Ettore | ✔️

𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒓𝒕𝒚-𝑻𝒘𝒐 | 𝑰

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𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑭𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝑾𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒘𝒐𝒍𝒗𝒆𝒔

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Syretia was woken up by a sliver of sunshine bursting through the small gap in her curtains. She squinted her eyes, looking around until her eyes landed on the alarm clock on her dresser across the room. She sat up straighter, making out the time:

8:30 AM

She let out a huff of air before falling back into her messy array of pillows. She looked down to see that she was only in her sports bra and underwear, she scrunched her brows as she tried to remember when she had stripped down for bed. The thought of what happened last night filtered into her brain, she scanned her arms and then her body; nothing but a few bruises. Had it all been a dream? Was Vindicatio really that giant beastly creature? How could the presence of the other one be explained?

She tossed her covers away, shuffling over to her closet. She grabbed her robe and cinched it around her waist. She ran her tongue over her slightly chapped lips before smacking them, she scratched her head as she let out a yawn. Boy, was she beat. Syretia opened her door to see various people sprawled around her living area. People she had never seen before... wait a second. She trudged closer, her eyes zoning in on a familiar dark-haired girl sprawled on her couch. She felt her face burn as she looked over at Vindicatio sitting on the other end. His neck arched against the back of the couch, his long legs stuck out haphazardly, one heel resting on the back of a man with darkly tanned skin and long, braided black hair. Vindicatio looked relaxed, like he hadn't just poured out his entire fucked up life story to her. But then she remembered the words he said, to act like it hadn't been spoken of. She'd respect his wishes. 

She crouched down getting a closer look at the man on the floor, he had three scars running down his face. They looked rather deep and like that had been on his face for a long time. She couldn't help but think about how painful they must've been.

She stepped over Vindicatio's legs, glowering at the dark-haired girl once more on her way into the kitchen. What she saw was quite a surprise.

A tall young man with a skin tone similar to the man sleeping on the ground stood on her balcony, the man that had attacked her at the diner last night was fastened to one of her outdoor lounge chairs, kept under the other man's watchful gaze. Who were all these people and why was the brutish man on her balcony! He deserved to be left bleeding from the stab wound she had given him.

Her eyes widened as the brawny young man turned his gaze inside, his face was stoic as he crossed his arms over his chest. The expression and stance he held didn't seem to suit him, in particular: his messy dark brown hair and boyish face. He reached out and slid the slider door open before stepping inside.

"You're awake," he commented, his voice was another thing that didn't suit him, it sounded much too deep and aged.

"Yes, I am," she stated before awkwardly looking around until his hand was thrust into her gaze. She reached her hand out and he grasped her wrist firmly, Syretia gave him an odd look as he gave her an expectant look. She glanced back at his hand on her wrist before grasping his the same way. He gave her a firm handshake that made her stumble forward.

"I never met a human before, you sure are weak. Interesting..." He muttered the weak part more to himself but she couldn't help but roll her eyes.

"Well you didn't have to put your entire back into it," she quipped as she yanked her wrist from his grasp. "Generally after a handshake the one who initiates it introduces themselves."

"Oh right! I'm Moki," he grinned.

"And what are you doing here?"

"My wolf followed the lycan," Moki pointed to Vindicatio who was still sound asleep.

"Lycan?"

Moki nodded, "Lycans are the most powerful in the werewolf realm because they are closest to the Moon Goddess. They are created to serve her and keep balance in the supernatural world. They are considered nobility and rarely encounter average werewolves." She remembered Ettore mentioning that he was a prince. She looked over Vindicatio, he truly did look like he belonged in a pristine castle, perched upon a throne with a gaudy crown resting on his head of unruly dark hair.

"Besides their ethereal beauty and physiques; lycans are more cunning, agile, and powerful than the average werewolf. That's why all our wolves feel loyal to him. They see him as their leader, they love the power that he gives off. It's that of an undefeatable leader," another voice joined the conversation, and soon a beautiful woman with bobbed, red hair walked into the kitchen. "I'm Talise by the way."

"An undefeatable leader?" She parrotted. Talise nodded.

"Our pack Alpha has nothing on him power-wise. I suppose you could say our wolves are power-hungry. But they're pack and survival-driven animals. And Vin is a powerful being that will undoubtedly ensure our survival. Though, our wolves are already willing to lay their lives on the line for him."

"How does that even work?" Talise just shrugged, "it's just natural I suppose. Usually when a stronger wolf challenges a leader and wins our wolves shift loyalty. You know that Vindicatio is destined for leadership when our wolves made the switch all on their own, probably the moment they first encountered him. It was because of that that they were able to sense that he was in distress -- it also helped that he was howling. But I don't think the distress was due to his fighting with the other lycan."

"Then what caused it?" Talise pointed a finger at Syretia, "you did. You being hurt and him not being able to help you right away was distressing for him."

There was rattling coming from the balcony as the man strapped down was trying to worm his way out of the binding. Moki ran back and punched him, the man didn't try again after that. Moki walked back in shaking his hand.

"Man's face felt like I punched metal," he muttered under his breath. Talise let out a giggle before sidling up next to him, their eyes met each other and their expressions both softened as though they had gotten lost in each other's gaze.

"Are you guys together?" She couldn't help but prod as she pointed between the two of them. Talise jumped away from him as though she had burnt herself.

"No! Of course not," she burst out immediately before going out onto the balcony. Moki's face turned a little sad before it went stoic again, he too went out on the balcony sliding the door shut.

Syretia watched as they talked to one another, their body language spoke volumes. She could tell that they were into each other, she just didn't know why Talise was resistant. It wasn't her place anyway.