Another Morning, [izza and jase]

[Saint Harrow]

He was calm. He was alert. He was fine.

After the events of the morning before, Saint had basically stayed locked in his room all day. Refused to talk to his aunt, or see the others if they attempted to come by. He'd needed the time to cool down. To get his head on his shoulders and remember; as much as she reminded him of her... the girl in the clearing last night had not been his Katie. The entire ordeal had taken almost twenty hours. Then he'd slept. It was now nine o' clock in the morning. And he was ready to face the world again.

Pulling on a pair of faded jeans, black vans, and a light blue t-shirt Saint stalked into the living room of this cabin he shared with his aging old aunt. Belinda sat on the tattered brown couch, watching a re-run of Three's Company. When he entered, her light eyes looked up at him and she smiled. "Hullo, Jack. Nice to see you again." God, that woman seriously needed to be in a home.

"Hey, Bells, I'm going out, alright? I'll be back later." He pressed a kiss to her weathered cheek and she gave him a pat on the top of his head.

"Of course, dear, of course. Bring me some cherries, would you? I love cherries..." But her attention was diverted by the television once more, and the eighty-something year old woman completely forgot that her nephew was alive, much less standing right behind her. Shaking his head sadly, Saint left the house, stepping into the cold morning air of Alaska.

He knew where he was going, of course. Though the bond had been strong between Izza and himself before... after last night she seemed to be the only person that Saint could be around without getting angry, much less wanted to be around. And the knowledge that he wanted to be around her shocked him. That never happened between himself and other people. Why should the blond girl be any different?

Coming to the outskirts of her yard, he wondered for a moment if just jumping in her window would be safer. The one time he'd met her step-father, he'd snarled twice at the guy and had the insane urge to kill run through his veins. He wasn't good with children, and so he wasn't very nice to the twins. And he'd yet to meet this cousin Izza had told him about. But no, he wouldn't disturb her privacy by just hopping in. That was a breach in the unspoken understanding they had. At least in his mind. At least for now.

Taking five long strides to the front door, he rapt on his twice and crossed his arms.

[Jase Lewis]

"Nat!" The black-haired young man called as he made his way through the house, searching out the aunt he'd yet to see that morning. And she was generally up earlier than he was.

"Refer to your aunt properly." Came Damien's gruff chastisement as he walked into the living room from the kitchen. Jase simply rolled his eyes, waiting as the taller man took a drink from the glass in his hand before continuing. "She's in the laundry room." Nodding, he set off in the direction of the designated room. Before he could make it there, though, there came a knock on the front door.

Izza looked up from her place on the floor where she was coloring with Noelle, taking a discreet sniff of the air. She'd been up since four that morning, having gone to bed right after arriving home from the ordeal that she and Saint had been through. "I'll get it," The blonde muttered to her elder cousin and stepfather, making a shoo'ing motion with her hand to tell Jase to go on and go find her mother for whatever reason he needed to.

Standing, she made her way the short distance to the door and opened it. "Hey," She greeted softly upon seeing Saint standing on the other side of the threshold. "Wanna com--"

Izza was cut off as Jase came running into the living room, being chased by her younger brother with one of those supposedly 'childproof' lighters. Obviously, they weren't too childproof if Kaden had managed to work it. Or possibly, it was rigged. She didn't question it either way. A laugh escaped from between her lips as he skidded to a halt beside her, stopping so as not to run straight into Saint.

She gave Kaden a sharp look as he came up behind her cousin, obviously intending to scorch his jeans. "Don't try it." Her warning was low and dark, and if Damien and Jase hadn't been present, she would have growled at him. The child let the lighter turn off and turned around, looking dejected.

"Sorry. Dysfunctional," She apologized, her last words hardly audible. "Uhm, Saint, this is my cousin, Jase. Jase, this is Saint," She introduced after an awkward moment, her eyebrows furrowing. The younger of the two males nodded before looking to the girl. "As I was saying before," Izza turned on her cousin with another sharp look. "Would you like to come in?"

[Saint Harrow]

Though he'd been here several times in the past, he wasn't quite sure that he would ever get used to the chaos of the Snow household. The most children he'd ever had running around him was one, and he'd been a child himself at the time. Now, with the years spent with no living companion except for the old bat, Belinda... well, such a difference in scenery was both compelling and rather annoying at the same time.

"Course I would. Hullo, Jase." Taking a few steps inside, he let a half-smirk rest on his usually so blank features. "I see you've been taking great strides in trying to-" He leaned forward, snatching the lighter out of Kaden's hands, for it seemed he'd found a new victim in his twin sister. "Ensure everyone's well being. So proud of you, Izza. Really, I am."

Then his eyes landed on Damien. That same, surreal sense of hatred began to build up in him and his eyes shaded a slightly different color, body shaking just a bit. The only one to notice would probably be the only one who knew what that meant. "Hello, sir." Saint stated. Ever the gentleman, no?

With a dark look, he leaned back on the balls of his feet and observed the other boy. Dark hair. Gorgeous eyes. Incredibly attractive. Saint stifled a grin, positive that he'd end up scaring the kid away if he started acting like that.

[Jase Lewis]

Izza stepped back from the door, allowing him room to come inside. "Thanks, Saint, I appreciate it," The girl responded brightly, a grin stretching across her features. Her face darkened immediately as she saw that he'd snatched the lighter from Kaden, and turned her head to glare down at the boy. "Damien, get in control of your kid," She shot at the male that had taken a seat on the couch, oblivious to the goings-on. That was usual, though.

A scowl decorated her features as Saint greet him respectfully, knowing that the respect wouldn't be returned in kind. Damien simply looked over at him, nodding slightly before turning his eyes back to the television. Her eyes flashed dangerously before she looked to her fellow werewolf, noticing his slight trembling. She touched his arm lightly, willing him to calm down with the touch. Though the gesture went by unnoticed by most others in the room, it had not gotten past Jase and he quirked a brow at her. Catching the look she sent him at his reaction, though, he intelligently didn't question it.

Jase turned baby blue eyes on Saint again, eying him somewhat curiously as the other boy returned his look. Izza's brows furrowed slightly as she crossed her arms, baffled as she tried to figure them out. To say the least, guys were creatures she didn't understand, even after being in the minds of three different ones. Kicking the door shut suddenly and causing her cousin to jump, she smoothed her features and retreated back to her seat on the floor next to the female twin. "Make yourself at home," She commented, glancing up at Saint before working to finish her masterpiece.

"Ace, dear!" Her mother called just as she sat down, poking her head out of the kitchen as she searched him out. "I found what you were looking for."

"Thanks, Nat," said boy responded, walking off in the direction to retrieve his lost item from his aunt.

[Saint Harrow]

Saint yawned and collapsed on the ground, not really looking to make sure he wasn't in anyone's way. Looking over at the coloring that Noelle was working on her grinned. "You know, that reminds me of this one time I was skiing. And this lady was skiing. And she didn't know how to ski. So she fell. And she landed on me. And we rolled down the hill. And then I got up and yelled at her." He paused for a minute. "Actually, it looks more like your big sister when she wakes up in the morning. Grrrr..." Honestly, he couldn't tell what Noelle was supposed to be coloring. Whatever.

"Hey Nat!" He greeted Izza's mother happily. He liked the woman. At least ten times more than he liked her husband. Saint honestly just didn't see the attraction. A pretty young woman with a bitch-ass hubby who hated her kids. Well, kid. He was okay to Noelle and Kaden. Grinning just a little, he dug in his pocket and held a twenty out to her. "Repayment for the money you gave me last weekend for the movie."

The window in the side of the room was open just a crack, and a light breeze blew in. That was when Saint noticed the scent hanging on Jase. A scent he recognized almost as well as human blood. He'd only smelled it once, of course, but still. Just as Izza had smelled to him just before she turned. Eyes locked on the other boy, he cocked an eyebrow in confusion. He didn't turn his face away from him, but gave Izza a questioningly look with his eyes before looking back.

[Jase Lewis]

Izza snickered when Saint spoke to Noelle about his ski trip, the young girl looking up at him curiously before smiling. Then the elder of the two glared at him, her eyes narrowing dangerously. "How do you know what I look like right when I wake up? Stalker!" She said, sarcastic but exasperated. She knew he'd been there once or twice when she'd dozed off in the woods with the rest of the pack. So naturally, he really did know what she looked like when she woke up. The thought irked her just a bit.

Her mother walked into the room, a smile upon her face as she greeted the boy seated in the floor. "Why hello, Saint. What brings you here so early?" She looked at the money he held out hesitantly. "No need to pay me back." Before he could say otherwise on the matter, Natalie turned as if to return to the kitchen, pausing briefly to look at her husband. "Dear, would you run to the store for me?" Damien looked up at her, looking as if he might smile, but didn't.

"Yeah, sure," He responded, standing from the couch with his empty glass in hand and following her into the other room.

"Finally. Thank you, Mama," The blonde grumbled before returning to her coloring just as Jase reentered the room, his lost watch in hand. He dropped onto Damien's previous place on the couch. "Good thing Mama looks out for you," She commented, giving him a teasing grin.

"Oh, shut up. You know she does for you, too. Why do you think she just sent Damien to the store?" Jase muttered, leaning down to whack her lightly across the back of the head.

"If she looked out for me, she wouldn't have married the prick in the first place," was Izza's dark response. Her gaze turned briefly to Saint when she felt someone looking at her. A slight smirk found residence on her lips when she realized just why it was she was receiving a questioning look, and she nodded ever-so-slightly. "He'll be changing soon," She said lowly, almost inaudible to the human ears, especially with the television on.

[Saint Harrow]

A dark grin spread across Saint's face, leaning forward and looking intently at Jase. "Does he know yet?" He asked in the same low tone, though his was just a little louder. Most interesting if the boy heard the conversation if the answer was no. And useless to whisper if it was yes. Of course, he suspected there was no way that she'd told him yet. The kid didn't seem ready to pull his hair out in frustration and confusion.

Watching Noelle's little hands color her paper, he continued in the language he'd spoken in last night. After that, he'd discovered speaking it and understanding it came naturally to him. Another werewolf thing, I suppose. "Will and Lucian will want to hear about this... have you seen them around recently? I went to their house day before yesterday and neither one of them were home... haven't seen 'em since, but I think Will came by yesterday to see me. I didn't let him in."

At the mention of yesterday and him locking himself up in his room, Saint visibly tensed, but only a fraction. "I'm thinking of becoming a woman." He told the little girl, offhandedly. It was- of course- a joke. Otherwise, he would have said it to her sister instead of Noelle. He just kind of wanted the little one to leave, and hoped that might give her some reason. Cept his voice sounded incredibly serious, and there wasn't a hint of joking on his face.

[Jase Lewis]

She could feel Jase's eyes drilling into her back at her and Saint's rather odd exchange, but she didn't acknowledge it. She knew he'd drill her for information later on, with no one around. Izza shook her head at the elder boy's question, turning her eyes back to her coloring page as she listened to him speak in the same language he'd spoken in yesterday.

"Mama said Lucian stopped by when I was asleep yesterday evening, but no one's contacted me since then. And no, I haven't told them yet. I just noticed his scent change the other day," She responded in the same language, letting her voice return to its normal volume as she discovered she could speak it as well as understand it. "I had already suspected it would happen though. He's of my father's family's bloodline."

Jase's eyes widened considerably as he listened to his cousin speak in some foreign tongue, and he couldn't stay his usual, quiet self anymore. His curiosity was overpowering his normal introverted tendencies. "What the hell are you saying, Iz?" He inquired, his voice still calm despite his confusion.

"You'll know soon enough." She answered without hesitation, giving him the same answer she gave when he questioned her odd habits. It was her turn for her eyes to widen when Saint made the comment to her little sister and she looked up at him incredulously. Noelle, however unfazed by the normal happenings in the house, was shocked at this and immediately gathered her book and crayons, disappearing into the kitchen and hollering for her mother.

Izza shook her head, thankful for the distraction from the prior subject on Jase's part as she looked as his shocked expression. He recovered himself quickly though.

[Saint Harrow]

Saint laughed, watching the little girl run off into the kitchen. "Well, now that the little Rugrat is gone..." He gave Izza a look that stated 'Shut me up now if you must, but I've got a big mouth' and then turned his gaze to Jase. "Tell me, boy... been having mood swings lately? Get fevers a lot? Suddenly have this insane urge to run through the woods?" He grinned darkly once more, leaning towards the younger male. "Hearing voices in your sleep you don't recognize? Angry urges about things you can't see? Sense of smell suddenly off balanced? Growth spurt, perhaps?"

His hazel eyes bore into Jase's. Willing him to see all the answers. As long as Jase knew that Saint knew... well, he'd be on his guard. Freaked out. Wanting to know what was going on. And that was what Saint was aiming for. If you were ready for it, if you thought you knew what was going to happen, it would be so much easier. At least he suspected.

Where Lucian had his older brother, and Will had had their father, Saint had had no one to be there. He'd changed, and suddenly his mind was filled with the voices of people he didn't know. Saying things he didn't understand. And when he'd run off into the woods, they'd followed him. Chased him down and circled him. He'd nearly died of fright, and attacked the alpha male.

[Jase Lewis]

Izza only ignored Saint's look, figuring he was referring to what he'd just said to Noelle. But her eyes bulged again when he spoke to Jase, and the crayon she was holding smashed within her grip. With a death glare, she whacked Saint roughly on the arm. "Shut up," She hissed, her voice threatening. Of course she knew she didn't stand a chance against him if it came down to a fight, but she didn't care at the moment. A growl vibrated her chest as she continued glaring, showing him just how serious she was about not letting Jase know just yet. She wasn't sure why she wanted to hide it from him, though.

Jase's eyes narrowed as he stared into Saint's, unsure but understanding all at the same time. A few things fell into place for him at that moment, and Izza only furthered it when she started... was it growling?... at the male seated in the floor. "You know all about it all ready." It wasn't a question. And from the way Izza was acting, he may not have received an answer if it had been.

Izabella had been the same as Saint when she'd changed, in a way. She'd had no one she trusted to come to terms with it with. But she'd formed a bond with him that he hadn't had with the other two. So in a way, she really had had someone. It hadn't helped her fear that first night though. And she hoped it wouldn't be that way for Jase since he had her.

[Saint Harrow]

Saint narrowed his eyes at Izza and snarled, showing off the pearly whites. Of course, he'd never actually fight her, he cared about her too much. But he would politely tell her that she needed to back off of him. He didn't take well to being growled to. Even if it was her doing the growling. Looking back over at Jase, he sighed and nodded.

"I can't tell you what's going on. I can't even tell you what I can tell you cause you're cousin hates me." He stuck his tongue out at Izza. "But, kid, I can tell you that everything is going to be great once this is over. Well, either that or you'll die." Honestly was the best policy, right? He shrugged. "But you probably won't die. Probably. Can't say for sure. Maybe twenty percent chance."

Jumping to his feet, he looked around, starving. Werewolf appetite and all. And he hadn't eaten in nearly a day and a half. "You got any Cheetos?" He asked, walking from the living room and into the kitchen.

[Jase Lewis]

Her growl cut off abruptly at his snarl, though she should've expected no less. He was as aggressive as she tended to be, and more temperamental than she. Her glare didn't die off immediately, however. Glaring was something Saint should have been used to from her by now.

"I don't hate you," Izza muttered, crossing her arms stubbornly as she returned the gesture and stuck her tongue out at him. "He just doesn't need to be freaked yet. I think it'd drive anyone nuts if they knew the inevitable."

Jase obviously didn't take well to what either of them said, because his own eyes narrowed and he looked from Saint to his cousin and back again. "I'd rather know what the hell's happening then being in the dark," He remarked, looking peeved.

"Just raid the cabinets," Izza called sarcastically after Saint as he disappeared into the kitchen before she looked to see Jase glaring at her. "I'm not telling you. Because what I can say will only lead to more questions that I'm not allowed to answer."

"Who says you can't answer my questions, Izabella?" He snapped.

Her fist clenched and a tremor ran down her spine as she felt her temper flare at the sound of her name. Her eyes flashed between their natural dark brown and black as she glared. "You'll know it all soon. I swear," Izza bit out through clenched teeth, attempting to reign in on her temper. It may be hard to set her off at times, but once it happened, it often took a lot to calm her down.

[Saint Harrow]

"The bi' mad scary leader thatchur gonna meet in... well, I'd say juss a few days. Less his ass findss the time to cu' see you..." Swallowing his cheetos, Saint walked back into the living room and made a dramatic face. "Before it happens." Grinning, he plopped down next to the younger male, and stretched his legs out into Izza's lap.

"All will be explained in time, and that great big heap of mumbo jumbo. If Izza told you now, she'd die." Saint figured that might put the seriousness of the situation into perspective for the kid. After all, family was supposed to be a strong bond right? Do anything to protect each other? Well, except fathers, apparently... randomly, a snarl surged through him, but he beat it down.

Ruffling the black hair on Jase's head, Saint smiled and offered him a cheeto. "Cheese covered appetizer, my man? I know your appetite must be shooting through the roof these days."

[Jase Lewis]

Jase was suspicious of them. She could see it in his eyes. He had an idea that he understood something about what they had told him, that a pieces of the puzzle had fallen into place for him. And she was right, of course, because that was just the way he was. Ever the observer, he noticed a lot of things that most people didn't.

And she knew he was angry with her for leaving him in the dark. But as she'd told him, what she could say would only lead to more questions. Izza could feel herself calming as she thought it all over for a moment and leaned her head against the arm of the couch as she watched her cousin curiously. A low chuckle escaped from her throat as Saint returned to the living room, talking through his Cheetos. She absently rested one arm atop his legs as he stretched them out in her lap, reaching up with the other to snag a few Cheetos from the bag.

"You're in some kind of gang?" The question had slipped out before he'd had a chance to stop it, and he shook his head.

"Logical theory," Izza muttered, trying to hold the fit of laughter back at the look on Jase's face. She could see why he'd think that. "But no. Not technically."

Jase froze, about to open his mouth to respond to her with another question when Saint spoke again. He looked to him then back to his cousin, who nodded solemnly. Shaking off his initial reaction, he shook his head again before looking once more to the male seated next to him. A quirked brow was his response to the question directed at him before he responded in the negative. "Nah, I ate a little bit ago."

"I think we've freaked him out," Izza commented, falling back into the tongue of the first of their kind as she glanced up to the older male. There was a mixture of amusement and worry in her eyes.

[Saint Harrow]

"He'll be alright. Besides, he can't have more than seventy-two hours left before the change, right? That's just another three days maximum of confusion and worry. After that... it's smooth sailing. Kind of. I do feel bad that he now has to follow behind Will's ass while that kid barks orders." Giving Jase another long look he shrugged and went back to eating his Cheetos.

With a rumble, he handed the bag down to the tiny blond on the floor. "So, tell me you two, does anyone feel like takin' a drive with me?" Saint had planned on going alone, leaving sometime this afternoon, and coming back Saturday or something. But... well, he wanted to be there when the kid changed, if only for Izza. So, there was the chance of Jase changing early that needed to be factored in. And after last night, two days of nothing but alone time didn't sound like such a party.

"I'm going down to Raway for the weekend. My..." He thought about how the man was related to him. "Um, ex-great-grandpa passed away a few months ago, and for some reason left his house there to me. It's about a six hour drive, but I heard the view is nice, and it's pretty secluded. Cept for the bears, wolves and such."