I let my eyes close, trying to focus out the throbbing in my chest and head, willing it to go away. I found myself slowly returning to the pack I so often found myself being pulled away from, and I knew this time it probably wouldn’t be any better than the last. I couldn’t help it, I had another life I wasn’t able to avoid it seemed. Again I’d be dragged back to where I had originally came from, told to kill off one of my brothers. It was my choice to leave the family and stay in the pack he had resided in along side the rest of the demented wolves there, each one their own little warped case. I liked it there, but now I didn’t know if I’d be welcome for the third time. I kept leaving Queens, and the pups I wanted to grow along side with; fucking irony, I remembered doing this before. Now I was returning sore and aching with a recovering old broken rib and old bruises along my skull. Pity really, I thought I had finally settled down and didn’t want to kill anymore, but I guess that was different again. I wanted nothing more then to have a reason to snap and be let off of the now broken leash that had once given me the slightest aura of control. That was gone, I’d returned to the crazed brute I had been, lethal, conniving and not caring. I was sick of being held down by family ties or having to be loyal. Unless it was for Queens, but she had all the males she could want, why chose me when I just disappeared without reason? I missed her yes, but something told me she wouldn’t care about me anyway. I guess it could have been paranoia, but I was returning to her for the third time. I’d changed, whether she approved of the new me or not, I wouldn’t know. There was one side, however, I’d saved just for her. Violence and passion was something I mixed together well, and I’d left feminiques begging for more at the same time they whimpered for me to strop. That drew my thoughts back to the Demonican I’d been with before I got taken away. It was worth it, and I would have to find her again and apologise for disappearing.

But Queens protruded into mind, and I cursed myself for having ties to a female and feeling what I did.

It wasn’t hard to remind myself though that she had many males along side her who made the wolfess feel pleasure, as I had those few females in between as well. It didn’t matter right now, I’d been away for too long to keep any type of claim over her. Foolish of me to let her go so easily, I wasn’t going to go too far out of my way to prove myself or anything such of the sorts though, I didn’t chase what I had lost. Perhaps she would change my mind once I saw her perfect features and heard her honey whispers though. That demoness had a way to change the mind of any brute, and it wasn’t that much of a curse you could complain about in her situation. Queens would be the only feminique I’d allow any type of “heart to heart” sort of thing with, if you could say really either of us had such a beating thing. One look at my cadaverous features, protruding fangs, dead eyes and giant lean build, then you probably would assume I was some sort of demoniac. That’s what came with years of being an assassin, training in the art of drawing another’s blood and mercilessly cutting their throats. I could still hear the gasps and smell the warm red liquid as it drained from them, some faster than others, some slower and more satisfying. I was a screwed up brute, but not a stupid one. Just because I had lost my mind long ago didn’t mean I’d lost my smarts, only my view of wrong and right. Whatever it was to start with anyway.

The land started to become familiar and I started to move faster. My broken rib had missed any vitals and just hurt like a mother fuck, creating a limp that was hidden by my insidious walk. I held my head high even if it felt heavy, and my banner waved any no particular rank. I didn’t care who dared question me now, but I knew I was known around here; I’d been alpha at Malignant for a while, twice before. I had a feeling the bloodline would go on now, especially with the litter of fine feminiques I’d had before, knowing damn well that they’d take after their mother and have males easily wrapped around their every will with a small bounce of their rump or school girl innocent giggle -- any brute who harmed them would have to answer to me, either way, as I was still their father whether they liked it or not. That wolf wouldn’t be walking or eating for some time after the encounter, trust me. I was not one to make petty idle threats either.

Finally I felt the familiar wash of cold air, heard the waterfall and smelt the death; rotting bodies lay spread around the borders, more and more found the deeper I went. I had a moments hesitation as to whether I should stop and submit or not, but for some reason I pushed in further and drove straight to the heart of the lands, right where one large, old tree lay like a dark blanketed hideout a child would find. My gaze traced it, longing to find any movement within it, only to come out disappointed. I let my lips twitch upwards into something of a twisted grin, fading as I continued to look around. I could smell a little clash off at the borders, two females fighting. I’d half heard it when I made my way in but chose to ignore it and move on. Arcadian was still around, and as much as that was somewhat distasteful I didn’t really have much to say on it -- I kept coming back around to cursing myself about leaving, wondering just what Arcadian was doing with Queens. I’d seen him watch her, and after one run in I’d never been able to trust him since. Even after he’d saved Deirdre, I still failed to like him at all. Possibly it was the family ties, and how we were both two of the same but so very different. Queens seemed attracted to the dark, dangerous males, the ones who didn’t listen but would obey only her. Those brujos whom wouldn’t hesitate to kill. Or possibly that was just my point of view. I sighed, realising my thoughts were wandering again. Why was I hiding in the bushes? Frustration swept over me and I slithered out, banner now dropping slightly. It wasn’t like I’d left the pack, just disappeared, so as I saw it I wasn’t trespassing. Not that I was all that ready to go face to face with anyone else right now.

Instead I took shelter under the tree, refusing to sit or lay down. I threw my skull back and opened my jowls, a deep and dangerous howl erupting to call anyone I knew, but mostly Queens. I wanted her, and I wanted her now, whether she wanted me or not. I dared Arcadian or anyone else like him who’d been around when I had to come and challenge me, hoping silently that he may turn up; I really wasn’t sure why, but I felt like I needed to settle something with him. Or it could have just been male aggression. I was unsure of my rank, or whether I was welcomed, but I didn’t care.

The call stretched out, echoing against the rush of the waterfall’s walls to the border where the two pathetic feminiques weren’t brave enough to fight it out physically. The dare waited, unanswered as of now, as did I.