Hushed Willows i'm sorry, i'm not that kind of doctor

Cold and dark, that's what her world had turned into.  They were still well within Autumn's grasp, but the chill in the air on this particular night warned of things to come.  Banner frowned and settled back on her haunches at the large mouth of The Crook.  Thankfully the wind had died down a bit, but it still managed to get cold air right up through her thick fur when she least expected it, drawing a chill over the short Marauder's frame.

She frowned, her bright green eyes studiously surveying everything that lay outside The Crook.  Their number waned over the last several weeks, but Banner had almost come to expect it as just another part of life here in the Teekon Wilds.  One ear flicked back and she froze for a second - was that activity behind her?  After waiting one, two, and then three seconds with no follow up noise, the Alpha relaxed.  Everyone seemed to tuck farther back into their cavernous sleeping space than usual tonight.  And that was smart.  But it also worked out to give Banner a bit of peace and quiet by herself without actually stepping outside their shelter.

A sigh left her, the puff of air visible to her eyes.  She wondered idly if @Stark happened to be up and restless as well but didn't make it a point to actually go seek him out.  If she ventured back in there she knew the warm comfort of Buchanan's much larger body would prove too tempting.  Banner's eyes widened and she let out a small cough.  Tempting to cuddle up to, that was.  Yes.  Of course.

Cuddle.

Stark knew that he'd been reclusive. Even from Banner. It wasn't that he was proud of that fact or that he was happy to be away from his sister but he felt like he was just dragging her down. Stark had been out later than most of his wolves, one final pass of the borders before he made his approach to the Crook to join his packmates. His eyes widened a bit as he spotted Banner sitting at the mouth of the Crook; he had expected that she'd be already nestled and settled with Buchanan. "B," It was full of the warmth he felt he was lacking, looking her over before he took a seat next to his sister. 

"Why are you out so late?" He asked curiously, head tilting a bit as he surveyed her. He wondered if she'd had some bad dream, if she had been restless - he wouldn't push to much, though it was always a two way street with them. If one needed something, the other gave it, without question. 

Wasn't too long ago that I'd be out later than you, she quipped quietly.  The harsh lines of the contemplative look on her face softened as he settled in next to her.  She turned to meet his blue gaze and wrinkled up her nose playfully despite herself.  Thinking, I guess.  It was as good an explanation as any.

Banner let out a soft sigh and turned her attention back to the dark expanse before them.  The willow trees looked creepy at night, she decided.  In the daylight hours the whispering of the willow trees served as a pleasant soundtrack to their day-to-day lives.  Nighttime was another story.  Supressing the urge to roll her eyes at herself - she could feel the frown creep its way back onto her face again - she instead cleared her throat.  What about you?  Some secret Alpha business you do in the cover of darkness?  At least her voice could remain playful enough.

Stark snorted, shaking his head as he looked over at Banner. "Not know you're all domesticated." He said with a little chuckle. "Now I get to hog being the night owl." He didn't mind it, so much, he'd always had a rough sleep schedule. It had been worse since Octavia's death and he struggled to stay asleep the entire night often. 

"Thinking, I guess." He said cryptically, hoping to earn a smile from his sister's face. "There's been another development in the Warbone front. He set up a pack in the mountains called Duskvale." No use in avoiding anything and skirting around things. He licked his lips, glancing back towards the Crook where he knew their wolves were sleeping. Silas was still there, despite his family being gone, Amara and her children were there, Tambourine was home, and Buchanan was there waiting for Banner. 

"It's so damn close Banner." It was his biggest problem. 

One snort was her respone to both remarks.  Domesticated?  Yes.  And she damn well enjoyed it, too.  Going about her day was a tad more carefree with the knowledge that the two most important men in her life could swoop in at a moment's notice if she needed it.  Her mind felt less scrambled these days and that alone was priceless.

She was about to reort with some off-the-cuff bullshit but never got the chance.  The name that fell out of her brother's mouth caused Banner to freeze.  .. the mountains? she repeated in a small voice.  Banner sucked in a quick breath before turning back to look get a good look at Stark's face.  What she saw there brought little comfort.  That's.. wait, the mountains.  These mountains? she asked in a hiss, her head jerking vaguely behind her.  The gesture was enough, though, because the Keep was surrounded by goddamned mountains.  No way he'd have that look on his face if Warbone had chosen another mountain range.

Banner took a deep breath in anticipation of a word deluge.  That doesn't make any sense.  He told me Marauder's Keep was his, that he wanted the pack for himself.  Or some kind of.. partnership!  Bastard was so keen on coming back to the Keep.  What was the point of all of it?  Why bother skulking around the borders and being all dramatic about everything only to take up residence somewhere else?  The short lady took a quick breath before she moved on to mocking his words in a deeper voice: 'You and your pack have nothing to fear from me,' sure dude, fine.  What were we supposed to do, welcome a stranger back home with open arms like complete morons?  Oh, but better not spend too much time around him 'lest our emotions boil over and we fight or fuck.'  Who the hell says that kind of shit to a female he just met?!  Her rambling, non-sensical tirade was put on pause as she stopped to pant.

Stark gave a sigh, reaching out to press his snout against Banner's shoulder even as she gave her tirade against Warbone. Of course it was near their pack - the mountain was a sanctuary and prison all the same. Stark's head jerked back from her as if he'd been burned when she said the last bit - that Warbone had made some awkward move against his sister. Stark bristled, hackles raising as his blue eyes narrowed some. "That sonnovabitch." He grit it out, claws digging into the earth beneath him. "He said that to you?!" Of course Banner wouldn't just made something like that up and Warbone clearly thought himself hot shit. 

"Fuck he's such a prick." Stark hissed, biting briefly into his tongue. It wasn't enough that he came around like an entitled asshole but he'd made unwarranted passes on his sister too like she'd fold for him. "I'll make the mark on Buchanan myself if Warbone shows up around here again." Stark said darkly. Between the two of them he'd be more than happy to see Warbone ripped limb from limb. 

Panting aside, Banner remained quiet while Stark said his piece.  Granted, his words were more to the point than her rambling, sorry excuse for a diatribe.  I'm sure he was joking, she bit out, eyes rolling for good measure.  When she had this conversation with Buchanan, he assured her that Warbone was likely not joking, and so she knew it was a stupid thing to say.  But she felt the need to lessen the situation anyway.

That threat isn't as romantic when you say it, she mused, though her face was still set in a frown from her previous ranting.  Part of her wanted to pin Stark with a harsh glare for mentioning a fresh mark on her mate, but it wasn't worth the effort.  Warbone has his own pack now, anyway, so he has no reason to bother me - er, us.  The anger within her had cooled down significantly, but Banner could feel it still simmering.  The strong emotions made her feel itchy.. as usual.  She couldn't help her low growl.  Someone like him doesn't move on that easily.  What's he playing at?

The blank look that Stark gave her was certainly enough to relay that he doubted Warbone was joking. The man was so obtuse - the fact he'd come and demand the pack meant he'd probably demand a woman to just lay down for him. No, it wasn't the style from the wolf that Stark had met. There was a lot more to him, Stark felt, but he had no interest in discovering more about him. Stark gave a shrug, glancing back towards the Crook as if he could see Buchanan. "Wasn't meant to be romantic Banner. Between the two of us we'd rip him apart for touching you." Stark turned his blue eyes back to Banner's green, the hard look on his face a promise that he wouldn't give in - he'd do anything for his sister and he knew that her mate would feel the same. 

"Who knows." Stark said with a sigh. "I doubt he found out about Octavia, but if he did know, he'd probably creep around for that reason." He guessed, anyways, based on the obsessive nature he'd seen from Warbone. "We're not gonna fold. As long as we keep to ourselves I don't think there will be an issue - I met Saena, she was nice enough." And if they had to, he'd prefer to deal with Saena. "Weirdly enough we've got a lot in common, she's mother to two of Reek's kids, both girls. He apparently took them, that's why she was in the area at all."

She ignored his look and squared her shoulders, a playful scowl on her face.  Wasn't romantic?  Ha!  Banner huffed loudly and continued on with what had apparently become a childish show of pouting.  I'll have you know it was very romantic, she countered.  The rest of it wasn't worth mentioning.  She knew Stark and Buchanan would defend her and never thought to question it.

Her anger mostly gone, Banner slumped just a bit.  How'd you find out about all of this?  The news seemed incredibly fresh and she couldn't recall if Stark had gone out wandering recently.  She didn't really follow the whole Saena portion of the story - what did she have to do with Warbone?  The short Marauder turned back to look at her brother.  Saena.. and Reek..? she repeated, for once not concerned at how dumb she sounded.  Reek was a name she knew, obviously, as Tambourine's biological father.  That aside, interpersonal politics hadn't really been her.. thing.  You've always been more social, she admitted with a pathetic half-shrug. 

Banner needed a chart or something.

Still Stark's mood was sour, his face scrunched up in an unattractive way that Banner might have been the only person to see. "I'm involved, and I love you, but I don't think it's very polite for me to be involved in romance with you." He said dryly. They'd moved on though, the Alpha still seething even as his sister asked about his source. "Tam ran into Saena. I'd met her a few weeks ago when she was going after her daughters." Things had seemed infinitely different then - he'd even offered the Keep to help them, if they needed it. 

Now....well, he had no idea what that meant for the broken and blended family. "The reason they split up is because Reek cheated." He didn't need to lay it out with who - his sister was smart, and he was raising the proof of that little tryst. It only complicated things more and given how the last encounter with Warbone had gone he only anticipated the same aggression from the male and now the band he lead.

Ugh!  Banner bit her lip to stop herself from explaining that she obviously hadn't meant to imply romance with him.  Their conversation moved on, though, and she decided to tuck that moment away from teasing at a later time.  Her gaze shot to the side for a second when Stark revealed that Tambo met up with Saena.  Or ran into, whatever.  Didn't know he'd started exploring outside the Keep, she murmured offhandedly.  Not that she blamed him - the kid was basically an adult at this point.  Taller than she was, at least.

It felt far too melodramatic when she sucked in a breath at Stark's reveal.  If nothing else she was certainly able to put two and two together.  Reek and Saena.. Reek and Octavia.  Oh boy.  Banner cleared her throat.  .. he sounds like a real ass, she added helpfully.  Before Buchanan she'd never given relationships a second thought, but even she had fairly strong feelings on infiedlity.  Yikes.  Tam's father's ex-mate and the psycho founding Alpha of the Keep.  Things are really looking up for us, she deadpanned.