[Completed]What the Heart wants (tag: Veita).

The same tower, the same fire-escape and the same jump it'd taken for Cayden to reach those old heights. Veita had taken him to this place once, that place where the city lights no longer held superiority over the night skies and the stars reigned down on the earth holding so much more beauty than the human would could possibly contend with.
It didn't take one any real difficult to guess why Cayden might come to this place had they known the history between him and the female he'd not seen in so many nights and days, what seemed like a countless time to which he knew he'd been torn away from the typical world of a loner to pursue family needs. Though that did not speak for the times he'd come back into the city hoping to see Veita once more, even if it meant her human form and even if only in passing. The female had unintentionally left something of an impression on the young male and though he did not bid his human form with any real sense of admiration, he crossed the path when it was required of him, when he felt there might be a chance to see her again. This place to him was something of a sacred place, one no one else had shared with him and one he hoped Veita still clung to, it was special in the sense that she'd taken him to these heights and stared up at the skies by his side, it was only once and betrayed any strength in that his male self clung to for security and pride. If it had not been nearly so long since his last time speaking with her, he might not have shown himself at all, not at the risk of his pride though in his dreams, when he thought of her, it was his pride that mattered less so than the thought of seeing her again. As much as he hated to admit it, he was still taken by her and like many nights in the past, it seemed to him that this one would also be in vein as his previous attempts had been much the same.

The night had been a long one and she was tired but Veita knew she would not be able to sleep her mind being to awake. She wondered the city streets her shift slowly becoming a thing of the past. She did like the Tavern but the ones who drank within it were often rude and sometimes even violent. Her night had her contending with both in the shape of a group of men she assumed were probably on some sort of lads night out. They had pinched her and slapped at her, their hands groping as she passed and all in all made her feel well out of her comfort level and some what of a whore. She had been counting down the minutes until clocking off when an air born pitcher flew towards her catching her in the side of the face which had caused it to shatter. A bruise had appeared almost instantaneously and a cut had engraved itself deeply into her cheek, despite the damage she did not go down, instead she threw herself across the bar at the group intending on making them pay but one of her colleagues caught her and sent her home for the night.

Still fuming she stalked through the night her hand pressing a cloth to her face when she came across a building that always made her calm, it reminded her of a little slip of happiness she had once had, one night seemingly long ago.
She sighed glancing up, nothing had happened yet it felt like a world of possibility was before her, but as quickly as that had come it had gone.
Sighing she began to climb the fire escape, maybe the roof could bring her some peace.
She took her time but when she got to the top she paused as though frozen, Cayden was there... she stared across the roof not knowing how to feel, she didn't think she would ever see him again. "Cayden?"

The voice made him flinch. He hadn't expected in any reality or world he was truly alive in, to turn to see her having appear the same night he'd shown back up in the desire to see her again but unlike many a night where he'd sat alone and on his own, there she was. Perhaps in the past it'd been a plain run of bad-luck but now of all nights, Veita spoke out to him and it nearly threw him from his high perch, turning in start to shift and look to her through his human eyes, both hands pulling his hooded jacket together to cover his bare chest in some form of anxious protection of his human appearance, surprise and alarm both taking him as he confirmed her presence finding those eyes that had taken him the first night they'd spent together. Though it wasn't like they'd made a pact or any sort of concrete resolve to their relationship, his heart still jumped as much as he did when he found her once more standing in front of himself sharing in his surprise.

"Veita...-I..." He didn't honestly know quite what to say at first, he just looked back at her from his seated position upon the side of the structures ledge, his left leg stationed over his right, his foot planted firmly on the roof floor and ready to push himself to stand in the share instance that she might approach him further, he sat there poised in wait for her further reaction though spoke first in the hopes that she might not suddenly disappear from him again, "Don't go...-I was hoping I'd see you sooner or later..." He admitted with something of a sequence of words blurted out sheepishly and unintentionally sounding more foolish then he'd liked though looking to her with a faint hope that she not find him as silly as he felt, "It's been so long...-Can we just... talk?".

He flinched ad she almost thought he would fall from the roof side where he sat, she tensed for a moment then released her muscles as he turned proving he had purchase of the seat, she sighed letting go of a subconsciously held breath. He moved doing up his jacket, she watched him not knowing what he was going to do, she felt exposed but at the same time ecstatic that he was there, it as a confusing feeling almost frightening. She held her ground for a moment her body cast in the shadows the moonlight not having found her yet.
He looked as worried as she felt and it made her feel bad that she had such an impact on him if it was going to cause something negative.

He stuttered his way through a sentence and she followed each word, not understanding why he seemed so shy, she thought they hadn't seen each other because he was no longer interested, she didn't understand why that would cause him any discomfort at all, yet he was there, a place in which they had spent time together seemingly a life time ago.
"OK" she really didn't know what else to do or say in the situation a pang of abandonment and rejection stirred within her but still she decided to stay. She moved towards him slowly worried if he flinched again he would fall over the side.

She looked as awkward and reluctant as he felt though he didn't like to see the feeling reflected against himself. Like Veita, he didn't entirely understand why the two had been so distanced, he didn't see that she had chosen work in the human world and she didn't know of his life in the wilds to the extent he'd hoped her too so it was understandable that the two of them stood at a bit of a stand off, not entirely sure of themselves yet Cayden Nekishu knew how he had spent nights thinking of her and given the length of time it'd been since their one and only night shared together, he wasn't prepared to risk another long haul before seeing her again. Shifting from his seat he slowly picked himself up and stepped closer into the center of the clear space that was the roof of the building the two shared, looking to her with an uncertain expression though speaking with a hint of urgency and perhaps even desperation in his initial words, "Look...-I don't know where you've been...-I looked in the forest we met in...-I've come here quite a bit...-I don't know entirely what I did but don't leave...". Christ, he felt like he was almost pleading with her though his tone had come out at least a little stronger than that, his male self hoping that it would keep her on the roof so that they might actually share a true conversation together. She was after all the first and only female he'd found himself truly interested in and no past experience stood to be any greater than the current between the two.

"Veita...-I don't know what I've done but I'm here right...-We can at least talk it out.." both hands lifted to his sides as if it ask 'why not?'. There was nothing else to his human side, no amount of animal instinct or stance could hide the blatant human emotional side to the forms. body language was so much easier to read in the human race and as he stood there with what felt like possibly empty words, he hoped that she understood that he wanted nothing but to share another night with her, going so far as to further say, "Just give me another chance?...-This isn't normal for me..".

He got up and he moved over towards her so she stopped walking once they met in the middle. She looked over him, he looked well he looked good in fact. She tilted her head up slightly to see him better as he was that much taller, her hand still holding the cloth as she regarded him in silence. He didn't waste any time and shot off into speech, he seemed more sure of his human form then he had done last time, though she could tell he was still uncomfortable with it, she had been spending a lot of time in hers, so much so her true form would probably take some getting used to again.
His words sunk in and he was asking her not to go, he thought she was the one that left him? She had been thinking the same thing towards him, maybe they always just seemed to miss each other in their travels.
He seemed so sincere and concerned that she was about to turn around and walk away, he was o apologetic thinking he had done something wrong when that was her thoughts aimed at herself only moments before.
Come to think of it, the whole thing was petty funny. She dropped the cloth from her face not caring if he saw her for what she currently was she now knew he didn't hate her and her bad mood was rapidly becoming replaced by an amused one. She smiled ignoring her face then started to laugh hitting his shoulder to shut him up
"Hey I thought I was the one that did something wrong" she muttered between her laughter "God we are idiots"

The amusement would have been shared had Veita not lowered her guard and shown the blow to her face, the bruise and blood arisen skin that had been her cheek, causing Cayden's brows to furrow, meeting atop the bridge of his nose as his expression took a swift turn and without overly thinking any further, he closed in on the gap between them, his left hand rising to take to the left side of her jaw, tilting her head carefully to the side as he looked over her evident injury, "Who the hell did this to you..." His words were no longer as insecure as he'd once been. It was a quick and swift change in his persona though his expression showed more emotion than his initial being had been so reluctant to provide, it'd be hopefully obvious to Veita at this point that he was acting in swift want to care and protect her that he asked her as much, his eyes quickly tearing away from her and looking to the rooftops around their immediate vicinity as if the likely assailant would foolishly still be among their environment.

"I'll fucking kill them...", the words came from his mouth faster than rationale thought had, in that instant he'd shown her more of his natural self than he'd wanted to and as a life in the wilds had served his instincts so well, here they didn't quite fit the part, to which make him suddenly wish he hadn't spoken up so violently in her defense and caused him to stutter in his attempted recovery, "Uh..-I...Well...-" He was admittedly at a loss of words and instead simply looked down over her, his crimson eyes taking in her expression, her bruised cheek and soon falling to meet her gaze, the gaze to which even if he so wished to break, he couldn't pull himself away from.

She didn't think he would react the way he did bit then again she didn't really know what it looked like she hadn't taken a moment to look in the mirror. Cayden did not follow her laughter he closed the gap between them and his hand pulled her chin into a position in which he could inspect her easier, she allowed him to move her head, which for her was a big thing she never allowed anyone to touch her without her moving away or without some sort of resulting measures being taken. She would usually recoil from it but she didn't even feel the need to, his hand upon her face caused a different feeling, one she had not come across before it made her feel reassurance, it made her feel as though she could rely on him.
He growled about killing who ever did it but she didn't care she was to shocked by the emotion in which she felt at his display of protection over her. She had never had anyone act in such a way towards her and she had to admit it felt good, she felt like someone cared whether she lived or died and she was glad that the person that did was Cayden. Suddenly she found herself wondering just what she would do if he were to disappear again, the feeling it caused was not pleasant and she pushed it away her eyes seeking out his own where she scanned them for the emotion his voice held, he was showing himself to her and she didn't recoil even though he was suddenly unsure again.
"I'm fine Cayden" she spoke her gaze upon his, "It's all right" she smiled a small smile to ease him "Was just a drunks mistake that's all"

"A drunks mistake..." He muttered under his breath as his eyes caught in-line with hers, his concern turning to swift annoyance, not anger but the eagerness to wish he'd caught the one who'd done the deed when it'd struck her, "You mean a human did this?...". Some things had changed since their last meeting, his knowledge of the humans for example, he'd adapted to slip in and out of their paths when it had suited him and in doing so, learning a lot more about their various cultures and their lesser habits.
It didn't bother him immediately though he found himself wondering what she'd been doing in such a place, not that it was in any way his place to judge but seeing her hurt as she was, he couldn't help but ask "These...-Humans, they're not friends of yours right? You're not in some sort of trouble at all...", he didn't hold any personal relationships with any of the locals and as it was, the only human Cayden really trusted was his former mentor, Raikou Diasu who was both from a different land and rarely one to step in on Cayden's life outside of the need to train and hone their abilities in combat.

In the moment the two shared, his would-be adrenaline had slowly subsided in knowing the danger wasn't in any immediate risk to her, his mind had slowed enough to realize how he had acted and where he now stood, his eyes noting his hand on her chin and consciously, he slowly lowered it hoping that he hadn't overstepped his grounds yet not quite moving away from her. His gaze shifted once again though moving to the left, he frowned to himself, standing tall in his human form, his chest exposed as his jacket remained open and showing a new series of fresh and older scars, some still healing yet nothing that resembled his recent activites in the last month. Something in the way of Cayden's demeanor had hardened, not in how he looked at Veita at all yet his confidence had been built up upon the experience of his training under the Ronin and his mind shaped by Bushido, the Samurai code of honor. All this, meaning to say that in the moment that he caught Veita's eyes following his, there seemed nothing he could want more than to stand by her and protect her as was his code, just as he would his pack nowadays.

"I'm sorry..." He spoke up after a moment of silence and self-reflection, "I've wanted to be with you ever since that night, I've looked for you but never managed to track you down. Fate's cruel in it's banter though I'm glad you're here now but you shouldn't have to put up with that..." He was back to looking at her cheek, clearly none to pleased.

There was something different about Cayden then the last time she saw him. He seemed to be ever changing from the stubborn male she met in the woods to the wide eyed nervous one she last saw in the city but it was something else this time, she wondered whether he chose to show her only small fractions of himself, the though saddened her and she frowned though she was bought back to reality by his words, he seemed to still have a distrust of humans but she didn't blame him, she still didn't trust them as far as she could throw them.
His hand against her chin was warm and reminded her of why she liked him so much, he made her feel safe but also challenged, she had to admit she enjoyed life a lot more when he was around despite the small amount of time they had actually spent together.
She smiled not attempting to move away from his hold as he questioned her, she had no desire to hide anything from him so she didn't try to shadow her face once again, he could moan about her lifestyle but she wouldn't change it.
"No Cayden, I am not in trouble" he voice was clear and pointed she needed him to know she had been looking after herself despite the state she was in, she was capable. The only danger she felt herself in recently was when she was with Cayden but that was a completely different kind of danger, one she had never encountered before in her lifetime.

He let go of her and made his apologies, he was mad she could see that clearly enough but he was trying to hold it back from her, she wished he didn't she wanted to know all of him so she could decide whether to trust a blooming feeling within her or try to forget about the male before it became to late.
"Calm down Cayden. It will heal. Are you ok?"

'Am I alright?' he questioned himself in his momentary silence, repeating her concern for him in quiet reflection. It wasn't exactly the type of thing people asked Cayden, concern for him was rarely spoken unless it came from his father in which case thus far had proven to be more the lecturing type on a completely different hierarchy to what he was used to. Cayden smiles a little curiously as he found his eyes back on hers, his head dipping a little in appreciation for her care though not entirely knowing the answer to the query himself, he responded with a little hesitation though feigning confidence where he could, "You know me...-I can handle myself", it was a bit of a low blow in terms of responses, one Veita would no doubt not be too impressed with as he deflected her question, soon quickly resigning to correct his remark as he considered his intent to hide himself from the world, might do more harm than good where she was concerned, one of the few that seemed to be on the same level and so genuine to him unlike the rest of the world seemed to be, "...-Eh, well...-What can I say. I don't know where my Sisters are, my Mothers just come back from what I thought was deaths embrace all while I'm trying to fit into my fathers pack in order to know my heritage and out of some delusional sense that it will help me piece together the life I was apparently meant to have, all the while, being so unconvinced..." He paused before that curious smile returned to his expression and he found himself focusing more on Veita once more, rather than what he was actually saying, "All parts of my life that I enjoyed less than the time we met...-How am I doing? Good question..-Better now...-Really".

He puffed his cheeks up before releasing a long steady exhale in exaggerated emphasis of the would-be relief he felt in saying all that he had, quickly chuckling sheepishly under his breath as he tried to return to that cool, level headed self that he tried to be in order to impress rather than potentially lose her interest in him altogether, "Sorry...-I don't talk to a great bunch, really...-You're the first outside of my family to be honest. Well aside from Raikou but that's only when we're training and we do more fighting than anything so he doesn't count...".

He gave her a look she couldn't really pin point as his head ducked the corners of his mouth rising into some what of a smile as she waited for him to answer her, something wasn't right she could tell that much and all the hesitation of his words did was prove to her that she was right. It made a small knot form in her stomach, one she didn't understand or feel comfortable with, she frowned a little at him and at herself for getting to the point where him in discomfort made her uncomfortable, they had only known each other such a short time span but she was finding the male had a profound effect upon her when he was with her and when without. She tilted her head ready to listen as she felt that more was to come, she would wait all night if she had to but he soon started to talk making her again feel conflicted but at the same time almost glad that he felt trust enough to talk to her about problems that were of a bother to him. It turned out he had one complicated life, she pressed her lips together and let him get it out.

It seemed to flood out of him, she didn't really know anymore what it was like to have others in her life but it seemed that in Cayden's case finding his family was one complicated affair, she pursed her lips thinking about taking him away but she knew she would not and could not do that. His smile had come back and he looked all most as though he were ashamed of embarrassed for telling her everything and explaining to her how he was feeling, then he went on to explain himself and she felt a stir of panic in her stomach. No she didn't want that, she didn't want him to shy from speaking to her about everything and anything.

Without thinking to much or becoming afraid she moved her hand to his hand, entwining her fingers into his she locked them feeling the warmth from his flesh against her own, it was welcome and the angst she thought she would feel from touching him in such a way wasn't there more a contented feeling.
"Cayden, I'm glad you're feeling better" she didn't say much else as she could not change what was happening to him. But she had now made a resolve that she would be there for him through it.

His gaze plummeted to meet her hand as she laced her fingers in his, his heart seemingly jumping to the touch though swiftly comforted as his mind caught up. His mouth opened to say something though he fumbled for the words, resigning to close his mouth with some conscious effort as his brows twitched and he found himself unsure how to respond. Slowly, his eyes rose to meet Veita's and he felt like a complete fool, he must've resembled something of a deer in the headlights of one of those human machines they call cars because the moment felt like an hour trying to pass in a matter of seconds. "You are?" He choked up a little though managed to speak clearly enough before he could blink and hear the tone of his voice repeated in his head, "U-ugh, I mean sure I am..." He chuckled dryly at his own expense trying to turn around what felt like a tragic display, into something confident once more, "I'm with you again right...-Wasn't sure what'd happened to you".

'Well done Cayden, you established that much already' he thought to himself, once more casting his eyes elsewhere in attempt to mask his idiocy. By this point he had confirmed that he was rather useless with the female sort, there seemed little left to do but to bite the bullet and confront it head on. "Look, I'm not good with this kinda thing..." He turned to look to her once more, lifting his hand still holding her own, "But it's good...-I mean this is...-You know..." Cayden smiled warily, shrugging his right shoulder somewhat casually, "I mean there's no other reason for me to be here in this city without you. I belong in the wilds, it's where I belong...-These people, they'd kill me if they knew what I was but I still...-You know, I want to be here with you...".

As he looked down at her hand in his her eyes also followed, he seemed confused or worried and it made her uncertain of what she had done, she ducked her head a little to hide her shame and disappointment but her confidence soon started to return when she realised that not only had he not let go of her hand and pulled it away but he was holding her hand in return. It seemed they were both treading water not sure whether they would be able to sink or swim and the notion amused and comforted her enough that she could smile lightly at herself and rise her gaze back up to meet Cayden's searching eyes as he looked at her with what she could call confused frustration at himself, she watched him feeling more for him in this moment of vulnerability then she had done before. The fact was he was obviously comfortable enough with her to show her he was in that position without some sort of façade and it made her think that by choosing to open herself up to him and no other was a good decision.

From what he said it seemed that he didn't really know where she stood with the whole thing happening between the two of them and when she thought about it she had to admit to herself that she did not either. She had spent her entire adult life on the move, never trusting anyone or staying still long enough to form any sort of bond and now she had found him, it was foreign territory for them both and it was scary but it was also full of possibilities.
He said what was happening was good and she smiled a little wider this time for him to see she nodded "It's good" she echoed what he said but was unsure if he heard her as he went on to explain more and question. He was in the city for her.... he wanted the wilds.

She looked back down at her hand with his seeing how well they complimented each other. She had been forced to shy away from what she was, to integrate in the human world for safety, she had only ever known pain as a wolf and she never felt safe when she was one. He seemed to feel the same way about his human form. It was a large obstacle and one that made her feel anxious.
It took her a while to look up to him but when she did she had stern resolve in her eyes.
"Then show me your world Cayden"

'Show you my world...' He repeated the idea to himself in his head as he had earlier in similar and intrigued fashion, not knowing quite how that might look. It hadn't occurred to him up until that point that she really wasn't accustomed to their kinds way of life. "My world's the same as yours Veita...-Just a few different faces with a whole new set of personal issues.." He chuckled quietly under his breath as he turned into her, facing her and moving to take her other hand in instinct, speaking gently in gentle question, "You're obviously happy here aren't you? You prefer this life rather than out in the wilds..." His head tilted some as he looked to her in quiet study, searching for the response before she'd even spoken the words, "I'm not going to pull you away from who you are just to please me..." He held eye contact with her, blue eyes to match his wild crimson ones; a smile creeping across his face as he couldn't hold off the smirk that found him through looking to her.

In thinking of what it would be like to have her by his side out in the wilds however, his mind wandered some. For so long he'd been wanting to be in the company of others, he'd found himself amidst his fathers pack in search of some sort of other piece, a connection to others and yet here Veita was, the one that made him feel better about himself and the life and company around him more so than any other, living in a human city, the irony was a little difficult to stomach in honesty.
"If this is what you want..." He spoke up softly after a moment, his conscious thought pulling him back to the moment as he found her looking at him, "I'm not sure if you'll remember what I told you the first day we met but..-Two packs run the lands outside of the city walls, the Nayati and the Kostas, the latter of the two belongs to my father and will be more welcoming of you, of the two of us...".

She shook her head from what she had seen their worlds were very far apart she remembered taking him to the human food court and his amazement and excitement over how they acted with each other and while in public that was not the life of someone like her, he was out of his depth the moment he took on his human skin and she wouldn't have had it any other way it was a fond memory but it did show the vast difference between the two of them not that she considered that a bad thing. It just meant that they had a lot to show one another. She wished he didn't try and make his life sound any less she also had set herself to the fact that for him she would at least try his way of life and see how it would treat her no matter how out of her comfort zone it would take her. She did intend how ever to keep her job for the time being making sure that were she to return to her human life she would be able to self sustain.

"I wouldn't say that I was happy here Cayden" she replied a small crease between her eyebrows taking route as she thought about the question that he has asked her. "This is just where I know how to live with the less persecution and danger" she sighed and tried to ease the frown from her face, her life ad been one of self protection and hiding she had done what she thought she had to in order to see the next day through.
He said he wouldn't take her away but then he started to tell her again about the pack lands, that they would accept her with him into the pack run by his father. He would never tell her, he would never ask her in the little time she knew him she knew that much but it was what he wanted if he said it or not
"Show me your home, your life Cayden. Lets go from there?"

Looking back at Veita, he nodded faintly in understanding though caught in his thoughts, he still hesitated in wondering why she'd stay in a place she wasn't truly happy in. That said, it was quickly countered by the reminding himself that he didn't quite know if he was all that happy out in the wilds where he was either; not for a lack of love for being out among the wildlife but because it didn't all seem to fit as comfortably as he'd have liked, there seemed to be pieces missing that he hadn't yet been able to put together.
Their fingers locked, he glanced briefly down before nodding in slow confirmation, looking back to Veita with a curious smile in that he wasn't entirely sure how it'd play out but he was rather pleased none the less, "Alright...-If this is what you want..".



Cayden swapped the solid tarmac for the gentle brush of the blades of grass now beneath his feet as he lead Veita by the hand, stepping outside of the city district and officially coming to a reluctant halt within the border to the wild-lands. Darkness that had not been present in the human world now surrounded the two, save for the glow of the city in the background to which Cayden's eyes squinted against as he looked to Veita, a silhouette against the bright human built lights and miscellaneous buildings scattered beyond them now.
"I'm not quite sure if you remember or not but the last time the two of us were out here you were ready to kill me when we met, despite being well under the weather to have done me much harm at all..." He threw Veita a curious smile, a hint of pride in his voice as his eyes scaled her form quickly, he couldn't help that her defiance had escalated his pulse both then and now; "If and when we eventually come across the others out here...-I'm not saying don't protect yourself if you feel it's necessary but I'd prefer to follow me lead once we get closer to the Kostas border. I've never actually brought in a guest into our territory before so...-We could both end on the firing line. If it's looking that way, we'll have to keep to neutral ground...-This also means we might run into the Nayati...", his voice died down for a time as he considered the thought. "Honestly I'm not sure where the two of the packs stand at the moment, they both fiercely guard their territories but I've had little to do with them...-C'mon.." He guided her further, moving to step quietly away some more from the human city as he added under his breath, "Best we don't wander out there looking like we do...".

((Sorry for the wait, social weekend)).

He thought over what she said for a while, the silence again stretched between them but she didn't find that uncomfortable when in his company as silences so often were it seemed like he soothed her no matter what they were doing. It was a strange feeling being around him it was a confusing one but a welcome one it excited and frightened her while making her feel safe and warm all at the same time it was the most complicated and contradictory thing she had ever felt and she was glad that it was Cayden that caused her to feel such a way.
As he looked down to their hands so did she her eyes meeting the locking of their fingers she hadn't realized before but she wanted this to continue, she didn't want to leave Cayden's side again. She looked back up at him as he relented to her request and agreed to show her his world.

Time--

They had walked a while her letting him lead her, trusting him unlike she had trusted another in her life. She felt light as she walked with him. Her world was about to change yet again, she knew she could be faced with a totally different way of living, maybe one that she found hard to fit in with but as long as she was with Cayden that thought didn't take route in fear.
He pulled her mind away from her thoughts as he recounted their meeting she looked up at him and smiled, she had been so aggressive with him but he was a stranger then so she didn't regret the way in which she acted.
"A lot has changed since then huh"
She looked around them seeing how different the place seemed with a different perspective, it no longer looked like a daunting and scary place not when she stood at his side.
He explained the packs to her again and she nodded "Lets see what happens"
Before he mentioned the way they looked she was all ready bending one of her legs up to slip her shoes from her feet.
"Yeah I assumed we couldn't go strolling in all enemy looking and all"

He chuckled quietly as his arms pulled his open jacket from his form exposing and leaving his upper body bare to the cool wind as he looked back at Veita nodding his casual agreement, "Yeah, I reckon a few of them might recognize me by my scent but I don't know how quickly they'd realize and I highly doubt the others outside of the pack would notice, let alone care...-The City belongs to the humans, the wilds belong to us" he offered a half smirk in tow with the final remark, confident and proud that it was the truth and evidently something he held as a proud and admirable fact.

The hooded jacket wasn't the last thing to go, by now Veita would assume Cayden was lost to many of the humane decencies in their world, one of which seemed to shy away from exposing the human body, a form that to Cayden meant little as he'd lived his life as a wolf naked to the world with the exception of his earthly pelt. His feet left his pants and he pushed them to the side along with his jacket before exhaling audibly and glancing over his shoulder briefly to Veita, "I'm rather looking forward to this..." he lifted his head in a half nod with a slight chuckle, completely ignorant to how the comment might be taken given he was expecting her to follow suit, turning to look back towards the plains before his eyes closed and he began to shift form into that of his true nature, his muscles contorting, bones molding to shape into the canine frame and build bringing him down to all fours as his skin produced the hair of his pelt, fur in full, void of pain in his transformation, taking only a matter of seconds before Cayden was stepping away a few paces, dropping his nose to the ground floor and searching for any possible scents of others around them, "Doesn't look like we're in anyone's immediate company, fortunately..." he spoke up, soon glancing back to look to her expectantly.

He felt the need to explain himself and the 'belongs to us' comment made her pause a moment her eye brows knitting together slightly as the comment rolled around inside her head she kept on moving after a heart beat she kept moving. 'Us' was not a word she had ever had to use or ever had been used in reference to her she never had anyone but herself, that or people that were trying to hurt her. It felt strange and uncomfortable she didn't know if she wanted the word to stick to her, it frightened her that it would open up a whole new world worth of pain. It made her want to run again but she also knew that she didn't want to be without Cayden again, she decided despite the nerves created she would try it out for him. He seemed so proud of it all.

He stripped himself down until nothing remained, she was careful where she looked and almost laughed at his comment but she didn't she remained unchanged, her nerves were to much to over ride with another emotion, she was going against what her instincts said and she was trusting Cayden, because of what her heart told her though her head kept reminding her she didn't know him all that well and had only met him such a short time ago. Her teeth worked the inside of her cheek as she to revealed her skin to the cool air before stretching out then to kneel as her transformation took place.
Her human form replaced itself with a now fresh looking wolf, she would look healthy compared with how she looked the last time he had seen her, her coat white and pure her body filled out the way it should be.
Her head dipped to the earth taking in the scent for herself before she nodded to what Cayden said, she stuck close by to him "OK show me"

He hadn't been quite as careful where he'd been looking as she'd shed her human clothing though the moment she'd become a wolf once more it took his breath and reminded him of their first meeting, albeit a little stand-offish on the day, his head tilted as he looked over her much preferring this side of Veita though perhaps more so out of bias against the humans, something that was bound to change the more time the two spent in that world.

Slowly he approached her, heavy paws meeting the earth as he didn't care for the quiet, his focus on her and moving to bring his pelt to ruffle up against her own, leaning some of his weight playfully against her in something of a teasing nudge of her form, "Much better..." He exhales swiftly, a heated breath light with amusement before he circled around her moving to the front once more, "Now then...-Where to start, I reckon the pack's probably the best place for it, the Kostas shouldn't mind you being there given you're with me" his shoulders hunkered as Cayden took off in a light trot moving to pad off towards the northern territories, glancing back briefly to ensure Veita was willingly following, "I haven't seen you leave that place since day one, y'know..." He barked lightly back to her, something of a confident ring to his tone as he kept his pace light and easy to keep up with, offering another quiet bark to encourage her to come side by side with him so they could move off together. Hierarchy between males and females of their kind didn't come into play when he looked to Veita, she was his equal and if anything else, no less than that. This of course might've escaped her entirely as Cayden himself didn't recognize the difference between the two during his years as a loner and neither did she, he assumed, as she'd spent so much time with the humans; "I'm glad you wanted to come out here with me...-I know it's not easy for our kinda people, moving from being alone to being with others and suddenly expected to fit it..." His voice wavered a little, Cayden still struggling to find himself in the pack though his confidence swiftly returned when he looked back to her, "But nothing's going to get in your way again. Not while I'm around...".

Her head rose after taking in all of the different scents around them, she took her time getting used to the feel of her body as it had been a while since she had taken to her natural form. She closed her eyes listening to her own breathing, feeling her own heart beat and when she was ready she began to pay attention to things around her again mainly Cayden her eyes opened again and found him in time for him to speak of his appreciation to this form over her human one, a fleeting moment had her wonder if her human one was something he found attractive or maybe he just tolerated her like that for her sake, he hated humans maybe he hated her like that.
She pressed her side against him as he brushed against her feeling him moving along the length of her side, he was so much larger and powerful then her but she was not afraid of Cayden she felt calmer when he was with her.

She followed Cayden when he moved her feet much lighter then his she moved in relative silence. "What do you mean? The human world?" she didn't catch what he meant "Um well I didn't want to go getting myself ripped apart by territorial wolves" she had remembered what he said about packs and with that in mind the world she had been living in seemed all the safer at least there her threats were in plain sight before her eyes.
With his gesture she moved along side him noticing more the contrast between them when they were that close, she liked it though. Her nerves were shattered at the thought of facing a band of wolves and potentially putting Cayden in danger if they didn't take to her "Fitting in isn't something I am good at. Blending though, Blending I can do"
The closer they got to the territories and the further from the human world the more nervous she felt until Cayden made his last comment. Some how it blanketed her with a calm unlike she had ever felt before, she felt protected it was strange and welcome and twitched her lips with a smile.
"I hope you don't get into trouble Cayden" she knew she was seeming weak but she didn't care, she would fight if she would have to. And she would either win or die if it meant protecting him and she knew he probably understood that much without speaking the words.

"Fitting in's not something that comes easily I guess..." Cayden admitted, dropping something of his guard as he kept his gaze upon Veita, "I'll be honest, I haven't quite gotten as far as I'd hoped with this pack thing...-Sometimes I've wondered if I shouldn't have just stayed back with you in Muchani but there's something I can't shake about the Kostas. I can't explain it without sounding a little insane but this is where I'm meant to be. Maybe not forever but for now, you know?" His eyes flicked to the right as he looked out, shying away a little out of embarrassment before his ears perked at the sound of a nearby twig snapping, likely under the weight of something watching them given how easily he'd heard it. "I think we'd better leave, put some distance from us and this place, Veita...". This time he didn't wait for her to offer a rebuttle, instead turning and trotting further out across the field with near soundless paws, the direction he took a little curved out to the right to avoid a predictable route as he led her away from the interruption that hadn't yet managed to present itself. After a moment, the quiet would be enough to slow his pace enough to resume their discussion but with Veita at his side, the world suddenly looked anew, even being part of the Kostas he still felt very much like he was fighting his own battles; with Veita with him, it wasn't a matter of meeting a thread head on, he had a priority above his own recklessness and this was something he found himself quickly becoming proud of.

Some five to ten minutes had passed while the two had cleared quite a fair bit of distance in a prolonged silence before Cayden found himself once more content with their surroundings having entered the nearby Illiara Forest; headed for the Northlands. "Alright this will do..." He spoke up, pulling back on his pace in which he could fall back to walk alongside her as they had been beforehand, "Sorry but the humans are unpredictable around our kind, most of their young seem fascinated by the sight of us but the adults, no matter how accustomed you are to working around them, they see you in this form, they will kill you without hesitation...", he paused, his tone fading out as he recognized this sounded more like a lecture than anything else, "You know all this though and I'm coming off like an ass reminding you, sorry...".

What he said didn't do much to ease her anxiety when it came to following him into unknown lands to face unknown creatures that all ready made her nervous. To hear he didn't feel it was going well for himself and he had prior ties there was disconcerting, it made her question whether the ones he was taking her to see would be that welcoming of her at all, she had felt shunned or threatened all her life and she didn't want to add to that.
But he changed his tune, he seemed to think it was where he belonged, or at least where he was supposed to be, she sighed a little to herself, she felt that way about Cayden, with him was where she felt she was supposed to be, so she would follow him into the darkness.

Her ears twitched picking up sounds indicating they were not alone, she felt the hairs standing up upon her spine, she had spent a life time running but Veita really had more of a fight reflex then a flight reflex but Cayden had heard it first and was on his way away from the threat, she was impressed and knew what he was doing he was protecting her otherwise he probably would have stayed put and looked to see what was coming so close in the first place. She didn't argue she followed him taking off into an easy trot behind him, catching up to be beside him as they moved through the lands without saying a word to one another.

When they stopped she looked around to grab her bearings but it all looked the same to her, the scent was slightly differing but it didn't help her to ground herself, Cayden obviously thought it safe to speak again and she nodded with a small laugh as he reprimanded himself.
"Will it be long until we reach where ever it is you are aiming for?"

"Heh.." Cayden chuckled quietly under his breath as he soon moved to continue with Veita following up against his right side, the two taking an even pace as they neared the Crisithian Delta; "Muchani's buried amidst the Southern lands, we're about to enter the middle ground, a place known as the delta within the eastern lands. If we make it through all this we'll hit..." He glanced back at Veita with something of an amused huff, "Well obviously the northern territories and that's where the pack is situated. The Kostas are led by my father, Benjamin...-No one's going to bother us when we reach them though it'd be good if we didn't take our time. Between here and there we have the Nayati not to mention those living the lone way like we have...-I don't need to remind you how that goes".

It wouldn't be long before the pair had reached the almost swamp-like lands where the rivers were wide and caused the earth to soften around them, sprouted wildly about with lush tree's and shrub that covered much of the ground and meant for a little maneuvering about to clear through. While he led Veita through the Crisithian Delta, Cayden kept his eyes, ears and yes, his nose on their immediate surroundings ensuring nothing would seek to catch them off guard. It seemed a continuously surprising and appreciative affair leading someone else that had, he had to admit, found a way through his exterior to become close to his heart; though the two had yet to make any real moves, Cayden was rather certain the feeling had become mutual between them.

"I have to admit, this is a first for me..." He started up again as the two had finally cleared the river and managed to make it to the other-side, the male soon shaking himself dry, ruffling his fur wildly and casting a sheepish grunt as he briefly threw himself about before sitting down on his hind paws and turning to look back to Veita in wait for her to collect herself; "I'm probably not the most hospitable type at this sort of thing, I know you've avoided all this for so long but I'm the complete opposite so if you're worried or have questions, I'm all ears...-Just a little bit rough around the edges I suppose. It's sort of like how you were with me when I first came to muchani..." He whined a little now seeing the embarrassing side of it, given the paw was on the other wolf by comparison.

"C'mon..." He barked softly in something of an encouraging yip, his tongue hanging out the side of his mouth as he threw her a cocky look before turning to continue their journey, "Should only take a little over an hour to get there...".