and the stars in their orbits shone pale through the lightof the brighter, colder moon

The night was lingering on and all Nadya wished to do was get back home. The day had been filled with shopping which normally would have delighted the young girl but it had been for Christmas presents. Her brother was difficult to shop for, the man a broody mess that all she could settle on was getting him an outfit that he could at least look dapper in while brooding. Tobi was easy enough; she got him a red heroes cape that he had tried to steal from a child on one of their outtings. Raven, now that was even more trying of a present. They still didn't get along much; Nadya still feeling Raven took too many liberties for bottom of the pack. However, in the spirit of the season Nadya found Raven a first edition series of an author she remembered the girl reading.

Success was getting them all wrapped, to the Ark, and beneath the small Christmas tree set up in Tetra's office without any of them noticing. Lord knew where Raven and Tobi were, Nadya didn't gather enough to care, while from the sound of it Tetra was asleep in his room. She was in and out with hardly a passing nod to Jackel who had begun to learn to leave her alone. Nadya was never in the mood to be stopped and told what to do by someone not her brother and he had found that out the hard way.

Nadya's path back home took first took her through the warehouse district which never once caused her unease...until tonight. She could feel the extra pair of eyes on her before she heard the soft placement of their feet trying to match her own. Hmm. Of course continuing on her path home, thus showing him where she lived, wasn't an option. So many options raced through her mind on how to handle the situation. She could let her feline form take over, attack him...but then she'd have a body on her hands and upset the other hunters who wouldn't care if she was simply defending herself. Other option was using her other abilities to get out of it.

As Nadya rounded the corner of the warehouse she slipped inside the large metal dock door that had been propped open. It gave her enough time to think and also change the scenario so she was able to confront the stalker rather than be the stalked. It was one thing to be stalked by Frost and another entirely to be stalked by this real lunatic. She remained quiet and still until she heard the hunter pause outside and the telltale sound of metal sliding against leather as a weapon was unsheathed. Nadya's gaze narrowed in distaste at the weapon before she concentrated. She hardly had to use her abilities that it wasn't second nature to her, though she was highly efficient in using them when she did. First she let the tendril of pain weasel itself into the hunter's brain, lodging there like a white hot poker causing the hunter to blink and shake his head.

The first sound of pain that grunted through the man's lips was Nadya's signal. She stepped out from within the warehouse to face the man who, now standing this close, she could smell the stench of liquor on him. "I already have a stalker. I don't need another one." Her sharp tone matched her sharpened eyes as she continued the onslaught of pain until the poor drunkard's feeble mind couldn't take it and crumpled to the floor passed out. No harm no foul. Nadya sighed heavily, toeing away the sword the hunter had dropped when movement caught the corner of her eye. It was a bit odd to see a man just leaning there watching the whole thing. Though she was sure if he was the drunk hunter's accomplice he would have pounced by now it didn't stop the sharpness of her tone. "Got a problem?"