RP:A Dark Night In Darkiln

Summary: Following up on a lead obtained from Sylvie, several members of the Amber Lunation head to Darkiln to question Knofavom the Shadow Gnome. It seems that Franz hired him to create the explosive enchanted box that nearly killed Lanara and Queen Lunalesca. The witch removes both of Knofavom’s thumbs so that he cannot make any more combustible devices. Tiber learns the names of the brothers that had planted the box in the forest, Finneas and Felix, and he orders the Pack to proceed to their house next so that they can deliver their vengeance. The Amber Lunation fought back and carefully covered their tracks.

Part of the Waxing Crescent, Wayward Course Arc

(Post 1 of 2) Tiber spent multiple days observing the map and questioning Greyson–taking the time to explain who Sylvie Rouseaux was and his past history with her. The woman who linked her arms around Franz’ figure most times Tiberius was with him. The pale blonde, blue eyed lycan. Elegant. Sneaky. Silken and sharp-tongued. A projection of wealth and innocence, but not a ditz. She watched everything Franz did passively. Greyson was adamant that they try, because what other leads would they have to find the one that framed them? Knofavom, the Shadow Gnome in Darkiln. Not only does Tiberius plan out their mission to find this gnome, but… he left one of those days to travel to Cenril and Rynvale to secure some coin for the sanctuary animals. He may have stopped at a bar. For his own space of getting his head right with Franz’ mental destruction. So… let’s just say there was some unsupervised drinking… with the pirate he despised and another strange woman who somehow knew of Lanara. While his Beta headed back to Sage without him. Tiberius is on edge these days, as the man is afraid for what will come next. By now, Franz knows Lanara Lowell survived and that Tiber and her are innocent in Enchantment.

(Post 2 of 2) The day has come, however, that Lanara and Tiber plan to hash out their plan. The Catalian seems a little reluctant for Lanara to come, but he knows that she is healing for the better. Way better than the week before. His ribs are fully recovered and the black eye has dissipated. Stashed weapons and the map are being strapped to his body, but he still dresses in that same suit and tie. He likes to keep his ‘business-like’ qualities about him. Kill a man in style? Torture a man in style? The classiness. The Amber Lunation is set on coming for back-up which the group decides Celeste, Tybalt, and Nick need to stay behind. Nick for the sake of guarding the area while the Pack is away. All of them agree to meet in the evening at the entrance to the tunnels. Once the members have gathered, Tiber begins to talk, “Everyone sticks close. I don’t know what it is like down in the tunnels… Keep your senses tight about you. Don’t let your guard down, because… anyone could be watching.”

Lanara has greatly improved in the past two weeks since the attack, but she still weeps at Queen Lunalesca’s bedside every night that passes without her waking. Her heart aches for the fairy and she harbors so much guilt that she finds sleep to be almost impossible. How can she sleep when she knows that Franz is planning another attack? Next time he could kill her husband or the entire Pack! Lana’s patience is wearing thin and so she looks forward to heading into Darkilin and meeting this gnome for some answers. It’s high time that she spills some blood and pays him back for what he did to her, and to Lunalesca. Clad in a pair of black pants, a fitted black tee-shirt, and with her long hair pulled into a sleek ponytail, the witch is certainly dressed the part for gnome hunting. A dagger is tucked into the waistband of her pants and a stiletto dagger is nestled in her left boot, though her true power is in her magic. As Tiber goes over the rundown for the evening and they all huddle at the entrance to the tunnels, Lana spares him the briefest of glances. It’s been weeks since they’ve had any alone time and she worries that Tiber blames her for risking her life for the Queen. She’s also a little miffed that he stopped for a drink and came home wearing the scent of Leoxander and a foreign female, when he was supposed to be drawing money from a bank account so that the animals from her sanctuary could be relocated. Is she losing him? A glance is dropped to her right arm, which is still covered in bandages and she realizes that she’s not okay and that she hasn’t been in quite some time. “Buddy system works best… There are six of us.” Three women and three men, so it’s easy enough to pair off before entering the dark maze beneath Enchantment. “Choose your partner.” Lana doesn’t care who she ends up with at this point as her mind is racing and she just wants this mission to be finished already.

Tiber scratches the side of his jaw at Lanara’s comment of ‘choose your partner’, as if she was dismissing him. He narrows his gaze a bit at the Kelvarian. Bjorn automatically looks at Violet, “Dibs!” That leaves Tiber staring at Greyson and Corrine. “You two are together.” He points in their direction, and Greyson’s face looks very flat at that moment. Tiber turns to the witch. “Lucky you,” not really as somehow he was in the doghouse. The Alpha then looks to the rest of the small group. “Let’s head down.” He then begins to climb down into the entrance–a makeshift ladder goes down to the dark tunnels beneath the forest, and he decides to take the lead. Once down in the depths, his eyes begin to adjust to the darkness. The visual of a wolf in the dark was one feature he would always be grateful for, but for extra light, the man carries a matchbox. The tunnels smell damp and musty. “Luxury.” Time to start progressing forward. He pulls out the map in order to direct the group through the underground.

Lanara fights the urge to scowl when Bjorn chooses Violet over herself, because that means she has to be Tiber’s partner in the tunnels. The chances of them getting separated are next to nil, but she’s annoyed at her husband and has been distant for days. Although her body may be healing from the attack, it seems that her mental health is deteriorating. She’s spent nearly every waking hour moving animals from the sanctuary to the enclosure in Enchantment, and in her downtime she tried spellcasting to wake up Lunalesca. There’s an enemy in every shadow, every bump in the night, and she’s dreading the tunnels because there’s usually one way in and one way out. “Lucky me…” She raises her brows and climbs down the ladder after Tiber, waiting for the others to safely descend, before she trails after their Alpha. Extending her left hand, Lana conjures up a small sphere of fire that illuminates the area better than a mere matchbox, but it causes the hair on the back of her neck to rise. She hasn’t used fire since that day… Immediately, she sends the element away and silently walks with the rest of the group. Bjorn bumps into her from behind and he mutters, “Maybe if someone didn’t toss the light away…” She hears Violet giggle at his comment and she rolls her eyes and ignores them.

Tiber had felt strange since the whole situation went down. His own mental health was on the line, and when the explosion happened, it was a pattern of a drinking cycle. He was still thinking that he was to blame. The man watches the fire in the tunnel before the witch shakes it out… It was odd of her to do so, as she normally had no problem conjuring a flame, but his mind reflects on her burns. “Are you okay?” Did he dare ask that? The man then pulls out a matchbox for his rolled cigarettes before striking one. It permits a very soft glow in the darkness, so he can visually see the map clearer. Green fungi line the walls of the tunnel, which also permits a green glow. “East.” The man also pulls out a compass in order to track their location in the dim, dingy place, and he continues to walk them through. Corrine groans in the background, “This place smells. What are we even looking for?" Tiber waits a beat. "You mean, who, and where? The map is just circled at a location east. The symbol is strange. It's... black with a single light strip through it."

Lanara is grateful for the darkness so that Tiber cannot see the fear etched into her facial expression after she sends away the element of fire. She never shies away from her magic or any of nature's miracles, but lately, everything and everyone seems like they mean to do her harm. Will life ever go back to how it was before Franz issued his threats and acted on them? Lana softly replies, “I’m fine.” She doesn’t sugar coat but there isn’t any sarcasm in her tone either, as she’s trying to navigate through the maze-like tunnels. The glowing fungus on the walls moves in certain areas, likely from the vibrations sent from up above, and it mimics the motions of a slithering snake. She cannot confide in Tiber. She’s upset with herself and the Pack is literally within hearing distance and she doesn’t want them thinking she’s weak. Lana’s heart is in her mouth as fear grips her senses and she struggles to put one foot in front of the other. As she stops short at another turn, Bjorn roughly bumps into her and the witch catches herself at the last second as she’s nearly sent face first on the dirt. “That’s it. Partner switch. Greyson -you- get up here and I’m going to walk with Corrine.” So what if the wretched woman bickers with her constantly and complains non stop about every little thing? At least she’s walking at a snail's pace and Lana would have ample time to spy a possible snake, if they do happen to live down here. She waits for Greyson to take her spot, before she will prepare to pass the others and stand at the rear of the line. Corrine can be heard sighing, “At least -she- smells better! But why do -I- have to walk with Lana, now? I don’t exactly feel safe next to her, especially after what she did to my face…”

Tiber narrows his gaze at her, although his face is shadowed. The man walks past a shadow gnome whose eyes are distinguished and orange in the dark who bumps into Tiber. “Watch it!” The gnome says bitterly and the Catalian can hear the gnome spitting on the ground before wandering off. Yeah, they are not in a happy-go-lucky part of the land right now. The Alpha’s gaze, however, is taken away because Bjorn is bumping into Lanara who is trying to catch herself. ‘That’s it. Partner switch.’ is she going for Corrine? Oh, yes, yes she is. Tiber is offended at this moment, and it makes him feel like he did something not okay. Well, he did not. He knew that. Sending Greyson back without him after errands, while he had some whiskey, was a bad call. Why is she so mad though? Her heart and soul was full of wanderlust, but the only difference? Tiberius was not in wanderlust. He was in crisis run away mode and just needed a drink. That was the difference. Greyson appears confused, but he decides to listen to his Luna anyway. Greyson goes up to Tiber, and a part of him wants to ask, but the others are around to eavesdrop. Instead, Tiber speaks up, “Can it, Corrine.” The group travels onward and eventually what comes into view is a large inky shadow corridor. Outside the corridor remains a single gnome with a sneer on his face. The shadow gnome has darker skin, and purple eyes as his short stature is pressed up against the shadowed door. Tiberius eyes Greyson before jerking his chin. “You,” Tiber starts a little intimidatingly, “Who’re you?” The shadow gnome gazes up at the Catalian in disgust. “What’s an ugly person like you roaming around these parts?” The gnome says this in return. The gnome is, in fact, Knofavom, but he does not let the travelers know that yet.

Lanara and Corrine walk slowly at each other's side, the former holding her nose in disgust while the latter squints and jumps every time the fungi moves even the slightest bit. At one point, Lana steps on what she believes is a random rock, but it happens to be the foot of a shadow gnome. The beastly midget gives both her and Corrine a shove and stumbles past, with a flask of ale in his stubby hand. “I fracking hate this place.” Thankfully, they follow the map and Tiber’s lead and before long they are standing before Knofavom. The gnome doesn’t seem to be in the mood for answering questions, so instead he insults Tiber and looks at their group in disgust. Lana has just about had enough of getting the runaround the past few weeks and she pushes her way up to the front of the line again. Bjorn whispers, “This isn’t a conga line, Lana! What are you doing? Get back there before someone abducts Corrine.” The witch pulls her dagger free and holds it tightly in her hand, while she focuses all of her energy on some vines along the walls. A gentle rumble is heard as they come undone and slither to the floor of the tunnel, much like the snakes she swore she saw before, and coil around the feet of the gnome. “I believe he asked for your name. Speak. If you can’t find a use for that tongue, I’m sure I can.” She waves the dagger in a threatening manner and glares at the creature. She’s not playing games. Lanara Lowell is being reckless and desperately craving revenge.

Tiber did not like the answer Knofavom had to offer. He is about to say something when Lanara comes charging through with a blade in her hand. Vines slither and wrap around the shadow gnome, and for a moment, Tiber lets his wild wife take control. Especially with that blade in her hand. Yikes. The gnome tries to lift his ankles out of the wrap of magic the witch had on him. “Crazy fighting ugly boy’s battles?” The shadow gnome laughs at the thought of Lanara slicing off his tongue. Wicked. Sick. He likes it. “Testy girl,” he lifts his long, lanky finger as if to touch her, and for that, Tiber is also not playing games as he wraps his larger hand around the gnome’s wrist. “I think you need to cut his tongue out, Lana.” There is a venom in the Catalian as well. Not today, Knofavom. The gnome widens his gaze, “Knofavom, Knofavom,” his voice is hoarse and higher-toned. This gnome was the one. Instantly, Greyson is moving to the side of the gnome and slamming his body against the shadow–Tiber reaches to wrap his hand around the goblin-looking species throat. “Do you work for Franz Libedow?” He hisses. “Was it you who set up the Queen?” His voice is low while other gnomes snake their way through the tunnels. “Speak, or she cuts your tongue.” Though, he is very keen on cutting it out, either way, but he needs answers first.

Lanara probably overstepped when she sprang to the front of the line and took the lead with the gnome, as it’s her mate that is the Alpha of the bunch. She, however, is the one bearing the burns and it’s her friend that’s in a likely irreparable coma. This is personal, and since she can’t talk about how she feels as there’s literally no privacy at Corrine and Nick’s home, this is the closest she’s going to get to therapy. Spilling a little blood is just the cure for the blues, even if it’s just a temporary high that makes her forget. “Crazy? You haven’t begun to know my level of crazy…” She takes a step towards him, but as his elongated fingers curl in the air and mean to touch her flesh, she steps back. Tiber takes the initiative and asks the questions, and Greyson jumps in to help him hold the gnome in place. Bjorn tries to snag Lana’s dagger and ends up cutting his own finger as she won’t give up her weapon. Violet and Corrine merely watch in silence but seem oddly out of place. The gnome starts to talk and as soon as he utters his name they know they have found their target. Lana’s eyes narrow on him as he speaks and she feels sick to her stomach. “The Queen? You mean Lunalesca?! I had nothing to do with her disappearance! I don’t know -who- the target was and I don’t care! It’s all about coin for me. That’s it! Nothing personal Ugly Man! All I did was design a couple of explosives for Franz! I enchanted some of the parts to blow up and wrapped them in a pretty package.” Lana growls, low and threatening, “Explosives? Plural!? There are -more- of these packages?” Knofavom’s eyes widen as Greyson’s hold on him tightens and he realizes that he made a grave mistake by mentioning future attacks. “No-No. Please. Don’t kill me, Crazy and Co! I can give you something… Let’s see… I know the first names of the pair that came to collect and deliver the package!” He looks from Tiber to Greyson and then to Lanara. “If I tell you their names and where they hang out? Will you let me live? Yes!? Is it a deal?” The witch doesn’t want this man alive, but he’s of no use to them deceased, either. He needs to greatly suffer for what happened. Angrily, she slices through the bandages with her dagger and shows Knofavom the destruction he had caused, “I may never heal completely. I was a swimsuit model in the past and you -scarred- me! Because of -you- I was almost charged with treason, and perhaps I will be in the future. You put the Queen in danger! My husband! My family! Do you think you just get to walk away unscathed? No. It doesn’t work that way. -He- decides what becomes of you.” She motions to Tiber. “So, you better tell us everything you know. Now.” Tears glisten in Lana’s eyes as she’s sickened at the sight of her own arm, and because Knofavom isn’t holding himself accountable.

Tiber’s eyes turn grim when Knofavom confesses that there was more than just one explosive made for Franz. The shadow gnome begs for his life, and Tiber is trying to hold back from snapping the gnome’s neck without the information. Lanara takes over, and slices the bandages which sends a ripple of prickles through the Alpha. Although his gaze is hard, there is a gleam of sorrow for his wife. Would she ever fully recover those scars? Lanara then gestures to Tiberius that he makes the final call on what happens to this gnome. “Give us the information, and we will let you go,” there is a cautious tone beneath as he is not going to let this shadow gnome go so easily after Knofavom gives the information. “Right, yes, right~! The names of the ones you want to seek are Felix and Finneas. Brothers. Word has it they have a cabin in the Dark Forest. One bares a scar on his face. Nasty. Like Ugly Boy. A long slash across the face.” Distinguishable. Tiberius frowns and looks at Lanara, and then looks back at the wicked gnome before them. Tiber has the final call. “I would say ‘thanks’, but that wouldn’t do for someone as sick as you. Lanara, you can gladly use that blade, if you intend on it. Don’t kill him, however. Leave him to suffer, as you had to. See if anyone cares.” Tiber’s hand briefly brushes Lanara’s lower back in apologies of her feelings before standing back to watch whatever she chooses happen to Knofavom.

Lanara remains silent as Tiberius takes over questioning the gnome, but she feels the eyes of the others all looking at the hideous remains of her arm. Once mocha skin is now a conglomeration of pink sinew and crimson gore, barely stretched over bone. Once silken flesh is heavily scarred and so vulnerable to touch that the witch yelps every time she accidentally bumps her arm. For a woman, it’s far more than a mere blemish and the emotional aspect is taxing. For Lanara, it’s tenfold, as she relies on her looks for dancing, drawing in donations at the sanctuary, and in the past she -was- a swimsuit model and one of the prettiest women in the realm. She feels dirty, undesirable, and deep down there’s that fear that she’s failed as a wife to her husband, a Luna to her packmates, and as a friend to the fae queen that will not wake up. Several explosive devices and the name of the two that carried out the macabre plan are given and Lana takes a step forward mere seconds before Tiber gives her the green light. She wants him to suffer as she’s still suffering. She will do this for Lunalesca and for the Amber Lunation. A glance is given to the others because they have no idea just how sadistic she can be when pushed to her limits and she worries that they may think she’s having a mental breakdown. Since when is she so self-conscious?! It’s -another- thing she blames Knofavom for; stealing her confidence. The dagger is in her hand as she raises it above her head and lunges at the male, a fierce, guttural war cry escaping her lips as she brings it down with as much force as possible. She strikes him in the left collarbone. Lana sinks the blade as deep as it can go and drags it down to just above his breastbone, before she lifts it and makes a mirrored wound on the other collarbone. Knofavom screams as blood gushes from his chest and he helplessly struggles against Greyson and Tiber’s hold, but even then, the witch isn’t content. She has more marks that she wishes to leave, and for this, she withdraws her stiletto dagger from her boot. “You’re already hideous as it is, so I don’t feel the need to slice up your face. I want to take something more valuable.” Shadow gnomes are known for their greed and for harboring their precious ore and so she will deprive him of the ability to wield a pickaxe. Lana snags his hand from Greyson and saws through the bone of Knofavom’s right thumb. His blood splatters on her shirt but she doesn’t notice as she’s intent on carrying out her plan, and she exchanges a dark look with her mate as she waits for him to release the opposite hand. “Shut. Up.” The gnome is screaming and crying and begging for his life and Lana is getting a headache from the stress and his loud mouth. “Want me to dice up your friends and family, too? No? Then shut up. Or your tongue will be next!” She pauses, as if she’s considering taking his tongue, and that’s all she needs to do. Knofavom falls eerily silent but cannot help but groan and writhe against the roots and Greyson’s death grip as his left thumb is severed from his hand. Lanara drops the thumbs on the ground and takes a step back to admire her handiwork as she dries the blood off of her knives and tucks them away for safekeeping. “Let’s go get Felix and Finneas. Tonight.” Her gaze rests on her handsome husband's face to see if he will give the order to the Pack and lead the way.

Tiber watches as the Kelvarian stabs the gnome in the left collarbone, and his brows lift as she drags that very blade down to his chest. Perhaps it was his darkness through his past, but amusement dances in his eyes as the shadow gnome is getting what he deserved. He almost killed Lanara and the Queen, and perhaps the Queen was going to be eternally gone for good after this episode which causes Tiber’s head to spin. Who would reign in Enchantment if Queen Lunalesca does not survive? His brain coils with dark vines, as the witch’s plan is to cut off the gnome’s lanky thumbs. Greyson gives willingly for his Luna before only watching Lanara’s face. The blood spews. It is shocking, as Tiberius has not seen Lanara in a state like this. Enwrapped in her own darkness. Although attractive… he feels her pain, although he has a tough time understanding emotions. Should he be scared as her dark gaze reaches him for him to let go of the gnome’s hand? No, he has done far worse, and it shows that she can hold her own. His grasp releases, and Knofavom is a free target and screaming out. Any other shadow gnomes waltzing by to witness would not say a thing, as most of them were a careless bunch in the darkness. Violet stands aback and watches hesitantly and Bjorn is wide-eyed as he knows he should have chosen Lanara as his partner! Tiber meets her gaze again after she cleans those bloody knives. A small dent of a smirk is on his face before it fades to an orderly line again. “You heard, Luna. We’re off. Let’s go.” Tiberius opens the map, and there is another, closer exit through these dark tunnels that lead to another ladder and entrance to the Dark Forest. Tiber helps pull each member up and out of the hideaway entrance to Darkiln onto the forest floor. “I don’t know where we find this… cabin, but I’m sure it’s in the proximity. Buddy system. We need to split up.” Bjorn then pipes up, "I made a mistake, I really think Lanara and I are compatible partners!" This makes Violet roll her eyes. "You just say that because Lanara just did some badass revenge on that sick dude."

(Post 1 of 2) Lanara smirks at Tiber when he gives the command to them all, because she knows that if Knofavom has a chance to speak to Finneas and Felix that they would likely vacate their home and hide somewhere else. They have more of an advantage if they take care of them tonight. Lana stands close to Corrine as they make their way to the exit, just in case any more weird snake looking vines clinging to the walls. She’s in deep contemplation as she does her best to wrap the torn bandages around her arm and every so often she glances at Corrine. Maybe she won’t make her live the rest of her life with a scarred face. Having an arm like this has humbled Lana, and sure Corrine earned her marks, but she will still be an outcast as her and Nick are the Omega’s of the bunch. Maybe around the third year Lana will lift the curse, assuming Tiber is in agreement. At the ladder, she struggles a little to climb up as she has to put weight on her injury but she does her best and gives her mate a grateful smile as he helps. They all agree on the buddy system and she cannot help but laugh at Bjorn’s sudden enthusiasm for being her partner. Violet is rolling her eyes and Greyson is shaking his head, but Lana loops her arm through Bjorn’s as Violet is forced to now be Corrine’s partner.

(Post 2 of 2) The Dark Forest is dimly lit during the day, even if the sun is shining, as the thickness of the trees hope to block out any light. This section of Enchantment is used for magical purposes, normally, and some of the users prefer to keep their practices a secret. Many worship their chosen deity, some grow ingredients that thrive in the shade, and shapeshifters cling to the seclusion. It’s also the area where the most magical and more aggressive beasts reside. Very few homes are in this expanse of the forest, so thankfully, they don’t have to look at too many. “Okay. That’s where Vivi lives… That narrows it down to four possible houses, assuming that Knofavom is telling the truth.” The vines would have unleashed him from their hold by now, but he can’t get very far with his injuries. If he lied to them, Lana will go back and take more than his thumbs! Bjorn sees that crazy look in her eyes and he chimes in, “That door has a wreath with pink flowers, so I doubt two men would want -that- as a decoration.” Violet grins, “Some men are in touch with their feminine side, you know. There’s more to life than lifting weight, Bjorn.” They begin to bicker and Lana tunes them out as she relies on her intuition to steer them in the right direction. “It’s either the blue house or that log cabin. They are side by side, so we have to be quiet and not spook anyone, in case we guess the wrong house.

(Post 1 of 2) Tiber decides at this point to take the eastern route. “We’ll head this way. We’ll find you,” he says to the rest of the crew before moving off with the Beta. Him and Greyson meander through the darkness of the forest. “We should have stuck with Lanara, she is the magical one in all of this. If something happens, she could save our butts,” Greyson mutters as they duck under branches. A crow caws above them which puts the two men on edge. Tiberius rubs the back of his neck, “Come on, we’re just as strong as anything else in this damned forest.” Not really, as both men have no magical talent. “We’re strong beasts, okay? Two against one? Easy.” Not really. The men circle, and swear they hear a growling in the distance, so they beeline north instead and start to circle their way back where they see a blue house… and a cabin house. In the distance, he hears the other part of the group talking amongst themselves about the homes. “Should we do innie minnie miny mo?” Tiber asks his partner. Greyson frowns. “We are both human men, what would we want if we lived together?” Tiber then glances at Greyson oddly. “Uhm, I thought you said you were into Franz’ woman?” Tiber questions. Greyson then shakes his head quickly in exasperation. “Not like that, Ty. I meant if we were like bachelor pad bros!” Tiber’s mouth gapes in an ‘oh’ before he thinks about it. “We’re two woodsy men. If I lived in the woods, I’d want a woodsy man cave.” The two stare at each other and nod before they take the log cabin. Before they enter, however, they search for a window to peer what or who was inside. He can only see the back of a man in a rocking chair whittling a makeshift weapon, and another man has his back turned in the kitchen. One thing, however, is that there is a female there too which adds the confusing aspect.

(Post 2 of 2) In an instinct, Tiber channels Luca to connect to Asha. “Come around the back of the wooden cabin,” the wolf prances and howls in Tiber’s mental state. If Lanara comes sneakily into the back, he would gesture her to the window. “Are these the men?” He did not know what the back of them looked like? Would one turn around to reveal his face? Were these the brothers or some swingers?

Lanara reacts when Asha stirs and alerts her that Luca wants her to go to the rear of the cabin. Their link never ceases to amaze her and she plans to obey the call, but first she instructs Violet, Corrine, and Bjorn to hide behind a thick row of trees. “You stay there in case we run into trouble. If you hear us call for help, you can jump in and assist. This may not even be the right place.” Bjorn frowns as he wants in on the action but he nods and leads both of the women behind the trees where they crouch and wait for a sign. Lana quickly walks over to Tiber and Greyson’s place and she stands on her toes so that she can peek into the window. The man with the tousled brown hair and broad shoulders is familiar and she definitely remembers the one with the obvious cowlick, “Yes. That’s both of them.” There’s also a woman with them, likely their older sister or perhaps an aunt. She cannot discern the ages of the men as she hasn’t seen their faces, but based on their voices and body types she’s guessing they are in their thirties. Lana feels a pit in her stomach at the thought of harming an innocent and so she chews on her lower lip in worry. “The men have to die. Obviously. They will report back to Franz that I’m alive and Lunalesca hasn’t been found yet, if they haven’t already told him. Plus, if there -are- more explosives, it’s likely that they will be the ones to plant it.” Pause. “The woman is not to be harmed…” She cannot see too far into the home, but there is a kitchen window that’s opened as an apple pie is resting on the ledge to cool off. “I’m going to climb in and cast a sleep spell on the woman so she can’t identify any of us and so she doesn’t have to watch what happens to the men.” Lana does have a heart and she’s not without reason, despite the fact that she just mutilated a gnome. “As soon as the woman leaves this room you two can break in and handle the men, okay?”

Tiber grits his teeth as Lanara identifies the men in the home, but the woman… was this woman innocent? Lanara was saying that she was risking taking the chance and leaving the woman without harm. Tiber runs a hand through his hair at the thought of the woman being innocent, but the men dug their grave at this point, so there was nothing to be sorry for. They knew the life they chose. So did Tiberius at the time, and still now, he knew there would be consequences for his actions of leaving Franz’ gang for the woman he loved and wanted to delicately cherish forever. If only she would forgive him from what Franz and these men took from her. Those scars. Her confidence. This was not just his fight now, but Lanara’s, so he nodded at her request. “Deal…” Eyes look towards Greyson, “Perhaps it would be too obvious for a wolf attack…” Teeth grind. “We’re going in blind. I don’t know what type of weapons they have, but… we have to.” They would then wait for Lanara’s signal before attacking the brothers.

Lanara surprises them both when she tugs Tiber down by his shirt so she can deliver a quick kiss to his lips. It means a lot to her that he will kill for her, that he’s by her side in getting revenge, and that family is important. She’s grateful to Greyson, too, as he will blindly follow Tiber to the ends of the realm without questions asked. He doesn’t get a kiss, however, she gives him one of those smiles that hasn’t graced her face in quite some time. Lana waits for the man that’s near the entrance to the kitchen to move into the room with the wood whittler, and she gives Tiber and Greyson a thumbs up. She turns and sprints to the left side of the house, where she crouches beneath the window and focuses all of her attention on weaving a sleep spell. It takes her a few moments as it’s hard to clear her mind from all that’s happening, but when she’s armed with her magic, she literally shoves the pie from the ledge. The clatter of the plate hitting the floorboards is heard throughout the house but as predicted, the two men grunt and don’t rush into the kitchen, as they think it’s a ‘womans’ place. With ease, she quickly climbs into the window and hides behind the ice box. A petite blonde sighs and kneels on the floor before the pie, “What the heck? Must’ve been a gust of wind! I’ll have to make another…” She starts wiping up the crumbs and that’s when Lana completes the spell and casts it upon the woman. The stranger slumps to the side and appears to be in a deep sleep within seconds with a fistful of apples in her fist. Lana grabs a sharp knife from the rack and waits for Tiber and Greyson to bust in, so she can join them in the next room. She’ll stand off to the side, but if one of them runs into trouble, she has no qualms about snuffing out another life.

(Post 1 of 2) Tiber is taken aback when Lanara pulls his shirt to inch him closer to her. Her lips graze his own and he does not want the moment to end. What if the men have explosives on them that cause the house to explode? What if they all die? He does not care, however, as time stops for a faint instant before his mate departs from him. Eyes watch the witch from the window as she hides behind the ice box. Tiber’s voice is low, “I’ll go for the whittler, you take the other,” as he wants to protect Greyson from as much as possible. Once the spell is cast, the single word, “Go,” is given. Tiber takes his elbow to slam against the window which shatters and leaves the brother’s in confusion for a moment before they realize who it is. Tiberius Lowell and… friend? Automatically the Pack members glide through the window, and Tiber takes a shard from the ground as he goes for the whittler. “Wrong people to mess with,” Tiber states easily as he takes a swing with the shard of glass towards the guy’s jugular, but Felix dodges Tiber’s attempt and moves back to work with a jab with the stake in his hand. It only pokes the Catalian as he jumps back and reaches for a tucked blade in his sleeve. Tiber pulls out a dagger and instantly throws it. It spins across until it catches in the chest of Felix. Felix is stunned and is working on pulling out the blade, but Tiber is quick and moving behind him to take the shard of glass. He slices it across the man’s throat to leave the man to bleed out. Leaving a crimson pool on the floor.

(Post 2 of 2) Greyson, however, is trying to wrap his arms around Finneas who bears the scars across his face. Finneas is pushing Greyson back against some counters, and utensils and cutlery fly around the kitchen. Prior to, Finneas got in a few solid punches with Greyson’s face and the dark haired man is bleeding from his lip and a little from his nose. The two are in a wrestling match now and Finneas tosses Greyson over his shoulder. “Strong beasts my ass, Tiber! A little help!” The Beta hollers, but Tiber was just finishing his scuffle. Greyson throws an elbow back and the blow knocks the wind out of Finneas where the man stumbles back. Greyson then turns around onto his back to kick the hunched over man square in the jaw, which makes Finneas knock back against the counter and fall to the floor which gives Greyson the perfect opportunity to choke the man. Finneas struggles and starts to kick underneath Greyson’s body weight, but the Beta does not give in and forces himself forward in a scream. His face turns red, his eyes are squinting with anger to kill this man that harmed his Luna and their Alpha. The man below turns purple, and eventually… his neck snaps and he is left dead on the floor. Greyson sits up in heavy heaves and presses his hands on his sides like a man who just ran a marathon. “We need to train more…” Blue eyes stare at the ceiling to catch his breath, but he knows they need to run now, as surely someone heard the chaos from the house yards away.

Lanara leans against the wall and watches Tiber flawlessly throw that knife into the man’s chest and she’s grateful that she is beside a strong structure because she nearly faints from admiration. He’s a work of art when he’s focused on doing something destructive and her eyes dance with desire as they linger on the form of her mate. Perhaps if she wasn’t so distracted she’d have offered some assistance to Greyson, who is clearly struggling with his opponent. It’s his scream that pulls her from her trance of temptation and twirls the kitchen knife in her hand and prepares to delve it into the males stomach… But she hears the unmistakable snap of his neck as Greyson finally gets the upper hand. She feels embarrassed for the Beta as he’s so out of shape and the fact that he screamed like a little girl. “We all could benefit from some training…” It’s the least she can say, considering he did just kill a man on Tiber and Lana’s command. She glances at the woman that’s still asleep on the kitchen floor and knows that it won’t be long before she wakes up, plus it’s possible that the neighbors heard their scuffle. “Let’s meet up with the others and head home.” This time, she exits through the front door and she motions to Bjorn, Corrine, and Violet to leave their hiding place. They quickly move through the forest and use their enhanced senses to avoid running into any people that may ask questions.

Tiber is still somewhat panting in the adrenaline rush, but he suddenly relaxes his shoulders. The deed was done, and it was time to go. Tiber comes behind Greyson and pulls him up. “No time to linger. We gotta scat,” and Greyson nods and agrees. Tiberius locks his gaze with the Kelvarian and pulls her into a brief, intense kiss of hot, breathy desire before he lets her rush out. The electricity between them is pulsing from the buzz of… killing to win. The others come from behind the tree and they rush through the forest and Tiber stays behind to cover their tracks with foliage until they are on the lighter side of the forest. No trace would be discovered that the Amber Lunation fought back.