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Authors: Megan J. Parker
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before landing on the roof of a meat-packing facility. Serena stumbled, her bowing her knees to cope with the force of the landing while Axle hit the roof in a tucked roll that carried him several meters ahead and allowed him to roll gracefully to his feet.
Panting, he turned to face her and offered a nod, “You’re good.” He smirked and shrugged, “But I’m still better.”
“Whatever helps you sleep at night,” she grinned back, trying—and failing—to not look as winded as she was. “Where’d you learn to move like that anyway?”
He frowned and, obviously confident that Serena was done chasing him, plopped himself Indian-style on the roof, “I grew up on the streets; a ward of The Council’s so-called care, which pretty much meant I got to come-and-go from whatever establishment they tried to plant me in. Let’s just say that when it comes to caring for abandoned youths, our people aren’t exactly on the ball.” He shrugged, “Anyway, when you’re always being chased down for this or that—either because somebody caught you stealing something or because they realized you’d jumped their gates a few weeks earlier—you learn how to run. And when the people you’re running from are people like you, you learn how to run faster .”
Serena frowned, feeling a familiar tug of pity at Axle’s story. “I suppose that’s true enough,” she sighed and, deciding there was no point in pretending she still planned to chase him, followed his example and sat down; her left knee pulled up to her chest. “Most of the therions I know focus more on strength than speed, though.” Serena sighed and looked over at him, “Have you always been on your own?”
“You suddenly interested in me for more than just the warrants on my head?” He grinned.
Serena frowned, “Would you rather I just shot you?”
“You have a gun?” Axle raised an eyebrow, “Where the hell would you keep it?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know. So you gonna answer my question or not?”
Axle frowned and shrugged, “I was a part of a pack at one point, but we were attacked by hunters. Only me and my friend got away, and when we were found wandering the streets by a warrior we got thrown into our first orphanage.”
“Not much to say for grammar lessons, I see,” Serena chuckled.
Axle stared.
“Nevermind,” Serena frowned, noticing his aura darken under the weight of his memories and she found herself wanting to help him more than she was driven to arrest him. Shaking her head, she pulled herself to her feet and towards him—holding up her hands as a peace offering when he noticeably pulled back—and took a place next to him. “Look, there’s two ways we can do this…” She began.
“Oh? What are we doing?” He gave her a sidelong glance.
“Definitely not what you’re thinking,” she sighed.
“And what would you know about what I’m thinking, fang-head?” Axle scoffed.
“Because”—she held up a fist and let her pointer finger rise—“one: I might be a blonde, but I know that anything with a dick between its thighs is thinking the same thing—and since your kind are notorious for being mostly dick, I’d say that counts further for you—and two:”—she let her middle finger spring up to join the first—“I might be a ‘fang-head’, but I’m also part auric and I can read your thoughts with greater clarity than an Ernest Hemingway novel.”
Axle’s face reddened and he nodded, “O-okay. Fair enough… so what are my two options?”
“You can either allow me arrest you NOW—willingly surrender to the Vail Clan so that I can use that to our mutual advantage-- or you can explain to me what your entire gig is aiming at and, if I see a point behind it, work with you to make things right.”
“My gig”? Axle frowned.
Serena nodded, “Yea. Like, why you’re running around my town stealing money of all things. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure you’re a real asshole in your own right, but you
Panting, he turned to face her and offered a nod, “You’re good.” He smirked and shrugged, “But I’m still better.”
“Whatever helps you sleep at night,” she grinned back, trying—and failing—to not look as winded as she was. “Where’d you learn to move like that anyway?”
He frowned and, obviously confident that Serena was done chasing him, plopped himself Indian-style on the roof, “I grew up on the streets; a ward of The Council’s so-called care, which pretty much meant I got to come-and-go from whatever establishment they tried to plant me in. Let’s just say that when it comes to caring for abandoned youths, our people aren’t exactly on the ball.” He shrugged, “Anyway, when you’re always being chased down for this or that—either because somebody caught you stealing something or because they realized you’d jumped their gates a few weeks earlier—you learn how to run. And when the people you’re running from are people like you, you learn how to run faster .”
Serena frowned, feeling a familiar tug of pity at Axle’s story. “I suppose that’s true enough,” she sighed and, deciding there was no point in pretending she still planned to chase him, followed his example and sat down; her left knee pulled up to her chest. “Most of the therions I know focus more on strength than speed, though.” Serena sighed and looked over at him, “Have you always been on your own?”
“You suddenly interested in me for more than just the warrants on my head?” He grinned.
Serena frowned, “Would you rather I just shot you?”
“You have a gun?” Axle raised an eyebrow, “Where the hell would you keep it?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know. So you gonna answer my question or not?”
Axle frowned and shrugged, “I was a part of a pack at one point, but we were attacked by hunters. Only me and my friend got away, and when we were found wandering the streets by a warrior we got thrown into our first orphanage.”
“Not much to say for grammar lessons, I see,” Serena chuckled.
Axle stared.
“Nevermind,” Serena frowned, noticing his aura darken under the weight of his memories and she found herself wanting to help him more than she was driven to arrest him. Shaking her head, she pulled herself to her feet and towards him—holding up her hands as a peace offering when he noticeably pulled back—and took a place next to him. “Look, there’s two ways we can do this…” She began.
“Oh? What are we doing?” He gave her a sidelong glance.
“Definitely not what you’re thinking,” she sighed.
“And what would you know about what I’m thinking, fang-head?” Axle scoffed.
“Because”—she held up a fist and let her pointer finger rise—“one: I might be a blonde, but I know that anything with a dick between its thighs is thinking the same thing—and since your kind are notorious for being mostly dick, I’d say that counts further for you—and two:”—she let her middle finger spring up to join the first—“I might be a ‘fang-head’, but I’m also part auric and I can read your thoughts with greater clarity than an Ernest Hemingway novel.”
Axle’s face reddened and he nodded, “O-okay. Fair enough… so what are my two options?”
“You can either allow me arrest you NOW—willingly surrender to the Vail Clan so that I can use that to our mutual advantage-- or you can explain to me what your entire gig is aiming at and, if I see a point behind it, work with you to make things right.”
“My gig”? Axle frowned.
Serena nodded, “Yea. Like, why you’re running around my town stealing money of all things. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure you’re a real asshole in your own right, but you
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