Weary Traveller (Open)

Lock stared at the two of them coldly, they got the point and shut up. He then went to find Melanie to see if she was ok, he found her at the very back of the cave "Dont be ashamed of it Melanie, those idiots are just that. Idiots. Graham is jonly upset that hes causing you pain, so dont think its because he regrets it, he loves you enough to make a deal with the devil to save you. Nothing you do could ever change his feelings, I think he will be a proud father"

"Yea he'll be a proud father... and I'll be dead...because that's the rules. And I'd rather die then let him suffer through what his parents had too. Besides who cares about me should'nt we help your friend out? Does it matter if I'm gone? What's more important is your friends only family like people are dead." Melanie said sighing wishing he'd just go away.

"If thats how you feel, but you know that Graham and I are not going to let that happen" He knew her well enough to know that the sigh meant she wanted to be alone so he left it at that and walked back to the others, these Lycan rules gave him headaches. They were always so pointless and brutal. It was almost if hurting everyone around them was second nature, with the odd exception like Graham of course
Bloody sadists he thought angrily

Graham appeared behind Melanie and stood there just watching her not letting her know he was there. She was already showing a baby bump. If the counsel ever found out it really would all be over for her. And he'd just have to die trying to save her. After awhile he came to her an kneel d down beside her and pull her into his lap.
"No go away Graham..." she sobbed burying her face in her hands.
"Is that an order or what?"
Melanie didn't answer him.
Graham made her look up at him. "Love, stop tormenting your-self..."
"I'm not tormenting myself...there's other things to worry bout now... that poor young girl... her family's gone... probably because of us."
"That's not true.."
"Yes it is!"
Graham was blinded by anger now he grabbed her wrist. "Shut-up Melanie!"
Melanie forced herself away from him more tears forming in her eyes.
"I swear sometimes your just like Erik! And it is our fault!"
Graham had her thrown on the ground and was on top of her in a flash. "I may have Erik's temper but I refuse to loose you!" His eyes were deep red now.
"Let go of me! I hate you!"
The words hit him like a punch and he let go. He watched as she ran away. He couldn't let her die.... he'll die first. His heart raced and he closed his eyes replaying every single thing that happened between him and Melanie through-out their lives.... there's no way he was going to lose that pretty smile, her laughter, and her happiness and her beauty. Everything in this cave revolved around her without her everyone would might as well jump off a cliff.

"I was just wondering when we would be leaving" Duke said. Then she thought of how rude she must have sounded.
"Sorry if I sound impatient. I just really want to find the monsters that..." she trailed off. The thought of her families murderers made her blood boil. She sighed and took a deep breath. Getting angry wouldn't help. Not yet.

Matt and Miko grinned.
"Well soon enough first we got to persuade Graham I think, he's got some issues... unfortunately." Matt whispered to the girl.
Miko laughed. "True all very true."
Melanie walked out of the cave and right past them not saying a word.
"Uh-oh not good..." Miko whispered.
Matt looked at the girl named Duke. "Ehhh don't worry about it we'll help you as soon as we get them straightened out. If we don't Graham may not think and kill on instinct and hurt someone innocent badly."

Lock was sitting quietly, this was out of his hands. He had done his best to change Melanies mind and now it was up to Graham and her to sort things out, his involvement would only complicate matters.
He let out a long sigh, once and a while it would be nice for Melanie to se just how much they all cared for her.
"Hey matt, miko, any idea how we can help smooth things out for them? if we dont move quickly the trail will get cold, Duke and I are anxious to find the killers"

"Forget it... Matt, Miko you stay here and watch Melanie... I'll go.. Melanie wishes me to leave her alone... so I will be the one to help.." Graham said looking at them.
"But dude..." Miko said.
"Just shut-up and get inside..." he ordered Matt and Miko.
They walked away sadly. "Well if we're in a hurry lets go..." he said staring intensely at Lock.

"Im sorry to cause you this trouble Graham, but if we can trace the killers back to the counsel we may be able to kill two birds with one stone, we get revenge for Duke and get Melanie out of danger. I am sorry to have flared up these problems for you, but Melanies safety is paramount. Hopefully she will come to her senses and realise we wont let her die over a stupid outdated rule"

Graham only stared off into space. "It don't matter she is as stubborn as me. And it don't matter if the counsel was involved. I'll still kill them or die trying." he whispered looking straight at Lock now.

"We'll just have to make sure its them not you that dies then wont we"
He said no more on the subject, he hated being useless but it looked like there was nothing else he could say. They were a good match for each other, both impossibly stubborn.
"Hey Duke lets get going" he shouted into the cave

(imma let duke reply for once...)

(lol heres hoping she does , sorry about not really getting into the melanie-graham struggle thing, but its not really something Lock understands or can help with :S)

(lol i understand but things would be more interesting if duke would type!)

Duke walked out of the cave.
"I'm coming." She called and jogged over to Lock. "So Graham, where are we going?"
She was rearing to go, but she didn't know where to go, so she was just going to have to follow. And she was not the best at following. This was going to be a long trip. But the wait would be worth it.

"To the Council to see if they are involved if not or they deny it take me to the place they were murdered... Can you do that?" Graham asked raising an eyebrow and looked at Duke.

"I...I can't go back there." She started shaking. The faces of her friends, covered in blood, eyes staring. She hadn't even had the curtesy to close their eyes. Shame swept over her, she felt weak and helpless. She could do nothing to save them, to bring them back. Her eyes went stony and her heart started to chill. When she found the people who had done this she would avenge her guild. That was all she could do.
"Let’s go."

Graham only nodded and started walking again. If the girl refused to do it he'd have to drag her. She wanted answers she'd have to put up with the gore that came with it.

"You dont need to go inside, I'll show Graham around if we need to" he said in Dukes direction

The journey, while hard going, was an uneventful one for the most part. The rough terrain and the frequent rain were not the best conditions for walking in. They arrived at the council in fairly good time all things considered. The building itself was carved directly into the mountain side with the entrance blocked by a heavy wooden door twice the size of the average house

Graham gave a low growl and they followed him towards a small window set into the door, it slid open and Graham whispered something to whoever, or whatever, was on the other side.
The door opened with a grating noise and the trio walked forwards into the dimly lit system of caves within.

"A more foreboding entrance I have never seen" said Lock, impressed by the effort that had been put into making the council a frightening place
"Someone doesnt want visitors, and if they get any they want them trembling"
He pointed to bloddy skulls inlaid in the walls "nice touch"


(really sorry about the late reply guys)

"Yea well here's where our founding fathers live. those sick bastards..." Graham said sighing. He looked at the skulls. "Over the years they've tooken wives and they've killed them. We are sick creatures Lock I don't undersand why you didn't just take Melanie away from me. It would have been safer if you had her not me. All these skulls you see are women who had to die. That's why I'm afraid for Melanie it's our ways to kill the alpha female once she gives the male alpha a male child..." Graham started to shake violently. He felt like destroying the wall in front of him. "I don't want her head on this god damn wall..." he growled and kept moving forward and entered one of the tunnels in the cave.

The only time he stopped was to wait for Duke and Lock to catch up. Graham did'nt know how he'd react when he saw the council, they were all millions of years old and looked like they were all in thier twenties. But it didnt matter it didnt matter with thier looks or their power he'd take them all down if he had too for the sake of this girl Duke and to save Melanie's life.

Lock gave a sickened look "I think its about time someone made some changes to your kind's way of life. Someone needs to take leadership" he looked flatly at Graham "Someone with morals, someone like you"

He checked that his knife was ready and that his pistol was loaded "if you decide to take them out, count on me as backup. Im not sure how well I'd go against werewolves with millennia of experience, but I'll do what I can for you"
Duke checked her own assortment of weapons and nodded her agreement, her eyes burning with vengance "we're with you Graham"

"It's not that easy these guys are like Gods I think it's impossible to kill them but its worth a try," he whispered. "First I need to find out some things from them."
Graham kept walking anger boiling up inside him the wall of skulls was so long he felt like he was gonna go mentally insane if he saw anymore.
Once he made it to a huge set of door he turned around to face Lock and Duke. "Listen to what I have to say. Don't say or do anything till I tell you to. Let me talk."
Then Graham turned back around and with all his strength moved the huge door. It was like that so no humans could enter. Once he walked in he saw all the council members sitting on thrones. All there eyes glowing red. Some of them had scared girls beside them. But at the very end one throne that was never there before was and the person sitting in it made Graham almost snap. So now he knew who was setting up Melanie. Now he knew who killed Duke's family, the person sitting in that throne was Erik. How the hell was this possible.
He turned to face Lock and Duke once more tears streaming down his face that he didnt notice and once again he was shaking violently. He glared at Lock. "Don't do anything."

"Who is he?" Duke was hushed forcefully by Lock's hand. She struggled for a bit and then relaxed until the hand was dropped. The man was smirking at Graham, who was shaking violently with suppressed emotions. His hands were clenched into fists and his knuckles were turning white. The expression on his face was a mix between confusion, rage and horror.
She looked over to Lock, and gasped. Usually he masked his emotions skilfully, but she could read everything like a book. Anger, confusion and sudden realisation.
She looked back to the man. He was no longer looking at Graham, he was looking at her. She looked into his eyes and a shiver ran down her spin. In his eyes she saw unjust murder.

Graham felt so much power flying around the room now and he knew it was all coming from Erik. Why the hell did they do this? The council let Erik become one of them. They brought Erik back to life. God no...
Erik got up and stood right in front of Graham there faces only a foot away from each other. Graham could'nt even breathe Erik's aurora was too strong.
"Hello my loyal and faithful dog," Erik said to Graham smirking. Then Erik did something Graham didnt expect he hugged him. Erik's hand went through Graham's hair and he felt electricity sting his head. He moaned in pain.
"I'm going to kill you Graham, nice and slowly, and then I'm going to take Melanie, even though she's pregnant with your kid when its born don't worry I'll reunite you with your alpha son cuz I'll kill him too." he whispered in Grahams's ear.
Graham wanted to punch him he wanted to kill him but he knew he was outnumbered and Erik was more powerful now. Graham's heart was racing he was hitting an adreniline rush... if he didnt get ahold of himself then he really would end up doing something stupid.
"That's enough Erik," Graham heard one of the Council members say. He looked to see it was the main leader Ash.
Ash stood up and glared at Erik to prove his point. Erik only laughed quietly. "Till next time, dog." he said and let Graham go ,going to sit back down. Graham fell to his knees gasping for air.
Graham saw Duke try to come over to help him but he waved her off and she stayed back, his eyes starting to turn a deep gold color.
"Graham theres a lot we need to discuss... its a shame that your turning out to be like your father I don't want that for you." Ash said still standing up and looking down on Graham now.
"So you guys are the ones who terroized my pack and killed Duke's family."
Ash sighed. "I admit we are the doing of breaking into your pack and destroying things but as for the young girl's family we did nothing that was all Erik's doing on his own."
He turned once more to look at Duke making sure she'd stay back and not do anything dumb and she did surprisingly.
"Why? how is she connected to us?" Graham growled.
"Well for one I never liked the guild and for two surprisingly I did it to call out Lock's attention never expected a little runt like her to show up with you though I thought she died like all the rest it was amazingly satisfying I'll give you that.," Erik said.
Graham growled trying his hardest to control himself and as well as Lock and Duke.
"But that's something between you and Erik, Graham we need to discuss you and that female." Ash said.
Graham's heart completely stopped he knew what was coming and he didnt want to do it. He'd never do it.
"Your going to have to kill her its tradition. Your father was unstable he fell in love but you... you can be different from your father and redeem your family's name and honor."
"But I loved my mother too so does that make me pathetic?"
Ash laughed. "It does. They are nothing to us. Our job is to rule our lands and breed til one day we can fully take over. Girls are nothing but tools!" Ash snapped at him.
Growling came from inside the cave and Graham noticed some of his pack was there. "No... oh shit..." Graham whispered.
"Graham are you trying to set us up?" Ash asked suspiciously.
"No I swear!" He looked at the wolves. "Go!" he warned. But they stayed by his side. Ash's eyes started to glow and fangs formed in his mouth.
He grabbed Graham and bit into his neck. Graham screamed in pain. It was the most painfullest thing ever he'd have rather been burned alive again.
But it made the wolves back away frightened.
Ash dropped Graham and he fell to the floor blood pouring from his neck. He was still alive...but barely.
Ash looked up at Lock and Duke and smiled. "Don't worry about him he's just a disobediant dog."



(*oh yea super special awsome plot twist for dave davee and long post mwahahahahaha!!!!!*)

Lock was burning with rage, this was an impossible situation. Erik was alive and the council was stronger than he had ever imagined. Even Graham who was now part demon couldnt do anything against them, so what chance did he or Duke have?
"Shit" he whispered. He couldnt let himself be killed either or Melanie would die with him, why did she have to make that foolish promise?
"Duke, we are a serious disadvantage here so dont do anything"
Even helping Graham would kill them, werewolves at the best of times valued strength over everything, if they assisted Graham to his feet they would destroy him for his weakness at letting two non-wolves consider themselves equals.
We need to turn this around somehow, but what options do we have here. Damnit, damnit, damnit!

There was a small sound on the breeze and for a second he thought it sounded like a voice, it was familiar but he knew for a fact that he had never heard it before. It snapped him out of shock and he began thinking clearly. Graham wasnt dead, and with the combined powers of a demon and a werewolf he should recover fairly quickly, he was still their best bet at getting out of here and coming back with a decent plan to kill these bastards, there had to be a way to do it.