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I was surprisingly content for once, my heavy, solid white frame layered out across the new spring grass, red coloured shoulders aflame in the morning sun while the rather exceptional violet blue opalescence of my eyes, the gift of my mother and of my bloodline, rested upon the mouth to my den a few feet away. I was pleased with my achievements this spring, how can I not be? My mate had born me four more children, two more boys and two more girls although admittedly the girls were a surprise. My Andro has always birthed only two pups each spring. My sons Starfall and Guardian had been first, followed by my daughters Celeste and Iophiel and indeed I was rather pleased to have assumed that Mithos and Zaphkiel would be the only new additions to my rather expansive family this year, I suppose the sheer size my mate had ballooned to should have given it away and yet even so the births of Ambrosia and Elara had been surprising to say the least and lets be honest- not all that welcome. It is not secret I prefer fathering sons, I always wanted sons and indeed I know how four, of course, that is not to say I hardly love my daughters, it’s the opposite actually. I am terrified for them to the point I rather do wish I could will them to be male. Daughters are so much more….precious, so fragile, so perfect and I know already nothing on this earth will ever be good enough for them, no male will ever suffice and come hell or high water I will keep every boy within a hundred mile radius away from them. I might be their Father but I know already what they will become, they are of the Angel line, as Isola and my other sisters, born to beautiful beyond measure and with the added royalty of the Stars from Andromeda they are simply beyond measure. My daughters are perfection on this earth and I am terrified for them. Boys I can handle, sons I can relate to although what went wrong between Starfall and I……it still seems a little fractured. He isn’t like Guard and I just….don’t know what to do with him sometimes.

I pushed the thoughts away for now, large jaws parting in a yawn, white teeth gleaming in the sun, the spring rains having washed away the stain of my latest assassination. I never knew why he had been Marked to die. Heyel never said. I never asked, it isn’t my job to question and so I don’t. Amissus was Marked- so I open his throat, it is my job, it is done and indeed for half a moment I could have sworn Heyel even took some pride in his son and heir, it was fleeting, but for a minute I could have almost swore I saw it. Not that it matters, I am better within the Art then he ever was and still he hardly notices I exist. I adore my sister, Isola, I adore all my…what is it now….fifteen or so siblings? Yet the truth will never change my feelings. Diveen should have been mine. I am the first born son, it was my birthright, not hers and yet still she was chosen and still the wolves of Trenus and Paracon flocked to her and Kane like moths to a flame. If I had ruled there would never have been any damn war. I would have done what needed to be done, ruled like the last Assassin King of Trenus and simply left Ishtar to die somewhere for her treason against us. I snorted, irritated at the thought. I would never harm another of my blood, indeed I am the guardian of such a line, the tallest and heaviest of all the Angels and yet still it irritates me that she was chosen and that indeed, fate favours her so. I could handle being second in line, I merely had to wait for her to die and yet, against all odds, against all fates when couple after couple failed to conceive following the sky fall, when so many pups were born still…..Isola bore Achilles, the Prince Diveen waited for and I’ll be damned if she didn’t bare another son after that. Hell, if the rumours are true she bore two more this year, plus a girl or two. Hmm, what am I now in the line of succession of the royal family…eighth? It should have been me and my children. One day.

The scent that drifted along within the breeze caused my head to lift, ridiculously handsome features shifting into a look of momentary agitation at having another, a loner of all things so close to my own den and newborn pups, the idiot boy apparently following my trail. Fine. Let him come and disturb my peace, he is little more then a stick with fur from what I have seen, another poor soul Isola had taken pity on I assume. Perhaps she is content to allow whoever and whatever to wander around the City of Angels, yet I protect this pack, this blood and these wolves and indeed for all the fuss my sister makes about it you’d think she hardly wanted me too. If she want’s to allow strangers to wander her lands then perhaps she should choose for her guardian and Silent Knife a male whom is not an assassin, whom does not tower above the rest of Diveen. A small growl rumbled within my chest as I rolled up and onto my paws, shaking the sand free of my pelt, the white strands gleaming gold in the spring sun as I moved to intercept the puppy who so dared wander near what is my own, the bloody heckles upon my shoulders arching like knives as I moved down the side of the ridge, violet blue gaze resting against him.

I had watched him that night he had come, tasted his scent on the air. Perhaps he truly was no threat, perhaps he was, either way I made myself aware of him, eyed the den in which he slept throughout the night to ensure he did not leave it. Hell, I’m good at my job. Yet his seeking me out is a little to far, maybe he does have a death wish. I came from the side, long limbs and large paws thudding against the earth as I came to stand before him, a rumble still coiled within my throat as I moved to block his path, eyes easily finding his own. Really? Was this him? He was very near a good eight or so inches shorter then myself and I swear my own two-year old son outweighed him easily. Hmm, maybe Isola took pity on this dishevelled chocolate thing for a reason, my lip curling upward slightly in disdain at the look of him. He was probably diseased.

"Look, do you want something or are you just standing here to annoy me? This is my den site, this is my area and I think you should turn your scruffy little self around, boy. If it was up to me I would have left you outside the pack where you belong."

A smirk teased rather unpleasantly across my otherwise dashing features. Who said all the Angels are nice?


AZRAEL

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"7 years ~ Andromeda ~ Sire of Meryl/Starfall/Guardian/Celeste/Iophiel/Mithos/Ambrosia/Elara/Zaphkiel ~ Diveen "