Morningside Cuesta 99 problems

Takes place directly after this thread. Paging Mama @Khoe.

Grayday grumbled to himself as he stalked toward the whelping den, knowing he was heading into another bad round of Khoe's favorite game - Be Angry at Grayday. It seemed cruel of fate to send all these Bad Things his way right when his life had begun to regain order, but he supposed it just wouldn't be life without all them. What would I do if I had it easy? he thought to himself. And then - Who's bitter? Me? What gave you that idea?

But maybe he was bitter - at least a little bit. His feelings were a bit hurt by Heartha's blatant betrayal, but then again, the woman was going nuts. Had she even been in her right mind? Grayday would have to talk to her and find out, but he didn't feel like being around her while she was in heat. Why go through the headache?

He was angry at Sunspot, though. He'd given her one job, and what had happened? Not only had Heartha left the territory, but she'd done it during her heat. How had Spot missed that? How had Grayday, for that matter?

He blew out a sharp breath and stopped a few yards from the den, wondering how this all would go down. I have to be calm, he told himself. No matter what she says, I can't rise to the bait. She'd just had these kids - she's gonna be emotional. It's not her fault. She doesn't mean it.

When he got to the den's entrance, he gave a soft chuff, hoping he wasn't disturbing anything. He'd only left about 40 minutes before, but it seemed like several days had passed with all this new information swimming around in his head. "Khoe?" he murmured, sticking his head into the den. "I gotta talk to you about something. Can you come out for a minute?"

He didn't want her angry around the kids again.

From outside of the den, one could hear a myriad of sounds; Khoe's snores and occasional murmurs mixed with the quiet rumbles of resting pups left the small space sounding akin to a family choir. They were each lost in their own worlds, dreaming of what the next day would bring, until Grayday's voice leaked in from the entryway. With groggy eyes and a stuffy nose, Khoe looked around with a near silent Huh?, then stood to shake out her fur and rearrange the pups. 

What's wrong? she whispered in her hoarse morning voice, before cleaaring her throat to come out and ask more clearly. What's wrong? Khoe asked. She was trying to examine her mate's face for any telling signs, though she couldn't tell whether finding them or not finding them would have been more nerve-wracking.

Can we assume Grayday mentioned the whole "Heartha is Crazy" thing to Khoe? XD

"Heartha's in heat," he said succintly, his face twisting into the annoyed grimace he'd been trying to hold back. "She went out and fucked some rover - I don't know where Spot was during all this, but I'm gonna skin that girl," he muttered to himself, though his words were spoken more out of frustration than anger. He was too tired to be angry, and too tired to keep himself from feeling frustrated and irritable. But it wasn't directed at Khoe, and he tried to keep his posture neutral toward her, not wanting her to think that he was.

"And I know you're not gonna like it, but I haven't kicked her out yet. I want to hear what she has to say for herself, and... well... if she stays, the male stays, too," he explained. "I'm getting pretty sick of being the only man around, and we could use the extra help with hunting. Think about it - Heartha being pregnant isn't going to change how much she contributes, except that it'll keep her man around. And he's useful. And if she whelps... well, we'll see, I guess. We're still leaving before winter. That's not gonna change."

He laid his head on his paws, feeling very weary all of the sudden. "Whaddaya think?" he asked her, though he had a feeling he knew exactly what she thought.

Khoe didn't have much time to wake herself up before the first bomb was dropped right atop her curly poof of a head. Her eyes grew slim and focused as her nose began to twitch only in slight irritation. Heartha being in heat was one thing, Heartha being possibly pregnant was another, but Heartha remaining within the territory? 

Oh boy.

Now, admittedly, Khoe did like the sound of having another male in the ranks. Living with all women was something even she had grown tired of; there was no room for fertile women around her children, so far as she was concerned. But for said male to be the father of Heartha's litter, well, that sounded a lot less promising. Whaddya think? Grayday asked, as if Khoe was just going to nod her head and say it was all okay. For a moment, she was angry at everyone; it took her a bit of thinking to focus in on the real issue at hand and to get away from her own emotions.

Khoe smiled and even allowed the hint of a laugh. Of course, that became a giggle, which became a chortle, until she was nearly in hysterics with rage. Although she was literally laughing herself into delirium, one could see the flames burning in her eyes and the irritated flexing of her ears. Her cheeks were hot and sore, but she coudn't stop. You're joking, right? she managed through the episode, You have to be kidding me.

'Cause if he wasn't, gods know what she was gonna do next.

Grayday watched her warily. Clearly, she was displeased by the situation - so was he - but the way she reacted to things lately had him sort of concerned. He was glad he'd asked her to come out of the den for the news, at any rate.

"I'm not," said Grayday, not sure what answer she was looking for. Why would he joke about this? Was she mocking him again. Inside, the male began to shrink into himself, wanting to be anywhere but with the woman in front of him. Outwardly, though, he seemed a stoic as ever. He wished that she would practice a little stoicism herself.

I didn't think so. 

Immediately, Khoe shifted to a blank expression, though one that could only hint at the thoughts racing through her mind. Had this been back home where another femme in her household mated without explicit permission, they would have killed her, or allowed her to carry the pups so they could kill them each, one by one. But she knew that here, rules were different. Of course, that didn't mean all would be forgotten.

Although her voice was shaking with every word, Khoe told her mate with a degree of seriousness that she had never used before, If her whelps put my children in harm's way by any means, I will do what I have to do to protect them. She began to pace back and forth in front of her mate, shaking her head in disbelief. I can't believe she did this! Khoe exclaimed, I know she's a bit out of it but you don't just forget being given a straight no. I mean, I was there! I remember, and I'm sure you remember, so what makes her think... 

She was beginning to ramble. If mealtime wasn't approaching, she might have gone for Heartha right then and there. But she, unlike other wolves in the pack, actually cared about the wellbeing of her pups. Even if she had a strange way of showing it.

"I don't know," said Grayday, his voice a heavy sigh. "I'm going to talk to her, but not until her season's ended. To be honest, I'm more angry at Sunspot than anyone. I asked her to do one thing - " He shut his mouth, cutting himself off before he could start ranting. He could be angry at his sister out of earshot of his kids. (Was my father this way?) "And we won't let these kids go hungry for anything. If it comes to it, I will do what needs to be done. But at this stage, lettin' her stay isn't hurtin' anything," he explained, able to keep his tone mild more out of weariness than patience.

"I told both of them to stay out of your way," he added, studying his mate rather carefully. He didn't say it, but the underlying meaning of that statement seemed apparent enough - Don't you go causin' trouble, either.

Khoe nodded her head as she took in Grayday's reassuring words. He was right; Khoe would willingly take her own life before risking those of her children, Dawn included. And though it didn't make her anger any less severe to hear that she would be staying, she figured that he was right. If anything, Heartha was the most docile wolfess within the ranks; any problems caused by her hanging around would surely be at the fault of Khoe. 

Hopefully, Grayday had come prepared.

Good, she murmured, I'll mind my manners. Khoe sighed and turned back to look into the den, then back to Grayday. Do you know what she said to me when I told her I was pregnant? It was something that had haunted her since then and something that would continue fueling her contempt until the day she died.

Grayday's ears flickered at the sudden change in topic - he'd begun to worry about what Khoe might try to do to the other female if they got near enough to each other. Heartha surely wouldn't hurt her, but Howl? Grayday knew that powerful urges governed a man protecting the vessel that carried his children, not to mention the feelings he seemed to have for Heartha herself. It was a relief to hear Khoe claim she wouldn't start anything, although Grayday did find himself somewhat disinclined to believe her...

But those thoughts were pushed out of his mind at her question, and he turned his attention toward her more fully, curious about what could be causing her to grit her teeth like that. Heartha didn't have a bad bone in her body, did she?

"No," said Grayday, intrigued. "What'd she say?"

She mocked me, Khoe scoffed, Not long before that, I'd told her about my first litter, and when I told her about this one — She looked away, suddenly realizing just how insignificant it might seem, She made it sound like I wasn't capable of raising them. She spoke down on me, like she could have done a better job at raising them than I -- than we could. Khoe loved her children more than she loved life itself, but sometimes she wondered if maybe Heartha had been right. Maybe she wasn't meant to be a mother, and maybe all she was capable of doing was hurting those she cared for most; she tried to push these thoughts from her mind, but pests had a way of finding their way back home.

If it had been anyone else; had it been Sunspot, or Katya, or even Dawn, gods forbid, I would have welcomed the idea. But Heartha insulted me and my family and she reached too low to ever climb herself back up.

Grayday felt his face - unbidden - twist into a grimace that he couldn't seem to undo. There was a sick feeling in his chest, but he couldn't quite place what'd made him feel that way. He'd already begun to feel differently about Khoe, and now took everything she said and did with a grain of salt - but he was also feeling uncharitable toward Heartha, after the day he'd had.

"I can't help but wonder how long she's been this way," Grayday murmured, setting his head on his paws. "Maybe she's always been... off. I'd never believe something like that of her, if I didn't know what she told me."

He looked up at Khoe, the fur on the back of his neck prickling uncomfortably. "Do you think she's dangerous?" he wondered aloud, wishing Khoe could be the kind of mate whose word he could trust. This conversation meant nothing, at the end of the day. It was all simply chatter that he couldn't put much stock in, and the inanity of the conversation was beginning to wear on him.

Khoe was almost taken aback by the suggestion of dishonesty. You wouldn't have believed me? she asked, unsure of whether or not she really wanted the answer. On one hand, she understood where his slight of faith might have come from, as she'd experienced the same thing; with as many females they had on their hands, it was hard to believe that he wasn't up to something. But on the other, it still hurt to hear him mention it aloud.

Heartha? I don't think she could hurt any of us, no. But the same way I'd take one of hers to protect my own, well, everyone has that instinct. And that was a part of what made Khoe so nervous. She'd thought so much about how easily she would kill another litter that it had slipped her mind how every other mother probably had that same thought. I don't know. I...she's a docile woman. But even the calmest have their moments, I suppose.

Grayday blinked at Khoe, not quite understanding the question, for a moment. When it did click, he hurried to expand - "Not just you - anyone. I would've assumed it was a misunderstanding or an overreaction, because Heartha's just so..." He shook his head, allowing the sentence to taper off. He was sure Khoe knew what he meant.

"I won't let either of them near you or the kids," he said solemnly. "And If either of them starts acting suspiciously,  they'll leave or they'll die. I promise."

Khoe trusted her life with Grayday, even if she didn't trust much else. And when it came down to it, she knew that he would never falter in his duties to protect their children. Okay, she sighed through a deep and heavy breath. Though she was still angry (and would be for many days to come), her feelings had been temporarily subdued with her mate's promise of protection.

Turning back to the den, Khoe nodded towards the three munchkins crawling near the entrance (they had grown so much!), It's about meal time, if you want to join us.

Day watched her a moment longer, not quite sure he believed her ire had rested. But one look at the kids made his decision for him. "Okay," he easily agreed, following Khoe into the den. He greeted each child in turn, paying special attention to Easy, who could get a bit tempermental around mealtimes. If she nipped Khoe one more time, he was sure the woman's anger would be shifted easily from Heartha to her own daughter.