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"So on top of reckless, you're also delusional," Cyprian murmured, quick on the draw like a six cylinder. As frustrated as he was with her, he was more frustrated at the situation. From the fall of the festival that he would surely never hear the end of from his pack, to the development of Hunters in his area... it was a problem, a heavier weight on his shoulders that surpassed his usual duties... his responsibilities to his pack. It wasn't a minor inconvenience, but a threat to the lives of his family. His friends. As much he could easily blame Natalia for all of it, he knew she was just as fucked, if not more. Most likely more. He had numbers at his back, an entire community of people willing to raise arms to fight for the wolves. For Natalia, it was her against the world. Wolves hating her for being a Hunter, Hunters hating her for being a wolf. <br/>
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And then there was Cyprian, who wanted to utilize both worlds. Congregate the two worlds with one woman. He believed she had potential to be an asset, if only she could see things his way. See them as more than monsters and accept herself. <br/>
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If he noticed she was checking him out, he didn't let onto it. Or he flat ignored it. Everything about him was built with the lithe agility of a predator, from the fine definition of muscle that didn't make him bulky and slow to the length of his legs and swimmer's torso. He knew how to get from point A to point B as quickly as possible. <br/>
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As the Alpha drove, he kept his eyes on the road and decided to slip on the pants when they were at a point that he could stop to do so. For now, he didn't feel that he was far enough away from the danger point. Instead, he kept himself covered while listening to her explanation. If one could really call it that. His brows furrowed, eyes ticking over to her. "So you <i>wanted </i>to die," he stared at her for a brief second before flicking his attention back to the road. His lips thinned as she spoke of his pack, but it wasn't in a means of protectiveness. It was something else entirely. "My pack knows better than to intervene with any fight I declare one on one. Regardless of what you may think of us, Natalia, we're honorable. If I declare a fight solely between you and I, for them to step into it... so much as a <i>toe </i>into it, is not only defying my orders but undermining my abilities. To interfere with a wolf's fight is to show blatant disrespect. They know better," he informed her, sternly. It was something he had conviction about. No matter what he was capable of, what he'd done to her... her family, he had a certain code he lived by. He had zero tolerance for anyone who overstepped the line he drew in the sand. The consequences were hardly pretty, either. "Something you should take into consideration, and remember," he glanced to her. The only exception was his intervention with Roman and her, and it was merely because she was a stranger. He wanted answers, not his second in command to tear her apart before he got the chance to ask. <br/>
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"You have a higher chance of survival with us. This isn't America, Natalia. We aren't the stragglers everywhere else. And it's not just us," he murmured, taking a corner sharply as he cut the wheel, catching his balance with an elbow on the center console. They were nearing the wolves den, and he kept glancing to the mirrors to make sure they weren't being trailed, the ever paranoid Alpha. Rightfully so. "I'd be more concerned about your lack of strategy getting you killed more than them right now," he eyed her. "Won't do you any good to jump into the ground yourself," he muttered. <br/>
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Cyprian's lips twitched to the thought of stringing her up like a bad dog out back. "As tempting as it may be... I believe leashes are inhumane," he glanced over to her with a glimmer of amusement in his dark eyes before they turned away from her. "No. My word is law in the pack. If I saw no harm will come to you, no harm will come. You have much to learn about how packs work, Nat. Honestly," he sighed, turning onto the street that the den sat. The road curved, being just outside of the main city, surrounded by trees in a more rural area. "It's Angie you're going to have to worry about. I saw you manhandling her from the distance." He glanced over to her with a lift of a brow. "I'd be surprised if she doesn't take a swing at you for it. She's... a little hotheaded," he admitted. "So be prepared for that." <br/>
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Pulling up to the hotel, Alter Wolf, he pulled the car up against the curb where the street was lined with multiple others on both sides of the road. Putting the car into park, he flipped the steering wheel up with the lever beneath to give him more room as he straightened and slipped one leg after the other into his pants. He worked quickly, reclining the seat so he could sit back and lift his hips to pull his pants up. A twist of fingers and tug of the zipper had him covered. "A word of advice," he spoke while straightening the seat and putting the steering wheel back in it's place. "And I feel that this should go without saying, but do <i>not </i>mention your ties to the Hunters." He stared at her, his dark eyes growing in intensity. "That's a whole can worms that don't need to be opened right now with them on edge. I will find the right time to warn them of the danger of the others, but not tonight. They're already on edge. It would be stupid for your kin to come into a den of wolves with a few dozen of us, not if they don't wanna become puppy chow," he snorted, reaching for the door handle. "But for your own sake, don't dig your grave deeper than it needs to be." He shook his head, giving the door a shove before he climbed out. <br/>
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Alter Wolf was a cozy hotel, disguised in it's <a class="link link--external" data-proxy-href="/proxy.php?link=https%3A%2F%2Fs-ec.bstatic.com%2Fimages%2Fhotel%2Fmax1024x768%2F569%2F56900810.jpg&amp;hash=e1560367f8c0eb65790c756585461bd4" href="https://s-ec.bstatic.com/images/hotel/max1024x768/569/56900810.jpg" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" target="_blank">rustic appearance as if it had been there since the 1800s by the architecture</a>. Whether it's appearance was true or built with that feel, was anyone's guess. The locals would claim the place had been there forever. Truth be told, it was only thirty years ago that it became a business instead of Cyprian's home. The hotel consisted of multiple buildings, all connected by more modern structures of brick to tie it all together as one long building. What used to be a garage was turned into a bar, the large window peeking into a <a class="link link--external" data-proxy-href="/proxy.php?link=http%3A%2F%2Fres.cloudinary.com%2Fculturemap-com%2Fimage%2Fupload%2Far_4%3A3%2Cc_fill%2Cg_faces%3Acenter%2Cw_1200%2Fv1542145825%2Fphotos%2F285583_original.jpg&amp;hash=e85b0310c849bb9d6f088e9285996be6" href="http://res.cloudinary.com/culturemap-com/image/upload/ar_4:3,c_fill,g_faces:center,w_1200/v1542145825/photos/285583_original.jpg" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" target="_blank">classy set up</a>. The larger building's bottom floor was an inside <a class="link link--external" data-proxy-href="/proxy.php?link=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.stanleyhotel.com%2Fuploads%2F9%2F8%2F6%2F9%2F98696462%2F120076031-1_orig.jpg&amp;hash=720f452aab58882221ded41715a58749" href="https://www.stanleyhotel.com/uploads/9/8/6/9/98696462/120076031-1_orig.jpg" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" target="_blank">dining area for guests</a>, with the upper floors housing rooms for guests to inhabit. Through the back doors of the main building, was an <a class="link link--external" data-proxy-href="/proxy.php?link=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.romantikhotels.com%2Fassets%2FDE-BadHarzburg%2FImages%2FConfiguration%2FRomantik-Hotel-Braunschweiger-Hof-BadHarzburg.jpg&amp;hash=532e799199389eff3585a9e7d07b3aa5" href="https://www.romantikhotels.com/assets/DE-BadHarzburg/Images/Configuration/Romantik-Hotel-Braunschweiger-Hof-BadHarzburg.jpg" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" target="_blank">outside eating area for nicer weather with a beautiful yard to look out to</a>.  <br/>
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Out back was where the numerous sounds of voices filtered out to the street, and Cyprian lead Natalie up the <a class="link link--external" data-proxy-href="/proxy.php?link=https%3A%2F%2Ft-ec.bstatic.com%2Fimages%2Fhotel%2Fmax1024x768%2F569%2F56900872.jpg&amp;hash=c17f9844b7a50171aa48fbdc7cd19b0a" href="https://t-ec.bstatic.com/images/hotel/max1024x768/569/56900872.jpg" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" target="_blank">stone steps to the decorative green glass double doors, displaying the title of the hotel</a>. "Welcome to Hotel Alter Wolf," he flashed her a smile over his shoulder. "We're much more civilized than we seem," he informed her, reaching for the door to let them both inside. He held the door open for her, waiting for her to enter before he'd follow suit, letting it close behind them. "The others are out back, I'm sure," he told her, making his way to the reception desk just inside the front doors where a <a class="link link--external" data-proxy-href="/proxy.php?link=https%3A%2F%2Fi.pinimg.com%2F564x%2F70%2Fe3%2F0a%2F70e30a6df368b3e155fd7bf474ecf325.jpg&amp;hash=fe37640086258ee0c3db8829d6594ba5" href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/70/e3/0a/70e30a6df368b3e155fd7bf474ecf325.jpg" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" target="_blank">young woman</a> sat. Human, by the smell of her though she reeked of the secondhand scent of wolves. "Amelie, this is Natalia," he gestured to the her beside him. Amelie was youthful, with dyed silvery hair that hung a couple inches past her shoulders. She had a sweet face and smiled to them both. "Hello, Natalia," she chimed sweetly. <br/>
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"Can you find her a room in this building, please, sweetheart? It's been a long night, we'd like to get cleaned up before joining the others," he informed her and she nodded her head, immediately looking into the books for an opening. <br/>
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"Room 17 okay, Cyp?" She ticked her dark brown eyes to him. "That's perfect, thank you." She nodded, penciling it in before she rose her tiny structure to go fetch the keys for the room. Cyprian looked to Nat then, leaning against the dark mahogany reception counter. "I don't know about you, but I should use a shower," his eyes thinned out at Nat, perhaps for her earlier quip about strong soap. </span>