What did I want to hear?

I hardly knew. I part of myself would have been....relived to hear her deny such claims with vehemence, to accuse my Eyes of having been wrong in what they witnessed that night and indeed even I will admit that things are not always as they seem. For part of the...companionship I still bore her, for a lingering and agitating shred of honour that still clung to some part of myself I wanted her to deny it. I didn’t wish to dislike her, nor did I truly want to see her come to harm. The creature I had met so long ago within the caves, the one I had fought beside, watched over and guarded for so many months and years was not one I was willing to lose to such a fate as this. I see no need to say it of course, to do more than stare silently with blank features as I await her answer and yet, some tiny part of myself remembers this female for who and what she was and I suppose even I have some hope left for her, in some way. Her fate in this moment however, is her own to seal- and seal it she does. Her chuckle petered off as she sat before me, one paw raising to dangle in the air between us as she spoke, violet gaze finding her own. Such a pretty thing she was, honestly I am still entirely sure she could have done better than either of the males she had settled for- and yet, each had been loyal wolves and I had no doubt that Vague would make a fine Father. Unless he too had thought to join her in her evident downward spiral. Her words however, drew my focus entirely; face calm, impassive as she spoke her part. Cleaned them? Her brows knitted together in the same moment as my own head inclined slightly to the side, wary of these words she offered. If she had not slaughtered them as she claimed, not partaken of their flesh then she was at least free of such an obvious stain on her soul, although.....to what ends did she believes cleaning slaughtered children would provide any comfort to those who had birthed and cared for them? To lick away the blood did not remove the mark....not truly though indeed this is another set of morals altogether and one I will not question in this moment. Her remaining words however, earn the slight raise of my lip, a warning, to mind her tongue in my presence.

“The matter of Aaliyah and Tobias is not yours to concern yourself with. Tobias has paid for the blood he has taken from us and he will meet his death when the time is right, but his life is not for my jaws to take. His death will not come from me. He is meant for another’s fangs. This however is not the topic at hand.”

I said no more, voice sharp and sure, yet matter-of-fact and leaving no wake for argument. The manner of Tobias and Aaliyah was one that had caused my family enough grief these past years and yet- I had given my word to my child that I would step back from it. That I would allow her the chance to prove her purpose in this life and master her Demon. Fate alone would decide her future. If Tobias was to die it would not be at my jaws, he was not my demons to slay- he belonged to another and I believed firmly enough that orders or not, she would see him destroyed in the end. Tobias was Malina’s demon to toy with, a decision she would have to make one day. Indeed, did his mates love and the children he would Father on her make him worthy of life for their sake? Or would his crimes see him banished from this earth. Malina would do me proud, one day, of this I was sure. Ruvindra’s features remained, guarded at best, her efforts to once more change the subject of conversation not unnoticed though indeed I said no more of it, waiting, expectant for what else was to come from her pale lips as my ears inclined forward once more.

“If you have committed no crime there will be no assassins on your door, Ruvindra. You will be spared...for a time. There are those in this life, darling, who commit sins against their own, there are those who seek to stop it and there are those who simply do nothing. You did not feed on the children, in this I believe you- but nor did you try to stop it. You watched, you facilitated. That you allowed this to happen, with wolves under your command is sin enough.”

She moved to stand as my own white form rose to stand above her. If she claimed she did not consume the children then so be it, she did not, yet to allow for it to happen, to shield these wolves- to watch and do nothing is a crime all of its own. She is their Alpha- and she has no control. Surely she is better than that? We would see. Violet gaze remained on her own as we stood, face to face in that moment, in perhaps the last and fractured slither of friendship between us. I did her a kindness this day, a great kindness though never will she know it. I am letting her walk away, giving her a chance, a final chance- to make herself right.

“I will pardon you, Ruvindra, but only you and only for a time. Those beneath you have been Marked. One by one we will destroy your pack-mates until you curb them. They are your wolves, so you say, command them and remember that for every drop of blood they spill it is another against yourself. If you cannot stop them Ruvindra, if the Spring comes again and they still kill then I will come for you. You forget darling, I do not need evidence. My word is law in this life.”

Smirk flared across my features, though indeed it was a gesture of mixed emotion. She had brought this on herself. I was given her almost a year to control her pack, to repair it and yet nor could I give way to what need be done even so. Some were already destined for fangs in their throats, others I remained merely suspicious off, it was they who she would have a chance to save, along with herself. The evidence would present itself in time, if her wolves continued to befoul this earth and the mangled bodies of children wiped clean continued to appear then it was as she said- I would come for her, or another would. I control only the assassins apprenticed to me and all but one have been so- one remains outside my lead and even then, assassins are freer then most. If they are given cause to act, they will. Don’t waste my gift of time, Ruvindra.

“Control your wolves, or we will do it for you. Until the Spring, Ruvindra and if you have done nothing to stop this, then I will come for you a final time and if not me, then another of mine in my place. For the trust we once shared that is my final gift to you- time. Use it darling, or you can join your Demons in hell. I don’t care, get out of my sight. Your dismissed.”



h e y e l
The King