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[eyarazrushost]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[eyarazrushost]

Genya had never truly seen the wolf in action. She'd heard stories. They were gruesome and terrible, but they weren't anything compared to seeing how artful he was in the kill. It was almost beautiful the way the Shadows formed and destroyed its enemies with a graceful slash. She stood there with wide eyes of awe. The guards hadn't been as much of a threat as she thought.

She was startled out of her daze when she heard a silky voice in her head. It was male with a Northern burr around the edges of his words. She stared at him in astonishment, but it wasn't the time for this.

She nodded and hurried up the stairs. They could make a break for it into the woods once they made it out the manor. Lantsov called it the Grand Palace, the disgusting narcissist. She was ready to leave it all behind. It sounded like they'd discovered his sleeping form in her bed. Perhaps it had been Tatiana wondering where her husband was. He always returned to her after he forced himself on Genya.

"This way, there's a secret passageway," she told the wolf. She pressed her hand against the wall until it shifted. There was a series of hidden passages for the servants to move more quickly throughout the manor. She led the way and ran as quickly as she could around the winding corners to the door that led near the garage.

[oftheshadow]

She was doubtless more familiar with the upstairs corridors than he. So the massive wolf followed obediently, eyes, ears, and nose constantly alert for any new danger. He heard them, but they weren’t yet close.

A dark eyebrow went up when the girl opened the wall, revealing a damp, dank-smelling passageway. He slunk in behind her just as the panel slid closed, and again kept close to her heels until they reached the end, where again the Shadows devoured the patrolling guards in the garage.

All six of them.

The carnage was magnificent, but time was of the essence. He knew that when this patrol didn’t report in the entire manor would light up with activity, and it was still a good hundred yards to the perimeter fence.

They had no chance on foot.

Can you drive?

The keys were kept in a box near the guard station. Which currently sported six dead bodies and was closer, for the moment.

[eyarazrushost]

Genya didn't have time to look at the carnage or feel any sort of way about them. Her freedom was on the line. Both of their freedom. She stepped nimbly around the bodies. She tried her best not to step and slip in the blood. She open the panel to see what she was working with. None of the luxury cars that Lantsov was so fond of would do. Not with the size of the wolf.

She grabbed a few pair of keys and tested their lock to see where they beeped too. There were a few chirps, but she found a suitable one. A luxury SUV that had a third row. She ran towards it and opened the trunk to push down the second row as well for him.

"Get in," she gestured. She knew how to drive, thank the Saints for that. Her heart was hammering. Her pulse was practically jumping in her throat. "Hang on."

Once he was in, she got into the driver's seat and turned the key in the ignition. The SUV purred to life. She pressed the button in the car for the garage doors to open.

"Come on, come on," she said under her breath. They were moving so slow. She didn't like sitting idle. She felt like they were right on their heels. When just enough space opened, she put the car in drive and hit the gas. The SUV surged out of the garage.

[oftheshadow]

The girl was efficient, he had to give her that. The moment he could duck into the back of the vehicle, he did so, sharp claws shredding the carpet as they dug in. He had to hunch, crouched over the collapsed back seat with his massive head between the two front seats, but he growled approval when she gunned the vehicle out of the garage and out onto the drive, spraying gravel.

Strange as it would seem later, at the moment he had no qualm about placing his centuries-long life in her small hands. She was just as much a slave as he, and an odd scent reached his nose now that he was closer: Lantsov. The old man’s vinegary stench clung to her pale skin, not by her choice he was sure.

But that was a rumination for later, because they had gained quite a bit of speed and the SUV rocketed towards the still-closed gate and the guard shack beside it. The wolf flattened his ears, bared his teeth.

Ram it. They will move.

Or they wouldn’t. Either way.

[eyarazrushost]

It was a strange comfort when his large head peeked out between the driver and passenger seat. She felt the puff of his warm breath. He didn't smell like animal. Nothing doglike or wild. He smelled sharp and clean like breathing in cold air on a snowy day. She wondered if she was hysterical. That had to be the reason why she was suddenly waxing poetic about a talking wolf's scent.

The guard saw them barreling down the long road. He got out of his shack to try and stop them, but she honked the horn in warning. Three loud bursts before he stepped aside. The gate was still in the way, but she only accelerated.

Fuck it. She'd rather be dead than belong to the Lantsovs a moment longer. She had a feeling the wolf agreed with her. She pushed the SUV to its limits. She thought the gate would stop them. She braced herself for the impact. They crashed right through. They ripped iron and metal behind them, but the car kept going. She didn't let up on the speed as she cut through the winding roads towards a back road instead of the main one.

"I have a cabin I'm going to up north," she told the wolf. It was a plan that had been months in the making. It was a kindness done for her by a good friend. It was off the grid and stocked with food and water. She just needed to get there. "I don't know where you'd like to go, but you can come with me."

[oftheshadow]

Both leather and carpet shredded as his claws cut through them when the vehicle slewed out of the driveway and onto the paved road, but the wolf's bright golden gaze never left the windshield, not even when they'd crashed through the thick wrought iron. The girl earned his grudging respect for her determination, but he knew that Lantsov wouldn't just sit back and let his prize pets - both two-legged and four - just vanish from his clutches.

He will come after us, was his silent warning, turning only his head to gaze at her fully. If you truly intend to escape his clutches, then you will need my help. A pause, then his ears lowered and his head drooped slightly. Besides... he said then, silent voice quiet, almost hesitant, ...I have nowhere else to go.

[eyarazrushost]

"I'll die before I go back there," she said with a determined fire in her eyes. Genya refused to let herself be violated by him again. She refused to tend to Tatiana's every superficial and shallow whim. She'd rather die free than continue living like that. She heard the same strong tenacity in his 'voice' too. They needed each other. They'd be better off together than out there figuring out how to survive on their own. She nodded at him with her blue eyes meeting his golden ones.

Her gaze turned back to the road. "We'll stick together," she agreed. Something in her chest seemed to ease with that assurance. She wasn't naive. She knew that she could easily be recaptured. She couldn't defend herself as well. She could get them to a safe house, but he could keep them safe.

There was a pause before she added, "I didn't know you could talk."

[oftheshadow]

There was no discernible sign of pursuit - yet - so the wolf allowed himself to lie down between the front seats, his bulk large enough to allow him to see over the dash just enough. I can do many things, he quietly replied, long tongue lolling as he panted softly, but I choose not to.

The only one of his kind, the last of his generation, not even old man Lantsov knew what the wolf truly was. Any and all information about him had vanished into history, faded into nothing more but legend. Centuries of abuse had left him scarred, both physically and mentally, and more jaded than a creature should ever be.

Several long moments passed with only the hum of the tires on asphalt, then the great wolf silently spoke again.

You gave me freedom, he told the redheaded girl behind the wheel. For that, you have my protection. Perhaps even his loyalty, but time would tell as to that.

[eyarazrushost]

"I couldn't just leave you there," she protested. It was completely unthinkable to Genya. He was trapped just as she was, so naturally, he deserved his freedom too. She continued driving at a high speed limit on the back roads. She took all kinds of turns and doubled back here and there to throw anyone off their trail. There weren't much police presence out here. They gave the Lantsovs a wide berth to handle their business.

She wasn't sure what the wolf needed. He certainly didn't eat what she did. Maybe she could let him out to hunt once they were far enough. She wasn't sure how far they'd need to get before she felt safe enough to stop. At least they had a full tank of gas.

"My name is Genya," she offered to him. She took one hand off the wheel and offered it to him to smell.

[oftheshadow]

I know your scent, he told her, moving his head only slightly in the direction of her hand. I have for years. Ever since she'd begun bringing him kitchen scraps, quiet and small, her vibrant red hair the only spot of color in his dull grey world of concrete, chains, and cages.

...you...you weren't afraid. When even grown, hard-bitten mercenaries were terrified to approach the steel bars, their fear reeking from their rank-smelling sweat. I was...surprised. Even the old man had carried a whip whenever he'd come to collect his 'pet'. A few thin white scars across his midnight-black muzzle attested its use.

The glow up ahead signaled they were approaching the city, and the wolf's ears went up. You will need money, he told her, and a different vehicle. As well as warmer clothing. And food and other supplies, but money and a vehicle first. All else could be gathered as they went.

[eyarazrushost]

Genya glanced at him curiously. She knew he knew of her. She'd brought him food. As much as she could manage. She always thought the wolf was too lean. She knew that Lantsov didn't keep him well fed. It was cruel the way the wolf was treated. There wasn't much she could do to rebel against them, but she could do that.

"I knew you weren't going to hurt me," she answered honestly. She wasn't sure how she knew that. She simply did. She knew that truth deep down in her spirit.

Her eyes studied the lights of the city. She'd seen it enough times with Tatiana. She'd been dragged along to various parties and galas and 'charity' events. She'd never really explored it for her own.

"A friend left me some money and clothes. There's a drop off spot where I can get it," she explained. Zoya couldn't do much given her own restraints within the system, but this was more than enough for Genya. "I guess we can steal a car?"

She'd never done that before, but she'd watched videos. "I need to Tailor myself," she added. She needed to not look so Genya Safin. "That will give us more coverage."

The large wolf would be difficult to hide.

[oftheshadow]

They left the SUV in an abandoned lot not far from Genya's drop spot, the large wolf keeping well in the shadows, very nearly one himself. Fetch your supplies, he'd told her, ghosting along beside her as they slunk down the silent street. Do what you must and I will meet you at the train station in an hour.

Then his voice had faded, but before it disappeared entirely, he added, soft as a whisper, I am called Aleksander.

At this time of night, the train station wasn't overly crowded and only half-lit, as many of the overhead lights were out or missing entirely. A tired-looking middle-clerk was running the counter, yawning almost every ten minutes. A few weary passengers napped on the hard wooden benches, waiting for their next connection, and still fewer noodled about between trains coming and going.

A pair of cops were checking tickets and ID's, reporting into their shoulder mics every third person or so; they were looking for a red-haired woman and possibly a very large black dog, a purebred German Shepherd. But no one in the station matched either description - honestly, a dog? - so they soon wandered back out, leaving all inside muttering about the rudeness of cops and the inconvenience of it all.

Save for one, a tall man in all-black clothing, wearing a hooded sweater with sleeves that didn't quite reach his wrists, jeans that didn't quite reach the tops of thick black combat boots, and gleaming white teeth that were a little longer than normal, and gold-ringed dark eyes that watched everything intently from the depths of the hood.

[eyarazrushost]

After she'd reached the drop spot, Genya had changed. Not just her clothes, but her appearance as well. She transformed her scarlet curls into sleek black hair. She darkened the blue of her eyes to a hazel shade that wouldn't catch much attention. The shape of her eyes were slightly larger and rounder for a doe eyed look instead of her familiar piercing gaze. She flattened the tip of her nose a bit with less of angle. Finally, her lips were made smaller and thinner to hide the plushness of them.

She was unrecognizable. Only the wolf could identify her by her scent. She changed from her clothes into the ones Zoya had left for her. She wore a pair of black jeans and a chic grey sweater that was covered with a wool coat in navy blue. She was thankful that she'd worn sensible boots.

With the money, she was able to buy supplies they'd need north. The cabin would be well stocked, but she still bought food and water that she squirreled away in her newly purchased duffel bag. She bought a large flash light with extra batteries, a scarf and a beanie for herself, and a burner phone. It wasn't much, but she didn't want to blow all the cash now. They'd likely need more supplies during their stay, so they needed to be reasonable.

She hefted the duffel bag on her shoulder as she strode into the station. Her now raven black hair was tucked beneath her navy blue beanie while the scarf hung around her neck. She wasn't sure what she was looking for. A wolf, certainly, but that felt too conspicuous. People would freak out if there was a wolf.

Her eyes scanned the station and studied all the people. Could he be hiding in the Shadows? He'd hid himself so easily before. She clocked the lack of cops here at this sleepy hour. It was mostly passengers milling about from one destination to the next. Her eyes traveled around and nearly passed over a tall, dark figure that hugged the wall.

Immediately, Genya looked back at him. She didn't know him, but when his eyes locked on hers, she felt that same familiar feeling when she'd first locked eyes with the wolf. Her feet began to bring her towards him until she stutter stepped when she realized she didn't look at all like herself.

[oftheshadow]

He'd smelled her nearly a block away, so familiar was her scent. Warm summer rain, autumn cedar, and apple blossoms after the last snow of spring. He'd recognize it anywhere. So he wasn't too surprised when a completely different woman stepped into the station, cautiously glancing about before moving further inside. Yes, she'd hidden her true self well.

It was nearly time for their next transportation to arrive, so he slipped out of the corner and headed for her, slightly impressed that she did the same - how could she recognize him like this? - only to have her stop and try to turn away. He gently took her elbow before she could.

"It's me," he murmured in the same voice she'd heard before. Dark, low, and tinged with that hint of the North. "This isn't a form I choose often, but it has its uses." Even if the clothes he'd pilfered didn't entirely fit. The face that gazed over her head briefly, scanning their surroundings, then back at her was weather-pale, sharply featured, and sported a dark beard that obscured the lower half.

"The authorities have been and gone," he told her quietly, leading her to the loading platform. "We have tickets for the next train; it should be arriving at any moment."

[eyarazrushost]

She'd been guided by something deeper when she recognized the wolf in him. Her stutter step had jarred her out of it. It allowed her brain to catch up with her. This was Aleksander as a human. His voice sounded exactly the same, but only now, she could actually hear him. He looked weary and reserved, yet she still found him breathtakingly beautiful. The gold around his dark eyes were arresting.

"How?" she whispered to him. Genya let him guide her towards their train. He'd not only acquired a human form, but train tickets as well. Her eyes causally looked around to confirm what he'd said about cops. It appeared as though the coast was clear.

She stayed close to him. The train doors were open for them, so they stepped onto it from the platform. There weren't many other passengers at this hour. It was only them and a mother with a sleepy eyed child in her arms. Genya lingered on the sight for a moment and wondered about her own mother.

"Are you alright?" she asked when they were safely on. She didn't know what it took for him to be like this. Her gaze swept over him with worry and care.

[oftheshadow]

He’d acquired not only tickets, but the clothes he now wore and a passing-fair ID, also. The unfortunate who’d “donated” all of these would live, but more than likely suffer months of mental trauma thanks to being attacked by first a giant black wolf before getting stuffed into a supply closet after being knocked unconscious by a giant naked barbarian in the train station.

Oh, well. Ends justified the means, after all.

Aleksander didn’t answer nor relax from quivering alert until the train had departed, sliding smoothly through the inky night. He’d parked Genya next to the window and swung in beside her, right in front of the back exit doors.

“I’m sorry,” he quietly apologized, “for being so rough. It’a been…decades since I’ve been in this form.” He gestured wryly to his torso. “It’s still a little awkward to handle.”

[eyarazrushost]

"You're not rough," she said in surprised. Genya knew what rough was. She knew how it felt when a man was rough and careless with her. She knew the sort of aches and bruises it left behind. That hadn't been Aleksander at all. He was guarded and jerky in his movements since it was all so abrupt, but nothing that made her feel any discomfort. His large form stayed close to her like he was trying to hide her. It made her feel so much safer.

She felt herself relax slightly. His body was pressed against hers next to her. It wasn't unwelcome.

"It's very nice," she offered a little shyly. The words felt silly. "I like the other you as well. They're both-- lovely."

She wondered if this was the symptoms of all the stress and panic coming to a head. She gave a low huff and shook her head. "Are you hungry?" she dug through the duffel bag and pulled out the different snacks she'd purchased. Trail mix, protein bars, beef jerky. She'd bought whatever could keep and be filling.

[oftheshadow]

Had she seen him but a scant half hour earlier, Genya might not have been so charitable with her compliments. Going from four legs to two was quite a shock, and the loss of a thick, rudder-like tail made keeping his balance nearly impossible for the first fifteen minutes or so. Then there was all the business with thumbs, and trying not to bite his own tongue when swearing like a sulfurous pirate as he attempted to don the pilfered clothing and remain upright all at the same time.

This human form was just so bloody hindering awkward. Tall, lanky, and just...odd, he was once more reminded why he much preferred the one he'd been born into; his wolf form was quite perfect, from the tip of his sharp nose to the end of his thick, bushy tail. But, moving about as such a creature, regardless of how magnificent, would see their trek ended more than quickly, so he'd been forced to don this uncomfortable skin once again.

But his senses were no less sharp with just two legs, and a dark eyebrow arched as he smelt Genya's scent change just a bit as she spoke, becoming...warmer. Sweeter, somehow. Not...unpleasant, and he found his nostrils flaring to take in more of it. Then she began to rummage in her duffel, procuring food, by all the gods. He went for the jerky first, leaving the more nutritious snacks for her. It was tough, dry, and was slightly softer than boot leather, but he swallowed it down regardless. Once they reached their destination, he could hunt, so at least they'd have plenty of meat.

"...thank you," he murmured afterwards, once again casting his gaze around the nearly empty car, always on alert, always ready for danger.

[eyarazrushost]

Genya allowed him to have his fill of whatever he wanted. She wasn't surprised that he'd gone for the jerky. She wished she bought more. She pulled out a water bottle and kept it close in case he got thirsty. She didn't have much of an appetite. Her heart was still in her throat with worry and fear that Lantsov will come swooping down on them to drag them both back.

Her fingers fidgeted with a bag of trail mix. Her eyes kept darting around even though the train was on a steady journey north. The train was largely empty, so it was quiet. Even the lights were slightly dimmed. She couldn't shake the worry and the gnawing fear.

"You're welcome though it's really not necessary. I don't think I would have been able to escape without you," she admitted. The guards would have surely caught her even if she hadn't taken a detour to free him.

[oftheshadow]

He sensed no immediate threats; the young mother had dozed off not long after her babe had fallen asleep. So he was free to turn his attention back to his companion, feeling her anxiety as keenly as if it was his own. He hesitantly reached out and placed a large hand on her arm.

"Calm," he whispered, speaking nearly into her ear. "We're safe, for now. I smell nothing out of the ordinary, and no one will be looking for us as we are." His hand was large, the fingers long and dexterous, a soothing weight.

"You were right," he told her then. "We needed each other, back there." She would have been all-too-easily apprehended by the guards had she been alone, and he'd still be shackled to the basement floor inside a thick steel cage.

[eyarazrushost]

Normally, any unfamiliar touch made her flinch especially from men. Lantsov had made her jumpy. He'd made touch from another human being feel like something dirty. It made her feel less than. That wasn't what she felt when he leaned in to murmur in her ear. He was already much closer than she'd ever allowed anyone, but it didn't feel like it was a danger.

It didn't make her feel like she was disgusting.

His hand on her arm was warm and gentle. She stared at it for a long beat and studied the length and shape of his fingers. "I'm glad you're here with me," she admitted. She couldn't imagine anyone else. She didn't trust many others save for the few she could count on one hand. It had taken time to build that trust, but with Aleksander, it came easily.

"Aleksander is a pretty name," she offered up. She was curious about him, but she didn't prod. It was his story to tell.

[oftheshadow]

Slowly withdrawing his hand, he straightened a bit and replied in the same quiet tone, "My first master gave it to me." No idea why; apparently the old wizard had just liked how it sounded. "A very, very long time ago."

He'd seen centuries pass, most of them from behind the bars of some cage or other. After his first master passed, he'd been left to the wizard's horrible son, who was all to eager to squander his patron's wonderful discoveries, his incalculable wealth, and to abuse and defile all of the treasures the sorcerer had cherished.

Including the only living Shadow Wolf in existence.

But he shared none of that; it wasn't his wont to speak to humans - doing so with Genya had been the first time he'd uttered even a syllable in over half a century. That curiosity, however, he heard himself saying, even as he wondered why.

"...I haven't spoken to anyone since...in over five decades."

[eyarazrushost]

"You're doing well. You have a very pleasant voice," she told him. More than that, his voice was like warm, smoky velvet. She realized she missed his touch. The feel of his large hand was a comfort. It helped steady her spiraling nerves. Their conversation gave her something to focus on at least. Fifty years was a long time not to speak to anyone. She didn't blame him. Not with how Lantsov used and abused him. She wished she didn't have to talk to the old man either or his horrid wife.

She hoped she never had to again. "You might need some water," she added. She twisted the cap and offered it to him. "Your throat might be dry from disuse. The water will help with that."

She liked being able to help. She liked doing. Sitting idle had never been her forte. Now that all they had to do was sit and wait until they arrived, she needed to find a way to keep herself occupied.

[oftheshadow]

He wasn't used to...compliments. But he nodded in thanks, taking the offered water when she held it out. It was clear and cool, delicious stuff, but he was careful to take only a single deep swallow before handing it back again.

"You are...very kind." An observation. He'd noticed it time and time before. His brow furrowed slightly. "Yet...you lived there for many years. I remember when you first arrived." She'd been so small, barely out of babyhood. "It is...odd, that you did not end up like them." Cold, cruel, and conniving.

Again, not understanding why, he slowly held out his hand, palm up this time, inviting. "...that is...that is a good thing."

[eyarazrushost]

She called the water, but kept the bottle out in case he wanted more. She knew she needed to drink some too. She simply couldn't bring herself to stomach any of it with the way her stomach was all knotted up. She glanced up at him in surprise when he recalled when she'd first arrived at the manor. She didn't think he remembered or even noticed her when she was first brought there.

She'd always had a fondness for animals. Even the great wolf hadn't scared her off that. Lantsov and his men had made it clear that he wasn't a pet. He was a weapon. Her shoulders hunched. He thought her kind, but she knew that she was just as scheming and manipulative as Tatiana. She'd seen the woman and her circle of friends play their games. It was how Genya had managed her escape plan as she did.

Her hand was tentative and small in his. Her touch was unsure because she didn't think he deserved his kindness. "I feel like I did end up like them. They changed me," she said quietly, "They broke me."