I will not say I am at all displeased to have my Zen beside me. She is my chosen female, my chosen companion and there is so very, very much about her that I adore- perhaps her good nature is one fo them, something to offset my own…..well……I wouldn’t say I’m bad tempered, not really, more so I am temperamental and indeed I find Zen to be the opposite of that, the water to my fire, the calm to my storm as once, long ago, my Zeivah was. Perhaps Zen does not feel so entirely that same as I am given to feel, Isola and Azrael were not born from her and yet she too is a Mother by my design, maybe Mothers simply understand, just as Fathers do. It hardly matters how old they get, how big, how powerful, I am entirely sure that from the day each of them was given to be born, I have been given to worry. It is ridiculous, foolish, a waste of time and effort as far as I am concerned and yet still I cannot help but feel it all the same. I am too old to raise any more children and unless Zen desires to try for a son once more, to replace the one she lost, then I am content to have Neveah as my last. If Isola or Azrael do not return I am not sure I will have the…..strength to deal with that. I cannot lose any more children, I cannot hold a pack together that grieves for the deaths and injuries that will come, I cannot raise my grandchildren I am just too damn tired.

I am tried off holding up a bloodline and family and a pack, I hardly wish to be rid of these things, no, I take great pride in that which I have, in that which I call my own, yet I have spent my life allowing others to cry into my fur, I have been the strong one and maybe, just maybe I need to take a break, a rest, a momentary pause from running Moladion. I’m tired and maybe I’d like to just sleep for a while with my mate, to not have to deal with apprentices or assassins or idiot Blood Mutts or whatever ridiculous self-serving tittle Ishtar gives herself. I know what I would have done were Diveen my own and I know…..I know that my actions would have been vastly different to those of Isola yet I had let her be, I had let her do as she saw fit with Kane at her side. She is good-hearted, as Zen says, she is like her Mother and I think, perhaps, it is the softness that has led Diveen to war. She is not as I am and in so many ways I take pride in that. I know entirely how arrogant I am, I make no apologies, my rather questionable nature saw me bring this land to it’s knees, but Isola- she is a different blood. I hardly blame her for this war, no, the war is the fault of some ugly little thing from Iromar who threw a tantrum, some sad little effort to get someone to notice her, yet Isola is forced to answer, Azrael is forced to answer, yet indeed, if any harm should come to blood my own I will prove to Iromar alone why it is I ruled unchallenged for so very, very long. I snorted softly, irritated at these thoughts.

“It isn’t her goodness I question. Nor even her skill in battle, Isola is a powerful creature, she is bred to be that way. It is her morals. They have stopped her from punishing before and I fear they will stop her again. She will not kill, Zen and in war- that is the point.”

I feared she would hesitate and that alone could well cost her. As for Azrael, well, if the silly boy does one thing well, it is biting without thinking. I sighed again, moving to lay near fully against my mate, violet eyes seeking the green of her own momentarily as Zen spoke once more, licking at my chin as I moved to grasp her muzzle in my own jaws, a playful, affection gesture, tongue brushing her check as she smiled, my eyes rolling slightly at her words in jest.

“Indeed, I have seen the fury of Mothers and victorious or not I hardly see the point, it is a war without meaning. A war over nothing. Devil bit Ruvindra, so what? She deserved it. This entire war is based on Ishmail or whatever her name is, throwing a tantrum and begging for attention. Honestly she should have done a rain dance, I would have found that more amusing.”

In fact, I would have found that significantly more entertaining than this nonsense. Were I in charge I simply would have slit her pretty little throat before it got to this stage or frivolity. Shame really, that Isola lacks the blood lust that others such as Ava possess so strongly, even so, Zen’s words were appreciated, I was simply being difficult and cynical. Comes with the age. I shook myself lightly, brushing the thoughts away for now as I pressed closer to the warmth of my mate, inhaling her scent, determined to turn my mind to other things though indeed I knew already I would barely move from this spot until my children returned. I’m a Father, it’s what we do.

“Let us speak of other things, tell me darling, what do you think of this years pups hmm? I have been comparing our Neveah to the others born this season and I’m inclined to think she may well be the best of them, what do you think? Also, have you seen the boy of Isola’s? Solaris, I think he has been named. He’s very odd that one, you haven’t spoken to him have you? He seems to be…avoiding me.”