To say things had been strained between him and Parvati would be a great understatement. If anythings, since her little confession, the tension between them had only grown worse. Years of resentment and outrage boiled beneath his skin, causing him to doubt everything that had ever happened between them. The only thing that kept him from relinquishing his hold on the beast had been the simple fact that she was pregnant again with what she claimed to once again be his child but now more than ever, he questioned those words.

To make matters worse, instead of attempting to rebuild the bridge between them that had burned to smoldering ash, the Inlet Queen instead sought solace in the arms of another. Day and night he watched from a distance as the flirtatious mare curled herself around the painted stallion and cooing softly spoken words of adoration and praise into his ears. Rumors spread through the herd that she had even lifted him to the position as her guard, but Loupgaru was too numb to care. Despite his aloof demeanor and snarling attitude, he had allowed himself to be fooled by the Queen into believing that she coveted him as she did no other. Clearly her attraction was as fickle as her restraint.
And so, he kept his distance.

The day that she left her little batch of children and lovers, Loupgaru had no doubt of her destination. Still sour and sore from their last exchange of words, he told himself it was curiosity alone that drove him to follow at a distance, as he had with each of her births since his captivity began. Where once before he might have felt the least bit of concern for her laboring and pain, the silver painted stallion feels nothing but satisfaction. ’Let her suffer. Let her hurt body and soul.’ Instead of grimacing at the sound of her heavy breathing or the painful strain behind her grunts, his features remain impassive. Instead, he merely continued to graze on in indifference.

Only when she emerges from the shadowy darkness of the cavern to introduce her newest lie to the world does she gain an ounce of his attention. Marks of sweat and hints of blood still cling to her skin but that has little of his concern. His eyes fall on the colt trailing at her hip. Golden yellow eyes seethe as the little wobbling colt meets the world around him with bright wonder-filled eyes. ’Not mine.’ The growl is that of the beast and he tenses as the creature tugs at the chains that keep it locked again. Not his.

Twin flutes flicker as Parvati’s children appear together, excitement palpable in the shine of their eyes and the dancing stride of their gaits as they slow to a halt before mother and newborn. Even from a distance, he can catch strands of their excited congratulations. His stomach turned. So easy to forgive, so easy to forget. Perhaps had his own mother made the same proclamation…. NO. ”NO.” he growls firmly, silencing the soft voice with his fierce response. Monster had never claimed to love any above the old wolf. Hell, she hardly seemed to love him at times but there was no denying her loyalty or protectiveness of her children. To even try to lower her to Parvati’s level was only a stain on her untarnished reputation.

Yasmina’s voice rises above the others and despite himself, Loupgaru watches the girl whom he thought was his own for a moment in silence. Fierce, feral, painted and golden eyed. It was no wonder he imaged she was his own. Were it not for Parvati’s confession he might have forever prided himself in the creation of such a beautiful girl. Now… now he does not dare to continue. Once more, instinct takes over, tensing the muscles beneath his skin and drawing him a step further away. Once more, he turns his back on the Inlet Queen and her gathered children. Not his. The ‘not his’. It had been made clear. Perhaps he could not father children after all? Wouldn’t that be something. The old wolf, known for spreading his seed far and wide, fathering a sterile son. The irony in it does not go unnoticed. A chaotic chuckle vibrates deep within him as he turns away and meanders towards the far side of the Inlet. To the beach…. To cast his gaze across the ocean and wait until dawn. He would leave this place, leave it far behind and start anew. Rougaru might have had his rivalry with Solomon but now, now Loupgaru had his own. ”To hell with them…. To hell with them all.” the murmur escapes in the form of a growl as his thickly muscled neck is given a rough shake. He was finished here.