feet shifted beneath her, looking at Alexander when he started to speak again, "I'll make sure he doesn't bother you further, tonight. But don't go home just because of this." She understood, then, that even he saw how much Tristan was helping her. "I never said I wanted to go home," she snapped. "I just want to go somewhere... else."

Tristan had smelled it immediately. As soon as he had stepped outside he had pulled Lauralei to his, wrapping his arms around her and holding her to his chest, leaving just enough room as to not smash Roscoe. He had the bag clutched in his left hand and his free hand rested on the small of Lauralei's back. Tristan moved just a bit, making it so he was more in front of Lauralei and between her and the new vampire. Immediately, as the vampire stepped out of the shadows and into their line of sight, a deep and menacing growl started to form in Tristan's throat, the sound vibrating loudly from his bared teeth. Never had he acted in such a way before, and it frightened him for only a moment. Tristan could feel the power emitting from the males being, and it made his head hurt at first, but then it passed. But when Tristan felt Lauralei's arms wrap around his own torso, the growl stopped, but the angry look on his face stayed. Tristan watched the man carefully, his eyes never leaving him as he began to walk closer. Upon insticnt, Tristan moved Lauralei just a bit, making her farther away from the vampire. He knew though that it was no good. He could tell just by the power emitting from his body that if he really wanted to get to Lauralei then he would.

Tristan watched the man, his blue eyes locked onto the man's green ones. Tristan listened to the mans words, hearing him call her Lee and feeling her body loosen beneath his grasp. Then he heard the mans next words. Werewolf. He knew that he was talking about him. So Tristan's theories had been correct. He was a werewolf. But how? He had not been bitten by one. And if he had been born one.. then wouldn't he have turned sooner? Tristan looked into the snow for a moment, confused about what the truth really was. From what he could gather, there was much about his life that was a lie. And apparently there was much he didn't know about himself. Tristan immediately stiffened as the man got closer. But he couldn't move any further away. Before he knew it, Alexander was standing before them, petting the puppy.

Tristan's eyes fell to look at Lauralei, his body calming instantly as he saw how peaceful she looked against him. He couldn't help but to smile a bit before his face became serious once more and he looked back up at Alexander. He could feel her body trembling against his and when he heard his name, he looked down at her once more. "What is it Little Angel?" He asked softly, his chin resting against the top of her head. Tristan immediately looked at Alexander. "We don't need a bodyguard. I've seen that man many times before in my life, watching me. I do not think he will touch us. He is simply stalking us. Much like you." He said before looking down at Lauralei. "We'll go anywhere you want Lauralei. Come on." He said, making sure to keep one arm around her waist before leading her off away from the vampire and away from the store. "You look like you're freezing." He said, getting as close as possible so he could try to keep you warm. "Are you alright?" He asked, walking quickly to get away from the two men as quickly as possible.

Lauralei hadn't even noticed Tristan's growl. Alexander was indifferent, but watched as the two walked away. "I'm only here to protect her, much like you are." His words echoed slightly as the wind carried it, and when Lauralei turned her head to see if he was there -- having felt his presence disappear -- he was no longer there. So he'd transported just as Lauralei did so many times. Once he'd left, she only relaxed further. It was nice to not have so much power near her at once.

When Alexander appeared back inside the mansion, it was a mess. There were broken things everywhere, dirt and plants on the floor from being in vases; the furniture was overturned, there were holes in the wall and floor. And in the one dark corner of the main room, fiery blue eyes were scorching deep into Alexander. The female next to Raphael was speaking softly, Raphael ignoring her, quite suddenly shoving Alexander up against the wall. "Why didn't you kill him?! He was RIGHT there, he KISSED her, and you didn't KILL him!" His voice rang out throughout the entire mansion, but Alexander showed no fear. "Raphael, she's grown to him. He's protecting her with his life; nothing will happen to her." Raphael snarled at Alexander's words, slamming him further against the wall. "No, nothing will happen at all!" He was completely enraged. "When the two breeds mix, and each side will have to go after her for it, then I suppose you'll care, won't you? I'm not about to let this blood run out of hand as it's starting to. Either you deal with the problem, or I will." He dropped Alexander, the male landing lightly on his feet. "I'll do something later. I've already been out once. I'm not your bitch, Raphael." By that time, Raphael had sat back down, the female, Jaylen, on his lap, gently talking to him. After a few seconds, he sighed, closing his furious pools and wrapping his arms around her. "Where is Christopher?" he asked softly, and she said something about him being up in his room, sleeping. Alexander left the room, going to his own room, flopping down on the bed, having seen Raphael nod contently out of the corner of his eye to Jaylen's words.

Lauralei didn't have to have Tristan pull her to him; she was already practically molded into his side. She was cold; very cold, really, but with Tristan there, it wasn't so bad. "I'm fine," she said softly, letting the side of her head rest against his shoulder as they walked. "Just.. tired." Too much stress at once always made her tired. It seemed to weaken her both physically and mentally, but she pushed the thought away, looking into a clothing store, peeking through the windows with slight curiosity. "Are we allowed to bring Roscoe inside?" It looked so warm, too; the lights a quiet bright, but not bright enough to really hurt her eyes. The young lady sitting silently at the counter, flipping through the pages of a magazine. While she waited for an answer, the vampiress yawned, very slightly extended fangs showing. They were only a tiny bit longer than normal human canines, but the sharpness of them was very noticable to someone who really payed attention. Now, they were a little longer, and she lifted her hand to cover her mouth, waiting for the yawn to end. "Mmm.." Her voice was no more than a quiet sigh, looking sleepy standing next to Tristan, Roscoe as curious as ever in her arms.

Killian had been watching from around the corner of the store. He had seen everything. And that was when it had set it in stone who exactly this vampire that Tristan was so fond of really was. Killian couldn't help but to smile at the fact that this young vampire was obviously a desendant of an elder and that no one had caught it earlier. Killian had still not been very sure about whether or not his theory had been correct, but once he had seen the two blood suckers standing next to each other, he could see the likeness in the two of them almost perfectly. Killian knew Alexander, they had had run ins together many times before. Seeing as how Killian was Lucian's right hand man and Alexander was Raphael's, they were doomed to run into each other. But never had it been because their decendants were falling inlove with the vampires desendants. Killian was beside himself with joy, though he knew that Lucian would be beside himself with rage. But it was pointless for him to stay in the small town then, seeing as how both Tristan and his vampire knew that he was there. So Killian left, walking into the woods that surrounded the town. Once out of sight of the humans, Killian changed into a rather large black furred wolf. It was from that place in the forest that the man started running on all fours, back to where Lucian was angrilly awaiting him.

When he had gotten back to the mansion, it was in pieces. Curtain were ripped off the wall. Pictures were shredded and laying in pools of glass on the ground. If it was breakable, Lucian had broken it. Killian sighed as he stepped inside, shaking his head. Lucian was a lost cause. "Killian! Up here.... NOW!" The voice was loud, as if it had been in the same room as him. Killian sighed and slowly ascended the stairs to where he knew that Lucian was waiting. Upon entering the library, he saw Lucian sitting in the middle of shredded books, pieces of paper were floating around the room in a snowy effect. "You called, Lucian?" Lucian growled as he approached Killian. "You fool!" He shouted, punching Killian across the face, sending him flying into a bookshelf. "You were right there! They kissed! You should have killed them!" Killian shook off the dust and stood up. "But Alexander was there, Lucian.... He was protecting her." Lucian stopped, tilting his head. "Why would a simple vampire have the Elders following her around?" Lucian asked, turning his back on Killian to look out the window. "Because.... she's one of their desendants."

~Rawr?~

Tristan smiled down at Lauralei, all the hectic and stressful things behind them now. Tristan could no longer feel either the werewolf or the vampire near them, both had just simply disappeared. Tristan was thankful for that, though. He knew that Lauralei wasn't ready for another fight, not after her recent injuries. Tristan stopped alongside of Lauralei and raised his eyes to look into the window. Tristan then smiled wider, chuckling a bit. "I'm sure they wont mind. Just don't let him down, okay?" He said before slipping his arm away from her and opening the door to the clothing store up wide for her, waiting for her to retreat inside to the warmth. "You look tired, Lauralei. Do we need to go home so you can rest?" He asked her as she passed him, speaking softly so no one else could hear him.

The young woman at the desk had looked up when Tristan'd opened the door for Lauralei, and she stared at the both of them: statues of utter perfection. Lauralei noticed her staring at them both, and she glared, the woman retreating back to her magazine. "When we're done, here," she murmured, stepping the rest of the way in, relishing the warm, cozy air of the store. "Then we can go home. We really do need clothes." The smell of leather and new cloth didn't agree with her senses, and she wrinkled her nose slightly, noting the slight objection in the woman's look towards the dog. "Oh, is he not allowed in?" Lauralei's tone was icy. Another trait for when she was tired: she was extraordinarily moody. The woman blinked, quickly shaking her head. "Oh, no no, he's fine. Just keep him on a leash. There isn't a problem." She stuffed her nose back into the magazine, and Lauralei continued to glare for a few seconds longer, grumbling something beneath her breath afterwards.

She yawned again, making sure to be turned away from the woman so she couldn't see her mouth. "Tristan?" Her voice was no more than a sleepy murmur. "It won't take long, will it?" She knew her clothing size, and was already eyeing the section that she knew held the size she wore; glancing to Tristan's rather large form now, seeing how tightly the current shirt he wore clung against his muscles, showing them off almost in a rippling affect every time he moved. The vampiress watched him again, laughing softly to herself, stroking Roscoe's head when he whined. He was becoming impatient in being held up for so long.

Tristan couldn't help but to chuckle softly and shake his head a bit. "No Angel, it wont take long at all." He said to her as he let the door shut softly behind him. He looked at the lady as she stared at them, simply raising an eyebrow. He had not grown used to the fact that the two of them were the means of perfectin. Ever since Tristan had changed into a werewolf, he had grown muscles and tonage that he had never had before. He had grown the body that every man envied and every woman dreamed of having for themselves. Then there was Lauralei. Her stunning beauty was enough to drive women into an envious rage. And the men gawked at her with just the sight of her walking by. Tristan had noticed the numerous looks that she had aquired from the men outside, and not a single one of them were calm or stable looks. Most of them looked as if they were ready to jump out of their shoes to run after her. But as soon as the men would pay attention and they looked hard enough, they saw Tristan and quickly backed down. Tristan had never been the object of someones fear. It was a whole new power that he possessed, one that he wasn't scared of using if it meant protecting Lauralei.

"We'll only get a couple of things, enough to last us a week, I suppose. We can come back later, or I can just send Erik to pick up clothes one morning." He said, smiling over at her. He was arleady digging through racks of clothes. He made a mental note that he had to be sure not to turn into a werewolf while in his new clothes. From what he could remember, he figured that when he had transformed, he had shredded his clothes. Tristan had an armful of clothing for himself in a matter of minutes. And before long, he was standing beside Lauralei. "You should get yourself some kind of jacket. You'r cloak wont
keep you that warm." He said, brushing hair out of her face.

Lauralei blinked slightly when Tristan had brushed the hair out of her face, sighing a little. "It just needs to be washed. But I do need something else. It's going to get very cold this winter." She already had several pairs of clothing draped over her arm, and had just picked a snug nightgown, sliding over into the jackets. She wasn't picky at all, and really didn't have the chance to be -- the store's clothing was nothing but the day's wear. The coat she'd chosen was long, and it draped a little below her tailbone. It looked thin, and was a bluish purple in color -- nearly the same color as her eyes. It was amazingly warm, though. She grumbled again, holding Roscoe in one hand delicately, while looking through the clothes with the other, with the ones she'd picked out already draped over her arm.

Some of the clothes she had gotten would be snug on her, revealing curves and the true shape of her form, while others were loose, but still fit well, and weren't as baggy as the ones on her now. She looked so odd next to Tristan, her frame small but formidable at the same time, having the looks most models would kill for, standing next to a larger, perfectly toned man. And what angered so many people, is that she honestly didn't care as to how she looked. Tristan's amazing figure got very few glances from Lauralei, and she leaned against him when she was done, looking oddly tired, seeing as though she had just recently slept for so long. Unlike Tristan, her true powers hadn't revealed themselves yet. Her blood didn't show signs of such immense power, and they probably wouldn't unless she was struggling with every ounce of her life on one thing. And still, she didn't even know she was related to any elders. All of this made her sleep more, because of how dominant the power inside of her was, but at the same time, when she was placed in a stressful situation, it stirred, and exausted her. "Let's get home." She was already moving towards the counter, glaring at the woman once more, who was watching Tristan with an interest and awe. The vampiress was getting frustrated, and Roscoe, sensing her irritation once more, growled a little. Lauralei went ahead and set the clothing on the counter, stepping away and moving towards the door, standing next to it and waiting for Tristan to purchase what had been chosen. She wasn't sure she could be near the female and her disapproving looks any longer without snapping at her.

Tristan followed her around as she searched through the racks of clothes. He too was growing weary, more from the fact that his body was still adjusting tho the new changes it had gone through so quickly. Tristan looked down into his arms, inspecting the many items that he had grabbed. There had been a few pairs of pants and a few tops, most of the button ups or just fitted shirts. Then he had grabbed himself a pair of pants to sleep in, ones that weren't blue jean or shorts. There was going to be someone else around the house now, someone that he respected and cared about. He'd at least dress like a gentleman shoul instead of running around the house in a towel or shorts that showed off his pasty white legs. Tristan watched as Roscoe became uneasy in Lauralei's grasp and he nodded to her. "Yea. It looks like you're about to fall asleep on your feet. And Roscoe looks like he's about to chew through your arm just so he can get away." He said, chuckling. Tristan wrapped an arm around Lauralei's shoulders, walking with her to the counter. He watched as she laid out her stuff on the counter and once she had moved to the doorway, he too placed his things on the counter.

Tristan stood there, waiting for the woman to scan the clothes and get their things put into a bag, but when he didn't hear the woman move, he looked up to see what her problem was. When he looked at her, she turned five shades of red and quicky began to take the clothing from the hanges and scanning them into the cash register. After a few moments, Tristan could see her looking up at him from her work, smiling devilishly at him. Tristan couldn't help but to raise an eyebrow and look over at Lauralei. He sighed and waited a few more minutes before the woman finally finished. "Your total is going to be two hundred and sixty three dollars and eighty nine cents." She said in a voice far more softer and inticing that she had used when she talked to Lauralei. Tristan pulled a blue card from his pocket. "Credit or debit, sir?" Tristan simply shrugged. "Debt. Whichever." He said. And when the machine infront of him beeped, the girl took his card and swipped it in the machine. "Okay... Tristan..." She said, looking at the card at his name. Tristan was showing pure aggitation on his face at this point. "Here's your reciept." She said, handing it to him. She leaned a bit closer to him. "My numbers on the back. You should call me sometime. I have off every wednesdy and thursday." She said, letting go of the reciept once Tristan took it from her. He turned and ignored the girl, not saying another word to her. He walked up behind Lauralei and his arm went back to its place around her waist, his free arm holding the bags with ease. "Let's get you warm. You look like you're freezing." He said, pushing outside and heading back towards the house.

Lauralei was staring down the woman from where she was standing, hearing every word that was said. When Tristan had slid an arm around her waist, the woman looked up again, and shrank back at the vampiress's gaze, which was filled with ice. "Yeah," she mumbled. It was getting colder outside, and the snow had started again, though this time it was heavier. She could have been able to transport them both, if she hadn't been so tired, and walked at a slightly faster pace than usual, wanting to get back to the warmth of the house. It was probably stone cold by now, but it didn't take long for the fireplaces in the rooms to heat up. "So. Plan on calling any interested..." She looked back again, picking her sentence back up. "Harlequins tonight?" Her body was distanced just slightly from being pressed so tightly against Tristan, unlike the way it usually was. It frustrated her to no end how open the female at the cashier had been to just flirt with Tristan in such a way.

Her feelings for Tristan were already becoming rooted and rather deep, and even though he hadn't shown any real response towards the woman, it still hurt her to see it happen. The cost of the clothing had nearly made her choke in the first place, and the woman's attempts were even more maddening. "I'm sorry. That was rude. It's your business." She frowned, running her fingers along Roscoe's fur, pulling away from Tristan's arm around her middle, moving forwards again. Her steps were quick, but graceful, not clumsy or awkward at all, and her eyebrows were furrowed the tiniest bit, sighing when she was a few feet ahead of him.

Tristan looked at Lauralei, sensing the frustration that she was trying to hide as they walked. Tristan had never understood jealousy. He had never understood a woman becoming upset when someone hit on a guy they liked. In all honesty, Tristan had never been the guy that girls got jealous or protective over, so when Lauralei became that way with him towards the cashier, he didn't even notice it. As far as he knew, she was just acting like that because she was a human and Lauralei still didn't trust them. It wasn't unti lthey were walking back to the house that Tristan had noticed the difference in her attittude, but when she had spoken to him in the way that he had, Tristan knew that she was upset. Tristan laughed and looked at her and pulled her closer to him, resting his chin ontop of her head. In his hand was the reciept and he showed it to her. "The oly woman that I'll be calling..." He said, crumbling up the reciept and throwing it over his shoulder, "is going to be you, Lauralei." He said, smiling down at her. "Now come on. Lets get inside."

They had infact already walked into the back yard of the property. Tristan had pushed through the snow rather quickly, intent on getting Lauralei into the warmth. Tristan moved to the back door quickly and pressed it open, holding it there for Lauralei.

Lauralei didn't tug away when Tristan had pulled her close to him again, but she still sighed, scowling at the receipt. At his words, she grumbled, glancing back at the crumpled up piece of paper, stepping inside the doorway and putting Roscoe down onto the floor. The puppy shook, attempting to bolt forwards, though running in place for just a second before he took off, glad to be able to stretch his legs. "It's cold in here," she murmured, brushing any loose fur that had gotten onto her from the dog. The vampiress walked through the front room, placing some logs into the fireplace and lighting a match from the mantel. The fire blazed after just a few seconds, and she kneeled down close to it, smiling when Roscoe came to sit beside her.

She straightened up, standing and stretching, moving over to where Tristan was and slowly wrapping her arms around his neck. "Thank you.. for the clothes." She didn't move away from him this time, and instead leaned on him a bit, attempting to get warm. Her cheek was resting against his chest, closing her eyes, her head already tucked beneath his chin from the slight height differences. "I've already caused you so much trouble.." Her words were the tinest bit slurred, speaking through the sleepiness. "And you still have no objections." Another quiet sigh, using him more as a pillow now than anything. She was warm, but couldn't find the willpower to move away from him, one of her hands reaching up from being around his neck and playing with the golden strands in the back of his head.

Tristan had seen the scowl on her face as he tossed away the reciept, shaking his head with a large smile on his face. It was good to know that it bothered her that someone was trying to make moves on him. Tristan stepped inside as well, following after Lauralei, his hand still resting on her lower back. As soon as he walked inside, he shut the door behind him and set the bags down on the floor. His hands then moved to his hair, that which he shook out the small flakes of snow, most of them melting from his warmth before even lodging loose of his golden blonde hair. Tristan couldn't help but to chuckle at the puppy as he tried to run off and be free and stretch his legs. "Mhmm..." He agreed to the coldness, even him being able to feel it against his overly warm skin. Tristan then shoved his hands into his pockets and followed Laurlei into the front room of the house. He stood behind her as she worked on the fireplace, his hands resting lightly on her shoulders. It wasn't long though before the heat from the fire and the warmth of his body became over whelming and he walked away, going to stand closer to the staircase. He thought about going upstairs and when he was about to walk that way, he was stopped by Lauralei approaching him and wrapping her arms around his neck.

Tristan smiled, blushing slightly at the feel of her arms around him in the way they were. "Y-You're welcome, Lauralei." He said, wrapping his arms tightly around her as she pressed closer to her. His chin automatically rested upon the top of her head, and Tristan couldn't help but to take a deep breath and sigh in content as she leaned against him. "It's no trouble at all, Lauralei. I enjoy doing the things for you." He said, smiling at the slur in her words. "I'll never object to anything that you ask me for, Lauralei. Or things you need." He said, looking down at her, smiling once more. "Now come on." He said, lifting her up into his arms. Once he had her off the floor, her made her wrap her legs around his waist and left her arms around his neck. But now, her head could rest on his shoulder instead of his chest. Tristan had lifted her with no problems and carried her easilly up to his room. It wasn't long before Tristan was laying her gently into his bed and moving over to the fireplace in the room, placing logs inside of it and striking the matches to start the fire. It was only moments before the fire was alive in the fireplace and Tristan was sitting on te bed beside Lauralei. "I'll let you sleep. I've imposed on your space enough the past few nights." He said, smiling before moving to stand up and leave the room.