Noctisardor Bypass ? It's not gonna hurt much. Promise.

@Gwen


Storm leaned down to sniff a bit more, winding his way about tree. Was a nice tree, he had to give it that. But something that was even nicer was the perfume attached to it. A little grin made its way to dark lips as jade eyes peeked up beneath black lashes: Bingo. He was home bound.

Picking up the little bundle wrapped in the boar casing, the man trotted his way to the front of the mountainous cup, the rock oyster that held his little jewel. His pearl, his baby girl. His wife. His. Just his.

He wouldn't call for her, nah that was for dusters. He was top quality, and he knew his top quality wife would welcome him right on in. She knew when daddy was home. So Storm dropped the parcel and sat on a pewter dusted flat, and waited for for his little diamond to prance right into his arms.

Thank you for starting! c:

It was a typical summer day. Things were starting to get warmer, brighter, perhaps, and Gwen's worry from the last few days was beginning to fade. Life was decent, she supposed. Nothing special, but nothing at all bad. Kelina had been scarce recently, too, so maybe she was losing interest. That, for sure, would lessen the stress on the white queen's shoulders. She was patrolling today, as usual, and nothing seemed wrong. One of the caches had been seemingly attacked by a little rascal, but it was okay. Only a mouse had been stolen from the cache, and Gwen had re-burried everything. Mawk had patrolled early this morning, but was now with Illecebra and the pups, and she assumed that Cry had been patrolling last night. Horosk was out hunting, probably with Semira, and Circe was back. Honestly, the Empress thought that the dark raven had left, but apparently not. She would have to talk to her later. Everyone in the pack was busy with their own tasks, so Gwen had come out to patrol and mark the borders again.
 
It was just as she was planning to head back to her den that the wind brought her a scent. At first, she thought little of it, simply knowing it was another wolf, probably looking to join, but after a second sniff she began to realise. Her hackles rose, and her heart almost stopped beating. Could it be? After all this time, was he back? How? She needed to see. As much as she wanted to flee, just get away from the area, she couldn't. As Alphess, she had to see who was at the borders. She just prayed that it wasn't him.

She tried to focus. She raised her tail as usual, showing her rank, with her head raised. She tried to look regal and strong, but inside her heart was bounding and her head throbbed, fear welling up inside her with every step she made. Then she saw him. And all she could do was gasp in shock, freezing where she stood, just a few metres away from him.

Not a problem. :P

Oh, now she was a quickie, she was. Didn't have to wait long, at all. His little diamond came, but into his arms, no. She seemed shocked to see him, and that brought a little grin to him; same familiar cocky smirk that had won her over as kids.

"Well if it ain't my little dovette, lookin' as exy as day she left me."

Jade gems danced in his sockets as he studied her. Fine as ever, his little porcelean. She was holding herself in a manner that made him feel like she was gonna do a little twirl for him, model herself a bit. But then again, it could have all been in his knocker.

"Showin' off for me, are ya, babe?"

It was him. His voice, it brought back so many memories. Not all bad, no, but not all good either. As time had progressed they had gotten worse. And now he was here again - she thought she had left her past behind. She had thought she was free again, but no, she could not be. Of course, in a time when she was beginning to settle down, he of all wolves would find her.

"I-I......." She stumbled over her words, the shock still clear and evident in her eyes. His words were ignored, blocked out by the icy queen. She could not let them in, no. What was she to do? He was stronger than her, fighting was not an option. But she could not let him get anywhere near herself or her 'family'. The Queen's body was tense and she remained frozen for a few moments, barely blinking as she tried to make sense of what was happening. The memories, they were coming back to her too fast. Much too fast.

She shook herself, blinking multiple times just to check that it really was him. But of course it was him. "S-Storm.... What..... how....?" How on earth had he found her? She had run as far and as fast as she could. She was very much far from her old home. What was Storm doing here, and what... did he want?

He snorted like she had told a joke. Now it was funny, but the man had more than enough of her silence. He wanted to hear her voice, to hear that pretty little song box of hers. To hear it either tune a lovely for him, or even scream his name. Whether it be in ecstacy or agony didn't really matter to the man, but he just wanted those vocals.

"Now I love I got ya quiverin and rilled up like that my little biscuit, but I don't think ya really gettin' what's goin' on here."

Gesturing with a sweep of his muzzle, he indicated this little 'home' thing she had going on had to either stop, or she had to etch his name on the roster somewhere. Make it real fine and nice for him.

"This little shack you tried to run and hide in is cute and all, and it's even cuter you thought you could hide from me, but that right there, love," he tsk'd a good three times, australian accent draping an even more arrogant layer over his faux caring tones. "That's a no-no, sweetie. Now come 'ere and give Storm a big 'welcome home' peck, would ya?"

He saw she was nowhere near in the mood to walk near him, let alone the mentality to even comprehend showing any affection for him, and that irritated him a bit. Now he didn't like being angry at his dollie, but she was treatin' him dirty. He wasn't the one who ran away from his love; she was.

"Oi now, don't be like that. I took all the time in the world to find that lovely arse of yours and ya just let me stiffen up in the cold, here? Aye it's bloody summer, but you know I've always like your warmth betta' babe."

She would not be able to get out of this very easily. The Ice Queen flicked her tail uncertainty, trying to quickly think of something. The only way she believed she could escape him would be if her pack helped. She was fast, but he was strong, and he would soon catch up to her. If only she could call her pack, by she could not. Not while he was right here. "Why.. why did you come here? What did you think you would achieve?" Her voice wavered slightly as she spoke, but she managed without stumbling too much. The shock she had initially held was replaced with fear and worry, along with a smidge of sorrow. The snow dove attempted to narrow her eyes, but it ended up twisting her face into some sort of grimace. "I... I left for good reasons...." He killed her. He killed Julie. She had had no choice but to run . Only a mad wolf would have stayed. 

What made her worse was that she felt sorrowful. She, in a way, missed the old Storm. The one she had loved. But perhaps it was her own fault? Perhaps if she had not announced that they did not work as a pair, maybe they would be together still and living happily. With Julie beside them and whoever else was around. Almost instinctively, while her mind was battling with emotions, she felt her body lean toward him, one paw steping forward in what seemed to be an approach.

No. She stopped herself, biting her lip in frustration. He was the one who didn't give her enough time to get over her father's death. He was the one who decided to pretty much ditch her for her sister. He was the one who forced her to stay with him, and he was the one who killed Julie. It had not been her that had torn them apart, but him. With a small, slightly frightened hiss, the alphess met his gaze, deep blue eyes searching the jade ones she had wished she could have forgotten.

"I don't gotta think, sweet 'eart- I know full on what I'm achieving. And that's you bein' the one I wake up to every mornin'. You know I couldn't just leave ya here ta catch a cold from these squibs, ya? Just as much as you know they don't care about ya the way I do."

His stare only intensified as he recounted every single night he slept alone, wanting her, missing only her. The girl he shared his meals with, told all his secrets to, read every bit of Life's book with. It was a hopeful thing seeing her take a chance, that baby step headed his way...right back where she belonged.
Only for her to kill it.

The lightest smidge of irritation bled into his accented voice, his patience running thinner with the blooming accusations.

"Ain't never a good reason ta leave ya mate, no matta how dark times get, babe. I told you that tha day you though I was poppin fat ones wit' ya sister. But it's fine though, Gwennie. I ain't the only one who hurt in this lil' tango of ours."

It was then he unraveled the sachel he brought, revealing the skull of another wolf. This sull was well old, polished, slim. Now the real question...who did it belong to? Was it Julie's?...Or was it Knew's?

"Was ya good reason so you could off it with me and frick frack with stick boy you thought was good enough for ya? Psh, damn scraggle thing wasn't more than skelly, and ya bought every word he said, hung on light a deer in headlights, didn'tcha babe?"

Horror had to come next, but regardless, Storm only asked with that conniving smile of his.

"What, you thought ya hubby didn't know about your little love affair? Oh, I knew my little 'belle. I knew your little Knew."

"They are my family and I could call them right now, you know that." She doubted that would be enough to sway him to leave, but it was worth a try. "I am the Alphess here and I care for them like they care for me. We've been through more than you might think." She had her friends to back her up, but how would she get them to come? She prayed silently that another of them would come patrolling or hunting this way. "I-If you cared for me so much, Storm, then why didn't you give me chance to recover? You never left me alone to think. I... needed time." He knew what she was talking about. Her fathers death had hit her hard, even harder than her mother's had. Perhaps it was because with her mother, they had all known it was coming. Death was unavoidable for the poor woman. But with her father, there had been a chance for him. But he had failed to get over his wife's death.

Gwen glanced down at the sachel he brought as he unravelled it to reveal.... a skull? A wolf skull? At first she thought it was Julie. Perhaps it was Julie. As Storm talked, the Empress felt her fears growing again, almost seeming to swallow her whole as she stared at the skull in horror. Storm spoke of her second love. Could it... could it be? She let out a pained whine, almost feeling her heart cave in on itself. "What... What... That's not......" But was it? Was it Knew? "¿Pobre Knew, es que usted? Lo siento mucho," She mumbled in Spanish, closing her eyes for a moment. Perhaps it wasn't Knew. There was always a chance that her ex-mate was just messing with her, but if that was the case then how did he know about her love? How long ago had this man entered the Teekon? Had he been watching her all this time? The Ice Queen held the tears back, willing herself not to cry in front of Storm. But her legs wobbled for a moment, her love for the thin wolf almost making her collapse with grief. No, it couldn't be. It... couldn't. She wouldn't let herself think like that.

The dark wolf in front of her spoke again, with his damn smile. He said the other man's name. He really did know Knew, then. "K-Knew was there for me. He.... He gave me time. You didn't." Her heart lurched again, thinking about the goofy wolf's grin. He was supposed to be here, as her Emperor. He had vanished, though.... was that Storm's doing? Was that why her ex-mate was here with a skull? Had he killed Knew? The man she had grown to love?

The man snaked an eyebrow up as his smile only grew wider. Did she honestly think she could scare him away with whatever she considered these wannabes to be? Hell, how many times did he have to make a reappearance for her to realize that he wasn't going anywhere,...not without her.

"Well ya better have em cark me, sweetie, because I'm gonna keep commin' back, whether you like it, they like it, or I like it, or not. "

Once the skull had it's effects on her, he tucked it away. Poor Julie; had he robbed her grave? Poor Knew; was he the victim of the heartbroken heartbreaker? Or was it simply a random wolf's skull?

"You needed time to think about the dead, girl, let them rest! What matters is the living! I am, you are, and that's just that! Ya noggin's in the wrong ring, baby, and the dead aren't thinkin' about mournin' you livin' as much as you mourn them bein' dead."

It was plain and simple. She kept crying for the wrong things. She needed to be crying tears of joy that he was still amongst the living, damnit! He was here, flesh, bone and balls, ready and waiting to take her back in a loving embrace and all the damn girl could think was 'boo hoo, my life.'

"That time wasn't his ta give, little dovette. That Knew of yours was a rat, thievin' the only time I shoulda had with you, if ya hadn'ta run off like some whipped dog. I loved ya, biscuit; still do. Always have, and I'll be damned if I ever stopped. But that rat ya snuggled up to all them night's wasn't for you. He used you, Gwen. I never woulda did that to my baby girl."

"We have skilled fighters and training warriors. I wouldn't be so sure that you could get away from them if they targeted you." Her tail raised again, along with her head, hoping to assume the role of Alphess once more. She had to stay strong. No matter how hard it was, she couldn't let herself fall for his words. "Stop making it sound like it was my fault! All I needed was a few days, maybe a week, to get my head around what had happened, and I would have probably been back to normal! You pressed too hard!" The Empress flicked her tail again, gaze momentarily sweeping around the pair's surroundings to see if another Bypass wolf happened to be approaching. Unfortunately, it seemed she was alone to deal with the man she had been avoiding for what, two years? 

She closed her eyes again for a moment, grief over the fact that Knew might be gone forever washing over her for a moment. Then she lifted her head and opened her eyes, narrowing them as she did so. How dare he? "Don't talk about him like that, cabrón," She growled. She didn't often use vulgar language, but she found doing so in spanish easier. It covered it up a little better, since not everyone spoke the language, not that he deserved that. Perhaps she shouldn't use her mother's teachings to insult Storm. "Don't call me that, either. I am not your 'baby girl'. I told you that day that we didn't work - I made it clear. Don't think you can just show up here and act like we're still together. And he did not use me." The Queen spat, hackles rising and bristling. She didn't believe that Knew had used her - not at all. They relied on each other. But Storm wouldn't understand that, would he?

Like her little pets scared him. But f he had to kill her friends, then shit, dude's gotta do they they gotta do. But for her to go swingin' so soon. "Sucks ya gotta call in all ya little ankle biters for you ta shut me up, Gwennie. Coulda just did it yourself wit' a kiss."

She was definitely was getting on his last nerve with bringing up the dead. Girls were so damn sentimental, and he just couldn't get it. Sentemental over some corpses. "What was there ta get, girl? He died! I got it in less than a second. Death happens, and there aint no point cryin' over it. Wasting time to 'get it' is stupid. You think I needed time ta 'get it' when my ma and pa died? I walked in, saw em dead, and walked out. Moved in with you. Right as rain very same day."

He flattened his ears as she vexed him further. The fuck she just call him?
"Oi, don't be slingin' around that taco talk, girl. I ain't been nothin' but sweet as daisies to ya, and it don't take a dead dog ta know that wasn't a pet name. And whether ya get it through that pretty head of yours or not, ya always my baby girl. Mine, not some bodgy runt's. He used you, Gwen, ya was just too hung up on him ta get that he was."

It was clear she had no inkling, damn girl was as delusional as all get out, but luckily for her, here he was.

"You think after all that time as a starvin' nomad, he woulda been well dead. He used plenty as gullible as you ta feed his sorry arse, and then you came along. Stuck out longer than the rest, cus' that mongrel couldn't get somebody ta keep spoonin food in his mouth. They found em' out, you just missed the bright neon sign, and he kept with it.  You were just blonde enough ta' keep feedin' that snake."

She was losing it very quickly with this man. Her fear and worry from before was spiraling into anger fast, but she wasn't the type to outwardly yell. Inwardly, she was practically screaming, in irritation and sorrow and all the other bloody emotions that seemed to plague her at the moment, but outwardly there was just silence for a moment. She sucked in a breath, and held it for a second before breathing slowly out. Calm. She had to be calm. She could not assume that the skull was Knew's, nor Julie's. There was a possibility, yes, but it could have been any wolf that Storm had managed to murder. "Sweet? You think you've been sweet as daisies to me?" She let out a quiet sarcastic laugh, eyes closing momentarily as she attempted to reel in the hatred that boiled within. "If that truly is Knew, then you've murdered my love. You think that means you've been sweet to me?"

The Ice Queen bit her lip again, shaking her head. "That's enough." Her words were firm, but in her eyes there was that spark of grief that she felt. Sometimes she had to toughen up and act like a leader, but inside she was still that young girl, the one that was stupid enough to fall for a guy like Storm. Or, perhaps she was not stupid for doing it, but they had both done something wrong in that relationship. They had made mistakes, but instead of those mistakes pulling them closer to each other, they had made them drift apart. Or, had made Gwen drift apart, anyway. They simply didn't work as a pair anymore. Maybe they did once, but they didn't anymore. "Get out of here, Storm. We ended long ago, I am not yours and I will never be again. You are only proving to me that I can't trust you." She gestured to the skull, and then sighed with inner pain. "You.... you need to leave."