Private Howling at the moon

[Nat Björk]

TAG: Abel J'Andar

DENON
EARLY EVENING
BUSINESSTRIP

There was always good business dealings on Denon.

Nat had arrived earlier that day and had spent most of it in meetings with corporate big wigs to try and establish offset for the minerals she mined on Christhophsis. It had been quite a successful day and deserved a well earned drink.

She strolled through the streets and browsed through the ever open shops. A particular tailor specialising in exclusive bags grabbed her fancy and she ducked inside to get a better look. Her grey eyes were drawn to a beautiful white Anooba-skin purse and, even though she had a whole closet dedicated only to bags, she just had to have this one.
"That one is quite pricey, Madam. You sure you want it?" the salesman asked.
Nat's eyes narrowed at him. "Do I look like I have credit problems, Poodoo-face?" she asked him. "Ring it up!"
"Y-yes, ma'am." he relented bashfully.

After she finally got her purse, she made her way outside to go get a bit to eat. She had only taken a few steps down the sidewalk, when a hooded man thought it wise to grab her business case and run. The she-wolf almost let out a growl. Why did they always think they can get away? She stuck out her hand and grabbed hold of the runner with the Force, pulling him back towards her.
"Now, I kindly ask you to give it back. I just had my nails done a day ago and I really don't want to mess them up on someone like you." she told calmly, looking at her free hand's nails as she did so. He was still a kid - 20 at the most. She really did not want to tear him apart just yet.
He looked at her with wide eyes as he hung in front of her.
"My boss needs this, ma'am." he stammered.
Nat cocked her head to the side. "Tell your boss that if he ever tries to steal corporate documents from Natalia Björk again, I'll have him for dinner." she said, holding out her free hand for the case. The poos boy did not look far from crying as he handed it over.

After taking it, she dropped him to the floor. "Go on, get." she told him. As he scampered off, she checked the case to make sure that all data pads and schematics were still inside. Satisfied she had just started walking again, when a scent hit her nose. She had been around other lupines before, but this scent was different. More exotic. More spicy. Primal, even. The hairs in her neck stood on end in a mimic of raised hackles. He was close. Too close. Nat scanned her immediate area, her wolf stirring beneath the surface and letting out a low growl.

 

[Abel J'Andar]

Tag: | Nat Björk |

----------------------

Denon had never been one of his favorite places to go. It was crowded, it occasionally had this smell that lingered to both skin and clothes, and it was full of people who seemed to think that they needed your possessions more than you did. Unfortunately, it also had a lot of Don't Ask, Don't Tell places too, which was typically was Abel found himself needing anymore. Places that wouldn't look at his rundown frame and immediately think he was coming down off of some high, and or looking for his next fix for that matter. Neither of those scenarios had ever belonged to him.

No, his outward appearance reflected the inner turmoil he was suffering continuously.

There was a continuous battle for control; it was constant, infuriating, and dangerous. The last time he had lost control of himself, he had not been able to get it back from the beast that was ever prowling right beneath the surface of his skin. It was almost as if he could feel the claws tearing against the underside of his flesh, always almost breaching, but never managing to do so fully. It had come down to routine now at least though, Abel would not rest until he knew the beast was asleep first. The last thing he needed was to run another rampage in an unsuspecting place until someone managed to render him unconscious so the more human nature could gain control again.

It was a frustrating cycle, and an exhaustive one, but it was life now. Why that life had brought him to Denon? Hell, even Abel didn't know. It was almost as if he had been lead by instinct, the tip end of his nose even. No, really...maybe that was it. He caught something on the breeze, it was fleeting, a scent he was unfamiliar and yet it had his attention in an instant and even quieted the beast usually raging within him. His brow pulled down and he found his feet carrying him in the direction he had passed through not an hour ago - backtracking, something he didn't typically like to do, but was doing now. At least until he reached a corner store and lost the scent for a moment.

It must have disappeared into some shop, gotten off of the street and mingled with something just strong enough to take the scent off of the breeze. And Abel found himself waiting; was it curiosity? Hell, he didn't know, and why did it matter? Some scent of a person he didn't know, what was he going to do? Approach them and ramble on about how his nose lead him--

He caught it again, and it had him moving once more. He came around a corner just in time to see some kid scamper off, leaving just a woman behind. No, not just a woman, he could tell immediately. If the scent wasn't telltale enough, the way she carried herself, her appearance, her awareness was enough to spell it out in bold letters. She wasn't like him, but she wasn't so dissimilar either. A low growl vibrated up his throat from somewhere deep in his chest, but it wasn't a threatening sound; it was content. The beast that had been plaguing him for far too long had simmered for the time being and was content.

Well, this was certainly a charming new development, now wasn't it?

 

[Nat Björk]

TAG: Abel J'Andar

The exotic smell was almost overwhelming now. Strange as it was to her, it was incredibly pleasant. But she had to know who it belonged to. For all she knew, it was the kid's boss lurking around.

The scent finally revealed its owner, who had rounded a corner. He was attractive, in a rugged sort of way. But what grabbed her attention more was his other presence. It was wrong, somehow. Even more primal than her own wolf.

She stood looking at him for a while. He was no first class businessman, that much was clear. So who was this man that managed to affect her wolf? It had been quiet for most of her life, being the good wolf and acting her wishes. Nat could shift whenever she willed it. Now, the she-wolf was in her head, wanting her to react to this man.

She won't relent control just yet. She need to know who he was and what he wanted. The corporate giants in this town would stop at nothing to gain some profit. That included her stealing her business plans.
"Who are you and what do you want?" she asked him, her grey eyes still studying him. The longer she looked, the more her wolf clawed at the door in her head, almost whining. What in Hoth was going on? Her wolf was usually more behaved. Sophisticated.

 

[Abel J'Andar]

Tag: | Nat Björk |

----------------------

Well, she certainly didn't waste any time, now did she? Normally, such a forward accusation that he wanted anything from her, especially coupled with demanding on knowing who he was, would have pissed him off royally. But having such authoritative inquiries come from this woman, one he didn't even know but had somehow been lead here to? It didn't bother him a bit.

Abel breathed in deeply and slowly through his nose, and exhaled just the same. Part of it was to keep himself grounded, rooted to the spot so that he didn't do anything foolish in the next few minutes. The other part was of course to breathe her in; the beast was behaving, and so Abel found it much easier to comply to the simple things it wanted him to do. Strange...he had never had cooperation between himself and the monster before this very moment. Perhaps that was why he tolerated the sharpness of the woman stood across from him - though he doubted that was it.

"What do I want..." his tone was thick, and it couldn't be helped, though the words that he stated were not in question but he seemed to be mulling them over aloud. "That I honestly haven't the slightest clue." Honesty wasn't new for him; why lie about things when people - especially women - always seemed to eventually find out the truth of things anyhow? "I was walking down the street, and this is where I ended up." Not the whole truth, but something told him that he didn't need to explain why he ended up here. She was somewhat like him, after all. She probably smelled him coming too.

"I'm Abel." he then added to answer the rest of her inquiry before posing his own. "Who are you, and why did you wait for me?"

 

[Nat Björk]

TAG: Abel J'Andar

Well, he certainly was an odd one.

He stood watching her for a while, making her hackle even more, before finally responding to her inquiry in a very strange way. She frowned at him.
"How do you not know what you want? You must have some kind of purpose? And if that purpose is corporate theft, you can move on by." she said coolly. She did not appreciate some stranger affecting her wolf like this.

He finally introduced himself. She had not heard his name before in the corporate world. which was either really good or really bad. But when he countered her question with his own, Nat all but snarled. Who did this hobo think he was to presume she was waiting for him? She let out a huff and hitched her handbag higher up on her shoulder.
"That is none of your business." she snapped. How did he know?

She would rather cut her heart out with a spoon than explain her actions to some odd stranger. Especially one whose presence was so different from her own. What he especially did not have to know was the fact that he had caught her and her wolf completely offguard.

She had to get away before she did something she'll regret. She did not know what that something was yet, but she knew she'll regret it nonetheless. Any thought of food or shopping was out of her mind. All she knew was she had to put distance between her and this man. The she-wolf was hammering at the door now, and that was not good. Nat threw Abel a glare.
"Good day to you." she said curtly before marching forward.

It took every ounce of willpower from her not to react as she passed him. To not hand over control. She could not prevent herself from giving him a sideways glance, however. He was so different from any other man she had to deal with - be it business or pleasure. Most were upperclass men with tailored suits and luxury yachts. She was intrigued by Abel. She would die before admitting it out loud, however.

 

[Abel J'Andar]

Tag: | Nat Björk |

-----------------------

That was the difference between the two of them. While this stranger had the ability to simply wave her inner beast off and move about her day, it was a constant, unrelenting battle for Abel for control. He warred with his beast every day, all day long, right up until this woman had come along - or rather, he had found her. It had quieted his beast, quelled it into complacency, and so to both hear and see that she was not only dismissing him so easily, but about to leave too? That didn't sit well with either Abel or the beast.

So when she passed him, Abel saw that side glance, and his hand shot out so that his fingers could curl around her arm and grip. It wasn't a menacing grip, but it was firm and would be a struggle to pull away from, as well as further proof that neither of them were just ordinary people. "I don't want your corporate secrets." he informed her, his tone a low growl now as he spoke, but he knew she would hear him. He also knew that his reaction could go one of two ways, and while neither really looked upon him favorably, he didn't care. It meant getting just a bit more time to figure this out.

"Don't play dumb or act childish," he did add, reeling back to why she had stood to wait for his approach. "It doesn't suit you." A handful of minutes around this woman and already he could tell that confidence was the name of the game. Granted, most people could see that in the way she walked and talked easily enough. But to Abel? He could see more than that. This woman was a Luna, a leader - a female Alpha. Dominant, controlling, the works. And while usually that would make Abel scoff, with this one? He did no such thing.

He was however waiting for some sort of physical retaliation, but his beast was honestly sort of anticipating that...

 

[Nat Björk]

TAG: Abel J'Andar

He dared to grab her.

She froze and turned her gaze on him, grey eyes flashing dangerously. He even dared to semi-growl at her as he spoke. Yet, as peeved as she was at his rough behaviour, her wolf was less angry. This just made Nat even more mad.

When he told her to not act childish, that was the last straw. She launched a Force push at him with her free hand, sending him on his backside. She then went to stand over him.
"Who do you think you are to presume that you can tell me what to do?" she snapped at him, her hands on her hips. Her wolf was suddenly quiet - probably shocked at what she had just done. Either that, or she was waiting in anticipation as Nat was literally standing over him.

"Now, what do you want from me? Seeing as I'm not allowed to walk away from your....stench." She hesitated before she finally had to force out the word. It was untrue, however, as his scent was actually quite pleasing. But he didn't have to know that.

The she-wolf had quietly started scratching at the door again, wanting Nat to do something to just stay close to this guy. Nat was almost inclined to agree. She was at war with herself about this. She wanted to both stay and to run. The running was more to help with denying the connection.

Damn this!

 

[Abel J'Andar]

Tag: | Nat Björk |

​

The literal Force hit him like a ton of bricks, and not only did Abel's grip slip loose from this woman's arm, but it landed him on his backside to boot. Odd, the man was solid, built solid, and it generally took a lot to knock him off of his feet. Instantly his gaze was upwards, though it wasn't out of the rage he knew he should feel in reaction to what had just happened. No, there was a rumble of intrigue, something possibly even akin to delight that came from the beast still not battling for control. And once this woman stood over the top of him? Abel had to clench his jaw and nearly hold his breath to keep from whining in reaction.

Great.

"I'm going to guess you missed the compliment that followed my instructions due to that thick layer of pride you wear like a shield." His arms shot out and grabbed the backs of her thighs, just above the knee, and he barreled forward just enough to return the favor and knock her to the ground as well. And while he had a moment of her being stunned - and he was guessing it would be just a moment - Abel clammored over the top of her at this new ground level to hold her in place. She-wolf, and a crabby one or not, he was most certainly bigger than she was and his beast was heavier he was willing to bet on it. Didn't mean he was stupid enough to just sit there and stare at her.

"Listen here, I wasn't trying to dish out orders or push you around," he gave pause and assessed their situation, considering he had literally pushed her to the ground. It could be considered a very intimate position were circumstances different. "Figuratively speaking," he made sure to add with a shake of his head. "But clearly you were waiting for me, and I was lead here by you. Normally, I can't even hear myself think, but the moment I came around that corner? There is finally focus, and I would really like to understand why, and what you have to do with it."

It was simple enough, at least in his mind. Perhaps not exactly ideal, especially for her. But it was still simple, regardless.

 

[Nat Björk]

TAG: Abel J'Andar

One moment she still had the upper hand and the next Nat was lying on her arse and Abel was pushing her to the ground. This time, a snarl did escape her lips, but she was pinned fast. Her wolf was peeved, but at the same time content. How in the hell did that work?

He did become more insistent all of a sudden. More dominant. He did, however explain his predicament in a way. Looking up into his blue eyes did diffuse her anger somewhat.
"How am I supposed to know?" she asked him with a frown, almost nose to nose with him. "And yes I was waiting, because I smelled you. You smelled different and I wanted to find out why." she continued, lying down flat now. She had to. His scent was overwhelming....clouding her thoughts.

She was not going to get rid of him, was she?

Nat sighed through her nose, very aware of him still on top of her. In all honesty, she was also curious as to why he affected her and her wolf so much.
"Fine. We can figure it out together. I want answers too." she said, propping a leg up slightly without kneeing the crap out of him. Her back was hurting from having her arms held in awkward positions the whole time. But still she neither she nor her wolf complained much. It was odd.

She knew one thing. She could not lie here for the eternity of days. The dirty pavement was ruining her tailored suit, if anything else.
"Get off." she told him, but not demanding it. "The floor is getting hard." The excuse sounded whiny even to her ears. What the heck?

 

[Abel J'Andar]

Tag: | Nat Björk |

​

Alright, he had not expected submission. A rough and tumble match between them, a fight for dominance, but for the woman beneath him to just submit to his position above her? It caught Abel off guard but caused the beast within him to rumble in approval. She just needed a firm hand, someone who wasn't afraid to stand toe to toe with her. How many men in her life cowered in her wake, he wondered? How many had she personally cowed into compliance, or threatened in Force only knew what ways to make sure she stayed in control? All of these things were now things he was curious about. Where did she stand in this world of business; how did she conduct herself so that she remained in such a position?

But she spoke and it drew his focus. Abel's gaze dipped down her frame, what he could see of her at least beneath his own hulking frame, and then it drug right back up to her face. His brow was pulled down, there was still a frown on his lips, but she was right. Yes, he had heard what she had said about them working together, or at least finding out what all of this meant between them together. But her upset about being on the ground, that whine? He immediately wanted to fix it.

So he was careful as he got up, not wanting to be hit where it counts and certainly not wanting to have her get the best of him. But once he was back onto his feet, he reached a hand down in offer to help her up. "Alright," he finally spoke, hand still offered to her to take if she wished. "We'll figure this out together." They were both confused, both drawn here to the other. He could no sooner just up and walk away than she could apparently, and while that bothered him? He really was curious as to why.

Even if he did have an unsettling inkling about it already...

 

[Nat Björk]

TAG: Abel J'Andar

She was almost disappointed when he got up.

He didn't walk away, though, which was a strange relief. What in Hoth was happening to her? What was it about this man that had her submitting? She looked at his offered hand with a frown while he spoke. Her wolf, on the other hand urged her to take his hand, so Nat allowed herself to be pulled to her feet.

His hand was strong and warm and completely encased hers. It felt oddly familiar even though she had never met this man before in her life. She allowed her hand to be held a second longer than necessary before pulling out of his grip. She then dusted herself off before looking back at him with a frown. She hated being confused. She did, however remember that she never gave him her name. Seeing as they were stuck with one another for a while, she might as well tell him.
"I'm Natalia Björk, by the way. But friends call me Nat." she said curtly, picking up her bag and case. where they were dropped when he had pinned her to the ground.

She looked back at him and sighed. What had she gotten herself into now? This was probably going to throw her life into chaos, but she was curious nonetheless. Her wolf had quieted down some in her head for now, which was a relief. It might have ended badly had she turned. She still had no idea what exactly was wrong with him. He wasn't a normal Lupine, that much was certain.

"Well, we won't be able to settle these questions in the middle of an alley." she finally said. "Let's get some dinner at my hotel and you can tell me what the hell is going on." she continued. On the one side, she hoped to clear this up tonight still. But on the other, she wanted to get to know this stranger better. He was so unlike any other man she had dealt with in the past. No one had grabbed her or her wolf's attention like this before.

It was disconcerting. In a good way, if that was even possible.

Was she going crazy?

 

[Abel J'Andar]

Tag: | Nat Björk |

​

Strange...

The moment his hand closed around hers so that he could pull her to her feet, Abel felt the most bizzare sensation. It shot straight through him; up his arm, through his body, and made him all the more hyper aware of this woman than he had already been. His grip on her hand flexed, though it wasn't a test of his strength against hers by any means, it was just a reflex. So the fact that the grip between them had lingered longer than necessary hadn't bothered Abel on bit. In fact, when she withdrew her hand, he almost grumbled in protest to the loss of contact.

"Nat," he repeat the nickname, going straight to the shortening like an old friend rather than not. How easily the single syllables slipped off his tongue, and while that confused him so very thoroughly, he quite liked it. Hell, thus far he liked everything about this woman, even her temperament...or perhaps especially her temperament. So strange.

The invitation to dinner caught him off guard; the last thing he had expected was to be invited to her hotel room. Almost all too quickly inappropriate images of all shapes and sizes flood his mind, and Abel had to duck his head and clear his throat in an attempt to shake them. Unfortunately he realized that it wasn't just him thinking these things, but his beast as well.

"I could eat," he stated, though had to reign himself back to make any following crude remarks over such an otherwise simple statement. His gaze did eventually lift again however, and he made a vague gesture for her to show him the way. "Well, considering that I have no idea where we're going...Lead on then, Nat." And in that moment? Abel realized he would follow this woman anywhere...against his will or otherwise.

 

[Nat Björk]

TAG: Abel J'Andar

Her grey eyes narrowed at him.

She was conflicted about his immediate use of her nickname. This man had done nothing but ruffle her feathers from the start and now he takes to her name like a duck to water? It made her hackle. And yet, it sounded nice coming from him. Which made her hackle even more.

He had continued speaking as her mood had grown ever more ornery.
"A wolf without a sense of direction? Jeez." she said, shaking her auburn head. "Come on." she added before turning on her heel to start marching down the street.

She was chewing her lip all the way on the short walk back to the hotel. Her wolf was whining in her head about Nat's confusion at the whole situation. Why did she feel such a pull to this man? It annoyed her.

At the hotel, she told the droid to send up dinner to her suite and stomped to the turbolift that would take them to the penthouse.

Inside the lift, Nat was almost tempted to crush the speakers with the Force because of the silly tune they were playing. Still chewing her lip, she glanced at Abel with a frown. The guy was big - taking up a lot of space in the lift. His scent overwhelmed her once more, clouding her mind. Not that her wolf complained, which peeved Nat off even more. She need to get out. Why did she have to book the best damn suite in the highest part of the damn hotel?

 

[Abel J'Andar]

Tag: | Nat Björk |

​

Her response to his gentlemanly gesture made Abel roll his eyes so hard it was damn near audible. "Note to self, never allow the option for control to the lady. Got it." Despite this obnoxiously sarcastic statement, when Nat turned to start leading, Abel followed. His hands tucked into his pockets as he trudged along behind her, taking note of the path, the way things looked and the scents that were their own yet mixed with the scent of the woman leading him along. And when they reached the hotel, he could have easily found his way to her room without her help. Her scent wasn't all over the place, it was specific places, specific paths that would have been easy enough to follow if the need arose.

But it didn't. Instead he followed her into the lift and fit himself against the wall so that she would be near the doors. The last thing he wanted was for her to feel anymore trapped than she already appeared - even though this was her idea.

It seemed however, that they were suffering the same problem, unbeknownst to one another for the time being. Her scent in this confined box was right up there with intoxication. It made his beast growl and rumble in approval, and all too quickly Abel understood why he had quite literally been led here by the end of his nose.

He found himself leaning before he really registered what he was doing, so that he could get close enough to really breathe her in. One of his hands reached out, slow and careful to try and rest against her side to not only touch, but to draw her closer to him. There may have not been a whole lot of room in the lift, but to Abel's inner beast, that little bit of room was too much room, and he wanted that distanced closed now. Granted, some part of Abel's more conscious mind knew that this could end really, really badly. But apparently that was a risk that his beast was willing to take whether the human side liked it or not.

 

[Nat Björk]

TAG: Abel J'Andar

Her mind was definitely clouded.

Her body leaned in looong before she realised anything. Her wolf even allowed Abel to draw her closer.

Everything in her responded to him. Which was odd. She did not know this man. But something about him spoke to her, to her wolf. So she was close to him without even registering it.

His scent was overwhelming. Intoxicating. And she was in his arms, her mind still drugged and pupils dilated.

Before things heated up, however, her mind finally caught up. Her eyes returned to normal and she pushed back against his chest to put distance between them.
"What are you doing?" she asked, breathing heavily. She had to get out of this lift before they ended up ripping it apart.

 

[Abel J'Andar]

Tag: | Nat Björk |

​

He had her. As soon as she gave in and allowed for him to reel her closer to him, Abel knew right then and there that he had her. And more than that, his beast knew it too. The inner demon was content, scarily so. Never before had Abel dealt with his inner beast so content. The pair of them were in sync, strange how a woman made that happen. But here they were.

One of Abel's hands lifted so that he could oh so easily tuck some loose hair behind Nat's ear. He watched her, studied the way her expression had changed, the way complacency washed over her. She too was content. The fact made him rumble in approval...or had it been the beast that had rumbled? Honestly, Abel wasn't entirely sure, he wasn't used to getting along with the damned thing. But here and now, they were both in agreement over one thing: this woman held within Abel's grasp.

But complacency vanished and was quickly replaced with confusion on Nat's face. Abel watched it and sighed through his nose when she pushed against him to free herself. He loosed his hand, but a smirk took hold of his lips as there was really no place for her to go. "What am I doing? Nothing that you weren't doing right along with me." he countered, his smirk broadening all the more with this revelation. He may have initiated the contact, drew her to him, but she accepted the move and came in closer to him.

So he wasn't wrong. Not in the least little bit.

 

[Nat Björk]

TAG: Abel J'Andar

She almost growled at his comment.

The gall of this man! To call her out like this. She should choke him. But why didn't she? She was confused. What was it about him that changed everything about her? Normally if a man made a move like this, he'd pay for it in some way. Usually it's her blasting him through a door with the Force. But Abel was different for some reason.

Thank Hoth for the bell.

Before one of them could do something stupid again, the lift slowed to a stop. She almost fell out of it just to put some space between her and his overwhelming scent.

Unfortunately, the hallway to the penthouse suite was not long enough. Her fumbling with the keycard wasted too much time to get the door open before he had caught up.

Before walking in, however, she turned and blocked the way.
"You can sleep on the recliner. Got it?" she snapped, more annoyed with herself losing control like that than anything else.

She had come to the conclusion that she was attracted to this rugged man and it had unbalanced her that it had happened so quickly. She wanted the boundaries set more to keep herself in check than to keep him at a distance. How effective it would be was anyone's guess.