Chapter Text

Chapter 1: The Base Violence Necessary for Change (Prologue)

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Vander took a deep breath as he surveyed the gathering before him. The highest ranking members of both the Piltover pack and the Zaun pack had come, just as agreed. Everyone even seemed to be playing nice with each other. So he wasn’t quite sure why he still felt so on edge, his instincts screaming at him as if the very foundation was about to fall out from under them. 

The site wasn’t exactly neutral ground, but it seemed to be a show of good will from the Pilties. They had some wonderboy inventor they’d adopted into their pack, and he’d offered to host at his lab. It was clearly a way for him and the Pilties to show off their recent innovations, flexing their paws as the more “advanced” or “progressive” pack, but it also came with an offer of collaboration. 

“You look as miserable as you smell,” a calm voice said from behind him. He turned around and smiled softly at his mate, his gaze lingering on the scar over his eye. A bad memory for both of them. 

“Hah, you say as if you don’t quite enjoy my scent,” he retorted back instead. Silco caught the way his gaze lingered over his scarred eye and he hummed softly to himself. All of their years together, all of the ups and downs of their relationship, and he still couldn’t quite tell what was going on in this man’s brilliant mind. The scar was from the last time Silco had made bold plans without Vander’s approval. Actually - that wasn’t quite true, was it? Silco hadn’t been hurt in the charge into Piltovan territory. No, Vander had been the one to cause that scar himself, unable to contain his own rage at the devastation it had caused their pack. 

“I enjoy it a bit more when it doesn’t reek of despondency. Weren’t you the one that pushed us to agree to this little gathering? Something about better relations between the packs being good for our future?” Silco asked, pausing to tilt his head at one of the young pups they’d adopted. “Their future?” 

Vander watched the pup for a moment. Her shock of blue hair was clumsily clipped out of her face. Vander had never quite gotten the hang of how to style it for her, and her older sister barely paid her own hair any mind. She was eyeing the tables full of posh Piltie food like she was a starved little thing. He chuckled slightly at the sight. Young pups never could seem to eat enough. 

“Aye, it is good for their future. We want our pups to inherit peace between our packs, and if the Pilties want to share some of their fancy gadgets, well, maybe it can make life easier for us all,” he agreed. Beyond the table of food the wonderboy inventor was busy showing off one of his new inventions. A wolf from Vander’s pack seemed quite intrigued, and their chemistry was evident even across the room. Perhaps more interpack relations could help some of their wolves that hadn’t yet found a mate. More wolves with mates would strengthen both of the packs.

“Is it? More years under these gold crusted boots? Don’t we have higher ambitions for our pups? These Pilties will never see our pack as equal. We are the roach scurrying in their house that they haven’t yet squashed because they’re too posh for it. Don’t you want Vi to inherit a pack that is not only seen as equal, but is respected?” Silco mused, turning his gaze from the blue haired pup to her older sister. Vander shook his head angrily, feeling a familiar flash of rage in his gut. They’d had this talk over and over. He had thought once they moved on after the last incident that Silco would stop with these delusions. But part of him wondered if his mate resented him for not agreeing to his plans, for foiling some of them, and mostly, for causing that scar across his eye. 

“No more of this talk. This is a day for peace and diplomacy. If you have any concerns about how I’m leading this pack, we will discuss them in private, later.” 

Silco didn’t respond. He simply hummed once more before wandering off. Vander watched him go, the uneasy feeling in his gut screaming at him again. 

“Vander, I wanted to thank you personally for attending today,” a woman’s voice called out, politely stepping into the space that Silco vacated. One of the Piltovan alphas, he recalled. The other pack didn’t follow a hierarchy like Zaun did. Rather they had powerful wolves that formed a council to make all of their decisions. They didn’t even fight each other for their positions, no they either inherited them or voted them in. 

“Of course, Cassandra. Wouldn’t miss it for the world. It seems Piltover has been busy,” he responded, gesturing towards the inventor, still deep in conversation with Viktor. Cassandra smiled. Vander knew that she came from one of the oldest and most powerful families in Piltover, a matriarchal lineage of strong wolves. 

“Ah yes, when Jayce came to this city I saw his potential right away. Not only were him and his mother welcomed into our pack, but I personally took him under my paw. He’s been sponsored by House Kiramman for years now, and we’re so proud of the work that he’s doing. Not to mention, my own pup has taken a bit of a liking to him,” she said. Her tone was conversational, but Vander caught the subtle power flexes in her statement. She was an influential wolf that had an eye for fostering talent, and she wanted to make sure every wolf knew that. 

“Sorry to your pup, but I think him and Viktor are hitting it off over there. Has he embraced a mating bond yet?” It was a nosy question, Vander knew it was. Asking around to see which wolves in another pack had fully manifested within their power was taboo at best, dangerous at worst. But he couldn’t help but wonder what the benefits could be for both packs if they explored more interpack relations. To his surprise, Cassandra laughed at the question as if he’d said something ridiculous. 

“Oh no, not that kind of liking,” she clarified. “My Caitlyn is more like a little sister to Jayce. Besides, I think a different wolf has caught her attention tonight.” She tilted her sharp chin towards a navy haired pup hovering at the edge of the gathering, a bit shyly. The family resemblance was immediately obvious in the pup’s face, although her coloring didn’t quite match Cassandra’s. The little Kiramman was watching something with fascination on her face, before blushing furiously and turning away. Vander followed her gaze to see his own pink haired pup. Vi was goofing off with her adopted brothers, which was expected behavior of her. Yet, she also kept stealing glances at the Kiramman pup, almost puffing out her chest and showing off each time she thought the other girl might be looking. Vander’s first instinct was to laugh at the sweet interaction, but he cast a sidelong glance at Cassandra. He wasn’t so sure how a Piltovan with a pedigree would feel about a scruffy Zaunite pup sniffing about her daughter. To his surprise, Cassandra smiled softly as she watched the children, taking a sip of her glass.

“That’d be my daughter,” he said carefully, watching to see if her reaction changed. She shot him a mischievous look.

“Children have a way of surprising us, don’t they?” 

“They sure do,” he agreed with a hearty laugh. The whole lot of them found new ways to surprise him all the time. “You’re not bothered?” He added in a lower voice. Cassandra shrugged.

“They’re just children.”

“And if it were more than that? Sometimes they can sense something, even that young,” he pointed out. Cassandra watched the children thoughtfully. There was no doubt she was an incredibly intelligent woman, and she knew what he was really asking. 

“If that were the case, I can’t say it’s what I’ve imagined as her mother. But at the end of the day, as long as she’s safe and happy. Her father and I have a very loving bond, and I hope my daughter can experience that one day herself.”

“But you and I are more than just parents, aren’t we?”

She sighed as she took another sip of her drink.

“That we are. I can’t speak for the rest of the councilors, but I imagine there could be a great deal of benefit for both packs. Besides, I think we may learn how such a dynamic works sooner rather than later,” she pointed her glass to where Viktor and Jayce were still deep in conversation. 

“Good thing they’re just children then,” Vander murmured.

“Yes, good thing,” Cassandra agreed. “It was good talking with you, Vander. I hope we can have more of these types of events. I’d love to get to know your daughter better myself.” Vander bid farewell to the Kiramman matriarch before she left to continue her rounds with the other influential wolves about the room. He watched her for a moment, observing the way her gaze kept flitting back to her blue haired pup, who in turn kept looking towards Vi. No doubt now that he had pointed it out, Cassandra had similar suspicions about their pups. He shook his head with a smile, before his other daughter threw herself into his arms, sniffling.

“Powder, what’s happened?” he asked softly, scooping her up in his big arms. He expected one of her usual answers, most likely that the boys were picking on her again or that she couldn’t keep up with whatever game her older siblings were playing this time.

“They haven’t even brought out dessert yet, but Silco says we have to leave now,” she whined. “Can’t I stay for just one cookie? Please?” 

Vander frowned. The night was still young, and they hadn’t discussed sending the pups home early. 

“He did? Well, let me find him and see what I can do about that,” he said, setting her back down. He searched the room for his partner, that instinct from earlier screaming at him again. It was usually easy to find one’s mate, something about their presence, their scent, all of it, drew the inner wolf towards them. It’s how young wolves typically found their mates in the first place, some innate thing about them that pulled them towards each other, the inner wolf desperate to be calmed by their presence. 

There. 

Speaking in hushed tones with their second in command, Sevika, a tall and muscular she-wolf. Her brow was set firmly as her dark eyes scanned the room before briefly landing on a certain blue haired Piltovan pup. She nodded in assent to Silco and the edge of his lips twitched upwards before they separated. She disappeared into the hallway, and Silco began walking towards the rest of their pups.

“Children, it’s time to go,” he said firmly. 

“What? Why? We’re having fun,” Vi protested immediately, her eyes darting towards where the Kiramman pup had been a moment ago. 

“Because I said so, collect your sister and meet Huck by the main door. He’ll escort all of you home,” he snapped in response.

“This sucks,” Mylo groaned.

“Come on, let’s go,” Claggor acquiesced, tugging at his brother’s arm. Vi stared down with Silco for a moment before huffing and leaving to find Powder. Even as their adopted pup, she was supposed to follow her alphas’ orders. As Silco’s partner, Vander knew he shouldn’t encourage her attitude, but as a father, he always felt a sense of pride. She would inherit the pack one day, he could sense it. And after this evening, part of him wondered what a Zaunite pack led by an alpha bonded to a Piltovan alpha would look like. 

“Vander,” Silco said in greeting as he reached him. He steeled his eyes.

“What are you up to? Why are you sending the pups home?” he demanded, grabbing Silco’s arm in his much larger hand. Silco glanced at the gesture before looking back at his mate.

“Trust me on this,” the steely response came. Vander shook his head.

“No, tell me. If you’re putting our pups or our pack in danger-”

“I’m not,” Silco snapped, yanking his arm free of Vander’s grip. “Everything I do is for this pack. Everything.” 

Vander stared him down, trying to read his partner’s intentions just once.

“We have a chance for peace here, Silco. Look at how well everyone is getting on. This is good for the packs, this is good for us,” he pleaded. Silco’s ears flicked towards the main entrance, where Huck was escorting their children out before he locked eyes with Sevika, nodding once. 

“You want peace for our children, I want power.”

The words felt like a slap to Vander’s face.

“Whatever you have planned, stop it,” he growled, his inner wolf’s hackles rising in preparation for whatever fight his partner had dragged him into this time. 

“It’s too late, dear,” Silco breathed. Before Vander could question him, the building seemed to implode in on itself, too fast for any of the wolves’ instincts to prepare them for action. Wolves began bolting in every direction, some transforming immediately to move faster, racing towards the nearest exits as the ground began to wobble and crumble. Silco kept his gaze locked on Vander. 

He swore under his breath as he watched the chaos unfold around them before grabbing Silco’s arm again and barreling towards the nearest window. Everytime, he chose to protect his mate. Every damn time, no matter the consequences. And one day this man would be the death of him, he felt it in his bones. 

“Caitlyn! Where’s Caitlyn?” a voice shrieked over the chaos. Vander cast a glance towards a frantic Cassandra Kiramman as a man beside her transformed into a large blue wolf, sniffing the air, no doubt trying to find the scent of their young pup amongst all of the others around them.

Vander and Silco landed on the ground below, Vander using his bulky frame to soften the blow for Silco. 

“What have you done?” he snarled. Silco smirked in response. 

“Oh dear, it seems that ambitious little inventor must have had a mishap with one of his little trinkets,” he crooned. Vander’s anger flashed bright and ugly within him. He growled in response.

“Caitlyn!” Cassandra’s screams were still audible with Vander’s wolf ears. Silco’s smirk grew.

“How tragic, it seems their little heir apparent was caught in the blast.” 

Another growl rippled through him as the anger continued to grow, the inner wolf relishing in it, eager to be released.

“Boss,” Sevika’s voice interrupted them before Vander could do something he would regret again. They both snapped their heads towards her. She jerked her head towards a doorway behind her before disappearing into it. Vander huffed, glowering at Silco again as they followed her. 

Inside the small building, just outside the blast zone, stood Sevika, arms crossed casually as she leaned against a wall. She watched the bound and gagged pup on the floor thrash and snarl at her, her brow lifted in amusement. Cold dread and revulsion replaced Vander’s writhing anger. 

“Silco, what is this?” he demanded, his voice lethally low. Silco ignored him as he knelt in front of the pup, grabbing her chin to get a closer look at her. 

“They’re so drunk on their own power they think they’re untouchable, don’t they? Why else would they leave something so precious to their future unguarded?” he mused. A deep snarl escaped around the pup’s gag, a defiant glint in her bright blue eyes. 

“Silco, she’s a child. A pup,” Vander tried again. Silco shrugged, reaching in his pocket to retrieve a glowing blue ball. Whatever it was, the pup seemed to recognize it, her thrashing becoming more violent.

“Sevika, hold her down,” Silco said calmly. “There’s no guarantee if I bury you under the rubble, child, that your healing won’t manage to keep up, even at your age. No, we need to make sure this is done correctly. I’m going to remove your gag and you’re going to swallow this, it’ll do the trick, won’t it?” 

Vander pushed himself in front of the girl.

“You can’t kill her, I won’t allow it.” 

Silco let out a weary sigh, meeting his partner’s eyes.

“A little late for that, isn’t it? If I let her go now she’ll immediately tell her very powerful mummy and daddy how mean the Zaun Alphas were to her. It’ll be a full on pack war, Vander. Is that what you want? How many wolves will we lose if we go head to head with the Piltovans at their current strength? What about our pups? Haven’t they seen enough loss?”

The room fell silent save for the near hysterical growling and snarling from the pup. 

Vander’s mind raced with the truth of the statement. He could try to appease her parents, her mother seemed reasonable. Yet, he knew if someone tried to lay a hand on one of his own pups, his inner wolf would demand blood, it would hunger for retribution. And he knew that the Piltovan councilor dearly loved her little pup. The only thing he could possibly offer them that might satisfy their bloodlust would be his own mate. No. 

“It won’t hurt her, it’ll be very quick. Very humane,” Silco added in a softer voice, watching Vander wrestle with his morality. Vander’s mind flashed to the way his own daughter kept seeking out the Piltovan pup, the way her chest puffed up and her cheeks slightly flushed each time she caught her gaze. They might be young but if there was even a chance. . . a young wolf losing her other half at this age would cripple her. And Vander would also do anything for his daughter.

“Don’t kill her. Let her family think she’s dead if you must, but keep the pup alive. We can figure out what to do with her later, she might prove useful in one of your schemes.”

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Chapter Text

Chapter 2: Welcome to the Playground 

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0600. She wakes up, at the exact same time as she does everyday. 

Her name is Caitlyn Kiramman. She is a werewolf of Pack Piltover. Her mother serves on the council. She loves shooting even if it’s an uncommon hobby for a wolf. Her favorite color is blue. She has been trapped here for eleven years, two hundred and two days. 

The sleep schedules are diural here, likely to disorient the inhabitants and weaken their wolf and its connection with the moon. She adjusted quickly. She usually does. She quietly climbs out of bed and pulls the sheet with her. She wraps it around a brick in the wall and pulls until it yanks free. The sheet may be bare but it prevents her hands from getting scraped up and leading to more questions. She reaches in the gap left behind by the stone and pulls out all of her tools. 

0605. She gets to work fiddling with the lock on her cell door, just as she has everyday for the last five years. The first year she cried a lot. It didn’t help anything. The second year she tried to break the door repeatedly. The third year she managed to break it, was immediately caught, put under tighter surveillance, and a stronger door appeared. This time when she tried to break it she hurt herself, repeatedly. The fourth year and fifth year she mapped out the entire facility and guard routes. The fifth year she made a break for it during leisure time. She didn’t make it far. The sixth year she began making her tools and learning to break her lock. She succeeded once. She didn’t make it far. Last year she figured out another way to get better quality tools. A seemingly well connected prisoner that enjoyed Caitlyn’s company had appeared. She doesn’t know her crimes and she doesn’t care, so long as she continues to uphold her end of their arrangement. 

0630. One of her tools breaks. She stares at it for a moment before flinging the pieces across her cell in frustration. 

Her name is Caitlyn Kiramman. She is a werewolf of Pack Piltover. Her mother serves on the council. She loves shooting even if it’s an uncommon hobby for a wolf. Her favorite color is blue. She has been trapped here for eleven years and two hundred and two days. 

She takes a deep breath and picks up the pieces, hiding the scraps in the wall before shaking out her sheet and laying back down on her cot. She falls asleep quickly, the guards all have wolf hearing. Her breathing and heart rate will give her away if she isn’t actually sleeping when they come by. 

0700. Guards turn on the lights and announce it’s time to wake up. Caitlyn wakes up for the second time that day. 

0715. Breakfast. It’s the same clumpy porridge as always. She doesn’t taste it though, her focus during meal times is on every guard. She mentally catalogs if each of them are behaving as usual or if there are any deviations. Lockjaw seems more on edge than normal. He just came back after his off week, he’s likely out of sorts from the schedule change.

0800. First shift. Caitlyn is assigned to scrubbing the floors. She takes her time, studying each inch of the floor as if it’s not already committed to memory. It can’t hurt to remind herself often, mistakes make all the difference. Besides, the slower she moves the more likely she is to catch gossip amongst the guards. Sevika will be out this week for events with the alpha. Good to know. Most of her escape attempts were foiled by the very same werewolf that dumped her here. 

1300. Lunch. Tasteless casserole, but Caitlyn is still studying the guards. At first they would shift under her intense scrutiny, now it would likely be considered more suspicious if she didn’t glare at them during a meal. 

1330. Leisure time. She rereads a book. She’s read all of the books in the little library enough times to recite them by heart. She rips a page out at the end when no one is looking and pockets it. 

1500. She gets her allotted time in the small gym, under supervision. Incidents happen far more often with wolves when there’s no outlet for some of their energy and aggression. Caitlyn puts herself through a rigorous regimen, using every second of her sixty minutes. 

1600. Dinner time. 

1800. Back to her cell. When she hears the guard walking away from her on their rotation she quickly pulls out her stone to retrieve the fountain pen she’d bartered for. She spreads the piece of ripped paper flat against the stone and writes out her message. She replaces the pen and the stone, folding the paper and hiding it in the pocket she sewed into her clothes. 

2100. Lights out. She can’t get up and practice her lockpicking until she gets another tool. It’s alright, the one resource she has plenty of here is time. 

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0600. She wakes up with a sigh and lets herself fall back asleep. She’ll resume her work in the evening. 

0700. The guards come through and turn the lights on, banging on the walls to wake the block. 

Her name is Caitlyn Kiramman. She is a werewolf of Pack Piltover. Her mother serves on the council. She loves shooting even if it’s an uncommon hobby for a wolf. Her favorite color is blue. She has been trapped here for eleven years and two hundred and three days. 

She sighs and gets up, ready for another day here. 

0715. Breakfast. More of the guards seem on edge, even the ones that haven’t come off of a shift change. Interesting. She walks her usual path to return her tray, a path that intentionally passes anyone she might need to. Today she drops the folded up piece of paper in the lap of the redhead. When she finishes turning in her tray and turns around she sees the slight nod of Maddie’s head. Good.

0800. Weekly showers. She always looks forward to being able to wipe the grime of her cell off of her, but today she has business to attend to. She finds Maddie right away, her mop of orange hair is difficult to miss amongst their gray surroundings. She wastes no time pushing the shorter girl against the edge of her shower and getting to work. They never have very much time allotted for their showers, after all. She’s done this enough, they have a rhythm. After all, she’s now traded for tools, replacements when they break, her fountain pen, her sewing kit, among other small luxuries she’s allowed herself. Her long fingers quickly bring the ginger over the edge.

“Get yourself thrown into solitary tomorrow night. I’ve got something even better than a lockpick lined up for you,” she whispers into Caitlyn’s ear as she comes down from her climax. Caitlyn nods and steps away. “Pleasure doing business with you again,” Maddie adds. Caitlyn doesn’t respond. 

Her name is Caitlyn Kiramman. She is a werewolf of Pack Piltover. Her mother serves on the council. She loves shooting even if it’s an uncommon hobby for a wolf. Her favorite color is blue. She has been trapped here for eleven years and two hundred and three days. 

0830. She shows up for her shift, cleaning dishes in the kitchens today. She listens in for anymore gossip, the cooks tend to share the most.

1300. Lunch.

1330. Leisure time. She finishes the book she was rereading.

1500. Her allotted fitness time. 

1600. Dinner time. She watches the guards as she mulls over how to make sure she’s in solitary the next evening without disrupting her schedule too much. 

1800. Back to her cell. She continues her fitness routine rather than staring at the ceiling. 

Her name is Caitlyn Kiramman. She is a werewolf of Pack Piltover. Her mother serves on the council. She loves shooting even if it’s an uncommon hobby for a wolf. Her favorite color is blue. She has been trapped here for eleven years and two hundred and three days. 

2100 Lights out. Once again, she lets herself get a full night’s rest.

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0600. She wakes up and stares at her cell door. 

Her name is Caitlyn Kiramman. She is a werewolf of Pack Piltover. Her mother serves on the council. She loves shooting even if it’s an uncommon hobby for a wolf. Her favorite color is blue. She has been trapped here for eleven years and two hundred and four days. 

0700. The guards turn on the lights and bang on the walls. 

0715. Breakfast. She tests the weight of her tray subtly against her palm. The guards are still on edge. 

0800. She barters with a guard to earn herself an extra shower. She hates being stuck in solitary without one. Once the guard comes down from her climax, she hands Caitlyn an extra bar of soap for her efforts and gives her exactly two minutes with the water on. She scrubs her skin as hard as she can. 

Her name is Caitlyn Kiramman. She is a werewolf of Pack Piltover. Her mother serves on the council. She loves shooting even if it’s an uncommon hobby for a wolf. Her favorite color is blue. She has been trapped here for eleven years and two hundred and four days.

And she will get herself out of here. 

0900. She shows up for her shift and is berated for being late. She barely blinks as she stares past the guard yelling at her. He doesn’t matter. 

1300. Lunch. She eats most of her food before standing up and deviating from her usual path to return her tray. This time she stops in front of Lockjaw. 

“Keep moving, scum,” he growls. She knows he’s the bigger wolf, she hasn’t even fully mastered her inner wolf yet. But she’s tall, bringing herself close enough to lift her tray and-

Whack!

She smacks it as hard as she can against that hideous jutting jaw of his. She feels bone crack beneath the tray. She begins to smile at that slight satisfaction before he howls and leaps at her. The other guards hold him back while Caitlyn smiles at his mangled jaw. They won’t touch her, they rarely do. It’s too easy for a wolf to accidentally kill an inmate when they pounce on them. She's seen it happen more than once. However, Caitlyn discovered long ago that for some reason, her captors are determined to keep her alive. For eleven years and two hundred and four days. 

1330. Rather than getting her usual leisure time, she’s hauled to the solitary cells and unceremoniously tossed inside. It’s completely dark. Perfect, some deep instinct in her is telling her to get some rest while she can. 

1600. Dinnertime. The slot in the door opens and a tray is slid onto the floor. She blinks her eyes open, her night vision illuminating the unappetizing meal. Maddie’s deliveries have come with her meals in solitary before. She crawls over to the tray and sniffs it before pawing at what is likely supposed to be mashed potatoes. There. Buried under them her hands wrap around the new tool. She pulls it free, shaking it to loosen any remaining potato before freezing. Better than a new lockpicking tool.

She stares in wonder at the single brass key in her palm. 

She tries to quell the hope in her gut as she quietly moves towards the door to the solitary cell. She leans her head against it and listens for a moment. She doesn’t hear anything, the guard that dropped off the meal must be far enough away that even their footsteps are muffled. 

She takes a deep breath. 

Her name is Caitlyn Kiramman. She is a werewolf of Pack Piltover. Her mother serves on the council. She loves shooting even if it’s an uncommon hobby for a wolf. Her favorite color is blue. She has been trapped here for eleven years and two hundred and four days. But no more. 

She carefully inserts the key into the lock. It fits like a dream, a soft click echoing through the chamber. She stares in wonder at the now unlocked door before her. 

She could wait until nightfall. She could plan this. Or she could just fucking go while she knows she has the chance. 

She eases the door open, just enough for her to slip through the gap. She may be tall but she has a rather lean figure. She clicks it shut behind her and locks it - it might take them longer to notice she’s gone if they think she’s still locked up nice and tight. She pockets the key.

The guards will all be on rotation in the main blocks or playing cards in their rec room. She knows this map and all of their schedules like the back of her hand. 

1700. Caitlyn Kiramman breathes in the fresh evening air for the first time in eleven years, two hundred and four days. She knows she should take it slow, think about her next move. She lets out a howl that seems to rise from the deepest depths of her soul. A song for the upcoming night that sings of loss and freedom. As her lungs still reverberate from it, she breaks into a sprint, running towards the city, her muscles screaming in joy as they stretch and burn in a way they haven’t since she was a child. 

She sets her sights on the familiar tower that still rises above the city across the river, the windows on the dome glittering in the late afternoon sun. It’s where her mother worked, where she spent most of her time, and if she’s not there then at least a place where she’ll be safe until she can find her. 

Her name is Caitlyn Kiramman. She is a werewolf of Pack Piltover. Her mother serves on the council. She loves shooting even if it’s an uncommon hobby for a wolf. Her favorite color is blue. And she is no one’s prisoner. 

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Chapter Text

Chapter 3: Some Mysteries are Better Left Unsolved

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Two sets of legs swing from the ledge idly as the two sisters talk. Vi isn’t sure if anything can heal the chasm between them from ten years ago, but she’ll never stop trying. The wind plays with Powder’s long blue hair, her braids dancing behind her, the heavy sun shining off of them as evening and afternoon war with each other. They don’t have long before they’d be expected to get ready for another one of Silco’s stupid events, but for now, it’s just them and the sky.

“How’s little man?” Vi asks tentatively. She knows her sister and her mate’s dynamic isn’t perfect. A guilty part of her wonders if things would be smoother between the two of them if that night ten years ago hadn’t happened at all. If Vander was still alive and around, and Powder was still just. . . Powder. When they were kids Powder and Ekko got on great, practically inseparable. Powder huffs beside her, staring off into the distance.

“We’re not speaking again. He’s gone off and started a new pack, ya know? And they seem dead set on disrupting Silco’s shipments. I don’t think that would be enough for him to avoid me, except. . .” her voice trails off and Vi finishes for her, already knowing where she’s going.

“You’re the one that Silco usually has defending those shipments.” 

Powder nods and chews on her lower lip.

“I accidentally killed a couple of his new packmates the other day. It just happens sometimes, ya know?” 

Vi didn’t know, she’d never accidentally killed someone. It seemed to happen more often than not for her sister, though, ever since she accidentally took out half of their family in one fell swoop. Each time, Vi forgave her though. She sometimes wonders if there’s a line her little sister could cross that she wouldn’t find a way to forgive. 

“He probably just needs time. Maybe I can ask Silco to switch you off of shipment duty. God knows there’s plenty of other uses for you here,” she responds and means it. 

Powder is brilliant, and Silco wastes her talents by sending her after Ekko and his new Firelights. She doesn’t say that Silco is intentionally stationing Powder there to try and mess with Ekko. As if he thinks Ekko will falter when he sees his mate on the other side of a skirmish. It would be a futile attempt, Powder never listens when Vi points out all the ways their adoptive father is manipulative. No, she was too young when Vander died, all she remembers is Silco’s slippery poison in their ears. 

“Maybe. I don’t know. Mates are complicated,” Powder sighs, propping a foot up on the ledge so she can rest her chin on her knee. 

“Wouldn’t know,” Vi mutters, unable to keep the bitter edge out of her tone. Technically she has seen this prove true time and time again. Being mates hasn’t made it any easier for her sister and Ekko to work things out, and she saw firsthand how complicated Vander and Silco’s relationship was. Being mates isn’t a magic fix for relationship problems, which is why Vi isn't antsy to find hers for any sort of companionship. No, she won’t be able to fully manifest as a wolf until she’s consummated a mating bond, and there’s no way she can challenge Silco and become alpha if she can’t control her damn wolf. To go this long without her mate showing up is not only inconvenient, but also incredibly embarrassing. 

“Hey, wouldn’t make sense if you didn’t have a mate as stubborn as you are, sis,” Powder teases. Vi tries to chuckle but it’s a halfhearted attempt. Powder’s face softens. “I’m sure she’s close, though. Taking her good sweet time, but she’ll show.” 

Somewhere in the distance, across the river, a single howl cuts across the sky. It’s early for any wolves to be making that kind of sound, not to mention lone wolves don’t exist in the city. 

“Weird, that didn’t sound like a Zaunite howl,” Powder mutters, tilting her head towards the echoes of it. Sure the Piltover pack’s still around somewhere, not to mention the new Firelights, but this howl came from deep in Old Zaun territory. Vi doesn’t respond to her sister at first. Something about it stirs in her chest, transfixing her. It was lonely and hopeful and beautiful. She feels the urge to respond in kind, but bites down the instinct. 

“Yeah, it sounds so sweet though,” she admits wistfully, staring off towards Old Zaun, wondering what kind of wolf created such a song. Powder snorts beside her, moving to stand off of the ledge.

“Okay, mate or no mate, you’ve got to get some action. Waxing poetic over a random howl is a new low for you. I can’t have my big sister out here being this pathetic, it’s bad for my image.” 

Vi snaps out of her reverie to huff at her sister. 

“Anyway, I better get going. I’ll see you at the banquet later? Maybe you’ll get luuuucky,” Powder wiggles her brows as she moves to swing off of the ledge. Vi rolls her eyes but fondly watches as she leaps down. 

🌙

Something is very wrong. As soon as she gets across the river, Caitlyn’s instincts are on high alert. It’s not just the threat of recapture or detection. No, she should be safe here by now. This is Piltovan territory, or at least it should be. But the streets smell so distinctly Zaunite. Neon lights and graffiti haunt  structures that should be pristine and gleaming.  Pilt Tower is still easy enough to find, and Caitlyn tilts her head staring up at it. Something still feels off. It doesn’t look the same as she remembers, but perhaps nearly twelve years is a long time to cling to a memory of a place. She shakes her head and looks towards the main doors. Two Zaunite wolves stand guard on either side of them, eyeing Caitlyn suspiciously. Strange. She walks to the service entrance around the back to find it bustling with activity. 

“Oy! You’re late! And what the hell are you wearing?” a voice calls out. Caitlyn turns towards the speaker, a lanky wolf with a mop of yellow hair on his head. She sniffs the air, he’s a Zaunite. She moves through the crowd towards him.

“Sorry,” she says simply. Most wolves can easily detect a lie, and while this one doesn’t seem too intelligent, it’s better not to take an unnecessary risk. She needs to get inside this tower and figure out why everything is different. He shakes his head irritably.

“There are extra uniforms in that supply closet. Get changed, you look like you just escaped from a prison or something,” he scoffs. Caitlyn nods again, hoping he can’t hear the way her heart rate spikes at the perhaps obvious observation. “Once you’re changed, get your ass in gear and into the kitchens.” She tails it towards the supply closet, eager to ditch her prison clothes. She rummages through the options until she finds a uniform close enough to her size, albeit a bit snug. She smoothes her hand over the white frills of the top before adjusting the matching blue skirt. She groans inwardly. She hadn’t even liked wearing skirts when she was a child. But perhaps escaped prisoners stealing clothes out of a supply closet can’t be too choosy. She runs a hand through her loose hair to try and calm it before emerging from the supply closet, quickly finding the nearest trash receptacle to dump her old clothes into. 

Luckily she spent enough time in this tower as a child to be able to find the kitchens again. Humans and wolves run around frantically inside, the air thick with the smell of fresh food. Caitlyn’s stomach rumbles, likely not only from her forgotten dinner, but when was the last time she smelled real food like this? She shakes it away, now is not the time to indulge. 

“You look more stable than most of this lead footed lot, take this tray and don’t come back until it’s empty,” a wolf in a crisp uniform snaps at her. Caitlyn silently accepts the tray of champagne glasses and follows the other servers carrying trays, a motley mix of humans and wolves. They lead her to a service elevator, and then up to the council chambers. Her heart is racing out of her chest, and she’s sure any nearby wolves can hear it. But this is it, her mother might be through those doors and she’ll finally be home. Even if this tower reeks of Zaun, surely it’s a diplomatic event like that one. . . that one eleven years two hundred and four days ago. 

The attendants by the large doors push them open for the servers and Caitlyn takes a deep breath. 

She feels the floor fall out from underneath her feet, the glasses on her tray clinking together precariously. There’s not a single member of her pack here. The entire council chamber is filled with Zaunite wolves milling about as if they own the space. She blinks furiously, a furrow in her brow as she tries to understand what is going on. 

“Hey, it looks like you could use a hand,” a kind voice says from beside her, a sturdy hand moving to help stabilize the wobbling tray. Caitlyn looks at the wolf that’s come to her aid. Tall, but not quite as tall as her, a strong, muscular build, intricate tattoos barely visible winding underneath the red jacket she wears, a shock of bright pink hair and silver eyes staring at her. Drop dead gorgeous. So handsome that Caitlyn’s breath hitches. Most importantly though, she’s Zaunite. Just like practically every single wolf here. 

“Do I know you from somewhere?” the woman asks, stepping back once the tray doesn’t seem at risk of falling any longer. Caitlyn scoffs and pulls her gaze away.

“Doubtful.”

“Have you worked one of these events before?” the stranger persists. Caitlyn straightens and accepts the lifeline.

“Yes, I often work as a waiter-tress, a server,” she says. The woman studies her carefully, and Caitlyn is sure she’s caught the lie. This woman is no fool, like the blond man downstairs. No, this wolf is clearly powerful, and the last thing Caitlyn needs is a powerful Zaunite sniffing out her lies. “Unless you’d like a drink, I should make my rounds.” She moves to step away before a strong hand grabs her wrist while the other makes sure the tray stays steady from the sudden movement. Caitlyn stares down at it. She’s spent the last eleven years two hundred and four days recoiling from contact from anyone, either human or wolf, yet the grip isn’t firm. There’s something distinctly gentle about this wolf that seems at odds with her gruff exterior.

“Wait, I didn’t catch your name.” 

Caitlyn stares at the wolf’s hand as it releases her while her mind catches up to the question. Neither Caitlyn Kiramman, escaped Stillwater inmate, nor Inmate 516 are good answers to give. 

“Uh, my name is. . . Matilda,” she stammers. The pink haired wolf smirks at this.

“Matilda?” she repeats, disbelief evident in her tone.

“Yes, my parents named me Matilda. After my, uh, my great grandmother Matilda. The pirate,” she cringes inwardly. She hasn’t had anyone ask this many questions of her in too long and clearly is out of practice. The other wolf snorts. 

“Right, because werewolves make such great pirates,” she points out. 

“She was human,” Caitlyn corrects quickly. At this the other wolf leans close into her space, speaking low so only Caitlyn can hear her next words.

“You smell like a wolf with a pedigree, I’ll eat my socks if there’s a drop of human blood in you.”

She isn’t sure if it’s an observation or a threat but a shiver runs down her spine regardless. 

“Okay, you caught me. This is my first night on the job and I’d rather not get reprimanded so please let me go unless you’d like to empty this tray yourself.”

The wolf lets her move away this time, watching her curiously.

“My name is Vi, by the way,” she calls after her in greeting. Caitlyn huffs and carefully mills through the crowd, eavesdropping as carefully as she has for eleven years two hundred and four days. She’s always been singularly focused. It’s what allowed her to excel in whatever she set her mind to when she was younger. One doesn’t win the trophies that she had by age eleven with a scattered mind. Yet this evening her attention seems constantly pulled towards a certain ridiculously attractive nosy werewolf in a red jacket. Each time she catches the wolf still watching her with that curious expression, as if Caitlyn is a missing piece to a puzzle that’s been troubling her. Or perhaps she senses that Caitlyn shouldn’t be here. A dangerous revelation this early in the evening. She focuses on gathering information from the less observant guests.

There’s much talk of Zaun. Monikers Caitlyn isn’t familiar with - “New Zaun”, “Old Zaun”, “Shimmer”. And Silco’s name seems to be on everyone’s lips, a testament to Caitlyn’s willpower as she maintains her neutral facade each time her captor’s name comes up in idle conversation. But despite being deep in Piltover territory, her pack doesn’t seem to be of any concern to any of the Zaunites in the room. 

A familiar scent catches her attention, snapping her gaze across the room. 

Sevika enters, the dark look on her face matched by the anger permeating her scent. Caitlyn quickly ducks deeper into the crowd, trying to blend in. If there’s one person here that’s certain to recognize her, it’s the burly woman with a mechanical arm that has been a mainstay of her imprisonment since day zero. 

“Sev seems even broodier than usual,” a thin she-wolf with long white hair and a face filled with silver piercings remarks as she sips her full glass of champagne. The wolf beside her leans in with a smirk. He’s tall but broad shouldered, half of his head shaved, the other half sporting chin length black hair, and his face is covered with intricate tattoos.

“You didn’t hear this from me, but apparently there was a jailbreak at Still Water earlier. I’ve heard Sevika has been running around the city tracking the scent.” 

Caitlyn’s blood runs cold. It shouldn’t be a surprise, of course a wolf would be tracking her scent. But she thought she’d have more time before they caught up to her. After all, the city is full of different lupine scents, intermingling with one another. 

“Well, what’s she doing here then? As if a convict would escape Stillwater and decide to make a showing at Silco’s soiree of the month,” the first chembaron laughs. 

Caitlyn weaves through the crowd, abandoning her nearly empty tray on the first table she passes and steps out onto the nearest balcony. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. Her mind has been her most consistent tool for the last eleven years and two hundred and four days, it’ll come up with a solution for her. She can just flee the event, Sevika will no doubt take some time investigating why she smelled her here. That might buy her enough time to find a way out of the city.

“Rough first night?” a familiar voice husks. Caitlyn opens her eyes to see the nosy wolf watching her again. The moon has risen by this point in the night, a delicate crescent hanging above them. Vi’s eyes seem to glow even more silver under it. Caitlyn curses the way it catches her attention. 

“I’ve had worse,” she mutters. 

“Most of the crowd here is insufferable,” Vi retorts. Caitlyn tilts her head. “But here, I could hear your stomach growling across the room so I grabbed this for you.” She presents an offering of appetizers wrapped neatly in a napkin. While the food in Stillwater was barely palatable, it was still a precious resource hoarded by inmates. Caitlyn briefly hesitates before accepting them, her hunger getting the best of her. She wipes her mouth with the back of her hand before folding the napkin neatly and tilting her head at the other wolf again. 

“I suppose you’re implying that you’re the exception?” she asks. Vi smirks at this, casting Caitlyn a playful glance as she leans against the wall beside her. 

“Or maybe that you are.”

“Right, because I’ve been so sweet to you,” Caitlyn snorts. Vi’s smirk turns into a smile at this.

“Yup, sweet like a cupcake,” she croons, before adding, “But definitely the most interesting person here at least.” 

Caitlyn rolls her eyes.

“Most interesting? We really have descended into anarchy. Is that because everyone else here is so far up Silco’s arse-” 

Before she can finish her sentence Vi is pushing her further against the wall, a hand covering her mouth as her silver eyes dart towards the door before locking onto Caitlyn again.

“You can’t talk about our alpha like that,” Vi snarls. “I don’t mind but if any other wolf heard that they would eat you alive.” Caitlyn blinks in surprise, watching her carefully. Once Vi seems certain Caitlyn isn’t going to bite back, she lowers her hand and takes a deep breath. Caitlyn catches the way she swallows as her eyes dart momentarily to Caitlyn’s mouth. The proximity of the moment has slightly elevated the other wolf’s heart rate. Caitlyn would be lying if she denied feeling a similar effect as the other wolf’s scent lingers on her. Her scent.

“Maybe you’re also the most interesting person here,” she murmurs as an idea starts to form in her mind. “Do you want to get out of here?” 

Vi seems taken aback by the question, but quickly recovers, tilting her head curiously to the side.

“Aren’t you working?” she points out. Caitlyn shrugs.

“Not anymore.” 

A small smile tugs at the edge of Vi’s lips, and Caitlyn tries to ignore how adorable it is. 

“Yeah, Cupcake, let’s get out of here,” she agrees, reaching for Caitlyn’s hand. Caitlyn accepts it tentatively, staring curiously as Vi leads her towards an exit. The gesture feels both foreign and familiar in a way she can’t place. 

🌙

Vi leads her through the streets of Piltover. The moon still hangs high in the sky, and the evening air is fresh despite the strong scent of Zaunites lingering about. Caitlyn freezes, dropping Vi’s hand as they turn a corner and the next block is nothing but a pile of rubble. The large chunks of stone are covered in bright graffiti that seems to glow under the silver moonlight and neon lights illuminating the district. Caitlyn feels her eyes start burning at the sight. She hasn’t let herself cry since year one. It didn’t help her then and she doubts it’ll help her now.

Vi turns at the loss of contact and watches Caitlyn for a moment, glancing between her and the pile of rubble.

“I don’t know why it was never cleaned up,” she says softly. 

“What happened?” Caitlyn asks, her voice cracking. Vi shrugs, stepping close. 

“I’m not really sure. I guess some inventor was throwing a party and one of his inventions blew up. Took out several important Pilties.” 

Caitlyn visibly flinches at this, kneeling in front of the rubble. She traces a graffitied stone with her hand, the dust gritty against her fingertips.

“And the inventor?” 

Her voice is so hushed she’s not sure Vi hears her at first, but the other wolf kneels next to her instead.

“Arrested, I think. Did you know him?” 

Caitlyn shakes her head and stands up, brushing off her stolen skirt. She takes a deep breath and offers a small smile to Vi.

“I didn’t mean to kill the mood, let’s go,” she says. Vi frowns. 

“You didn’t. You’re allowed to feel things, it’s a sad story. I mean, it feels like nothing in this city has really been the same since that night.” 

Caitlyn narrows her eyes at her, tilting her head slightly until Vi sighs and keeps moving towards a residential part of the city. Caitlyn follows, casting a lingering glance behind her. As they pass an unscathed building near it, with a single door to the lower level she fights to keep her heart rate from spiking. She’s safe, she’s free. She is not a child bound and gagged on the floor anymore.

🌙

Chapter Text

Chapter 4: When These Walls Come Tumbling Down

🌙

Vi opens the door to the Piltover apartment, gesturing for Caitlyn to step in. She does, taking a careful look around. The building’s architecture may be Piltovan, but the interior is very much Zaunite. Caitlyn has to admit, it has a rather cozy feel that she rarely saw in Piltovan design. The door clicks behind her as Vi closes it after stepping in herself and she remembers why she is here. 

She turns on the other wolf, pushing her up against the door as she nuzzles into her neck. Vi gasps in surprise but her hands rise, latching onto Caitlyn’s hips and pulling her closer. Caitlyn purrs in contentment at the contact. She’s here for one purpose, but she can’t deny the sense of safety she feels under those broad hands. She moves to nuzzle the other side of her neck, marking as much of her scent onto the other wolf as she can. 

“Damn, Cupcake,” Vi’s voice is a low growl in her throat and heat flares in Caitlyn’s gut. She can smell the other wolf’s arousal, which only fuels hers more. 

“Don’t call me that,” she mutters in response as she licks along Vi’s pulse point, causing her to squirm against her.

“Well I’m sure as hell not going to call you Matilda,” she gasps as Caitlyn nips at her. Caitlyn pulls back to look into those silver eyes and for a moment she contemplates saying her real name. She wants to tell her everything. Vi looks back at her, breathing heavier now. Caitlyn’s gaze lowers to Vi’s mouth, a small scar pulling on her upper lip. She usually separates sex and kissing. She never kissed Maddie, or any of the guards she would fuck. And she doesn’t need to kiss Vi to mark her with her scent.

But as she stares at those lips, she realizes she desperately wants to. As if some inner instinct is telling her to claim every part of the wolf in front of her. She leans forward, barely an inch from Vi’s face now, one of her hands coming up to cup her cheek. Vi watches her in anticipation, her breath ghosting over Caitlyn’s face as those gray eyes drill into her with an intensity that sends a shiver down her spine.

She leans in further and takes a deep breath before letting her lips gently brush Vi’s - just once, then twice before pulling away to see if this is okay. Before she has a moment to doubt, Vi’s arms rise to wrap around her back, pulling her into her again and those scarred lips capture her own. This kiss isn’t delicate, it’s messy and desperate, as if they’ve been waiting years to kiss, not moments. Caitlyn surprises herself by humming in pleasure as she pulls herself closer to the other wolf. Vi pushes her vest off of her shoulders and it clatters to the floor behind them. It’s short work for the white dress shirt to follow quickly after and Vi stares for a moment at Caitlyn’s bare chest.

She’s been seen naked by plenty of people. All of the inmates at the showers, all of the guards, yet no one has ever looked at her like this. Vi is staring at her like she’s a work of art, as if she hung the moon in the sky herself. Caitlyn ignores the way it tugs at her heart and moves forward to push Vi’s jacket off, then her own dress shirt, revealing more of the intricate tattoos dancing across her muscular build. She doesn’t have long to admire the new view before Vi is pulling her into another messy kiss, wrapping her arms around her and flipping them so now Caitlyn is flush against the wall. 

Caitlyn gasps in surprise. Normally she’s leading her encounters, she’s the one giving pleasure in exchange for something in return. Nothing is given freely in Stillwater. Vi’s hand brushes at the hem of her skirt, hesitating for a moment before pushing past it. 

“Is this okay?” she murmurs as her fingers hover just above where she now desperately wants them. Caitlyn doesn’t have words, she nods quickly, grabbing the wolf’s wrist to pull her closer as she brings their lips together again for another sloppy kiss. Vi’s fingers finally move through her folds and Caitlyn gasps into her mouth. Something inside of her, some instinct, preens at the contact. Vi’s fingers play with her clit for a moment before slipping further, first one, then two fingers inside of her. 

A small whimper escapes her and she begins to ride Vi’s fingers, separating their lips so she can nip and nibble at her neck again. She inhales deeply, letting the other wolf’s heady scent fill her lungs, almost intoxicated on it. Vi keeps up a quick pace, thrusting her fingers within her, using her other arm to hold her securely. She moves the heel of her palm to rub over Caitlyn’s clit again and she lets out an involuntary howl as the pleasure crests and erupts. Vi works her through it as Caitlyn’s pleasure runs down her hand, her walls clenching around broad fingers. 

Caitlyn is just catching her breath before Vi’s hand is pulling itself free and those scarred lips are dusting kisses down her neck, to her collarbone, pausing at her chest to lavish her tongue over a nipple while her free hand moves from her back to play with the other one. Caitlyn arches her back against the wall, staring as the strange wolf worships her body. She releases the nipple as she begins her journey of kissing down Caitlyn’s body, her other hand continuing to cup a breast. 

She gets on her knees, staring up at Caitlyn with that look of awe still on her face as she peels the stolen skirt down until it pools around her ankles. She reverently lifts one of Caitlyn’s feet so she can prop her leg over a broad tattooed shoulder. She can’t pull her gaze away from those silver eyes that continue to stare at her as she presses a kiss to the top of Caitlyn’s vulva. Her breath hitches.

Vi pushes her face further between Caitlyn’s legs and a keening whine escapes her lips as her body erupts in pleasure once again. Vi’s tongue laps greedily at Caitlyn’s center, as if she’s a wolf starved. Caitlyn slams her head back against the wall behind her, gasping in pleasure as her hands reach down to tangle into pink locks. She holds onto Vi as if she’s a lifeline as she begins to fall apart once again. The other wolf anchors her with sturdy hands on her hips as she begins to rock into her. 

It’s not long before she’s howling as she climaxes again. Once more, Vi works her through it until she’s panting for breath. Vi slowly stands, her chin and lips glistening deliciously as she meets Caitlyn’s eyes again.

And every single instinct in Caitlyn tells her to claim this wolf, to devour her in turn. Vi’s eyes widen before Caitlyn is kicking her skirt away and pushing towards Vi, a deep growl low in her throat. She moves them towards the couch and bends Vi forward, over the arm rest. She yanks so hard on the other wolf’s pants she’s certain she hears a tear. She pulls back to survey the damage.

“Sorry about that,” she murmurs. Vi looks back at her over her shoulder, her eyes dark.

“I don’t fucking care,” her voice is husky with want and it snaps something in Caitlyn. She lavishes sloppy kisses along Vi’s ears, the back of her neck, her broad shoulders as she runs a hand up those muscular sides, delighting in the divots of her abs before a hand snakes around to cup a breast. Vi moans at the contact, the sound sending Caitlyn even further into her frenzy. Her free hand moves to the front of Vi’s thighs before rising higher, making their way past a thatch of coarse hair. She collects some of the wetness pooled at her apex before gently circling her clit. 

She removes her fingers, the loss of contact eliciting a low whine from Vi. The hand on her breast teases at her nipple as her fingers ghost across her entrance from behind. She takes a moment to steady her feet, using her hips to make sure Vi is securely bent over the couch before inserting two fingers. 

A small howl escapes Vi as Caitlyn’s fingers fill her, her inner wolf delighting in the warm feel of her. 

“Oh Janna, baby, please,” Vi begs. Caitlyn keeps her fingers still, as she moves her other hand from Vi’s breast to the small of her back, splaying it firmly. She dips down low, close to Vi’s ear, relishing in the way her breath sends a shiver down the other wolf’s spine.

“Do you want me to fuck you like this, Vi?” she growls into her ear. Vi lets out another whine.

“Yes, fuck me just like this.”

That’s all Caitlyn needs to hear before she starts moving her fingers, working Vi up from behind with a brutal pace. Caitlyn needs her, her inner wolf is practically feral within her for this strange pink haired woman. The sounds Vi’s making practically drive Caitlyn delirious with lust as she pushes harder and faster into her. She can feel as she gets closer to her climax, panting and howling as her face buries into the couch cushions, her thighs starting to clench around Caitlyn’s hand. She moves her other hand from the small of her back and leans against her as she begins to rub at her clit. 

It’s all that Vi needs to fully fall over the edge. Wetness runs down Caitlyn’s hand as Vi lets out a sinful howl into the night. Caitlyn doesn’t give her a reprieve, her inner wolf still foaming at the mouth for more of this woman. She immediately drops to her knees to begin licking up all of the wetness, using both hands now to securely grip Vi’s hips in place against the couch. 

“Cupcake?” Vi’s voice is thin, her want and pleasure laced through it like a drug that’s nearly as intoxicating as her scent. As soon as Caitlyn’s tongue begins lapping up at her sensitive folds Vi lets out another high pitched whine, only driving Caitlyn further. 

She had thought she was starving at the banquet when Vi brought her food. But now she thinks perhaps this is what she’s been craving her entire life. Vi cries out at the contact as Caitlyn hungrily eats her out, eager to devour every last drop of the woman bent over in front of her. Vi’s cries begin to muffle as she pushes herself further into the couch cushions. Caitlyn grips her hips firmly, helping secure her as her legs begin to quake with sensation. Caitlyn growls into the contact, desperate for more of her, and another whimper escapes Vi at the vibration of the sound against her. 

She comes with a roar and as her pleasure runs down Caitlyn’s cheeks and chin and as she eagerly laps it up, she feels something within her snap into place. Her inner wolf purrs in contentment as if some primal urge or desire has finally been satisfied. 

She stands up, watching as Vi catches her breath, smushed into the couch. She turns her head to look over her shoulder, giving her a strange look that Caitlyn can’t read. 

“Water?” she finally asks. Caitlyn laughs as she wipes her mouth with the back of her hand. 

“Yes please.”

“Mmmkay, just give me a moment to find my legs again.”

🌙

“What will it take for you to tell me your real name?” Vi asks, curled up on her side, watching Caitlyn. Caitlyn hums, looking at the ceiling for a moment before rolling to face Vi. After hydrating and eating they’d ended up tangled up together between the sheets, barely able to keep their hands off of each other once more pressing needs had been tended to. Now she feels fully satiated and strangely content as she lay in a real bed for the first time in years.

“For us to go back eleven years two hundred and,” she pauses to glance at the clock hanging over the door, “five days.” Confusion briefly flits across that handsome face, but she must sense this isn’t something Caitlyn will budge on. Her face falls slightly and she curls more into herself.

“If we figure out how to do that there’s a lot of things I have to fix,” she says softly, squeezing her eyes shut. Caitlyn frowns at the pain on her face, a hand involuntarily reaching out to cup her cheek. At the contact Vi’s eyes flutter open again, studying Caitlyn closely.

“My parents died when I was young. Back when this was all Piltie territory and Zaun only had the lower levels across the river. They were part of this effort to take the bridge and try to gain more territory for our pack. It was a bloodbath, nearly all the wolves involved died. But my parents were good friends with our alpha and his mate, so they took us in and raised me and my little sister alongside their own pups,” Vi begins slowly, her hand raising up to cup Caitlyn’s on her face, holding it close and inhaling the scent of her as she talks. Caityn goes still, transfixed as she listens, taken aback by the honesty. She hopes the other wolf doesn’t notice the way her heart rate spikes at the mention of the Zaun alphas.

“Things were good for awhile. Well, as good as things could be for a bunch of Zaunite orphans back then. In case you don’t know, the pack was pretty poor at that time, crammed into a territory way too small for all of us and hardly enough to go around. But Vander was a good alpha, he cared and he treated me and Powder like we were his own pups. I know him and Silco didn’t always get along, they would fight about how to lead the pack. But there was one day when it seemed the fighting got even worse, they could hardly be in the same room with each other.”

Caitlyn fights to keep her breathing steady as Vi so casually talks about her captors, worse she talks about Vander with reverence and love. As if someone can kidnap a pup and still be a good man. If Vi notices Caitlyn’s anger thrumming under her calm veneer, she doesn’t show it. She continues telling her story, still clutching Caitlyn’s hand as if it’s a lifeline. 

“It finally reached a boiling point about ten years ago. I don’t even know who started it, but they were both in wolf form going after each other when I found them. The kind of lupine anger that would tear each other apart. I didn’t know mates could even fight like that, I haven’t seen it since. They were going for the kill. I panicked, I was a dumb teenager and terrified of losing another parent. I tried to intervene and it all went to shit. Silco didn’t seem to care that I was there, Vander hesitated, and Powder - my sister-  she panicked that she was going to lose the only family she had left. 

“She’s always been tinkering, she’s absolutely brilliant. I think we could rival Piltover’s progress if Silco fucking utilized her for what she’s worth, but she had this new invention that she thought might break the fight up. Instead it blew up. Badly. Both of our brothers got caught in the blast. Sevika - that’s our second, she chose to protect Silco over Vander and lost her arm. It never healed properly. And Vander chose to protect me. 

“In one fell swoop I lost my dad and both of my brothers. And in a way I think I lost my sister too. I, well, I snapped. When I realized what had happened, well, there are some things we can’t take back, you know? Silco tried to drive a wedge between us after that, he still takes every opportunity to distance her from me that he can. She doesn’t see how terrible he is and every time I try to make her she pulls further away.”

She pauses to take a deep breath, staring into Caitlyn’s eyes.

“Anyways, if we go back eleven years two hundred and five days I guess I can learn your real name and maybe save my family too,” she finishes, blinking furiously. Against her better judgement Caitlyn curls closer to her, holding her face with both hands now. 

“Vi, just because you’d do things differently doesn’t mean that what happened is your fault,” she says before leaning in for a kiss. This kiss is different from the ones before. It’s tender and soft and Vi sighs into her, letting all of the tension she had held during her story out in that one exhale. 

“I don’t even know if my family is alive,” Caitlyn admits when they finally separate. And your family is the reason why. Vi furrows her brow questioningly. 

“We were separated a long time ago and I thought I’d find them here,” she explains. 

“If you’re looking for the Piltie Pack they’re still around. They lost most of the city proper but I think they’re still holed up in the countryside where all their fancy mansions are.” 

Caitlyn sucks in a breath as her eyes widen.

“How did you know I’m Piltovan?” she asks, frowning. Vi huffs but it has no bite, it almost sounds affectionate. 

“Everything about you screams Piltovan, your accent, your presence, your scent,” she explains. The edges of Caitlyn’s eyes burn again.

“I still smell like my pack?” 

Vi hums as she nuzzles into her neck, breathing in the scent of her. Caitlyn lets her lay there, letting their scents mingle further, holding the Zaunite wolf closely as she hears her heart rate and breathing slow. Caitlyn feels the temptation of sleep tugging at her own consciousness, but shakes it away. She can’t let her guard down now, not with Sevika still chasing her scent.

She carefully extracts herself from Vi’s arms, and watches for a moment to make sure she doesn’t stir. When she’s certain the wolf is still deeply asleep, she leans forward, sweeping some of her pink hair back.

“My name is Caitlyn,” she whispers before turning away to collect Vi’s clothes and disappear back into the night.

🌙

Chapter Text

Chapter 5: Everybody Wants to be My Enemy

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There’s a loud pounding at Vi’s door. 

She grumbles in annoyance as she blinks her eyes awake, her arm reaching to the other side of the bed. 

She frowns. It’s warm still but noticeably empty. Her ears twitch as she listens, hearing nothing except the incessant pounding at the door. She should have known the beautiful wolf that wouldn’t even reveal her name wouldn’t be the type to stay. She sighs as disappointment floods her. From the moment she’d laid eyes on the blue haired woman her entire world had tilted on its axis. The other wolf had told so many lies throughout the course of the night, but still Vi couldn’t keep away. She felt pulled towards her on instinct, and even worse, she still felt like she could trust her. Something in those deep blue eyes whispered that despite the lack of honesty, the wolf had a good heart. 

When she’d kissed her it was as if something snapped in Vi, needing the other woman in a way she’d never experienced before. Vi had fucked plenty of other she-wolves, but this was different. She’d never felt this way, and the moment she watched the mysterious woman orgasm in front of her, something had clicked into place within her. It was like her inner wolf had finally settled after years of restless pacing. She felt complete for the first time in her life. 

And she knew.

The nameless blue eyed liar is her mate.

And she’s gone. 

Vi lets out a loud groan, the knocking at the door getting more persistent, with fresh snarls now added to the mix.

It’s fine, she never expected her mate to waltz into her life and live happily ever after together. At least now she suspects she’ll be able to fully transform whenever she wants, which is all she needs to challenge Silco. 

She rises to her feet and swings the door open, noticing on her way that there’s indeed only one set of clothes (including her very much shredded pants) left scattered on her living room floor. She raises a confused eyebrow when she sees that the other woman’s blue top is still on the floor, while Vi’s jacket and undershirt are missing.

 Sevika stares back at her, equally naked, leading Vi to suspect the brusque woman had been in her wolf form before knocking on the door. 

“Jesus, Vi, toss a robe on before coming to the door at least,” she grumbles. Vi scoffs and gestures at Sevika’s bare form. Modesty isn’t for creatures that shred their clothes each time they embrace their inner form. Sevika growls irritably in response.

“Can I help you? Or did Silco send his favorite dog to yell at me for leaving his stupid little party early? You can tell him I was otherwise occupied,” Vi snaps, stepping away enough to reveal the mess of clothes behind her. As if the smell of sex in the apartment isn’t strong enough to get the message across. 

“Let me in, Vi. I’m tracking a high priority prisoner that escaped from Stillwater this evening.” Vi raises her eyebrows at the older wolf.

“Okay, and how is that my problem?” She demands. The irritation roils off of Sevika’s aura and a small part of Vi relishes in any way she can piss off the bigger wolf. Sevika cracks her neck and leans forward, taking a big sniff. 

“I’d say it’s your problem because you reek of her. This is rich, a new low even for you Vi. What, still bitter about not having a mate so you jumped the next bitch that came sniffing around? Can’t wait to tell Silco while we’ve been hunting all night, his least favorite daughter was busy fucking his favorite little prisoner. Maybe you should be the one to tell him, and I’ll just watch,” she growls. A snarl rises in Vi’s throat. 

Of course. Of fucking course. A drop dead gorgeous wolf that appears out of nowhere and won’t tell Vi her name or anything about her except that she’s Piltie. At least she has a reason why the woman disappeared into the night while she was sleeping. 

“Fuck off,” she spits. Sevika chuckles darkly.

“Let me guess, she scent marked you and ran?” 

Vi doesn’t respond, she doesn’t need to. Sevika would have already pounced if the navy haired wolf was still inside. 

“Well, thanks for the info, Vi. Nice chat. At least now I know I should be tracking your scent,” she growls as she turns to leave, already starting to transform back into her wolf. Vi stands, frozen, watching.

“Should have killed that bitch twelve years ago, can’t wait to do it tonight.” 

It’s a deep growl, more wolf than human as the transformation is nearly complete. But the words are like a shock to Vi’s system. She doesn’t know why her mate was imprisoned, or why Silco wants her so badly, but she does know that there was something so sweet and gentle behind the wolf’s defenses. 

And she definitely knows she won’t let her die tonight. 

As soon as she hears Sevika’s large wolf leave the building she runs for her fire escape. 

The moment she hits the ground, still naked, she tilts her head up towards the tiny sliver of moon in the sky. She’s only transformed during full moons before, but something is different tonight. Her instincts sing to her that the appearance of a certain wolf has changed everything. 

She lets out a howl as she transforms for the first time under a dark sky. Long crimson fur covers her body as she bends over onto four legs instead of two. She shakes her fur out once, adjusting to the new weight of her frame before setting her nose to the ground.

It doesn’t matter if the other wolf’s scent is mingled with her own, she knows in her gut that she could find that woman anywhere now. Her instincts are heightened in her wolf form and she lets them lead her through the streets of New Zaun, and unsurprisingly towards the outskirts where the remnants of the Pilties remain. 

The wolf part of her screams at her that she needs to find the woman first so she can protect her, but now that she’s consummated a mating bond, her wolf brain isn’t the only part of her while she’s transformed. Her human thoughts are louder and more present now during her transformation. And they point out that regardless of why Silco may have imprisoned the other wolf - a missing Piltie showing up to her pack will certainly warrant retribution. While the Pilties are significantly weaker than they once were, a pack war will have casualties on both sides. 

🌙

The moon climbs higher in the sky as Caitlyn weaves her way through the streets that were once her Piltover. Despite the new neon lights and colorful graffiti, the basic layout of the city remains largely unchanged. When she was free, Caitlyn loved exploring the city, but she’d never quite made the trek from the outskirts towards the city center. She lets pure instinct guide her. She knows the country homes of the Piltovan elite lay east of the city, and while she hasn’t seen a starry sky in eleven years, two hundred and five days, she has an excellent memory. 

Her progress is slower than she’d like. Her body is worn out, adrenaline and survival instinct driving her forwards, and her stolen boots are rubbing at her feet. The streets are busy, and she tries to keep to shadows to avoid unnecessary attention, not to mention trying to weave unpredictably so if Sevika does catch her trail again, her destination isn’t so predictable. She sighs. If Sevika questions Vi, she’ll likely know where she’s headed anyways. It was stupid, to be so honest to a complete stranger. Is she that desperate for companionship after all these years alone?

She pauses to rest for a moment on a rooftop, shaken out of her self flagration as a lone howl cuts across the night sky. It’s intimately familiar and she resists some strange urge within her to respond to it. She knows, deep in her soul, that the howl belongs to Vi. And it’s certainly not her place to respond, she’s made her choice. Carefully peeling off one of her socks she throws it into the southern wind, her feet might hurt worse now but perhaps Sevika is so easily fooled. She lets out a deep sigh as she continues her aimless path eastwards, across a desecrated Piltover. 

She reaches Gold Way, the path of luxurious townhomes cutting across the edge of the city proper. She knows it snakes all the way back to Pilt Tower, back towards where she started her hunt for her pack. And across it is Upper Piltover, or at least what used to be. She quickly glances for any nosy passerby before crossing the street. It isn’t much further until she’s in Bluewind Court and staring at her are the crossed keys of the Kiramman estate gates. Or what should be. The gates have been replaced, and where her family crest once proudly guarded their home, a strange sculpted eye stares back at her. She lifts her eyes further up and lets out a small snarl at her once bright home, dark and looming over the street like a voyeur. 

Their scent is long gone. 

Her family hasn’t been here in years.

She forces herself to keep going, her family is not inside this shell of a home, but they might be waiting for her if she just makes it through the night. 

It isn’t much further until she reaches the Arbor Botanica. 

This was once her favorite place in the entire city, perhaps only rivaled by Jayce’s lab where she would spend entire afternoons marveling at his work.

Her mother and her used to come here as long as she could remember. She would run through the gardens shrieking as young pups do while her mother watched over her. As she got older they would sit more often on the bench beneath the great arching tree, watching its blooms swirl around and dance over the pond, and just talk in a way they only seemed to be able to do here. Caitlyn wonders if they would have talked more freely in the nearly twelve years they’ve lost, if they’ll be able to again. Has her mother missed her? What would they talk about now that her pup grew into a wolf without her? 

The gardens are not as she remembers them, though. 

Some of the plants have held on, perhaps tended to by a stubborn gardener, but most have fallen into neglect, and the pond seems almost choking with debris from the city and the tree hovering over it. A heavy mist hangs over the water, as if shamefully trying to hide its own reflection from the moon. Once again, Caitlyn chokes back the tears that have been threatening her all evening. She can deal with those once she is safe.

As she stares at the decayed gardens, the hairs on the back of her neck rise.

She spins around. There’s another wolf here, she can sense it. 

She lets out a low warning growl as she hears paws hit the ground as if leaping across a great distance. 

And then a familiar pink haired werewolf steps out from the trees.

Naked. She’s still naked. 

Caitlyn averts her eyes, huffing angrily.

“Vi,” she snarls. “What are you doing here? And why are you naked?” 

Vi steps closer, her expression dark.

“Nothing you haven’t seen already, Cupcake.” 

Caitlyn sputters for a moment.

“Yes, well, that’s -, nevermind that, why are you here? I had fun but I need to find my pack,” she says.

“I’m here because not long after you left, our pack’s second practically banged down my door looking for an escaped prisoner with your scent,” Vi explains. 

“I’m not going back,” Caitlyn snarls with a ferocity that seems to surprise Vi. She blinks and takes a half step back. 

“I’m not here to take you back, I’d never do that,” she says, and her voice sounds earnest. Caitlyn’s ears flick, unable to detect any signs of a lie. “I won’t let Sevika take you back, either. But, Cupcake, you can’t go back to your pack right now.”

“Stop calling me that,” Caitlyn snaps. “And yes I can. I’ve waited eleven years, two hundred and five days to go home.” 

“If you go home, the Pilties will want to strike back for what’s been done to one of their own. It doesn’t matter that Zaun is stronger right now, it’s our way as wolves. It’ll be a bloodbath,” Vi tries to explain. Caitlyn scoffs and looks away again, irritated at the pull she feels towards the other wolf. Her inner wolf wants to grab the other woman and lay her over the bench, or perhaps push her up against the great old tree. The fact that she is still very naked, nipples pert from the cool night air, is not helping. 

“I don’t give a shit about pack politics. There’s a lot of time to think in Stillwater, Vi, and you know how much of it I spent pondering pack politics?” She pauses but doesn’t give Vi the opportunity to respond. “Absolutely none except to dream of ripping out Silco’s scrawny little throat and shoving it down Sevika’s.” 

Vi lets out a low growl. Caitlyn frowns, Vi hadn’t minded when she spoke ill of her alpha earlier. Has she taken it too far? 

Before she can wonder further, Vi leaps forward, pushing Caitlyn behind her, the growl growing into a snarl. Caitlyn’s eyes widen as she stares at the broad expanse of tattooed muscle in front of her, cursing her mouth for going dry right now. 

“Who’s she?” a  raspy voice drawls from a low branch hanging over the pond, partially obscured in its mist. Caitlyn hadn’t heard this wolf approach, but her focus has been annoyingly pulled towards the very naked wolf in front of her. 

“Powder?” Vi asks, tentative. 

“Who are you?” Caitlyn demands from behind Vi, an irrational pang of jealousy spiking through her. Vi growls at her, less of a threat and more of a “stay back”. 

“Sevika wasn’t lying. You’ve gotten mixed up with their Piltie,” the voice says before jumping to the ground in front of them. A lanky woman, likely several years younger than herself and Vi, slouches in front of them. Her clothes are loose fitting, as if she transformed from her wolf form and tossed something on quickly and her hair is tied into two long bright blue braids down her back. 

Most chillingly, she twirls a gun casually through her fingers, and Caitlyn would recognize the scent of silver anywhere. 

“You’re helping Sevika?” Vi snarls. The girl, Powder, Caitlyn surmises, shrugs.

“She’s real desperate to catch your new girlfriend and well, we all know that I’m the best tracker in the pack,” she takes another step towards them before twirling the gun erratically again. Her movements with it may be haphazard, but Caitlyn knows it takes a high level of marksmanship to handle a firearm with such finesse. “And Sevika can’t sniff out her own ass most days. Of course they called in good ole Jinx to the rescue.” 

Vi shifts to cover more of Caitlyn, still bristling at her sister. 

“She’s a friend, Powder, we’re not letting Sevika take her back,” she growls. At this, Jinx throws her head back and laughs. Something about this woman sends a chill down Caitlyn’s spine. She has met plenty of dangerous wolves during her time at Stillwater. She’d encountered both guards and prisoners that wouldn’t hesitate to kill another wolf, and there’s a certain aura about them. The woman before them has this aura, and Caitlyn is certain that she has killed before and won’t hesitate to do it again. 

“By the scent of both of you I’d reckon she’s a bit more than a friend, aren’t ya, toots?” The question is directed at Caitlyn, but before anyone can respond the woman is cackling again. “I know I told you to get some action, Vi, but of course you chose the messiest lay in all of New Zaun.” Vi snarls at her sister. 

“Don’t talk about her like that,” her voice is more wolf than human. Powder tilts her head curiously at the sound. 

“Step aside and let me take her to Sevika. Or I’ll just shoot, you know I don’t miss,” the tone is too smug as she lifts the silver loaded gun. Caitlyn knows logically that Powder probably won’t shoot her own sister to get to her, but her instincts roar too loud for thoughts to be heard as she sees it pointed towards the wolf in front of her. 

She leaps over Vi, her body bending and twisting midair, navy blue fur erupting from her skin to cover her, as her mouth is bared wide, showing off two long canine fangs. She lands on the blue haired menace, growling as she bares her fangs towards her throat. It only takes a moment before Powder tosses the gun to the side and transforms herself, a sky blue wolf with glowing purple eyes snapping back at her as they wrestle, a mix of claws and fangs. 

Vi leaps between them, still in her human form, pushing them apart, neither wolf seeming to be willing to hurt her.

“Stop! We can work this out!” she exclaims, desperately. Instead the two blue wolves continue to growl and snap at each other, circling around the foolhardy pink haired woman between them. 

They seem to be at an impasse until a canister lands at Vi’s feet, causing all three wolves to pause and tilt their heads curiously at it. It begins to leak a thick smoke into the night air, mingling with the heavy mist roiling off of the pond. A strange whirring fills the air around them as bright green objects bearing the scent of wolves fly towards them. Powder growls, her focus now on the strange intruders. 

Caitlyn casts one last glance at Vi before making a run for it. She didn’t know she could transform without a full moon, but this new development will help her find her pack faster. She sees Vi catch the movement and start to shift, an attempt to follow her again. She lets out an irritated huff before something smacks into her, covering her snout. 

No, no, no, not again. 

She snarls and thrashes before everything begins to fade to black in her periphery.

 She won’t go back.

🌙

Chapter Text

Chapter 6: The Boy Savior

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Vi blinks her eyes open for the second time that night. This time she’s not in the tangled sheets of her own bed. She’s sitting up, her hands cuffed behind her to a pole. The cuffs burn her skin when they rub. Silver. She’d be able to break out of anything else far too easily. 

Blearily the events of the night come back to her. Going home with “Matilda”, an abso-fucking-lutely amazing time together, waking up alone to Sevika, tracking her mate to the botanical gardens. Then her sister showed up. Her mate and Powder were ready to rip each other's throats out before someone else intervened. 

The last thing she remembers seeing was her mate trying to escape again, the lithe navy wolf with glowing blue eyes sprinting into the smoke and mist.

Panic floods Vi’s veins as she thrashes against her cuffs, ignoring the burn against her wrists. The pole seems sturdy, her head is covered with a burlap sack, and she can feel loose clothing on her. Someone must have quickly dressed her. The most important bit of her surroundings is the scent that fills her nose. Her mate. She’s right beside her, and unharmed from the smell of the room. There’s no blood in the air, and she seems to be breathing, if not a bit slow. 

She’s sleeping, Vi realizes. 

Next she realizes that there’s another wolf nearby. Powder? No, not her scent. She can’t place it until she realizes whoever is with her is intentionally using a scent dampener. Someone that doesn’t want to be recognized. 

She thrashes against her cuffs again, growling into the sack over her head.

“Come on, I’m not that ugly, take this fucking thing off,” she snarls. 

She hears movement beside her, Matilda stirring awake at the sound of Vi’s anger. There’s a clang as she hears the other wolf tug against her own cuffs.

“Vi?” she asks, and the terror in her accented voice sends ice through her veins. She starts thrashing harder. She needs to be able to pull her into her arms and make sure she’s unharmed. To comfort her and hold her. 

“Jesus, Vi, I’ll uncuff you if we can have a normal conversation. I need to be sure you’re not going to tear my throat out,” a familiar voice cuts through the sound of her anger. She pauses.

“Ekko?”

The sack is pulled from over her head just as she manages to yank her hands free herself. The burns will heal. She blinks at her sister’s mate as he crosses his arms and gives her a dirty look. 

“Her too,” she says quickly, gesturing towards where the other wolf is sitting deathly still in her cuffs. A sack and loose clothing have also been tossed onto her. Ekko shakes his head.

“No, she’s a flight risk. I won’t uncuff her until I know she’s not going to try and run for it again,” he says firmly. Part of Vi’s heart tugs at this.

“Come on, little man. She’s spent too much of her life as a prisoner,” she pleads. “Let her go.” He shakes his head and pulls the sack over her head but doesn’t make a move towards her cuffs. The navy haired wolf still sits stock still, wide blue eyes darting about, cataloguing everything about the dark room they’re being held in. Her eyes land on Ekko and narrow.

“You look good for a dead girl,” he remarks. Vi’s instincts flare at the comment and she steps between the two, a visceral snarl rising in her throat. 

“Don’t fucking touch her.” 

She’s known him since they were all kids, she would help wash him off when he was covered in grease from the junk yard or scraped a knee learning to climb through the lower fissures. He’s her sister’s mate, practically her brother. 

But her instinct is to protect the nameless wolf behind her above all else. 

“My hero,” the other woman quips in her Piltie accent that shouldn’t be so adorable, her voice far too light hearted and casual. Vi casts her a confused look and she raises an eyebrow at her. She seems to have shaken off the shock that had settled over her when she awoke handcuffed again.

“I don’t believe your friend is making a threat against my life,” she calmly explains. She looks towards Ekko. “Ekko, was it? I take it that I’ve been presumed dead all these years?” He nods solemnly. 

“Silco is too much of a coward to risk the Pilties coming after you.” 

Vi slowly exhales, letting herself settle, but she hovers protectively in front of her mate. Ekko observes her posture before huffing slightly and taking a respectful step backwards. 

“Are you going to try to convince me to not return home as well? I’m rather tired of being told what I should do with my freedom.” 

Ekko looks sympathetic, and takes a seat on a crate against the opposite wall, leaning back. He glances at Vi, as if waiting to see if she’ll follow his cue and stop hovering in front of the other woman, but she lets out a low growl instead. He raises his eyebrows in response, shaking his head, his white dreadlocks shifting with the movement.

“I’m assuming you know about the Firelights from Jinx?” he asks her. Vi cringes at the use of her sister’s other name but nods.

“Yeah, she mentioned you started your own pack and it’s been making moves against Silco,” she answers, leaning back against the pole she was cuffed against. A more casual posture but one that she can still easily defend from. 

“Yeah. I mean, I can’t deny Silco has really changed things for Zaun. We practically own this city now, with the Pilties hiding out in the countryside,” he says, folding his arms. “But things aren’t all better are they? The chembarons and their damned shimmer trade are poisoning this city, humans and wolves alike. He’ll watch it burn to the ground before he relinquishes an ounce of power.” 

Vi bristles. 

“I know,” she snaps. “I plan to challenge him for alpha. I’ll work with you, we can make Zaun something to be proud of again.” He leans forward.

“Yeah, but that’s been an empty promise until you can fully wolf out. So, I started the Firelights and we’ve been doing everything we can to try to undermine him in the meantime. We’ve been going after the shimmer shipments, but we could do so much more if the damn Pilties would work with us. They’ve been holed up in their country houses licking their wounds for years, letting him run this city into the ground. 

“So, imagine my surprise when an informant told me of a mysterious prisoner Silco keeps tucked away in Stillwater. None of the other inmates or guards even know her name. It seems no one except for Silco and Sevika know who this woman is or why she was imprisoned.”

He pauses and looks directly at the blue-eyed wolf, who meets his gaze in a challenge. 

“But I found out who she is. You see, I’m not the only one with spies in Zaun, and I came to a tentative agreement with the Noxians. One of their generals has been keeping an eye on this prisoner as well, and last year positioned a spy inside the prison. Once they gave me a name, I thought this might be my chance to get the Pilties to agree to an alliance. If I could return this long lost heiress to them, they’d have to hear me out. 

“It’s nice to finally meet you, Caitlyn Kiramman.”

Vi straightens a bit. She’s heard of the Kirammans, obviously. One of the oldest and most powerful werewolf lineages in the entire city. They’d apparently lost their only pup during the explosion at the lab, a gaping hole that left the grieving pack open for attack. Vi remembers when Vander took her to the memorial to pay respects. She had stared up at the image of a little blue haired wolf she had been dying to talk to the entire night before the tragedy. 

Caitlyn huffs at him.

“So it was you that got me the key?” she snaps, an undercurrent of anger in her voice. He shrugs.

“Tried to. I set up an arrangement that would get a key to you, but it was delivered before I could organize a squad to go to Old Zaun. We weren't there to greet you when you got out. I’d suspected the Noxians planned to double cross us eventually,” he explains. To Vi’s surprise she snarls in response. 

“Freedom with strings attached? Just like everything in that godsdamn prison. After all that I had to do to get out and you thought I’d just be at your service?” she demands, her voice full of an emotion Vi couldn’t name. Ekko frowns slightly.

“What do you mean? The Noxian spy was going to give you the key and then a guard was going to throw you in solitary when we were ready to escort you to Pilt territory. You didn’t have to do anything.”

Caitlyn goes silent, her eyes vacant as she stares at the wall across from her. Vi moves towards her hesitantly.

“Hey,” she says, cupping one of her cheeks with her hand. She doesn’t ask if she’s okay, she knows she’s not. Caitlyn blinks several times, coming back to the moment and leans slightly into the touch.

“That’s not how it happened. Nothing is ever given freely in Stillwater,” she whispers. Vi’s heart tugs in her chest again, and she has the urge to wrap this wolf in her arms and never let her go. She looks back towards Ekko.

“She’s been through enough, Ekko. Is there any way we can get her home without starting a pack war? I can transform now, I can challenge Silco for alpha.” 

Ekko looks surprised for a moment before glancing between the two women again. He looks sadly at Caitlyn before shaking his head. 

“Caitlyn, I’m going to uncuff you. Please don’t run. Silco and Sevika have already guessed you’re trying to get to the Pilties and set up a perimeter around the eastern edge of the city. I can help you get past, though. All I ask is that once I get you home, you make sure they listen to my request for an alliance,” he says slowly, starting to move carefully towards her like a handler approaching a caged animal. Caitlyn watches him warily but doesn’t move. Vi hovers nearby just in case. Caitlyn’s gaze flits to her once, a questioning look on her face. Vi nods in response and she seems to calm, letting Ekko uncuff her. 

“I’m going with you,” Vi says firmly as Caitlyn rubs her irritated wrists. Ekko looks about to argue before sighing deeply.

“Okay, fine. She seems to listen to you more than she listens to me, anyways,” he grumbles walking towards the door. He throws it open and despite the late hour, bright light assaults both of them. 

Vi hasn’t heard much about the Firelights except for their skirmishes with Powder at the docks, but she certainly wasn’t expecting this. They’re back in Old Zaun, she can just tell. Her family might have moved to the upper levels of New Zaun after Silco overtook the territory from the Piltovans, but she’d recognize the scent of her real home anywhere. They must be in the lower levels, but the air is surprisingly fresh, no doubt thanks to a large oak tree that rises from the center of the base, twirling up towards an unreachable sky. Walkways and strings of light wind through its branches.

But the people.

Vi had no idea that the Firelights had recruited so many wolves from Zaun in so little time. The base is full of wolves. Not just adults, but entire families seem to live here. Pups scream and laugh as they climb and play. Vi tries to remember the last time she saw pups acting this carefree in the streets of Zaun, New or Old. She feels a sting of emotion at the edges of her eyes as she turns around, taking in the base.

“Ekko,” her voice is hushed. “This is amazing. You did all this?” 

He nods and looks around, a bit bashful under her the weight of her compliments.

“Yeah, well, not alone. A lot of Zaunites are fed up with Silco.”

“I see that,” she agrees before giving him a solemn look. “I’ll fix this. I promise.” He watches her for a moment before huffing, as if he’s not quite sure if he believes her. 

“Anyways, it’s almost dawn. You both look exhausted. You can sleep here today and I’ll get you when we’re ready to make the journey to New Piltover,” he says, leading them towards a part of the base that seems to be more residential. Caitlyn makes a noise of protest and he rolls his eyes.

“I’ll have my people keeping a close eye on the situation at the border. If Sevika or Silco move a single muscle, we’ll know. I doused you both with scent dampeners when you arrived so they won’t track you here. And I’m not carrying either of you across the city if you pass out from hunger or exhaustion. So for the love of Janna, just rest for a bit,” he snaps before either of them can say anything. Vi laughs under her breath. 

“And Powder?” she asks. He looks down.

“Slippery as always. But trust me, she doesn’t know this place exists,” he swears as he throws open a door. “I assume you’re okay rooming together? We’re a bit short on space, and I still don’t trust this one not to bolt as soon as she’s unattended.” Vi glances at Caitlyn as she glowers at Ekko. 

“Yeah, I’ll keep an eye on her,” she promises, reaching for Caitlyn’s hand. The other wolf lets her take it but stares at their entwined hands curiously for a moment, just like she did when they left the tower together. Ekko watches the interaction for a moment before looking back at Vi.

“Alright, I’ll have Scar bring by some food. Get some rest. You’ll need it,” he says before pulling Vi into an intimate handshake with her free hand. She grips his hand firmly and squeezes.

“Got it, little man,” she says before gesturing for Caitlyn to walk ahead of her into the little room. It’s small, with two cots shoved up against one wall and a small bathroom off to the side. Vi steps in after Caitlyn and closes the door behind them, latching the lock. Caitlyn doesn’t say a word as she goes towards one of the cots and lays down, curling into herself. 

Vi slowly walks over, placing a hand on her back. To her surprise Caitlyn reaches across her body to grasp it, squeezing tightly.

“I just want to go home,” she whispers and Vi’s heart feels like it’s breaking for her. She kneels beside the cot and lays against the other wolf, enveloping her arms around her and pulling her close. She inhales deeply. Even with the scent dampener, her scent is still strong to her, filling her with comfort.

“I know, I’m sorry,” she whispers back. “Not just for tonight, but for everything that’s happened to you.” Caitlyn shifts slightly.

“It’s not your fault. You didn’t know. No one did,” her words sound hollow, as if it’s a small comfort even to herself. Knowing why no one ever came to her rescue does little to soften the hard edges of all those years. Vi holds Caitlyn tighter as a small part of her wonders if she is partly to blame. She’s heard of wolves finding their mates under all sorts of circumstances. What if she had just given in to instinct to see where it led her? Could she have found Caitlyn years ago if she had just tried harder? 

“Vi?” her voice is small.

“Yeah, Caitlyn?” she asks. Caitlyn rolls around at this and stares at Vi with wide blue eyes.

“I- sorry, I’m not used to hearing my name said out loud,” she says, the edges of her eyes starting to glisten before she blinks them furiously. “I was going to ask if you could sleep near me. I really am exhausted but I don’t know, I feel safe around you.” 

Vi smiles softly, fighting the tears threatening her own eyes. She nods.

“Course, Cupcake,” she says, and Caitlyn genuinely smiles at the gesture, showing the adorable little gap in her teeth. If things are overwhelming, she doesn’t have to experience it all at once. Vi lets go of her and stands to pull the other cot flush against hers before laying down and pulling her close again.

“I’m not going anywhere,” she whispers, pressing a kiss into navy dark hair as Caitlyn settles against her. She lays there, listening to her breathing until she hears her heart rate even out. Only then does she let her own eyes close and sleep come for her as well.

🌙

A knock at the door startles her awake. Caitlyn has gone still in her arms, frozen and listening intently. 

“I think that’s the food we were promised. Stay here, I’ll get it,” she whispers into her ear. Caitlyn relaxes a fraction as she slides her arms away and stands up. She opens the door to see Scar, a tall wolf she’s seen around Ekko from time to time holding up a large tray of food. She blinks blearily past him where the activity in the hideout has died down.

“What time is it?” she asks as she accepts the tray.

“About midday. Ekko says you’ll leave around evening. Sorry I couldn’t get this to you earlier, we’re stretched thin monitoring the situation at the border right now,” the older wolf responds. Vi nods and thanks him before closing the door behind her. Caitlyn is sitting up now, staring at the food with a starved intensity. Vi walks back to the cots and nudges the tray towards her.

“You first,” she says. Caitlyn hesitates for just a moment, looking to see if Vi means it, before attacking the food like it’s her last meal. She makes herself stop, pushing half of it towards Vi who obeys, tearing into the meal herself. 

She finishes eating to see Caitlyn watching her with the same intensity she’d stared at the food with. Her blue eyes are dark, filled with a distinctly lupine hunger. It sends a curl of heat through Vi’s stomach. Janna, has she been wanting to jump this woman’s bones every single moment since she’s met her. 

“We still have several hours until Ekko will want to leave. We should sleep more,” Vi says slowly, unable to tear her gaze away from Caitlyn’s. Caitlyn doesn’t blink.

“I don’t want to sleep right now,” her voice is low. “Do you?” 

Vi shakes her head, her pulse revving up as Caitlyn’s eyes lower to her lips. 

She guesses it makes sense, they’re finally both rested and well fed and a wolf’s instincts are hard to ignore once the distractions fall away. 

She slowly lifts the tray off of the cot between them and places it on the floor, kicking it towards the door with a rough clatter. A low growl rises in Caitlyn’s throat as she licks her lips and the last bit of Vi’s self control snaps. 

She lunges towards the other wolf, and Caitlyn meets her halfway in a messy desperate kiss. Both of them growl as they collide, the kiss full of tongue and teeth. Every instinct in Vi is singing at having Caitlyn like this again. 

Caitlyn’s tongue slips into her mouth and her growls turn to whimpers as she puts her hands on her slim waist and tugs her closer. Janna, she can’t get her close enough. She begins to tug at Vi’s loose shirt from Ekko until it breaks free from her with a loud rip. 

At the sound Caitlyn breaks the kiss to look at the now shredded shirt hanging limply by a few stubborn threads off Vi’s shoulders. 

“I’m so sorry, I keep doing that,” she whispers, her blue eyes wide. Vi laughs and grabs her shoulders.

“Cait, I still don’t fucking care,” she says and a laugh escapes from the other wolf. It’s the most beautiful sound Vi has ever heard and a big dopey smile splits her face. She pulls the rest of her tattered shirt off before giving Caitlyn’s the same treatment, hungrily reuniting their lips. Caitlyn shrugs off the remains of her tattered shirt, whining desperately into their kiss. The sound alone nearly sends Vi over the edge. She tugs Caitlyn into her lap so she’s straddling her, and the cot creaks under their combined weight but she really doesn’t fucking care about that either. If they crash to the ground she’ll fuck Caitlyn there instead. 

She separates their lips so she can put her own along Caitlyn’s neck, kissing and sucking and biting and breathing in the heady scent of her. Caitlyn tilts her head to give her more access, another whine escaping her as her hands scrabble at Vi’s back, tugging her closer and closer and closer. The scent of their arousal fills the room and Vi moves from Caitlyn’s neck to her chest. Her mate has the most perfect fucking chest. She cups one of her large breasts in her hand while her mouth takes the other one, lavishing at her nipple with her tongue. Caitlyn begins to rock back and forth in Vi’s lap, both of them desperate for any friction.

“Vi, I need you,” she begs and Vi could get drunk off of the want in her voice. She releases Caitlyn’s nipple with a wet pop so she can respond. 

“How do you want me, baby?” she asks. The other woman is silent for so long that Vi pulls her attention from her chest to meet her eyes. Those bright blue eyes are wide with an emotion Vi can’t read, staring as if she just hung the moon in the sky. Vi nuzzles her chin against Caitlyn’s, purring slightly.

“Everything okay, beautiful?” she asks. Caitlyn gasps as if coming back to herself and she grabs Vi’s chin delicately between her fingers. 

“I’m just not used to. . . someone like you,” she finally exhales as she stares into Vi’s eyes, her blue eyes so full of emotion it makes Vi’s heart do flips in her chest. “Can I lead? I’m more comfortable with it.” Vi nods.

“Of course, whatever you want,” and she means it. In this moment she’d give this woman the world if she asked for it. Caitlyn smiles at her, revealing that little tooth gap again before moving her hands from Vi’s back so she can gently press one onto her chest, guiding her to lay with her back against the cot. Caitlyn leans down with her so she’s hovering over top of her. Vi stares into her bright blue eyes. She stares back for a moment before leaning down for a kiss. It starts soft and slow before they quickly lose themselves again, locking their lips into a desperate, messy struggle, more snarls and teeth than anything else. 

Caitlyn slips a bare leg between them as their lips continue their desperate dance, bodies intertwined together on the cot. Vi arches into the contact, beginning to grind against Caitlyn’s leg. They stay locked in that rhythm until Vi’s gasping against their swollen lips as she comes, clutching onto Caitlyn as if she’s the only real thing left on earth. Before Vi has had a chance to catch her breath, Caitlyn easily flips them on the rickety cot, ignoring its protests at the movement. Vi lets out a small whimper in surprise. Caitlyn snarls hungrily as she pushes Vi’s weight upwards until her hips are hovering over her face.

“You sure?” Vi gasps out, her voice choked with pleasure and desire.

In answer Caitlyn pulls her down until her face is flush with Vi’s wet center. Vi lets out a low moan at the sensation as Caitlyn laps greedily at her. She begins to rock gently, riding Caitlyn’s face as her hands hold her securely with a surprising strength for the lean wolf. Vi is already so sensitive it’s not long before she can feel herself approaching the edge once again.

“Cait, I’m so close,” she gasps out. In response, Caitlyn grips her tighter, pulling her even lower onto her as she shifts to suck on Vi’s clit. Vi glances down to see blue eyes watching her intensely as she hurdles into another climax, whimpering and falling forward. Caitlyn holds her firmly, working her through her it, those blue eyes still gazing up at her.  When she finally catches her breath, she moves off of Caitlyn with shaky legs, pulling her in for a slow kiss, tasting herself on the other wolf’s lips. 

She shifts to her knees in front of the cot, spreading Caitlyn’s legs in front of her as she continues to kiss her softly.

“Can I taste you too?” she asks between kisses, her voice hoarse. She opens her eyes to watch Caitlyn’s response. Those blue eyes are wide again and her breath hitches. Some of Vi’s own pleasure still glints on her chin, fueling her hunger even more. 

“Yes,” she whispers and Vi begins her progression. She purrs in response as she moves from Caitlyn’s lips to gently kiss and suckle at her neck, her hands coming up to fondle her breasts. She moves to that sharp collarbone, licking and kissing over it until she can take one of Caitlyn’s nipples in her mouth, rolling her tongue over it while her other hand continues to cup the other one. Caitlyn’s breath hitches again and her arms come around to grip Vi’s back, pulling her closer. Vi moves her mouth to the other nipple to give it the same treatment before slowly kissing down her toned stomach, stopping to lay a delicate kiss over the beauty mark beside her belly button.

“Vi,” Caitlyn whimpers and Vi obeys the unspoken command, pushing her legs slightly further apart, her mouth watering at the thatch of navy blue hair in front of her. She looks up at Caitlyn as she slowly drags her tongue through her folds, her inner wolf purring at the taste of her and the sounds she elicits from the other wolf. Caitlyn huffs at the slow, teasing movement and wraps a hand in Vi’s hair, pushing her closer. Vi growls greedily at the movement, the vibrations causing Caitlyn to whimper again as she slightly picks up her speed. 

She wants to take her time watching her mate come undone, devouring every last drop she has to give. 

They settle into a rhythm and Caitlyn’s hands stay in Vi’s hair, gripping them more for support than anything else as she loses herself in the sensation. Everytime it seems like Caitlyn is approaching her edge, Vi slows down her ministrations, content to draw this out as long as possible. 

“Please,” Caitlyn gasps and Vi finally obeys. She picks up speed again before moving to suck on Caitlyn’s clit. Her legs clench around Vi’s face as her hands grip harder in her hair and her pleasure now runs down Vi’s chin. She lets out a lupine howl as she finally rides wave after wave of pleasure. Vi smiles as she works her through it, wondering if she could ever get tired of the view in front of her or the sounds that Caitlyn makes as she comes all over her. 

She stands up, running a hand along Caitlyn’s damp cheek, watching fondly as she catches her breath. Caitlyn blinks up at her before returning the smile. 

“You look tired,” Vi says. Caitlyn nods.

“Maybe we should get some more sleep before this evening,” she agrees. Vi tugs her up gently.

“I think we can both manage to fit on the other cot, come on,” she says, laying down on the drier cot and pulling Caitlyn flush against her. It’s a tight fit but they make it work, Caitlyn’s scent filling Vi’s nose as they drift off to sleep once again, their inner wolves fully satiated.  

🌙

Vi awakes to a pounding on the door for the second time in twenty four hours. Except this time Caitlyn is still tucked tightly into her arms. Vi hums happily as she pulls her closer. She could wake like this everyday and be a happy wolf. 

Except Caitlyn doesn’t react the same. 

The pounding starts again and the blue haired wolf goes still, her eyes flying open, a panicked look in them. 

“Shh, you’re with me. We’re at the Firelight base. That’s probably Ekko. We’re going to take you home tonight,” she says gently, lifting a hand to stroke Caitlyn’s cheek and ignoring the pang in her chest. They’re taking Caitlyn home tonight where she’ll stay. And Vi can’t join her. She hears the other wolf’s heart rate start to settle down as her eyes dart towards the door again.

“I’m not there,” she finally says, closing her eyes and leaning her forehead against Vi’s. 

“No, you’ll never be there again,” Vi promises, kissing her softly. “I should get that before he thinks we ran, though.” 

She stretches out her legs and reluctantly pulls her arms away from Caitlyn’s warmth and stands. She crosses the small room and opens the door. Sure enough, Ekko stands there with a raised brow.

“Took you long enough,” he grumbles. Vi shrugs.

“We were tired,” she answers and his nose twitches as if he wants to argue. The room reeks of the day’s activities. Instead he shoves a bag towards her. 

“Clothes. The Pilties are still uptight, can’t have their little princess returning in rags. Or naked,” he says pointedly. “And please for the love of all that is holy take a damn shower, I’ll give you both a fresh scent dampener before we head out.” 

🌙

Ekko leads them out of the Firelight Base and into a tunnel underneath Zaun. Caitlyn wraps her arms around herself, the purple jacket that Ekko had given her helps a bit with the evening chill. But her nerves seem to make it seep deeper into her bones, in a way that no jacket can warm. Vi keeps glancing at her and she can practically feel Ekko’s watchful gaze flitting between them. She ignores Vi and hugs herself tighter. 

“So, just to go over the plan again. We’ll come up to the surface near the checkpoint. I have people stationed there to help us get through undetected. Then we’ll make a dash to Piltie territory - in human form. Once you’ve had your happy reunion you’ll tell them how we helped you and request they help us against Silco,” Ekko says for what feels like the umpteenth time since they’ve entered this damp tunnel. Caitlyn lets out an irritated growl in response.

“I think she knows the plan at this point, Ekko,” Vi sighs from behind her. “Can’t you give her a minute to breathe before asking her to petition the pack?” He lets out a huff.

“Do you realize how many resources I’ve put into getting her out of prison and back to her pack? This is my one chance to get their support. Unless you think I should strike a deal with the Noxians instead?” he snarls. Caitlyn senses Vi moving closer to her, a hand reaching out to graze Caitlyn’s arm. She looks at it curiously. 

“Hey, are you okay? Hell of a big night for you,” Vi’s voice is gruff but her tone is gentle. Caitlyn looks at the ground as she walks forward.

“Everything has changed and everybody wants something from me,” she admits softly, pulling her arms even tighter. She catches the look of pain that crosses Vi’s face in her periphery. 

“You don’t owe anyone, Caitlyn. If we get you home and you don’t want to say a word about us, that’s okay. Ekko will make his requests and if they want to hear it out that’s between him and them. You’ll be tucked away safely with your family,” Vi insists. Ekko snarls behind them at the words and Vi snaps her head back, baring her teeth at him as she returns with her own growl. Caitlyn huffs at the interaction.

“That’s sweet of you, Vi, but I’ll fulfill my end of the bargain. I’ve spent the last eleven years two hundred and six days with everything in my life being transactional. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that my freedom is as well,” she says calmly. Vi looks like she’s about to respond as if there are any words that can change the cards that they’ve all been dealt. 

“This is where we go to the surface,” Ekko interrupts, giving Caitlyn a meaningful look as he points to a ladder. They nod in understanding and follow him up. They’re just around the block from the checkpoint that Ekko’s people are stationed at on the eastern border of the upper city. Caitlyn pauses to breathe in the night air and look for the moon in the sky before following him. It’s slightly thicker than the first time she’d witnessed it as a free wolf, and that somehow brings a bit of comfort to her. 

She frowns as they near the checkpoint. Her instincts are uneasy despite Ekko’s repeated reassurances over their plan. 

Vi stops behind her and clears her throat, getting both Caitlyn’s and Ekko’s attention. Her eyes glow silver in the moonlight again as they dart between Caitlyn and Ekko.

“Vi?” she asks. Vi looks at Ekko.

“Something is wrong, can’t you feel it?” she points out. Ekko shakes his head. 

“They’ll let us through, don’t worry,” he insists. Vi huffs and shoves her hands in her pocket, her eyes darting about warily. Caitlyn swallows down her own concerns, starting to follow Ekko once more. As they approach the checkpoint he nods at a wolf with a bushy moustache. The man holds up his hand and gestures them through, watching them carefully. 

Caitlyn keeps her eyes down, shifting nervously under their watchful gaze. 

They’re nearly past when a strange mechanical whirring fills the air. She lifts her head and blinks in surprise. Glowing moths flit about, landing on some of the wolves guarding the checkpoint. She reaches a hand curiously towards one.

The first explosion is behind her, launching her forwards. She hears a roar behind her as she hits the ground. She twists to see Vi sliding on her knees towards her, holding her face in her hands as she inspects her.

“Cupcake?” she says desperately. Caitlyn moves to sit up, wincing as pain tears across her thigh. She reaches a hand gingerly only for it to come away glistening with fresh blood. 

“One of the wings is jammed in my leg,” she explains. Vi jerks her head towards where a stunned Ekko is dusting himself off.

“Ekko, she’s hurt,” her voice is strained. 

Another wolf slowly steps through the dust and rubble, humming softly under her breath. Vi snaps her head towards the sound, eyes going wide as her sister comes into view again. A single look of betrayal splits her features as she looks between Caitlyn, Vi, and Ekko before a vicious, blood curdling snarl erupts from her. 

Ekko leaps between them, starting to transform as he stands before his mate. He turns to look back at Vi as she tries to help Caitlyn to her feet.

“Go,” he yells. “My mate, my problem.” 

 🌙

“We really going to do this?” Ekko growls, more wolf than human at this point in his transformation. Jinx smirks at him and he hates that it affects him. 

“Bring it on, boy savior,” she drawls. The nickname for him is stupid. Because when they were all kids and he thought her and Vi were trapped by Silco he tried to free them, just to learn they were willingly shacking up with the greatest con man of Zaun. 

He lets out a deep howl, filled with nostalgia and anger. His fond memories of Powder when they were kids linger at the edges of his mind, memories from a time when he had hoped and dreamed Powder might one day be more to him. But whatever love might exist there, he won’t be part of a corrupt Zaun for a moment longer. No, him and his pack exist to liberate it. He looks back to Jinx and finishes his transformation into a shaggy, white and brown wolf. She smirks once more before letting out her own soulful howl. 

She transforms into her bright blue wolf, her blue eyes shifting to a glowing purple, and snarls before leaping at him. He returns the gesture before pouncing. He might be the bigger wolf but he knows she’s faster. And he might be the most clever wolf in the room in most scenarios, but he doesn’t deign to know what move Jinx plans next at any given moment. 

They circle and snarl at each other before pouncing again, a mix of fangs and claws as they tear at one another. He gets in a few cuts, she gets in just as many.

He thinks back to when they were children and he would give the world to have her look at him. They could spend all day at the scrap yard together, Vi having to hose them off when they got home, and it was never enough. He isn’t afraid to admit it to himself, he loved Powder. He loved everything about her - her brilliant mind, the way it was always moving from one thing to the next, seeing things no one else could, her shy demeanor and how loyal she was to the people she cared about. 

He dodges her jaws as they snap at his neck, rolling out of the way. 

She’s going for the kill tonight. 

He thinks of who she was before she accidentally took her first life. Even then it was because of Silco. And all of the blood on her paws is because of his influence. 

He snarls, saliva dripping from his fangs as he circles her. She doesn’t seem worried about him, lazily watching his progress before she gets bored and moves to pounce.

That’s the trick with her.  She’s so godsdamn impatient. Just wait for her to get bored and she’ll make the next move. 

He sidesteps, easily anticipating her movement and pins her to the ground, snarling at her throat. It would be easy, too easy, to make the killing blow here. She’s such a huge asset to Silco’s regime and he can end it. 

But she’s his childhood friend. 

She’s Powder, somewhere in there.

She’s his mate.

He hesitates and she looks into his eyes. And for a moment he sees Powder not Jinx.  

He shifts back into his human form and she does the same. 

He thinks she might cede. 

But he should know better.

Jinx doesn’t give up. Ever.

Another one of her explosive devices floats up to them and she smirks up at him.

“Always have to have the last word, don’t you?” he scoffs.

🌙