The art of in and out (Pride/Del/open)

They trained in a way that most wouldn’t recognize. They roughhoused nearly constantly and put each other through their paces often to point of hurt feelings and swallowed pride. It from the outside would seem a frat house environment. But there was a method to the madness one that proved itself time and time again. He was no Chidera. He was not a holder of centuries of knowledge. What he was I truth was a man who had survived and learned to adapt. As most of the younger lions were Chidera’s Pride first and Deces ombre second he’d found a way to bridge the two. And that was it. It kept them in a state of readiness. Always thinking adapting and seeking victory first and personal pride second.

As such as the car exploded, they came like a tide of various states of fur. Scared yet pushed forward as they believed that was the sign. No one heard a shot or an official challenge. No visible sign flew bt they each and all in varying states took that for the only thing it could be sign that the battle had begun. And if so, they would fight together for each other and the Deces Ombre would be the victor one way or another. Jaedon to his credit as the smoke started was already moving to the trunk As the car heated he suspected trap and while as tough as they seemed a few well place solid silver shrapnel slugs would assuredly take the fight out of them. Silver was soft to begin with each shell notched as they were was designed to drop a charging lycanthrope as the shell would fragment on impact causing the burn of silver to spread out in a surface area and with such force as to give even a charging rhino pause. It was a dirty trick but all was fair in love and war.

As the car went up the large male fear in his eyes turned bodily protecting the other two who as the fire spread nearly touching them concocted a plan quick though sadly not quick enough as before they could cover the ground to close on the Regina they were all but surrounded by razor mouth children, man and women shifting yet still surging forward. There was daring then there was foolishness. And this was foolishness they’d tactically misread the situation.

Most things end as quickly as they start. This was no different the car literally the lighted fuse that unleashed the savagery of the Pride. She moving to her shotgun resting against the pillar levelling it center mass on their warrior. Jaedon and the others closing all means of escape. Pepper passing the judgement and it was as clean and harsh as the laws of the jungle. It was over for now the larger man limping away at a rolling lope injured but alive. He would have a story to tell for true as the local Yat’s said.



She nodded to Jaedon and as the others feasted on flesh savaging the bodies he tapped a few of their more martial members and off they went. They’d trail the larger man back to his grup keep watch and insure that the Deces had the true grasp of them. That the message would not be misheard. They needed to leave. Or all due hell would rain on their heads as cold as December and heavy as the original biblical flood.



“Sorry kardia mou, looks like the crawdaddies will be leftovers.”
 

Jaedon responded to the nod with the seriousness and speed it deserved. His shotgun was back in the trunk of his car he blew a kiss to Pep and Ami then selected his hunting party. All of the lions and lionesses he selected had hunted with him before. They were also apt pupils and eager to prove their worth. While the their hunts had been mostly catch and release he expected this one to not be quite as easy.



The big man ran heedless of who was on his heels. He didn’t try to hide his tracks. He most tellingly didn’t try to shift to heal his wounds faster and cover more ground either. Jaedon knew what needed doing and even why Ami selected him. If things went sideways he would insure that they stayed within reason. If it was, she and Pep the whole Pride might become involved. And optically it made since as if this cabal had a secondary who was male it was a no-win situation for all involved. They couldn’t challenge in any way that wouldn’t be viewed as flouting the mores of their traditions. It would not if word got out be a pretty picture to say the least.



So, as they neared the area the coalition had secretly carved out he had the five others spread wide. The rule of this hunt stay in visual sight line and close on his signal. That signal being a kill order any lion not Deces Ombre dead and if not dead wounded enough that the others could ride down like banshees and finish the job.



Jaedon gave him a ten minute lead then closed, shielding so tight that barely a whiff of his aura drifted further than his skin. He went to the door and knocked as if he were the police. Doing so he unfurled his aura tapping into the strength of the Pride via connecting with Ami and Pep. He was the conduit to their presence and majesty. He wielded it like the weapon it was. Pushing it forward through the building ruffling feathers forcing those who wouldn’t bend knee to either fly or fight for all they were worth.



Seventeen leonine sparks lit up twelve of them dampening themselves in preparation of escape the other five decided to barrel towards him. He stepped back moving away from the door but taking up a spot central to the courtyard. Discarding his jacket he smirked devilishly fucking amateurs he thought. They came barreling lie a freight train confident in their strength. One lone strong yet clearly stupid lion. They rushed out. And sought to surround him. He held up his empty palms.



“Before we do this and I leave just one of you alive any one want to flee can do so. If not I challenge whoever is taking over you misbegotten children of whores and thee remainder of the best stains that ran down your mothers legs.”

 

Aminta had been mentally working the angles the whole time. She smirked and waggled her brows as Pep played nice in front of their guest. Savage queen was great name for Pep her mind dipped scarlet for a second considering and evaluating not only the public face but the private. And it suited both. Her mind drifted back to the first night they became a we. She hadn’t planned on it and she was sure neither had either of the other two of their stable ménage. Yet here they were.



And as Pep shrugged she returned the action. It was an all encompassing that the big easy was often anything but. Frowning as she scrunched her nose at the viscera and left bits and gobbets. Not because they were a bloody mess. But because she Pep and she was sure Jaedon had expressed a distaste for leaving meat behind. It was as Jae often said don’t leave money on the table.



As Dawn headed back in leaving the two of them alone She closed the distance between them so their voices wouldn’t carry far. “Honestly I was thinking the same. We’re not sure how far away these sneak thieves are. But didn’t he something about Marrero. Means easy an hour on foot one way more wounded.” She scratched her head absently. “Two hours we find some reason to head into town if we haven’t heard anything in an hour and a half.”  

As they closed the circle focused on him instead of the real danger. The hidden danger he chuckled. They didn’t know if he was outed. They didn’t know if he had mortal allies. They’d had their noses filled with blood and carried the hint of their Regina’s pain. Both physically and emotionally. Their Rex dead along with their Militis. The truth was they were owned or must flee but they had backing. As some of the other local Yats said they had major gris-gris. He could feel it rolling off them as they came. These had they come all together would have made it something more than a massacre. As it stood too little too late.

Jaedon wasn’t a fool he knew that even as they closed the circle he couldn’t let it stand. Even a broken clock was right twice a day. So rolling his shoulders he took quick stock of the deadliest lion closing. He was a wiry fucker looked about ten pounds lighter and six inches shorter than Pretty-boy. He was also the only one ready to fight on his own. If the others didn’t make a move he would. Most wouldn’t rate him as the highest or strongest. In truth he probably wasn’t. He however was in fact the deadliest as he would be the one who would give his all from the first. The twin females would toy with their prey. The larger man second in size to the lion Pep let live was too confident to be deadly enough from the start. The darer clearly African lion was midrange in size just big enough he was accustomed to being feared. He also had a limp and a noticeable break in his nose that never healed right.

So small and wiry it would be. He smirked and instead of backing away he planted his foot. Centering on the big guy. He laughed allowing the lion to sound through his voice. “Suits me fine planting more of you idiots. Oh wait we don’t say that down here. We say as I am a local now. I’m gointa saint ya something fierce and lay you out all nice and fine.” Charging the big guy he pivoted at the last second as the big crouched preparing for a crash. His pivot immediately placing him forehead to nose of the smaller guy he’d marked as the first to move. Sure enough he was there leaping to attack. Jaedon’s pivot placed him right inside the mans guard. It was clear he was accustomed to being underestimated. Jaedon could respect him for thinking he was stupid after all what idiot no matter how strong they seemed would walk into a clan no matter how small of a clan they were alone. Was sure fired way to be laid on a slab or eaten.

As such Jaedon wasted exactly no time at all. Following up on the crashing headbutt that was sure to require a bucket of pain pills later and maybe some of Peps good hooch he gripped the mans larynx as he reeled form the broken nose that was gushing enough blood to make a vampire horny. Moving forward he spun placing his back to the now open corner of the circle doing so left his hand wet and holding bits of bone. Flinging the cracked broken bit of the man away he thumbed his nose and bounced on the balls of his feet like Muhammed Ali.

They were shocked. As while dropped the smaller man was not dead it’d take at least another ten minutes for his lack of oxygen to do him in. If he was helped shift he might actually live. Though looking at their faces he was sure they didn’t have the chops to force him to do what he needed fast enough. As they looked from him to their fallen he Dropped his chin and whistled the others closed in a rush of Deces Ombre energy that would let the Pride and Chidera that they were alive and hunting…

Stealing a kiss as they moved to the house. She said, " Yes the math is right but we know he would die for you so maybe we adjust the timetable fifteen minutes." Yes she was hedging her bets mainly as she cared for the big lug. And true was true. He would kill for them yes but his true strength the tie that bound them was he was also willing to die for them. He ad his son Immanuel and Immanuel’s mother and yet he found the idea that Pep embodied the future of the Deces Ombre above even that. It was some honorable bit of old world tough under that broad chest and arms of corded muscle. That grin that drifted when he drank and the rough calluses on his knuckles. Some bit of softness and light he held for Pep and by extension her. He was a lug but he was their lug a tool that seemed blunt but held hidden sharp edges.



“Thank you for your help it really made a difference and saved lives.” Ami said settling on the arm of Peps chair accepting the drink. She paused raising the glass “Merci, Lets roll…”she said in toast. Then it hit like the ghost of a lovers kiss along ones spine. The feel of a cheek rub in the fur. The low ululations of a Pride stuffed and filled baking themselves in the sun. Jaedon and the hunting party had their prey right where they wanted them. A smile dancing on her lips filled with pride and devilment.