There was more of a risk bunking down in this fancy-ass neighborhood then it was probably worth. Lucas was certain he could find a porch, garden grove, or even a slightly ajar garage door with a crack big enough to shove a muzzle beneath and wiggle inside for the night, if he really wanted to.

But Lucas wasn't convinced he did.

These kinds of people were far more fragile when it came to that kind of thing. Rich people, that is, or hum drum neighborhoods like this where there wasn't a single fucking bush out of place. Anything out of the ordinary and it was likely to go to the extremes. Lucas didn't feel like dealing with extremes right now. It was doubtful any of these bake-sale moms and car salesmen dads carried firearms for such intrusions, anyways, or much less knew how to aim and shoot.

...That almost made it worse.

If someone was going to put him down, then they best do it right the first time. And really, this wasn't how Lucas wanted to die. He'd seen his death. It was somewhere in a forgotten alley bleeding after a shoot out. It was on an expensive leather couch with needles on the floor and foam in his throat. It was a fight, unfair and bloody, with other lives taken in the process. It wasn't glorified or flashy. He was a nobody in the bigger picture of the do's and dies of life. Lucas had grown up accepting that. He would be forgotten, replaced, and carried away to rot. But that wasn't going to be here, in this prissy ass neighborhood where animal control would be called to deal with a 'surely rabid animal' that was bleeding out after being shot near a trash can.

Fucking forget about it.

The drag of his cigarette was long and slow, the butt burning a radiant orange before smoldering into ash as the last of its cheap flaky paper burned away into the night. The overwhelming smell of fresh rain on asphalt and the smoke filling his nose were enough to mask the vampires approach in what normally would have been a rather open encounter. Bold, if not a little stupid on its part. Probably both.

It was only when the weredog turned to flick the remains of his cigarette into the street did the familiar whiff of 'dead' finally catch his attention. The sweet voice of another predator spilled from behind him and Lucas could feel the hair on his neck and arms rise in a reactive bristling as he slowly turned to face them.

It.

Vampire.

The rain continued to pour down on them in sheets. It was dark, save the few illuminated windows on either side of the street. Not many, but enough. Lucas would be lying if he said he wasn't grateful for what little light they were providing. He could see okay in the dark - but not as well as them. And certainly not currently, where Lucas felt hindered by wiping water from eyes every now and then to clear his vision. Dead things probably didn't have that problem, did they?

Their little face off was silent for the first few seconds but Lucas couldn't help the way his upper lip curled to expose a row unpointed human teeth in teeth-barring motion anyways. It was clear her mere presence made him uncomfortable. Wary. Whatever thoughts of drugs or sleeping accommodations had once been were certainly long gone now. Lucas had never faced one of these outright before, and though she certainly didn't look very threatening, the animal in him told him danger. Wrong. Run. Fight. Kill.

It did not tell him... that it was likely to be part of this 'neighborhood watch' business it mentioned. The term rang some distant, distant bell in the back of his mind. The concept of angry neighbors. This vampire was... a whistle blower? The idea took him slightly off guard. What sort of monster would rather tattle-tale than fight? It did look fairly young, though with what little information Lucas had, knew this could sometimes be the case. The slightest wrinkle of his nose might have hinted to the vague disbelief he felt after her declaration statement. She wasn't going to call neighborhood watch. She was neighborhood watch.

Lucas was going to call bullshit.

Her little step forward earned her a throaty growl, a warning rumble from the back of his throat in protest. Lucas was out of his element. He assumed being in melee range of a vampire wasn't a good thing if that was where it wanted to be. Even still, Lucas made no attempt to move. He'd gone still as a statue, stiff and bristling with as much teeth barred as human teeth could possibly offer. He didn't want her coming any closer, though. That much he was attempting to make clear.

It wasn't until she posed him an idle question that Lucas risked the smallest of glances back to the house behind them. The house he'd been eyeing. The house he could almost guarantee had a faux pharmacy somewhere in a forgotten cupboard. Why did this snowy-haired vampire care, anyways? Was it a true threat? Or was she simply curious? Lucas couldn't tell. And that was upsetting to the poor boy.

"I don't think they'd care," He finally breathed out with a voice like gravel. A shudder ran through his entire body and it wasn't due to the shivering cold. "When they found out what was living across the street."

Another shudder, followed by a ripple - a guttural growl and a snapping of bones. Lucas's body twisted, writhing as he crumpled and contracted. His body was used to the change. It had taken years and years for the process to become this smooth, if smooth was something you could ever call it. But it was quick - and efficient. And surely enough, between the pieces of ripped fabric now scattered on the curbside, Lucas stood in a whole new light.

The large shepherd-looking creature was bristled to high-heavens, fur standing on end with tail raised. The teeth that were barred now were far more impressive, sharp and pointed - much like hers with a flickering pink tongue to match.

Joining the chorus of pounding rain was the lowest of growls thrumming from the large canine before her. Much like its human counter-part the dog remained still - watching. Waiting.

And clearly expecting a fight.

Lucas