Tears Like Rain (open)

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[atrb=background,http://tinyurl.com/96z8tro] Shayde stood off to the side, watching as her alpha indulged himself in the meal she and Tike captured. It felt...odd watching him eat. Under normal circumstances, she would be watching him eat prior to eating herself, not just after. That and he was eating her kill, and a strange feeling washed over her. It was as if she had felled the cow just for him, like it was some kind of token of appreciation or something. And...she didn’t really mind the feeling. She certainly hadn’t expected his return here of all places. She assumed he would follow the pretty femme back to the dens. A wry smirk appeared on the beta’s face. If he had any romantic feelings for that femme, he would be in quite a shock, seeing her pressed against that other brute. Maybe the alpha would cut him down for simply being in his territory. If that was how it panned out, Shayde wanted to be there. To smirk as the pretty femme’s lover was torn to pieces. To watch her fall apart in agony. The dark feelings almost made her laugh out loud, but she kept it to herself. She really didn’t like that pretty femme—much less for abandoning her son. Before long, the alpha brute was finished with his meal. He answered the pup’s question of the whereabouts of the pretty femme (to which Shayde growled softly to herself) before he turned his attention to her. At his curt nod, she gave one of her own, tail swaying gently behind her. It was so nice that he was back again. Things had been quiet at first, but grew a little too hectic for her liking just prior to his return. But she understood that he had his own issues to deal with, and that no matter how much she wished it, he would never bring her along. Leaving her in charge of the pack was a big responsibility. She just hoped she did a decent job. And then he asked the million dollar question. Shayde’s eyes widened slightly before she quickly composed herself. His tone of voice told her to tell him everything, down to the finest detail. She took a deep breath, wondering how he would react. Truth time. “Not much happened for some time after you left. Angel and I kept a close watch on the borders.” She left out the bit about Angel’s little adventure beyond the territory, simply because the tundra femme didn’t seem to remember the rendezvous at all. “A strange femme did wash up on the shore just off of Ryn-Eldbel. That was when your sons arrived,” she said, shooting a glance towards Tike. He seemed to be in his own little world, so she continued. “The femme was unconscious, so we brought her back to the dens to rest. Last I knew she still hadn’t awoken.” The beta paused briefly, looking into the brute’s face for any sign of annoyance at her decision. She continued on moments later. “Your ex-mate arrived not long after that, accompanied by another brute.” Again, she glanced at Tike, worried he would not take the news well. Yet he was still in his own little world. She shook her head, focusing on the alpha once more. “The pair seemed a little...cozy. She attempted to convince me he wished to join the pack.” Her eyes fell to the side, narrowing slightly as she thought about his behavior. She then shook her head. “I don’t buy it.” She sighed deeply, allowing herself to relax slightly. “I left them at the dens, but gave them fair warning not to enter the dens. Angel should be keeping watch over them as we speak. As for your sons...” For the third time, Shayde glanced at Tike, astonished to find him still off in his own world. Was the conversation boring him? “I met Tike in the woods some time ago. He seemed hungry so I took him for a hunt.” She left out the bit about the rabbits, convinced her alpha would find his behavior as pathetic as she had. Considering that she was fond of the pup, she wanted to do everything in her power to keep him around. Making him seem less pathetic in his father’s eyes seemed like a good place to start. “As for the other one—Taqqiq, I believe?—I haven’t seen him for some time now. He probably went venturing off on his own. He didn’t seem keen to stick around and follow my orders.” That last bit she was merely guessing. When they’d met by the unconscious femme, he seemed discontent that his father wasn’t around. Following the orders of the second-in-command would have been too much to ask. Silence fell once Shayde was finished speaking. She had finished relaying all the information, and she was tense, worried that the brute would be angered by her passive way of dealing with things. No, she assured herself, it hadn’t all been passive. I gave each intruder a piece of my mind, warning each of them of the consequences that would befall them if they stepped out of line. She just hadn’t portrayed that in her response. But how would she have? “Oh yes, I growled fiercely at each and every one of them, telling them I would end them where they stood should they piss me off.” She couldn’t just say that. Not only did it make her sound prideful, but also as if she couldn’t give the loners a chance to prove themselves. The brute eventually spoke up, claiming they had to talk soon. Shayde sighed deeply, nodding. They had plenty to discuss, though she doubted he would want to speak to her about what she really wanted to know. His past was something she couldn’t just pry into, but...his past had started interfering with the present. Didn’t she deserve to know the truth behind the pretty femme and the pups? But she wouldn’t ask him such things. If he wished for her to know, he would tell her. For now, she would simply wait patiently for that time. words:: One-Thousand and Fifty-Two muse:: Great! tags:: Tike, and Vorilye mood:: A little worried about how she performed in the alpha's absence. ooc:: Monster post says 'rawr!'

[Vorilye]

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[atrb=background,http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j97/corpes2/vorilyemid.png] Vorilye watched his son cautiously, curious to see just how he would take the situation before him. While he had not yet deciphered which son was before he, he was intrigued that one of the boys, at least, wanted - or at least attempted - to be here with him. Maybe this was the chance that the alpha had been searching for to regain favor in the eyes of his children, or at least one of them. The twin and Shayde seemed to be getting along quite well, and that pleased the alpha in a strange way. He cared for his son, even if they had just met, and Shayde was the only femme he dared place any form of trust in these days. As his beta recounted the happenings in his absence, he could not help but growl at her little quip about his "ex-mate." His lip curled back in a snarl at the mention of Kallik with another brute; perhaps he had not been completely wrong about Kallik screwing around, after all. It had merely been by chance that the litter was, in fact, his. "Let's get this straight. There is only one ex-mate in my past, and Kallik is not she," he snapped bitterly, angry that Shayde would make the assumption. If he had truly wished for the mackenzie valley femme to be his mate, he would have made that known. He would not have hidden her away and allowed the pack to make guesses about whether or not they were to follow her orders. "Have you known me to be silent on important matters, Shayde?" he inquired softly, the dangerous edge returning to his voice. "Because that seems as if it would be rather important, wouldn't you say?" He shook his head in disdain. Sometimes Shayde got to him in a way that no other wolf could. She obviously was closer to his frequency than the rest of the pack, because her little comment had riled him up to no end. "I will go check out the dens when we are through here." The comment was short and to the point; he did not know just how long he intended to remain here with Tike - as he had discovered through Shayde's ranting - and Shayde if there were wolves waiting on him. However, he was not the type to jump through hoops to please others, and he was still bitter with Kallik, so he would take his sweet time. There was nothing that was so urgently pulling him that way. Now, he could spend time with his second-in-command and his son post-hunt. Maybe he could get to know Tike a little better. The pup seemed a tad on the reserved side, but Shayde had gotten through to him in a way that Vorilye had not yet had the chance. He wanted to be a father figure to the brute, even if he had been absent most of his life. "Tike?" Vorilye asked gently, his tone softening as he addressed his son. When he noticed that the other black and gold brute was not responding, he gently nudged him to get his attention. "Son, I hope Shayde here has been keeping you good company. I'm sorry that I could not get back sooner to be with you." There was no sign of the short-tempered wolf who had been present just minutes before. Now, he was back to pre-Ithilwen Vorilye. This was the brute who had nurtured his children with such ease that it was no more difficult than breathing. While still having been tossed aside in favor of his sister, Vorilye had no desire to play favorites with his children. But the likeness to himself brought the alpha brute to feel closely tied to Tike. The world had treated him different because of how he looked, and he did not want Tike to suffer through that because of his mistakes. In the back of his mind, Vorilye recalled that Shayde was still here. He would not put it past her to think less of him because of his attitude toward his pups, but once business was back in order, he would whip her into shape should she make a single remark against him. Just because he wanted to treat his son with a little kindness did not make him a soft alpha, merely a good father; at least, that was what he wanted to be. Maybe he could do better this time around. Instead of allowing Kallik to develop the bond with his pups, he wanted them to look to him as a role model. It was just too plausible that Kallik would turn them against him, and he could not bear to suffer through that once more. He needed his sons and, if he could find her, his daughter to believe that he truly cared for them, even if his mother was pure dirt in his eyes. They were not at fault for his, or her, actions in the past. They just had the misfortune of having two of the most dysfunctional parents on Anikira. Count | 857 words Muse | Pretty good. Tags | Shayde, Tike Notes | GASP. Vor has a heart.

[Ryker]

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[atrb=background,http://img337.imageshack.us/img337/7738/94326341.png] Alright so, maybe Tike had been listening a little through the adults' conversation. But, it still wasn't enough to get his whole attention. They were talking about things that barely even related to him. The beta said something about the fae who had washed up on the beach. Tike remembered that day. It was the first day he had seen his brother here in Acerbus. He remembered pushing that fae all the way to the dens which, was not as easy of a task as it may have seemed in the beginning. That wolf started getting really heavy after about a half of a mile or so. He blanked out for another second or two. Then, he heard a reference to Kallik with that white male. Tike growled low and quietly in his throat but, quickly stopped himself. He was trying to not care and, he didn't want to be found out that he had been spying on the conversation. The only one who would have known that he was there was maybe that white fae who had been sitting above the group when he had arrived. He felt as though she had said her name but, he couldn't remember it. What the beta didn't know what that he had been present which, was very important. He had seen his mother snuggling with some strange brute that was obviously not his father. Had his mother run around frequently with other males and it was just a coincidence that Vorilye had been the father? It seemed as such. As soon as the family came back into civilization around other males, his mother seemed to quickly attach herself to another. It was painful but, he had to remind himself that if she didn't care about him then he wouldn't care about her. This was no longer a one-way street. He was no longer just going to dismiss her behavior simply because she had been his mother. She was going to have to prove herself to him like everyone else. Did he trust his mother? Maybe. She had hurt him often so, it was difficult to trust her with any personal information. Wait..what did Vorilye say? Did he just say that Kallik was not his only ex-mate? That was what it sounded like. Tike had not heard the first half of his fathers' sentence he had only heard Kallik's name and that she was not his only ex-mate. So, had his father messed around with other females as well? Did neither of his parents plan the pregnancy? Did either of them want him? Tike closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. He didn't care, remember? That was what he told himself right after the beta had shown up. He didn't need anyone. So what if his father didn't want him either? So what if neither of his parents wanted him? He could live with that. He had always been on his own when it came to other wolves. It didn't matter who he aligned himself with, he would always be standing alone. Whether it was with his family or Descai, he would have to stand alone. What was the reason for that though? Was there something wrong with him..or with them? For the longest time he had thought it to be his own fault but, he had been believing that less and less recently. The next thing that he had heard was his father addressing him. Well, nudging him really. His cold wet nose against his pelt made the young brute snap out of his zone and go back to reality. He remembered where he was and that he was actually present here and not just listening from afar. He listened to his father with attention. His jade colored eyes looked into his father's yellow ones. Was that disrespectful? Tike didn't know...he was sure that he would find out if it was though. Oh! Shayde was her name. He looked at her and smirked. He knew that she had purposely not told him her name earlier but now he knew. Yes, Shayde is good company. He didn't know how to respond to his fathers' apology. No one had really apologized to him before so he just let his emerald eyes tell him that he had accepted his apology. Tike often communicated through his eyes more than with his mouth. Those who could read them effectively, were already a step ahead of the game with Tike. He had left out how he thought that she had good leadership skills and that she was a good teacher in her own way. He assumed that his father had already known it or, why would he have made her a beta?

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[atrb=background,http://tinyurl.com/96z8tro] A wry smirk appeared on Shayde’s face as the alpha brute grew angry with her assumption that Kallik was his ex-mate. It hardly surprised her that he’d had a mate prior to Kallik, though it did pique her interest. His anger rolled right over Shayde’s head, and she rolled her eyes at him. “Well whatever it is you wish to call her, it doesn’t change things. She’s still near the den cozying up to some other male.” Shayde had hoped he was more angered by that fact than her own assumption. Then her fantasy of him ripping that brute to pieces would be closer to a reality. Too bad... The brute’s questions brought a scowl to the beta’s brow. He’s not seriously asking this, is he? His voice still had that dangerous tone to it, as if daring her to answer. She took the bait. “Yes,” she said bluntly, uncaring how he took her tone. “When it comes to important matters, there is one thing you have kept from me since the moment we met.” She looked him square in the eye, expression completely lax. And, as if he had asked what that crucial matter was, she answered his unasked question. “Your name.” Shayde gave him little time to react, let alone respond to her words. “But notice, Alpha, that I haven’t asked you to tell me your name.” The truth was that every time she went to ask, something came up that diverted her attention. “Nor have I asked you to spill your guts out to me about your past. I know that you’ll tell me when you feel it’s time for me to know.” She wagged her tail and gave him a rare smile. “I know this because I trust you, alpha.” There was nothing else for her to say, even if she had wanted to. He ended their discussion with a quick, curt decision. It angered the beta a little, but she hardly let it show. The brute then turned his focus to Tike. I’d forgotten about him, she thought, a sudden panic filling her system. She knew her alpha’s name from the other twin. If Tike called her out on the lie, the alpha brute may have a serious problem with her deception. Shayde growled under her breath. It’s hardly deception! I won’t believe it’s his name unless he’s the one who tells me! With a curt nod, she decided that if he were to find out about her white lie, she would explain it as such. As the alpha brute nudged Tike, Shayde stepped aside, giving the two a much needed father-son moment. She heard the pup say her name in an almost prideful manner, as if he was bragging that he’d learned her name. She scoffed in his direction, pinning her ears to her head. So the cat’s out of the bag, huh? The annoyance at his tone quickly faded, and she smiled at him, though with his focus on the alpha brute, she wasn’t sure if he saw. The softer side of the alpha was showing, causing the beta to avert her gaze. She was rather embarrassed to see him this way, more because she felt like she now in his pawprints. When he had arrived, the alpha brute had seen her acting soft and motherly to Tike. Now she was witnessing him acting fatherly towards the pup, though given that he actually was Tike’s father, his behavior made more sense than hers. Still. She gave the two of them some privacy, stepping out of hearing range. These moments were foreign to her, given that her own father was murdered when she was still just a whelp, but she knew enough that she was not to be included in this conversation. words:: Six-Hundred and Fifty-One muse:: Good tags:: Tike, and Vorilye mood:: Relaxed, a little embarrassed. ooc:: Softie~

[Vorilye]

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[atrb=background,http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j97/corpes2/vorilyemid.png] The brute listened carefully to his beta as she emphasized, once more, that Kallik had a new little play thing. Vorilye could not help but believe that this was not a new toy, but rather an old one that she could now bring around since she was no longer officially bound to Descai. However, on his turf there were his rules to play by, and he would not allow any foul play to go on beneath his nose. He would take the time to evaluate this wolf before passing any judgment on him, but Kallik was another matter. She was deceitful, even in the fact of his (possible) forgiveness. Here was her son, who seemed lost in himself, and it had taken some time for him to crack Tike's shell. When Tike answered in the affirmative, Vor wagged his tail ever so slightly, matching Shayde's motion from just minutes before. "Good thing, sport. She's going to be around a lot," he said with the slightest hint of a laugh in his voice. This was foreign behavior to him, but it really did not feel too terrible. Maybe it was a good thing for him to step back from the walls he built to protect himself once in a while. Tike had no reason to hurt him, and they were of the same bloodline. There was no harm in letting him see the brute a little here and there. Shayde's comment about his name bothered him some. Vorilye cringed slightly at her words before nodding in response. He understood that she had given him much leeway where he would have given other wolves none. Perhaps she was simply a better wolf than himself. It was obvious that she tolerated him, unlike many other wolves in the area, including some of the members of his own pack. He could not really gather what Angel thought of him due to her back and forth behavior, Meridian had long since vanished without hide or tail in sight, and Kallik did not exactly have the best opinion of him. He had long since stopped caring what the femme thought of her. She had been a good lay at the time; a means to an end. Any feelings he had felt for her dissipated long ago. She had only given him a few good things, and one of them was standing in front of him. "Vorilye," he grunted, not planning on repeating it again. "You may call me by name if you choose, but not in the presence of the others. They are not worthy of it," he reiterated with the slightest of smirks. He may have been an arrogant, power hungry asshole, but there was a heart buried somewhere inside the alpha. There was just a long way to go before it would be brought back to the surface, if ever. There was much that needed to be handled before he could even consider letting anyone in. But it seemed like more and more wolves were chipping away at his steely exterior, just to have someone pull the curtain back up once more. It was a back and forth process that was starting to make him dizzy. Maybe he had not been there for Tike when he was younger, but he wanted to be. Once he knew those pups were his, he would have given anything in the world to take his role as a father seriously. Vorilye did not acknowledge it, but he certainly noticed that Shayde gave the pair of brutes a little space while they spoke, for which he was grateful. He turned his full attention to his son, wanting to make sure he knew just how lucky the alpha felt to have him here. "Tike, listen to me." He lowered his head so that he was directly face to face with the smaller brute. "I wish I could have been there for you all this time. If I had known, I would have. Never doubt that. But I'm glad I have you here, now." It was by far one of the sappiest things to ever come out of the alpha's mouth, apart from his courtship of Ithilwen. The alpha brute raised his head once more to look over his shoulder at Shayde. The smaller femme was definitely one of the more polite wolves around. Many would have intentionally scooted closer in hopes of eavesdropping on their conversation, but that behavior was absent here. It was possible that this was because she knew the consequences of irritating him, but part of Vorilye wanted to think that it was because she actually held some form of respect for him. Vorilye chose to rule by fear because he knew no other way to hold on to his power without succumbing to the emotions and dangers of connections. "She is probably one of the most loyal, dependable wolves in the pack, Tike. Remember that," he told his son shortly before turning back to his beta. "Shayde, I should head back to the dens to deal with Kallik and her...What should I call him..." He paused, thinking of an appropriate term to use in front of his son. "Friend? Buddy ol' pal? Hell, I don't know. That white ball of intruder that was left by my dens," he snapped at the last minute, his mind reverting back into the alpha role and leaving Father Vorilye behind. "If you can salvage any more off that kill, feel free to either eat it or bring it back to the dens. I'm sure your friend Angel would enjoy a snack," he quipped with a smirk, looking directly into Shayde's eyes and knowing that it would irk her. He was not blind to the workings of the pack. Shayde did not really get along with anyone but himself, and even their relationship was a tense, strictly business one. "If you find anyone else, bring them back to the dens. You are free to do as you please for a while," he instructed before glancing at Tike. "And Tike? Please don't wander around here alone. I either need you to come back to the dens with me, stick with Shayde, or find your brother, alright? Don't be out by yourself." The warning was an obvious one after their cougar incident. He knew that Tike would not soon forget that. The brute was waiting for the flurry that he figured would eventually strike when the immensity of the situation finally settled over his young mind. Until then, he would be safe here. "And please, for the love of all that is holy, don't leave the borders." That said, the alpha turned toward the dens, trotting off with a little bit happier of a jaunt. Maybe it was because things were looking slightly better, or maybe he was just content to have a good meal. Whatever it was, it would leave quickly, because when he arrived at the dens, Vorilye was completely back in business mode. Count | 1176 words Muse | Great. Tags | Shayde, Tike Notes | Long post is long x.x

[Ryker]

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[atrb=background,http://img337.imageshack.us/img337/7738/94326341.png] As Shayde further emphasized the fact that Kallik was cuddling up to another male. Tike struggled to keep quiet. He wanted to growl again but, that would put on the illusion that he cared. To be honest, he did care but, he didn't want them to know that. He didn't want her to know that. She had never seemed to care for him much before so, it was time that he wised up and treated her the same way she had treated him. It had been a hard decision to make. He wanted to stay by the wolf who had been with him since the day he had been born but, he had to protect himself. Being close to her was only going to hurt him even more. His decision had been final. Though, he still would like to tear that white brute limb from limb like he had the rabbits. Tike wagged his tail slightly as his father told him that Shayde would be around for a while. He enjoyed her company and was much better to him than Kallik was. Since his father had gotten him back into reality, he was paying attention to everything. It was like he had gone from zero to one-hundred. But, that was how he always had been. He was either off or on. He couldn't remember doing anything half-heartedly. He either didn't do something or, he did it with everything that he had. Some may call it a curse but, others called him blessed. As Shayde brought up the topic of his father's name, Tike raised an eyebrow at her as if to say:really? He didn't keep his expression there for long. He had specifically remembered Taq giving that away. Of course, he didn't know that Vorilye hadn't told his pack his name. Tike didn't even know that until later as well. But, that didn't really matter because his father had told the beta his name. But, then there was an explanation about why he had never told his pack his name. They were not worthy of it. It made sense. Tike hadn't really met anyone from Descai other than Shayde and that white fae who was watching the dens. But, he didn't really count her. Shayde had then given the two brutes some privacy. It was something that he was glad for. Even though, he himself hadn't left while they were talking but, he hadn't really paid any attention until recently. So, that couldn't have counted for anything. He doubted that they even remembered that he had been there while they were talking. Tike's eyes met with his father's as he lowered his head to meet his own. Yellow eyes met emeralds. His eyes were just like his mothers. He listened intently as his father spoke to him and a toothy smile cracked on his face. Father wanted him! Someone wanted him! He was actually worth something to someone. That, was the greatest feeling that he had in a long time. Maybe even ever. He nodded his head, showing that he understood what his father was saying. He would not forget the words Vorilye had spoken to him. Vorilye looked over at Shayde and Tike's gaze followed. He turned back to his father when he spoke again. I will Tike gave his father an affirmative. He wanted to show his father that he was dependable too. He wanted his father to be able to count on him as well. He would prove himself. As the attention went back on Shayde and his father was preparing to exit to go see Kallik and that bastard, Tike laughed a little as his father was coming up with names to call him. Buddy ol' pal? That was great. His father didn't really need to use such clean language around him but, it showed the young wolf that his father really did care about him and that he was making an effort to show him that. Vorilye then told Shayde to either eat the rest of the kill or bring it to the dens to Angel. Angel! That was her name. He remembered it now. She was the wolf by the dens. He then addressed himself. Tike nodded again, he would probably stick around with Shayde some more and help her bring back some of this kill. It was still a large carcass even after three had eaten from it. He could imagine that it was still heavy. Besides, the cougar incident was still fresh in his mind. He had almost been killed. That monster had it's jaws around his body. It was a day he would not forget. He had taken a lot of his emotions out earlier today but, it would not be the last time he did something like that. He nodded one last time to his father, letting him know that he would stay here in Acerbus. Why would he want to leave? After his father had departed, he turned to Shayde. So, are we gonna take this to uhh...angel now or wait a little bit? Tike waited for an answer.

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[atrb=background,http://tinyurl.com/96z8tro] A rush of pride swelled in Shayde’s heart at the alpha’s obvious compliment. “She’s going to be around a lot.” She could take that as him saying he didn’t have plans to replace her any time soon, couldn’t she? Just the thought made her giddy, which felt odd to the femme. She felt...wanted, needed even. It was a good feeling, albeit a little foreign. But she would get used to it eventually. And he hadn’t chewed her out for her decisions on handling things (at least not yet). That was a good sign! Greater still was when the black and gold brute gave her his name. She smiled at him. Of course she already knew his name—and the look on the pup’s face said he wasn’t going to rat her out, either—but it wasn’t the same if it didn’t come from the brute himself. She didn’t think Taqqiq was lying about it or anything, but it was just...better if the alpha said it to her. It was a sign of trust, given that he hadn’t said it up until that point. “Vorilye,” she murmured, listening closely as his name rolled off her tongue. Yes. It suited him well. She wagged her tail, pleased to have finally gotten a step closer to the brute’s circle of trust. The light threat after he gave his name made the femme roll her eyes. “I know better. Besides,” she looked him directly in the eyes, matching his smirk, “it’s hardly the same if it doesn’t come from the man in question.” She then stepped aside, eyes scanning the trees as the two brutes spoke. She couldn’t say she wasn’t curious about their conversation, but fighting the urge to eavesdrop was quite easy for her. Having just gained the alpha’s—no, she could call him by name now. Having just gained Vorilye’s trust, she wanted to make sure she did nothing to give him reason to revoke that. But as her eyes fell towards them, she couldn’t help but tilt her head to one side. Vorilye was looking her way, staring at her intently. At first she thought she wasn’t far enough away so she took a few steps back. But still, he stared. He eventually turned back to Tike, speaking to the pup at an equal level. This fatherly side of him was quite charming, growing on the femme with each second. That’s not to say, of course, that the aloof Vorilye hadn’t grown on her. He had her utmost respect, no matter which side he happened to be showing at the time. It was simply comforting to know that somewhere beneath the brash sarcasm she always encountered, there was a warm heart beating. “He’s a good father,” Shayde muttered, turning away from the brutes once again. But her focus quickly snapped back when Vorilye called her name. She trotted over, nodding her head at his words. A curt chuckle slipped past her maw as he struggled over what to call the arctic brute in front of his son. He settled on ‘buddy ol’ pal,’ causing the femme to roll her eyes. “Hopefully you’ll call him trespasser and send him on his way.” There was just something about the brute—and the pretty femme, but what could she do if the other femme was family—that simply rubbed her the wrong way. Maybe it was his chivalry. Or perhaps the fact that it was another male in the territory. She hardly counted the twin pups, given that they were young as well as Vorilye’s sons. They were welcomed. That brute was not. A low growl formed in Shayde’s throat at Vorilye’s quip, and she quickly voiced her opinion on it. “Angel is not my friend, Vorilye!” she barked, narrowing her eyes at him. Once she carefully studied his expression, she realized he had been teasing her. She let out a deep sigh, matching his smirk once again. “Cute. Very funny, Alpha.” She nodded at his orders before trotting over to the carcass. Tike eventually joined her once Vorilye disappeared. “So you’re sticking with me?” She kept a light tone, though she was actually quite pleased the pup would choose her over his own blood. “Well then. We should probably get these to Angel right away. If she’s hungry, she’ll wander. And if she wanders, those...two might do something they aren’t supposed to.” Before she could start growling again, Shayde snatched up one of the legs, motioning to the other with a jerk of her head. She waited until the pup had followed suit before she started leading the way back to the dens. She paused only a few times along the way to make sure Tike was always near her. Just because Vorilye hadn’t given her the order to watch him didn’t mean she wasn’t going to. She was his beta, and if that meant she had to pupsit his almost-grown son, so be it. words:: Eight-Hundred and Sixty-Two muse:: Really good tags:: Tike, and Vorilye mood:: Pleased ooc:: I figured this would be a good exit point XD