Things had been quiet for a while now, too quiet, he thought. He hadn't gotten another message from Azure yet or see another one of her assassins there to give him a message more than anything else. Most of them didn't even put up a decent fight when he confronted them for shadowing him or a member of his family. But he knew Azure well enough to know that silence wasn't a good thing. In fact, it was very very bad. He would protect his family no matter what but Lucia was getting more and more independent. She was pretty much an adult now and he knew he couldn't keep her sheltered forever. She spent more and more time with that boy Aeon and in other lands, even the pack lands that Aeon lived in. The first time she came back smelling of Glorall, he thought Malleah was going to throw a fit. She wanted to keep Lucia shielded from the world and he understood that but he also knew she needed to grow up and make mistakes of her own. He had to be the referee most of the time and keep the peace in the den.

He also knew that Malleah was grieving the fact that Myrria didn't come around anymore. She had left them seemingly for good this time. He hoped it wasn't because of their confrontation after he saw her try to attack another wolf. He never told Malleah about it because he didn't want it to come between their relationship. He knew Malleah loved her with a vengeance and he didn't want to be the reason they quit talking. Now he felt worse because he didn't know why Myrria stopped coming around. He only saw the effects it had on his mate. She was lying low a lot lately, just spending time with him and Lucia but she seemed thoughtful, like she had a lot on her mind. Exodus wanted to comfort her but she was fiercely independent and her past made her very untrusting. He knew that she loved him and knew he was different than past mates but still, she was hesitant to fully let him in.

He was always patient with her, letting her choose how close they got, whether physically or just in conversation. He let her dictate a lot because he felt that letting her know that she held the control would help to heal her mental wounds. He didn't know what else to do. But today was a day for hunting so he went out on the prowl to look for something to keep his senses sharp and his mind clear. Azure was definitely still at the top of his priority list so he kept his ears swiveling alertly in case she or one of her goons decided to make an appearance. But again, things were quiet. Soon he found an old trail from a wounded doe and he decided to take himself up on it. It was better than nothing and a good fight was exactly what he needed. He followed the trail until he heard a lot of rustling and noise. Looking through the bushes, he saw the doe being attacked by what looked like an older panther. Gray marked its muzzle as it roared and swept its large paws at the doe's legs.

But she still had some fight in her, turning her back end to the panther. She got slashes across her flanks from the panther's paw but in turn, she threw up both hooves and Exodus heard the hollow clunk as they hit the panther in the head, sending him stumbling back and fighting for balance. It was a hard hit and he was surprised the panther was still standing. He could probably stand a chance now at either running the panther off or even wounding him enough so he wouldn't be a problem while Exodus finished off the wounded doe. But it would definitely be a challenge. Too bad he was alone...

Exodus_male_12 years_41in_195#_loved by Malleah_unable to imprint_father of Lucia_loner