Dog Fights

Chapter 4; Stomach Pains

"What did you two do to him?!" Amelia gasps, looking up and down Ezra's slim figure. The outfit looks like it was picked well, but the sheer difference between the vampire's fighting uniform to what he wears now makes him almost unrecognizable.

"I scraped my knees on my own," Ezra looks down, turning in his feet and holding his hands together behind his back. "I'm not used to shorts so high up my thighs, usually my long pants would protect me from things like this."

Rin smiles nervously, gesturing to Ezra's outfit. "He picked it out on his own, we just helped with matching the clothes-"

"Oh my lord!" Amelia looks up to the ceiling, pulling her eyes back down and pointing at the two girls that hid behind the vampire. "I've told you two before not to pressure these newcomers into your fantasy styles! If you want to buy these things, buy them for yourselves instead of making these people wear them!"

"Are you done?" Ezra asks, crossing his arms over his chest after drawing a surprised look from the stern woman. "If you would listen to these girls every once in a while you'd know I made my own decisions tonight. Maybe I don't want to dress in dark colors anymore, or plain t-shirts with nothing more than long pants and a studded collar.

"Maybe I like their style, or letting them show me what they think looks good," Ezra says, fighting back the urge to step towards the taller person, or let his lips creep up to show his fangs unnecessarily.

She is not a threat.

"They're helping me become someone with a free will again, and if that means I choose soft clothes instead of hard leather, you should be perfectly fine with it."

Amelia tilts her chin up, eyes flaring green. "Do you dare disrespect me?" she asks in a challenging tone. Ezra narrows his eyes, pushing down the growl that had tried to creep up his throat.

She is not a threat.

"I mean no disrespect," Ezra says, fingers twitching behind his back, "but to be fair, you started scolding them before you even knew what had happened."

The witches eyes glow again, narrowing as a low rumble rises in the quiet from the vampires chest. "Do you threaten me now as well?" she asks.

She is not a threat.

"AMELIA!"

Clover runs up, the smaller woman proving to be no distraction for the witch. She stops next to the two, looking back and forth. "Do you not see what you're doing?" Clover asks, looking at Amelia, "you are prying on his instinct, of course he'll show defense! It's what he's been taught for years!"

Amelia doesn't move, tilting her chin and looking down over her nose. "He needs to learn we are not a threat," she says sternly, "sometimes that's hard, but he'll learn respect for us and when to use his instincts for something useful."

Amelia's hand raises, waving away the smaller. As it sways in Ezra's direction his hands pull in front of his chest, teeth baring sharply before his jaw opens and a loud hiss threatens the witch.

The woman stiffens, hand freezing mid air. Clover falls silent, the still hidden Mahin and Rin freezing behind the vampire as well.

Ezra's hands flex tight, lips curled back high to show off his sharp teeth. His skin prickles, seeing the witches eyes flare.

"Amelia, quit!" Clover hisses, pulling down the woman's hand, "what is wrong with you? He was just recovered yesterday! What makes you think he trusts us yet? Or his instincts won't take over when challenged by another supernatural being? He was just defending the girls! You need to let it go!"