The scent called me over and I cared not if any of my pups follow me. Obsidian is probably lurking close in the shadows of bushes, never too far away. I am sure Ruby and Lethe may be close. They seem to always be close. They follow me, and their voices are all amplified. I hear them inside my head and I hear them out. Lethe does not have a voice inside, but at times I wonder when Lilith speaks about her.

I haven’t seen him, Dirk, in quite a while, and yet it feels like yesterday. Time can be perceived as so many things. I am not quite sure when things happen exactly anymore. I know that pups have grown and left my belly since then. He has not seen them yet, but does he need to? Lethe maybe, but Obsidian and Ruby...perhaps he should never know them.

I march my way over, my smaller black paws determined as I come to where I think he may be. I swirl my head one direction and then the other on this day. He must be close but I cannot quite figure out where...or why even. Why was he here? I snorted and then sneezed once, wiggled my nose, and then lifted my head for a short yip of a call to him. There. He can find me if he is here.

As I howl I feel something warm next to my front left leg and hear a puppy howl joining me. I turn my head down and wrinkle my nose as I see Obsidian joining in. ”No, not for you,” I say sharply. ”Not yours,” I demand, and my son simply look to me with his bright eyes and nods. So far, my pups have been surprisingly obedient but in my head they say it won’t last long, that they will bloom, and they will be the death and blood that they demand. I know it, and I just know they have to come of age...I shake my head as I stare down at the largest of my pups, and pull my leg away to sit a stride away.

And that is when Lilith tells me ’You are such a good mother. I am so proud. You don’t coddle them, just as true Demons raise only the strongest of young,’. I find the black hairs on my back lifting in response, a growl lingering in my throat. ”It is none of your BUSINESS Lilith,” I say roughly, my yellow eyes glaring at Obsidian before lifting my head away, wondering why one of them always seems to be by my side.



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