I Don't Need Help (Isabelle)

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It really wasn't a surprise that the male scared down the meat, he had been obviously starving that was the main reason she had given him something to eat. Besides that he was weak from blood loss and the bullet that had been lodged in him. It was good that he ate though he seemed to get a little strength and was less hungry. She looked at him with soft eyes and the smallest hint of a smile.

"Well, as I did before I didn't want to fight and I was being genuine when I offered you a place to stay and food. I stand by my word for one, and two under all that tough stubborn wolf act I think you are actually pretty kind. Besides, again as I said, I miss having contact with other wolves, werewolf or not. Kiba, I honestly just want to be friends with you," She said listing off every reason, saving the thing that tied them all together for last.

[Kiba]

This was such a strange turn of events that Kiba didn't know what to think about it. It wasn't long ago that he and Isabelle had first met that things had gone badly. There had been a terrible misunderstanding that had left bad blood between them. That was mainly Kiba's fault. It was him who had misread the situation and had jumped to conclusions. It was hard for him not to make such foolish mistakes. The big white wolf as strong as he looked was quite skittish. He knew all too well how weak he really was. He had not been strong enough as an alpha to protect his pack when he had been a normal wolf, he had not been strong enough to prevent the curse that had befallen him, and he had not been strong enough to take revenge on the one who had done him wrong. All he could do was run and keep his guard up. It was the way that he survived. It was only natural when some unknown werewolf came into his territory, revealed that she knew what he was, and that she wanted to protect him that he would be suspicious.

But was he wrong? At the time he didn't think so, her conflicting attitude and lack of evidence to prove that she really did mean him no harm made him think that he was right to worry. That was the reason he had abandoned his former den and risked coming out into dangerous human territory in the hopes of finding some place that he could finally be safe. So much for that. Instead of finding safety he got shot and now was being cared for by someone he thought meant him harm. There was still a chance that she did have something bad planned for him. She didn't want him dead, that much was clear. She wouldn't have gone through the ruse of seeking friendship and bringing him to her den to patch him up if she just wanted to kill him. But the longer he was with her the more he was starting to get second thoughts. He was still suspicious but there was enough doubt to give him pause. If he was wrong and she really did mean him no harm then why was she being so nice to him? No one was nice to him for no reason.

That question was gnawing at the back of his mind so much that he had to ask her why she was doing the things that she was doing. He listened intently to her answer. He still wasn't completely sure that she really meant what she said about her offer to help him in the past, but there was enough doubt for him to say he couldn't be certain that it was fake. Still though that didn't mean that he liked the offer given to him. “I was fine without the offer.” he replied. “I have lived my life long enough in the wilderness as the thing I am that I don't need protecting. I am perfectly fine in my element...though the same can't be said for when I am out of it.” He looked down at his injured leg. It was hard to claim he was perfectly fine living on his own in all aspects after what happened to him today. He had been very unfortunate to get shot so badly. This had never happened to him before but one time was all it took to put his life at risk. Could he really say that he was safe on his own?

Kiba snorted when Isabelle said she thought he had a kind nature. “You're reading too much into me Isabelle.” he scoffed. He had a gentle nature once. He was kind to his pack and was even sweet to his little pups before they died. After he had lost them and he had changed physically his nature changed as well. It was harder to be kind when you were so worried about what others wanted to do to you. He couldn't say that he was kind anymore so why did she think he was? Kiba fell silent again when the werewolf told him that she was drawn to him because she considered him a fellow wolf. “You picked the wrong wolf to try and get close to.” he replied, a small hint of sadness in his eyes as he spoke. “I've long since given up being with others. Its not just about trust. Though I don't trust a lot of creatures I meet for good reason. I am not the safest being to be around.” Kiba looked away for a moment as he thought about how to explain this to her. “Its been awhile since I escaped from the human that changed me. I don't know if that person is still looking for me, or if he's still alive. If he is looking for me he could kill anyone associated with me in his attempts to retrieve me. I can't join another pack or mate with anyone knowing that he still might be out there. Its best that you give up on me and find someone else. Its not too late, you can find another werewolf that is better suited to be with you.”

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Izzy was kind harted and she hated what she knew about Kiba's past and didn't think he deserved it. She smiled kindly at the wolf as he talked. Her eyes were soft though not exactly sympathetic.

"That's why I told you to go back, that I would even escort you back. I had told you I wasn't going to hurt you! I had the chance to right when I caught up to you after you shifted, before that dragon ever showed up," She said as she shook her head slowly. "I told you I was more human, and as you can probably see I am, but I think it's because I'm not around wolves any more. Sure I like the woods but that's about as far as it goes. That doesn't mean, however, that I don't care what happens to a wolf, I'm still not a pure human," She said with caring eyes.

"I don't think I am, I think you just don't see enough in yourself," She said as she tiled her head sideways and studied the wolf. As she listened Kiba pretty much outlined one of his fears, finally he was admiting some weakness, even if he didn't realize it. She hoped he was finally getting comfortable around her. "You realize that there is a difference don't you? Your pack had no idea that anyone would attack them, I am trained in battle and very skilled both because of my job and natural ability. I'd know to watch out and I'm pretty good at lying. As sad as it is that that happened, I'm not going to give up on being your friend and abandon you. You, Kiba, are not the lost cause you think you are," She said with kind and sympathetic eyes and voice. She meant what she said, she was confident in what she said too, she believed she could beat almost anything short of a huge dragon.

[Kiba]

Kiba shook his head as Isabelle tried to explain that she had meant him no harm, and that his suspicions were unfounded. “I knew then that you had no intentions of killing me, at least not right then. I am cautious, not stupid.” he told her bluntly. “It was obvious who had the power in that situation at the time, I even told you to kill me while you had the chance before the night was over and you didn't. But just because you had no obvious intentions of killing me right then doesn't mean that you had no intentions of causing me harm period. Not all predators bare their fangs openly. Its far easier to kill a fawn by gaining its trust then snapping its neck when it least expects it, than having to waste the energy chasing it down.” She probably would not understand his line of reasoning. He and the werewolf came from very different worlds and lived very different lives. The way she acted with him was enough to tell him that she didn't deal with the darker side of the world. She never had to question the motives of others in order to stay alive. She never had to live with betrayal. He did. He was paranoid and he knew it, but he was paranoid for good reasons.

Even now he was questioning her actions, but he wasn't nearly as dismissive about her alleged intentions as he had been before. It was an improvement, it might be the only one that she would get but it was something at least. It was enough to make him less annoyed when talking to her. He even felt some sympathy for her when she explained her problems living between her wolf side and her human side. Could he really blame her for her human way of thinking when she had barely been exposed to other wolves? She couldn't live her life as a real wolf without others to be there to guide him, just like how he could never live his life as human when he didn't have someone to teach him what being human really meant. The only difference was she wanted to embrace her other nature while he wanted nothing to do with it. All she needed was someone to teach her.

But that person couldn't be him. Even if he wanted to he couldn't. There was too much at risk for not just himself but for Isabelle as well. The fear of what he could lose if he dared to try to start over again was something that he had never told anyone. How could he tell anyone? For the longest time there was no one to tell. He had no one in his life that he could speak to about this, mainly out of his own doing. But even if there was it was not something that he would have liked to have shared. But with Isabelle he had to do it. Was he finally trusting her? He wouldn't say, but it was more a need out of necessity. This werewolf had a goal in mind for him, and if that really was her only goal she was too stubborn to give it up just because he said no. He had to warn her about what associating with him really could mean for her.

It came as no surprise when she tried to brush it off. The wolf sighed as he laid his head down. She did have a minor point, he and his pack had no idea of the horrors that awaited them. The event that took their lives had came without warning, even if they had known there was little that they could do to stop it. But that didn't make her declaration right. “Do you honestly believe that you could survive what would happen if I was being hunted?” he scoffed. “You think to highly of yourself. Whether you see the threat coming or not won't completely change the outcome. You have no idea who or what is coming for me anymore than I do. As a werewolf you are just as powerful as I am, I doubt that you are that much stronger than me when I am at my full strength. Whoever did this to me wasn't just some human with a gun, what he has I can only guess is magic. I don't understand what magic is but I know enough to know that its very dangerous and unpredictable. What he had was enough to keep me prisoner and turning me into what I am now. I am sure its enough to kill someone like you no matter how strong you think you are.”

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"As true as that may be I stand by the friends I make and the alliances I form. Extreme situations may call for that to be different but for the most part I don't make and alliance just to kill someone," She said as she moved to sit in the floor in front of Kiba.

Izzy didn't know what she could do to convince Kiba completely that she meant no harm but she really didn't. She doubted that he believed her completely but she really wished he did. It was amazing that she had gotten him to the point that he didn't just run out of the house when he woke up, much less that he was actually calm enough to trust her SOME amount. She was hopeful that he would warm up to her some more.

"This may be true, but you have a life you need to live, and you don't need to live it in fear. You have no idea really if this guy is still out there, let alone after you. I know that magic isn't easy to go against but I think I can do it if this guy really is after you. Besides, do you know how far you even are from him? Maybe he DID give up the chase because your so far away! You never know, if you aren't in danger from him then you have no reason to fear him and all this is for nothing," She said, trying to give him a bright side to look at. She was a bit of an optimist when she needed to be and this was one of those times.

[Kiba]

Kiba tensed up when Isabelle moved towards him but he didn't shy away from her. He had to fight the instinct to back away as she approached. His original assumptions about her was wavering a little bit but not enough for him to lose all of his suspicions. This werewolf could still be a threat to him. It might not be as apparent now but that didn't mean that the threat was still not there. As paranoid as he could be he didn't want to show more fear than he already did. He couldn't afford to look too weak to another being who had him in their grasp. Kiba might still be a little suspicious but he still listened to what Isabelle had to say. He didn't like the idea of forming an alliance with her. It had been a long time since he had ever hunted or fought along side another person. He didn't know if he could fight the human who cursed him while worrying about the person he was fighting with as well. He couldn't do it. He couldn't let her risk herself for his problem.

He warned her about what could happen if she got involved with him. Isabelle was a stubborn airhead but somewhere in that thick skull of hers there was a brain in their, there was a chance that reason could make her realize how bad of an idea this was. But when Kiba pointed out how little she knew about the human that had harmed him she had pointed out another possibility. Kiba sighed. This really was not going well. “I don't know if he is looking for me anymore than I know that he isn't looking for me.” Kiba said. “I don't know much about this human, I don't know who he is, why he did the things he did, or if he's still out there. Whatever he did to me did more than just turn me into this...thing I am now. It made me lose my memory. I can't make the assumption that I am safe or that anyone I have been in contact with won't be in danger because I don't know. I would be a fool to so easily dismiss that possibility and not take procautions for it just because it might make me feel bad.”

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Izzy didn't get to close, just closer. She still gave Kiba some room but they weren't across the room from each other any more. She looked at Kiba with interest as he continued to talk, of course he was right, there was no way of knowing. Still though, it wasn't worth her giving up either. Kiba was alone, and though he had probably learned some tricks, a lone wolf didn't usually last long. The city especially wasn't a good place for a wolf, lone or in a pack, as this situation highlighted. The only reason she was safe was because she acted more like a human.

"As right as you may be about all that, to spend your life running isn't the best way. You gotta at least try to fight, and I'm offering help. If this guy is messing with animals maybe I could even get some help with taking care of him, bring the fight to him or at least have people out on watch for him. He's messing with supernaturals by messing with animals if he's creating others like you," She said thoughtfully. She was at least trying to think of a way to protect Kiba, along with other wolves, from this guy that was messing with the balance of everything. The supernaturals he was creating couldn't or wouldn't function in the human world, they had more animal instinct, to much to allow them to function as humans for the most part.

[Kiba]

What was he running from? Kiba knew the reason why he was running at least, from the time he had escaped his captor's grasp all he had done was run. There was little that he could do otherwise. Kiba might be stubborn to the point of foolishness but he was no idiot. He couldn't win against that human. His creator was far more crafty, resourceful, and more powerful than Kiba could ever hope to be. He hated that damn human enough that he wanted to rip his face off and hear his gargled screams before he died but he couldn't do it. Instead he fled for his life, hoping that he might find a way to rid himself of his curse, or at least get his memories back. Over time he realized just how hollow that dream was. His condition was not something that was common in either the animal world or the human world. No one knew about what had happened to him or any way to help him. If anything he had met more hostility thanks to what he was than he had met anyone helpful. His memories were still too hazy for him to hope that he could ever full recover them either.

The most he could do in the end was try to live a new life. His situation was not ideal but at least he still had his freedom. But even that simple wish had been denied him. Kiba could no longer live amongst other wolves. His scent made his old kind instinctively wary of him. Humans were no better. He already had a strong dislike for his kind thanks to the human who had turned him in the first place. But in the early years when he was struggling with his own identity he had tried to live amongst humans, only to find himself outcasted and later hunted down once they found out that he was a wolf. What life he had now was hollow and empty. He had no pack, no family, or friends to help him cope. He was alone. It was a hard truth to swallow but over time he just learned to accept it. Who was this female to tell him that he was just giving up? If he had more energy he would have snapped at her for her naive stupidity. Some people just never learned.

“I am too tired to fight anymore.” Kiba sighed and laid his head down. “I am too old to fight anymore. Fighting a losing battle is a good way of getting yourself killed. If I go looking for trouble now I would either be killed or thrown back into a cage. Why should I risk it?” Truth be told he was too tired of running either. There was only so much that one could take before they grew too exhausted to keep on living. Death for Kiba was inevitable. One day he would get himself too hurt to keep going, or get into a fight that he couldn't win, worse case scenario he would eventually starve to death while trying to migrate to a new forest while going through human territory. “Feel free to go after him on your own accord. You never listen to a damn thing I say so its pointless for me to tell you how much of a fool you are for wanting to run into someone who will be more than willing to take you in as his personal pet.”

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"Maybe, but if there's one thing I know it's that life is worth fighting for. Yes, I get that that's why your running, it's that or be killed. Honestly, unless I get a lot of help, I don't think I'm good enough to go against this guy," She said, she got the feeling that she was being more open to Kiba than Kiba was being to her.

"I'm not stupid enough to go alone, it would take a pack to take him down it sound like. Each person in the pack needs to have a different ability as well it seems, harder to deal with ten different things at once than one person," She said with a smile. She was somewhat shaken that this stubborn wolf was running from whoever this guy is, of all people she could see him being the one to stay and fight and for that she felt she needed to help him. It was nothing on his part really but a wolf that stubborn wouldn't just give up without knowing he was going to louse.