Blanche didn't realise how long it would take to walk home at first, she was in such a blind rush to get there and ran with all her might but now taking the slower walk home, it was taking a while. The sky seemed to quickly change from its brightness as a blanket of stars began rolling overhead. While during the daytime the forest was easy to walk through and there wasn't much one couldn't see. Night time was a different thing altogether. There were parts that seemed to come alive and it was a little louder when it came to creatures shuffling around. While Blanche's eyesight wasn't the best, being able to see in the dark, especially a pitch black forest came with her species. As late as it was getting and as tired as she was, she couldn't help but admire the forest this late.

The way the trees seemed to try to huddle up and stop any moonlight from being able to touch the forest floor, giving predators the ultimate camouflage. Not that Blanche worried about that, she could handle herself and she hadn't been attacked by anything before. As long as she stayed out of their way, they tended to stay out of hers. Besides, there wasn't much around here, these woods had been the territory for the werewolf king for sometime and a raging pack of werewolves wasn't a fun experience for any animal. Blanche cringed a little at the thought, she wouldn't be able to count how many she would have torn apart last night and she didn't even want to think about it. The brutality that the full moon brings wasn't something she enjoyed in the slightest. A lot of the others did, it was in their nature after all but it just never sat right with her.

Eventually, the familiar wooden structure of her home came into view. With a quick glance around, she noticed there was still a car on the main path just outside. It wasn't one that belonged to anyone that lived there so she took a guess as to the vampire king still being there. Thankfully for her, she knew that with the long walk and many scents that rubbed off on her as she walked, Josephine's scent on her would be weak or gone completely. As much as she should be glad for that, it also caused a frown to form on her face. She enjoyed Josephine's scent, it was so peaceful and sweet, if she had her own way she'd have it around her all the time. Clearly, neither of them could have their own way, no matter how much they wanted it.

With a shake of her head, she continued forward for a moment before pausing once more. As much as she wouldn't smell like the woman, there was blood from her in her bag and everyone would be able to smell that. Her best bet would be sneaking into her room and cleaning everything as quickly as she could. With a sharp nod to herself, Blanche changed direction and headed for the back of the building. There weren't many windows but all the bedrooms at least had one. With her having the biggest window, by her request, she had managed to effortlessly climb into her room a few times before. It was much easier than getting into Josephine's balcony so she wasn't worried. Even so, she couldn't help but wish it were the vampire's balcony she was climbing up to instead of an empty room.

With a final sigh, Blanche found her way to the back of the house and looked up to her window. With it being all made out of wood, it was just like climbing a tree which she had perfected over the years so without even having to think about feet and hand placement, Blanche began climbing up to her window. It was always slightly open for situations like these and once she reached it all she had to do was push it up a bit more before dragging her way through. Pulling herself into the room, Blanche landed on the conveniently placed rug. It wasn't quite fluffy but it was thick and soft, making it perfect for a landing. The hard floor of the rest of her room didn't make such a great landing and with the amount of times she hurt herself, she decided to get the rug to pad it a little.

Blanche laid there for a moment, now she was laid down she didn't quite want to get up now but with a groan she forced herself into an upright position. It was with another groan that she heaved herself off of the ground, slipping her bag off of her shoulders as she moved to the bathroom. Once inside, she opened up her bag and pulled out everything that had any blood on it. Everything that did was dumped into the sink before she turned the faucet on, washing all of the now dry blood off with some of the rubbing alcohol that was under her sink, easily covering the scent of it all. Being careful was essential if she wanted to keep seeing Josephine and making sure no one caught her scent in any manner was essential to that.

Harden knew the day was growing on, there wasn't much light coming through the windows anymore and instead it was dark. Not that he minded that, he could definitely do with some rest. He didn't get any the night before with the full moon but God he hoped he slept well tonight. He wasn't overly sure how he felt Blanche going off without him, he knew Sol would protect her yet was still wary about it all. Glancing up to Leo he offered a small smile and nodded. "It is getting on a bit, thank you," he said and stood from his seat so he could guide the other man to the door. "I'm glad we've come to some sort of agreement, I'll keep you posted on how everything goes with the traitor," Harden added as he opened the door to his office.

Josephine raised her head towards the moon, her breath coming in short, ragged gasps. She clutched the railing harshly, nearly doubling over from the rush of emotions that filled her body. Bloodlust was coming upon her. A period of time whenever she lost all control of herself and underwent some changes due to a prolonged starvation of blood. Instead of her beautiful and pristine features, they slowly began to change and resemble a rabid and feral creature. Much like how a werewolf becomes a wolf, but a more hideous and grotesque creature. As her fingers extended and grew out claws, so much sharper and longer than they had been before, she flexed her hands in acceptance. There was no stopping it now. Her golden eyes narrowed and then fully dilated, pupil taking up the majority of her iris. Her fangs slowly began to shift and extend, growing longer and longer until they poked out from between her lips. Her other teeth became razor sharp, to the point where one bite would be fatal.

The changes were slow, and none were painful in the slightest. At least not for now. Her facial appearance stayed relatively similar, though most vampires were unrecognizable in this state. All was smooth until the wings. Two chiropteran wings began to emerge from her back, growing in size until they were bigger than her body. They were darkly colored and had a red inner lining. Although they were practically rendered useless for some, unless for short periods of time, they were horrifying. She was horrifying. From somewhere downstairs in the castle, she heard a loud screech of pain. Warm blood trickled down her back, a small amount that dripped onto the balcony.

It seemed that the majority of the vampires downstairs were undergoing the same changes as her. Josephine stretched out the wings, listening to the crackle of the bones popping. They were absolutely massive, so big that she could fully wrap herself in them. They had a claw at the very top of each, and they were pointed at the bottom. Despite their interesting appearance, like the actual wings of a bat, they were soft and smooth. That's all they were, big and scary bat wings. Vampires basically were just big bats, they had the ability to transform into one. And during bloodlust, their features change to resemble one. At any time they could summon their wings, but it proved to be more painful when not in bloodlust. How odd.

For as long as she could remember, it had always been this way. Josephine wasn't herself anymore. Any critical or logical thinking skills she had were gone, any reason went down the drain. She was a monster, ruthless and horrific. She crouched down slightly, spreading her wings out. Her feet pushed off of the ground, and with a few flaps of her wings, she was airbound. Since she was an old being, older than time itself, she had mastered the ability to fly. If you had been alive for that long, why not teach yourself something? Despite the ghastly wound on her stomach, she couldn't feel it. It would be fine, and likely wouldn't get any worse unless she was touched there.

The air was cooler once she was up in it. The moon reflected its silvery shroud down onto her, casting a shadow down onto the courtyard. Josephine spotted a few of the other vampires outside, all of them moving their fresh wings. She glided on the cool breezes for a moment before she came down, her feet softly hitting the ground. They were like her. Hungry, in desperate need of blood. Her dilated pupils finally ceased, and then turned themselves into slits. Like how a cat narrows it's eyes. Despite the altered features of the vampires before her, she could recognize each and every one of them. As she pushed herself off the ground and into the air, they followed suit. There was a chorus of flapping wings beating against the sky for a moment before it faltered, and then completely ceased to be. While she stayed where she was, the others weren't able to support their own body weight yet.

Josephine pulled her wings to her back and rested them overhead, giving the occasional flap to keep herself up. Off she went, with the struggling hoard of other vampires right on her tail. Her wings were opened wide, as wide as they possibly could be. Those were her last memories before she fully lost herself, and became a monster inside and out.

Leo nodded, stretching his arms out slightly. "Thank you. Again, I hope everything goes well." He offered a genuine smile as she approached the opened door, giving a nod to Harden. As he made his way to the front door of their home, Hannah fell in line beside him. "We have to hurry. Before.. you know." There was an urgency in her voice, and fear in her eyes. She took him by the wrist, moving to go ahead of him. Hannah pushed the door open, hurriedly making her way to the car. As both of them opened the door and slid into the leather seats, she nearly completely lost it. "Do you think they're still.. human?" She stared over at him, face fully dropping as he shook his head. That was all she needed.

Leo immediately put the car in drive as it roared to life, backing out of the driveway and back onto the road. If anything, he would be more amused to see everyone in their primal state rather than upset. It had been so long since anyone in the castle experienced bloodlust so he knew it would most definitely be an interesting time. Soon enough, they reached the castle. As soon as the car was parked, Hannah jumped out and jogged to the stairs, throwing one of the double doors open. "They're gone! It was too late!" She cried out, shaking where she stood. Leo approached her, moving to stand next to her.

He snorted in amusement, glancing towards the skies. "Don't you remember what happened last time?!" Her cries continued, but he didn't respond to them. Last time this happened it was a complete mess, but he didn't quite care this time. It was amusing to him. Leo glanced down at her, raising a brow. "Stop it, will you? They'll be fine." He rolled his eyes, crossing his arms. The air was warm and peaceful, and he could smell the lilacs nearby. He kept his head tilted back so he had full view of the sky, his eyes scanning for any sort of movement.

Once everything was sorted, Blanche proceeded to throw the things away, packing back up anything that could still be used. Using the mirror to check the bite that Josephine had given her the night before, she decided to touch up the make up a bit. Having it on show wasn't a problem when she was anywhere but here or around these other wolves but now she was home, she had to make sure it was hidden. Any sight of it and there would be no telling what would happen to her. She was sure she wouldn't live to see another day. The makeup just needed a little more blending in so it didn't look patchy and so there wasn't any smudged off. With that being sorted, she decided to get changed again. It was a dreadful habit of hers but she didn't like wearing the same thing constantly and as comfortable as jeans were, sweatpants or pyjama bottoms were far more comfortable to lounge around in.

Throwing the clothes she was wearing into her hamper, Blanche grabbed another hoodie and some thin pyjama bottoms. Wearing thick clothing all the time only added to her body heat and at times it could get uncomfortable so all her pyjamas were rather thin. Not that she actually wore them in bed, with the duvet and actual body heat, she had all the warmth she needed. With a yawn and stretching of her back, she took a look around her room. Her bed was calling for her and oh how she would love to get some sleep but she couldn't help but be curious as to how the meeting went. Her father usually hid a lot of the details but that never stopped her asking. Besides, she knew Sol would tell her what Harden wouldn't.

Heading out of her room, Blanche took a step towards the stairs just as the vampire king and the woman he was with left. She closed her eyes for a moment and listened intently, catching the woman's panic as she practically dragged him out of their home. Harden had barely any time to even get a word in so simply kept his mouth shut, giving a quick nod before closing the door behind them. It was definitely strange, the panic seemed to come on really quick, even Harden couldn't quite wrap his head around it. Then again, most vampires he met were fairly secretive and all he really knew was what he was taught as a child. For Blanche, she hardly even had any of that information. She waited for a moment, taking a step back into her room and instead just listened. She knew it was wrong and shouldn't be eavesdropping on her own father but she couldn't control her curiosity.

Harden looked over to Sol with a confused expression over his face. "She was really weird, all that nervous and panicky energy has given me a headache," Sol groaned, rubbing his temples in a circular motion. Harden gave a soft laugh and nodded. "She definitely wasn't Josephine, that's for sure," he replied. It was weird for him to see a vampire so nervous, he was used to seeing them confident and overly zealous in a way. Never so quiet. It was strange and he knew for certain he didn't like it. Hopefully Josephine was well enough to attend any meetings in the future. Sol gave a clear nod and glanced up the stairs towards Blanche's room for a split moment. He could always tell when she was home, her scent was more prominent and it was never a scent he could miss. Whether she was listening or not however was uncertain. While she definitely could be, there was also a chance she wasn't.

Harden noticed the glance and took a step back, grabbing Sol's shoulder to guide him with him. "I don't want Blanche to know about this agreement we've come to today, as much as I'm sure she will enjoy it. I also don't want her slacking when it comes to tracking the traitor. She will fight me on it if she knows so just keep everything going ahead as normal," he spoke in a hushed tone, there was always a chance his daughter could listen in and he didn't want her knowing all this quite yet. Sol nodded in understanding, straightening himself up a bit. "Don't worry, we will find this traitor," he said confidently. That was all it took for Harden to pat his back. "Thank you for today Sol, you are now free to go." With that Sol dipped his head in respect before turning and heading off.

Unbeknownst to her father and second in command, Blanche had heard every single word they uttered. Even when it came to the hushed voices. At this point she was slumped down onto the floor by the wall next to her door that was only barely ajar. As soon as she heard Josephine's name being mentioned her attention was on nothing but their conversation. Just her name alone sent a chill up her spine and to think, she had been here with the vampire king multiple times. So many missed opportunities of meeting or seeing each other. If only she had been more adamant on going to the meetings with her father instead of avoiding the confrontation and going out reading instead. With a short huff, Blanche pushed her head into the wall. There was no point dwelling on the past and things she couldn't change right now, instead she continued to focus on their conversation.

Her mind swirled with all the possible 'agreements' her father and the vampire king could have come to. Just the idea of them coming to some sort of agreement didn't sit right with her. It surely couldn't mean anything good, it never did between the two. It scared her, the idea of this war getting worse and her chances of seeing Josephine being slimmer caused a painful knot in her stomach. Blanche brought her knees up to her stomach and squeezed her eyes tight. She tried to push all the negative thoughts away but the harder she pushed the worse they got. The idea of never being able to see or hold the other woman again was a painful one, one she would do anything to keep from coming true but painful nevertheless.

Blanche was trying so hard to push the thoughts away that she didn't even realise someone coming into her room or even speak. Only until she felt someone crouch down next to her and place a hand on her shoulder did she snap out of it. The wolf jumped and jolted her body to the side at the feeling, wincing at the odd movement as it stretched the wounds on her back. Looking up, all she saw was the overly concerned gaze of Sol. She was never usually so jumpy and even today she was unlike herself in general. It was clear there was something bothering her but beyond that, Sol could see just how exhausted she was. "Come here," he said softly, a sigh passing his lips. Before she could even react, the male's arms made their way under her legs and behind her back as he lifted her up bridal style.

Even trying to object wouldn't work, it never did. Sol was rather affectionate to her and as much as she saw him more as a brother than anything, there were times she felt that he had a different idea. Not that she tried to look into that thought, especially not now. Instead she just gave in and let him carry her. Soon enough, she was met with the mattress instead of Sol's arms, quickly sitting herself up instead. "You need to get some rest B, you aren't yourself today," he quickly reprimanded, lifting a hand to brush some of her hair out of her face. All that earned him was a roll of her eyes and a crossing of her arms. However, a brow raised as he simply chuckled and shook his head. "There's that stubbornness that I know and love," he snickered and lifted a hand to ruffle her hair. With a low growl, Blanche quickly swatted his hand away.

Sol smirked, undoing his tie a bit and stretching. "I mean it though, get some rest. We have a long week or so ahead of us," his tone was more serious this time. Blanche simply rolled her eyes again and attempted to lean back a little, leaning more on her shoulders than her actual back. Sol shook his head and started heading out of her bedroom only to freeze in his tracks as Blanche spoke up. "Wait I-" she started, pausing for a moment as she thought over what she was about to ask, however her mouth moved quicker than her brain. "Stay? Just for a little while?" She asked quietly, looking down to the pyjama bottoms she had on, playing with some of the material as if it were the most interesting thing.

It wasn't necessarily an uncommon thing for her to ask from him. Sometimes it was nice to just relax with the other wolf, they had practically grown up together and at times she found it hard to relax on her own at home. Sol simply offered Blanche a small smile and nodded, there was never a time he said no but only did it when asked. Pulling his tie off, Sol unbuttoned his shirt and slipped it off. He didn't like wearing shirts most of the time and it was growing uncomfortable. He wouldn't be able to sit still and he knew Blanche would get annoyed with all the fidgeting. Once his shirt was off, he switched the light off so only moonlight flooded the room and climbed himself into the bed next to Blanche. "You know I'd never say no," he reassured and she smiled weakly with a nod before attempting to get herself comfortable.

The morning came too soon. The sky was adorned with various shades of pink that slowly faded out into purple. Pale blue broke through the middle of the endless pink, slowly spreading like a virus. There were no clouds, and it was warm and comfortable. A small bat flapped it's wings a few times before taking a nosedive down to the balcony, wings pressed against its back. It was a black figure outlined against the bright pink sky, falling towards the balcony at incredible speed. Just as the bat was about to reach the railing, it flung out its wings and spread them wide, the air catching in them and slowing the bat down. It gave a few flaps before it landed gracefully on the floor of the balcony, turning to a humanoid figure the instant it hit the concrete.

Josephine stood upright now, wings still emerged from her back. She stretched them a final time before she closed her eyes, bracing herself. All at once, the wings retreated back from where they came, leaving not a single trace. No wound, only the dried blood that had never been cleaned. She opened her eyes again, wincing as the brightness of the sun flooded her vision. It was halfway risen in the sky, it's warm rays spilling down onto her pale skin. Suddenly, an idea popped into her head. Why couldn't she just fly her way over to the home of the werewolves? It's not like they would ever expect a normal looking bat to be a vampire. She thought about it for a hot second before shaking her head.

Josephine didn't even know what room belonged to Blanche, and wasn't about to take a risk and go look. She stretched her arms over her head, immediately regretting her decision as she felt a stabbing pain in her stomach. It was a searing kind of pain, one that felt hot and spread through her entire body like a wildfire. She could hear the birds singing in the sky as they dashed after one another, sweet melodic songs appearing and disappearing just as fast as they came. The air smelled of sweet florals and dew from the previous night, still nestled on the grass, not yet warmed by the sun. The dawn brought curious new feelings, new sensations. There was a tingling in her body, a giddy and excited feeling ringing in her chest.

After the events of last night, she felt refreshed and relieved. Despite not sleeping, she felt better than ever. Josephine briskly opened the sliding door and skipped over to her bathroom, nearly tripping on her rug in the process. At the feeling of the soft and fluffy rug between her toes, she stopped dead in her tracks. Someone cleaned it. Her gaze went downwards, and she could no longer see nor feel any traces of blood on the rug. Josephine raised a brow in confusion, but continued skipping to the bathroom. The room was lit comfortably by the sunlight that crept in through the blinds, spilling onto the green tiled floor. It wasn't dimly lit, nor was it brightly lit.

Josephine hummed softly as she shut and locked the door behind her, eyes scanning the sink countertop. Her eyes then drifted up towards the mirror, and she recoiled in disgust. She was covered in fresh and dried blood from head to toe, blood that wasn't hers. Josephine crouched down and opened the cabinet under the sink, pulling out a green fabric basket. In it was all sort of bath things, ranging from salts to candles to flowers. For a moment, she stared down at the basket before she shook her head and put it back. She had things to do, she didn't have time to relax like that. Reluctantly, Josephine stripped her torn clothing and threw it all into the hamper in the corner. She put the basket back into the cabinet and turned on the shower, adjusting the temperature until it was one she liked.

Josephine hummed softly to herself as she waited for the water to heat up, and then stepped into the shower. Almost instantly the scent of lavender flooded her nose, the scent of the majority of her soaps. The other prominent scents were hibiscus and fuchsia, which overtook the lavender. It was comforting, and nostalgic to her in an odd sort of way. The water was hot against her skin, the perfect temperature for her. She watched as the water that dripped off of her body and swirled at her feet turned light shade of crimson, then darkened. Anytime she tried to recall the events of last night, her mind went completely blank. She remembered Blanche, and few things after that, but afterwards it was just nothing. Josephine continued to think as she took her sweet time in the shower, scrubbing every inch of her body to ensure that no blood remained.

The water against the stitches stung like hell. Had they been smaller and in a less exposed spot, it definitely wouldn't hurt as much. She gritted her teeth as she turned the water off and stepped out, grabbing a towel from the rack next to the shower. Surprisingly, it was fluffy and baby pink in color. Out of character for her, but she thought they were cute. The light of dawn that spilled into the bathroom was brighter and warmer. The steam that swirled around the room was illuminated in the light, and she could see it move in the stream of golden sunlight.

Josephine reached a hand out, swiping the steam to the side. It visibly broke in the sun, but quickly reformed. The intoxicating smell of hibiscus and fuchsia filled the air, and clung to her skin. While she smelled of all sorts of florals, those two were the most prominent and always would be. It was sweet, a personal hell for anyone who hated sweet smells. She examined herself in the mirror, leaning against the counter to get a closer look. While she physically looked exhausted and beat up, she felt nothing of the sort. She had visible eye bags, her eyelids were drooped, her bruises had gotten darker.

With a roll of her eyes, she pulled her to tighter around herself and opened the door to the bathroom. She flicked the light off, leaving the door open as she strutted over to her closet. Josephine browsed for a long few moments before she made her choice. A forest green halter neck jumpsuit, completely backless and sleeveless. Silk fabric, of course. It was comfortable and presentable, at least to her. She unwrapped her towel, letting it fall to her feet. It was easy to put the jumpsuit on, given that it was basically just flowy pants with a top half. She slipped on a pair of fluffy black slippers, which were warm and incredibly soft against her feet. How silly. She would put on actual shoes later, but for now the slippers were her choice.

Josephine made her way back to her bedroom door, opening it as quietly as possible. It was early, and she wasn't sure if anyone would be awake after last night. She crept down the hall and the stairs, cautiously making her way to the kitchen. She didn't actually have to eat food, given that blood sustained her, but sometimes she enjoyed the taste of things. Much to her surprise, there sat Leo, leaned forwards into one of the countertops. The light from the skylight shone down on him like a spotlight, illuminating every little feature. Every little divot in his skin, every little grey hair, every little scar and freckle. Josephine sat for a moment to take in his full appearance, noticing new scars she hadn't seen before.

Josephine cleared her throat as she continued forward into the kitchen, causing him to turn his head towards her. "Well, don't you look interesting?" He chuckled, pointing a finger down to her slippers. "Shh. I need to go into town later, not now." Leo rolled his eyes, a playful smile on his face. She joined him in the space across from him, her back leaned against the counter. "How do you feel?" He asked cautiously, his voice laced with guilt. She didn't even feel the pain anymore. Perhaps being able to feed completely replenished her body. "I feel fine. No pain whatsoever." Josephine offered a small smile, resting a hand on the curve of her hip.

"Good. It's sad you couldn't come to the meeting, it felt so empty without you." Upon hearing his words, she couldn't help but feel surprise wash through her. Her presence was appreciated there? He always scolded her in the car afterwards for speaking when she wasn't supposed to. "Admit it! You couldn't win your silly little debates without me." Josephine grinned, leaning forwards. Leo rolled his eyes yet again, crossing his arms over his chest. "Yeah, yeah." He breathed in, a look of debate appearing on his features. "The war is temporarily ended." He blurted our, his eyes scanning over her face for her reaction.

Josephine immediately jumped up from her spot and closed the gap between them, wrapping her arms around him. The sunlight now shone down on the two of them, embraced tightly. His arms were wrapped around the top of her back, his head rested on top of hers. "You listened. You actually listened!" She smiled into his shoulder, voice laced with pure excitement. If the war was ended.. did that mean she was free to see Blanche? The two remained embraced, both too afraid to let go of such a precious moment. Such moments didn't happen often.

An endless array of light began flooding through every window it could possibly find. The warmest hues of a rainbow, finding every little nook and cranny it could fit through. Warmth spread through the room, eating away everything the darkness of the night had left. Blanche stirred slightly, the light beating at her eyelids in attempts to wake her. Rolling over to try and hide from the sunrise, her face planted into something else entirely. The skin of another person's chest was now pressed into her face, earning a groan from the man that had seemingly fallen asleep in her bed. An arm wrapped around her waist and the man subconsciously pulled her closer. If the light hadn't woken her, the surprise of another person being in her bed certainly did.

Blanche couldn't even remember falling asleep, she remembered her and Sol talking for a little while but had no idea when that stopped. Clearly they were both tired and he had fallen asleep here. Not that it bothered her, it was one of the best night's sleep she had gotten in a long time and didn't quite want it to end. Sol certainly wasn't Josephine and she would much rather wake up next to her but the physical contact was something she couldn't deny she enjoyed. With a quiet hum, Blanche couldn't help but bury her face deeper into Sol's chest, hiding her face from any of the light that seeped into her room. She was never really a morning person and didn't enjoy waking up in the slightest. A quiet chuckle made her groan a little, "shhhhh sleep," she mumbled but now he was awake she knew getting any more sleep was going to be near impossible.

"Come on, we should get up. I don't even remember falling asleep here," Sol said, removing his arm from Blanche's waist to roll onto his back. She groaned once again, pulling the covers over her head instead. The man next to her stretched and yawned before sitting himself up. Him and Blanche were polar opposites in the morning, he didn't mind getting up so much and knew there was a lot that needed to be done today. Looking over to Blanche, Sol laughed and shook his head at her. "Let's go get some coffee while we still have the time, hm?" He suggested, poking her head that was under the comforter. The mention of coffee perked her up a little and begrudgingly she forced herself to sit up. The light in the room was almost blinding and she wanted to just dive back into the bed and hide away from it again but she knew either Sol or her father would get her up one way or another.

Pushing herself out of the covers and off of the bed, Blanche stretched with a yawn of her own. She had fallen asleep in the clothes she was wearing and felt all sticky. It was disgusting but she needed coffee before even thinking of taking a shower. Glancing over to Sol, she smirked a little and readied herself to run. Sol raised a brow at her, slowly moving to the edge of the bed. "Last person in the kitchen has to make the coffee!" She quickly said before running off in a flash. All she could hear was a loud thud and the complaining of Sol as he shouted about it not being fair. She simply just laughed and went down the stairs two at the time, jumping the last couple and skidding across the laminate flooring. Socks were never a good idea when running around on hard floors but it was definitely fun. It was childish for sure but she didn't care, she knew she was going to have to be serious while looking for the traitor so having some fun now would make up for it. It kept her mind from Josephine better. The woman was still at the back of her mind but she did her best to keep her there for now. It was too painful.

Another, much louder thud had her head poking out from around the kitchen, seeing the heap that was Sol at the bottom of the stairs. Knowing he would be fine she had to quickly cover her mouth to refrain from laughing. He just laid there for a moment, a deep groan escaping his lips. With a quiet snicker from Blanche, his head snapped to her direction with a scowl. "I won," she said in a strained voice, trying not to laugh. It earnt her a growl and just as he was about to get up another voice piped up. "You comfortable there, Sol?" It was the familiar voice of her father and he was clearly amused. Confused for sure but still amused. Blanche quickly ducked her way back into the kitchen, hiding herself from the scene and hopping up onto the counter, taking a seat there. "Not even going to help me up then huh Blanche," she heard from Sol and couldn't help the smirk that crossed her lips. It didn't take long for both him and Harden to walk into the kitchen, a coffee mug already in her father's hand.

Sol didn't say anything else and instead just glared at Blanche, grumpily grabbing them both a mug so he could make the coffee. As unfair as it was, he still lost and knew either way he would be making the coffee either way. "You seem to be feeling better today, Blanche," her father spoke, wiping the smirk clean off her face. Instead she offered a small smile and nodded a little. The air still felt a little tense with him after yesterday but she'd get over it. She had to. "Once you guys get dressed and everything, we will go over what you need to do. You only have a week, I need your presence with the next meeting Blanche," Harden explained and Blanche immediately looked over in his direction. That was never something he had asked before and she couldn't help the look of confusion that took over her face.

Seeking the look on her face, Harden swallowed the lump in his throat. He had done a lot of thinking last night and barely got much sleep. His decision in not telling her about the agreement changed. If he wanted her to lead, he needed to trust her and be open with her with things that concerned the whole species let alone just the pack. With a deep sigh and some reluctance on his behalf, he leaned against the table that sat in the middle of the room. "When the vampire king came for the meeting yesterday we came to an agreement to temporarily end the war between us so we can fix this human issue we have. This is not going to affect you finding our traitor and if it does there will be consequences, understood?" Harden explained, emphasising the word 'temporarily' with his tone becoming sturn near the end. He needed to make sure she did this properly.

Blanche couldn't quite believe the words that just came out of her father's mouth. She sat there in complete and utter disbelief and the fact she wasn't even going to be told upset her but she didn't dwell on that. Her mind went straight to Josephine and how even if this was only temporary, they could actually see each other and not be in danger doing so. She was quiet, too quiet for Harden's liking but everything around her was blocked out. "Blanche?" He questioned but got no response, she was in a world of her own with thoughts swarming her mind. She had to be dreaming or he was just pulling a sick joke, this wasn't real. Not in a million years did she think she would hear those words from her father. "Don't make me regret telling you," he said a little louder, snapping her out of it. Her gaze shot up to her father and a smile spread across her face, one she couldn't contain. Blanche quickly nodded, taking her coffee from Sol before hopping down from the counter.

Josephine could feel his arms tighten around her slightly, as if he was too afraid to let go. She took in his scent, a faint smell of coconut and a stronger smell of sandalwood. After a moment, both of them pulled away, and she could see his eyes watering slightly. "I'm sorry." It took her by surprise, and she stepped forwards to rest a hand on his shoulder. She gazed longingly at him, searching for the father she never had within him. He was present, yet he never seemed to care much for her. Leo placed his hand on hers, gently taking it and holding it out in the space between them. "I love you. More than anything in this world." His voice was a whisper, and his tone was more genuine than she had ever heard. "I.. I love you too." As she spoke, she could see his walls come completely crashing down into nothing but a pile of rubble.

His gaze softened, and his eyes watered to the point where it seemed like they would overfill. They had never shared such a tender, vulnerable moment such as this one. Finally, he blinked, and his tears came flooding out. "Oh, Josephine." He brought her back into another tight hug, his hand rested on the back of her head. His chin rested ontop of her head, his other arm wrapped as tightly as possible around her back. The sun shining down on them was like a spotlight encasing the scene. The sun would remember this moment forever, as it had remembered many like this before. They let go after another moment, a smile on both of their faces. "I should go get dressed. Do you need anything while I'm out?" She questioned, a goofy smile remaining on her elegant face.

Leo thought for a moment, his gaze shifting up towards the skylight. "Some fabric? I have something I want to make." She nodded, giving a final glance at his smiling face before she turned on her heels. It was a rare sight to see the man smile, yet it seemed to becoming more common as the days passed. Josephine made her way back up to her room, but she paused in the sunlit hallway. The sun was warm on her skin, and lit up the dark purple carpeting. The black wallpapers were shimmering, as was the photos hung up. She let her eyes glide along the wall, until something caught her eye.

A portrait photo, faintly colored. It was obviously made to have color, and had been taken in bladk and white. In the picture sat her mother, a gorgeous white cat sat in her lap. Josephine brought a hand up to the photo, her face completely falling. Her and her mother were more similar than she thought. Same appearance, same personality, similar cats. She shook her head and let her hand fall back down by her side, then carried on walking to her room. Josephine kicked off her slippers as she reached her closet, and glanced towards the shoe rack. What would be suitable? Her eyes landed on a pair of matte black heels, and she decided those would be it.

Josephine walked over and grabbed the heels, taking them to her bed. She sat down on the edge and crossed one leg over the other, slipping on the first heel. It was comfortable, at least to her. She repeated the process over again and stood, grinning slightly at the height boost. She grabbed her wallet from her nightstand and stuck it in one of the pockets before she made her way to the bathroom. Josephine did the usual routine, brushed her hair and teeth, sprayed some perfume and put on deodorant. No way would she be caught looking unkempt out in public. It didn't take long before she was sitting in the drivers seat of her car, messing around with the settings of the seat. Too far up. Too leaned back. It took awhile before she managed to adjust it back to how she had it before.

Josephine connected her phone to the radio, choosing a random song from her playlist. She wasn't in a particular mood, so the song and genre didn't quite matter at the moment. She pulled the car out of the garage and around the house, down towards the gate. As it opened, she glanced out into the road. It looked as though it had been smoothed over. As the iron gate fully opened, she pulled out of the driveway, listening to the roar of the engine. Given that she lived out in a more rural area, it did take a hot minute to get to town. She she drove, she admired the scenery around her.

Fields of gold, trees that shadowed the forest floor. The open land broke off into being sorrounded by looming trees that covered the road. Bits of sunlight spilled onto the asphalt occasionally, but other than that the sun was mostly blocked out. It was peaceful, the quiet music playing in the car and the occasional sunlight that lit up the interior. Josephine soon arrived at town, her first stop the fabric store. It was a smaller store with all sorts of fabrics, and materials that could be used for whatever was being made. Needles, buttons, you name it. She parked her car and stepped outside, locking the car. No need for anything to get stolen.

Josephine pushed open the door to the store, and was almost immediately greet with a welcoming scent of vanilla. Leo didn't specify what kind of fabric he wanted, but normally he was a sucker for wool. She strode over to one of the shelves, browsing the many rolls of fabric until her eyes landed on the wool section. Various different colors, every one as beautiful as the last. She hummed softly to herself as she browsed, reaching a hand out to touch the wool. It was soft, so incredibly soft. What color could he even want? Obviously nothing bright, but there was also a wide range of dark colors. She shrugged to herself and picked up one of the rolls of black, running her hand across it.

Josephine put it under her arm and continued to look around the store, her jewelry clinking as she moved around. It's not like she needed or wanted anything there, but it was still fun to browse. There were so many different colors and patterns that it almost made her dizzy. Finally, she decided it was time to check out and head to the next store. Before she knew it, she was browsing the shelves of the bookstore. Reading was one of her favorite escapes from reality, and recently she had finished the book she was working on. There weren't many things that interested her in the section she was looking at, so she moved on. Horror. Romance. Both.

Now, that was where she wanted to be. A romantic horror, who didn't love them? Josephine crouched down to view the bottom shelf, reaching out to grab a cover that interested her. She flipped it over to read the back, nodding to herself as she did so. Perfect. Started with a tragedy, ended with a tragedy.