Alpha Tower [Tobias and Kaya]

[Vaidya]

It took her a good few minutes to realise the odd scent pulling at the back of her mind was the beginnings of snow. It hadn't started to fall from the dim looking clouds yet, but there was a promise in the air. Mixed amongst the strong stink of smoke and tar as the woman exhaled her cigarette slowly, both forearms leaning up against the railing of the tall building's balcony.  Her sensitive nose had adjusted to the pungent odour. A fair sacrifice for the calming effect of the nicotine. The days were too short, her work and dedication bleeding deep into the nights such as this one. And now the added knowledge of a potential snow storm added to the young woman's anxieties. She hoped her Father still had enough of his senses about him to at least pause in his trampling about the lands to find some shelter. The ex-Alpha of the  Greyback Pack was known for his stubbornness as much as she was. And the current Alpha was left brooding in the cool air outside, hunched at the railing, eyes half lidded with a weary expression. Her young face didn't match her older, sharper olive green eyes perhaps, and for good reason. A werewolf's life might be cursed and in turmoil in part, but her blood stayed youthful and her strength in vast supply. It was endless days like these, confined to an office, trying to choreograph an honest living coupled with the pack's gritty underbelly, along with assuring the wellbeing of all pack members... Well it led the tan skinned woman to crave a drink most evenings.

The static from the intercom inside her office pricked at her ears before any voice was heard. Morrigan's head turned a fraction to ppint one ear in the direction of the sliding door left open a crack.
"Hey Boss?"
The fantasy of a drink would have to wait. A soft sigh left her and she remained staring out at the city lights and soft hum of the night life ahead of her.
"We got another rogue to bring in for ya."
Her thumb flicked the ash from her cigarette butt idly over the railing before her posture slowly straightened, her other hand raising to smooth over her short, temporarily slicked back silver hair.
"...fine."
Fewer lone wolves were found as of late, so this individual might prove to be of some interest at least. She was building a mega pack after all. A super power amongst the super natural world. The more loyal muscle that was around, the closer she was to achieving her father's goal. As the static of the intercom waned, the Alpha woman took in a second's more pause before flicking her butt into the cool wind, rising to a straight posture of an average height before turning on the ball of her foot and walking inside with a light tap as the sliding door closed behind her. The interior of her office was lavish but not cluttered, practical but still a show of wealth and power. All of it felt secretly borrowed to her however, not a single piece of her own choosing. She slid into her leather chair that was postioned behind a varnished mahogany table, large enough for two to sit side by side, her computer humming to life as she made the lightest poke of the mouse. Endless tabs of half finished tasks taunted her, a small purse of her lips hinting her distaste before she reclined to press her back flat into the chair, hands grasping the ends of the arms. And she waited, sharp eyes trained on the wide double doors as footsteps approached.
What might have been a mundane and irritating task however was about to prove to be something a little more... unexpected.

[Tobias]

They had only moved to this new city not even a month ago. It was a fresh start here, for both him and Effie. Here, they were closer to facilities that could care for his sister without asking too many questions, further speeding up her healing processes, which was a relief for her older brother. And here, they were further away from their family, which was honestly probably a much harder thing to stomach for Effie than it was for him. The only person he missed was their mother, the rest of them he was glad to leave behind. And that was not just some over-exaggeration spurred by momentary bitterness.

Even with his shitty little job at a packaging facility, it was still a far cry better than where he had come from. They had a tiny little apartment in what was probably considered the rundown part of town, but Tobias made certain that Effie was wanting for nothing. Clothes, food, medical care, physical therapy… Everything she needed was here, within their grasp, and it was his responsibility to make sure that she got everything.

His living was an extremely modest one, in comparison, his own belongings plain and minimalist, the rest of his funds sunk into necessities for his sister. And he didn’t regret it. There was not even a shred of resentment. If Effie could make a full recovery after losing her leg, then it was all worth it, regardless of what he had to do to make it happen.

However, despite his best efforts, he couldn’t stay under the radar this time. He hadn’t moved Effie here blindly, he had done his research. He knew this was wolf territory. Territory that belonged to a rather strong pack… And here he was just waltzing right in. It helped of course, that he hadn’t caused any trouble. Which, had given him the hope that perhaps they really could squeak by without alerting the pack to their presence.

It was all wishful thinking, and that realization came hurtling at him faster than he had imagined.

The result was the dark skinned young man never quite making it back home at the end of his factory shift, instead being ‘escorted’ into the heart of town. Here, the buildings towered over him, and as he was lead up the street, his bright gray eyes were staring upward more than anything. He was doing his best to hide his anxiety, but his keen nose was filled with the scent of other werewolf, and he knew that there was no hiding it from the two gruff men beside him. There was also no point in running… Or panicking. Or doing much of anything else beyond cautiously doing as was suggested and following his escorts up to the doors of the tallest building in the surrounding area. But he couldn’t swallow the concern brewing in the back of his thoughts. He was supposed to be home… He hoped Effie wouldn’t worry too much.

His pleasant company didn’t say much, nor did Tobias, until they reached a set of heavy double doors. There was a very brief interaction over the intercom, and the raven-haired outsider got the feeling from listening, that his presence was more of an annoyance than a threat. Which put the odds a little more in his favor. He was the furthest thing from a threat. All he wanted was to just stay under the radar and keep living his meager little life; at least it had a little freedom. It was too late to stay under the radar though, clearly, the ‘rogue’ label making his chest tighten a little. Only for its accuracy.

Not belonging to pack was an almost painfully alien feeling, one that he was happy to push down as he was lead through that first set of doors. There was a need to be alert, aware of his surroundings, and that took precedence over everything else, even the spike of anxiety that raised up within him as the final set of doors opened. These doors spread open just enough to allow his bright steel gaze to take in the room he was stepping into. It was an office, one that had the feel that someone of his plain nature was severely out of place.

Shoulders stiffening a little in an automatic defense reaction, Tobias stepped into the office of… an alpha. His skin crawled slowly, and he fought the physical reaction of a shiver, instead focusing his gaze onto the figure behind the desk. The alpha was a woman. A woman that looked to be close to his age, if not younger. She had a rather blank expression, building Tobias’ anxiousness just a little more; it was hard to read, and he remained standing stiffly in front of her before one of his earlier escorts gave him a firm nudge to make him take another step forward.

He didn’t know what to say. He didn’t even know her name… Probably should have done more research into that, but he hadn’t had the time to be as thorough as he normally would have been. Instead, the dark-skinned man slowly reached up to push his glasses up a bit further on the bridge of his nose, grey eyes trying to study the woman over without offending her, trying to get a better read on her before he opened his mouth. But she didn’t exactly look like the conversational type, to be fair.

“…Your, uhm… employees told me that I… Needed to speak with you?” His voice was gravelly and rough for how softly he was speaking, his demeanor shifting slightly to one of cautious uncertainty as he spoke, still trying to gauge this alpha and her men. There was no harm in being a quiet civil man about this, after all. At least, he hoped so…

[Vaidya]

The Alpha subconsciously took in a deep breath, straightening her posture in the chair and squaring her shoulders. Her smart jacket with fine fabric was draped over a chair to the side of her work area. She sat in navy wide pleated work pants, a low heeled shoe and a pale purple fitted, short sleaved shirt. The faint scent of a stranger crept into her senses before the doors even swung open in unison. Morrigan was a master of her resting frown, a monotone expression that was hard to read. The aura around her was a blend of annoyance and boredom, but underneath sat a layer of anticipation. A wolf she didn't know was coming into her home. Into her pack's safe place. And she would not shy away from snapping into action if need be. The whispers in the back of her mind that warned her to be on guard however... well they quickly dissipated into nothing as the vision of a short, malnourished looking man being bullied into the room left the Alpha feeling a little unprepared.
Oh...
The breath she had taken was now held for a moment of mild confusion as her brain diverted to analyse this unexpected profile of a potentially belligerant rogue wolf. Her loyal men who worked security were taking a little amusement from the small man aswell, shoving him forward infront of the silver haired woman's desk. A brief silence fell as her olive green eyes locked with his anxious light grey ones from behind his glasses. His gravelly voice broke the quiet and Morrigan could do little but continue her confused observation of the werewolf brought before her.

A single criticising, darker grey eyebrow slowly raised, her gaze giving a lazy judging once over of the man.
This was it? She'd had a constant order in place to seek out potential threats in loners in her territory but... this just left her feeling completely underwhelmed.
"Why are you wasting my time Sai?" She finally spoke in her silky tone past the stranger, basically ignoring his diplomatic address, an exasperated sigh following as her Beta walked into the room straight after her question.
"Ah. Yeah. I thought you might say that Boss," came a more amused response as the taller man casually walked into the office behind the others, scrolling through his hand held tablet to the information he was after. The Beta was of  asian decent with dark eyes and short cropped black hair. He had a borderline arrogant swagger about him and a tone of voice that threatened to burst into a purring tease at any moment. Sai propped one hand against the side of Morrigan's desk while holding the tablet up closer to his face, looking down with a few little head wiggles as he briskly read the credentials to himself.
"Here we go. Now. Here," her reached the device over toward his Alpha who had continued to stare down this anxious man. Her eyes snapped over to the electronic device.
"...why am I looking at this?" She sounded irritated now, the information he was waving infront of her face not making any connection to the scene that was playing out infront of her.
"I know the uh. Order was to recruit rogues who had potential for... physical labour basically. But I dunno. I was going to follow your instruction and get this guy to vacate our territory but... it seemed like a bit of a waste," he gave an honest shrug and look to his Alpha, before straightening up to read out the intel.


"Okay so, we have Tobias Sterling. Basically a super nerd judging by all these credentials, no offense dude," he glanced back to the cornered man before beginning to rattle off a long list of subjects, studies, even degrees the werewolf had obtained in his short number of years.
"Aswell as some experience with pathology," Sai continued to rattle off Tobias' background check, "And a specialist in Epi...epidmala...ology? "
Morrigan's eyebrow raised toward her Beta before blinking as the rogue corrected his terrible pronounciation. Epidemiology.
"Yeah. That," Sai's voice bordered on an embarrassed laugh at his own expense but instead he looked to Morrigan's input.
"...I'm not running a research facility here," she stated bluntly, growing tired of the curve ball she'd been thrown at the end of a long day.
"Yeah. Yeah you're right boss," Sai's previous enthusiasm of an interesting find was now changing to one of second guessing his instincts now. Morrigan was not fantastic at the gentler side of socialising but she could notice that much in her Beta's expression. He was a pain in the ass at times but there was none more loyal and none more proactive in finding ways for the pack to grow and prevail. Morrigan's hands shifted from her chair to clasp loosely at each other and perch against the slick wood of her desk in thought now.
"You want him gone?" Sai asked, motioning with his head toward Tobias while flicking through the hand held tablet for any other relevant information before she gave the order. Was never much fun pushing out a potential pack mate but that was the way pack's worked most efficiently. With no competition.
Morrigan returned her gaze to the... scientist should she call him, giving him a once over again. As if he might have transformed into something more impressive since she last looked. His eyes were bright and there was a hint of strange tattoos poking out from the ends of his clothes... but other than that, she was not won over at all. Still, it never had steered her wrong in the past to listen to one of Sai's more left of centre ideas.


"...You are aware that you reside in Greyback territory, yes?" She asked in her silky voice, speaking directly to the man for the first time, "I am the Alpha. Morrigan Bennett. And I may have a proposal for you Rogue. But first I must know if you actually want to be useful to my pack. Otherwise..."
She shrugged and leant back in her chair with a lazy wave of her hand.
"You'll have to live elsewhere."

[Tobias]

Tobias stood respectfully still amongst present company, grey eyes peering from beyond the frames of his black rimmed glasses as he studied over the woman across the room. Even before she had started speaking, he had thought she looked less than friendly. And when she did start speaking it was directly over his head, as if he weren't even there. Calling him a waste of time...

An all too familiar feeling settled over the quiet man. That wasn't the first time he had ever heard himself be referred to as a waste of time, but it was the first time in a long time that it had happened. His father took nearly every opportunity to remind him, even from when he was just a kid. And Tobias couldn't keep himself from silently bristling at her complete disregard and disrespect toward him. But, who was he to demand respect, anyway? No pack, hardly anything to his name...

He held his tongue as their newest arrival began speaking and explaining his thought process, reading off his personal information, his accomplishments, his degrees... And Tobias honestly couldn't stop himself as the correction rolled off his tongue.

"Epidemiology."

The Alpha's green eyes snapped back to him momentarily, and Tobias went back to his earlier patient silence. Though his heart sank as the man with the tablet bluntly asked if he needed to be removed. He couldn't leave this city... It was perfect for his sister's recovery. And it was far away from their family, which was a definite bonus. But being forced to leave was not an option that Tobias was willing to except.

Morrigan graced him with her attention and actual acknowledgement, then. Well, at least he wouldn't necessarily have to be forcibly removed. But he ran into the problem of... Effie. She couldn't be helpful to this pack, even if she had wanted to. She was missing her leg, for crying out loud. But Tobias would desperately work to keep his sister here to keep her on the road to recovery.

He just... didn't know if this Alpha would allow her presence.

Swallowing in a visual show of anxiousness, Tobias hesitated for a moment, before his mind was made up. Lifting his tattooed hands, he fought to keep from fidgeting directly in front of everyone. And that was a feat in and of itself... But he nodded to her first question. He knew he was under the rule of another pack, but he had honestly hoped if he hadn't bothered anyone then no one would bother him.

"...Any way that I can be helpful, I will be... I never meant for any trouble. I'm here for my sister. She needs... more understanding medical care, due to being a werewolf as well. This... is the only place I can find the care she needs. I'll be as useful as I can, if you'll allow us both to stay..."

It was actually a very large thing to ask of an Alpha he had only just met. He had very few options, however. It was either this, or hope he could hide Effie from knowledge until she was fully healed and they could leave. This seemed... a bit more likely, even if only just a little.

[Vaidya]

He really was a timid little thing. He was standing his ground however. There was no pleading or panicking at least. It was just... draining when they happened. So awkward. The Alpha remained reclined in her chair, tilting her head marginally and began to raise an eyebrow again toward the dark haired Rogue as he responded; articulate but still with that submissive air.
Morrigan grunted in reply at first, half expecting him to choose to run after her icy welcome. That was part of the genius of her elimination process. That's what she told herself anyway. The details of his reasons for staying however, well that perked her interest a little, a small pouting frown creating a little less of a hard look in her young face.
"There's another?" She looked to Sai, awaiting his response as to why he had failed to mention that one.
"...uuuhhh," came his blank reply. He hadn't known. Morrigan gave a small roll of her eyes before returning her stare to Tobias, taking a pause to think about the pros and cons of taking on a new pack mate with baggage attached. A single finger tapped on the arm of her chair in thought.

She let a slow breath out before looking away to the side, at nothing in particular. Half dreaming of her bed but deciding it more professional to go through the motions of accepting yet another member.
"...I don't know if you have belonged in a pack before. It doesn't really interest me to be honest," every one had a past. Every one had a secret if they had lived a colourful life.
"I only ask for you to follow one core value."
Her sharp eyes returned to his light ones, noticing the sharp contrast against his dark skin at this glance.
"We are a growing unit. Once you agree to join the Greybacks, every person in this room will become your brother and sister. A large portion of this city will become your family. Charming right?" She snorted at her own sarcasm and rhetorical question, "With the benefit of protective force also comes the duty of service in doing the same in return for your pack mates. In recent times we are at peace. Finding a balance in the human world. This is the 21st century and we have assimilated well. But there may come a day when you will be called to defend your pack. Your wolf family will lay their lives on the line for you. And you will be expected to do the same..."
She let her spiel pause there, the weight of her words settling as she watched the werewolf across from her desk.

"As for your sister..." perhaps her thoughtful pause might have been interpreted as uncaring but she simply wasn't a hundred percent sure on how to handle the situation if she didn't know the girl's condition. Like what was wrong with her specifically... Morrigan's face became a little lost in thought of her mother and the cruel twists of fate that could creep up on a werewolf these days.
"Providing she isn't infectious..." she wiped her face of any trace of emotion, her simple weariness being worn now, "We'll bring her in for assessment for health cover under the pack business front. That is if you wish to accept an offer of employment under us. Not all member do however. Again, you support us, we support you... and..."

For once a rare hint of a smile played across her lips but in a blink it was gone. The underlying amusement for throwing newcomers in the deep end remained however.
"We do have a temporary position opening at the moment... don't we Sai," she smirked softly toward the dark eyed man, who after being thrown for not knowing about another rogue wolf right under his nose, was now not following his Alpha's rare show of amusement.
"We do...?"
"...Esmerelda left on maternity leave a month ago now with no replacement."
"....oh. Oh! Ahahahahahaha! Hah... oh you're serious," Sai's bark of laughter quickly died down to assume a sympathetic amusement toward the new Omega, "Well. You'd be the most over qualified Pup Sitter that's for sure."

The Greybacks held alot of their power in the underbelly of this city but also fronted as a respected and well functioning business dealing in trade and commerce. A broad area of business which served well with branching out to other areas, providing stability for a larger than average pack along with covering up any dealings with the supernatural. This even included a small Day Care centre within the large building. One reason was to make her employee's lives easier when committing to their work and the second reason was... well. It was difficult to find a child care that would tolerate the unique... wildness of werewolf children.

Once Sai had ran over the basic idea of a contract to be drawn up for the new Omega, which would include his duties, salary agreement and not to forget his 'change' cycle date, Morrigan made a motion for her Beta to wrap things up.
"We send members out in groups around their changing cycle dates. Write it off as monthly staff development business trip to the mountains. It's safer out there... so. That's it I guess. Omega," Sai gave a little shrug and a smile. This was different, that was for sure. Morrigan may not have aquired some more muscle to throw around but at least this... runt would serve some purpose.

The Alpha finally stood as the interrogation turned position offer began to wrap up, her eyes growing weary from staring down this stranger. Perhaps not a threat but still new and unknown.
"I will leave the rest of the training and arrangements to you Sai," she spoke to her Beta before stretching out her back with the faintest hint of a purring growl.
"Welcome aboard Mr. Sterling," she inclined her head with the tiniest of smirks toward Tobias as she walked past him, her low heels only making her a fraction taller than the older man. She made a straight line for elevator entrance to her private quarters. Which just so happened to be in the penthouse on the very top of the building. No escape from this place. She was the pack and the pack was of her.

[Tobias]

What Morrigan didn’t realize was that her offer was fairly appealing to the raven-haired man standing quietly in front of her. Yes, he had come from a pack before this. He was a born werewolf, not bitten, he knew the delicate political works that ran like threads through every pack and every member. But he wasn’t about to drop the information of his past, if she wasn’t inclined to care. He knew he was already on the edge of truly wasting her time. He was but a lowly lone wolf scavenging at the edges of her territory. What use did she really have for him, degrees or not? He clearly wasn’t what she was looking for.

“The medical requirements for my sister do not include a quarantine, if that’s what you’re asking… It’s a physical injury, not a disease. It may be difficult to bring her here, but I will do the best that I can…” He answered her quickly and succinctly, getting the distinct feeling that this silver-haired woman was one that appreciated being to the point. No, Effie wasn’t contagious. But directly sharing the fact that she was missing a limb… That could put his sister in considerable danger, and he was not willing to take that risk, for the moment. Later, it would could prove to put them both in considerable danger if this Alpha determined her injury was too severe for it to be of any benefit to help them… However, unless details were demanded and pried from him, that tidbit stayed safely tucked away in his own thoughts. He was here solely to keep her safe. And regardless of how all of this played out, he would do just that.

There was almost a sense of punishment however, as Morrigan continued speaking, her darker humor eventually sinking in with her own beta before he barked out his own laugh. To Tobias, it didn’t make much sense; he knew nothing of this pack, of these people… But thankfully they didn’t keep him uninformed for long, and that’s where the feeling of being punished came from. An over-qualified… pup sitter.

Well. He supposed to a degree it was better than working on a factory floor. And as they drew up the paperwork for him, he even had to admit… Being a pup-sitter certainly paid better than his physical labor job. That was for good reason however; werewolf children could be far more than just a handful. They were wild and clever and destructive. Like some strange combination between a mobile toddler and a teething puppy. The dark skinned Native American man let out a soft sigh, but simply nodded his head, his face staying rather clear as his own thoughts whirled about. It would… be hard to explain a lot of this to Effie, without drawing concern from the younger woman.

But it wasn’t her place to carry the concern. All she needed to be concerned about was healing, and taking care of herself, doing as her doctors told her. He would handle the rest; she didn’t need anymore stress. And besides… Big brother getting a new, better job was always exciting, wasn’t it?

Things were wrapped up rather swiftly then, beyond this point, and Tobias’s light grey eyes slid back over to the silver-haired alpha as she finally spoke up, though his ears did return to listening to Sai as the beta explained the importance of properly documenting their changing cycles. It was really a rather clever and organized way to run things, even Tobias had to admit. And he made sure to do his best to follow their rules as best as he could. He was in their territory, after all…

“Thank you…” Was the quiet, somewhat stiff answer he gave the passing Alpha in return to her ‘welcome.’ It wasn’t as if he had truly had a choice. He couldn’t have, in good conscience, uprooted his sister from the one place she had a chance of a good recovery… But he knew better than not to be polite, and submissive. He had learned that over the years with his own family…

It didn’t take terribly long for the Omega to be sent on his way back home, finally… The walk consisted of his brain piecing together the best possible presentation for Effie. It was dark and cold, but his mind was far too distracted to really pay much mind to it. He had other things to worry about, rather than a chilly night. Fortunately his conversation with his sister went relatively well. He didn’t think he caused her much more stress than necessary; it was just a simple job switch after all. To something with slightly better benefits for his sister’s sake. There were few complaints to be had, there. And Tobias wasn’t about to tell Effie it was strictly because he couldn’t bring himself to take her out of this place; she would carry too much guilt and responsibility for something that had been completely out of her hands.

His new position turned out to be… a decent arrangement , even for Tobias. There wasn’t as if there were thirty were-children running around destroying everything. There were a good number of them, but not so many that Tobias couldn’t manage. In fact, while he went home just as exhausted as he had when he worked at the factory, this was still far more rewarding. They weren’t little monsters. Absolute handfuls, yes, but not rabid ravenous little creatures from the depths of hell. Well, perhaps on certain days they were. But they were a clever group, and they were forever trying his mind and his patience.

He would have been fine just doing some brain teasers, instead, but this paid too well to turn down, and even Tobias knew he was at the bottom of the barrel for ‘positions.’ It didn’t really bother him however, as he sat on the floor of the daycare, grey eyes watching the half-blurs that were the children he was watching, while one little one in particular made it her goal to use him as a rock-climbing exercise. That was the thing; they always needed to be moving, they always needed to be challenged.

“Ryan…” A low gravelly voice stopped a nearby boy as he bolted past, the little blonde boy coming to a screeching halt. “Can you tell me what you’re doing?”

“Running!” Chirped the boy with a wide toothy smile.

“And what exactly is that?” A soft smile curled the corners of his mouth as he watched a rather serious look of thought came over the boy’s young face.

“…Using my muscles…?”

Tobias chuckled, his grey eyes closing briefly as he smiled gently. “Very good. Now don’t run over the younger ones, or your mom is going to hear about it. Understood?”

“Got it!’

He watched the boy tear off again as fast as his small legs would carry him, adjusting his course to zip around the edges of the large room. Tobias had found it helped keep them on a slightly more manageable level, if he often caught them off guard with questions. And it helped them retain useful knowledge for when they got older. He may not have had a teaching degree, but it was little things like that that helped him get through his day too. It was all around better for everyone, in his opinion.

[Vaidya]

This was one less thing from the growing pile she had to concern herself with at least. That was what the Alpha told herself as she flopped unceremoniously into bed that night. The parents of the numerous business departments would be more efficient and perhaps she could expand the creche if Sterling's sister was able bodied soon. Morrigan was of course unaware of how serious Effie's quality of life had changed however. But the offer of a new postition, under the protection and aid of an enormous pack, well. Effie was a little stunned with her brother's news when he returned home late. She'd begun to worry until he finally showed up a little rattled. His dark haired sister could only thank him for going above and beyond to help her. This pack seemed different from their family's anyway...

The weeks began to bleed together as they continually did, broken up by some brief contact with her father as the nights grew colder. He'd called that afternoon with suspicions on vampire activity. She didn't know where he was half the time or how he managed to obtain his information. But he was normally correct. There were many internal 'fucks' that afternoon as Morrigan debated about how to act on the information. She had no solid intel or even rumours from her own people. And as her thoughts spiralled and soon bounced off a few of the senior pack members, she knew what she had to do. It was a Friday night. She was already a little antsy as she would experience her wild change in a few days, and now she had to leave the confines of her own keep to venture out into the only place that would hold any luck for relevant intel. When she really just wanted to take the evening to order food in and watch netflix. Oh God, those were some of the best nights. But that would have to wait for another rare moment of freedom. Tonight the Alpha would have to visit The Black Rose.

A neutral location where those of the supernatural frequented. If anyone had any intel, it would be the owner. Morrigan normally sent Sai on such social tasks but he had left the Greybacks on bad terms with the owner recently after he opened up a strip club just down the road from her. And had been trying to poach clients. Fucking. Idiot. At most times he was quite brilliant with his social skills, but in that moment Morrigan had not been pleased with him. Not necessarily because he had caused tensions between alliances, but more so he had now forced her to attend such painful endeavours. It was never her forte' but she attended on the odd occasion as a show of good faith. Despite the solid uncomfortable sensation it left everyone. Mainly being because the owner was a vampire no less. Morrigan's father was not dead, but even she could feel him rolling in his grave at such an acquaintance. It was still a relatively young relationship, barely a year old and needed more care than Morrigan had the skills for. As proud as the silver haired woman was, she knew her pack benefited greatly from this private alliance and she would need help in making things run as smoothly as possible tonight.

Luckily a wolf pack was filled with a diverse range of people, Morrigan remembering one of her Delta's being quite a social butterfly aswell as a nurturing mother named Tessa. She might  be the next best choice for the diplomatic mission this evening. The sun had set by the time Morrigan had made up her mind and took to strolling down to the Day Care area of the building, located on the ground floor. Her hands were in her pant pockets and her smart dress shirt looked a little creased in places from a full day's work. She could hear the brats before she got close to the creche and the temptation to keep on walking straight past and out of the building to the nearest bar was strong. But she resisted. Not without a strained expression as she sucked in a breathe and poked her head in through the door. There were only a few children left as they waited around for their parents to finish work. Morrigan quirked an eyebrow as it almost appeared the children were running wild without an an adult, a mild wave of concern forcing her forward a few steps into the room only to suddenly realise the pup sitter was seated on the ground. Currently being used as a jungle gym.
"Oh..." she voiced out loud as it clicked and she recognised the Omega instantly as the strange wirey rogue that she had initiated weeks ago. He looked a little brighter in the face however and perhaps a little less malnourished. Before the out of place Alpha could explain why she was there, an all too familiar voice chimed up to her.
"Alpha MorrigaaAAAAaaan," came the sing song tone of a 4 year old girl.
"Oh no," Morrigan grumbled and closed her eyes.
"You came baaaaack," and there it was. Attached to her leg.
"Urgh! Get off pup!"
"I'm not a pup anymore! I'm a big girl!"
"Sawyer. I swear to God," she grumbled softly, attempting to carefully peel the chestnut haired brat off her thigh, "I'm here to see your mother, not you."

[Tobias]

Truthfully, Tobias… enjoyed being around the children. They were full of energy, they were curious, they were… innocent, though that didn’t stop them from causing trouble. But they were just kids. Happy kids, too, which was always a good sign. Happy pups grew into loyal, productive members of the pack, but it also spoke volumes on how these individuals treated their children. Weeks had gone by, and even as an Omega here, Tobias still felt more at home than he had with his former pack. It was dangerous to leave, but the tattooed man still couldn’t find any regret for his decisions. This was better for both him, and Effie, but more importantly it was the best option he could provide for his sister, and that was ultimately his end goal.

Grey eyes watched Ryan as he zipped around, the smaller little girl still hell-bent on scaling his wiry frame as he supervised the few remaining children. It wouldn’t be long until he could call it a night and go home, visit with his sister, rest and do it all again in the morning. At least here, he wasn’t a punching bag…

Tobias’ lithe frame tensed a little at the sudden break in the silence, and which voices were responsible. Mostly, it was Sawyer’s announcement of Morrigan, the Alpha, that had the young man scrambling carefully up from his laid back position on the floor, managing to pull the little girl off his back where she had been climbing. He was on the receiving end of a perfected pout from the child as he set her down on the floor, offering her a playfully apologetic look before he turned his attention swiftly to where Morrigan was standing… With Sawyer securely latched onto her leg.

“Sawyer… It sounds like Morrigan has business to attend to…” His gravelly voice was surprisingly patient and… measured with the young girl, and he made his way over with a less playful but still extremely apologetic look toward the silver haired alpha. “Why don’t you go annoy York instead?”

Giving the girl a rather pointed look with a raised eyebrow behind his black-framed glasses, the dark skinned young man gently gestured toward one of the older children who always seemed to have more patience for Sawyer.

“…Tessa’s usually here close to this time. I can try and track her down for you, if you’d like, but she shouldn’t be too much longer. Also, that would leave you alone down here, and I don’t think you’d want that, judging by the look on your face…”

There was the most subtle hint of amusement to his low voice, the beginnings of a smirk on his face as he spoke to Morrigan. She didn’t hide her emotions terribly well, when it came to the kids; there was a reason he rarely saw her. She avoided the daycare center like the plague. And Tobias could only assume that this was an important matter, or Morrigan would have delegated someone else to venture down here. But he still couldn’t help just that briefest glimpse of teasing the silver-haired woman, now that he was feeling a little more comfortable with his place within the pack. They were a far cry better than what he had grown up with…

[Vaidya]

The role of Alpha might hold the highest rank, filled with grandure and power. Importance and dominance. Enduring respect. But what was seldom thought of was the endless responsibility of every life bound to the pack, every single rank beneath it. Although she was not prized as a socially perfected creature, Morrigan knew every wolf in the Greybacks, down to the very last, very annoying pups. The one who happened to be irritating her currently seemed to have an attachment to the woman that was constantly trying to keep her at arms length. Sawyer had heard the Alpha throw some curse words around one time so naturally, she was the coolest adult around. Her refusal of affection was completely overlooked by the young child. The hazel eyed girl soon paused in her hug attack however as her carer Tobias mothered her in a tone on par with her own birth mother. The child gave an exasperated sigh before releasing the uncomfortable woman, grumbling some words of obedience before trotting over to York who she would no doubt have a whine to now.
"Guh... thanks," Morrigan let slip the appreciation before she could really think about it, straightening out her pants in perhaps what might look like a snooty fashion. The Alpha's olive green eyes snapped away from the pup's retreating figure and stared observant and silent at the Omega beside her now.

He looked different that was for sure. Certainly less timid and not drowning in anxiety from when he was first dragged to the top of the building of her empire. It took a moment for her brain to register his low words while her brain was still judging the healthier aura around the man who stood the same height as her.
"Hn," the sound came out with a touch of amusement and a surprised little smirk, "That obvious huh?"
An odd look fell over her face, a mix of her former observation and now with curiousity. The hint of sarcastic sass was surprising and not lost on her. Interesting.
"No I'll wait," she returned her expression to the unpleasantly bored one that her face normally fell in to naturally, "I require Tessa's accompaniment this evening."
But no sooner had she opened her mouth with the vague reasoning did the werewolf mother in question zoom into the day care to grab at Sawyer and her shoes and bag all simultaneously.

"Sorry Morrigan! I am so swamped with this one's after hours activities. I have to take her to ballet, then swimming-"
"That was yesterday Mom. Tonight's-"
"Oh! Oh God! It's Karate tonight isn't it. Oh quick quick quick, move your feet! We'll have to swing past home and get your uniform and-"
Morrigan just stood there, staring in slight shock as the small child was ushered along with all her possessions out of the day care.
"Thankyou Tobi! You're a life saver. Sorry again Morrigan! Next time?"
"Don't worry about... it."
But the flustered mother was gone before she could reassure her. Or rather just stay the hell out of her way and let her get on with the overwhelming amount of extra curricula activities she'd set up for her spawn. The sharp eyed woman let out a long slow huff of breath, her jaw jutting out a little so that the jet of exhaled air sent her one side of bouncy silver hair flying. The air had fallen silent and calm, despite the few remaining children. A soft frown crinkled her brow as she began to think hard, staring off to no where in particular. She would just have to go on her own... oh god the thought alone was making her cringe. She really hated going to that bar and talking in that high tension atmosphere. It helped alot if she had someone with her who could do most of the talking, take minutes, stop anyone else from bothering her in a polite fashion... polite... Her eyes came back in to focus and slowly began to drag themselves over to the man who stood near her. Something licked in her mind. Wasn't perfect but would have to do.

"You... Sterling," she addressed him in her epiphany, giving him a once over like she had when he'd first been bullied to stand infront of her. She tapped her chin with a single finger out of habit.
"I need you to come with me to a bar later. I'll have the car pick us up out the front entrance after you're done here. See you then."
She left no room for arguments, casually walking out of the day care with a nod of her head toward him and without a second glance behind her. This would have to do on such short notice and she dare not wait another night for these rumours to grow cold. And true to her word, the young woman was sat in the back seat of the elegant car, the driver's eyes trained ahead and diligently driving after picking up the dark haired stranger. Morrigan hadn't given much thought to the man's social life or other commitments, an arrogant nature subsiding for a moment, pausing from scrolling through the tablet she was holding that illuminated her bronzed face. Green eyes lifted to watch the omega for a moment as they were driven through backstreets to the edge of town. The tiny enamel pin the Alpha wore on the collar of her deep green blouse was a projection of their destination.
"Have you ever been to The Black Rose... Tobias?" Came her silky voice as the car rolled to a gentle stop.

[Kaya]

A staffer stopped the wolves as they entered and gestured them to the back candle lit table and pair of lush sofas on the restaurant side of the club, separated by a thick red curtain with gold letters spelling out VIP that had been embroidered on them. They were asked for their drink orders then told that the owner would be out shortly to talk with them. It was the instructions they were given whenever they recognized the Greybacks. The owner was never very keen on letting Sai or Morrigan wander around the establishment. Especially Sai. Majority of the staff were quite okay with the rules set in place. Kaya tended to collect strays and youngsters to employ and guide and they were always uncomfortable when the leaders of such a large pack started sniffing around.

Kaya had been in her office when the two arrived. The vampire’s desk was splayed with the booklets and binders that usually had their places on the shelves, red eyes glazed over as she tried to fix an accounting error one of her employees made. It was tedious and she had been there for hours already, having not gone home and just napped for a couple hours off and on over at the couch during the day. The resulting factor made her irritable towards nuisances. She reached out towards a glass to sip the whiskey she had picked earlier in the afternoon for herself, but found it to be empty. So was the bottle. With a sigh Kaya clunked the disappointing glass back onto her desk and scooted back in her chair. Perhaps a break would help get her mind to focus and find the damn detail that she just couldn’t figure out. Get out onto the dance floor for a while and wake herself up. Her lips pursed at the possibility of a partner, and wondered if Erakin would find it upsetting. This whole… dating, social, whatever relationship thing was slowly coming to her again, but she was finding limitations in the hard carefree world she used to live in. It was worth it. His companionship was worth more than the simple pleasures strangers could ever give.

Now that thoughts had gone to the grey haired man Kaya considered the idea of just sneaking out the back and meeting up with him at his place. She reached towards her phone to send the wolf a text, asking if he’d mind a vampire cozying up with him for the night. It was then that a knock came through at the door. Tired red eyes looked over, knowing she was about to have to rescind the texted offer.

“What is it, Zach?” She asked, already smelling the wolf employee behind the door. The man opened the door and looked in, grimacing slightly at the owner’s fatigued face. She wasn’t going to like this.

“It’s uh, the Greybacks, Kaya. Morrigan apparently needs to talk to you.” A loud sigh rang through the air and Zach pulled a hand through his hair to note his nervousness between the loud exhale that escaped her lips and the immediate feeling of irritation that bristled off the woman. She closed her eyes with a breath. It wasn’t the pup’s fault, no need to show discontent.

“Thank you, love. I’ll be right out.” She let the youngster escape and looked over her messy desk with a frown. Looks like more work. Fantastic. She already knew it wasn’t going to be the best evening with the alpha. She had refused to talk to the beta last time due to some… disagreements, and knew the incoming sneers from the silver haired woman was going to be trying. Some days the woman reminded her so much of Rye, but there was only so much spunk the vampire could take from short temperamental wolves it seemed.

First she texted Erakin with an apology, but promised to show up afterwards. She was grateful at that moment that his lack of social skills kept him from coming on the busy Friday nights. He didn’t need to deal with this woman. Closing a book in front of her and shoving her phone in her side pocket, the vampire got up to examine herself in the mirror that was on the wall by the door. Her hair was done back in a french braid, a bit messy and longer than usual as she hadn’t bothered cutting it in over a day, but it would do. She wore simple clothes, for her at least, for tonight as she hadn’t planned on hosting; a sleeveless red silk top that exposed part of her chest, black slacks, and simple black heels. And of course the ever present purple pendant choker around her scarred throat. Nothing could be done about the overworked face. Satisfied enough she exited her office and headed towards the doors that led to the inside of her club. Patrons greeted her as she made her entrance, and while she smiled fondly towards them, didn’t take long with the mingling. She could already smell the alpha in the air and she wanted to deal with it as fast as she could. The Greybacks were always welcome inside as long as they were here just to mingle, but once Morrigan entered it tended to make some of her loners nervous. The wolf knew she wasn’t to bother any of them, but Kaya didn’t want her guests to feel they may be followed home by the rather possessive alpha that ran the large dominating pack.

She headed to the other side which held the restaurant, walking past the sofas of chattering guests, some of which beamed at her as she slinked by. Gentle smiles was all she returned as she headed towards the VIP section which was divided by a red curtain in the back. There was only one table there, as it was meant only as a place for Kaya to sit and talk with someone who needed her. Otherwise, people were expected to be part of the group that entered the joint. It was the whole reason why she made this place.

A dark scarred hand opened up the curtain and Kaya stepped in, looking down towards the…two? There was a guest next to the woman, a rather frail looking man with dark russet skin and black hair. She couldn’t stop herself from looking at the gentle if slightly nervous eyes, hidden under glasses, curiosity rising and a brow rose. This wasn’t the usual sort of companion she would expect to be with this loud abrasive woman. Appearances alone made him look like he was quiet and demure… a little short (why are there so many short wolves in this pack?). He was either here to help with something important, or was the reason why the wolves were here in the first place. Neither idea sounded fun, or short. The frustration was starting to bubble up at that thought.

“What do I owe the pleasure for this visit, Morrigan?” Kaya asked, finally allowing her tired eyes to look towards the alpha, realizing that if this was a member of her pack, she probably shouldn’t focus her attention on him first. It didn’t stop her from sounding annoyed and offering a frown with her question though, partially blaming them from ruining what could have been an end to her work night. “Need more contractors for scandalous establishments to further defame me?” Kaya knew it wasn’t the alpha’s fault for her argument with the beta wolf, but it wasn’t going to stop her from picking at her for the ridiculous situation she had been forced into, and really it always felt good to get the woman a little flustered.

[Tobias]

It was possible that his hint of teasing toward the alpha could get him in trouble, though Tobias honestly hadn’t meant to over-step his place. He was growing more comfortable here, with this pack. His new pack… It wasn’t like walking on eggshells, as it had been for him in the past, and perhaps he was a bit too comfortable; this was the alpha he was talking to, after all. However, Morrigan seemed to at least be in a decent enough mood that his words didn’t earn him even a verbal tongue-lashing. Instead, she was just studying him over curiously with her sharp green eyes.

“I’ve had a lot of practice at… reading people,” came his simple answer.

He had had to read people, in his life before this one. It had meant his survival, on whether or not he could catch even the most minute fluctuations in an individual’s temperament. Without it, he would no doubt have carried more scars on his small frame than he did already… Worse ones. Fortunately, Tessa arrived shortly after his exchange with Morrigan, successfully diverting his train of thought away from the shadows of his past.

And, as usual, Tessa was a frazzled, rushed blur of a mother. It brought a faint smirk to the young man’s darker tinted lips as he watched her scoop Sawyer up into her frantic schedule of activities. And of course, the little girl was quick to correct her mother, putting her back on track in her high-speed life. However, Tobias hadn’t been expecting the sudden departure of the mother and daughter, when the alpha was standing right there… But they each had their own lives, their own goals, it wasn’t just simply the pack mentality…

Even Tobias was left reeling as Tessa took Sawyer and all but disappeared, his grey eyes following their departure as Morrigan’s silky voice trailed off almost… awkwardly. It planted a thought deep in the back of his head; this pack wasn’t like his last. He had known that of course, but it became far more obvious to him in that moment. His last pack, it was all about the pack. It was the pack or nothing. You were nothing, without your pack… But the Greybacks had knitted themselves together so well that they were allowed to have their own lives, their own dreams, their own goals, and they were allowed to pursue them.

Grey eyes blinked up at Morrigan as she addressed him rather abruptly, his thoughts having dragged him further away than he had intended. She… wanted him to come with her? To a bar? The confusion was clear in his bright eyes, even past the lenses of his glasses, but Morrigan either didn’t notice or didn’t care. She made her statement, and then left just as fast as Tessa had, leaving him no room to argue. Not that he would have; he was the omega, and his upbringing had permanently ingrained in him that he do as he was told.

There was no arguing.

As soon as his duties were finished, the last pup taken home, Tobias realized just how punctual Morrigan was. She had said she would have him picked up as soon as he was finished, and the vehicle that was waiting at the front of the building told him that was his ride. With a final glance down at himself, Tobias let out his own sigh, gave a shrug, and simply grabbed his jacket from where it hung by the doorway. After locking everything up, the young man made his way towards the door, tugging his jacket on over his lean shoulders and preparing to bundle up more against the growing cold that was blowing in with the change of the seasons.

As he stepped outside, the door was pulled open for him, and Tobias felt a slow spread of tension work its way through his frame. Why had she asked him to go? He was, quite literally, the bottom of the totem pole here, surely there were better options. Though, with the way Tessa had so easily escaped, Tobias couldn’t help but wonder if he was Morrigan’s last option, before going alone. And it was probably better that he didn’t know just how right he was…

In silence, the dark skinned young man slid in through the open door, taking a seat and glancing out the window as the door was shut behind him. Though grey eyes slid away as they began moving down the street through the sparse traffic, landing on Morrigan herself, where she was busy with a tablet. The light from the screen illuminated a rather focused and serious expression on her face, and instead of breaking the silence and disturbing her, he kept his raven haired head down and maintained his silence. That silence however was broken by the alpha herself, and Tobi found himself sitting up a little straighter as Morrigan’s attention moved from her tablet screen onto him.

“…The Black Rose?” He had heard some brief mention of that name in his few weeks with the Greybacks, but the omega was rarely included in conversations, unless… it was about the pups he watched. He gave his head a small shake, black hair swinging briefly across his forehead. “No… But I suppose that’s about to change for me…”

His low gravelly voice was carefully measured as he answered, their vehicle coming to a stop in an older neighborhood of the city. He exited after Morrigan then, purposefully staying behind her and following her in, minding his place as omega without even really putting much thought into it. It was purely habit, after so many years holding the lowest position possible. Do as you’re told, don’t speak unless spoken to, do not question your superiors… His place was merely a shadow.

They were let inside with little trouble, the warmth inside almost as welcoming as the rich and vibrant décor inside the renovated building. Not newly renovated, judging simply by the smell, but newly enough that the paint and fabrics were still brilliant and rich. New, or so well taken care of that there was hardly a layer of dust on the golden trim or the valances of red curtains that tastefully decorated the inside. But there were other smells… Other wolves primarily, judging by the base layer of an earthen scent that blanketed the place. Other scents filled his nose however, as they were lead deeper into the building; blood, earth, magic, it all tickled at the edges of his senses, and the omega found himself both on edge and curious. This wasn’t just… a bar. This was a place where other supernatural creatures congregated, all under one roof.

It was both incredible and daunting to the young man, whose curiosity was getting the better of him. He stuck close to Morrigan as they followed their guide through the building, but only half of his attention was on their pathway through. The rest of it was torn in about seven different directions as he admiringly took in the work done on the inside of the building, as well as tried to keep his own curiosity from acting like a beacon amongst all these… other supernatural beings. Fortunately, it was much easier to hide his expression once they were brought back to the private curtained-off area.

They weren’t left alone long however, Tobias not even truly getting a chance to even dare to say much to Morrigan as they waited, before the curtain was pulled back. What first greeted him was a faint scent of blood, and then just… cold. The raven-haired woman with the violet highlights in her thick hair smelled cold to him. She smelled cold like winter and like an old, faded wound. Not overpoweringly metallic, perhaps hidden by a hint of perfume, but Tobias knew what he had smelled, and he knew what she was. A vampire…

Grey eyes studied her over in a continuation of his quiet curiosity as the new woman addressed his alpha. She had darker skin, covered in tasteful clothes and a multitude of scars. Something unusual for a vampire, but Tobias knew that many individuals of their ‘kind’ were riddled with old wounds, physical or emotional, and he knew better than to stare or judge. After all, his own dark skin was nearly half-covered by solid black ink, and no one had every truly inquired as to why. Who was he, ever, to judge…? He was simply here by request of his alpha, and as the vampire addressed Morrigan, Tobias maintained his blanketing silence. If he was to answer or add anything to this conversation, he wasn’t sure… But he was fairly certain that Morrigan would let him know.

[Vaidya]

The hum of the car's engine was gentle enough for the guest in her car to hear the soft and vaguely amused grunt that came in response to his statement.
"Yes," the Alpha said simply in her silky tone but her face remained unchanged from the small resting frown that normally settled there.  A small glance was delivered toward the omega who accompanied her, a small knot of doubt curling in her gut as an after thought of ordering the newcomer to such a task. It had been a hasty and admittedly desperate last minute attempt at finding a more suitable associate to handle the more social intricacies that she did not handle so well. As a pack creature, there was always that security of having a fellow wolf along side aswell. She was taking the omega into a rare and relatively new neutral territory that she had established with cooperation from the main groups of different supernatural kind in the Boston area. Morrigan couldn't be sure how her companion would react to such a place, but her worry was gone almost as soon as she exited the car and the omega fell into place behind her immediately, following her lead with no voicing of complaint or concern. He would follow. And if he didn't... well.

With a long inhale and setting her attention away from her fading doubts, she took some lazy steps up toward the entrance of the concealed club, her low heels clopping in a way that once irritated her but was now just background noise. One hand hooked loosely around her electronic tablet while the other rose to delve and shuffle her fingers in amongst her geled back silver hair, teasing the volumes of tamed tufts and spikes back to their original position of draped to the right side of her head and partially over her face, revealing the long scar running back over the left side of her skull where her light hair was cut very short. The hair follicles shifting released a tension in her head she hadn't known was there. Her hand returned to the woman's side as she approached the two vampires acting as the door muscle for the night, keeping the peace, eyeing out potential trouble makers and redirecting any lost non supernaturals. Her sharp olive green eyes narrowed a fraction before lowering to the pin she wore on the collar of her blouse, a wordless agreement passing between the alpha and the security guard, the man straightening his back before giving a curt nod and some instructions to one of the other staff members to fetch the club owner.

'Great' she raised her eyes to the sky blanketed with cloud, blocking the moonlight that haunted her kind before stepping inside the building. She normally gave Kaya a heads up on her visits, but today had kept her guessing on who to trust. The warmth was a touch of bliss in the midst of this aggravating task that was now appointed to her. She wouldn't deny that the establishment was pleasant, even for someone as socially challenged as herself. The décor and music drawing a visitor in deeper to investigate what lay waiting inside. It didn't do her much good venturing further past the restaurant at the entrance however, a quarter of the patrons either pulling up hoods or perhaps remembering they had other places to be when they saw he striking silver head. The signature mark of the Greybacks for past few generations. She strolled along with muffled steps on the carpets, sharp senses taking in the music and voices, scanning for any alien scents and her eyes watching the faces of the staff she didn't recognise, including the poor presumably shifter woman by her mixed scent who was posted at the cordoned off area of the intimate VIP lounge. The poor thing didn't once look her in the eye before scurrying off to the bar to fetch them some scotch. Morrigan didn't spare the newcomer a glance as a mild inflation of her ego comforted her instead, sliding in to her comfortable seat at the head of a table and rolling her neck and shoulders in preparation before returning her concentration to her tablet, opening up relative tabs to the club, classified Greyback information on it's background and connected businesses and groups. Even a few specific business dealings and flagged public news reports from down past their territory in New York. Her finger tip was quick in collecting everything relevant and her eyes focused on highlighting key information. She was completely unaware of the anti social visade she was most probably emanating toward her quiet omega who was still looking about with a tourist's expression in the corner of her eye. What did capture her attention entirely and force her to lower the touch screen device was the distinct odour of the old vampiric woman who approached, Morrigan's eyes lifting and wearing a hint of smugness in her eyes as a cloak in greeting.
"...Goodevening Kaya," she said simply in return to the sarcasm, not one for extending her need to speak. She had barely reclined back with her elbows to rest high on the back of the lounge when the ruby eyed woman still wrapped in youth decided that she was in a bad mood tonight. Morrigan's eyes tried. They really did. But the pull of her eye roll was astronomical in it's power, along with a heavy sigh leaving her chest.

"Well. I didn't realise that your bitterness had such a hold on you. That assumption would be my mistake. ...Sai's errors however have nothing to do with my pack or company. As I have previously stated," the irritation in her smooth voice wasn't shy in the monotone way it snapped from her. The truth was that while Sai had foolishly established his own... adult entertainment no further than on the same street as Kaya's club, and had spread the word to her patrons, Morrigan was honestly just as wounded by this. It meant Sai was removed from dealings here for her, and she was forced to attend them herself. She had openly considered demoting him for such a blunder, but her heart was apparently not completely encased by ice. The pros of keeping those loyal to you close far outweighed the cons.

The silver haired woman's sharp cornered eyes didn't leave the club owner's as she made herself clear, and probably walked straight in to whatever joy Kaya got out of riling the Alpha up. Without giving a glance to Tobias, she slid the tablet over toward him across the smooth table. Help catch him up perhaps. Or at least test to see how quick he was to what was unfolding around them.
"My... assistant Tobias here will be sitting in to take anything down. Any intel you might have for me. Or perhaps share any opinions in the matter. I trust that's not a problem," well he was assisting her. He could have that title for the moment.
"...it's been a while," Morrigan shrugged slightly from her resumed lazed position, her mask of arrogance and confidence perfected and perhaps too well ingrained in her some days, "I see you still let all those elusive lone wolves in that slip through my grasp."

She did spare a small smirking glance toward her omega then. Perhaps if he'd known about this place he might have stayed hidden from her longer. But in her mind, that wasn't necessarily a good thing. Not when there was safety in numbers. Not when there was whispers of a wide scale feud that her father had been building upon for years. She decided to jump straight into it, despite the rising banter with the heavily scarred bar owner.
From the moment Morrigan had become Alpha, she had made daring and more tolerant choices that strayed from her Father's style of ruling. This included the idea and joint formation of this 'Switzerland' that was The Black Rose. And any intel of vampiric activity that would benefit the Greyback movement was rewarded with favour in return. A new and unstable relationship still, but one Morrigan held in high value. No matter how much Kaya liked to push her buttons.
"... a reliable source of mine has heard of new activity in New York. Expansion... what do you know?"

[Kaya]

The quiet curious atmosphere that the small man brought in was quickly interrupted by the obvious irritation of the woman alpha. Bright red eyes narrowed as the olive green ones rolled towards the vampire's little stab, and her frown deepened at the sigh. Perhaps if Kaya had decently slept enough and was in the mood to have this begrudging meeting with the head of the Greybacks, she could have taken the jabs with a little more grace. But she didn't, and at that point had a considering thought on just sliding on back through the curtain and let the alpha sit on the couch to deal with her own self ego. The idea had probably become clear to both wolves as Kaya momentarily glanced towards the curtain, weighing the options of what she could do in this unwanted predicament.

The vampire let out a snort and focused once again on Morrigan, a hand figdeting with the long braid of her hair and draping it over her shoulder to give herself a distraction in the tense atmosphere. Her tone still radiating out its displeasure as she responded back.

"Yes, well, while it may have nothing to do to affect your well being, his little errors have certainly decided to affect mine. Forgive me for caring about my own company." Kaya crossed her arms and tilted her head as she spoke, a trait that she had no doubt picked up from being around wolves all the time. In honesty she really wouldn't let this affect her relationship that she had with the pack. The relationship had already proven to be a life saver, and she wouldn't risk ceasing all communication when it was obviously one of the safest decisions the vampire made when starting her life here in the city. Staying on this pack's good side was invaluable for not just her, but the few people that she did give a shit about. Eyes for a moment glazed over at the memory that happened over a few weeks ago.

The tablet sliding brought the vampire back to reality, dragging the newcomer into the conversation. Kaya looked towards the one as he was introduced, Tobias, and a brow rose at the information that he was to be a fancy recorder so to speak. But it was the idea that they were here for information that made her eyes lose their harsh irritation for fatigue. Information with Morrigan was straining, long, and usually about topics she didn't like to dwell on. Great. If only she had considered sneaking out just a minute earlier to be with her warm grumpy wolf.

"Everyone needs sanctuary at some point, even loners." Kaya said, and at that brought the first smile on her tired face since she walked through the curtain. She had a fondness for the magical creatures that walked this earth on their own, for she was one of them, even with Erakin's pleasuring company. To create others a sense of peace, even if only for a drink at a bar, brought a comfort to the isolated vampire. She doubted that Morrigan, a creature surrounded by a pack family, would ever fully understand why Kaya put so much time and investments towards creating an environment to let those who usually stayed in the shadows, out of sight from society, have a release from their norm. It had taken a lot for the vampire to understand the certain kind of loneliness that came with surviving alone and getting there was not something she wished on others. These two wolves were lucky in being able to find themselves a society to belong in. Kaya's place was only a temporary stay of contentment, but it was obvious the affect it had as it filled every night.

The smirk the alpha made towards the still quiet man made the vampire pause. The sense of intrigue of why it happened finally enabled Kaya to walk gracefully and quietly towards one of the lounge chairs, deciding to sit across from Tobias, deciding she would include the man into the mix whether he liked it or not. This club was made so people would greet those who didn't normally chat, and being in a meeting wouldn't change that fact at all.

The softening atmosphere was swiftly crashed down as Morrigan got right at hand for the reason why they were here. The vampire felt her spine stiffen, and her glance shot a little too quickly towards the other woman, studying her hard. It was probably obvious that she knew exactly what the alpha was questioning with how her body responded, going rigid in posture, but it made Kaya apprehensive as to how the wolves knew such delicate matters concerning her kind. Scarred hands that had been gently gripping themselves on top of the table, to signal inclusiveness towards the group, lowered to her lap. Lips turned into a thin line as she weighed the coming conversation. It wasn't going to be a fun one, and she had to pick her words very carefully. Her life here was secret, and she wasn't willing to let anything slip out and reveal her true past with just how much the topic touched on it. It was her family that was heavily involved in it after all.

"Hm." Was the first sound she offered after moments of strained silence. She decided not answering right away was the best decision. Morrigan could take it as Kaya punishing her for her earlier taunts, but the vampire wanted no interruptions while they waited for drinks, and instead flashed a bright fanged smile and sparkling ruby eyes towards the other wolf as those she didn't just conjure up a sense of heated dread into the tiny space they all occupied.

"Forgive my manners, we haven't been properly introduced. I'm Kaya Rose, the owner of The Black Rose." The name was obviously fake. Kaya intentionally picked something stereotypical of her species. Made it harder to look her up despite how close it was to her family's closeness to the flower. It was her own personal stab towards Hiran in choosing it. Making it her own. The idea always brought a dark glee at the back of her mind.

Kaya held a hand out over the table towards Tobias for a shake as her hosting personality took hold and replaced the strain that Morrigan's question created. "Please speak up if you desire anything, from food to drinks, while we talk... Tobias was it? Morrigan of course will be generous enough to place it on her tab."

[Tobias]

Tobias was a far thing from a fool. He could sense the waxing and waning tension as it shifted back and forth like the tide, as the two women traded subtle verbal jabs with one another. There was a history there, even as new as he was Tobias could still plainly see that much. And despite not knowing the foundation on what this history was built, the raven-haired man would have put his meager funds on the fact that it was certainly a rocky one. Rocky and new it certainly seemed, as both women seemed to dance around each other with subtle insults and perhaps even subconscious weighing of one another. But that was what happened with two strong personalities in such a small space.

He was honestly a little grateful to Morrigan the moment she slid him the tablet. Regardless of what responsibilities it brought, it still meant he wasn’t expected to be fully engaged in the unfolding conversation. Or at least, that was what he had thought to be the case.

It wasn’t.

Grey eyes were quickly scanning over all of the pieces of information Morrigan had quickly gathered up, while Kaya and the alpha shared more words. Even distracted as he was, Tobias could sense that building tension again. Enough so that his light eyes shifted away from the tablet to silently study over Kaya as she barely responded to the silver-haired woman. Her body language changed, the dark skinned man taking a silent mental note of it, purely out of habit. He wasn’t here for anything of his own gain. He was here by Morrigan’s request. A request to take notes, it seemed… But it was still in his nature to carefully and silently read into the interactions around him; it had saved his skin on more than one occasion in the past, and would likely do so again in the future.

Making his own mental notes of the interaction between the women sharing the small private space with him, Tobias made an attempt to further scour over the information that Morrigan had provided him. It was easy to make the connection that Sai, Morrigan’s second, had done something to offend Kaya and potentially endanger her own business, and in the brief glance at the tablet in his heavily tattooed hands Tobias guessed it had something to do with the adult establishment and building permits all in Sai’s name. Any other time, Tobias might have laughed at that. But again, he was not a fool, and knew laughter would be about the most ill-timed reaction considering the tension still thick in the air behind these curtains.

Fortunately – or perhaps unfortunately – for Tobias, Kaya had instead turned her attention onto him, rather than answering Morrigan’s straight-to-the-point question. It caused Tobias’ spine to stiffen a little as he felt the effect of the tension suddenly spread over his quiet space in that moment. He was just an Omega… All of his upbringing had been for him to be seen and not heard, to not speak… unless spoken to. And while he had been spoken to, it wasn’t by his Alpha, and this was an already heavy situation that Tobias wasn’t completely prepared for as he was addressed directly by the club owner.

Sparing a brief glance towards the silver haired woman, Tobias did his best to quickly weigh out his options before taking too long and being considered rude. It was one thing if the women traded their own verbal blows, but if he were to show disrespect, it could effectively ruin whatever Morrigan had hoped to gain from this interaction. However, he also didn’t want to ignore his Alpha’s authority here… And it made his dark skin crawl with an all too familiar uneasiness that he had tried so hard to escape from…

Clearing his throat gently, grey eyes were back on Kaya in almost an instant, a polite smile on his face. It was best just to try and be as polite as possible in these situations, until he could get a better feel for what exactly was going on. And he did not leave her hand hanging in the open air for more than a polite moment either, grasping it and looking across the table to her, almost painfully aware of Morrigan’s position at the table near him. It felt like walking a sword’s edge, but the man did his best to keep that sense from showing on his face.

“Your manners don’t need to be excused, on my behalf.” He shook her hand, carefully choosing the words he would continue with as he released her cold fingers from his with the same pleasant smile on his face. “You have… more important things on your mind, I’m sure. It’s a pleasure to meet you though, Kaya.”

He listened to her continue then, and the man couldn’t help a weak, half-choked chuckle as the raven-haired woman mentioned Morrigan’s generosity, nodding his head briefly as she asked his name again.

“Morrigan’s been… more than generous with me. I’d be the one with terrible manners if I just started ordering things on her tab. But thank you for the offer. I’m fine for now. It doesn’t take much effort to take notes, fortunately for me.”

[Vaidya]

The initial bitter trade between the women was short at least. Or perhaps just paused. Morrigan couldn't help from butting heads with the vampire. It seemed to be instinctive, but not due to their opposing species, but because they were both head strong women who were used to getting their own way more or less. Running their own worlds and knowing you didn't get anything in life by sitting on the sidelines. Sharp cornered eyes watched the frame of the black and purple haired woman as she decended into a chair opposite her little omega who had began to quietly scroll through the tablet the Alpha had slid over. And Morrigan  almost huffed a cynical sound toward her comment. Sanctuary.
"Well I have my pack and you have... yours," she cast a skeptical glance out between the gap in the curtains toward the myriad of misfits, supernaturals that hovered around the bar, some coming solely for a drink and others to find company. It was not a world the short haired werewolf frequented often.

Needless to say Morrigan preferred her own pack. Full of order and productivity. Focus and strength. The Alpha remained reclined in her lounge chair, tuning out the song with the lower bass coming from the club as she watched Kaya processing her vague but direct question on vampire activity changes. The vampiress then turned her attention toward Mr. Sterling instead of the silver haired woman who had asked her straight up for intel. No need to sugar coat things around here. But apparently she needed to learn how since Kaya was just going to shrug it off anyway.

Morrigan's eyebrows began to knit together but otherwise the same stern and unamused expression remained on her face as she watched and listened. We she avoiding the question because she was still pissed off at her? Or was it something else. The Alpha almost wanted to grumble a comment about getting whiplash from the sudden perk in the woman, putting on the air of hospitality and still dragging Morrigan along for the ride. Yeah, just put it on her tab. She bit down on the inside of her lip to stop herself from giving an audible, irritated sigh. How much was she going to have to donate to the bar this time? She wasn't sure what the vampire's angle was in turning focus on to the man that seemed to want to disappear most of the time he was around her.

But to her own mild surprise, the gravelly voice and laugh of the omega was far from cornered or disrespectful to either party. Whether it was a lucky quip of politeness and formalities... or perhaps she had brought along an unlikely diplomat. Kaya seemed to like him more than her however and she wasn't going to be upset about that fact. Then again it wasn't a hard achievement for someone to obtain.
Darker grey eyebrows both relaxed minutely to rise in a quick twitch of acknowledgement as the omega voiced gratefulness, a soft and mildly impressed grunt leaving her chest before she set eyes on the shifter woman returning to the booth with an aged bottle of scotch, giving a nervous glance to Kaya before stepping forward and pouring the three glasses.
"Leave the bottle," Morrigan's silky voice instructed simply without making eye contact with the woman but instead quirking an eyebrow toward Kaya and a hint of snark snuck into her voice when she said, "Just put it on my tab."

She had meant forward to pluck up her glass of scotch in one fluid motion, tilting her pixie face upwards to down a long drink of the high alcohol content. It took alot of this stuff to even effect her and right now she just wanted to take the bottle and walk out. She was so fucking tired but would ever voice the fact of course. An Alpha's duties were never done and if she couldn't cope with the workload then she shouldn't have accepted the position in the first place. Morrigan took a moment to observe  the pair conversing infront of her, olive eyes shining slightly as she remained reclined and subconsciously removed from the social niceties. There was only so much she could handle however between watching the every red eyes of the vampiress ally and the striking contrast between Tobias' light eyes and dark ink that seemed to sneak further up his neck. Her line of sight snapped back toward her informant. Well, hopefully she was going to inform her of something. She couldn't act or direct her pack on it's next step against the rising vampiric threat in the south if she couldn't cross match her facts. Her irritation was growing as she was kept waiting in this sudden social gathering, the Alpha barely able to wait for a pause in conversation when her smooth voice piped back up, a little more strained this time.

"What's it going to take to get you to answer my question then Miss Rose?" Her eyes closed as she focused on controlling her temper, staying with her back against the lounge even though it was somewhat more tensed now as she brought her drink up to her lips, the harsh heat and strong taste a wonderful distraction as it swirled down into her body before her eyes opened back toward the bloody eyed woman.
"I would prefer to keep this visit short for both our sakes."