EIGHTY-TWO | DECIMATED DEFENCES

Things start feeling different a few minutes after we leave the Azure territory. I'm not really sure what Alpha Azure did to us, but now the Pandora's box of my emotions had been opened and everything swirling around my head again. Blue says nothing, still holding my hand tightly as we walk, but I know he's aware of the sizzling connection between us. The itch I can't seem to scratch.

Irritation becomes the dominant emotion, making each step feel more patronizing than the last. Every breath of unspoken words heavier. I think this is how I go insane.

"What the hell did he do to us?" I hiss at Blue when I can't take it anymore, riding the tsunami of emotion in my mind, forcing the words out as calmly as I can.

"Nothing to you." Blue reassures me, but the word you is slightly stressed, sending a surge of annoyance through me. An emotion that's not strictly mine. "I...kind of had a barrier between us-" And I suddenly *know*. The Alpha destroyed the carefully crafted wall between us without even touching us. A wall Blue had poured a shit-load of time and effort making... One that's not so easily replaced.

"He broke it?" I blink, confused and annoyed and- Pain stabs the center of my head, burning and shooting like fireworks on dry wood. "So these are *your* emotions?" I croak out.

"I'm sorry- *Shit*." Blue stops in front of me, releasing my hand. The emotions dull a little. A little. But the headache remains. I groan, massaging my temples. The connection's still raw, humming and expectant and shoveling Blue's emotional baggage on me. Me - who's had the emotional equivalent of my hands tied behind my back for a solid month now. Everything I've felt - for the most part has been dulled by the Blooming. Now, to feel such passionate and strong emotions - it fucking hurts. "I'm sorry, Red. What can I do?" Concern and longing quiver at the edges of his words, strangling me. I choke a laugh, shaking my head at the irony.

"I take back what I said," I moan on another chuckle and look up at him. "I don't like knowing what you're feeling." Blue's concerned expression clears and he smirks back at me. We smile at each other, recalling the many times I've wishes to know what he's feeling...and now, well...

"I'll try to tone it down." He tells me gently, pressing a kiss to my forehead. I shrug, dropping my hands and the headache becomes a quieter throb as the roaring emotions recede. They're still there - but not invading my mind.

"You're going to have to teach me how to do that when this is all over." I huff, stretching my neck. Being able to quiet the shit in my head could come in handy in the future. Especially since I might be joining another Pack soon. If we don't, you know, die first.

"No, I don't think I will." Blue's smirk becomes a grin as he pulls me into his arms. "I really do like sensing you emotions. I wouldn't have them dulled for all the visions in the world." He adds sweetly, the warmth of his words accompanied with a soothing, heady rush in my body.

"Not even the naked one?" I ask with a knowing smirk, basking in his adoration. He hesitates before replying, though his emotions give him away. The heated surge and consideration definite and resolute. "C'mon, we need to talk to Hale. And give him his...whatever the hell that is." I nod to the bottle tucked under Blue's arm, easily distracting him.

"It's Blood Wine." He tells me confidently, wrinkling his nose a little as he looks over the bottle.

"Of course it is." I mutter to myself, a bit annoyed and amused...though I'm not sure if they're my emotions or Blue's now. "Because the thing this world needs is a drunk vampire." I add more softly, voicing it aloud rather than having Blue hear the thoughts in my mind. Blue smirks, quirking an eyebrow at me, his amusement making me feel a little lighter.

"I don't think I've ever seen Hale drunk." Blue mutters, tilting his head to the side in thought as he holds his hand back out to me. I take it without thinking, allowing the frenzied frequency of his emotions to stumble over me before it becomes too much again. With a heavy, regretful sigh, I release his hand and wrap my arm around his waist instead - careful to avoid making direct contact with his skin. "I think I like this better." Blue murmurs after a moment, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and pressing a kiss into my hair.

I fight a smile, agreeing, as we continue walking to the Coven.

"We should have a car just for traveling between the territories." I consider aloud. "I'm sure my involvement with the Coven's not going to end in the next month." I tell Blue, kicking at a rock in the path. A path I really hadn't traveled on before. It's worn, prints of different animals, and shoes and even bare feet all over the hard earth.

"We considered it, a while back. But..." Blue looks around the woods at the trees, bare now, but I'm almost positive the feeling of awe and calm radiating from him are because of memories of spring. It's probably beautiful out here when everything's in full bloom.

When I got to Kiwina it was already late fall. I wonder what the forest will look like littered in flowers and foliage rather than dead leaves. I lean closer to Blue as we walk, soaking in the gentle emotions he's feeling. They're strong, but positive. It's easier to just let them wash over me when they're not the raging of anger or irritation. *I could get used to this*. I can't help the thought, letting it join that of the calm in me.

- - -

Just like before, the doors to the Coven open and the Gatekeepers allow both Blue and I to enter without an explanation. Hale's still in his office, sitting behind his desk this time, not bothering to look up as we enter.

"Have you come to apologize?" Hale asks, his eye glued to some sort of report he's reading. Beside me, Blue makes a growling sound of annoyance deep in his chest. "I thought not." Hale does finally look at us then, his jade eyes tired and expectant. He notices the way we're standing and the serious expressions on our faces. "What is it?"

"We've been having visions that we now think are warning from our future selves." I tell him, trying to make my point quickly, before Blue can say anything. His anger towards Hale's still raw beneath the surface of he calm demeanor, bubbling and threatening to take over.

"What kind of visions?" Hale asks carefully, his face becoming surprised before it blanks.

"The last few ones seem to include me loosing control and killing." I state, trying to separate my emotions from my words as I admit them aloud.

"I see." Hale sits back in his chair, eyeing me quietly. "I suppose you two have already spoken with Alpha Azure on the matter?" He asks after a minute, glancing at the bottle in Blue's other hand. Blue grumbles, but sets the bottle on Hale's desk.

"We did. He told us to come tell you and say that you won." I tell Hale, raising an eyebrow.

"Splendid." Hale grins, his eyes lighting up a bit as he takes hold of the bottle and uncorks it. The scent of blood fills the air, strong and heady, it's not the overly-sweet tang of usual blood, but darker and warmer. I shiver, leaning away from the smell and burying my face in Blue's shoulder. "I apologize for that, Sunshine. I forgot myself for a moment there." Hale puts the stopper back and puts the bottle on the floor.

"We're moving forward with the emergency plan. The vision we had suggest the next attack from the Reiniers will be in two days." Blue explains to Hale.

"Ah, so this is why I won." Hale sighs, more to himself than us, as he stands. "Alright, then. I'll send some of my Coven around the territory so we can start preparing. Do you know the location and time of the attack?" My father's all business now, shuffling around some of the disorganized mess of papers on his desk.

"Two days. At dusk. A few feet from the edge of the eastern border." Blue replies, his eyes slightly unfocused as he recalls the vision. I can feel the hurt and fear surging up with the recollection, the thick, nearly choking helplessness that accompanies it, and overwhelming grief the wraps the whole thing in a bow.

"So they either came by sea or the coast." Hale murmurs softly and pulls a map from the papers, laying it on the top of the mess so we can see. "More than likely, by land." He traces the shoreline from the marked Reinier territory to the beginning of the Azures. Only Port Greene stands between us, the shoreline unmarked. "We should probably speak with Jannette about the intended point of attack. She may have some tactical insight we can use."

"I'll talk to her about it. I think she's a little busy with Yuri at the moment, but I'll send word once we've discussed it." Blue tells him, nodding. I recall that Jannette is the Beta, Alpha Azure's brother and Yuri and Misha's mom. I haven't seen her very often since I came back, only a few times - in passing.

"It's settled then." Hale nods and passes the map to Blue. "I'm still waiting for that apology." Hale adds coolly, a light of amusement in his eyes.

"You're not about to get it." Blue counters, all but glaring back at Hale.

"What'd you guys even fight about?" I ask, looking between the two for some sort of explanation to their weirdness.

"I suggested you take some time to visit the Coven in Colton." Hale explains.

"Colton?" I repeat, blinking. Something about the name sounds familiar. I could have sworn I've been to or near the town before. Sometime when I was traveling/running away. It's on the border in the mid-west.

"It's the town where the Coven HQ is. I told you about the family currently in power. That's where they are." Hale reminds me, the information we'd gone over coming back to me now.

"Isn't that four states away?" I narrow my eyes as I recall just how far the town is and why this could be the reason Blue got mad enough to hit my father.

"It is. But they would be able to better help you grow into your abilities." Hale nods, now looking pointedly at Blue.

"She's not going." Blue grits out, his eyes beginning to glow a little. His emotions swelling into a roiling surge around me.

"Hold on," I turn to face Blue, irked he's trying to make decisions for me. "I need to learn control." I remind him, and after the vision, I'm not above leaving to go get some help.

"You can learn control here." Blue insists, a note of panic in his eyes. I frown, knowing this has more to do with being separated from each other than the real issue here: my lack of control.

"Imagine how much I can learn by-" I try to advocate, seeing the wisdom in getting some professional help, but Blue's not having it.

"I don't want you to go-" There's a rawness to his words that sends a ripple of pain through my chest.

"Would you prefer I kill our friends and family?" I force the words out, hating the bitter taste they leave in my mouth.

"No, but-"

"Why don't you two have this conversation elsewhere?" Hale suggests. "At a later time, perhaps?" He' right. We can't deal with this now. Not if we want to succeed at winning this thing. I need to continue training, to find another avenue where I can be of use to everyone.

"Fine." Both Blue and I mutter.