Omega: Broken Bonds
Omega: Broken Bonds
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[This is a continuance of Omega. While you *can* technically read this one without first reading the aforementioned, it might make a little bit more sense if you do. ]
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It was dark, cold.
From that very place he felt himself slowly drifting; up and out. He felt his essence coalesce and pool back into the rest of him; from his core to his limbs. Like the ripples formed and spreading of a stone breaking the surface of water, the bruising held hands and covered vast portions of flesh alongside the ache. Matted fur, stained by blood and licked with frost. A gaping red mouth, grinning down his side. These were all... fragments. Shapes and shards of the whole, crudely strung together to recreate the illusion of a being who wasn't suffering; who wasn't trying to piece shattered bits of self back together.
It was cold, dark.
Kithe blinked, though kept himself otherwise still - still laying where he'd... what was it he had been doing? Thoughts and recollections shuffled back with sharp throbs of pain. Panic set itself in soon after. How long had he been out? Was Skahl still near? How soon before something else happened? Why? ... A single track clumsily paved its way through the thick haze of his racing mind. And it was with a great deal of effort that he slowly started to drag himself from the spot where he'd been laying, unconscious, for any sum of untold hours.
Hide; he told himself. ... And somewhere passed there he lost himself to the other dark once again.
The grayform skies of the day lingered on, melding with the dim oncoming of dusk as it settled quietly along the horizon. Nightfall would descend soon; there was a certain flavor that came along with the passing breeze... a weight that settled to blanket the world. At least, to her, it seemed to be so. Dim eyes, bored and somber, surveyed the remnants of kills, fresh and long forgotten. A sordid sight, even with the pristine dressings of snow. ... Tan, white and gray splattered paws paced along the outer edges of what the pack lovingly termed the Pit. It was where the discarded remains of all their kills were thrown when they no longer provided any source of sustenance. The Pit had been there long before the alpha female could recall; something of a natural indentation upon the face of the earth. The alphas of generations past had claimed it to be a spot where the invisible life flow of the earth was more easily felt, as it was closer to the Unseen Heart of All Things. She did not know whether she believed all the stories of old or not, but she wasn't one to question the logic of her elders; living or otherwise. It felt right to her to let their remains settle there in that spot, though. It was as if they were letting the spirits of their meals return to the earth, to once more become one with its endless cycle. ... She could've pondered on such theories and philosophies for hours on end, but it was nearing the Time of Gathering. An event that occurred without hesitation or interruption every evening.
She gave one last longing look at the Pit before turning and shuffling off toward her pack's den, where even before she climbed on to a formation of stones and called out, members of her pack were returning. ... Yes, it was that time in the evening where slowly the pack began to drift back toward the welcoming coils of the den that was nestled deep in the mountain's side. A warm place. A safe haven. ... Hera's deep, echoing call drifted languidly from her upturned muzzle, asking that all her brethren come home for the night.
As the others came slinking back from distant places, undergrowth and swelling shadows they too joined in her call. It was a nightly ritual the whole pack shared in. The alpha female's lone howl soon became a vibrant choir that threatened to shake the unseen stars from their posts, high above the darkening clouds that sheltered even the crescent sliver of the moon from view. ... This cacophony of vocals proceeded along in wavering tones until the pack in whole was gathered. And when the chorus finally withered to a halt the days kills were drug out from their hiding places and tossed before the pack.
Hera slipped quietly off of the Calling Stones and joined a large, almost fully white wolf beside twin carcasses of elk. Her mate and alpha male, Rekth. He was nearly twice her size, had twice her strength... but three times less in the thought department. He had a good heart with a slightly flawed view of protecting the pack from any sort of danger. It caused him to not be around as much, always off and patrolling the lands... but she loved him, and cherished any moment she did get to spend by his side.
Rekth gave her a grin and a welcoming nudge of his body as he brushed up alongside her, nuzzling against her neck before gracing her muzzle with a caress of his smooth tongue. "Fancy seeing you here! Care to join me for dinner?" A quiet chuckle left his maw, which just had her shaking her head with a widening smile as she returned his affections. He thought he had a good sense of humor. And she just humored him for it.
"Dinner? Here with you? My, I'd have to think long and hard about that." A mocking thoughtful expression fluttered momentarily across her features before she huffed and playfully gave him a shove with her shoulder before the two settled in to eat their fill of the kill. ... The rest of the pack mingled about, yipping, yapping and playing around. It was the usual flow of happenings; gather, play, eat. Sleep was always an option after all that, but some kept awake through the night for various reasons.
As the alpha pair finished gnawing through fur, flesh and sinew; swallowing down only their needed amount in favor of letting their pack feast fully upon all that was left they sauntered off side by side, weaving through the furred forms of their brethren as they began to focus more on getting their share of meat for the evening than horsing around. It was their usual route after eating, something Hera and Rekth did almost unconsciously: They observed. It was in this fashion that they could tend to their pack mates, to make sure that all were fairing well enough.
That particular night though, observations were not taken as seriously as they most often were. Rekth, playful brute that he was, kept nudging Hera off toward the shadowed tree line; a low churning murr in this throat and the insistence in which he prodded Hera along telling her exactly what he wanted. She only laughed at his nips and nuzzles at first, but it wasn't long before she felt the stirrings of heat in her loins as his muzzle brushed along her hind quarters. As warm bodies neared the line of bark gilded towers she finally let out a low growl and grabbed Rekth by the side of his neck; a mawful of fur latched on to as she tugged him into a shrouded space. ... Muzzles tilted from the reddening ground near the kill as a few sets of curious eyes briefly watched their alphas slip from view. A few smirks; a snort from one female, then it was back to the task at hand - eating.
Hera exhaled into her mate's neckfur, toppling over nearly as soon as the trees covered them from sight. He was right there on top of her as she pawed playfully up at him, claws raking over his chest and down to his belly. Hindlegs kicked up lightly as he leaned down to nip at her shoulders; soft pawpads pressing against his waist and dragging down to press teasingly, momentarily against the growing bulge hidden still in the warm confines if Rekth's sheath; then harder, back near his waist as she used the ground as leverage, rolling back and heaving up to toss him over her. He yipped in surprise, landing on his back with a grunt as air escaped him. She was quick to her paws, circling around without giving him time to rise. Her muzzle brushed along his groin, nipping faintly here and there as her sleek form slid across his; maw rubbed along his own as her tongue fervently lapped over his chin and snout.
Rekth let her have her way for a bit, as he enjoyed her attentions full heartedly. It was just one of those nights though where his urge was far too overwhelming for their usual games, and soon he easily tossed her up and over his body much as she had to him moments before. As he rolled to his paws, he did give her time to recover. She growled and darted straight toward him; tail swishing wildly back and forth. Hera leapt up and made an attempt to pounce upon her mate, but found he'd already predicted her movement; slidding beneath her form as she flew over him. And when she landed... he was there, strong jaws latching on to the back of her neck. She gasped at his sudden insistence, pulling her body beneath his. He usually wrestled with her for a while more before taking her, but she never faulted him for the times when he cut the play short. The fact that he simply wanted her time and time again made her content.
A deep murr burrowed up from the depths of his throat as his lengthening shaft was rubbed rhythmically between her warm thighs. He felt her body shiver beneath his and arch so that they were pressed closer. ... For a few unbearable moments he teased her with the tip of his shaft, pressing in just enough to spread her damp opening. When she finally growled and bucked back against him, he took her then; sliding easily despite his size into her. His already growing knot ground harshly up against her as he rolled his hips; groaning into her neck as saliva matted her fur. She shivered around his length, whining softly as he began to thrust with such need into her. It was that burning need that she would forever feed; not simply because they were a pair and she was his as much as he her's... but because she wanted to. Needed to, herself.
Paws dug into the earth beneath the cold snow as she supported a portion of his weight, tongue lolling out the side of her maw as she panted lightly, breath a fog of ghosts and spilling off and away as she felt the rising heat of their pre-copulation. Rekth's teeth grazed along her neck, moving from spot to spot; lashes of his tongue mixed with nips and tugs of flesh and fur. Her incoherent sounds to his actions exciting him all the more as he pushed himself harder against her, wanting more than anything for their joining and his release. His body quivered in anticipation and nearing climax; and she felt his movements become jerky, telling signs that it was almost time.
With a great huff Hera shoved herself back against him as he thrust forward; his knot ridding heavily up against her opening. It caused her to yip at first as its girth spread her wider... it hurt, but only for a moments worth as soon after her body was gripped tightly to her mate's as he spasmed; locking jaws on the back of her neck as his warm seed spilling inside of her. Something of a purr churned in her throat as her muscles squeezed around him, soft whines given as she made attempts to nuzzle her head back against his despite his hold on her neck.
They remained pressed close for a time before he slid off of her, turning to face the opposite direction with a great huff as their bodies kept locked together. The movement causing him to shiver some, though it brought a satisfied smile across his features. He craned his head to one side and peered back at her; that beautiful figure that was his. "...They looked well tonight, don't you think?"
"Mmn?" It took a sweeping number of seconds for her to comprehend his words as she tilted her head to peer back at him, clarity slowly crawling back into place. "Yes... they did." She grinned at him, loving the transition of thoughts.
Rekth chuckled lightly. "So I take it there were no major problems today?"
"None. The pups are as rambunctious as ever. Lier and Calhoun are bickering at each other again, but that's nothing new. The rest seem to be doing well." She glanced up into the dark branches of the surrounding trees, thinking back to the prior events in the day.
"Heh... those two. They probably enjoy it." He smirked, then frowned, peering down at his forepaws. "...So, Yuri followed me while I was out marking the grounds again."
Hera's ears perked at his hesitated news, then sighed, shaking her head some. "You're ignoring her, I hope?"
"Yeah... well. I'm doing my best. She's very persistent, as you know."
Ears twitching, Hera huffed out a breath. "I don't know what we're going to do with her. She's ignoring Skahl more and more frequently. I just don't want it to turn into something ugly."
Rekth nodded, raising his head to gaze off through the underbrush and toward the den where the rest of the pack was still gathered, some still picking at whatever was left of the meat from the elk carcasses. Yuri was, as Hera's tone pointed out, becoming a problem. She was utterly in love with Rekth and just about everyone knew it. Skahl especially. And Rekth had noted the change in his demeanor more frequently as of late. The beta male was becoming increasingly more aggressive. There were several possible outcomes the alpha male could think of to resolve the situation... and none of them were to his liking.
An inkling of honesty was about to have words falling from his maw to split the sudden silence when he felt a slack between their bodies and his wet shaft slid free from his mate. Before his thoughts could recollected he felt himself nudged and gave in to being toppled over on to his side. With a little more insistence he was rolled on to his back, ears perking as he peered up at Hera. She just smiled at him and crawled on top of him as before, though she quickly turned about with a soft, affectionate murr and began washing her tongue over his groin. Rekth shuddered, squirming slightly. He couldn't quite recall the last time it was when she offered to clean him when they were finished. Murring deeply he craned his head and returned the favor, grazing his tongue over her her hind quarters and the soft recesses beneath her bushy tail.
All the while, something like regret was worming its way slowly through his veins. And it continued through out the night, even as they returned to their pack and most shuffled into the confines of the den for the night. ... He was far too stubborn to let it take him fully and unaware.
Morning broke the wall of gray from days past with warming rays of light that spilled down through the canopy of the trees; sparkling along the fields of snow and shards of ice. Mere hours into the lightening day the clouds had moved on from the visible portion of sky, leaving a vast expanse of open blue. The sun was a welcoming sight, throwing even the murkiest of expressions into pleasant arms. Some of the night mongers sulked off into the dark recesses of the den to sleep the day away while the rest of the pack went off to enjoy the first clear day since Autumn's recession. Rekth had already headed out to take the first round of his daily trek to the outskirts of their territory; Hera noted. It didn't surprise he. He was usually up before dawn rolled in; though she attributed his late rising this morning to their activities last night... thinking of which, brought a smile cross her features as she stretched out in a pool of radiant light near the Calling Stones. It really was a lovely day, so much that she gave in to satisfying her urge to go wander off and take a long romp through the forest.
Green, brown and white. All was a blur as Hera raced through the snow covered lands, all senses alert and taking in everything around her. Birds chirped somewhere off and to the left, but their song quickly faded into the distance and was replaced by the slow trickle of water. Over a crest of ground Hera bolted, coming to run alongside a small brook that was fed by a medium sized waterfall that weaved down the mountainside miles back near the den. It had been a long time since she had followed that very stream to where it pooled into a lake. She had no intention of tracing it that far that day, so after a minute she veered off from its side and thrust back into the scattered tree line.
Her pace slowed as she grew a bit tired; exerting a good deal of energy already. She didn't mind, however. It was such a nice day that she felt she could flop over anywhere and take a nap. ... Snout soon came to greet the ground, shoveling up snow to sniff at the soil beneath; she breathed of the strong earthen scent for a time as she trotted along; then raised her head to take in the scent of her surroundings. Faint smell of deer led her to note a few patches of hair matted to a tree trunk where one had probably rubbed up against to relieve and itch. The scent of running water was still near enough for her to discern; damp moss; pine and stone. ... Weaving herself around a patch of evergreen shrubs she paused to sniff at them, noting something familiar but not quite being able to place it. It was then her gaze drifted across broken ground and stains of red. Curiosity had her inspecting closer when the second familiar scent assaulted her nostrils. She inhaled deep, ears perking as her head snapped up suddenly. Kithe! She'd thought she had just missed seeing him last night or that perhaps he was hidden from view or hanging back from the pack like he usually did, waiting for everyone to finish before skulking in to pick at the remains. ... His scent was all over here. His blood. Patches of his fur. ... No, now that she had a clear picture of the prior night in her head she hadn't seen any sign of him. Hadn't picked his peculiar vocalization out of the joined packs choir as they gathered for the evening; nothing. It worried her; even though he was Omega and his status came with certain unpleasantries; she stilled cared for him, just like any other member of her pack. She was his to protect. Her's and Rekth's.
Whining, she gave a sharp bark, followed by another when no reply came at her first. Hera growled lowly, pacing a moment before following the stains of red where it seemed something had been dragged off. ... The trail led quite a ways before it ended abruptly; dropping off to a tear of frozen brown earth where an old tree stood, half leaning in a direction, roots curled and risen above the earth to form a hollow beneath its trunk. It was as if the earth was keeping it upright rather than to let gravity let it fall. Kithe's scent was stronger here, and Hera hurried toward the hollow, giving another, softer bark. ... Something stirred, hidden away from the sun's light. A weak gurgle of noise. Barking sharply, more of surprise than anything Hera darted forward and wedged her body into the rather large hollow, her snout bumping up against a furred body that jerked at the sudden touch. She whined and let her warm tongue flick across the muddy haunch that was all she could currently reach; a soft nip following as she backed up, an insistent grunt given.
Slowly, painfully... the male squirmed his way up and out of the hollow, flopping uneasily onto a side as if the exertion was too much. Light spilled over Kithe's body, highlighting his abused frame. Hera's ears and tail drooped as she came to lay beside him, nudging and nuzzling. There was a scent all over him not his own... just like the first she'd came across near the evergreen shrubs. Putting that thought aside he licked at the omega's wounds. "Kithe... you look awful. What happened?" Awful wasn't quite the word she had wanted to use, as he looked much worse for wear. But it was ultimately her choice to silently freak out; thoughts spinning around as she carefully groomed, cleaned and took note of her pack mate's injuries.
He didn't speak at first, so much as whine; twitching some when her tongue ran over wounded areas were claws had raked through fur to draw blood. "Sk-rrr..." Kithe coughed with a small yelp as if it hurt; shivering slightly now that he was out in the cold and not in the warm closeness of the hollow. "Skahl..." He managed to finally get out, ears pressed back against his skull. Hera's brow furrowed at the name, and she finally placed it with the other familiar scent.
"Skahl? He did this? Why? ... You're not the type to provoke anyone." Hera huffed, shaking her head as she nudged Kithe over onto his other side despite his soft growling protests. "You're a mess."
Kithe favored his hind section, gurgling out a string of incoherence before coughing again. "...No reason." He felt defensive, and it showed.
Growling low, Hera cleaned down from his shoulder pausing once she reached his other hind leg. She snorted as she cleaned around that area, particular scent stronger on that side. Unmistakable scent. Displeasing. "Think you can force yourself to move? I don't know when Rekth'll be back from his patrol... and I can't just leave you here. Come on..." She nipped and tugged once at his shoulder but was ultimately startled by the low chuckle behind her and to the right. About the same time she whirled around to see who it was, Kithe whined faintly and did his best to remain behind her. He saw who it was. And he did not like the look in the male's eyes.
Skahl sauntered nonchalantly near, despite Hera's warning growl; a grin slowly spreading over his muzzle. "Why... Hera! A pleasure to see you all the way out here. Found the poor little thing, did you? Tsk, tsk. Such a mess! Don't tell me you're going to drag him all the way back to the den yourself? Better to just leave him here to..." The snapping of jaws in his face cut Skahl abruptly off from finishing his sentence. He only raised his head slightly, ears perked, tail flicking from one side to the other. "Shouldn't you have other things to worry about than this low life?"
Hera snorted, eyes narrowed. How dare he take that tone with her! "Just what position do you think you hold?! If you think for one second you can even fathom taking my mate's pl-..."
It was Skahl's turn to cut her off with a harsh laugh. "Your mate? Rekth? Hmph. Do you even know what he's doing right now?"
"Of course. He's on patr-..."
"Patrolling the lands, mn? You're either doing your best to hide it because you don't want the truth or you're an idiot." Skahl grinned at the confused expression that clouded her features, shaking his head as he paced slowly around her, gaze twitching over to Kithe for a moments worth just to make the omega squirm; which he succeeded in doing. "...Yuri's been sneaking off with him for the better passing of two moons. And you think nothing of that?" Skahl sneered, making it a point to brush past her, giving a small nudge; testing her response. Hera stood there, staring hard at the beta male trying to decide whether or not he was speaking the truth.
"He wouldn't... he's not the type to... he..." Hera growled and finally leapt forth, smacking a paw against the side of Skahl's head. The male let himself be knocked over. He let her stand above, take the role of the esteemed alpha bitch. "You will dispense with these lies, Skahl. Or so help me I will...!"
"You'll what?" He smirked, almost scoffing up at her, which wasn't in his best interest to be doing... but he simply couldn't help it! "Tear my throat out, mn? Then what? You'll run home, back to him... just to find out he's been neglecting time with you to spend it with that bitch." Skahl nearly spat the last word out, a deep growl boiling in his throat. "Don't believe me? Go find him. I'll even make it easy for you. ... Last I saw him he was off East, near the Standing Stones. And he didn't seem at all to mind Yuri's attentions. Of course, I didn't care to stick around to watch them..."
Something of a roar erupted from Hera's maw as she dug her claws into Skahl's chest hard enough for blood to begin welling up around her paw, staining the white. "Silence!"
Skahl winced, but the grin remained for a moment longer before his expression soured and he simply stared up into the seething features of his alpha. "...As I said. Go see for yourself. You waste your anger on me... you'll have none left for the bitch and that so-called mate of yours."
Hera didn't want to believe him... but it was the look in his eyes, crazed and snotty as it was... just behind that, there was something else there. Hurt, perhaps? Truth? ... Her mind raced with thoughts; options. Actions; reactions. She struggled, body shivering before she tore her paw from his chest and took off into the underbrush toward the Eastern part of their territory. And not one look was given back towards Kithe.
The light grew dim as the sun began its descent, bright rays marred now by the peaks of the surrounding mountains. ... Approaching dusk was the last thing on Hera's mind as she raced through the trees, bark encrusted bodies blurring past her as she weaved through part of the land she didn't know. Did she even know where she was going? Doubt began to creep its way into her skull as she made her way toward the place Skahl had said he'd seen Rekth and Yuri. And still she had trouble believe his words, but here she was, aiming to find out if it was all indeed true. And Kithe? She'd just left him there! ... Scolding herself, she pressed on. No regrets. That's how she had chosen to live. Right?
The trees began to thin out as she got closer to her perceived destination, and as she finally broke out of the forest to the awkward clearing where the Standing Stones loomed she found herself very much alone. The shadows and the fading orange glow were all that greeted her upon her arrival. The stones stood, erected in an impossible fashion. She'd only been here a few times before, long ago and rarely since. She wasn't quite sure why, but the stones just made her feel unsettled and out of place. Regardless, she snorted and craned her neck toward the earth, sniffing about the area; ears perked and tail swishing about in an irritated fashion. ... They had been here. Recently. ... Hera went with what instinct told her, following an unseen path that wove its way up through a small cresting of hills. She recognized the place... he'd brought her here a long time ago when they'd first became the alpha pair. The hills came to a small, grassy knoll that gave a wonderful view of the expansive skies. ... She cared little for that view now.
A sharp yip brought her attention to full as she came up the last rise; hackles raising and head lifting as ears perked. Hera froze at the apex, staring down at the two bodies locked together in the snow covered grass. As much as she had wanted to disregard Skahl's words... she couldn't. Not now. ... Rekth breath came out in heavy droves of fog that filtered up and into the atmosphere, a deep satisfied chuckle rumbling from his throat as he gazed over his shoulder at the beta female; Yuri. ... A seething, low growl dripped from Hera's throat and it had the two unaware wolves jumping back in surprise, awkwardly given their copulation. Rekth opened his maw to speak, but Hera cut him off sharply as she descended toward their position. "I don't exactly wish to hear your words right now." A fiery snarl had the male looking elsewhere.
"You..." Hera's gaze locked on to Yuri, who had a pleased grin on her face as if she expected Hera to be too shocked to do anything.
"I guess I'm taking your place now, mn? He likes me better. Right, Rekth? Tell her."
The male didn't respond. He kept his gaze distant. This was exactly what he didn't want. ... Testing his ability to move away from the two, he found himself still unable as he was still quite stuck inside Yuri.
"Oh, you're not taking anyone's place, dear." Yuri scoffed, still smug; though her expression changed drastically when Hera slammed a paw into the side of her face. The blow had the beta female staggering back and falling to her side, yelping as it hadn't only hurt her face. The male growled low, being tugged in that fashion; he feared this was going to be increasingly uncomfortable.
"Hera..." Rekth finally worked up the will to look at her, but she she snarled at him and struck Yuri again.
"You seem to forget that if you want my position, bitch... you have to take it." Hera growled and pounced on top of the other female who began to squirm beneath her in attempts to flee. Those attempts, however, were fruitless. It only hurt her all the more. ... Hera's claws dug into the beta's skin, past the fur and drew blood. The alpha didn't waste any time in going for the neck, clamping jaws down on the jugular. That's how they had taught her to bring down a kill to feed. It worked then. It would work here just as well. The beta female began to thrash around, leading to her uncoupling roughly from Rekth who yipped at the sudden freedom and stumbled off a few feet before regaining balance and whirling around to watch Hera jerk Yuri around like a rag doll.
Hera tossed Yuri to the side; the beta gasping for air that had trouble entering her lungs by this point. Her legs were shaking; her whole body on the verge of collapsing. Blood splattered in increasing amounts over the snowy ground, which only served to make it appear so much worse. Rekth just stared, quietly watching the scene. What good would it do him to turn around and leave at this point? He steeled himself against the coming storm and let his gaze drift from the two females to the skies above; watching the orange glow of the sun burn the line of the horizon.
"You don't have all it takes to be an alpha. It shows just how ill you are... doing this behind my back." Yuri sputtered incoherent words, trying to rise, but Hera knocked her right back down. "You don't have the strength. And you sure as hell don't have the brains. You're nothing!" Hera snapped at the bleeding beta, ripping tufts of fur from neck and shoulders, skin and flesh from bone. She didn't so much as go straight for the kill as mutilate it before hand. Claws raked over the struggling female's sides, down into the tender underbelly where they dug in further, tearing wide open a gaping wound. Like a writhing mass of snakes Yuri's insides spilled, steaming in the cold air on to the ground. Her lungs raced to try and replace the fleeting oxygen. Her mind panicking all the while as he body refused to move; her attacker refusing to cease her assault.
"F-ff.. uc..k... y-you..." Yuri coughed forth, gurgling past a mawful of blood that splattered across Hera's face as she finally returned to the bitch's tanned throat. Jaws clamped down; head jerked back. Sinew and flesh tore. More blood spilled. The head dropped lifelessly to the ground as muscles could no longer support the weight. Hera spat the chunk of meat out of her maw and growled, kicking bloodied snow at the decimated carcass.
"You wish." She sneered and turned from the sight, too disgusted with it to further tear it to pieces, though she wanted to. She wanted to reduce it to something no one would ever recognize. Chest heaving; adrenaline still pumping she let her mind focus before her attention fixated on Rekth. "You're... still here...?" She hadn't exactly been paying mind to her surroundings and figured he would have vacated the premise.
Rekth stole his gaze from the horizon, the sun but a subtle ember burning just beneath the dividing line of earth and sky. Since he had known her, he'd never seen her come close even being remotely that angered. His ears folded back against his skull, tail wisely tucked between hind legs. "Would it have done me any good to leave?"
She huffed at him and spat on the ground again, finding the coppered taste of the other female's blood repulsive. "No, I suppose not."
"So..."
"...Shut it." Hera barked, and he did. "We're going back. It's past time to call the pack in."
The alpha male blinked, eyes following his counterpart as she strode past him and up the incline of a hill. She was serious? Shoulders were rolled in a stretching shrug as he picked himself up and followed behind her. He had enough sense in him to not stand beside her just then. Part of it stemmed from the regret that came flooding back; the same that had kept him up most of last night. No, he didn't question her actions. Perhaps it was her right to have done what she did? Regardless... he followed her back to their den. Her den. It had always been more her's than his. He was just the muscle... and he knew it.
She was alpha.
Skahl waited to rise until the crashing of Hera's departure faded into the distance, his gaze drifting along the snow covered ground until it came to rest on Kithe who just stared blankly back as if he didn't quite believe he'd just been left alone with the other male. Without a word, she had just left him there. No promises. No nothing.
"Well, now... I wasn't sure if you would've survived the night! I'm... heh, heh... honestly surprised!" Skahl began to pace in a circle about the omega, staring down into those terrified eyes that watched his every move. "Perhaps you're not as weak as I thought... not that it matters..."
Kithe gulped down a ragged breath of air, ears folded back against his skull. "W-what... do you... want... now? G-go... L-leave me... alone... p-please." As if pleading would do him any good, Kithe shook his head slowly. "Y-you've done... enough!"
Skahl just gave a sharp laugh and hastily nipped at Kithe's flank, causing the omega to whine. "Enough? I've not done nearly enough. When I'm done, you'll know..." He seemed to pause there for a moment as if considering his statement. "Well... maybe, but probably not." The beta male stepped over Kithe's curled body and leaned in close, nudging his muzzle against his pack mate's ear, caressing his tongue over the soft fur. "You know, Kithe... you should have said something far earlier. It's too late now. But, honestly... what did it gain you to keep such secrets to yourself, mn?" Skahl tugged the smaller wolf until he had him flat on his back; a heavy paw pressed down against his stomach. "...It was very amusing how I found out, you know. Hah... she hasn't spoken to me in weeks, yet all of a sudden this morning she feels the need to tell me how she feels. Apparently I don't care enough for her. Apparently I'm too distant from her. Apparently..." He growled low, muzzle pressed very close to Kithe's. "...Apparently I'm no longer good enough! And above all else, she's seen you around a few times when she'd go off with Rekth! So don't think for one second to try and tell me you know absolutely nothing!" Skahl hissed and pulled back from the male, letting him up if he wished. "...It wasn't quite enough to have her tell me about the whole situation, no. No, no." Skahl shook his head from side to side, tail twitching along in the opposite. "How many times. When it started. How it made her feel so good. ... And all this time I just thought nothing of her going off like that and not saying where she'd been! But you!" Skahl had turned, more speaking to himself than Kithe for the last few moments, but his destination was once again redirected to the appropriate target. "You knew! You didn't tell me? You didn't tell Hera? I would have thought in the very least you would have told her. I suppose I was mistaken in that thought as well."
Kithe slowly and unsteadily got his paws beneath himself and rose from the ground, faltering but managing to shake himself off. "I... I couldn't... H-he... Rekth..."
"What? He told you if you said anything he'd do what? Send you away, exile you? Kill you?" Skahl snorted.
"No... he... he said he'd... take care of it... he..." A fierce snarl from the beta was enough to cut him off.
"This whole thing could have been taken care of in a more fashionable manner if you'd only said something earlier! Which brings me back to the fact that you're still absolutely good for nothing! Hera and I... we could have protected you, I'm sure. Rekth is big, but he's not the be-all, end-all wolf of the world. You... it's... all your fault..." Skahl trailed off with a strand of incoherence that had Kithe freezing in place, motionless; just staring. Was it really all his fault?
Kithe blinked slowly, muscles twitching. "H-how... how is it... my fault? It... can't possibly be... no. She s-stops... loving you... a-and you blame me? B-bull... that's bullshit... Skahl."
There was a long space of silence between the two males. Skahl had lifted his head, eyes fixated on Kithe's who, for once in his life didn't look away. The dark furred male growled and spat. "I'm blaming you anyway. You want to know why?"
Kithe opened his maw to retort with some form of a statement but found that as he'd raised his head, he was unable to form the words. They stuck in his throat. Skahl was no longer in front of him either. No. ... His chest felt suddenly warm, his legs weak. His vision was blurry; dizzy. Blinking, Kithe found himself collapsing to the ground, body brushing against Skahl's. When had he gotten so close? Words came, or what were supposed to be words... instead, just a bloody gurgle. Was this his blood? It must've been. ... Kithe stared at the pair of paws in front of him for the longest time. Longer than he'd ever watched anything ever before. He watched until he forgot why it was he was still watching. Until he forgot what it was he was exactly looking at. Until he forgot why he was still awake when he felt so tired. ... His last breath left him; body spasmodic as muscles convulsed and gave up. His blood soaked into the ground, and still standing above him; Skahl observed the omega's death with all the grace and dignity of one who thought they had just done a great service to the world.
"...You never mattered, you know? Just a piece in a shitty puzzle. But it feels... so much better to blame someone. Too bad there aren't more of you around. I'd have myself a damn field day." Tongue grazing over his own muzzle briefly, the beta male leaned down and nuzzled his head against Kithe's; pulling back, drawing his tongue along the other's muzzle before turning from the scene and drifting off into the trees much like Hera had. Though he had no place to be. No place to go that he particularly wished. ... He was reminded of Hera's displeasure with his actions by the deep, soul filled howl that came echoing in with the breeze from the distant den. It was joined by Rekth, and the rest of the pack. Skahl noted that there were three distinct voices from that chorus missing. His own being one. The second being Kithe's as he would never more utter even a fraction of a word. And the third... being Yuri's. He could only surmise what had become of her given what he'd seen in the alpha's eyes before she left him with Kithe. Idly, he wondered how she would ultimately feel about having two deaths on her conscience come morning? For it was ultimately her decision to leave him there alone with Kithe knowing, most likely, just what he'd come back to the scene to do. ... And that made him smile.
It was then he decided that he would go for a trot toward the Western grounds... there was a nice spot over there he'd viewed from a distance. Had been thinking of claiming it as his own for quite some time. And what better a time than now? He wasn't needed. His position could have easily been filled. It would have to be now. There really was no other choice. He very much doubted his presence would be welcome back at the den. ... So, with a soft chuckle and shake of his head Skahl stretched out his body, maw parting in a yawn. And with the exhaled huff of a breath he started off toward his chosen destination...
Some place new; yet... nowhere, all the same.