Welcome to Wonderland

[Melinda]

Watching Sid as he talked, Ally wondered if she should trade with him or not. Though two seconds later as Nikolai slammed through the doors it didn't matter, the fact was he now knew about her dealings in the market. "Nikolai?!" This was going to be horrible when they got back to the pack, though she was unsure what would happen. Standing she grabbed her bag, glancing to Sid she knew saying anything to him would get her in more shit. So looking away she took her time walking to stand by the door, and waited for him to hurry up. She couldn't help but smirk at a couple comments that Sid said, but she made sure to stay out of it. Though Sid was pushing his luck, she herself wondered what Nikolai would do now.

[Zachey]

His icy gaze grazed Ally's when he heard her say his name. His stare was enough to send a chill down anyone's spine. He was not going to say a word to her until they were out of the damn boy's sight. She was going to get an earful once they left, and by the look of her expression, she knew it too. Oh, she had no idea, and could not possibly begin to fathom what it was going to be like for her.

"The hell it does, human," he had answered in a snarl quickly bringing his fixed glare back at him, when the boy had questioned his involvement in the situation.

Even as the boy stepped closer to size both of them up, Nikolai stood his ground. He had already known from just looking at him, that he was easily almost a foot taller than him. When the boy himself had figured this fact out, he resorted to telling a joke. A very pathetic joke. However, that wasn't what brought a faint smile to Nikolai's lips. It was the fact that he had began choking afterwards. Sure, it seemed a little cynical when he thought about it, but that didn't stop it from being the least bit amusing.

"Now, if you know what's good for you," he said in a quiet, and velvety tone while he looked at him straight in the eye as he regained his seriousness, "keep your superiority complexed presence away from my pack, or I'll just have to crack your pretty little face in if you don't, and trust me, it'll hurt like a fuckin' son of a bitch on your end."

With that having been said, he turned around and grabbed Ally by the arm to lead her out the door before he stepped outside as well.

[colleen]

My, my, he was an angry fellow.
And she was a passive whelp.

He watched her avoid his gaze, as she collected her things to leave. He doubted that she was 'terrified' of this fellow, Nikolai but he certainly was intimidating. Sid wondered how luxurious it must be to command such attention simply by entering the room. Height was something he lacked, but his "superiority complex", as coined by Nikolai seemed to suit him just fine. Sid glanced at Nikolai, meeting his glare, reaching for his book. "You need to lighten up, Popeye. Stress it's a killer." He smiled turning to leave; it was obvious he had withstood his welcome.

He passed Ally, lightly touching her elbow. "We'll do this again sometime, love. Once Big Brother has ungrounded you." Sid smiled passing by both Nikolai and Ally, exiting the shop into the hazy streets. He walked out into the street the rubble littering both sides of the street. Vagrants, if any shrunk back into familiar hiding places, anyone who didn't belong whether it was a Jabari or a mere human were considered dangerous. Once Sid had reached the middle, he turned again to face the Jabari pair in the shop front. He had heard the threats, he wasn't concerned but he wasn't sure what to make of this Jabari. Nikolai's hostility was something to take note of, as he would if provoked 'crack Sid's pretty little face' if needed, of that Sid was sure. He pointed the book at Nikolai and yelled across the street to him, throwing Ally under the preverbal bus.

"Just you remember Big Brother, when they write the history books, just remember who initiated this conversation."

And with that, he was gone. Ally would be reprimanded and Nikolai would be praised. Or maybe the opposite would happen, maybe this was a government Intel operation on Sid, he didn't know, nor did he care. Bones break, and they heal; scars fade; words linger and harm; but life goes on, of that he knew well. Sidney was prepared to coexist with life's misfortune and enjoy it while he could. He knew that if she wanted to find him, it wouldn't be hard. After all she recognized him first.

[Melinda]

Things didn't go down like they were suppose to, if Nikolai hadn't found her it would have went better. She would have someone else to trade with, and then went on there way. Though if things had turned bad, at least she had back up. Glancing up as her pack mate finished and came toward her, Ally caught his eye and held it for a few seconds before looking away. She could feel his anger and frustration, and she had no way to fix it. Jumping as Sid brushed her arm, Ally could kick herself for being such a whelp at the moment. But was glad she manged to meet his eyes as he spoke to her, and wondered if they would meet again. As he walked away, Ally was surprised he turned around and had one thing left to say. With a quick look at Nikolai she pulled her arm out of his grip, stopping a growl she started toward there pack. She was in deep shit and knew it, she was about to get an earful which is fine. But if Caleb the pack leader found out, he could kick her from the pack.

[Zachey]

Hearing the last few utterances the human had to say to both Ally and him, he simply shrugged it off, but could not quite quiet the snarl that escaped his throat and went audible past his teeth. He was not his problem now, and best for him if they never encountered again. Especially under these kind of circumstances.

He felt her tug her arm back to her side, which was fine with him. Had he not wanted to let her do so, she would not have been able to. Simple as that. He knew the amount of brute strength he held within himself - - especially when he was angry. Hell, even a few others new of that strength, whether it was because they had witnessed it, or were on the receiving side of it (unfortunate for those few), it did not matter. The evidence of its existence was there.

Nikolai made sure he did not say a single word until they got into the wooded area that lay across right before they reached their refuge. His legs took long strides, knowing that she would closely follow behind, if she didn't want to get in any deeper trouble than what she was already in.

The sole event of her going off by herself had struck a personal nerve in him. The flashbacks began coming back to him in waves; something he had thought he had locked away long ago.

He and Makani had been two, and yet the outcome had proved to be fatal for his friend. Not only had it been his death that haunted Nikolai to this very day, and sometimes the very reason why he woke up in panic at night, but it was Makani's pain stricken face that went unbelievably calm when his head had forcibly collided with the earth, and his inability to wake afterwards that made him so angry and sullen. It was something that Nikolai knew he would never be able to live down and not blame himself for for the rest of his waking life. And the fact that Ally thought she was able to take care of herself without anyone's help was too much for him not to erupt on her. He tried to hide it from his face the best he could, but the expression was evidently there if only for less than a second.

Finally getting to the point where they were out of sight from others, and on the brink of being out of the smell from other pack members, Nikolai came to a sudden halt, and turned to face her letting his cold frozen gaze settle on her eyes promising an unrelenting and unforgiving scolding.

"What the FUCK were you thinking even being around that human alone! You know you're always supposed to be within smell range! You like wandering off, and being alone, but you can't be doing that! 'the fuck, Ally?! If you were in danger, it is much more than a possibility that none of us would or could get to you in time! And what kind of a place would that leave us in as pack members! We're completely useless to you, and you might as well be sent out on you're own if you want to play it like that," he started, but was far from being finished.

"Oh, and nevertheless! You were attempting to make some sort of goddamn client out of him! You are literally in over your head, you know that right?!" he said not letting her get her word in-between any of his questions. His piercing blue eyes attempted to look at her for more than mere moments, but he was afraid he'd end up doing something he'd regret later on instead. Therefore, he kept his eyes wandering as he paced back and forth in front of her.

"Of course you know that! Not only are you putting yourself into a whole world of fuckin' harm, you're putting the rest of the pack into it too. Simply being in that hell of a market, you're signing everyone in Jabari - - The Alpha, the Betas, scouts, hunters, omegas and the fuckin' pups - - into a goddamn death wish! Stop thinking about yourself for the slightest moment, and put an ounce of that thought into the rest of the pack, Ally! All know the rest of us have given you more than enough of consideration when it comes to your well-being! We know that life in Jabari his hard, it's more than obvious! But we attempt to make it worth while and help one another out if we need it. That's the whole idea of the goddamn pack! We help each other out! But while the rest of us are doing that, you're out and completely doing the opposite!" His hands could not find a spot to plant themselves. They waved around towards their haven, darted through his hair, and even gripped his hips if only for seconds as he continued talking, if one could call it that.

"Goddamn it, call yourself the luckiest being alive if I let this one pass by Caleb. Oh, and forget about me, and this talk we're having; what would he say about it if he knew?", he said as he ended it with a slight mocking chuckle, as he rubbed his jaw.

Finally, having a few moments to breathe in a few short breaths, he stopped pacing, and faced away from her and towards Jabari. "What the fuck, Ally?"

[Melinda]

She watched Nikolai move ahead of her, which to her was fine knowing he wasn't glaring at her back anymore. Now she was able to think better about what to say when he turned on her, hopefully before they showed up on pack territory. Glancing up at her fellow pack mate, Ally wondered how upset he was. True she could sense it but maybe he would cool down some.... but it wasn't likely. What would he say to her? Or would he maybe wait and just give her to the pack leader. Glancing down at her own hands she realized she was shaking a bit, trying to control it Ally entwined her hands before rubbing them together. Holding them out they were a little better but not by much, she decided to place them her her sweater pocket. It was one of her favorite sweaters, a light blue with a zipper in the front. She wasn't paying attention much when Nikolai turned around and started yelling, it made Ally stumble a little before meeting his gaze. The first set of words hit her like a brick in the face, she could take care of herself and it hurt that he thought so little of her. She may be smaller then the average wolf, but she was fast and still knew how to fight. A mixture of emotions washed over her all at once, mostly fear of his anger and being sent out of the pack. But also anger that he didn't think she could take on a human, and she was on her way to him when she picked up the humans scent in the first place. But Ally kept her mouth shut as he continued to yell at her, hopefully all his pacing would cool him down. But the more he went on the worse she felt, she starting shaking more so she leaned up against the tree hoping to stop it. How was the pack in danger? She would never hurt her own pack, the government already knew about her dealings and didn't care. As Nikolai faced away from her and stopped talking she was unsure what to do. Nothing she said would fix this, so she didn't say anything. Instead while he was looking away Ally shifted, in her wolf form things weren't so bad. The wolf didn't care as much, so she moved up behind Nikolai stretched and whined. She poked the back of his leg with her nose. This would either calm him down a bit, or make him more angry. She was about to find out wither way.

[Zachey]

The silence afterwards was a long and deafening one. He knew that he had said much more than he had anticipated, and most of it turned out to be hurtful. When he sensed, more like smelled, her transformation into that of a wolf, he let his head drop a little. His hands connected at the nape of his neck as he felt most of his stress make it's settlement there, and form itself into knots.

Letting himself exhale a deep breath when he felt her nose touch his calf, he let his knees give out from under him forcing him into a squatting position instead.

"Look," he said after a couple of moments of calming himself down, but could not quite get the words he had wanted to to come out. Raising his head some to take in the view, he tried once more. "I know what I said was harsh, and I know that you can take care of yourself, alright. I did not mean to make it sound as if you didn't. It's what we're trained to do, work alone if the need asks for it. It's just that..."

He brought his arms down, one to settle on his knee, while the other lingered at his mouth in intent to keep that story between him and the other two. Both Catori and Kohona had made it very well clear that it wasn't healthy for him to be kept in the past. Especially, that specific moment in the past.

"Never mind," he had said instead as he straightened himself out and began walking towards their refuge, "we need to start heading back."

[Melinda]

The she wolf clung on to every word her pack mate uttered, her ears were lowered along with her head. Her eyes never left him though, they followed each movement he made. He was upset about something other then her, but what wasn't he saying to her. Watching as Nikolai stood up, Ally did the same and started to follow when he moved forward. Forward toward there pack territory, where the leader was. Shaking out her fur Ally let out a frustrated whine, she wanted to ask him something. But would he just get more angry with her? Reaching out her her thoughts, Ally tried getting his Nikolais attention. One of the benefits of being a werewolf, communicating through the mind with pack mates. "Nikolai? I'm sorry to put you in this position. I never meant for it to go down like this, I was trying to help the Pack. I would never harm them." Her voice was the same as if she were talking out loud, though only Nikolai could hear it. "I know something else is bothering you though... what was it you were going to say?" She kept the same pace through the forest, but kept her guard up encase he got more upset. Though Ally couldn't see him getting any more upset then he was already.

[Zachey]

The trail was not noticeable, but the scent was surely there. All Jabari members were trained to leave it's premises without leaving an inch of trace for any other than a member to pick up. His eyes wandered, scouting the area for any signs of potential danger, but even he did not believe that there would be any. Jabari was always being monitored by at least half a dozen wolves. There weren't any weak spots or blind places. No one was able to get in or out without being noticed by at least one other wolf.

He could still feel the presence of the knots that resided in the nape of his neck and the tension that held his shoulders. It was not as if he had not been used to them by now. If anything, they were an ongoing thing, although he did wish that they weren't.

Nikolai felt the invasion in his thoughts. Ally was attempting to connect. If it was one thing that the wolf race had a talent and gift for, it was communicating telepathically. He dropped his head in the thought of it. Sure, a wolf can determine what can and cannot be transmitted between them, but he was already being cold. No point in giving her the silent treatment too.

He did not say a single word, out loud or mentally, when she had said something about putting him in this position or potentially harming the rest of the pack, but Nikolai could help glancing at her when she had told him that she had noticed the side thoughts he was having besides the ones that she had caused.

Not even having a minute to ponder of what he could tell her about his past and current situation, he stopped abruptly. His stance took that of a predator's, but to what, he didn't know just yet. All there was of evidence was that the silence that encased them both was now deafening. Too quiet for this particular part of the jungle. It was as if something was not only keeping themselves inaudible, but everything else as well.

He took a whiff from out of the air. Those scents. He knew them. There was a low snarl starting at the pit of his stomach, and raising itself higher, until it finally let itself out of his throat into the open. His head turned to the left when the sound of several footsteps became clear only to those who were able to hear the most sensitive of sounds.

Within a blink of an eye, there was a blur in front of him. This one was dark and kept itself securely shadowed within the pit of the trees that surrounded them. Smart move. But his biggest concern was the other that hadn't shown itself yet. He knew that it was around here somewhere.

The pounding sounds of feet traveling against the earth came from behind him and at a rapid speed. Nikolai had only a moment to turn and face the animal that was already jumping towards him in the attempt to bring him down. Which he had. With a slight "Umph!", Nikolai hit the ground underneath the light-toned wolf. The ground that had stood nearly ten feet away from where he had been.

"Goddamn it! Both of you!" Nikolai said as he brought a muscular arm up and around the wolf's midsection to twist him over and pin him on the ground. "You know I don't like these damn games!" When Nikolai had finished off his ranting sentence, the other wolf had taken the time to transform himself back into it's human form.

As the blond haired man twisted his own leg with that of Nikolai's, he gained the momentum to flip him over and trap him in-between both arms, master-lock style.

"Aw, come on, Nico! Don't have to be gettin' all mad now," he said with a brilliant smile on his face.

"Alright, Kohona. You can let him go now. We got him," said a female voice, from just beside Ally, with a slight laughter embedded in it.

[Melinda]

Ally stopped a few feet away from Nikolai, and realized why he had stopped in the first place. At first she didn't notice any noise, she had been to upset over what happen to notice. She was getting careless, and careless could get her or the pack killed. Her ears perked up to hear better, there was at least two of them out there. Sniffing the air the she wolf moved to the side a little, picking up a better scent in the air. Pack members. Relaxing now, she turned to glance at Nikolai who was being knocked to the ground. Letting a growl escape her, Ally stopped herself from leaping at them. Her nose picked up the familiar scent of Kohona, and if he was here Catori was to.

She heard the other female move up beside her. Glancing toward her, Ally smiled, but glanced back over at Nikolai. She should have gotten out of here earlier, now she was really stuck with her situation. Glancing toward the woods, Ally wished to be anywhere but here on pack territory. She picked up on the conversation that went on between them, she herself would stay out of it as much as possible. For all she knew, at the end of the day they might not be pack anymore.

[Zachey]

"Get the hell off, Kohona," Nikolai had said as he struggled to get out of the blond man's grip, that was surprisingly strong. He attempted to shake him off by jolting his body left, right, up and down in a variety of combinations, but to no success. If it was one moves that his friend held against him, it was this one. And he hated it. Substantially.

"Aw, why? I've missed you SO much, mon ami!" Kohona had answered back in his native accent towards his irritated friend. He brought his blond head to his friend's and made the grip seem much more like a compassionate hug than a submission move. If it was one thing Kohona loved to do, it was irritate Nikolai - - to an extent of course.

Nikolai stopped struggling now that he knew he wasn't getting out any time soon. He let out a deep sigh, as best he could of course since his air way was somewhat blocked along with the submission move, and uttered out his next words. "I said let go, you damn Cajun!"

"Niko, pas besoin d'utiliser ce genre de langage!"

"I don't understand a damn word you said! Speak english, dammit!" Nikolai had continued on as he finally broke out of his grip. Even though they'd been friends since who knows how long, he'd never been able to pick up on the small phrases that Kohona said, therefore was completely lost whenever he pulled his french into his speech."Not to mention, you're almost thirty years old, and yet you still act as old as your boy!"

"What can I say? Me and Taima are two of a kind!" Kohona had said proud of the fact that he and his son had a strong bond. "Never goin' to find another one of us on this planet! And that's a promise."

As the two were fighting/playing it out, Catori turned towards Ally.
"Hey there, young one," she said with a smile on her face. "You guys find anything out in the city today?" She knew that the answer would most likely be a no, but it still would not hurt to ask the girl.

[Melinda]

As Ally watched the two pack members fool around, she shook out her fur wanting to get things done with. She wanted to know what lay ahead of her, what would become of her life after today. Lowering her head, Ally's ears lay flat onto of it. She could hear Catori say something to her, but for a moment she kept silent. Should she tell her friend what happen? Or would that make things worse? If they wanted to tear her to shreds they could do so right here. Shooting a glance her way, Ally offered a slight smile before looking away and entering her thoughts. " I did find some sugar before I ran into a human, most likely from Labonita. We talked for a bit, not really about anything interesting at first. " Glancing toward Nikolai, Ally continued. "But I got curious and asked him about the black market, which I do business with." She stood up to face Catori, hopefully her friend would know what to do. " Please don't think less of me now, I put the packs best interest first. I sell items and get twice the amount for it, things that can save the pack. Though Nikolai would like to take me before Caleb, and he will have me sent away."

[Zachey]

She could sense that something was wrong with the younger wolf, but she could not wrap her head around as to what the possible reason could have been. Catori listened as Ally went on to say that she had found some sugar while she was in the city. Sugar was a delicacy in Jabari, so to Catori, that had been a major find.

However, the she-wolf went on to explain that she had an encounter with a human, and what had caught her attention even further was the fact that she had discussed the black market with them.

"I could never think less of you sweetie," Catori had said as she laid a delicate hand on the space between Ally's ears on her head, and began rubbing it some. "You do know that could have been dangerous though, right?" she went on to say in a light and forgiving tone. She knew, however, that Nikolai had not. "Either way, I'm just glad that you're alright."

Having been a mother for a total of eight years now, she learned that all people made decisions on a right-hand basis. Even though it might not make sense to others, it always made some form of sense to the decision-maker. Which is why she knew that Ally had not done it for the bad-being of anything.

"How did Nikolai respond to that?" she said asking her preparing to hear how he had blown up on her because of the event. Catori knew Nikolai well, and the only person that could ever amount to that knowledge could be Kohona. Nikolai was not rational at all times; even if it came from a good place. His up-bringing had been of the hardest that she could have ever imagined. Which is why she could put most of any kind of reason behind his actions.

[Melinda]

Telling someone else made things a feel better, Ally knew that Catori would know what to do. She had been in the pack longer, and was quite smart. Hearing someone talk to her in a kind voice, instead of shouting, was calming. She had expected some kind of anger, but found none. "I'm glad you do not hate me Catori, though I think Nikolai dislikes me now." Would the rest of the pack be as kind as her? Probably not. " He want's to tell Caleb about this, and the fact I sold things at the market. He said I put the whole pack in danger, but I would never do that. But if the Alpha finds out he will chase me out of the pack, I would have no were to go." Letting a small whine escape her, Ally sat down and sighed. She would let them decide her fate, she accepted that she was in the wrong.

[Zachey]

Before Catori could let out another word, Kohona and Nikolai began to walk towards them. Kohona with a brilliant smile on his face, while Nikolai had a face that could probably freeze dozens of people. The way it always was when Kohona teased Nikolai and picked a fight with him.

"What are the lovely duo talkin' about?" Kohona had said as he strode around Catori and embraced her from behind. Laying his chin on her shoulder, he waited for his answer.

"Actually," Catori started off, "we were discussing the event that had happened earlier between these two" she explained as she slightly pointed to both Ally and Nikolai. Now turning towards the brunette man, she gave him an expectant look staying put until he said something.

"What happened?" said Kohona somewhat puzzled now looking towards the other male. Catori had seemed playful only a few moments ago, which meant that it was something serious if she was in 'mom mode' (as he and Taima would call it) in just a few seconds.

"It's none of your business, Catori," Nikolai had answered looking at her straight in the eyes telling her to back off. "Stay out of it." His demand was a cold one, yes, but not nearly as cold as he had been with Ally. The difference was almost noticeable.

"Well, pardon my intrusion then, but when Ally told me, it became my business as well," she responded calmly. "You cannot be serious in telling Caleb about this."

"Tell Caleb about what?" Kohona said attempting to stay on track with the situation, which was clearly not happening. If any situation had to end with Caleb's decision, it was surely something big enough that had happened. It was only a shame that he didn't know what that event was.

"I'm damned serious," Nikolai voiced. "What she did was wrong, therefore it has to go through the Alpha."

"She knew what she was doing, Nikolai. She knows how to protect herself just fine. There's no need to tell him about any of this," Catori reprimanded. "You were probably the one who made a whole mess out of the situation."

"She shouldn't have been out by herself in the first place!" he said only a little louder than what he had been before, but not enough to be considered a shout. Either way, he cooled his voice some before he dared open it again.

"Ah. Out by yourself, eh, chérie?" Kohona had said directing it towards Ally in a kind voice. He knew that the simple act alone would have sent Nikolai off the edge. "Don't worry," he thought over to Ally, "Nothin' is goin' to happen to you, and he's not handin' you over to Caleb. We'll make sure of it," as he gave her a smile and went back to listening to his mate and friend argue it out.

"Look," Catori began taking a breath or two before going on, "Nikolai. We were all there," she said directing the 'we' part to the three of them. "We all witnessed what had happened, alright, but you can't be bringing that up again. It isn't healthy for you, and you can't be taking it out on Ally when it wasn't her fault. You have GOT to move on, already. Think about it this way: You tell Caleb, he will most likely send her out to fend for herself. She'll end up in the same predicament that she was in before, or so you claim, but this time, we wouldn't be able to help her even if we wanted to. She'll be worse off. Then what are you going to do?"

Nikolai knew that she was right. She was ALWAYS right, dammit. He would end up hating himself even further if something would happen to Ally, and he would be the cause of it all.