Rowan screamed at the feeling of his limbs breaking and returning to their human position. He clawed at his own skin to quench the fire that he felt racing across his skin. Every month he had to go through the same change, and every month he felt like it took a little more out of him. A little more of his life diminished by the changes and a little more of his humanity with it. He could never get over what he did to his best friend, how he accidentally turned her and made her just like himself, but every time he felt worse, he knew it was the universe punishing him. Rowan laid in the middle of the cave that he turned into his den during the moon and panted heavily. There was no way to get enough oxygen into his brain after all of that screaming. He laid back on the floor, glancing up at that carving that he found when he first discovered the cave in the mountain, SB was here along with a crude canine paw print carved into the stone. Whoever SB was, he had a wonderful hiding spot.

Slowly he felt the strength come back to his body, the werewolf knew that he had to get moving if he wanted to get to the bar in time for his shift. He stood up, brushed off some of the dirt from his legs and pulled on the pile of clothes that he set out the night before with the empty bottle of wolfsbane potion that he reluctantly drank the night before. As horrible as it tasted, he couldn’t have turning another person on his conscious. Rowan tugged on his pants, buttoning them to keep anyone from getting a look at what he wasn’t wearing under, tossed his shirt over his shoulder and walked down the familiar paths back to the Village.

Even though the ay was still cold from the slight frost the night before, Rowan still felt like he had a layer of fur on his body. He was uncomfortable and just wanted to sleep. His apartment over the bar didn’t pay for itself though, and he couldn’t just fall into bed, not when there was work to be done. He smiled when he saw the bar and it’s owner waiting for him. He had been upfront about what he was during the interview and he was rewarded for it. Complete understanding, a place to live, and no work on the night before a full moon. The night before was always a chance, he was either sick over his toilet, or banging Bella over every surface that he could. It was obvious which one the nearly twenty year old wolf preferred.

She checked on him, made sure that he didn’t hurt himself during the change and the patted his back, encouraging him to get to work. Rowan laughed and playfully rolled his eyes at his boss and started bringing the cases of butterbeer and fire whiskey from the basement of the place. He easily could have used magic for it, but since he stopped playing quidditch and quodpot daily, he needed the physical activity to keep his aggression low. A pent up werewolf was a dangerous thing, and the last thing he needed was to harm someone at his work.

Right as he was bringing up the final case, Rowan smiled when he saw a familiar brunette sitting at the bar. He had met Fae while in Diagon Alley and they managed to have a lot in common, even if he was a military brat from Alabama.
“Well if it isn’t my favorite girl.” Even with living in England for the past few months, his Southern charmer accent was still as thick as ever. He though it made him sound slow compared to all of the refined British accents he encountered, but Bella swore to him that it was sexy, so he tried not to complain too much.

“How are you, Miss Fae?” Some manners were harder to break than others, Rowan just couldn’t help himself with the charm, even if he was standing in a bar talking to her without his shirt on.

Rowan needed the physical activity. It helped to keep his body just exhausted enough to keep his inner beast at bay. It sounded silly, but it worked for him. When she was in school, he played all of the sports that he could sign up for. An older wolf once told him that the physical activity wore out the beast and allowed him to feel more like himself. Rowan had been a wolf for so long, he could barely remember what it was like not to be one. He forgot what it was like to just have his own emotions and his own thoughts, instead of having to balance an overwhelming urge to fight, to mate, to kill anyone who he pleased. Now that he was out of school, he had to take the physical activity where he could. Carrying large boxes, going on jogs, tearing off Isabella’s clothes and having her for hours. It was just what he had to do to keep himself sane. Though he doubted that Isabella would ever complain about any of it.
“No one better than a bartender to talk to about rough days.” He set the case down for his bar back and leaned on the counter, his shirt still over his shoulder. He could smell the arousal in some girls around the bar, all of them leaning a little bit closer to the bar to try to get a better look at him. None of them could hold a candle to his Bella. She was his one true mate and he was glad that she was starting to accept it.
“Can I get you something to drink and we can discuss these better days?”

He tugged his shirt on, hearing some disappointed awhs from the adoring crowd as they returned to their gossip and their drinks.
“He’s getting along alright. Just spent the weekend with my girl. Her ex dropped in and killed the moment, but he’s alive and I’m not in prison for it.” He could never understand how Daemon and Bella stayed as close as they did after dating for as long as they did. When Daemon sat on his bed, looked at the barely covered Bella and told Rowan that he would throw a pound at anything he hadn’t seen before, he wanted to rip his eyes out and shove them down his throat. But apparently defending the honor of his girlfriend in such a way was frowned upon in English society. He was already having a hard time not looking like the stupid Southern boy, the last thing he really needed was to explain his actions as defending Bella’s honor to some wigged judges.
“Other than that, I can’t really complain.”

Rowan smiled at her drink request and knew that it was still early in the day. She would probably end up drinking with him later, depending on how the afternoon turned. He always had a wonderful time talking with Fae and he made his relocating and being away from his family and Isabella a lot easier. She was the first friend that he made there who wasn’t one of Isabella’s friends.
“I can handle that, little miss.” Even if she was a bit older than he was, it was all part of the Southern charm. He couldn’t help himself with it sometimes. Rowan grabbed the proper glass and mixed the two liquids together and placed a straw in it.

He smiled a little bit when he saw the gawking girls get up and take seats in the booth. He knew that if Isabella saw him without his shirt on, she would probably grab his hair and walk him outside to yell at him for it. She had just the sexiest jealous face and he just couldn’t resist her when she was like that.
“It was touch and go there for a few minutes.” He admitted when he started to wipe down the counter. With the girls moving to a booth, Fae was the only one at the bar. It was still early in the day and he was sure that he would have to go up to his apartment soon. His body was already starting to feel the effects of the full moon. He would be sick for another few days while the effects fully left his body.
“Sometimes I think that she would appreciate it. He drives her as crazy as he drives me.” Rowan tossed the towel over his shoulder and tried to work some feeling into his other shoulder with his hand.

“So what brings you over here, instead of your bar?” While he loved seeing her, she was a bit far from where she usually was. Something in his instincts told him that something was wrong. Maybe it was the way she was looking around the bar, or just the way that she smelled like fear but it was putting the werewolf on edge.
“Is everything okay, Fae?”

Rowan felt his whole body begin to sore, and the owner seemed to realize it too. She came up behind Rowan, placed her arm around his shoulders and grinned at him,
"Why don't you take the rest of the day off. Come back when you're feeling up to it." Rowan smiled at her and squeezed her hand. He knew that he never would have been able to handle living so far away from his family if it wasn't for his boss. She gave him the home above the bar, she gave him the friendship that bordered on maternal in all of the best ways. While he would never regret moving to England to be with Bella, he would always miss his home in Alabama with his family. Of all of the homes that he had with his military family, he loved the house that they settled into after his father's retirement.

He stepped out from behind the bar and leaned against the bar on the patron's side of things.
"Guy trouble? Need me to kick some ass for you?" He was a strong werewolf with all of the abilities to protect his friends and family.
"Come on, we can go upstairs."

When she mentioned the attempt at theft and killing, he couldn't even think straight. Instead he scooped her up, tossed her over his shoulder and grabbed the various bags that she came with. He worked out, took care of himself and had that animal side that helped. If Fae was going to spring something like being stalked, he would have to know the full story and kick all of the ass that he would be able to.

Some people in the bar saw him scoop her up, some of them catcalling that Rowan was going to take her upto his bedroom and rock her world. He rolled his eyes and carried her up the stairs to the small apartment he was able to live in while he was working at the bar. He kicked open the door slightly and walked in. He was relatively neat, a side effect of having a Marine as a father. While his mother worked as a stay at home mom, she refused to let Rowan and Daphne become spoiled by her being home. They still had chores, and she maintained the house and meals.

Rowan set her down on his couch and looked at the brunette,
"What's going on, Fae?"

Rowan knew that it looked bad. Most of the regulars at the bar knew about Isabella. They knew that he was desperately in love with her, but he hoped that she would trust him enough to know that Fae was just a friend and he was worried about her. If someone was trying to hurt Fae, they would have to get through him first. There was nothing that Rowan wouldn't do for the people who he cared about. Fae had been one of his first friends when he moved to England. She was always fun to hang out with and she always gave him good ideas for things that he could do with Isabella. Ways that he could surprise her and make her smile more. He loved when Bella smiled, the way that her whole face lit up when he gave her the promise ring, when he made her breakfast in bed the days she slept over his apartment. He loved all of it.

With every word, Rowan felt his temper rise. He wanted to kill this vampire. He wanted to go all sorts of Buffy the Vampire Slayer on his ass and drive a stake into his heart. Though as a werewolf, he had to disagree with the depictions of most of the magical creatures on that show. He actually looked like a beast when he turned, not like some giant hairy gorilla man. He snapped away from his thoughts and just stared at Fae. How on Earth could this be happening and he didn't know about it. Rowan crossed the room and sat down next to her, his arm wrapped around her shoulder when he realized that she started crying. He hated hearing women cry. It made him think of his mother, or his baby sister. He hadn't seen either of them since his move and he worried about them. If something like this was happening to Daphne or his mom, he probably would have to kill someone. Fae was like his family. If he found out who this vampire was, he would probably kill him.

"You're going to stay here." He told her, refusing to hear any protests on the matter. He would make sure that she was safe from harm and everything. Fae meant too much to him to let her go through this alone.
"You can stay in my bed, I'll empty some draws for you and I'll sleep on the couch. I'm not going to let anything happen to you, Fae." He gave her shoulders and squeeze and pulled her closer to himself, making sure that she was okay. If that vampire wanted her, he would have to go through Rowan first.

Rowan held her tighter, making sure that she knew that whenever they were together that she would be safe with him. He would protect her as much as he could. She was one of his best friends. As soon as he moved to England, they met. She showed him around to all of her favorite places, taught him how to be a better bartender, even helped him furnish his apartment. They had such a good friendship, but he knew that if he had to that he would make sure she was safe. If that meant shipping her to his parents in Alabama, he would. She would be able to get a job t a muggle bar there, his parents and sister would watch out for her, it would all be perfect. Once she stopped shaking he would tell her about the perfect new plan that he had for them.

"Nonsense. Hell, I'm about to send you to my parents. Have you stay in my old room and just hide out in Alabama." He leaned his head against hers and rubbed her arm, hoping to relax her as much as possible. Fae mentioned her plan to go to New Zealand and knew that it would be good for her to get into a different hemisphere.
"You'll stay with me for a week, and if you need to stay any longer please do." He kissed her temple softly and smiled at her,
"You're always welcome here, Fae. You know that."

He knew that if they really needed to, she could probably even take some of his shifts down at the Three Broomsticks if she needed the money to get away with. Rowan had a bit in his savings to survive a week or two away from work, and with the summer coming up it might even be a perfect time to get away. He would take Isabella somewhere, they would have a wonderful time together and his boss wouldn't be stuck without a bartender.

"Do you have enough money to escape with?" He asked, giving her a serious look in case she tried to lie to play off a few coins in her account for enough to restart her life.

Ever since he was turned werewolf, he had felt more protective over the people who he cared about. Tori, Daphne, Fae, most of all Isabella. He wanted to make sure that they were safe and protected. To keep anything from happening to them if he could help it. When he had to move away and leave his sister, his heart was broken. He had to decide though because he knew his sister would be okay, but he couldn't promise that Isabella would be. Daphne might be his sister, but Isabella was the one who he wanted to spend his life with. Who he wanted to have children with and wanted to marry.

Rowan wrapped an arm around her, keeping the brunette as safe as he could. He had been turned into a wolf at a young age, always thinking more of the people in his life as his pack members over his family or tries. Pack mentality was stronger than anything he could relay to someone who didn't feel it. Someone who didn't look at a friend or a sibling and see everything in their life rolled into a being. Whoever this vampire was who was stalking his friend, he clearly didn't know who who he was messing with.

"If you need anything. I'm here for you." He kissed her temple and hoped that she would take him up on the offer. If it was to work at the bar for him, if it was his paycheck or just a place to stay for a few nights. He would make sure that she had it.
"Save your savings. Let me help you." He tugged her closer, knowing that even if Bella came in and saw them she would understand that Fae was just a friend.

"What are you thinking about doing?" He asked, hoping to bring her thoughts away from this vampire.
"Going to become a writer, or a exotic dancer, or even a belly dancer?"