Post by Zeko on Jun 15, 2017 7:15:04 GMT
Riley watched Morrigan intently, noting the strain in her voice and the tightness in her neck and jaw. It was almost… physically painful for the ice queen to even think about handing over an apology, even if it was rightly deserved. He had no idea what was happening and now they wanted to act friendly, after he’d been knocked out and was now being coerced into something he certainly wanted nothing to do with? No. He wasn’t about to stand for any of that… Especially as she suggested her Gamma was justified in doing so because he’d purposely gotten his name wrong.
The subject of payment came up and Riley felt a throbbing in his temples as his blood pressure spiked with his anger. A headache ebbed just behind his eyes and made his stomach turn a little as he clenched his fists and shook his head suddenly.
“Fuck y’money! No! No, m’not gettin’ involved with this shit, m’not getting’ in th’middle of any wars, f’anybody! Especially not f’you.” He lifted his head a little defiantly. How dare she just assume he was going to be fine with just accepting all of this mess. This was a lot to ask of a person, no matter the dollar signs she dangled in front of his face. He narrowed his eyes a little to her irritated, growled out response, followed by her raised, sharpened tone, suddenly feeling another turn in his stomach as his heart leapt up in his chest. He didn’t like where any of this was headed… and his whole body turned to the opening door as she instructed someone inside.
And, there she was again.
His eyes widened and his spinning world suddenly halted and focused in on the small blonde woman. She looked terrified. And she was hurt… And, there he was again as well.
The throbbing in his head returned as his brows knit together, immediately making eye contact with the werewolf that lead her inside, clenching his fist but quickly forcing them to relax, suddenly lifting his head with a tense smirk.
“… Well hey, it’s Greg, too.”
Satisfaction rose briefly inside of him when he earned an angry snarl from the Gamma, pretending not to notice the spike of irritation and lowering his eyes onto Nadia instead with a sudden, deep set frown as the tiny woman spoke up and tried to make her presence as big as possible. His heart sank now as he listened and watched, closing his eyes in his sudden exasperation.
Well then. Alpha Morrigan pretty much had him by the balls now, didn’t she?
He didn’t want her to know that though, and turned back to her slowly, face tensed but blank as he weighed out his options. Refusal from here would lead to something bad, not just for him, but now for (who he thought was) his best friend, and the lost love of his life that got away. If he accepted all of this, he became entwined with… Whatever was happening in this city he was completely unfamiliar with. Now he was being forced into their politics… after finally settling his own hometown politics straight. He could be home right now if he’d just let Phelan go and gotten a dog…
The redhead turned to Phelan now, looking him over, as the scraggly haired man finally had his head up to stare after Nadia with a conflicted expression across his face. Riley pursed his lips. Phelan had known Nadia would be here. Fate and destiny had nothing to do with this. Everything that had happened had been manipulated by an outside force and he didn’t realize until now. How had he known she would be in town? … So many questions that would have to wait for now.
‘Are you ready to hear me out now?’
He suppressed the laugh that bubbled up from his chest as she asked and he turned back to the small woman with the huge presence. He didn’t have much choice, did he? He made sure to make direct eye contact with the silver haired woman… He’d learned plenty about werewolves from Phelan and he was playing with fire now. He knew it… But he was actually, in a great position this way, wasn’t he? She needed him. Obviously, all of this screamed that she needed him.
“Any business y’make with me now doesn’ make ya my boss,” he finally said, eyebrows raising up slowly. “In fact, it seems neither of us has a choice now but t’work with the other, am I righ’?” He crossed his arms over his chest slowly, keeping his own demeanor calm and breathing deeply to keep his heartbeat steady and not give away his silent rage at the entire situation. Being around vampires for so many years had helped him remember those tiny details to keep himself harder for the supernatural to read. He had to have some tricks, being a… squishy mortal human against other humans with supernatural gifts.
“… I still get th’money. Th’girl stays safe, th’traitor lives, an’ I’ll take care o’y’vampire problem, my way.” He paused briefly. “I still get free reign t’do as I please, an' so do they. I ain’ livin’ in y’creepy sterile bedroom… Wanna be able t’have a steady home an’ a life. Wha’ m’allowed t’have of it anyway…”
He knew very well he was making demands from someone who was basically royalty. But he wanted to set down some rules before she continued with her own demands. He wasn’t anybody’s to control… He would take the work she gave him, but he wasn’t one of her pack mates and he refused to be treated as such. She gave him the paycheck, he did what he was instructed, he went home at daybreak. It was that simple to him.
The subject of payment came up and Riley felt a throbbing in his temples as his blood pressure spiked with his anger. A headache ebbed just behind his eyes and made his stomach turn a little as he clenched his fists and shook his head suddenly.
“Fuck y’money! No! No, m’not gettin’ involved with this shit, m’not getting’ in th’middle of any wars, f’anybody! Especially not f’you.” He lifted his head a little defiantly. How dare she just assume he was going to be fine with just accepting all of this mess. This was a lot to ask of a person, no matter the dollar signs she dangled in front of his face. He narrowed his eyes a little to her irritated, growled out response, followed by her raised, sharpened tone, suddenly feeling another turn in his stomach as his heart leapt up in his chest. He didn’t like where any of this was headed… and his whole body turned to the opening door as she instructed someone inside.
And, there she was again.
His eyes widened and his spinning world suddenly halted and focused in on the small blonde woman. She looked terrified. And she was hurt… And, there he was again as well.
The throbbing in his head returned as his brows knit together, immediately making eye contact with the werewolf that lead her inside, clenching his fist but quickly forcing them to relax, suddenly lifting his head with a tense smirk.
“… Well hey, it’s Greg, too.”
Satisfaction rose briefly inside of him when he earned an angry snarl from the Gamma, pretending not to notice the spike of irritation and lowering his eyes onto Nadia instead with a sudden, deep set frown as the tiny woman spoke up and tried to make her presence as big as possible. His heart sank now as he listened and watched, closing his eyes in his sudden exasperation.
Well then. Alpha Morrigan pretty much had him by the balls now, didn’t she?
He didn’t want her to know that though, and turned back to her slowly, face tensed but blank as he weighed out his options. Refusal from here would lead to something bad, not just for him, but now for (who he thought was) his best friend, and the lost love of his life that got away. If he accepted all of this, he became entwined with… Whatever was happening in this city he was completely unfamiliar with. Now he was being forced into their politics… after finally settling his own hometown politics straight. He could be home right now if he’d just let Phelan go and gotten a dog…
The redhead turned to Phelan now, looking him over, as the scraggly haired man finally had his head up to stare after Nadia with a conflicted expression across his face. Riley pursed his lips. Phelan had known Nadia would be here. Fate and destiny had nothing to do with this. Everything that had happened had been manipulated by an outside force and he didn’t realize until now. How had he known she would be in town? … So many questions that would have to wait for now.
‘Are you ready to hear me out now?’
He suppressed the laugh that bubbled up from his chest as she asked and he turned back to the small woman with the huge presence. He didn’t have much choice, did he? He made sure to make direct eye contact with the silver haired woman… He’d learned plenty about werewolves from Phelan and he was playing with fire now. He knew it… But he was actually, in a great position this way, wasn’t he? She needed him. Obviously, all of this screamed that she needed him.
“Any business y’make with me now doesn’ make ya my boss,” he finally said, eyebrows raising up slowly. “In fact, it seems neither of us has a choice now but t’work with the other, am I righ’?” He crossed his arms over his chest slowly, keeping his own demeanor calm and breathing deeply to keep his heartbeat steady and not give away his silent rage at the entire situation. Being around vampires for so many years had helped him remember those tiny details to keep himself harder for the supernatural to read. He had to have some tricks, being a… squishy mortal human against other humans with supernatural gifts.
“… I still get th’money. Th’girl stays safe, th’traitor lives, an’ I’ll take care o’y’vampire problem, my way.” He paused briefly. “I still get free reign t’do as I please, an' so do they. I ain’ livin’ in y’creepy sterile bedroom… Wanna be able t’have a steady home an’ a life. Wha’ m’allowed t’have of it anyway…”
He knew very well he was making demands from someone who was basically royalty. But he wanted to set down some rules before she continued with her own demands. He wasn’t anybody’s to control… He would take the work she gave him, but he wasn’t one of her pack mates and he refused to be treated as such. She gave him the paycheck, he did what he was instructed, he went home at daybreak. It was that simple to him.