No one likes Cages

Asher

Saturday mornings were the worst for me, the day on its own didn't let me sleep. Then there was the horror of any teenager alive. Chores. Right now I was staring at the best list of them. Gotta love my mum, she never spared a single chore to be done.

Groaning I got down to my jam, plugged in the speakers and set my Justin Bieber playlist to go, before cracking my knuckles and plunging into the sea of chores  which I called torture.

My mind wandered as I worked the song Fading in my subconscious. Aurora trusted Venna mighty lot to share her secret with her. Venna's reaction though we hadn't seen it coming.

Hearing the front door open I hauled ass down the stairs  Mum and  Donald walked in with the sherrif behind them. Mrs Alba West was literally the version of an aunt I didn't have, fun, harsh when need be and always had something up her sleeve for me. Mum didn't like thought she was spoiling me silly but when Mrs Alba wanted something down she had her way.

"Well hello people. " I greeted nodding at Donald them flashing a smile at Mrs Alba which she returned as she came over for a hug. I wasn't really a hugger but anything for my special gift giver.

"No hugs for me Theodore." My mum asked feigning hurt.

"You left me like a ton of chores. I'm busy hugging them" I replied as I walked back to the stairs.

"So what's up, no new cases or y'all having a lazy day?" I asked no in particular as I stood at the bottom of the stairs

"Well Mrs Alba here felt like resting her old joints, I just wanted some of ya Ma's bacon." A hand smacked his head as Mrs Alba walked by.

*I'm not old you little kitten" she snapped at him taking the couch beside him while mum entered the kitchen to fix something up.

"I'll be heading to Benjamin's once I'm done ma. Call if you need me. " I informed before turning to run up.

"Okay son. " Donald mimicked earning a glare form my mum that had him chuckling.

I shook my head then ran up to finish my chores. Not having a phone right now sucked big time and I still had to get my mum to get me another or I could always make a dip in my savings I thought as I took a glance at my treasury. But my mum or Mrs Alba had a way of surprising me when I didn't expect and more importantly need the particular surprise.

I pondered how to get in touch with Aurora, especially after last night. Going over to her place was a no no for me. My mind went to Venna, she was quite protective of Aurora. I still couldn't place if that would be good or bad.

I finished all the chores by noon while the three cops argued, conversed and joked downstairs. By the time I  took a shower and got down they had left.

I sat on the couch for the longest time watching the reruns of the flash show when a knock came on the door. I wondered who it could be since I wasn't expecting anyone. I was at the door hands on the door knob as the scent came to me.

Fur. It reeked of fur everywhere and I stepped back from the door my inner voice pushing out while I sniffed the air. There was more than one wolf out there. The knock came again and I jumped a bit startled wondering what to do. I'd only met one she wolf but she didn't seem to friendly. A shadow crossed under the door and stopped. I watched it as another knock sounded, then the knob rattled as someone tried to get in.

At this point my eyes were already golden as tension gripped me . The claws in my fingers inching down slowly as the person knocked heavily again.

"I can literally smell you Asher" Aurora's voice shouted from outside. A confused look spread over my features as I hurried for the door. I swung it open almost taking it off its hinges and stared back at the pale red head with hazel eyes.

Dragging her in I shut the door quickly then backed away from it like it would shift into a huge wolf anytime soon. My head turned in different directions as I sniffed the air 

"What's wrongs Ash.?. She asked placing a hand on my back. Turning I looked her over then glanced back at the door.

"Wolves were here." I answered then looked around. She nodded and held my arm pulling me with her to the sitting room.

"I smelt, but you look okay so what happened?" She asked as she sat me down and stood back watching me.

"They... They were knocking and I went to get it. But I smelt them so I didn't.' I answered while rubbing both hands down my face.

"Not one was outside when I got to your door but I could smell the fur around. I think they left when the heard me coming." Aurora informed pulling me back into the sitting room.

"They're gone now Ash calm down". She assured.

"Doesn't this bother you ?. We've only seen one crazy wolf but I smelled more of them. What did they want coming to my house?" I queried tension rising more in me. 

"Whatever it is, they're gone now". She stated.

"Yeah. But now they know my house. They could always return anytime. I can't... I can't let that happen." I mused. Aurora gave me the eye for a bit but didn't say anything.

"Anyway been searching online for our symbols, didn't get any hit. It's really rare or it's not just out there. Maybe it's a local thing?." She changed topic to get me to stop thinking of it. One look at her had me groaning as the question I wanted to ask slipped my lips.

"Venna?". She looked up at me for quite the while then down sadness rising over her.

"Couldn't tell her. I mean I was gonna, but I just chickened out." She groaned and sat down hard on the couch. Her eyes found the TV and a smile grew in her face.

"The flash ehh". She asked looking to me and back.

"Well what did she say when you didn't tell her?" I asked ignoring her topic switch again. She sighed and dropped her head back on the couch.

"Well, I told her that it was a big secret, life changing and all that. She thought I was pregnant at first ..." Aurora chuckled but stopped when I didn't join her. " .. I had to convince her though that it was not it. Assure her that I needed time to get my courage to tell her ".

*And she was okay with that?" I asked.

*Yep. She said so, though you might be in trouble for ditching us when we had to go to the party last night. "  She replied.

"I was kinda weak you know.  No way I'll be able to stand in a party" I stated snorting.

*I know. But she doesn't and she didn't buy the sick thing again. She's sure something is up and won't let go." Aurora warned. I eyed her as she said the next words.

"She's gonna find out, either we tell her or she finds out herself. I don't know how but sometimes that girl scares me with things she can dig up".she said eyes focused on the ceiling.

"Well this is nice, at a deadend with the symbols so no finding our maker  and now a curious friend who could be a danger". I said thoughtfully.

"My bestfriend is not a danger. She'll come around". Aurora snapped.

*If you thought that you'd have told her everything yesterday. But you didn't, which means you think there's a chance she might not respond favorably." I reasoned looking at her to argue. She just sighed and sat back.

"Either way the symbols are a small problem we can tackle later as is Venna. Main issue is .." she sat upright and looked me straight in the eye "... I almost killed you from losing control yesterday".

"But you didn't, you stopped and controlled yourself. You didn't do it earlier that's all and that's not a problem it's just your second time. I'm sure with time you'll get the hang of it okay." I assured. She didn't nod, she didn't react just sat there staring at me a question in her eyes.

"Do you think it's okay to stay for almost a week without even turning?." She asked suddenly. I sighed as I moved to get water from the fridge.

"Asher, I get it, this transformation thing must have hurt like shit for you to be able to let me drain me you but not still wanna shift." I glanced at her from  my peripheral vision fatigue slipping in my mind.

"But c'mon you saw what the lack of blood almost did to me. I'm no wolf and I don't even know any of this stuff but isn't it obvious you should change a bit more often." She suggested.

"Aurora..."

"Look. I don't want you losing control like I did. You don't exactly drink blood so I wouldn't know what to do?" She ranted her eyes gleaming.

"Your scared I'll try to kill you if I lose control." I asked.

"Well you already tried once and you barely held back. And you were a wolf then.". She added.

"Shouldn't that be more reason to not shift. More control and more not wanting to kill you " . I deadpanned. She sighed then stood up and walked up to me where I poured water in a glass.

"This other part that gets you when you lose control, you think it still wants to kill me?". She asked slowly. I pondered over it, the inner voice hadn't made much reaction to lot of things or her, even when I was draining it barely acted. A part of me worried if it would lash out like Aurora feared.

"I don't know, it's rarely made any reactions. Most time it nudged me on who to end and where to go. Now it just glared out when I'm pissed and nothing more." I informed her taking in her curious look as I wondered what she was thinking.

"Let's go". She just said turning to leave.

"Where to?".I asked.

*The clearing before the cliff." She shouted back already at the door as j set the cup and bottle of water back.

"And why are we headed there" I asked as I bolted upstairs to get my jacket and put on my boots.

"You'll see". She muttered low to herself. If I didn't have good hearing I'd probably not have heard it.

I glanced back at her a while and smiled back a bit like Venna which stilled my heart.

"Okay." I said and continued up to get my stuff.

Going through the woods to get to the cliff was downright slow and annoying. More for Aurora than me as she could practically zip over to it but I couldn't so she had to walk with me, which earned me a thousand glares.

Fortunately just as I thought she was gonna go all firefighter and carry my ass to run we spotted the cliff a sigh leaving both our lips. We stopped a bit under the tree which looked just the same. We even walked round it again to see if there was anything we missed .

Nada. To the cliff we went. Aurora leading the way as she started bouncing eager to get whatever she was up to planned.

"Alright, take off you jacket and boots" . She spoke as she prances about her hair flailing in the breeze.

"Uhm, why exactly?. I mean the house could have been more comfortable for this Red.". I joked still not taking anything off. Her eyes rolled as she took a jump back then zipped towards me.

In a moment I was on my ass, my chest throbbing. Glaring at her I looked to my chest as I rubbed it.

"What the hell girl?. What you doing?". I asked rubbing my chest.

"I don't know. " She muttered zipping again. A pain to my right, another to my left side. Two fast burst of pain in my back and I snapped turning to grab her but finding air.

"Too slow little pup," she poked at me now back to where she'd started. Something stirred, shifted in my head for a minute.  The she came again and I defended, ducking a kick as my eyes burned watching her shadow movements as it blurred around me.

Two kicks in the back sent me down and she followed crouching beside me.

"Face it Ash, you can't do much, cause you still a whiny pup". She dashed away as I snapped the thing in my head now stirring again. I stared over at her wondering what she was trying to achieve.

"What are you doing Aurora this is a bad idea. " I warned.

*Let me worry about what's bad and not McKnight". She muttered her shadow blurring pass me as I flew back hitting the floor hard. I stood quickly and glared back as my mind raced. She appeared next to me and a punch kissed my jaw throwing me to the side on the ground as she blurred around and halted beside me kneeling.

"I get why you don't wanna change." She slashed her claws down my cheek drawing blood. Claws. I didn't even realize she had them.

"It hurt like hell and whatever." She clawed at my chest tearing the fabric and drawing blood. "So let's say we find our maker and they refuse to  help us. Says we gotta fight or something." She barked at me slashing my other cheek as her eyes gleamed red at the sight of blood.

"What you gonna do.?. She asked as she halted then zipped away. I stood annoyed as blood dropped down my face and chest.

"Not fancy Aurora. Besides if it comes ..." I was cut off as she zipped over straight in my face and then punched me straight in the gut winding me up before punching me down.

"Talk yourself outta it all you want McKnight." She zipped back to her staring point. " But we both know that you just being stupid right now. We are this now, wolf and vampire, trust me I don't like it anymore than you do. I gotta drain people off their  blood, you witnessed what it's like barely controllable.  And you think you can handle your shit just because you think it'll be okay. When it wont" she shouted and zipped back to me but this time she let me see her come.

My cheeks stung from the punches on top the claw marks, my chest spotting a new set of claw marks right before my face was bonded with the floor my lips tasting the ground.

Looking up my eyes were blazing as were her's, they were almost lighting up as she came at me again. We danced, ducking her kick and pushing her back only to have her zip back and knee me in the jaw with a jump.

"Always push your problems away Ash?. " She mocked. I snarled at her which made her chuckle before she hissed back. "Pushing your problems away doesn't mean it's gone, it means you delaying the backlash. It's gonna come when you least expect it with a bite you won't be able to ignore or maybe survive and then what?" I looked down at my feet in annoyance.

"So you an expert now huh?"I queried my annoyance clear.

"You said together in this right, well how they hell am I supposed to know you can help in this if you busy fighting a McKnight wolf civil war within you.". She lashed out.

"I'm not fighting a civil war anywhere Aurora. I'm just fine." I tried again but it was obviously the wrong thing to say. If she'd been acting before she got real, real livid as she came at me.  I tried to stop her but she just tapped into her god-damned speed force.

"You think you're okay..." She pinched my nose "..when your eyes light up and I watch your forehead crease up to fight it back.".  She darted to my back and slammed an elbow into my spine. "How long will you be okay till it lashes out and refuses to be locked up" Her leg connected with a rib before she spun and knocked the heel of her feet onto my jaw. I hit the floor blood spilling out the side of my mouth as I groaned.

"You know what?" She snapped her red eyes gone. "I'm going to find something to drain from out there, why?. Cause I've realized I need blood. Maybe I can't control myself around a human without killing. But I can't also drink without them seeing me and knowing a vampire bit them. So I'm gonna find some animal out there to drain." She glaed at me in annoyance while I winced in my head.

"I don't like it,  but that's what needs to happen cause I'm not letting this thing be my end. That's called facing your problems and not what you're doing." I raised an eyebrow in slight annoyance.

"What am I doing exactly that isn't facing the problem?. Isn't that what we've done since we found our new kinky features." I bit out.

"Well yeah, tackling a problem that can go away. For all we know whoever it is could be dead or gone or anything. Who knows, but you and I are here and alive and sure of the others presence. So fix the damn control problem and let it out before it let's itself out." She snapped as she turned and walked away down to the opening of the cliff.

"What are you so frightened of with it letting itself out. I can always push it back in.".I argued after her.

She was in my face instantly no smiles no mockery or jokes only a pure sterness that unnerved me a bit. It was very unlike her.

"Ever been in jail or gotten grounded for a month?" She asked then before I could reply continued. "What was the one thing you wanted more than anything at that moment." She eyed me a bit then took a step backwards.

"If that doesn't get the point in then think, why'd you think criminals run from the cops when being chased even at minor offences. We didn't expect this but we are it now it now. That thing is part of you whether you like it not. I realized the same thing that night and just like you I fought it. You almost died fixing my error." I exhaled as she stopped to take a breath then opening my mouth I tried to convince her that it wasn't her fault but she narrowed her eyes silencing me.

" No one likes cages McKnight and you are caging it." She was gone as a shadowy mist dissipated from where she stood.