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© All characters and storylines surrounding these characters belong to me, Eben Black..

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The fact we were contacting some of the oldest and most dangerous wereanimals of all time, had somehow spurred me on to want to swim. I'd taken to the rooftop pool, and had been accompanied by Snow. He sat on the edge of the pool, legs dipping in the smooth, glacial surface, while I did lengths. I'd donned a pair of black swimming trunks while Snow sat in the denim shorts from earlier. He'd taken the shirt off and was watching me quietly. We had the ability to be apart now, but for some reason all the things that were happening were making us closer than ever. It had been two days of knowing Snow, and I already trusted him more than most of the werewolves I knew. My mind was reeling as I swam. I turned and lay on my back, floating, thinking about what was happening. I had been having those dreams as well and wondered if they had any real meaning behind them. I closed my eyes and let the ease of the pool sway me. The thoughts receeded and I turned, standing and looking over at Snow. The tiger smiled at me as I waded over and leaned on his knees, gazing up at him. He hunched over me, one hand trailed over my head fur as it draped over my blue eyes. He smiled down at me, his hand travelled down the back of my neck and stroked me there between my shoulder blades. I lay my head in his lap and could smell the sweet coconut of his shampoo from the shower he'd had that morning.

"You look anxious, full of thoughts and sadness, Eben."

"No offense, Snow, but what do you expect?" I asked with a saddened smile.

"True enough. I hope nothing bad happens."

"Me neither." I realised that not only was I going to be looked at closely, but Snow would too. It had been him who'd awakened the Lupine inside me.

"You worried about me too?" Snow asked. He must have noticed I'd realised something. I looked up and nodded. "You have nothing to worry about. I can handle myself."

"I'm sure you can, but that doesn't change the fact I'm as worried about you as I am myself."

"I'll make sure nothing bad happens to you, while I'm around." He stroked my head fur and leaned down. I braced myself on the sides and lifted myself up, catching his lips with mine. He smirked and pushed at my shoulders. We collapsed back into the water and sank beneath the surface. I gazed up at his beautiful muscular form. He wrapped his arms around my middle and rolled us so he was underneath me. We sank a little while our lips met and we kissed, deep and passionate. For the moment no one could harm us, no one could touch us. I broke the kiss and we swam upward, breaking the surface and holding one another. Snow cradled me against him, the muscular forearms tensed as his tail glided on the surface behind him.

"Donovan phoned the council right?" Snow asked as we floated, holding one another.

I nodded.

"When should we expect them?" he asked.

"Anytime soon," a deep voice said. I turned and found the voice belonged to Kane. He was dressed all in black now, like the night we'd found Snow. His katana sheathed and fastened at his hip. The chocolate of his eyes looked so serious and cold now. He was prepped for whatever was about to happen.

"You look like an assassin," Snow said with a warm smile, "Awesome blade too."

"Thanks. You would know," Kane smirked back.

"Did you decide to dress like a one-man-armada, or did Donovan request it?" I asked looking curious.

"Donovan believes being prepared is the best thing right now. And since I'm playing the role of Guardian, I'll need to be armed at all times." He touched a hand to the hilt of his blade and said, "Better safe than sorry I suppose."

"I suppose so," I agreed. It made me want the GLOCK that Bishop had handed me.

"I feel like I should have a weapon of some kind now," Snow said with a pleasant intrigue about him. He was powerful, but when I'd seen him fight he'd been feral, maddened almost.

"Do you remember ever wielding a weapon before?" I asked, turning in the water to look at him.

He shook his head. "No, but when I went for a swim earlier I had a feeling that I'd used my bare hands before, boxing maybe?"

"Bishop did some boxing, and hand-to-hand combat techniques when he was growing up. You may be a natural," Kane suggested.

"He's been training me in some moves. I used one of them to throw you and knock you into your senses," I explained with a playful smile.

"Thanks for that, it worked, but it hurt like Hell," Snow grinned.

"Doesn't sound like a bad idea, considering the times we're living in now," Kane added.

"In the meantime brute force will have to do," Snow laughed, he raised an arm and flexed his bicep. He did look impressive. He had to have done some serious weight lifting to build muscle work like that.

"You have to have been some form of sportsmen before you went insane, not to mention your a wereanimal-powerhouse, Snow." Kane grinned as he spoke.

"You sound almost envious?" Snow smirked back.

"You wish!" Kane growled back with a smile.

I laughed and laughed with the others. The fact we were in danger left me for a moment, until I felt something, some distant pressure built and then all of a sudden my attention focused at the other end of the rooftop. I gazed at the form that was crouched at a corner of the rooftop. The form stood up, standing at six foot seven, easily. It had a muscular frame, fur covered its body, a bored expression graced the tiger's face. He had an unusual colour about him. He had white chest and stomach fur, his stripes black, and the fur in between was blue, various shades of blue. Piercing yellows eyes stared across the rooftop at us. He was dressed in a pair of black denim jeans, and boots as black as his stripes. A knife was sheathed at his thigh, and there were no other weapons from what we could see. His head fur was cut close, and three silver loops graced each ear. His eyes narrowed and a grin spread his lips. The weretiger took two steps and then said, "This does look like a wonderful place to call home. Do tell me, which of you is Eben Black?" his voice was rich, mature but full of anger and hatred it seemed.

"What does it matter to you?" Snow demanded. He'd stepped in front of me and raised one arm to protect me.

Kane tensed, his hand began slowly dragging his blade from its sheath.

"I would not do that if I were you," the blue feline warned without looking at the wolf's direction.

"Speak for yourself!" Kane snarled back, he yanked his blade free from the scabbard, and the moment he did blood spurted from his ears and mouth. He gasped and collapsed in a bloodied heap. He shook with his sword lying beside him. He trembled as he regained his composure and crawled to his knees, he trailed two fingers over his blade. There was a rush of movement and suddenly the tiger was gone. He reappeared standing with his back to Kane, facing me and Snow. His foot was pinning the katana down by the hilt.

"I forewarned you. Do not make the next blow the final one!" the feline growled as he glared back at Kane.

"Ease down, Kane." Snow and I waded to the side and crawled out of the pool. "I'm Eben." I frowned as I announced who I was.

"You are Eben Black?" the blue tiger smirked as he asked. I nodded. "Hmm, I believed you would be taller, considering the rumours."

"And what rumours would those be?" I demanded.

The tiger rotated his shoulders and grinned again, "The rumours say you are bound to two alphas. Bound like a bitch, according to the grapevine."

"Like a bitch?"

"A female alpha werewolf, a bitch."

"Crude terminology, now what do you want!" I demanded in a low growl.

"I was asked here, no. We were asked here," the feline replied.

"Whose we?"

"We are those who have lived longer than any other of our kind. We are unique, unique as you are unique, Eben Black." The feline took a step forward. He removed his foot from the katana, and that was all the wolf beneath him needed. Kane's hand was a blur, he snatched up the katana, moved in two swift steps and swung upward. The blade slid through the feline's back and sprang from the top of his head with ease. The feline stood, eyes wide and shocked, then the whole form shimmered and dispersed in a haze. "Nice technique there, pup. But not good enough to take me down," a cultured voice said. We followed it and found the feline standing atop that smooth, glacial pool. He stood in the centre, hands on his hips, looking at Kane in mock-disappointment.

"W-What are you?" I stammered.

"I told you. We are the oldest and most unique of our kind. Your alpha summoned us here because of the situation LA and most of the US is under," he explained.

"Do you have an individual name?" I asked.

"I had a name long ago, and use it for those who do not wish to acknowledge our presence."

"The name, dammit!" Kane growled, as he staggered a little. What had this bastard done to him?

"My name is Sawyer," he said in a deep purr. "Now, please restrain your guard dog before I kill him!"

"How are you standing atop a pool's surface like that?" I asked.

Sawyer smirked at me, and wagged his finger at me. "How rude of you to ask when I have an audience," he teased.

"He's an illusionist. He uses tricks of the mind and befuddles those he wishes to do harm against," a voice said from behind us. I turned and found Donovan standing there, a GLOCK in one hand, and another in the waistband of his jeans. He was naked from the waist up. "I've heard rumours of the council's aged powers, but I had no idea they'd send someone so young." Was Donovan baiting this tiger? Sawyer smirked back and padded a few steps until he was standing atop the rooftop once more like the rest of us normal folk. "I asked for help, not someone to torment my pack." He sounded a little annoyed now.

"Have you never heard of being thankful for what you are given?" Sawyer sneered.

"Your here for business, nothing more. Please understand that."

"I'm here to understand more about your rather unique pack," Sawyer said as he glanced across at me with those piercing yellow eyes.

"Undo what you did to Kane?" I demanded.

Sawyer looked right at me now and said, "My illusions are not mere facades, the damage I did was internal, hence the bleeding, but he will heal in no time. There is no need for undoing anything."

I frowned, but had to take him at his word.

"Donovan Reed, you requested the help from the council, and now I am here. I would like to hear what seems to be the problem before sundown, if that's quite alright."

"Fair enough. Won't you come down to the lounge. Eben, Snow, Kane? Please join us when you have changed," Donovan added. He gestured to the door that lead down into the penthouse below. Sawyer went on without another word. As he passed, Donovan glanced at us. The glance said that he wanted us prepared. He handed Snow the two GLOCKs he'd brought with him, and he then proceeded to follow Sawyer down below. I took the GLOCK that Snow offered me and I knew why Donovan had given us the weapons. A dangerous, dangerous wereanimal was amongst us, he wanted us armed at all times until the feline was gone.

Kane coughed and spluttered, spitting blood as he sheathed his sword one-handed. He looked aggrivated now. Even a little ashamed.

"You alright, Kane?" I asked.

"I'm fine."

"But your bleeding," I added.

"I'll heal, okay!" he growled, he turned and headed down to get changed and cleaned up.

"What's his problem?" I asked.

"He's a proud swordsman, driven by honour, but he finally encountered someone who could stop him dead today. Fighting a feral weretiger, and one who uses internal illusions are two different things."

I considered Snow for a moment and realised that he understood Kane more so than I did. "I suppose your right. Come on, lets head down and get changed. I have a bad feeling about Sawyer being here."