Nimue's POV

Waking up in a sudden jolt to a ceaseless knocking I dart towards the door, tearing it open to see...nobody, again. Instead greeted by the blinding morning that brings me out of my sleepy state and into a rather annoyed one. Biting my lip I close the door, ignoring my roughed up sheets and throwing on some new clothing. I lock my bedroom and wander off to the spare room I set Jackson into, knocking three times before announcing myself, "You good in there?" I call out but hear no response.

"Jackson?" Creeping the door open I notice the lump in the bed, putting my hands to it only to have it flatten with air. "Jackson!?" I flip the sheets up in a panic, thinking of all the possibilities of why he wouldn't be in this room.

Pausing for a moment I hear something against the wood, something barely audible but just enough to announce its presence. Running around to the other side I see him, spread out along the floor like a soulless body and clearly knocked out beyond belief. A singular finger tapping against the floor, occasionally sliding against it but ultimately with no pattern. Reaching down to shake his body I laugh at the lack of resistance.

"C'mon we need to get up so we can meet the others" I more roughly shake him, getting a grunt in return but his eyes still firmly closed. "Jackson get up!" I barely manage to pick him up, slumping him onto the bed as he groans in response. "Unless yo-"

A sudden burst through the front door alarms me, "Nimue!" an unmistakeable voice announces itself.

"We're in the spare room, come here!" I shout back at Arthur. Watching as his figure leans through the door frame. "So what's up?"

"Well...for one who's that?" He quickly questions

"Uh someone I found outside last night, speaking of which can you get the Alpha in the new housing. I flipped the sign at the front to notify it's in use, you'll know which one"

"No can do, Yasmine went on edge this morning after someone told her that the door last night was being used. And...I see I found the culprit to that exact crime huh" He smugly smiles at me.

Kissing my teeth, "Damn snitches in this place, I can't have a simple stroll by myself?"

"Rules are rules, or am I wrong to say that considering you're the one who actually put that rule in place?" He walks over to me, tossing a pillow at my head before kneeling down beside me to face Jackson.

"His name?"

"Jackson"

"Where'd he come from?"

"No clue, found him alo-"

He cuts me off with his slow processing brain, "Wait you said Alpha!"

"Yeah no shit, Keyon. Claims to have been searching for his pack and ultimately lead himself here knowing that some of his pack lives here now. Pick him up, we're going to him then you can go do whatever Yasmine and Alex want" I briefly lift Jackson, giving him to Arthur like luggage as he gets tossed over his now 6ft frame. Ah the boy who used to struggle opening a door...now grown and useful to my needs.

His face twisting a bit knowing damn well I'm just too lazy to hold him, "And you're just gonna believe this Alpha?" He continues the conversation as we make our way out.

"I mean, he had the eyes of one...barely. He knew the name of the Alpha, had the frame of an alpha...unless any normal human is out here producing 6ft 5 magically coloured eyed kids."

"I see your point" He hums out

Placing my finger on my head from a sharp sting pinging through my brain, "Something does bother me though"

"Oh, and what's that?"

"He came off as more human than anything, usually Alphas have that sense of pride about them. His words felt more like that of a broken man." I turn to wave at some residents opening their doors and preparing to ready their day.

"Everyone has their breaking point Nimue, he lost his other half, his family and now he's finding out they essentially all left him behind and continued moving on. Also, we're here. Right?" He points with his thumb toward the door for my oblivious self almost walking past it.

"I guess so" Knocking on the door a few times, "Keyon we're going off to the pack house, co-"

The handle from the door being taken from me and yanking me inwards, causing me to land onto his chest. "Hello" He bursts though, holding me up and smiling down at me.

"Hi" I awkwardly lift myself up from him as he walks forward, closing the door behind him.

"Shall we go on then?"

"Wait what's with the sudden rush!?" I fix my hair up from my face after the sudden thud, going to open his door but he places a hand on mine.

Raising it into his own, "I just want to see the family I've grown with, please" He lets go, again letting me get ahead to direct him.

"Well I can't argue with that so let's go"

"Wait am I just meant to keep carrying this dude!?" Arthur complains but we ignore him, walking back to the centre and turning down a newly stoned path that leads directly to the pack house.

"Humans and wolves...isn't that a bit odd?" Keyon questions as he walks beside Arthur.

"It is I suppose, but to begin with we've always had a connection to them considering their human forms, right? So what's so strange if they shift into varying sized, coloured and gifted creatures under the moon?" I awkwardly laugh out, pausing when I remember he's one himself.

"Oops, sorry if that sounded rude" I gesture innocently with my hands up with a quick spin.

"Ah no worries, I was just curious as to how this came to be without any qualms from either side."

"Well our Elder was very accepting of one individual...the rest followed I guess and on the wolf side the Alphas maintain their own hierarchy between the two and their Lunas."

"I see, anything else?"

"A man named Adam and his mate Percy act as the main heads I guess you could say, Yue and her mate Melanie look over the younger ones in an entirely separate wing of the housing. The betas aka Yasmine and Alex are in charge of guarding duties alongside a newly appointed beta from Yue's side called Ryan."

"Yue's side?"

"So...as far as I'm aware there's never been a pack run by so many Alphas/Betas and they're just working some stuff out, but it's an obvious combination of three packs, including yours of course. They go by The Kinned Dawn now, take from that what you will."

"Oh shit" Arthur pleads for some reason

"What's wrong this time dumbass" I spin to him, noticing the panicked look on his face. Continuing to walk back I thud into something. Noticing the light suddenly fade from my vision I tilt my neck to look up, noticing a woman with curled hair standing the tiniest bit above me.

"Sup Nimue, sup Slacker" Yasmine walks over to Arthur, flicking his forehead. "Get your ass on your route, I've been looking for you ever since you snuck out of the meeting!"

"Yes Ma'am!" He jokingly salutes, putting Jackson down and screaming a the top of his lungs, "Say Hi to the drowsy dude for me Nimue!" running off between the trees surrounding the path.

"Who's the new dude?" She rubs her hand against his hair as he finally opens his eyes.

"Jackson, I found him outside alongsi-" I get cut off again at the exact same point.

"You're joking. Right?" She jumps from Jackson, sticking her hands out and grabbing Keyon's. "Remember me!?" She wildly grins before looking into his confused eyes.

"You...don't, do you?" She lets go but for some reason doesn't look disappointed.

"I'm sorry, I don't" He shakes his head

"It's fine. After Minerva arrived you sort of cut yourself out from reality and let Chris do all the work anyway, good seeing you though." She forces the smile this time, walking past him and following in the same path as Arthur. 

"I...don't wanna be a downer but, despite not knowing the context I'm just gonna have to say that you may have not left the best impression on your so called family."

"I noticed"

"What do you mean noticed, wasn't this intentionally done or was there something making you act cold towards them?"

"No-I...don't want to talk about it, can we just keep moving?" He walks ahead of me this time, opening the doors before me as I hold onto Jackson's hand to pull him forward. 

"You finally alive? Sleepy head" I laugh as he rubs his eyes, still keeping his mouth shut. I'm assuming he's just not be a morning person, oops. 

-

We enter the regal designed home, doors everywhere you look as people flood in and out of them. Some flames and water being tossed around as kids snicker and get told off, some I'm sure must be part of Keyon's pack considering the flames...but he just continues to get ignored as if a ghost entered a cemetery. What's even more strange is that it appears as if he's not even interested of acquainted himself with them again, instead he still takes lead and continues aimlessly wandering.

-

Percy's POV

'...up' A voice pings through my head.

'Get...up' And again.

'GET UP!' Crest's booming voice shocks me awake, a brief glance at Adam's panicked face as he sits on the edge of the bed.

"What's wrong?" He calmly tries to reach for me but an instinctive feeling makes me swat it away, I run up to the large mirror hanging on the wall with a fireplace. Checking myself for cuts, scratches or any residual damage. Looking into my eyes I feel some tears beginning to form as they become reflective.

"It's fine, you're okay" Adam's arms wrap around me in a cooing manner, kissing the side of my head and forcing me to look away from it. "Did he wake you up again?"

"...again" I weakly respond from the lack of sleep I've been getting once again. Every now and then I find that Crest just...responds to something. Alerting me awake with the pain of glass slicing up my skin.

"It's PTSD Percy, time can heal but those wounds simply become his scars and those scars become his memories." He continues rubbing my head.

"I know but..." I try to justify, unable to come up with anything as an excuse. He fought off Fenrir within me for...years, something who's name shot those around me with fear. And I'm being ungrateful to him, aren't I.

"If you want, I can call Athena here if she's not too busy. Then we can do something together, anything you like." He whispers into my ear, lifting me to the bathroom as he starts getting ready for the day.

"I don't mind if it's just us, she's been needing a lot of time to herself recently." Feeling a little selfish at having her take her time to spend with me. I stare off into corner of the mirror he's using...bit by bit I hear the white noise within my head drown out Adam's voice. 

𝘊𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘬

It curves a few lines

𝘊𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘬

Forcing a hole within itself

𝘊𝘳𝘢𝘤k, 𝘊𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘬, 𝘊𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘬

Finishing it off like a perfectly shaped eye

'Shift' Crest demands before my vision fades to black, swapping consciousness with him but the other senses feeling heightened. My paws slapping the ground, feeling Adam grab onto me with a sudden force pulling me back. 

"Percy stop!" Feeling his weight fall on me as he presses me down despite Crest's claws at the floor, scratching and scraping the wood he eventually gives up. Making Adam audibly breathe out and relax for a small window of opportunity. Allowing him to burst from his grip and dart down the halls, my sight coming to me as our heterochromatic eyes phase in and out of the windows.

'Crest please! You're going to hurt someone!' I beg to him

"I'm doing anything but that" He fluently speaks while continue to glide down the halls, only looking back when a sudden thud alarms him. Adam's wolf now charging after us but very obviously unable to keep up with the pace of Crest.

-

Jackson's POV

"Listen" I hear Irene's voice appear from the doors that shut behind us, making me flick my neck back but remaining unable to catch sight of her in time. 

"Keyon wait up!" Nimue tugs me along as we now chase Keyon's speed walking. "Fucking wait!" She demands at him, finally making him stop and turn to her. "I understand your pack is gone, the people you knew may not even recognise you and that you're feeling lost in a place you're supposed to call home. But I will not be chasing you like a mother to her child, you will stay beside me or simply get the fuck out." 

His silence showing enough as he allows her to walk in front now. Despite the brief interaction they both pause, staring upwards and frowning as they follow something.

"Listen" I hear her whisper to me again, focusing myself to the same place they're looking in when a boom crashes against the floor above us. My sight trailing theirs as we follow the thumps that run down the hall and towards the descending steps in the main entrance.

"Jackson move!" Nimue shoves me away when a large grey blur brushes past me, sliding along the carpet and leaving claw trails torn across it. I stare at it's growling stance, one meant to kill. My head...spinning once again as a memory forms itself. His Gold and Violet eyes reaching deep within my body as if trying to snatch me from the inside first. 'A beast within a reflection, standing there. Watching himself with a look of despair and hopelessness...no that isn't him...the image isn't replacing the static within my mind.'

"Percy!" Nimue calls out but stops when an equally sized wolf tackles him to the ground, softly biting the back of his neck and calming him down. Closing his eyes but still remaining in his wolf form as the one on top shifts back to a naked form, being handed clothes from those standing in the doorway of their rooms. 

"Everyone go back to what you were doing, sorry for the disruption" He quickly dismisses them. 

"What happened!?" A woman with white hair runs from the distance.

"Yue, please look at Crest again. He's never gone against me like this"

A few flickers of pity cross her face as she looks sadly at the wolf, "Gladly, bring him upstairs into the distortion room. I'll make my way up there in a second."

"We're coming with you, I have some news to explain if you don't mind, Adam." Nimue comments before helping to lift him up and into the man's arms. Leaning towards me with a shy smile, "Sorry this is your first impression. It's been pretty calm around here as of late so it's odd for something like this to suddenly burst out of the hat"

"It's okay" I faintly smile back before following her, oddly eyeing the nearby plant. The soil dried up and near enough stone, its green pigment drained from it like an unfinished painting and the leaves dried thin...why would they keep it here.