I heard the soft whine that had escaped her towards the end of my retelling, but I failed to acknowledge it. I was somewhat ignoring her small shows of sympathy. Not in the sense that I was being a jerk, or I really wasn't trying to be anyways, it was more that I just needed to set my mind in the events that had taken place. At least until I finished, and let out the option of continuing now or later or whatever. For the first time since just before beginning the story, I observed her features. Her beautiful features were distorted into negative emotion. It was something along the lines of guilt, or shame, and my brow creased slightly. Maybe my judgment of emotions wouldn't be the best, but all I could think … Why? What did she have to feel guilt about? None of that was her fault. Part of it was my own stupidity, part on the two leggers and part just wrong place wrong time. Something like that. I had yet to really accept the parts that had been my fault. It was frustrating to think back on everything and realize how it all could have been different if I had taken a different turn. Hell, even if I had just come straight home after the challenger had failed to show instead of going for a hunt.
Upon asking if I should continue, the most obvious response she gave was a small shake of her head, but I was able to read into it more. At least I thought I could … she seemed quite distressed about it. I couldn't quite tell why. I had never wished to read minds more than in that moment. Funny too, because typically Demonica wolves have a way of reading others that's beyond what most wolves could. Just as I was tempted to reach out and comfort her, she made the move. Timid, yes, but I didn't make her do all the work. I stood and managed a couple small steps before she wrapped me in a warm embrace once more. She wrapped her chin against my neck and I leaned my skull down and put my face down into her pelt. Was there anything more amazing than burying my face in her fur? Her scent drown me in pure bliss, and stained my fur with a long overdue mark of matrimony. I heard her begin to speak and pulled back far enough so I could watch her face. It was an apology, and I bit down on my tongue to force myself not to interrupt. Not the expression, no, literally bit my tongue down. I hated hearing her apologizing for something she didn't have to. Especially because I could see the tears forming on the edges of her eyes, ready to fall at any moment. Right after she apologized I let my deep voice softly slip a few words in.
I'd like to think I'm not completely ignorant... I can see things from your side, 'Kina. You didn't know... what if I hadn't had the chance to get out when I did? What if I never had, you wouldn't know the difference. I'd forgive you, but I don't even feel like there's anything to forgive.
I placed my neck back against hers, once more burying myself in her fur. When she began speaking once more, she immediately had my full attention. She always did, I listening to what she had to say, and in her angelic voice? One of my favorites. I was especially listening now, considering what she had to say. She confessed not only knowing of the two leggers, but having been taken in before aswell. I almost dared to laugh. Not because the situation was funny, just at the irony of it all. Probably the only two wolves in ten miles that had encountered the two leggers, and it was us. Whoever was in charge of everyone's fate really knew what they were doing, didn't they? After she spoke that first line it was her turn to break our contact. Our eyes finally met after what had already seemed to be an eternity. She began retelling her own account of the strange two leggers, though there was actually some sort of fondness in her voice as she spoke of them. She spoke of a smaller one, and I concluded it must have been a pup. I couldn't recall seeing any two legger pups during my entire capture. As she went on I could tell her experience had definitely been a more... say, more friendly one. Them feeding and taking care of her, and sleeping with her. It sounded like they had adopted her into their pack. I recalled Kamon explaining to me what dogs were, exactly. A sort of relative to wolves, but tamed. And most often were actually part of the two legger's packs as opposed to what we had been. From what Akina was telling me, it seems that was probably their intention with her. 'Hoomans..' The name she gave the two leggers sounded ugly as it settled in my mind. Not the word itself as much as what it stood for. It would always leave a nasty taste in my mouth.
I watched her spilling out tears and memories. It got to the point in her story speaking of how the dogs turned on her, and it struck me how different Akina and I were. Even as pups. I would have been throwing down with those dogs, even as a pup I tended to not know my limits. Actually, probably worse than I was now. As her tale got more painful for her she looked away from my emerald gaze. I hated that she felt the need to be hiding her face from me. I also hate the pain that these memories were causing her. I knew she was going to continue speaking, but before she had a chance, I lowered my skull down and place the top of my muzzle on the underside of her chin, hoping to convince her to lift her face back up. Whether it worked or it didn't, I moved my skull back upwards when she continued speaking. She had mentioned Silver Dagger earlier in her story, and mentioned him again now. His name rang in some familiarity, I remembered hearing about the incident that had happened in Saw Tooth, before I stumbled upon that place. Silver Dagger had showed up, tried to kill Akina's brother and... hell, who knows that he would have done to Akina had he not been killed by Saw Tooth's queen at the time.
“I'm just so sorry you have been through so much.. And what a terrible home coming..”
Don't be sorry. None of it was your fault.
I stayed sitting, but shifted myself so we were snuggled up closer together.
And I can tell you the rest of mine another day … when you're ready. Besides, you know how it ends...
My scarlet lips grew into a large smile as I gazed upon my beloved's tear stained features. She knew the ending because this was it. Us sitting there under such stressful, tense, beautiful circumstances was how it ended. From here would just be another chapter for us. I reached out and gently swept my tongue across her face, kissing up the tears from her cheeks. I knew we still had things to talk about. Especially her... she had to catch me up on things. The pack, our kids... I swallowed hard at the thought. I was going to be a good father... right. I ended up being worse than my father... at least I knew who he was. My kids probably wouldn't even recognize my scent by now. Maybe the bad father thing just ran in the DNA. Like, even if my intentions were for the best something had to mess it up. They would be young teens now... I had missed a lot. But at least they weren't fully grown. I had a small chance to be there. My eyes studied her chocolate pools. As much as I knew we had so much to talk over, I didn't want to interrupt the moment.
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