The creature muttered quietly to itself as it tested its injured limb, finding it was healing quickly, already the bone had almost completely knitted back together. Putting its weight fully on the leg it hobbled carefully around the rooftop shelter it had retreated to to lick its wounds. It growled, not in pain but in frustration at the inconvenience when it found its movement was still inhibited. It would not be able to move as agilely as usual, meaning it would have to take the long way round, making it vulnerable to being seen. It would be safer to wait until after dark but he needed to find a better place to recuperate fully, and soon. The temporary refuge it had sought provided little shelter from the chill evening breeze and small icy flakes fluttered and swooped through the gaps in the dilapidated lean-to, pitching in the mass of tangled dark hair and melted slowly on greasy skin.

Had he been allowed to drain the human completely he would have been on his way, looking for a suitable den to hibernate in now, but the succubus had to interfere. He growled, saliva flecking thin lips at the memory. The blonde would have been enough to feed him for weeks but besides the dark woman he had made another grave error; she belonged to the Ash. It would have only been a matter of time before someone had come looking for her. But still he could have taken a little time, a few days, to drain her slowly, to savour her energy, which would have benefitted him more than one concentrated hit.

He needed to find her again to finish his feeding cycle. He could still feel her but the connection had dimmed quickly to a dull hum in the minutes after it had lost sight of the car. The distance as well as the energy expended on healing made it difficult for the creature to judge in which exact direction the human was. He felt the tug of her essence, of the energy that made up his lifeforce and he yearned to gorge himself on it once more, yet it was difficult to pinpoint.

A familiar scent caught in the creature's nostrils. The thing sniffed the air, a gruesome grin spreading across its grotesque features as it carefully hopped up onto the edge of the roof and peered over. At the far end of the street a dark car drew up next to the curb. Two men dressed in dark clothes, one with curly hair and a leather vest, the other a strange hat perched atop his head, got out and walked towards where two uniformed officers leant against their patrol car. The two cops straightened and greeted the new comers, after a brief exchange all four entered the building. The curly-haired man paused a moment scanning the street with yellow eyes, before disappearing inside. The creature giggled manically, eyes bulging, hopping in excitement.

"Wolf." The thing hissed, scrambling out of sight.

-x-

The Siren let out a low whistle as they entered the apartment, carefully dodging round the outer door hanging perilously from one hinge. Dyson followed, replacing the police tape across the entrance. Both looked around cautiously trying to ascertain if there was any immediate threat. After thoroughly checking the upper level and finding nothing they returned to the carnage that dead once been Lauren's living space.

"I hope that wasn't expensive." Hale commented, indicating what had likely once been an elegant vase now smashed across the floor. The shifter did not answer as he narrowed wolfish eyes, surveying the scene. The closet door looked as if a bomb had gone off behind it, nothing more than splinters clung to the hinges, the remains of the door and an ornate bookcase arced out across the room from the gaping hole.

Dyson stooped low, fingers pressing to a series of blood drops on the plush carpet by the wonky coffee table. He brought his finger tips to his nose and inhaled deeply, eyes flaring a golden yellow.

"Bo." He stated by way of explanation to his partner who had stopped his own investigation to watch the shifter. The siren carefully lifted something shiny from beneath a splinter of wood, holding it up in a gloved hand for the wolf to see. They both recognised it instantly as the Ash's pendant that normally hung heavy around the doctor's neck, a constant reminder to all including her of who she belonged to. The broken chain dangling from Hale's hand disturbed them both, that any Fae would disregard the mark of the Ash to blatantly was worrying.

Dyson moved amongst the debris, sharp eyes flicking over every inch, noting the glass overturned on the coffee table still dripping periodically into the soggy shadow on the carpet. Grapes littered the table top; a few staining the Dishevelled papers and books that had no doubt once been neatly arranged. A small snarl curled the shifter's lips as he contemplated how the apartment had probably looked before, how very 'Lauren' and sterile it likely had been.

The scent of blood caught his nostrils again and his head cocked searching for the source. He found a smear on the closet door frame. Taking a swab from his pocket he took a sample, not needing to bring it closer to his nose to know it was nothing he had ever smelt before. When he turned Hale was hovering at his shoulder.

"It's Fae, old and definitely strong." He explained, securing the swab in his pocket and continuing to look around the trashed closet.

"Do you recognise it?" Hale asked after a beat when it became clear the wolf would not extend his explanation.

"No." The gruff monosyllabic reply held a tone that told the younger man his partner was not in the mood to discuss it further. His eyebrows raised and he mouthed an 'OK' as he stepped back putting some space between himself and the grumpy wolf.

Looking around the siren quietly contemplated why they were there; it was strange that a Fae of any kind would want to attack Lauren, she was a doctor, she helped their kind. The only explanation was to get at the Ash, yet that did not seem to be the motivation here. Looking around he felt a pang of sadness for the doctor, she was obviously in a bad way and if she survived the traumatic ordeal it would be to come home to a trashed apartment.

He looked back at his partner sniffing about the debris of the blonde's living quarters, noting the half snarl on his face. He understood why Dyson had no love loss for Lauren; she was a rival Bo's affections after all, and he knew firsthand how territorial wolves could be. As his partner he was meant to back him up, no matter what yet Hale had never had cause to dislike the human, he found nothing objectionable about her. Her position meant he did not fully trust her motives at time, as he fully understood she had no choice but to obey the Ash's will but she was polite and professional when they worked together and on the odd occasion he had needed her medical skills he had found her kind and warm beneath the icy mask she wore in front of most Fae. They were not friendly, they did not have enough contact for that, but he liked her in a way, and he knew, perhaps better than Dyson did or at least would admit, how hard it was for a human in the Fae world, having witnessing countless acts of prejudice from his own family.

"Are you coming?" The growl made him blink at the empty room, looking round comically only to find Dyson now stood on the other side of the tape across the door. By the time he had moved the wolf was already half way down the hall, he nodded and tipped his hat to the uniforms stationed at outside before hurrying after his partner.