I'm Coming Home...

@Burke @Slade @Damien @Cicero (anyone else in the pack is welcome too!)! I'm home!! :DD

To say Meldresi was excited to be home was an understatement. She kept on the stoic, resilient mask that she had long donned when she became a priestess, but that mask was slowly wearing away the closer and closer she and Slade came to her dark forest.

The storm had been relatively kind on the Woods, with a few fallen trees here or there, and the stench of the swamp delving deeper into the Woods than before. She could live with that; the water would recede, however slowly, and the trees would be replaced eventually. That was how nature worked. She accepted the slight changes and focused on her pack, her family, Burke.

Arriving at the edge of the forest where their borders began. The scent of the pack was still strong, with more numbers than before, and Burke's claim was largely evident, more so than usual. Her scent had long faded, she saw, and she instantly regretted her actions in leaving, especially for so long. Her pack needed her, regardless if the Dark Brotherhood was alive and well, or not. That was the lesson she needed, and she thanked Mephala silently before tipping her head back and calling to her family and pack to meet her.

After this they should have a private thread @Meldresi so they both can show their true feelings! XD

Burke had been patrolling the borders religiously, just in hope to find a hint of Meldresi's scent. The need to let loners know this was their ground was getting less important for Burke. He would deal with them, yes. But he was mostly on the borders with a different motive. If he wasn't standing on guard by the Otter creek side of the territory, then he was patrolling the dry lands in search for his mate's scent. Burke had never displayed such restless behavior before. He was always utterly calm and wouldn't worry. Well, now he was worried sick. He didn't want his Meldresi to vanish and die so soon after they were mated. 

Burke trotted his usual path, by now the foliage had made way for him into a small trail. He had even worn the ground with his restless pacing. At least it marked the borders well enough. Then suddenly, like a flicker of hope, he scented her. He smelled Meldresi! Was this a trick? Was this his mind playing with him? Burke's heavy paws slammed into the ground as he rushed forward. The scent grew clearer and stronger, until he could see her. Right there! She was really there. Burke had to make an emergency break to not crash into her. He came to a stop right before her. He hated that Slade was there with them. He wanted a private moment with his beautiful goddess. But that would have to wait until later, then he could tell her how much her really missed her.

Burke nosed over her from her injured side to her neck, following to her cheek. He gave her a quick lick but he wanted to do so much more than that. Though Meldresi could probably see in his eyes how immensely happy he was. The large grey male nudged her, almost to check if she was real. He wasn't going to start about her injured ear and side. She was still so beautiful to him. "You are finally back," he whispered, only for her to hear. In that whisper alone there was so much pain and missing the male had felt when she was gone.

Continuing this thread with @Slade in the background

Her ears perked, ignoring the slight pain in her half-chewed ear, at the sound of paws approaching. The heavy footfalls made her heart leap in her chest, her tail wag so fast and hard that it hit her sides. When she saw his silver pelt in the darkness, Meldresi suppressed a whine, trying so hard to keep whatever royal dignity she had. Burke.

Meldresi licked softly, but frantically at his neck, nuzzling gently, reveling in the presence of her mate once more. It had been far too long, for both of them. She had seen the delight, and disbelief, in his eyes and promised to herself that she would never, ever leave so long again. The promise was fortified and locked in her mind and heart when she heard his whisper. "I've missed you." She whispered back, pressing against him. "I'm sorry..."

Burke watched how excited his mate was and then couldn't help but show his own excitement. Even he had trouble not to whine and yip like an excited puppy. Love did weird things to him. Even a killer and Dark Brother like him. They both were heavily affected. He started to return all her licks, showering her face with little kisses. He wanted to tell her how badly he wanted to look for her. How close he was to abandoning Black Feather in search for his love. But he passed the test. Ever since Burke started to see it as a test he was doing better. But he had more than missed her. He had craved and longed for her.

"Don't apologize," he returned on the same soft tone. "Missing makes the heart grow fonder, I believe you must completely idolize me now," he tried to joke lightly and gave another lick on her cheek. He stood close to her, even rubbing his head a bit against her neck. He wanted her scent back in his fur. Her delicious scent. It was clear that the two wolves had missed each other greatly. Burke didn't know what to say to Slade but he kept himself in the distance for now, which Burke appreciated. "I see you survived," he then spoke with care. "My strong and beautiful mate. I knew you would return. I trusted that you would."

"You're second only to Mephala and Sithis, now." She smirked at her mate's joke, pressing into his lick. She could stand here for hours with him, ignoring everyone else but Burke. And she would like too, very much so. However, the presence of her escort was their only determent. Meldresi had no idea what Slade was thinking, now that he saw Burke and Meldresi show their affections for each other. Would he not come to Blackfeather after all?

"I barely did so." She murmured into his fur, remembering being surrounded on all sides by people who despised her. "The North has no love for Southerners, I'm afraid." And less love for Blackfeather Woods.

Not sure if we should wait for Slade or?

Burke hummed fondly at her, he was struggling to keep his fondness at bay. And why should he? Because he had no shame in loving Meldresi. She was wonderful. "Second place? I take that," he grinned. Because she hadn't even mentioned her youngsters, so that for Burke was a big deal. He gave her a few extra licks. It felt weird to be so expressively happy after a time of such darkness and sadness. He wanted to tell Meldresi about his amazing evil plan and how he had been managing Black Feather. How they were almost at their limit with members, and how he was training spies for the brotherhood. That all would have to come later.

He growled in disapproval when he heard about the North. "Do you think that Swift Current Pack moved North after they abandoned their lands?," Burke asked. "Or were you on a pack lands to have them attack you like this? If I find any Northerner I will make sure they regret it." He let out a snort and calmed down again. "You will have to know that I was so close to leaving Black Feather to go search for you. It really took everything of me not to go after you."

«Many sorries, im here, im here. »



The time passed agonizingly slow for the Dark King, and within the shadows, he waited. The moment the mass of expected affection had passed,  he stepped from the void and made his way to Meldresi's left flank.

And before him was Burke. 
Brother Burke.
Explaining how hard it was for him to restrain himself from searching for the Queen, himself. 
Oddly enough, Slade believed him. Underneath every facade of calm, lies a storm. Burke concealed such on their previous encounter to a degree, and Slade appreciated such professionalism. 
Even if he was mated to her. 

"Greetings, Burke. She's returned. All in one piece."

That's all he said for now. The conversation was to continue, was it not?
So the brute listened.

The former Dark King was barely on her mind at the moment, his presence in the background as she drank in the scent and warmth of her mate. But when they began talking of the North, Meldresi waved the thought away. "That, we can talk about later..." She murmured, soothing her mate with a lick on the nose. When Burke mentioned the thought of leaving Blackfeather for her, Meldresi frowned. Desert Blackfeather? "In the future, you will do no such thing." She snapped softly. "The pack is more important than I." Who else would control their forest if both of the leaders were gone? Her children were too young, and everyone else relied on their leadership. Why leave the pack to be taken over, or destroyed?

Meldresi's gaze turned back to Slade, who stood close to her side. She searched the volcanic eyes of the Dark Brother, reading them and finding no obvious signs of jealousy. She had partially been dreading this reunion, for the sheer fact that Slade might prove to be less in control of his romantic emotions than she had once thought. But he was taking this well, she thought. "Have you considered returning back to Blackfeather, Brother Slade?"

Edit; @Meldresi can you make the last reply and wrap this up, please? 

Burke got a hint of a smirk on his face when Meldresi lightly snapped at him. That was the spirit. "I didn't, didn't I?," he spoke in reply. That was the point, he was so close to leaving it, that was how important she was to him. That was why he had been telling her that. Burke stepped closer because he might be a bit possessive of Meldresi. Though he couldn't deny that the dark wolf before him had brought back his mate. "She did," he spoke, if he would be a nagging old grump then he could start about her ear, but Burke wasn't going to do that. He didn't mind if a piece of er ear was missing, he still thought she was very beautiful either way. He also had a few scars littered over his body. 

Burke turned to Meldresi for a moment, inviting the dark brother back into the pack. That was probably the least he could do, to give Slade his home back. The calm male raised his docked tail. He wondered what the male was going to answer. He wasn't going to offer him a spot on the go, to then for him to decline it. If he wanted to join then Burke would offer the spot. He noticed that Meldresi's mark had faded, they would need to remark it. And they definitely needed to remark each other with other scents too.

Forgive me! PP-ing Slade

Meldresi frowned at Slade's last minute refusal, her hopes being dashed against the wall for a re-strengthened Brotherhood. She could not press him into changing his mind — she never forced other people to change their minds — so she nodded, silently saying "I understand" and letting him go. Whether or not he would return was finalized now: he would not.

With his choice made, Meldresi turned to her mate, her Dark King. She licked his muzzle softly, a gentle smile on her face as she mixed her scent with his, her body tingling. "Come." She strode back into her Woods, sighing with relief as the shadows washed over her. She was home.

Burke was more than pleased when Slade declined. Now he could finally enjoy his moment with Meldresi. He instantly moved with her. His nose nudging her. He had missed her so. She finally returned. Burke had lived in gloom for the last month. This was almost too good to be true. The grey tank walked next to Meldresi, going back to their home, and their den.

-fin-