"Hellloooouuuu! ... I could use a little help here ... " Kenzi called, groaning under the weight of the body.

Dyson, one of two leaders of the small resistance cell in this area hastened to meet her. "Where are Trick and Bo?" he wanted to know and took the body off of her.

His sister Tezzra, who was following him, looked attentively at the face of the limp body.

"They will catch up. I am just here to bring the package." Kenzi wiped her hands on her pants and pushed them at the side. "Do you think she'll make it?" The little dark-haired girl asked, pointing to the blonde woman in Tezzras arms.

With her large sinewy hands she took the unconscious woman's chin and turned it gently back and forth. "Looks pretty evil from what I see." she said. "She urgently needs help." Her eyes shone warningly.

Tezzra was, like her brother, tall and wiry, her eyes had the typical piercing gaze of a gray wolf, her nose was sharp and pointy and her chin distinctive. Instead of the blond curly mop she had flowing jet-black slightly wavy long hair, which she wore down most the time. Her voice was soft and warm, though deep and velvety and glided when spoken.

In one fluid motion she lifted the blond woman and carried her away.

"Who is that?" the male wolf asked with a side view to the human. "No idea. Trick told me to bring her here, he'll explain everything later."

"You know who punished her like that? " The young woman shrugged her shoulders again. "Nope. You really need to ask Trick! She was already half dead when I found her and by the way, it didn't made it necessarily easier to come here unseen." Dyson smiled at the girl. "Anyway- well done, Kenz!" the human girl smiled.

"Thank you wolf boy." Kenzi said with a grin. "What is there to eat?"

"I need some hot water," Tezzra called into the room and disappeared with the mistreated figure behind a curtain.

Carefully she put the body on a stretcher and looked at it for a moment. The face disfigured by cracks and cuts, was contaminated by dirt and blood that stuck as scabs of wounds on her skin and in her hair. Gently, she brushed that aside and out of her face.

"Who did this to you, girl?" Tezz asked frowningly. The smell that clung to this woman mainly came from the blood. Her own as far the fae could tell, but in addition, she also noticed the smell of moist soil ... stone ... Tezz looked up in surprise. No, it could not be. She swelled her nostrils again and inhaled the scent. That was fae. Tezzra furrowed her brows. None she knew but between all the dirt and excrement she smelled ... fae at the woman. Angrily she pursed lips. What should that mean? She took the hand of the stranger in hers and brought it closer to her nose ... sniffled on it.

"Bloodhound?" A voice rasped above her. Tezzra lifted her eyes and looked into brown eyes. "Wolf." she corrected the woman and put her arm back to her side. "My name is Tezzra Thornwood. You are seriously injured and have lost a lot of blood. I need to clean your wounds. And you could use a bath ... quite badly." she explained as her patient tilted her head to the other side. "Do you understand what that means?" The woman nodded almost imperceptibly. "... No ... choice ..." she said and closed her eyes tiredly. The wolf turned her head gently to her. "You are safe here. I'll take care of you." Women wanted to laugh, but it ripped the scab on her wound and black blood dripped from her lips again, what the wolf tried to stop with just a cloth. "Who did this to you, girl?" Her patient opened her eyes troublesomely. "Fae." she answered with her last strength before she lost consciousness.

"How is she?" the young woman with the black hair and dark eyes asked caringly. Her name was Bo. Bo Dennis and she was a succubus.

Bo had joined the resistance a few months ago. She was a good girl. Maybe a little stubborn and very playful because of her classification, but a great addition to this cell. Tezzra liked her. Although she still had to learn a lot, Tezzra saw immense latent potential in her.

"Asgoodascanbeexpectedunderthe circumstances." She reported tiredly, rubbing the tip of her nose. "Will she come through?" Trick asked in concern.

"Yes. Physically she will fully recover." Dyson and Trick nodded affected. "What does that mean? Physically..." the succubus asked, not sure what that statement would tell. "Bo ... you fought well today. Now go, have a rest." Trick said, rose and laid a hand on her lower arm. Reluctantly the succubus moved forward the door. She would like to learn more about this stranger. "Will she stay with us?" she addressed to Tezzra and the fae looked around in the faces of her fellowship.

"At least her chances of survival will be much higher..." Dyson commented, but immediately earned a stern look from his sister. "At the moment, Bo, she will stay with us." The succubus smiled and left finally the room .

After she was gone, the Blood Sage stepped to the wolf. "How bad?"

Dyson had also stood up and leaned against one of the tarnished windows. "She has clear signs of torture. And unfortunately even more."

"Are you sure…?"

"Yes… by fae…" Tezzra's answer did not leave room for doubts. "Damn." the Blood King muttered and wiped his hand over his bald head. "I never expected her being so seriously injured."

Tezzra frowned. What else did he expect? "What happened and who is she?" they heard the voice of the male wolf from over the window side. Trick looked up, folded his arms across his chest and took a deep breath. "Her name is Dr. Lauren Lewis. She belonged to the medical staff of the old Ash." Dyson gave his sister an odd look, but she was too exhausted to deliver this news properly. Trick continued. "Do not underestimate this human. She has quite a brilliant mind."

"How did she come to him?" the female asked. Trick hesitated for a moment and Dyson noticed that he chose his words carefully. "Let's say, he found her..."

Glancing over to his sister, the male wolf found scepticism in her eyes. "And whatever you find you can keep… isn't it?" Tezzra replied sarcastically. The idea that the human was detained, was something she did not like. Even when she probably had a good life in the care of the Ash. It was not right to pick her up and take her home, dictating her a new strange life. Dyson watched her, what she noticed and so she abandoned the rising anger in her chest. "However, it does not clarify what she is doing here!"

Again, the Blood King sucked the air deep into his lungs. "She is here because we need her help."

"For what?" the male wolf asked.

"And why do you think she would work with us." Tezzra jumped in. She reaped quizzical looks. "When I asked her, who did this to her, she simply said 'Fae'. I do not think she really likes us."

"You talked to her?" Dyson butted in. "Shortly." his sister confirmed.

"Did she say anything else?" the blood sage stepped closer. "No. Nothing. She's all alone, Trick. None of us can understand what she's been through. She must heal ...right now, she is not in the condition to do anything for us."

"But we need her!" Trick repeated determined. Dyson, who was still standing at the window with frosted glass, calmly watching the other two. "For what?" he asked again, but was overwhelmed by his sister. "And she needs help!" Tezzra jumped up, her wild mane whirled around her head, her eyebrows knitted. Dyson's lips twitched in a smile. He loved his sister, but sometimes he doubted that they were siblings. She had a stormy and short temper. Like dynamite.

Trick raised his hand. "You're right, Tezz." He agreed. "She needs someone who cares about her, who is interested in listening to her story and take care of her needs. Someone who will protect her." the blood sages words woke his attention. "What about Bo?" Dyson suggested. Trick raised an eyebrow, not pleased about the suggestion. "I do not consider her as the appropriate choice." his sister returned, sank back in her seat and crossed her legs while rubbing her temples. "Because she is a succubus?" Tezzra shrugged. "Among other things."

"I have to agree with your sister. As helpful as the young succubus is we do not know if you can really trust her." Dyson nodded silently and he tried to look through the frosted glass. Then he heard the tired voice of his sister. "We should give her the option to leave." Dyson did not understand the statement of Tezzra. "Who, Bo?"

"No.. The human, Lauren." This time Dyson left his place. "She will not survive out there." walked over to her and put his fingers on her shoulder massaging them. "That's up to her to find out." with relief she closed her eyes. "It' s the world of human. She could get along ... if allowed. Or do we imprison her just as the queen did?"

"Well you're so interested in her well being, why don't you take care of the poor human!" he whispered smilingly in her ear.

"No ..." protested the wolf and withdrew of his fingers, but Trick got up already. "I think it's a very good idea! Who else could be more appropriate than you Tezz. The both of you are already connected and by the way you're a beta. This would be the perfect choice…"

Tezzra glared angrily at her brother. In passing by, he maliciously patted her on the shoulder. "You see! Perfect!"

Back in the hospital Tezzra was not surprised to find the young succubus with the human.

"I would like to do something for her. Can I help you somehow?" She looked helpless and somehow lost. "Not much, I am afraid." Tezzra replied and looked at the woman. "She is so beautiful." Bo whispered, stroking the brow of the resting shape while she observed her curiously. Tezzra smiled. "Interested?" She asked. The young Fae seriously looked over her shoulder. "Impressed. Affected and yes, very interested ... " tenderly she laid her hand on Lauren's cheek and left orange chi flow in the body. "What are you doing?" the shapeshifter asked and alarmed stepped closer. "I let her sleep be a little bit more peaceful. Ease the pain of her body, let it forget the pain... " Tezzra crouched down beside her. "You can do that?" she asked surprised and watched as Lauren features gradually relaxed.

"Yes." Bo said in a soft voice and stroke repeatedly the cheek of the sleeping woman. Maybe Bo was better suited than her, Tezzra thought and laid her eyes on the succubus. "Sometimes there are benefits of being a succubus, huh?." the wolf said and stood up to walk over and hide in a shadowy corner. As Bo was able to make sure that Lauren was fast asleep, she joined the older fae and stared with her at the blonde woman.

"Poor thing ..." Bo finally said after a while and walked over to the entrance that still just was a curtain. "Thank you!" Tezz called after her. "Not for this." the succubus replied and disappeared. The wolf crossed her arms over her chest and continued looking at the blonde woman. Watching her sleep. Watching over her.

Tezzra waited. She could wait well. Even though it was harder than usual for her in this case, she waited for Lauren to wake up. Although she harbored little hope. Her patient was in far worse condition than she thought at the beginning she would be. Although she and Ciara had washed her and cleaned the wounds, a deep cut had got infected and Lauren's body responded with a fever. The medical possibilities in this hideout came to the rails of fractures and bandaging cuts, not to set infusions. Not to mention that they did not possess the medicine. Fae ... needed no such thing. They healed ... different, better, faster.

But Lewis was not Fae, human and in that pitiable condition. Again she looked at the woman, as she had done many times in the last hours. Actually a pretty thing behind all the cuts and the bruises with slender hands and long, elegant fingers, which now laid on the blanket, bound in thick bandages.

Sweat ran down her forehead and she was feverish in her sleep, threw her head from left to right, muttering scraps of conversation, half-sentences ... cried. Screamed. Fell back in a unhealthy rest.

The wolf sat down beside her, dabbing her forehead and watched her again. Resigned, she finally sighed and stroked Lauren's hair from her forehead.

Had they asked for her opinion, she would have admitted that she did not believe that Lauren Lewis would survive the end of the week. But the woman was tough. A characteristic that Tezz admired. Wearily, she put her head in her hands and covered her eyes. Sleep had also become a luxury for her in the recent days.

To her surprise, the succubus came by every night, stayed for a while in which she sat with the human, dabbed the sweat from her forehead, stroking it and looked concerned. Sometimes she told her of what was happening on the streets. She was just sweet.

Tezzra was usually in some dark corner and listened to Bo's words. As she had already said. Bo was a good girl. The wolf smiled at the thought of the succubus.

Her fine hearing alerted her by the movement next to her and she lifted her eyes, meeting the tired ones of the doctor. "How are you?" Tezzra greeted the woman with a warm smile. This human was indeed good for a surprise.

Lewis did not answer, but looked over at the glass of water, which stood on table aside. Tezz eyes followed her. "Of course." She got up, walked over and took it to the woman.

"Slowly. Bit by bit. We have all the time." Tezz whispered as she put the glass of cooling liquid on the woman's lips and held her head with every sip. Suspicious the human were watching her while she drank hastily. Once she was convinced that Tezzra actually won't harm her, Lewis relaxed and sank exhaustedly into her pillow. Her eyelids were heavy and her breathing flat.

"Do you remember who I am?" The dark-haired woman wanted to know. The head tilted to her. She tried to say something, but her lips were so rough she barely felt them. Also her voice failed her, so she gave her a nod.

"Well. A wound is infected. You have a fever and ... " Lauren laid an unfocused look at the wolf's face. She wasn't sure what she expected to find there but she came to the conclusion that whatever she saw … it pretty much felt like the truth. And for a moment she lost track of her logical thoughts and it crossed her mind, that she could make out the wolfish features of that woman in front of her. Her eyes. Alerted. Watchful. The hair - thick. The lines edgy and sharp, particularly strong … it doesn't matter.

Laurens head tilted to the side and her eyelids shut again. As she felt the tentative touch on her cheek, which turned her face back to the Fae. "Your body is fighting against it, but you're very weak." She smiled. "I have to confess I did not expect to be able to have this conversation with you. You're tougher than you look! I am deeply impressed."

Perhaps her face wasn't edgy at all. In fact, the woman had full lips and a round soft chin still strong. Striking. When she spoke she bared white teeth. "We add small amounts of antibiotics to inhibit the inflammation. It seems to work, but blandy. If you just would eat to restore your strength... " Lauren nodded. "Good."

It was time for another glass of water. Tezzra rose, filled the glass again and returned to the woman. While Lauren was trying to fight the glass, the Fae checked her leg compresses.

Due to the poor physical condition of the woman, she had decided to not put her in clothes. The girl had been battered almost on the entire body, so while she changed the compresses, Tezz was anxious to keep the rest of her body covered.

But it was Lauren, who laboriously pulled the covers aside and threw it on the ground. Tezz looked puzzled on it before she met the angry gaze of the doctor.

Silently she got up, walked over to the entrance, closed the curtain to protect the woman from curious glances of the others, gathered the cover from the floor and sat down to her side again, just to wait for her.

Laurens eyes wandered over her own body. Her pale skin shimmered in the dim light. She saw red welts on the arms, legs, hips and chest. Some were already turning yellow, others disappeared under bandages.

The fact she was naked Lauren tried to ignore, although she noted it. She had survived worse. As a scientific she learned about severely injuries, but never it had been her own body.

It certainly was one thing to go through all of this just being focused on surviving, but to see all these cuts and bruises, hurt her… She turned her head away, as she couldn't bear the sight any longer. Tezz spread the blanket over her, covering her nakedness. "You'll be fine." She said in a soft certainty but it was her psychical condition that worried her more. She didn't need to see Laurens tears, she could smell them. Could feel the pain she recognize every time she looked into her eyes. "I promise." she swore whisperingly. The blonde turned her head, her angry look pierced into the fae's, holding it. As she couldn't intimidate the wolf, she let her go. "Time ..." Tezz heard the woman, asking her with a cracking voice. "Time? Do you mean how long have you been here?" Lauren nodded. "About five days."