Private Tales Clashing Fangs

[Fallon]

She could read that weak smile, could clearly see the doubt behind those ruby eyes and feel the trepidation that the vampire felt, even if she didn't say so. Fallon purred softly and pressed a firm kiss to that porcelain cheek in wordless response to her thanks. She didn't have to thank her. This was simply where she was supposed to be right now, every sense that she had told her so. She took the woman's cool hand in hers and squeezed gently.

"No matter what happens. I'm with you." she rumbled quietly as they walked. She could only hope that Victoria's family were still here, that they'd be happy to meet their long lost relative, but the reality was not lost on her and she understood Victoria's reservations. She squeezed her palm a little tighter with reassurance as they approached the two men.

"Good day." Fallon purred casually to the guards who set their gazes on the two women. Despite her wildness, Fallon carried herself with an authority and decorum fitting of a court. She had always had a flare for diplomacy, having preferred to settle disputes with her voice over the alternative of violence and wasting energy that could be put to better use. Still, she didn't exactly look like a high born Lady, and so the two guards looked her over in silent scrutiny for a moment before stepping into their path.

"Good day." the taller, but not the broader of the two answered sternly. "State your business." he added in a tone of torpidity.

Fallon's jaw tightened for a brief moment, but she schooled a smile. "I am escorting the Lady to visit her family here." she informed, her chin lifting a little, settling her piercing gaze on the one who'd spoken. She could see the other surveying them, they had no weapons, they needed no weapons. "If you would kindly either let us pass, or offer escort, we would be grateful. It has been a rather long journey and we are weary." her brow quirked, her tone one that suggested she simply dared them to make themselves obstacles.

 

[Victoria O'Connor]

Victoria watched Fallon with no shortage of admiration. The wild thing she had lost herself to was striding about like a queen. Her posture perfect, her tone commanding, and her whole presence perfect. It was enough that, despite the women's shabby appearances, the guards actually seemed to believe her. She exhaled a smooth, controlled sigh while her dead heart gave a single flip.

Not that it was a lie. In marvelous irony, Fallon had actually told the entire truth. When one of the men looked to Victoria she had to put her royal face back on, a mask to cover the hungry way she was looking at the wolf. It worked, as the guard quickly looked away from her penetrating gaze.

"Family here?" The other sounded skeptical. "Which family is that, then?"

"O'Connor," Victoria stepped forwards, and her voice had regained an icy pride from speaking her own surname. "I am here to see my cousin, and as you can tell, I wish to do so with minimal fanfare. The crowds are ever so tiring." A pause while the two men looked at one another, and Victoria wondered if they needed to combine their wits for every simple decision. "Evangeline," she almost hissed as she looked back at Fallon to quench the irritation that had already started to rise.

"Oh, Eva! I, er, didn't know she was, well..." He nodded to Victoria who simply raised her eyebrows, "Uh just down the main road, then to the east market." He gave a further description of Evangeline's home.

Victoria would let Fallon thank the men for their time, she was afraid she might snap a neck on accident if she looked back at their stupid faces.

She tried to focus on why they were here.

 

[Fallon]

Fallon's cold, hard stare moved between each of them as they pressed on with questions, her jaw clenched against the urge to allow her tongue to lash at them, but Victoria's voice cut in. She and Victoria seemed to share the irritation that the two fatuous guards had caused; though for Fallon it was more a vexation that had come from the obstacle they presented. That she and Victoria, creatures of such strength and age could not only survive the journey that they had, but they had done so with ease only to be met by these two cretins who believed that they had it in their power to turn them away at the gates if they so chose. It was laughable.

Her hand rose to settle on the small of Victoria's back as she spoke, her fingers drawing slow, idle circles meant to calm and assure as she felt that glorious rage simmer and radiate. They were almost there, and 'Eva', she was here. Nothing would stop them now.

"Your patronage of our inquest has been prohibitively conducive, please accept our guileless gramercy." she placed a hand over her chest. "Have a pulchritudinous evening, friends." Fallon dipped her chin. The pair stood, blank faced and blinking as she strode past them to return to Victoria's side with a bemused smirk on her face.

"Morons." she snorted.

 

[Victoria O'Connor]

Victoria took a couple of deep, cool breaths as Fallon fingers calmed the storm brewing inside her. The pair of fools, minds wiped clean by Fallon's vocabulary, were a thing of the past now.

"Men," she agreed, and laced her arm through Fallon's elbow. "Did you learn to speak like that in the wilds?" There was a touch of color in her voice, and a delicate upturn to her lips, but her curiosity was genuine. The garou held no end of surprises for her, it seemed.

Landholm was quiet. There was a modest manor near the edge of the town, but they were not headed that way. Instead they wound their way through the small market streets and amongst the quaint cottages. The winter air was crisp and granted Victoria a clarity of thought. She was grateful for it, for it let her focus on what needed to be done.

What did need to be done? She had spent so much time trying to get here that she had spent precious little thought on what she would do when she actually got here. 'Hello I am your great, great, great aunt and here's your dead sister's lover' didn't exactly capture the mood she was going for.

Not to mention, if her resemblance to Olivia were as striking as Fallon said... this could be quite shocking to the poor woman.

"Does Evangeline know you? I mean did you ever... visit?"

 

[Fallon]

Her lips twitched at the question and she snorted.. "My alphas taught me the skills of diplomacy, we've always been wild, yes, but often liaised with nobility and so it was just sort of learned over time, but Livvy, Olivia, she used to use words that I'd have to search for in her books. She taught me much of the common tongue." she smirked with fondness at the memories that danced behind her distant gaze.

The next question caused her to tense slightly and she gave an awkward laugh under her breath.. "Oh we met." her lips pursed and she nodded slowly. "Evangeline didn't exactly approve of me. It caused a bit of a rift in the family, and after Livvy died she blamed me. She may not be very pleased to see me." she breathed. She hadn't expected her reception to be a positive one, but she hoped for Victoria's sake that the woman would be more accepting and that her love would find what she was looking for. For that, Fallon would grin and bear whatever ill feeling was thrown her way.

Fallon paused at the bottom of the path to the manor and turned to offer a warm smile to the redhead, squeezing attentively at her arm. "This is it.." she sighed. "Are you ready?.."

 

[Victoria O'Connor]

Victoria enjoyed the thought of a younger, more feral Fallon. It was endearing to think of her combing through books to learn the words Olivia spoke to her. She would have liked claiming that honor for herself, but she was certain to leave her mark one way or another. Fallon had already left hers by tearing a rift through Victoria’s worldview. It was a wound that knit silently in the background of her mind, one that was difficult to think about for too long.

An immediate protectiveness gripped her at the thought of anyone disapproving of her dear wolf, although it was confusingly tempered by the knowledge that it was another lover with which Fallon had earned that disapproval.

She took a long breath with the squeeze at her arm. The manor they approached was modest by old standards, but it stood above the rest of the small estate by bounds. She was nervous, and held tighter to Fallon’s arm.

Maybe they should try tomorrow night, just go back to an inn for now. They could eat and enjoy each other’s pleasures. She needn’t face this now...

But this was everything she had struggled for. The past months, for all their joys and sorrows, had all been for this. To turn away now was not an option, so she steadied her resolve and started up the path.

There were short plants and topiary along their approach. Most were brown and bare from the winter’s chill, but some hardy leaves remained. Victoria did not feel the bite of the breeze and concentrated on the radiant heat from Fallon’s body.

There was another scent on the wind, a memory that was almost lost to time. She couldn’t place it.

She took the knocker and wrapped with strength enough to wake even the most sound of sleepers. After a time a light came on, and the door cracked open.

A very old man poked his nose through. His glassy eyes seemed to need a moment to adjust to the darkness, but soon they sparked to life.

“Lady Olivia?” The creature rasped out incredulously.

”No.” Victoria had been prepared for this. ”But I am a relation of Evangeline. May we come in?”

The man seemed to need a moment to sift through her words, and his clouded eyes then fell on Fallon. “You. But if...” he looked back to Victoria. To see Fallon with Olivia, who was not Olivia, seemed to be making something grind and steam in his old brain.

”Doorman,” Victoria snapped with a voice like an ice pick to pierce his spiraling thoughts. ”May I come in?”

Unbeknownst to this fossil of a human, it was very important that Victoria received an answer if the evening were to continue.

 

[Fallon]

Fallon often forgot how humans aged so quickly in comparison to her. She wasn't immortal, but her lifespan was at least four times theirs, and already she'd seen people born and die in her own lifetime. She would only have looked a year or two older when they had aged twenty years. Age aside, there was no mistaking the withered doorman and Fallon's brow rose in surprise that he was still here serving the family as he had done so long ago.

"Me.." she responded, her chin lifting slightly as she offered a polite smile. The man continued to gawk despite Victoria's insistence and Fallon growled quietly, trying to maintain some decor.um. "Please inform Evangeline that she has visitors. If she doesn't wish to receive me, fine, but the Lady Victoria would like to meet with her, and has travelled a long way to do so."

The old man looked Victoria over another time and nodded quickly.. "W-wait here." he frowned and closed the door. Fallon rubbed at her face. "She may say some unpleasant things about me.. But there's no need to be bothered by it." she said to the woman by her side as she squeezed at her hand with a weary smile.

It wasn't long before the doorman returned and pulled the door open, standing to the side as he waved them inside. "Wait in the parlour, My Lady will be along in a moment." he informed. Fallon tugged Victoria inside and into the large room, lit with a roaring hearth and opulent furniture. A few framed artist portraits that hung on the walls had the same red hair and similar features as Victoria, but one in particular, was almost identical to her. Fallon's gaze lingered on the painting of Olivia that hung above the hearth and she drew in a breath.

"I told you never to come back here." a voice from the doorway drew Fallon's attention, familiar and yet, older, more threaded and broken. Evangeline still stood with the same regality and imperiousness as she had those years ago despite how she had aged and the cane that now aided her mobility. Her red hair was now grey, her skin withered, but she was undoubtedly a beautiful woman in her prime. Her cold stare didn't linger on Fallon long enough for an answer to be heard before it shifted to Victoria, the sight apparently robbing her of breath or ability to speak. Boney fingers came to settle over her wrinkled lips in shock and she clutched at the cane she carried.

"Olivia?...What is this trickery?" she demanded, looking back to Fallon as though she had cast some sort of illusion.

Fallon cleared her throat. "Hello." she offered bluntly first. "This is Lady Victoria O'Connor.. A distant relation who has been keen to meet with you."

 

[Victoria O'Connor]

Even if it was a step down from a castle by the sea, Victoria was pleased to see that her family had not fallen entirely from grace as she had previously believed. The manor was warm and pleasantly lit, despite the late hour, and appeared to be well maintained by at least a meager handful of servants. The fireplace hurt her eyes but she was focused on the paintings, especially Olivia's portrait.

She gazed at it intensely, even stepping closer to it for deeper inspection. It was not vanity that motivated her so much as curiosity. She had a vague recollection of her own appearance but had not borne a reflection for a very, very long time. She had commissioned a few self-portraits for this very reason, but each had been subject to the artist's own eyes and style. This one felt younger, warmer, and kinder than the canvasses that hung in her cold keep.

She turned back to Fallon to see her reaction, but Evangeline's venomous words intervened. She felt a sickness in her gut at the old woman's pained question. At first it was from the weakness she saw, the human frailty. That disdain twisted into a confused pity, for this woman was family, was she not? A distant niece?

It was bizarre. Still, she offered a short curtsey devoid of gown. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Evangeline. I must apologize for the late hour, but I am afraid it could not be avoided."

Evangeline mouthed Fallon's introduction back at her, O'Connor, and moved towards the pair. Her glassy eyes were set on Victoria's flowing red hair, her ivory skin, and all the features that tormented her with a sister's remembrance. Victoria stood still, yet only Fallon's reassuring closeness kept her from stepping back.

"You look just like her..."

"So I have been told. I am... truly sorry for your loss."

Evangeline was close enough to touch her now, but she hesitated. Her expression of awe was replaced with malice when she turned it to Fallon. "It was not you that lost her."

A twitch of anger and a desire to defend Fallon from such insult, but she restrained herself. "Please," she interjected, "There is much I would tell you."

 

[Fallon]

Eva still had the ability to make her words feel like a white hot poker to the chest. She'd always been so cutting, so opposed to her sister's happiness and so devout to her family's status that it was not only abhorrent that her sister strike up a relationship with a 'Monster', but a female at all.

Fallon's jaw tightened as she struggled to push her own retort to the back of her mind, instead the words danced oh-so-temptingly on her tongue and she had to clench her teeth to keep them locked away, instead opting for a glare. She had to give the woman her due, she had never been afraid of Fallon, even now so much more frail, her fortitude shone through.

"There's no need to drag up our history, Eva." Fallon said as calmly as she could, but there was a strain to her words. "We have said all that had to be said, you can forget that I am here, and focus your attention on the lady who has come all this way to meet you." she gestured to Victoria.

 

[Victoria O'Connor]

Eva had once been very beautiful, that was obvious. Age had slackened her skin and dulled the luster of her eyes and hair, but her sharp and high cheekbones could not be hidden, nor could her saber-like jawline or perfect nose, nor her delicate neckline and noble stature. There was something haunting about it, like it forced the mind to imagine what was.

That haunting face was soured by pain long nurtured in solitude. "Very well," she said, turning back to Victoria, "I will hear what you have to say, but she can wait outside." Eva gestured roughly to the parlour's door.

"Fallon is with me." The words came strong and clear from her lips and landed heavy as iron on Eva's outstretched arm, pushing it back down to her sided and cracking the nasty expression with surprise. Victoria had not shouted, but Eva had offended her love, so she had poured just a drop of the darkness into her voice. Just enough to make clear exactly who was in control.

Eva hesitated, frowned, then nodded with a dismissive wave of her hand before sitting back on one of the soft couches. Victoria sat opposite her on a similar but slightly firmer couch and guided Fallon to sit close to her with a hand on the small of her back. Eva knew better than to give voice to her distaste again.

"If you did not bear my sister's face I would have dismissed you outright. We have no relatives, no family to speak of on my father's side. An only son, born to an only son, born to a family of misfortune."

"How far back can you trace your family name? The name O'Connor?" Victoria pried, cutting quick to the heart of her questions.

 

[Fallon]

Fallon had sneered, about to offer her own retort when Victoria spoke up for her in such a demanding tone, her expression pausing as she looked to the red woman in awe for a moment. The words alone sparked a flame within her, a reminder that she wasn't alone, that she was with her, belonged to her. Her skin heated with the notion of taking her right here, right now for standing up for her like that, desire dancing in her eyes as she stared back at those ruby orbs. Fallon swallowed, and took the seat next to Victoria, focusing on that cool hand at her back.

The small smile she gave to Eva was one of defiance. She rather enjoyed the woman's glare, she enjoyed even more as the scent of fear laced itself with the woman's usual scent of rosewater and lavender as a result of Fallon's quicksilver eyes flashing as though caught in the moon's light. A not-so-subtle reminder that she would only tolerate the old woman's disrespect so far. Fallon was not above ripping her throat out.

The old woman seemed suddenly more obliging, and Victoria's question had her lift her hand and snap her fingers twice in the air as she called for her butler. The old man strode immediately into the room. "Jeffrey will you bring me my journal, please?"

"Right away My Lady." he bowed, casting his eyes over Fallon and Victoria as he passed by them to retrieve the large, leather bound book from the bookcase which he set on the table in front of Eva who's eyes narrowed with age as she opened the book to the first page.

"My memory is not what it used to be you see, and so a few years back I started having everything written down.." she told Victoria as she thumbed through the pages. "Ah. Here we are.." she croaked and turned the book around to allow her to see the family tree which had been drawn over two pages.

"Our name is very old, dear. My sister and I, god rest her, managed to trace it back over two hundred years thanks to journals just like this one." she smiled.

 

[Victoria O'Connor]

Two hundred years.

Victoria could not suppress a narcissistic curiosity. If these O'Connor women had done their work correctly she may see her own name appear in such a journal. And, she realized with a singular thud of her dormant heart, the names of multiple generations that followed.

She felt a sudden rise in the temperature of Fallon's hand but was too preoccupied by the journal to take advantage of it. She gave a gentle squeeze before letting go to run her fingers over the pages. There were so many names. Each was delicately inked in careful script with thin dark trails connecting marriages, offspring, and parents. The O'Connor name, naturally, was carried by males through the branches of the family tree, but here and there a sister may be mentioned. As her eyes drifted further up the page and deeper through the generations, the branches dwindled. Records would have been far more difficult to find from ages long past.

And there it was: Sean A. O'Connor, married to Evangeline Greene. Her parents, and...

She blinked, her brow furrowing and creasing her flawless face like wrinkled parchment. "This... isn't right," she murmured, staring at the two names beneath her parents, connected by a split black line. Her sister was there, Olivia Montblanc née O'Connor, but next to it was not her own name. Instead, it read:

Seamus O'Connor

She looked up and down the tree again, double checking the names for a missed generation, but there was no mistake. Even her grandparents, where the tree began, converged neatly onto her father's name which lead to this Seamus. Her own name had not made it onto the paper.

Her face was a mixture of confusion and sadness. History had forgotten her. She had worked so hard to restore herself, restore her family's ancestral home and her name... had she been too late? Had she stayed in the shadows for too long? She should be happy to have found her family, however they presented themselves, but she could not help pitying herself for a few moments.

"Who is this?" she asked, pointing to the alien name on the paper with a long, pale finger. Evangeline leaned forwards to check. "Seamus, one of our oldest ancestors. The family was quite wealthy back then, even more than this," she gestured around the parlour. "Before falling into ruin around here," she pointed to a different name, "and before my great grandfather rebuilt us."

"Sean and Evangeline didn't have a son," she blurted. "They... had a second daughter."

Evangeline's expression hardened. "I assure you my... our research was painstaking. Seamus was born to Sean in 187. The date is well known because it was curiously long after their first child." She was obviously offended at being questioned, but Victoria didn't notice. She had gone very still.

187. That was only two years after...

"There was half a rumor about a third child but nothing more. You must have done work yourself if you knew of it. If they did exist they didn't amount to anything worth recording."

Cold fury swelled within the vampire. She gripped the couch hard enough to tear its delicate cushion, and veins bulged in her neck while the room itself seemed to grow darker, like the candles had weakened somehow.

 

[Fallon]

Fallon shifted to the edge of her seat to look over the pages, her silver eyes following the path that Victoria's fingertip drew along the branches and names of her ancestors. It was a curious thing. She remembered Livvy talking about her findings, the interest she had taken in it, how excited she'd become when she'd managed to trace back another generation. It was the first time she'd seen it like this, though, and as she looked over the names, much of it in Olivia's handwriting, her mind played snippets of memories of her former love.

She smiled fondly to herself at the thought, until Victoria's demeanour changed and her small smile faded, her lips drawing instead into a thin line as she lifted her gaze from the page to look between the two women as they spoke. Her chest ached as she realised what Victoria had seemed so confused about, she could hear the hurt in that brief pause and her brow furrowed, her hand reaching to squeeze gently at her waist.

Silver eyes fell upon the cushion at the sound of tearing fabric, her back shuddering at the bristling sensation, not with the usual urge to protect the human sat across from them, but the urge to defend Victoria.

"Oh you always have been a pompous arrogant bitch, Eva." Fallon growled. Everything had always been about money and status and reputation.

"How dare y-"

"There was a second daughter." Fallon cut in abruptly. "Her name is Victoria O'Conner, and she amounted to far more than you or any other name on these pages."

Her name is. Not was.

"Now. If you have a quill and some ink, we can update your research.." she held out a hand expectantly, her gaze narrowing on the woman, daring her to argue.

 

[Victoria O'Connor]

Victoria's rage burned cold. The shadows grew heavy, and the features of her face were cut sharp against the deepening darkness. She clenched her jaw like a vice and the tendons stood out on the backs of her hands as she raked through plush silk and cotton.

Fallon's hand at her waist was a welcome fire to thaw her fury. Victoria inhaled quietly as her features softened and the room faded back towards its previous glow, her fingers retreating from the rents she'd created. She relaxed, almost imperceptibly, into those steady fingers and strong arm at her back and listened to her wolf defending her honor.

It was what she had needed most in that instant, and she turned her ruby eyes to Fallon's platinum hair, almost mirrorlike in the torchlight. She saw the ferocity in that beautiful face, ferocity for her, and felt an itching need to strike with lips and teeth and tongue.

She bit at her lip to steady her thoughts and rolled it through her teeth as she turned back to Eva. She put a smile back on her face, but it was not the practiced parlor smirk from before. Now she gleamed against the shadows, and she made no efforts to hide her fangs.

"I think it is time I explained the purpose of my visit," she said, and a lilt had returned to her words. "It was very hard, believing myself alone for hundreds of years, to hear that my father's name had faded away in my absence. It was so tiring, working to build back what was lost all on my own. So, you can imagine my delight when my dearest Fallon informed me of you and your sister. When she told me that my family, our family, had not perished." She looked around the parlor as if assessing every corner and trinket. "You've done alright, I am happy to see. Rest assured that, as family, you will hold a special place in my heart, and my court. Greyrock welcomes you."

As she spoke she ran a hand lazily over Fallon's shoulders, but now she brought a finger to her mouth, drew back a lip, and pricked the end of it with a singular fang.

"But I am afraid Fallon is correct, your records do need correcting." She reached the finger down towards the paper, to the place next to her sister's name, the drop of crimson running up along the underside of her nail to a fine tip. "As I said before, my name is Victoria Elise O'Connor" She signed her name as she spoke in deep, vivid crimson.

She looked up, and her eyes almost gleamed with a light not borrow from candles nor torches, and she spread her scarlet lips into a wide grin, one fang stained with her own blood.

 

[Fallon]

Fuuuuck... What a fucking Queen. Her Queen.

Fallon was speechless, her gaze set firmly upon the redhead temptress beside her and she let out a throaty sound of approval as a militia of chills marched their way down her spine, all the way to her toes which curled on the rich rug. She swallowed the dryness in her mouth, her quicksilver eyes not daring to close as that cold hand sailed over her shoulder.

My dearest Fallon. My dearest Fallon...She squared her shoulders, a proud grin curling at her lips as she drew in a deep, steadying breath, watching her intently as she signed her name.

Victoria Elise O'Connor.

She knew then, without a shadow of a doubt that she had never wanted anything more than to be by this woman's side for eternity. Her heart was firmly in the vampire's grip, hers to nurture or crush to ash, but it would never beat for anything else for as long as she lived.

She could feel Evangeline's shock without even looking at her. The room itself seemed to go cold, the scent of fear overwhelming. Words seemed to escape her and Eva both as they stared at Victoria in two very different ways. Fallon leaned closer like the predator she was at the sight and scent of blood and reached to turn Victoria's face toward her, a deep growl rattling in her throat as she seized her lips and licked that blood clean.

Fallon was beyond caring about what Evangeline thought. She already despised her, it hadn't mattered to her twenty years ago and it didn't matter to her now.

"Get out! G-get out o-of this house - both of you!" the old woman finally stammered, clutching at her cane to pull herself to her feet, calling for her butler and ordering him to call for the town guard.

"Gladly." Fallon spoke against Victoria's lips, though didn't draw away just yet, her fingers drawing into her crimson hair. "Lets go home." she sighed with a grin.

 

[Victoria O'Connor]

Evangeline's reaction was about what she'd expected. This wasn't how she had planned the evening to go, but then again, she hadn't expected Eva to be this much of a cunt. It seemed the woman would not be taking advantage of Victoria's offer, but it would remain nonetheless. Perhaps once tempers cooled and fears were dimmed they could reconnect, but for now Victoria didn't care.

She heard Fallon before she felt her, and her face lost its predatory angles when their lips met. Her eyelids hooded and fluttered helplessly against the blinding warmth and the intoxicating touch of Fallon's tongue. She drew in a deep, shameless breath as her arms went slack, and when their mouths parted she remained in a daze for only a second before Eva's words cut her reverence.

Fallon's fingers in her hair threatened to turn off her thoughts once more, but she focused and smiled instead, her eyes still heavy with feelings quite inappropriate for the parlor setting. "Yes," she managed to force out in a whisper.

She rose and followed Fallon out of the manor, out into the deep night. After they were beyond sight of the manor, she started to laugh. It started as a chuckle and evolved into a full blown laughter to the point where she needed to rest her hands on her knees to keep her stomach from aching. She had managed to find her family after so long, had finally achieved her months-long goal... and had frightened her only living relative near to death. It was absurd, and more than that, she felt a weight lifted from her. Her family was alive, whatever their condition, and she had no obligations to them.

"What a bitch," she said through heavy breaths, standing back up. Still smiling, she took Fallon's hand with impish glee and pulled her in between two dark and quiet houses. With starlight in her eyes she pressed the garou against the dark wood wall and kissed her fiercely. She was still reeling from the kiss in the parlor, could still feel Fallon's growls rumbling through her. She drew back, still smiling, and before Fallon could move she dropped to her knees.

 

[Victoria O'Connor]

~*~ Some time later ~*~

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The carriage ride had become smoother in the last few hours which meant that they were getting close. It had been a long time in the cramped wooden compartment, but Victoria could not have wanted for better company within. The cushions were old and thin, but the pair made good use of them, and when the sun retreated beneath the horizon Victoria would step out to stretch her legs, or perhaps ride alongside the driver with a cool breeze on her face.

It had been complicated getting a courier to take them back to Greyrock. Victoria had lost everything she'd initially set out with so long ago, and with no money nor any proof of her identity she'd needed to enthrall the poor man to secure their passage. Fallon had not stopped her, for it had been necessary, but Victoria worried that the act would not sit well with the garou.

"We'll pay him," she had promised, "After we arrive and very well. And his mind will come back."

As they neared, the vampiress wrung her hands at what was to come. On the one hand she felt extraordinarily happy. She was coming home, after so long, to the familiar halls and towers of her ancestral home. She was coming back to the luxury she'd been denied for months, and she was bringing Fallon with her. How she longed to show her the place, to share her wealth with the woman who'd captured her heart. There would be feasts, and hunts, and night after night spent in silken sheets and dewy bliss.

On the other hand, Victoria felt a twisting anxiety over the inevitable clash of worlds. Her court would not understand the distinction between garou and werewolf, and they would be shocked to say the least that Victoria had brought back a wild, foreign woman to be her partner. Of course, she could handle her court. What worried Victoria far more was how Fallon would react to them. The castle was filled with human servants, thralls, and more than a few vampires who were every bit as savage as Victoria had been the night her carriage crumbled. Would Fallon think less of her for the company she kept? What would she make of the enthralled servants, much too far gone to ever return to normal life? And what of those that "donated" their blood, willfully or otherwise?

Victoria banished these thoughts. Such bridges were many, and would be crossed upon their arrival.

The carriage stopped, and with a weak smile Victoria said to Fallon, "Welcome to my home." The carriage door was opened swiftly by a human attendant in a black overcoat, and Greyrock castle was revealed against the moonlight.

Dark. Heavy. Strong. The castle facade harkened back to an older time, built to withstand attack and weather siege. There were no pointed towers or pretty buttresses, no billowing flags atop the parapets. Greyrock had stood for centuries against pounding sea and salted wind, and whatever luxuries it possessed were jealously guarded by the thick, black stone.

The attendant had the good grace to be surprised by Victoria's presence, and was smart enough not to comment on her outfit of hunting leathers and the dirt that covered her face. "My- my lady!" he stammered, obviously horrified that she had such a paltry welcome party.

Victoria waved a hand and said only "We are tired, please prepare my chambers. We would rest at once."

"Of course, my Lady. And your guest...?"

"She stays with me," Victoria answered too quickly, but the man nodded and hurried away up the broad stone staircase.

The vampire turned to look at Fallon, desperate to glean first impressions. "It's no forest." She said stupidly.

 

[Fallon]

Travelling with Victoria made it easy for Fallon to keep her mind far from her own anxieties for the most part. Now and then she'd leave the carriage to shift and run and each time she returned to her was a reunion as though she had not seen or smelled or touched the red woman in eons, as though her very blood yearned for her.

More and more, she suspected some of the Garou myths to be not quite so mythical, for she felt bound to the vampire by more than her heart alone. Her very soul had shifted, her mind altered, her life, changed. At times she realised she had not thought of her pack for hours, then days would pass, then a week, and she couldn't help but wonder to herself if she would one day allow herself to forget about them and abandon them entirely. The guilt at such a thought burned through her, and Victoria was not the only one feeling anxious the closer they grew to her home.

If they knew, they'd never understand.

She had of course intended on returning to her pack. They'd been supportive to what little they knew, they'd be fine without her.. But the longer she spent with Victoria, the clearer it became that the woman was her very pulse, and the thought of going back home without her was a thought worse than death. If she had to choose, her choice had already been made, and she'd have to live with the guilt of that choice for the rest of her life. With Victoria.

Fallon's hand reached out to clasp hers as she noticed her fidgeting, a soft, knowing smile curling at the corner of her lips.

"I love you." she said firmly. It was all that mattered. Whether Victoria worried what Fallon would think of her home, or what her home would think of her, nothing was going to change that.

At Victoria's welcome, Fallon flashed her teeth in a smile. She'd been about to open the carriage door on her own before it was opened for them and her silvery gaze shifted between Lady and attendant as she stepped outside. Fallon's blonde hair was swept up in knots, some tresses braided, some twisted and all of it as wild and untamed as she was. She was bare-footed, and though she wore the hunting clothes they'd found, there was no mistaking her as a civilised member of society irrespective of the smell of wolf and pine smoke.

She let her moonlit gaze wander over the dark bastion, a small smirk on her lips at the sheer size of it. It was every bit as impressive and mysterious as its Lady and she let out a quiet laugh as she grinned at the sight. "No.. It's much more impressive." she smiled at her and drew in a breath of salted air.

"So those sheets you promised.." her head tilted.

 

[Victoria O'Connor]

"I love you."

Victoria’s heart began beating, but it faltered over itself quickly and clumsily. Victoria rarely breathed, why then did she always feel breathless at those words? A rare warmth bolstered her against her worries, despite the many dark eyes she knew to be watching them.

"So those sheets you promised.."

God, this woman could grip her mind with a thread. There was an instantaneous flood of imagery behind Victoria’s eyes, all of it writhing, voluptuous hedonism. Some were memories, some fantasy, and any trace of travel-fatigue was wiped from her face.

”The softest, finest you could ever feel. Trust me.” she said taking Fallon’s hand and leading her up the cold stone steps.

The entrance hall was draped in red carpet that flowed from a central staircase. It was lavishly wide and split half way up to either side. Victoria lead her “guest” up to the left and down a tall corridor lined with faded paintings, mounted decorative weapons, and a few creaking suits of armor. Few servants walked the halls, for with the Lady’s absence there had been less to do. There were, however, several young maids hurriedly darting about her bed chambers, and Victoria could not help a twitch of annoyance that they had clearly not kept the room up in expectation that she’d return any day. She was feeling merciful this night, as nothing could dampen her spirits with the garou by her side. Not tonight, and she expected not ever. The maids left with curtsies as the pair stepped in and Victoria ordered ”No one is to disturb us.”

Victoria’s room was large. Very large. An enormous ebony bed sat at the center, draped in scarlet red silk and finely embroidered blankets of wool and cotton. The four tall pillars held gossamer drapes of black lace, and heavy blood-red curtains that could be drawn against even the brightest light. Beyond the bed was a large, curving window made of countless panes floor to ceiling. The moonlit seascape could still be seen against the reflection of gently burning candelabras arranged around the room. There was a writing desk, several wardrobes, and a fireplace so clean it could not have been used in the last century.

The vampiress could have wept from joy. Though she would have braved the wilderness for eternity with Fallon, she had not realized how horribly she had craved the soft comforts of home. As the last maid shut the door behind them she almost yanked Fallon to the bed before falling to her back upon it, letting her hair cascade out behind her in a halo of fire. After a satisfied sigh, she opened her eyes to ensure that Fallon was following, certain that if they stopped touching for more than a minute she would burst into flames from want.

 

[Fallon]

She had never set foot in a home as large as this. She'd thought Olivia's family home grand, but it was of no comparison to Greyrock. There was much for her silvery stare to take in as Victoria led her up the staircase and down the corridor, yet more for her sense of smell to capture. Vampires were likely the strongest scent to a Garou. They were built to hunt them, and so Fallon's senses flared and her grip tightened on Victoria's hand as she fought against her natural instinct.

Fallon wasn't a fool, though. There was fear there too. She'd never stand a chance against a coven of them, and she wondered how sure Victoria could be of her safety here, just as Fallon would have her concerns about taking Victoria back to the Caern. They were, after all, natural enemies - and there was only so much one could do to suppress those urges to eliminate one another.

She took a long, steadying breath, trying to ignore the scents of humans and fresh blood and she had to suppress a shudder at the sensation of something writhing under her skin as the spirit inside her rose to its duty.

You're not here to hunt...

No, she was here with Her, and her urges currently lay outside the need to hunt and kill. She'd had only a moment to look around the room before she was tugged off of her feet to land atop Victoria, her hands at either side of her and a breathy laugh tumbling from her lips as she let her eyes drink her in. Her fingers curled into the sheets under her palms and her lips twitched in a smirk.

"The finest, as promised." she mused, lowering her lips to the vampire's pale neck to graze and kiss. "We should.." she growled against her throat, biting gently at her skin. "Get out of these clothes.." she smiled, and seized the red woman's mouth with her own.

 

[Victoria O'Connor]

The castle held a tension that day. It was sunset, and Victoria and her “guest” had not left her chambers since midnight the night before. None would dare to eavesdrop on their Lady, not on purpose but… if a stray sound or two made their way to a maid’s ear, well, they could hardly be blamed for it.

Even the heavy doors of Victoria chamber could not hide the throws of passion within. The stones of the hall shook, and the suits of armor just outside her doors creaked and groaned in protest.

Vampires were not prudish, quite the contrary. Promiscuity, self-indulgence, and sin of all sorts were celebrated by the dark creatures within Greyrock. Lady O’Connor had taken many into her bed over the years, and if anyone had thought ill of it they had held their tongue (for fear of losing it).

Yet, the newcomer was neither vampire nor human. The mortal servants, thrall or otherwise, perhaps could not tell the difference but the vampires most certainly could. They looked nervously at one another with knowing glances, and tread lightly when nearing the bedchambers. Though they did not dare speak it, something was wrong.

Behind the heavy drapes of her bed, Victoria’s undead eyes cut through the black to gaze reverently at the garou that lay beside her. It still didn’t feel real, having Fallon here. She wasn’t sure whether she should be elated or terrified, and her emotions hadn’t quite made up their minds either. The only thing she was certain of was that her heart had kept beating throughout her sleep, and that it still churned now when looking at her lover.

Lover… partner? Companion? World? What word was right for Fallon? None of them seemed large enough to encompass her.

 

[Fallon]

The smug smirk on her lips remained even as sleep fell over her. Her body ached in all of the right places, the feather bed the most comfortable thing she'd ever slept upon and the silken sheets luxurious against her naked skin. She was fully aware that she was currently in a castle full of vampires, and yet she'd never felt as relaxed in her life. When she let herself think on it for too long, it frightened her just what she would do for Victoria, but she wasn't ready to admit it to herself yet and so she made a point of not allowing such thoughts to linger.

Her lips twitched as she roused enough to sense the eyes watching her, and without opening her own she reached to tug the woman closer to her with a deep, sleepy sigh. The clash of ice and fire was met with a throaty sound of approval and her fingers dug into the supple curve of flesh under her palm. Her lids were heavy with sleep and lingering satisfaction as she opened her eyes on Victoria's face with a smile, the quicksilver pools still bright in the darkness.

"Just how long have you been staring at me sleeping?.." she murmured affectionately with a husky laugh. Not that she minded, of course. Fallon often found herself staring obsessively, in awe of the vampire, unable to comprehend that she could love something quite so much. That Victoria might share her feelings on such a level was a welcomed delight.

 

[Victoria O'Connor]

"Long enough," she answered coyly, sliding a hand down Fallon's chest to her navel. Her finger bobbed lightly over each arc and contour of the body beneath and her eyes followed its path until the flash of Fallon's eyes drew her attention back.

She loved those eyes, how they glimmered in the darkness like moonlight, how they foretold death to anything they were turned upon... anything but her. It did feel nice to be held so tenderly by something so deadly, to feel the primal power of a body used to please rather than harm. Fallon's presence had evoked recent moral stirrings in the vampire, but she had not erased the viciousness from Victoria's heart. Fallon had killed for her before. It had been... rapturous.

She fit so nicely beside the garou, and she detested the thought of leaving the bed... but she knew her court would grow restless. "You must be hungry," she cooed, wriggling closer despite herself. "You haven't had anything to eat for... I don't actually know how long it's been," she laughed softly.

 

[Fallon]

The icy cold trail of her fingertips over her chest and stomach caused a breath to catch in her throat and her eyes to close as it finally shuddered free, her stomach muscles quivering ticklishly.

Fallon had to bite on her lip to stop herself from making a crude joke in response to Victoria's comments, but she grinned all the same despite it. "Hm.." she sighed and pressed a kiss on her cool shoulder. "A few days.." she smiled. The last meal she'd caught had been substantial enough to last as long, but there was no denying that her hunger had returned with a vengeance. "I am a little famished.." she nodded, her lips twisting with amusement.

"Though I think, I should probably bathe first.." her brow quirked. "And perhaps, try to dampen my scent a little for your.. friends' sakes." her gaze narrowed.

 

[Victoria O'Connor]

The devilish brightness in Victoria's eyes dampened at the mention of her "friends." She had hoped to keep their fantasy going just a bit longer in her head, but they would need to face reality soon enough. Better to meet it head on.

"While in this castle, they are my subjects. Any tongue that speaks against you will be torn out." She said the words sweetly, as one would recite a poem to their lover. Perhaps for her it was the same. With the kiss still burning on her shoulder, she smoothly slipped from beneath the covers and drew back the thick canopy drapes.

Pale moonlight illuminated the room. The various candelabras about the room had not been lit as normal... no doubt the servants had thought better than to intrude on their lady's odd affair. Victoria could forgive this (it had after all been the correct decision) and stood on the cool stone floor. Her hair was as molten iron over a palette of marble as she moved unclad to one of the large armoires.

She smiled broadly at its contents and fingered the multitude of silk and lace. So long... so long she had been without this indulgence. She pulled out a long, dark red gown and laid it over the back of a tall chair. "All that is mine is yours, if you wish it. There are gowns, or I have leathers if you would prefer." She remembered the sleek doehide garment Fallon had worn on their first encounter, and how well it had complimented her wildness. "Or maybe..." She strode to another wardrobe bedecked with fine jackets and smart, sleek pants.

She turned back, a hand on her forehead with a gentle laugh, "Forgive me, it has been some time since I've had choices in what to wear. I will ring for a bath."

She did so, and in the adjacent room servants drew hot water into a large copper basin. The bathroom was lit by a black-iron chandelier and quiet-burning candles upon the walls. The flames were small enough for Victoria to tolerate, and they gave an eerie, sensuous light.