Species

Letting me stay?

Claira knew the only way she could see Diego was if she snuck back into his cell at night. But would she be able to do it again? It was just by chance she was able to get in his cell last night. She started to bit her nail, while she followed John down the hall and up the stairs to the first floor. 

"John um I want to change." She continued to bit her thumb nail, it was an ugly habit she had when she was nervous or anxious about things. 

"I can tell father what you found out if you want, and you can shower." He sniffed her and frowned "You smell like the Leach, and its disgusting." He laughed pinching his nose exaggerating. 

She gave him a shove and opened her mouth to speak. 'I don't smell.' It was her voice speaking out loud but it was also a voice in her head. It startled her for a second, but it was Diego's voice. She should be use to it by now but she wasn't, she giggled and continued walking. "I'll catch you later John." she walked passed him and up to the second floor. 

'You have to warn me when you are about to talk.' she felt giddy knowing he could talk to her.

'I can't exactly tell you when I'm about to talk to you.' His voice was soft in her mind almost like a caress.

'Are you still strung up?' she was actually concerned that he was still hanging in the middle of the cell. She wished she had let him down rather then left him like that. 

'No, a small woman came in and let me down. She cleaned me up before leaving.' Diego sent her a image of the woman he was talking about. Ma, she had gone in and let him go, and even cleaned him up. She normally didn't bother with their prisoners, but she actually went down and helped Diego. She would have to ask her father about it later.

She walked past a few doors to the other pack member of the house before stopping at her door and opening it. She walked in and closed it behind herself. 'So this is your room?' he asked her. 

'Yes,' the conversation was about to get awkward fast. 'Hey um, I need a bath.' she looked down at herself so he could see her cloths covered in his blood. 

'Yea, don't mind me. I'll just enjoy the view.' His voice was like silk, smooth and heavy. It made her body shiver, and thought of what he made her do with her own hands flashed before her. She crossed her legs as she shivered. 

'Yea, no. Not happening.' she tried to think of the most annoying song she has ever heard of. When she found it she started to sing while thinking of a brick wall.

'Hey no fair.' She felt more then saw Diego pout, he was annoyed she could tell. She sung even louder in her head as she stripped from her cloths and went to the shower. The whole time Claira hoped Diego couldn't see her, she didn't need another session in the shower. 

Diego desperately tried to get into Claira's mind but that stupide song she kept replaying over and over in her head was annoying as hell. 

I'm a Barbie girl in a Barbie world. Ugh no, coming back to his senses he shook his body trying to think of something else before the song stuck in his head. Diego was sitting cross legged on the floor while he tapped his chin thinking. The person Claira had told him that came in after her was Ma, a short plump women, who seemed nice, but Diego was weary of everyone but Claira. Ma had left a bowl of clean water near him, but Diego didn't touch it. Suddenly there was noise on the other side of the door.

It took Diego by surprise because he hadn't noticed any noises or smelt anything that subjected that someone was coming to check on him.

Claira? He asked through their bond. But she was still singing. It wasn't her, so who?

The man that walked it surprised him and made Diego push back trying to create enough room from him and the person. The man looked exactly like his father except the man in front of him was a little older, but where his father was pale, this man looked like he was kissed by the sun. His eyes were kind, and just like Claira they were gold, but not bright like hers, they were dull. Maybe Claira always had her wolf lurking just below the surface, and that was why her eyes were always so bright. 

"Relax boy." Lucas voice was soft, non threatening, but Diego knew that could change at any moment. His guard was up, he didn't trust this man. Luca pulled a chair through the door behind him before closing it. Taking a few steps into the room he placed the chair backwards in front of Diego and sat in it, facing him. Diego tried to size him up, he knew he couldn't take him on  by himself, but maybe he had a weakness. "I'm not here to hurt you."

"Nah, you have other people for that." Diego snarled back at him. 

"I didn't mean for my children to hurt you." Luca pinched his nose, before crossing his arms over the chair and resting his chin on his arms. He watched Diego curious by him, when he first walked into the cell he could smell his daughter on him. Luca also smelt him on her in the morning, but it was stronger now. 

Diego lifted his hands showing Luca the shackles and chains. "And these?" 

"Its just to make sure you don't hurt my children. But you haven't had them on long, have you?" Luca smiled at Diego, but it wasn't a normal smile, There was a hidden meaning behind it which made Diego freeze. "It's fine, I just want to know, What have you and my daughter been up to?"

His words shocked Diego, he knew, he scooted back a little more, surprised but it was more fear then anything fro Diego. He feared for Claira, what would her father do to her now? Would he put her in one of these cells? No he wouldn't be that harsh on her would he?

"I don't..." Diego couldn't continue, what could he say? He couldn't exactly lie to the original Lycan, he was sure Luca would see right through him. 

"Don't be so surprised," Luca tapped his nose as he sat up. "I figured it out when she showed up to breakfast smelling like you and just now this room is heavy with her scent. Plus the chains you have on are new compared to the ones you wore yesterday, not to mention Martha said you were completely healed." Diego looked away from him, not sure what to do now. I guess he wasn't an original for nothing.

"So if you know why don't you just do away with me then? What do you really want from me?" Diego looked back to Luca making eye contact with him. He tried not to look away, Luca's stare and presence wasn't as strong or heavy as his fathers, he could keep eye contact with this man.

"What I want is for you to tell the truth, then I want you to stay here." Stay here? Luca stood up from his chair as he walked over to Diego and extended his hand out to him. But Diego just looked at his hand confused. Luca wanted Diego to stay, here with them? In the den of wolves, wolves that didn't like him? "When I say your name, I see the way my daughter reacts, like a lost puppy. I don't know what exactly happened between the two of you but my daughter loves you. You may be your fathers son, but I hope your not like him." 

Diego looked at his arm again before lifting placing his hand in Luca's. He lifted Diego like he weighed nothing, and placed him on his feet. "I, I'm nothing like my father." No Diego wasn't but he wasn't any better them him either. He still took what he wanted, and normally did what he wanted, but being a prisoner here put a hold on his normal demands. "But your daughter, she is something else. But I don't know if you would call it love." Claira like Diego that was true, and Diego really liked her, he had feelings for her even though they have only known each other for 2 days. 

"Tell me what I need to know, and you can stay here with my family and my daughter." Luca placed his hand on Diego's shoulder giving him a squeeze, before letting go and pulling out a key from his pocket. Luca unlocked the chains around Diego's wrist, then walked away turning his back to Diego. Luca placed the key on the table, and opened the door. "Oh just so you know son, we eat a vegetarian diet in this house, except for once a month we go hunting for a deer, well that would still be considered vegetarian for you right?" Luca chuckled to himself.

Diego stared at Luca, did he just attempted a dad joke, and a bad one at that. Diego couldn't help but huff a laugh, but it came out a snort. 

"No?" Luca looked back at him and smiled, "I thought it was funny, guess not."

"Of course you did." Diego took a few steps toward him but stopped. "Are you really letting me go?"

"Do you really like my daughter?" Luca was serious now, as he watched Diego, and all he could do was nod. "Then yes, I'm letting you go, but to live here with us." 

"So babysitting?"

Luca waved Diego off, before walking through the door and waiting for him on the other side. "If you want to call it that."

Diego followed behind Luca, walking through the door and looked around blinking his eyes. It was bright in the hallway, brighter then his cell for sure. 

"Come, if you are going to stay here, I'll need to introduce you to the family." Luca started walking down the hall and in the stairs that led up to the other main floor. "You wont be liked right away, we have had to clean up after my brothers kind for quiet time, but eventually my family will take a liking to you."

Diego followed him up the stairs as the stopped at the entrance to the first floor. There was a small hallway with 3 doors, one looked like it led outside. Diego's hand twitched at the thought of being so close to the outside world, it was just past that door and all he needed to do was slip out of Lucas reach. Diego shook his head, no that was the old him. He looked back to Luca and notice he was watching Diego intently, before looking away to point the doors out to him.

"The first door there is our front door, don't go out with out one of us with you. This doorway here leads tot he livingroom, and the third open doorway here leads to the kitchen. The kitchen has double doors that lead outside to the back yard. Our backyard opens up to an open field that back up to the forest. I wouldn't try to escape at all, my house is just one of many on this block that houses wolves." Luca touched his chin then to think for a moment. "Actually I own this whole block, so just be careful." Luca motioned for Diego to follow him up the next flight of stairs.

"This next level holds the bedrooms, as well as the third floor. Your room will be here on the second floor." Luca walked Diego down the hall passing a few door to stop in front of one. Luca smiled at Diego and motioned him to open the door himself. "This is your room." The room was the last at the end of the hall, except for another door across from this one.

Diego looked to Luca then the door, was her serious? Grabbing the handle he opened it. Inside the room was completely white and bare. No furniture, no coloring, nothing. It almost remined Diego of a hospital room, it did have a full bed and a tan dresser, so that was a plus. 

"Sorry its like this, but I leave the rooms this way so when someone new comes to live with me, they make the room their own." Luca rubbed his chin then rubbed his eyes. "We need to be going, head inside and there should be fresh cloths inside the dresser, Martha picked some out for you. Remember to say thank you when you come down for lunch." Luca started to walk away but not before he knocked on the door from Diego's room. 

The door opened up to a now clean Claira, her dark hair was wet as she towel dried it. She wore shorts and a blue shirt that fit her just right. Diego watched her as he leaned in the door way. She was looking down totally consumed in her own little world. He focused in on her thoughts, she had stopped singing and she hadn't notice he was there yet.

'Hey beautiful.' He sent to her and he saw her flinch at the remark quickly looking up from the floor. 

Claira gasped and looked around frantic as she took in the sight of Diego, then she saw her farther and she tried to calm herself. Her face was red now, she knew she was caught. "Father?" Her voice squeaked as she looked at him.

'What are you doing here!' she was practically yelling at Diego. He flinched but before he could talk Luca answered. 

"Daughter, Diego agreed to cooperate with us. So from now on her will be living her with our family. Get him settled my precious child, and bring him with you to lunch. I hear Martha is making steaks, you know how much I love her cooking." Luca laughed as he started to walk down the hall. "Make sure he comes to dinner daughter." Then he was gone walking down the stairs.

Claira stared at Diego confused. What the hell had happened while she was in the shower. It couldn't have been more then a hour or so since she stopped talking to Diego to take a shower and change. 

"So," Diego smiled at Claira giving her a wink. "You going to show me how the shower works?"