The Bitten.

Instigators.

"Can I dress first?" Aamon tossed a hand across his face.

"I will throw you from this window."

"So I'm just going to be naked in front of somebody's child and a strange man? In my world, that's a felony." I complained.
"Get a shirt, quickly." He dropped me from his arms and I whined again. It sucked landing, my leg already bevoming sore from my cut. I used the bedframe to pull myself up and I hobbled over to grab a flannel nightgown. I pulled it over myself in a flourish, glad to be covered again.

"Oh sweet clothing." I smoothed it down

"Strange little vermin." Aamon put his back against me, and it took a second for me to understand I was supposed to get on.

"Up you go, vermin. Go on."

"Hang on, I got to get up here. You're like a tree to me, give me a second." His laughter vibrated his back. He stooped just enough I could inch up closer to his neck. I hooked my arms around him, and my legs around his wide waist.

"Are my arms ok? I'm not trying to choke you."

"For once." He touched the back of my hand, and ducked through the window. He reached I'm fron the outside and lowered the window as close to closed as he could.

The trip down was like flying. I was secure and weightless on his back. I believed he could have forgotten I was there. My body moved in tandem with his, distributing our bulk to accommodate his motion. He never missed a beat, scaling down was so effortless for him that it was as if he were descending an invisible ladder rather than a building face. When his feet hit the ground, he lowered his head and rushed the treeline. A run that would have taken me eight to ten minutes, barely took him two with me on his back.

"Aamon!" Owen greeted. He was sitting cross legged not far from us, a large man at his side. The man would be Ivor, a younger replica of the Luthor. His hair was tied at the nape of his neck with a few wild tendrils around his ears. His jaws had scruffy brown beard, and his eyes were the color of dark chocolate. His eyes were more canine than wolf giving him a loyal, more trusting appearance. Ivor had a less menacing vibe than Aamon, but I could tell he was more mischief than Owen. He had that telltale glint.

"You must be Fawn!" Ivor hopped to his feet with a wide toothy smile, and spread his arms wide and high over his head in greeting, completely exposing himself to my horrified gaze. He chuckled as I diverted my attention to a shrub on his left.

"I am. It's nice to meet you." He approached, keeping himself wide and plastered into my line of vision. He was forcing me to look at him, following my line of sight. I was sure if I looked at the moon overhead he'd climb into the tree canopy and loom over me too. I threatened myself to not let my eyes fall below his navel. I had already witnessed enough by accident, and it was plenty reaction to humor him. He was basking in my discomfort.

"Ahh! Owen was right. Humans hate bare flesh. Going to have to get used to that, you're in our world now!" Everyone had themselves a giggle, except for me. Aamon dipped backwards, urging me from his back. I didn't want to leave it, but I couldn't avoid having to stand by him and converse with Owen and Ivor.

"Owen has taught us much about human customs. A hug?" Ivor was on me in seconds, crushing me into his bare body in a too tight hug. He had sniffed the crook of my neck and my hair before I pressed my palms flat on his chest to push him away. He squeezed a second longer before he released me. Aamon flashed his teeth, and Ivor dipped his head and stepped back. He gave me an apologetic smile.

"My bad. Owen said humans love hugs. I do say, humans eat well for pitiful hunters. Their females have more meat than wolf females." I wrinkled my nose at his insinuations, but I did notice that Isabeth was more sinewy and lithe in build than I was, and taller. I had just taken it as the difference between an athletic body, and mine. I guess it was more a difference in predators and prey. Humans weren't exactly born to kill beast bare handed anymore, scale buildings or run ten miles a day. We weren't an intimidating species, and my build reflected that.