Animal I Have Become [Atriell]

[Vorilye]

A rage that rivaled that of Vorilye's first steps in Acerbus coursed through his veins, the strangled hatred spilling out of every pore. It was not often that the giant brute lost his cool, but when the fated moment came, it was best that he steered clear of those who would take the majority of the impact. It was not like Vorilye to ditch his family and pack in such a time, but he simply could not rein in the absolute hatred that overtook him. Anger. Betrayal. Distrust.

Is there someone here who is selling out my pack?


First Rovan had vanished, then Shayde. It seemed like the best of his pack were dropping like flies, leaving only the bare bones and the young to remain. Was someone targeting them? Did I bring this fate on Shayde? he wondered idly, his mind twisting the situation all sorts of different ways. He could not truly believe that this was mere coincidence. The beta of the most powerful pack in Anikira did not just die within the pack's boundaries because of natural selection. No animal would have been able to take down Shayde. It must have been another wolf, and morbid curiosity drew Vorilye to inspect the remains of his beloved beta.

Beloved... He cared about Shayde in a way that no other wolves had been privileged to since Ithilwen. She left him damaged and angry, and somehow, the little red wolf managed to sweep up what little bit of affection the alpha male had been capable of at that time. She was the only constant in his life. While Kallik had taken off with his pups and Sarin managed to get herself knocked up by the neighboring alpha simultaneously, he could attest to the lineage of all three of Shayde's pups. They were strong, courageous, and did not take any nonsense, just like their mother. It was nearly impossible for him to accept that she was gone.

"No... No NO!" Vorilye screamed across the water, and the rustling in the foliage around the water's edge grew eerily quiet. The male's head lunged back defiantly as the screams echoed from his chapped lips. His howl reverberated for miles, and he hoped that in whatever hellhole his beta's killers hid, they would feel the warning he issued and know that their end was near.

"You dare not enter my home again, savages. For whoever sets foot upon my territory next, he shall be the one whose blood nourishes my ground. Be warned, wolves of Anikira. Trespassers will not be taken lightly, and those of you who dare to defy this order will not live to tell the tale."

The male snarled under his breath, lunging at the nearest tree and snapping angrily at its lower limbs. He wanted nothing more than to hunt down the mongrels that took his beta away. He would avenge the death of his childrens' mother. Whoever took her away from Descai would rue the day that he was born.

---

Count | 501 words
Muse | Okay.
Tags | @atriell
Notes | Fair warning, he's probably going to have an emotional breakdown and Atriell's gonna get his whole life story lol.

[Deleted]

So what if you can see the darkest side of me
No one will ever change this animal I have become


Could there ever be an evening so completely murky as the one she resided in? Not even the crescent that had shown the night prior was visible on this night; masked by an obscuring veil of clouds. Normally, the sun would just be going down at this time, and the whole beach would be golden. However, she was not at Endyt, and there seemed to be little light left in the dark winter scape of Descai, if any had ever existed there in the first place. Her temporary home of Endyt had been replaced with an ashen sky and a perpetual, lingering mist of her current locale. However, a few of the bravest stars could just be discerned amidst the wispy cinereal brumes as afternoon faded to night; yet they too seemed almost dulled. Maybe it was just her. Or maybe they really were caught up in the same haze as she, sent into a lulling obscurity that they couldn't breach.

Atriell had been told as a pup that the stars were small cracks in the floor of Heaven (not that she believed in such a place); but it seemed with each coming and passing of darkness they grew smaller and smaller. Perhaps it was just her mind playing tricks on her. The longer she spent alone, the more obscure her existence became, and as she passed time in solitude, the nights seemed to become swarthier. The canine was a drifter in the land; born a drifter, raised a drifter, and up until recently, it seemed she would forever remain a drifter. Aimlessly she had always sought for something. She didn't know what. It was just the vexing feeling in her bones that drove her on and hinted that something was missing; a lost and incomplete soul in the hours of darkness, searching for what she hadn't ever found before. Her search had taken a surprising turn as of late, however.

The mist that tangled at her legs and formed a film before her eyes impeded her ability to see from the outskirts of the forest. Usually the darkness comforted her, yet this night she couldn't help but be set on edge. As her paws made its first contact with the softer terrain of the shore, her gleaming crystal eyes strived for visual clarity. A stab of apprehension coursed through her in response, and prodded her into a state of alertness. The she-wolf relied more heavily on sight than other wolves, perhaps because she put most of her faith in the things she could feel and see, not bothering to waste her time with things that harbored no concrete evidence. That's why emotions often troubled her. There was no definite origin when they arose, and they were as cryptic and elusive as the mist that surrounded her on that night. She herself was as cryptic and elusive as the mist.

Everything around her had suddenly shared her loneliness. It was in the abysmal crash of distant waves, the dismal gray firmament, and in the morose sway of the distant pines. The she-wolf had spent nearly two years feeling completely alone, often without realizing it consciously, and in the past few months the feeling began to catch up with her and sink in to her psyche.

Triell had felt it more now than she ever had, despite her recent integration into a pack, and without her conscious permission, a gentle whine escaped her lightly parted maw. The mist that combed through her tresses seemed to be taunting her, and she tried to shake the constrictive, oppressive feeling of the dense fog by shifting her position. She couldn’t rid herself of the loneliness though, it clung to her pelt and ate away at her thoughts. In a bout of desperation, the restless canine tried to purge herself of the isolation by jumping to her feet and forcing her deadened frame to explode into a run. Atriell couldn’t deal with the loneliness; she needed someone, anyone, and although the admission caused her stomach to churn with self-loathing, she preferred it to the emptiness.

Most of Descai was consumed with the death of the beta, and she had already devoted the day to guarding the borders while Shayde’s family mourned. Vorilye was undoubtedly consumed with responsibility at the moment, and she couldn’t allow herself to go to him in such a time. She had been avoiding him lately; everything about the enigmatic male shocked her senses and set her on edge. Atriell was afraid of the specifics of her budding interest in him; an interest that surpassed the males she spent meager amounts of time with and left. Something played out in his expression that suggested there was more to the charismatic lupine than what he allowed his pack to see. She wanted to know what it was.

Intuition told her that he had perhaps experienced hurt in the way she had; sometimes she thought she could catch glimpses of it in his aureate eyes. Atriell couldn’t bring herself to go to him though; she didn’t want to admit she craved his company, or anyone’s company. But she couldn’t be alone, she had spent the past few weeks straying from Descai, and she had finally regained the ability to run without her leg protesting.

Solo. She could find Solo. He was likely to have evaded the action that had conspired earlier in the day, and with a sinking realization, she recognized that she had been evading him lately as well.

It wasn’t long before she picked up his now familiar scent, and she pressed on towards its origin, worry welling in her chest as it veered towards Descai’s edges. Brutal, unspeakable acts had been committed at the borders as of late, and she couldn’t bear to lose the one friend she had only just gained. Much to her distress, Atriell found herself at Descai’s border. Her heart wrenched. Solo’s scent trail led out of the territory. He hadn’t been hurt, thankfully, but in her eyes he had done something much worse. He had left of his own accord. He didn’t even say goodbye… She saved his life, and he had saved hers! Hadn’t that meant anything to him? It had meant... a lot to her. She’d never admit it, but it did. And now he was gone. Vanished without so much as a word.

Her eyes poured over the landscape, searching for his easily recognizable, lanky frame or the playful light of his unusually large orbs glowing from within the fog. His scent was stale enough for her to reason that he had to be miles from there, however, and something told her he wouldn’t be coming back. Not that night, nor the next. Solo had left her, and she wasn’t expecting the sheer amount of betrayal that it caused her. Hurt welled up in her chest, an overwhelming sensation she had forgotten the feeling of. His betrayal danced in her eyes and caused her body to wilt in distress.

Sure, she had originally planned to leave him, leave the rest of Descai, but learning that Solo had been the first to leave stung with a potency that left her gasping and hungry for closure. Atriell had just begun to consider him a friend. The first friend she had had in… years. A caustic bitterness burned a trail through her and a vehement rage grew to proportions unseen from her in quite some time, fueled by the hurt caused by his absence. How naïve of her, to think that anyone would stay. No one ever stays, she lamented. A great sadness displaced the hatred and molded her body into submission as it lolled closer to the grassy plains. Time seemed to melt away, the passing of it as sharp and biting as the wind that stung her visage and curled away.

Atriell despised the true lack of control she had. She could control most everything else around her to her liking, but she could never seem to control the emotions that ran rampant inside her troubled mind. Frustrated and alone, the unraveling mind of a broken soul compelled the she-wolf to toss her chiseled head back into the formation of a wordless howl. A divide in her jaws formed as a soft, lonesome reverberation started in her chest and spiraled into the tempestuous sky. The resonance was a disconsolate and defeated sound, her desperation twining with her loneliness to create a mournful lament. The melody echoed away and slowly ebbed into nothing, bleeding into the coming twilight and dissipating into the fog.

The energy and passion ebbed from her, and the loneliness was content to sink back into the shadows, waiting to seek another opportunity to strike; like an insidious undertow lying dormant until she got comfortable, and would then proceed to pull her under its black waves. After the intonation of her cry completely faded, the wolf hated herself so fervently, just for a moment, for allowing herself to become so vulnerable. However, she took solace in her perceived notion that no one would be around to hear her, or at least not well enough to be able to discern the sound’s origin.

She could leave. Just slip away. She was nearly well enough, although she couldn’t quite manage quick speeds yet she had healed enough to fend for herself. So what was stopping her? The she-wolf paced the territory line, with her tail lashing slightly in agitation. She straddled the borders and grazed the invisible scent mark with her claws, casting her conflicted gaze out into the distance. She made a move to cross, but withdrew her foreleg with a wince. What was keeping her here? Fidelity? Certainly. But it was not just the undeniable gratitude she felt towards the pack’s alpha for taking her in. There was something else there, but before she allowed herself to realize what could be the cause of her hesitancy, a strangled, seething howl split the air. Panic spiked in her chest before she had time to suppress it, at recognizing the howl as Vorilye’s. Atriell forced herself not to sprint in the direction of the sound, thinking he could have found himself in a confrontation, and instead restricted her muscles to a stiff jaunt.

Upon entrance to the pack, she hadn’t quite realized what she was getting herself into. Her opinion of the pack’s distinguished alpha had been slightly tainted, as the realization dawned upon her that the majority of the pack’s populous was constituted of his offspring—few of which seemed to like her. Some of them didn’t even seem to like Vorilye. At meeting these wolves, she had remembered whispering to Solo in a surprisingly acerbic jeer, “I thought this was a pack, not a harem.” From her understanding, the oldest of his children was one of the two near exact copies of himself—a wolf by the name of Ryker whom she had only seen in passing and had often mistaken for Vorilye until she caught flashes of his emerald gaze; distinctly different from that of his father’s. Ryker’s past seemed to be dark, although she had only caught fragments, and his relationship with his father seemed... strained.

His second litter came from the late beta Shayde, who left three adolescents in her wake. They had already shown great promise, and she felt something similar to pity for them, knowing what it was like to grow up without a mother; and what it was like to live without a father. When she obtained information of Shayde’s death, a wolf whom she had barely conversed with, Atriell had watched from the shadows; never once daring to confront the fallen wolfess’ family and offer her condolences. It was not her place, and there was nothing she could hope to say that would make it better, not from a she-wolf they barely knew. Third was the youngest litter from the ever elusive and morbid shaman, who overtly and outright detested Atriell, for reasons unknown to her.

Atriell, in her usual manner, responded with collected indifference. All but one inherited tell-tale traits from Vorilye—the unmistakable gold plated jaw and unusual markings—shown most of all in the largest and blatantly strongest in both personality and physicality: Valeria. Her softer, younger sister, Zofia, still carried her father’s looks in part, but had a gentleness about her neither of her parents displayed. Lastly was the male by the name of Atlas, a bastard pup according to the pack gossip she had managed to pick up.

Much secrecy shrouded the revered patriarch of Descai, secrets that she couldn’t help but be curious about. She had told herself she wouldn’t seek out Vorilye, but his howl had inexplicably changed her course of action. Breaking from her thoughts and curiosities, she drew nearer to the alpha’s presence. A subtle delineation came to clarity as her vision adjusted to the shadows that stretched over the lake, and mentions of the island that existed at the center of the lake came to mind briefly before curiosity overtook her.

“Vorilye.” Her voice was just above a whisper, and her tone was breathless and uncertain; a tone that was foreign to her. Atriell had only ever seen the powerful wolf act with poise and composure and certainly never in such a state of disarray. Witnessing a wolf’s vulnerability usually sent shudders of disgust through her, especially from such a normally self-possessed individual, but she found no disgust within her, only a pang of something long-forgotten- sympathy. Her sympathy was useless however, as despite her best efforts; she couldn’t summon any tendril of wisdom or sentiment to comfort him.

She couldn’t remember the last time she comforted a wolf or been in such a situation that would require it, and she found herself grasping for past experiences within her that would allow her to handle this. She could come up with nothing, and she hated herself for her shortcomings and inadequacies. “I’ve often thought,” she began, uncertainty evident in her voice until she cleared it, “that there’s a special beauty to be found in decay.”

She didn’t say sorry. She knew he didn’t need sorry. He needed vengeance, closure. She knew then, that it was the right decision not to leave earlier. It would have been the perfect time to slip away unnoticed, but she hadn’t. Something stopped her. He certainly didn’t need her help in finding the ones who hurt the late beta, but a part of her thought that maybe he’d want her help, and that same part knew she’d be by his side in a heartbeat to help him exact justice. Forcing herself to relax her tensed muscles and let her pelt lie flat, she advanced towards his massive frame tentatively, approaching him with caution in case he didn’t want her company. “She had lovely eyes. Your son, he shares them. Your daughter echoes her daring, and her strength continues through Sypher. I see her in them. I see her in Ryker as well.”

“In them, she lives on.”


Help me believe it's not the real me
Somebody help me tame this animal

~~~~

words;; 2,658 words, not including the lyric excerpts on the top and bottom of the post from Animal I Have Become by Three Days Grace.
tagged;; Vorilye 
musical inspiration(s);; Too lazy to list >.<
muse;; It's been terrible for a good month or two, but I FINALLY managed to finish a post for Ell. 
notes;; I'm SOOO sorry about how long this took, I've been so busy with so many different things. My muse is getting better though so expect quicker replies and lots of plotting goodness! :D Thanks for being patient xP

[Vorilye]

As the sweet music that was Atriell's voice let loose his name, Vorilye could not lift his head to meet her eyes. He was trapped in his own personal version of hell. Everything he cared about withered away and was lost. How could he bring himself to care about her, lest she suffer the fate that was all of those who surrounded him? Yet even with his internal conflict, he found himself stilled, albeit slightly, by her presence. The snowy femme was the epitome of what he wished he could maintain, and here he was showing off his vulnerability to all those within earshot. How could he have been so stupid? It could not be escaped. It could not be left behind. Everything that Vorilye was and had been was swirling in on him at once, and the convergence was about to push him over the edge.

The alpha's golden eyes snapped up to the loyal female as she spoke the most comforting words that he could have been privileged to hear. She offered no apologies. She did not seek to draw him from him mourning. Instead, she provided the fresh perspective of Shayde's existence in those around him. It was true that she had been a motherly figure to the whole pack. Never mind that she was the mother of a quarter of the pack. Ryker looked upon her with more respect than he ever had his own mother, the male was sure of it. And as Vorilye peered into the swirling eyes of Descai's most confusing member, the self-loathing slowly drifted away. Something about this particular wolf was different. She was nothing like he could have imagined. Or, perhaps, she was too much like the one he held so near and dear.

"The death of one will bring about the life of another," the golden male murmured softly, his eyes following every movement of the smaller female. "Shayde was one of the best things to ever happen to this pack. For once, I did not feel like I was alone among the pack of mongrels," he spat angrily; for some reason he did not have the heart to chase out the less than desirable wolves, as the more their numbers dwindled, the more danger his family would be in. "And then you came around, Atriell. You are the single most confusing, enchanting, and devastatingly beautiful soul that I have ever seen," he purred uncharacteristically. Every bone in his body was screaming to force the feelings of loss and destruction back away. He could not allow himself to appear as affected as he truly was to those of the pack. "Your wisdom is unrivaled. You have lived many lives in your years on this Earth, and yet somehow you still remain as strong and firm as the day I met you," he mused, a wicked smile curving across his lips. A sudden urge to test her will overshadowed the male. She was of his pack, was she not?

She is yours to take, the voice in his head taunted instantly. What is to stop you? You are the Alpha... her protector. You can do no wrong here. Why do you hold yourself back? The ravenous voices swirled around him as he narrowed his gaze on the femme. What if they were right? It had helped when his other son had been murdered... What would it matter if he chose to indulge himself upon the death of another he held near and dear?

Yet somehow, Vorilye reined in the angry titans that commanded him to act. They were not his keeper, nor would forcing himself upon an injured female earn him any sympathy points. She would be yet another wolf to claim to bear his pups elsewhere on Anikira, never to be seen again. She was too valuable to lose. She could help him raise this pack back to its former glory, before Kallik, Angel's indiscretion, and Sarin's whoring to the neighboring alpha. She was as pure as could be expected in this tainted little pack, and he could not ruin such magnetic beauty in a moment's error.

"None of the others understand, you know," he sighed in defeat, allowing his tensed body to relax once the demons settled back into him. "Everyone expected me to end up with Shayde," he laughed, a brief moment of humor flickering in the male's eyes before they grew dark once more. "I find that a female Beta is one of the most powerful weapons in a pack. She is able to win over the others in a way that I cannot. She can sway those who may balk at the sight of a dominant male, and the manipulation is unmatched in any male I have ever met." He spat out the words before he ever realized they had slipped from his jowls. Femmes could not be trusted. They were all untrustworthy and out to manipulate him. Except Shayde.

"You remind me of someone... Someone I have not seen in many years. I hope that you continue to prove me wrong, as I care for your company far more than I had hoped," he admitted gruffly, licking his lips in anticipation. He could not dash these hopes. He wanted this goddess to stay with Descai, and he hoped an enticement of power could persuade her to remain. Vorilye was not a fool; he could sense the flightiness about Atriell, and that disturbed him. It would not bode well if he had to go hunting down his angel once more, now would it? Already she had come to him injured, and he refused to allow such harm to come to her again. Within his borders, he could watch over her more closely, and he could keep her from befalling a similar fate to his Beta.

With a solemn pause, the male continued. "You show great promise, Atriell. You have a leader's heart, and I hope you will do me the honor of standing at my side as my Beta." He allowed himself to look away from the femme and watch as the almost silent wind rippled the surface of the lake. Many fled from Descai's borders, but he hoped that this one would not follow. She could bring them higher than ever before. She could bring him higher.

---

Count | 1053 words
Muse | Really good.
Tags | @atriell
Notes | I can't even explain how excited I was to see your post. This went way different than I expect from Vor, but that's actually okay with me lol. Glad your muse is coming back <3 <3

[Deleted]

Borders and horizon lines
We’re alone but side by side
We're yet to dream we're yet to dream
Nothing here is what it seems

Perhaps she had made a mistake, coming to Vorilye in such a time. She felt uncomfortably intrusive, as if she was hidden and seeing the alpha through a shockingly new lens. Atriell could almost feel the passion emanating off the male as if it were tangible, and she flinched as his eyes suddenly locked with hers. Atriell had always equipped a well-rehearsed appearance, with no slip-ups in her composure and without revealing any emotion that shed a vulnerable light on her. However, Vorilye had a knack for catching her off guard. She found herself increasingly less sure of what front to put up around with him, and was left with putting no front up at all. Atriell had avoided the urge to avert her attention from his intense gaze, but the raw emotion pulsing in his eyes had become too much for her.

Lately she had found it more difficult to meet his gaze, afraid the male’s reaming golden sight would expose her for all she was. She was almost sure he would be disappointed with what he found. With ears pricked, Atriell pretended to place her focus elsewhere, but she held him firmly in her periphery. The life of another? What is he insinuating… she questioned, her black-rimmed orbs contracting to analytical slits. Instinct told her his conversation was leading somewhere; there was a certain cadence in his voice that told there was more to be spoken. As he spoke of Shayde, spoke of feeling alone, she silently recognized his affliction potentially more than he could foresee. The pain of being alienated among a crowd was a sensation far too familiar to her.

Loneliness had settled into her mind for far too long now; how badly she wanted it to surcease, to let up on her weary psyche for just a while… Would it be so wrong to allow herself to rest, to fabricate warmth in another’s company? However fleeting the company might be was inconsequential; she knew nothing of what it meant to stay, to indulge in security. As Vorilye spoke again and his ingratiation became apparent to her, she wanted so badly to melt into them and stay there forever, to hang onto them because they warmed the frigid abyss that existed within her. An expression of shock had flooded onto her once unflinching features as her guard fell momentarily, her surprise transparent in her raised ears and widened, crystalline eyes.

A flood of warmth was triggered by his soothing words, as calm as the rhythmic crashes of waves reaching Drarynough’s shore. It was alarming how easy it was to get tangled up in his words, how easy it would be to believe the compliments that romanced her ears. And as her fixation returned to his expression, heat flared in her chest at the wicked smirk on his maw. But with the sudden constriction of his eyes, insecurity quelled the fervency spreading like a wildfire over her. Was he appraising her, scrutinizing her? All emotion drained from her countenance until she appeared hollow and impassive. She knew better than to trust his words, to trust anyone’s words. The she-wolf was no stranger to wolves with ulterior motives, and shame burned her cheeks in having let her semblance lapse. Hardened, glittering fragments of ice replaced her formerly fervent, desirous gaze, a physical shift occurring as she folded back into herself; the cocoon of indifference she had once thought so impervious struggling to reform.

As she was carefully reconstructing this collected demeanor, Vorilye seemed to have lost his, but for a moment; exhaling it from his gargantuan frame in an embittered sigh. A stranger looking upon the two of them would have found it amusing, she thought, just how ephemeral each of the wolves’ emotions were that night-- both having happened on each other in a state of emotional disarray. The weary male’s sigh shifted into the introduction of a new sentence; narrative that perpetuated her uncertainty for what was to come. Was he… confiding in her? She decided he wasn’t as the tenor of his inflection trembled with humor and a spark erupted in the embers of his chasmal stare. He was transitioning into something… but what? Frustration gnawed at her, disenchanted at just how complicated Vorilye was to read. Her intuition was successful with most everyone, but Vorilye proved most difficult to decipher.

At his admission she gave a forced smile and murmured in a hushed tone, “She would have made a wonderful mate.” Atriell recognized the enduring strength in the female, and although she had not become thoroughly acquainted with the former beta, she perceived that she had made a wonderful beta and mother, and certainly carried the power Vorilye described a female beta to have, though she seemed to lack the manipulation he included in his description… The timbre of his voice was jaded and hinted that he had much experience with manipulative females. The she-wolf could hardly take offense to it, seeing as she was proficient in the field of manipulation.

And a likeness to someone he once knew? Intrigue gathered at the back of her thoughts, almost eager to pursue just who this disembodied mention of a wolf was. Perhaps it was one of the many females he seemed to have as his cohorts, females that manipulated and beguiled and caused him to become so cynical in his views. Could this be the topic he was pursuing? Attempting to challenge her integrity? His pause sent queries circling in her head, all of which were answered as he ruptured the silence with his characteristic behavior of rendering her speechless.

Beta?!

His proposal permeated her with a myriad of what seemed like dozens of emotions, all blazing inside her simultaneously. She couldn’t disguise the look of panic that overcame her, which had since faded from the original bewilderment from the impact of his proclamation. Not long before finding the male she had debated leaving Descai, leaving him. Could he not sense what kind of wolf she was? She was certainly not the kind that stayed, the kind that devoted any part of herself to anyone but herself. Selfish, perhaps, but this devotion to her priorities rose out of necessity rather than preference. She needed to be selfish, she needed to protect herself. Being a loner required this, past experiences required this, and it was a sense of self she had become used to. In accepting this, she could not allow herself to leave. Atriell would have too great a responsibility to uphold. She would have more than her own protection, her own life to consider.

It was true that she had the leadership qualities he described, as she was preened from birth for a leadership position under her father’s careful and attentive watch. However, she never actually had the opportunity to hold the rank she was prepared so completely for. In truth, she hadn’t considered it a substantial loss at the time, but she was admittedly piqued at the idea of finding out what she had missed out on. And it wasn't just her curiosity that lead her to a decision, and not just the interest she harbored for him (which perhaps extended further than friendly admiration), but a realization that she owed him more than just her allegiance; she owed him her life. “Vorilye, you answered when I called, you took me in when I had nowhere else to go. If I accept this rank, it will be because of the debt I owe to you. I don’t see the potential that you see in me, but I will accept in the hopes that I might one day be worthy enough to see it too."

With unsure steps, she closed the space between the pair and elongated her neck to touch her muzzle briefly to his shoulder in a sign of respect before withdrawing. "It would be an honor to stand at your side as beta." She was still convinced he was caught up in a state of emotion and would denounce his bestowal of her new rank once he distanced himself of his grief. She knew what the rest of the pack would think, and she ascertained that she wouldn’t be welcomed into the rank. Atriell was given the uneasy task of following in the footsteps of a fallen she-wolf that had proven herself and earned the respect that she obtained from the pack. Atriell held the private thought that she had done little to deserve the honor Vorilye was bestowing upon her. The she-wolf couldn’t possibly take the place of someone the Alpha spoke so highly of, and instinct told her much of Descai wouldn’t want her to either.

A sudden fear struck her that maybe after he announced her rank and she accepted that the sovereign would dismiss her, having already given her duties to uphold. She didn’t want to be alone, not yet. She wanted him to stay. She had had an excess of solitude in the past few weeks, and at catching a glimpse of a more emotional Vorilye, she was intrigued to experience more. He was an enigma to her, perhaps as much as she was an enigma to him, despite their undeniable likenesses. “Maybe we can forget about everything… just for tonight?" As the words slipped unwittingly from her, she firstly wondered if she had just thought them in the confines of her mind, and then immediately regretted them when she realized that they were as corporeal as the two bodies reverberating with intensity by the darkening shore. “I mean, if you don’t have other wolves to attend to,” She interjected swiftly, attempting to lessen how… sentimental she sounded with a heavily apologetic tone and a dose of formality, only to be lightened by how liberating the idea of laying her burdens down sounded.

Atriell beamed an effervescent smile in the larger male’s direction, being overtaken with an unusual bout of lightheartedness. “Ever been to the island in the center of the lake?” She queried, a playful challenge laced in her intonations, silvery and subtle like morning mist still clinging to the air. Moving from his side, she let her fur brush his, the tip of her tail trailing behind to graze the underside of his jaw in a gesture to follow her. Recognizing the gesture’s potential to read as flirtatious, she hurriedly flicked her tail to the side and propelled her willowy frame in a quicker rhythm towards the water’s edge. Corrugated with ice, the whole loch appeared glassy and pointed with light from the reflection of stars on its surface. Peering back at him, a wolfish smile traced her lips as she lifted herself onto the ice, only faltering for a moment before finding her footing.

It was hard to appear graceful when her claws did little to help other than scrabble helplessly against the ice, but she quickly fell into a rhythm of picking her paws up purposefully with each step. It wasn't long before her paws found the island's shore, which was dotted with vegetation in the form of soaring evergreens, and the scent of pine buried itself in her fur. While waiting for him to reach the isle, her attention flickered from him and cast out to the depthless waters of Drarynough that showed through in patches-- speaking to his approaching audience. “You’re right to be wary of me, Vorilye. You know little of me. You accepted me into your pack without being fully sure of my intentions, sure of my past, sure of my affiliations…” Trailing off, her thoughts shifted to Solo, the affiliation she had been referring to, and realized with a renewed sting of hurt that he had done little harm to the pack.

In fact, it was what he hadn’t done that hurt Descai, hurt her… Solo had left in the pack’s time of need. Even her, with little sense of loyalty for any pack (after her negative experiences with them in the past) had honor enough not to leave in such a state of instability. But it wasn’t him leaving the pack that bothered her; she recognized that he bore no allegiance towards Descai, no fidelity, and she hadn’t expected him to form any, but didn’t he have any allegiance towards her? Thoughts and eyes were trained distantly away from the conversation, from Vorilye as she pondered this, but returned suddenly as she noticed her body had tensed and her claws had dug into the soft silt that composed the water’s edge.

Wheeling around, a sigh cascaded from her, and she glided into the pines, finding a place she had come to once before when she sought refuge from the noise of packlife. A clearing opened up before her, with the moon shining directly overhead. Forcing her physique to relax, her gaze poured over his like the waves that washed over the bank. “I don’t know if I can be the beta you’re seeking. I don’t know if I can be the wolf that you’re seeking.” Perhaps his vulnerability was contagious that night, as she felt herself unraveling more and more as the darkness matured. “Solo left; his scent crossed over the border. How do you know I won’t abandon the pack, abandon you as he did? I want to prove you wrong, more than you know, but I’ve known little else than the need to escape for as long as I can remember.”

She couldn’t reveal this knowledge to Vorilye without her voice being tinged with the betrayal she felt inside, and she couldn’t help the confessions that continued to manifest into vocalizations. A zephyr of wind tossed up in the atmosphere, its tendrils snaking through her long tresses as its hues blanched under the coming twilight. The land was graced with a rare warm front that suggested winter’s frigid hold was losing grip, but the ice on the lake still remained. Night had found them fast, starlight casting its gentle glow and outshone by the stolen light of the moon. The delineation of her lissome physique was outlined in effulgent moonlight as the shroud of cumulus passed from the orb. Her pelt flashed a pale golden and her eyes turned a celestial silver, taking on the appearance of the moon itself, and cratered with doubt in her expression. But another emotion cavorted on her mien, illuminated in a lustrous brilliance--longing. Peering at him from underneath her lashes, she let herself unravel in near completeness, giving in to the thoughts she had managed to subdue during the time she had spent in Descai.

“Vorilye... I-I want to be the one that you want."


Lead me to the edge of night
'Til the dawn the end of time
'Til the fire blazing light
Shines again within our eyes

~~~~

words;; 2,437 words, not including the lyric excerpts on the top and bottom of the post from Hearts Like Ours by The Naked and Famous.
tagged;; Vorilye
musical inspiration(s);; Hearts Like Ours by The Naked and Famous, Welcome to Oblivion by Madina Lake, Sextape by Deftones, Diamond Eyes by Deftones, Romantic Dreams by Deftones, Starry Eyed by Ellie Goulding, Guns and Horses by Ellie Goulding, This Love (Will Be Your Downfall) by Ellie Goulding, I'll Hold My Breath by Ellie Goulding, Your Call by Secondhand Serenade, Somewhere Only We Know by Keane, Eyes Closed by The Narrative, Cosmic Love by Florence and the Machine, Lovely Bones by Dead and Divine, Set The Fire To The Third Bar by Snow Patrol, Hey Zeus The Dungeon by Chiodos, Notes In Constellations by Chiodos, Candles by Daughter, Asleep by States, The Moon Song by Karen O, Now Now by Wolf, and Dreamers by Savoir Adore.
muse;; Done over a long period of time, so varying.
notes;; FINALLY got a new laptop, then had to get Microsoft Word, so I finished! I left it open for them to mate. So excited for puppies!! :3

[Vorilye]

It was amazing that, even after all this time, someone could still get through to the alpha male. Even with his great size, it was difficult for Vorilye to admit that he was weak. And yet instead of chasing off the smaller wolf, he found himself spilling his guts and feelings to the very wolf he wanted to see him as a strong and confident leader. Vorilye could never quite figure out why, but he had felt a pull to the fluffy stranger since their first meeting in the loner lands. And even with her within the ranks of his pack, he still sensed an air of mystery around her. Had she merely joined the pack due to her injury, or had she really wanted to be here? Vorilye wanted to know more about her, and yet he could not find the words to ask. So, once again, he remained silent. Though the years had drawn him out of his shell more and more, there was still an underlying insecurity left from the scars of his previous relationship. Betrayal, being disowned and cast away was enough to destroy the spirit of even the strongest wolves. And yet Vorilye persisted, only to find his spirit shattered by the death of one small, red wolf femme.

However, with Atriell's errant comment about Shayde's compatibility as a mate, he shrugged. "I suppose she might have been, though not for me," he confessed with a sigh. Shayde deserved much better than him, even though she was equally temperamental and moody. She had been a great companion, but everyone in the pack knew that the litter between the pair was nothing more than a union of convenience. They had been there to scratch an itch for one another and nothing more, otherwise there certainly would have been more little Shayde and Vorilyes running around and less Vorilye and Sarins or Vorilye and Kalliks.

"She was never quite my type. I'm into the more... mysterious types," he crooned with a twinkle in his eye, the first sign of life returning in weeks. It was then that his precious white beauty confessed her insecurities. How she did not believe she could be his beta, that she might not be able to commit as it was not in her nature. He watched with steely gaze as she admitted that Solo had abandoned the pack, yet he could not hold back the quiet snort of relief at that notion. He had never liked the male, yet Atriell might not have stayed if he denied the brute refuge. He was amused that she believed she could ever really walk away from him. "You will not leave me, my dear," he crooned, smirking slightly as he knew that he would be victorious in the long haul. "I will not rest until I find my angel once more, even if I have to search this entire continent."

It was more that Vorilye cared to admit; he had developed feelings for this sweet temptress before him, and it was a weakness he hoped would never overtake him again. He itched to draw closer to the blue-eyed beauty, craving to take her in completely. It was stronger than any pull he had felt to a female in years, even more so than his affections for Ithilwen. She was the epitome of a perfect specimen, and only she had managed to challenge him in ways that he did not know existed. It was with her quiet admission that Vorilye let go of all his inhibitions.

"Mine," he growled possessively, closing what little gap remained between them in one fell swoop. While he knew that it might have been more advisable to be gentle with the femme he now wholeheartedly believed he loved, he simply could not release himself from the primal instinct to mark his possession. He seized the his angel by the nape of the neck, drawing their bodies together in a closeness he had only dreamed would ever happen. As the two moved together, he found the elusive release, not just in a physical sense, but in that he could finally walk away from his demons. Those terrible doubts that had hovered over his head for years were slowly melting away, all due to the scared loner female he stumbled on more than a year ago on an impulsive trip to the loner lands.

"Be mine, Atriell. Be my mate."

---

Count | 737 words
Muse | Eh.
Tags | @atriell
Notes | So I finally finished this. Fail but success at the same time.