The Ties That Bind

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"You act like the grill is the most important part," Maxim said, pointing an accusing finger at Marina even as she picked up a piece of watermelon with her bare hands to eat rather than finding a fork, "but I'd say the marinade had something to do with it. The man has more forethought than the rest of us combined."

"Speak for yourself," Bella countered, but even she laughed at the idea. Perhaps it was because he had children to look after, or simply because he was older than the rest of them, but he really did keep them all organized sometimes.

When Madeline excused herself Maxim thought for a brief moment, then gestured for her to go on. "All right. Hurry back." He trusted well enough that she wasn't going to run off, but it was best she not dilly dally too much.

Aether, at the other table, glanced over when he saw her leaving on her own, confused about why she was being let go when she was still technically a criminal under Maxim's watch. He didn't want to doubt his alpha's directions, but couldn't help glancing her way just in case. Only his suspicion was what let him catch on to the man walking the opposite direction who glanced Madeline's way as they passed each other, and ten steps later suddenly decided to turn around and go back the other way. With no real evidence to explain Aether didn't alert anyone, but on pure suspicion he got up and excused himself to go to the bathroom anyway.
 
She nodded a little, "I won't be long." She reassured quietly, getting her feet and heading off. She was grateful he'd let her go herself, it would have felt pretty humiliating to have an escort to the bathroom.

It felt weird to feel grateful for such a thing, but she appreciated the trust he was showing her. Despite his kindness, she knew she was still essentially under his arrest.

She glanced at the man she passed by, giving him a polite nod of acknowledgement, she was in a good mood so she had a small friendly smile on her face but she remained silent, and didn't slow her pace.

She ducked into the woman's bathroom, which was thankfully very clean. A line of stalls stood empty against one wall, facing a number of sinks below one long mirror.

Perhaps her mind was elsewhere, perhaps the days of calm combined with her good mood had caused her to let down her guard too much.

Whatever the reason, she hadn't noticed anyone following her, nor did she notice another man who'd been standing behind a tree just to the left of the path, but unfortunately he'd noticed her.
 
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Aether walked at a casual, measured pace, hands in his pockets and eyes wandering as any other passersby might, glancing at those that walked past to avoid bumping into them and out into the grass where families played. He used mostly his peripheral to spot the man half-hidden behind a tree, standing oddly just off the path, and gave no indication he'd noticed. Rather than pursue right away, he stopped at the water fountain just before the bathrooms to have a drink and wait to see if his suspicions held any ground.

When Madeline exited the women's restroom the man that had turned to follow her was waiting, leaned casually back against the wall a few feet away from the door so she wouldn't see him right away. He was a young man, dressed well but not businesslike, perfectly blended with those whose stroll through the park was a little less casual without standing out. Perhaps it was the part of him that was something more than human which had spotted her for being the same.

"Hey, beautiful," the man crooned as she stepped out, a small smile on his face that could have been interpreted as friendly in other circumstances, and pushed away from the wall as if to follow her as her attention turned to him. "When I saw you I just couldn't resist - why don't you give me your number and let's go somewhere nicer than this."
 
She stepped out of the bathroom, not hurrying but taking care not to dawdle eiether, she didn't want to damage Maxims trust in her.

It was annoying feeling rushed, but the last thing she wanted was for him to tighten the leash she was on anymore, but she also just would have felt guilty.

She stopped as a man suddenly approached her, her guard immediately up as she recognised him from a few moments earlier.

He'd followed her then, and he was standing far too close for her liking. She tried to step forward, away from the bathroom door so she wouldn't get pushed in there and trapped.

"Oh thank you, I'm really flattered." "But sorry i can't, i'm already spoken for." She replied casually, forcing herself to act calm. She didn't know if he was a real threat, a bounty seeker, or just a bit of a creep. Until she knew, it would be wise not to escalate things.

The man who'd been standing behind the tree watched this little scene with great interest, and slowly began walking over to them.
 
After a drink and a moment to dry his mouth on a sleeve and take a look around, the man behind the tree somewhere at his back, Aether pulled out his phone to look through messages, as if he were waiting for someone. The moment the second assailant - as he'd begun to label them in his head - walked out of sight, he turned and followed, until the point where coming out from behind the building which held the men's restrooms, just across from the women's, would have exposed his presence. There he waited and listened, only daring glance around the corner just once. There weren't very many people in the park that day, and the bathrooms were largely deserted. He couldn't blend in if he walked out, so it was better to wait.

Rather than draw away at Madeline's clear displeasure, the man lifted a hand casually to rest on the wall, all but fully blocking her escape. "Don't be like that," he drawled, as if they were simply friends having a little disagreement. "It's just a number. Where's your man now? You can't tell me you're having any fun in this boring ass field. You'd have a much better time if you come with us."

He hardly had to glance to know his friend was behind him. If she would just forget about whatever boyfriend she may or may not have, they wouldn't have to herd her to the parking lot and potentially cause a fuss.
 
She took a step back to compensate as he blocked her path, not wanting to be close enough for him to grab. With the wall behind her, to the left and him in front of her, her only way out was the right.

He wasn't leaving much of a gap, but she thought if she was quick enough she could squeeze through. This was starting to look bad, though she was still relatively calm, confident enough against him.

However the arrival of his friend made her heart sink, he was much taller than her, and solidly built. If they were just men, she still might have been fine, but she got the distinct impression they weren't.

She had to make a move now, before his friend got any closer and completely cut off her escape. She tensed slightly and suddenly bolted to the right, shoving past the guy in front of her.

Unfortunately for her, his muscular friend was faster than he looked and had anticipated her move, knowing it was the only way she could have gone.

He surged forward, grabbing her arm and pulling her back roughly into his chest. "Now, now where do you think you're going?" He put one arm around her waist, a cruel smirk on his face.

His incredible strength confirmed her suspicions, before he could secure his grip on her waist, she threw her elbow back into his groin.

He let out a surprised grunt of pain, loosening his grip, as she tried to take off again.
 
Shouting at her was only going to draw attention to them. Rather than react indignantly to both her attempted escape and the blow she had managed to land, the blonde man who had stopped her the first time only growled under his breath and moved quickly to catch her before she could get too far away. If someone hadn't come around the corner hadn't made him pull back, he would have had her.

Aether was moving the moment he heard a true scuffle begin, rounding the corner at speed and hardly bothering to cast a glance Madeline's way as they passed each other. He'd already known where her footsteps would be and encountering her wasn't his goal. Rather than stop to foolishly 'check on her' before the real problem was dealt with, he slipped right past her and ducked down low, slamming a shoulder into the blonde man's gut before he'd had time to determine Aether was not just a passerby there to use the restroom. Perhaps his smaller stature caught them by surprise. Not only did Aether careen into the man shoulder first without hesitation, but wrapped his arms around the man's legs in the same motion and heaved him into the air so that he landed on his back several feet from where they'd collided.

The young wolf was silent as ever, no growl in his throat or threat on his tongue, but when he stepped back with hands raised and stance ready there was open hostility in his seething glare and half-bared fangs. He was outnumbered and outsized, and yet he stood steady and without fear. It was best the two of them back off now that they'd been caught, but if they wanted to fight, they would fight.
 
She hadn't gotten far before Aether rounded the corner, surprising her enough to cause her to slow to a stop as she watched with concern and astonishment as he collided with the blonde guy without the slightest hesitation.

Her momentary hesitation was enough for muscles to recover from her blow, dashing forward to blindside her with a hard punch to the stomach.

The wind knocked out of her, Madeline fell to her knees not getting a chance to react before he hit her again, kicking her in the side.

Muscles glanced at Aether, a snarl on his face. "Piss off brat, this doesn't concern you." He growled, pissed off at this interruption and how easily his partner had been knocked down.
 
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No hesitation. It was the first rule. Assess, find the best angle, but move with purpose. Hesitating made it look like you were timid, like you were nothing to be afraid of. The first part of winning a fight was to show your opponent you weren't going to stop until you had.

The moment he was sure the blonde man wasn't getting up, Aether turned to find the others with his eyes rather than just his ears, pivoting on one foot and starting to move almost before the man had finished speaking. Madeline was on the ground so there was no time for posturing - speed would keep his opponent off guard, and given the man was taller, larger, and likely stronger than him, Aether would take any advantage he could get.

His first dart in was a feint, giving the man the illusion that he could simply be grabbed, only to slip back out of reach in almost the same motion. Aether made no moves to truly attack at first, only dodging back and batting the man's balled fist away when he tried to strike him, staying just close enough it would feel as if he were in reach. Step by step, he lured the man that had hurt Madeline gradually further away from her, then finally grabbed the man's arm as he dodged a punch and pulled, using his own weight against him to send him stumbling a couple of steps away before he could regain his feet.

While he was off balance Aether took the moment to twist around him and fall into a ready stance again. Now that he had Madeline at his back and his body between them, he could advance, and rather than dodge the wild, furious blow that would have come his way next he rushed forward, ducked down, and slammed a fist directly into the man's already hurting groin. He had never been taught not to fight dirty.
 
He'd been reaching down for Madeline when Aether came for him, he scoffed a little, "your funeral pipsqueak." He swung for him, growling a little in frustration as Aether ducked away.

His arrogance was rapidly disappearing, being replaced by growing rage as Aether made him look like a fool, neatly dodging his wild blows.

His speed was blinding, and before he could do anything to stop it, he suffered another insult to his pride as Aether punched him below the belt.

"Fucking.. dirty fighter.." He choked out angrily, eiether not seeing or not caring about the hypocrisy in that statement. Doubled over, his arm suddenly shot out and grabbed for Aethers shirt, aiming a punch for his face with the other.
 
Aether was only just stepping back against his own momentum when the man moved, his recovery unexpectedly fast. The yank on his shirt dragged Aether off balance and superior strength meant he wasn't going to be able to pull away in time to dodge, only moved with the blow that came flying his way as best he could and threw up an arm to guard enough that rather than break his nose it glanced off his skull and set his ear briefly ringing. He hoped it broke the man's fingers in the process, but was dazed enough that when the hold on his shirt pulled and then shoved he went tumbling onto the pavement.

Quick to recover, he rolled back to his knees and would have gotten straight back to his feet, if not for the boot that came swinging his way from the other direction. Distracted as he was with keeping the larger man from getting a firmer hold of him, he hadn't accounted for the blonde getting back up. He could all but hear his father's voice scolding his poor situational awareness as the kick landed squarely against his ribs, with hardly enough time to protect them with his arm. The pain was sharp and sudden, the blow tossing him back onto the ground where he had to choose which opponent to focus on. For that moment, he had to choose the man attempting to kick him again, to keep himself from getting pinned to the ground so he could roll back to his feet and get eyes on them both. He'd hoped the blonde would stay down longer.
 
Madeline had managed to get her feet, wincing a little at the pain in her side but not letting it slow her down as she rushed around behind muscles.

He was grinning, still bent over but gaining great satisfaction from seeing his friend knock Aethers quick little ass down. Before he could straighten and resuming swinging, Madeline blindsided him much the same way as he had done to her earlier.

She leapt onto his back, reaching forward and jamming her thumbs savagely into both of his eyeballs. He howled with pain, immediately slamming backwards, crushing her for a moment beneath him.

Before she could get out from under him, he had rolled over and pinned her down, gripping her with both hands by the throat, choking and throttling her againt the ground.

She struggled to break free, kicking and scratching at him but nothing seemed to bother him in his rage fuelled adrenaline state.

As each breath became harder, she desperately reached for her boot, drawing her feet up as much as she could. Finally just as she was on the verge of passing out, her vision fading, she managed to grab it.

She flicked the blade open, then stabbed at him blindly. Faintly she heard him cry out, as the pressure on her throat mercifully eased as he let go.

She rolled onto her side, coughing and gasping for air as her lungs tried to recover, she held fast to the knife.

Muscles stood crading his profusely bleeding arm, looking at it with an almost bewildered expression on his face. She'd managed to stabb him in the forearm, then dragged the knife towards her, down almost to his wrist.
 
He was going to get pinned. If he didn't get it together, he was going to end up on the ground under the man's boot and the fight would be lost. Aether wasn't fully on his feet before the blonde kicked again, and rather than attempt to dodge and get knocked off balance again he took the blow almost at full force, wrapping his arms around the man's leg and shoving his weight towards him to knock him off balance. Aether moved too quickly for the man to rebalance, shoving forward and up until he was knocked down onto his back once more, and rather than pull away the young wolf landed elbow down on the man's solar plexus to drive the breath from his lungs. One knee keeping the man's leg pinned, Aether pulled himself up and slammed a fist into the blonde's face so hard it drove his head back into the pavement. He could hear Madeline distracting the second man behind him, and rather than get back to his feet he punched the man again in the face, in the ribs, took hold of the arm that reached desperately to stop him and bit down on his hand so hard he nearly took the man's finger off with just his teeth.

No mercy, His father's voice whispered in his ear, telling him he should grab the man by his hair, slam his skull into the ground until he stopped fighting, neutralize the threat so it couldn't get back up and hurt him again. No mercy, as he'd shown his father no mercy. It was that thought which drove him to abandon the fight and get back on his feet.

By the time he was up, Madeline and the larger man had separated. Stunned panic already running through his system, it took
Aether long seconds to assess what had happened. Madeline, on the ground with a knife in her hand. The offending shifter with a wound pouring red down his arm. Bad. Too much blood. There wasn't supposed to be so much blood. He'd told himself never again-

No time, he thought. Just move.

He couldn't wait for the injured man to regain his sense, kicking out the back of his knee to drop him to the ground and moving quickly to pull Madeline back up to her feet. Maxim. He needed to get his phone and signal Maxim before anyone else tried to come to the bathrooms. They needed to clean this up.
 
Madeline was having trouble getting her lungs to cooperate with her, every breath she tried to take was agony, the scuffle still going on only made things worse.

It was hard to breathe when you were panicked, and her concern for Aether, and herself if Muscles fell on her again were certainly causing panic.

Thankfully the black spots dancing in her vision started to clear as she managed to finally take some air, she closed her eyes for a moment as she prepared to force herself to her feet.

Before she could Aether had pulled her up, she instinctively pulled away from him for a moment, almost swinging at him until she realised it was him.

She lowered the knife but didn't drop it, clutching it so hard her knuckles were white. A ring of bruises were already appearing around her neck in the shape of his fingers, as well as scratches from where his nails had dug in.

She felt light-headed and dizzy, she was visibly shaking and unsteady on her feet. She glanced over at their assailants, then back at Aether.

Her breathing was too ragged for her to speak, but there was concern in her eyes as she looked him over. She nodded slightly behind him, as she started to move. Her meaning was clear, to run, to get help, while he had the chance.
 
Aether's ribs smarted, and his head was aching, but through the adrenaline he couldn't tell if anything was broken. His range of motion and lack of dizziness suggested not, but there wasn't time to assess more than that. Even with one man downed, barely conscious on the ground, the bigger one could still be a problem.

When Madeline tried to signal him away, Aether only shook his head. For a few short seconds he used the time it took for Muscles to get up to pull out his phone, and quickly send a single word text to Maxim, then tucked it back into his pocket and lurched forward to take hold of Madeline's arm. She couldn't sign, wouldn't understand him, and all he could do was shake his head at her, step forward, and raise his fists again. They weren't here to kill anyone, and Muscles was already losing blood fast. Aether just needed to stall until Maxim could make it to them.

Maxim had already started to grow mildly suspicious of the amount of time Madeline was gone for, but hadn't gotten up after he'd seen Aether walk the same way, knowing the distrusting wolf would report back to him if he saw her leaving for some reason or another. When his phone buzzed it took only a glance before he was on his feet and starting to walk, telling Marina to relax and stay put when she stood as if to follow him. He would call if there was anything going on that he couldn't handle alone for some reason or another, but in the interest of caution hit the walking path at a brisk jog to clear the distance as quickly as possible without drawing too much suspicion. If Aether was asking for help, it was serious.
 
She was a little surprised by him wanting to stay, but there was no time to argue about it. She just didn't want him to get hurt, anymore than he already had, especially because of her.

She nodded to show she understood him, then immediately wished she hadn't as a bolt of pain erupted in her head. Her head was pounding and she wondered vaguely if it was from the lack of air, or if she had a concussion from Muscles slamming her head into the ground.

Muscles had gotten to his feet, turning to Aether with a murderous look in his eyes. "You little fucker, I'm going to fucking kill you..." He snarled softly, raising his fists as he took a step towards him.

He stopped as Madeline stepped protectively in front of Aether, glaring at her. "You cut me you bitch."

She glared right back, raising the knife in a threatening gesture silently conveying the message that she wouldn't hesitate to do it again if he got any closer.

Muscles stopped where he was, realising she meant it, and watched the knife warily. He glared at them, clearly waiting for an opening to rush them.

Madeline hoped whoever Aether had texted got here soon, she was starting to feel faint and all she wanted to do was close her eyes and sit until her head stopped aching.
 
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