Hushed Willows [m] Mental Wounds

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The once fiery she-wolf made her way to the lake just west of the meeting ledge. Having endured the most embarrassing ordeal at her pack meeting, she found it unbearable to be around the others. Seeking solitude once more, she hoped Opal Lake would offer solace. The moon hung low, casting a silvery glow on the tranquil waters. Reina nestled beside the shore, her eyes reflecting the inner turmoil of wounded pride. The gentle lapping of the water served as a soothing backdrop, lulling her into an unexpected slumber.

In her dreams, a misty figure materialized—a colossal wolf, its form shifting like wisps of smoke. Eyes of brilliant silver radiated a gentle glow akin to the moon above. The mist-wolf approached Reina with a serenity that transcended the boundaries of the dream world. Safety emanated from its eyes, something she had been missing for the past year. Waking up was the last thing she wanted—why leave this world when reality was so cold and uncertain? The ghostly wolf dipped its head, and a wordless conversation occurred between the two within the dream state, rebuilding her mental walls.

As dawn approached, Reina awoke by the lakeside, the vivid memory of the mist-wolf lingering. Empowered by the dream, resilience settled into her bones; she was ready to face her pack again, especially Boone. He did not deserve her fear as it was truly reserved for him—Ruin, the leader of Deadhawk, her betrothed. On the night of her birth, she was promised to him to save her family.

What did he want? The daughter of a Break leader. Break pack, the oldest in Rhodesia National Park, was practically royalty. Ruin, growing up in a pack of outcasts, aimed to gain enough recognition to assimilate into Break pack. Met with laughter and ridicule, he returned home, tail between his legs in embarrassment. He used that to fuel his endeavors and, soon enough, using tricks learned from the outcasts, he became a pack leader in his own right; he became strong and powerful, backed by all of those who have a personal vendetta against Break. He took what he wanted. 

Even the old Break leader couldn't stop him, eventually agreeing to the marriage between Ruin and his daughter, with the stipulation that she would see her second year before he could take her. It was to save her and their family; her father rallied the pack and sent scouts to the neighboring packs for help. Ruin, discovering the plan, raged at the old man's defiance. He had Reina kidnapped after her first year and tortured. Somehow, she slipped her captors; to this day she is not sure how she managed to find her barrings enough to return home. But, she had been too slow. Deep, heavy snow seemed to have let go from the cliffs above her home. Her home was buried; a once teeming den of life and laughter was now eerily silent. The only sound heard was what came from her lips as she screamed for her family, the birds above joining in her grief and despair. They were gone, all of them.

Through her tears, she saw him, on the cliffs above. Watching. Waiting. Expecting for her to run to him as if he was the only thing she had in this world. But, what he didn't expect was for her to RUN. And run, she did. For a long and lonely year. She did the best she could to cover her tracks, to cover her scent in anything and everything that she could muster putting onto her body. No matter what she did, she still felt him everywhere. In the shadows of the mountains, the darkness at night, and the birds that seemed to track her with their sharp, angular eyes. Like his.

She may never escape him.

Only death would release her from his hold. His death...or hers.

Because Hushed Willows was unfamiliar to her, the red wolf decided to take a stroll. The trees were foreign to her; their whip-like branches gently swaying as birds flitted in and out, tickling their roots and disturbing the dusting of snow that sat atop them. As she went, she rubbed herself along the trunks of the trees, marking her scent in the area. She may as well help the pack this way.

Reina followed the little river that jutted out from Opal Lake. The area, she had to admit, was beautiful, even more beautiful than her home territory. Rhodesia was cold and bleak, spots of green were sporadic. It almost always felt like it was nighttime as the sun was only allotted a very small amount of time during the day to shine. Rhodesia was depressing in so many ways. But here she felt a warmth that spread from her heart and into her bones. She may more alone than she has ever been, but at least here she felt some form of peace.

Maybe someday she can have a family here? She was still young at 2 years of age, prime time to find a mate and build a family. Apprehension formed in the pit of her stomach: What if they're taken from me, too? Could I even survive that? A tear slid down her cheek, a small sob racked her, and she stopped in her tracks. It was too much to think of right now, for even a year felt like yesterday. It was just too soon.

Will be referencing this post for continuity and reason for introducing a new character.

Black ears swiveled, listening. Echoes of howls in the distance caused the large grey male to turn his head in their direction. He watched birds fly from their perches, squawking angrily at being disturbed. At least two different wolves had joined their voices in warning; surely, they hadn't caught wind of him already? He wasn't familiar with this territory, but he did catch multiple scents that appeared every so often, marking the borders of the territory. He never paid mind to borders; there was nothing on the borders to stop him from crossing whenever he pleased. 

One of the scents he had come across was pleasant to his senses: fallen autumn leaves and evergreen trees...and female. His favorite scent from home were from the pines that stood tall and the sticky sap that ran from them. He missed home, but the scent satisfied him in a way that he hadn't felt in a while. He needed to find whoever this scent belonged to, and soon. He was getting rather fatigued and wanted to pause his travels. A female seemed like a great excuse! The ghostly male shook his pelt, freeing the snow that had accumulated. His silver eyes closed, dipped his head to the ground and inhaled deeply.

There.

He continued to follow her scent--the closer he got, the stronger it was, and the more intrigued and determined he became to find her. It was slightly disconcerting; why did every bone in his body gravitate so heavily in her direction? His whole adult life he spent wooing females, bedding them, and leaving to continue on his search for the next warm body to spend his time with. He scoffed; this female will not be any different. Massive paws carried him further into the forest, silently tracking his prey. He was almost there.

Tufts of crimson and cream fur blew in the wind as Reina cleaned herself of the mud that had almost cemented to her paws and legs. The snow had melted into the banks of the river she had been following, and it took almost everything in her to not slip on the slick mud into the icy waters. She had tripped a couple of times, mostly because she wasn't quite paying attention to her footing, lost in some thought process as she explored her new home.

She kind of loved it here. The willows were her favorite features of the terrain. The memory of her getting tied up into their whip-like branches when she first arrived in the area came to her then. She chuckled, reliving the feeling of being upside down and Reverie coming upon her poor soul.

This elated feeling was foreign to her. The need to look over her shoulder was a constant companion during her travels, the anxiety at night and the fear of every noise made her jumpy. It was exhausting. Some days she felt as if she would never escape. But this place felt so…freeing.

She could breathe.

And then it was short lived as the wind shifted and a scent hit her.

Unfamiliar; singular; masculine.

The fiercest of growls emitted from the female. Her hackles raised, head low, ears on a swivel. He was near, but she couldn’t see him. She didn’t dare move from her spot; she wasn’t prey. She wouldn’t run. Not this time. Reina was done running. She made a fool of herself with Boone–he wasn’t even a threat to her.  But this unfamiliar male was just that–unknown to her and, immediately, a threat.

His attempt at catching her unawares seemed to have failed before he even laid eyes on her. Greysin could see her in the distance, rooted to the spot. The wind had ratted him out. It must have, her stance alone told him so.

With a shrug of his shoulders, he continued on. He wanted to meet her, regardless. She stood there, a sentry on the banks of the river that separates them, her lips pulled into a growl. Her fur standing on end, making her appear larger, but he could see past that tough exterior. It was a farce.

He was an older male with experience in reading females. Many a day and night as a young and upcoming male was spent wooing females; young, old, looks never really mattered, his brain muddled by young, frisky, hormonal energy. Greysin loved females. He felt it in his bones. Their scents were always so intricate; it was fascinating to him. Males were just cannon fodder. He sometimes fought them for no reason; he just felt like it. They were his punching bags. Of course, he didn’t win all of the fights, but the big male would rather perish than admit it.

Greysin returned his attention back to the female ahead of him. He tried to make himself appear smaller, although it was a very difficult feat. Dropping his head low and turning his body to the side, he avoided her eye contact while calling out.

“Forgive me for intruding. I mean no harm to you.”

Blue eyes widened as she acknowledged the voice.

Was she seeing dreaming?

The stranger's face was so familiar--yet...not?

Eyes wrinkling in anger, Reina snarled in warning. "Who are you? You do not belong here!" Her breath billowed strongly before her as if she were a raging, fire breathing animal. Her snarl grew fiercer. This was her home, how dare this uninvited male cross her borders! The fiery she-wolf wanted to alert her pack to this intruder. 

But, surely, she could handle this herself? Though she wasn't keen on causing harm, she knew her way around a skirmish or two if needed. She had her father to thank for that. Being the oldest child and daughter of a Leader, she had to learn quickly how to defend her family should her parents fall. 

"I do not know what possessed you to cross our borders, but this is your only warning. Hearthwood resides here and they do not take kindly to trespassers. You will leave on your own accord, or I shall make you." Her voice was deadly calm. It surprised her; not long ago had she crumpled into a miserable heap on the ground after witnessing Boone's enormous size for the first time. But, to be fair, the real fear lied inward, and it was not Boone himself. Boone was not Ruin. And, neither was this male in front of her.

A deep chuckle rumbled in his chest. The female's aggressive display didn't quite work on him as intended, it only peaked his interest further. "Ma'am, I assure you, I am merely just travelling through these woods. I do not intend to domineer this area, nor cause you or your pack any harm." He realized then that possibly his initial respone may have been a little condescending and he cleared his throat to start again.

"My apologies, I am not from here and do not know the borders that one of these lands should know. It has been quite a while since I have seen another face, especially one as beautiful as yours. Tell me, fiery one, are you the lead of your pack?" He studied her as he paused. His eyes alighted by the thought that he challenged her, it made his endeavors all the sweeter. She would meet him at every corner, he knew, fighting him tooth and nail at every advance he made.

How exciting.

His compliment sidelined her.

Me? Beautiful? The notion was so farfetched to her.

Her anger, her fire, stuttered slightly. She didn't quite expect for the male to respond in such a way. She was half hoping that he would take her threat to heart and turn himself around to head back from whence he came. Her snarling had ceased in shock and utter disbelief. 

All she could manage was a small, "Wha-?" 

A booming laugh erupted from his chest as he watched her surprise unfold. He was so amused by her, it was absolutely vexing to him how this flame of a female got under his skin in such a sweet fashion. 

And yet, she did.

"Miss, I am called Greysin. Grey, for short, if you'd like. I do not wish to leave. I enjoy this place. And I'd like to enjoy your company." And he advanced on her swiftly.

Mature Content Warning

This thread has been marked as mature. By reading and/or participating in this thread, you acknowledge that you are of age or have permission from your parents to do so.

The participants have indicated the following reason(s) for this warning: Alluding to SA

Eyes widening at his admission, Reina's whole body tightened, ready to spring should she need. She did not get a good feeling from this male. Not anymore. And good thing she readied herself, because as soon as she pulled her self in, he came upon her in such a short amount of time that she almost came under paw.

She exploded with energy just before he reached her. The snow was slippery underfoot and she could hardly get enough traction. She felt a suffocating anxiety as her chest tightened, her breath coming quick, puffs of it billowing in the air after her. He was going to chase her until he caught her, she could feel that in her bones. He meant harm, despite his previous words.

The world shifted and she was back during the time she was captured by Ruin and his cronies. They were playing his favorite game: mountain lion and field mouse. She was the mouse and his cronies were the mountain lions, chasing her through the territories until her lungs gave out and she would have to stop and accept defeat. It wasn't clear to her what happened next, it seemed her own mind protected her by placing a block. She could, however, remember the immense fear, the silent tears that would always fall as she tried to get away.

She tried and tried and tried and tried...but this time, she screamed. It was ear-piercing, head-splitting. It rang even in her own ears. The hope was that her pack were near and they heard her distress.

@Boone, you're more than welcome to join in anytime!

boone had never been a violent man.
he was afraid to be seen as such, even. he knew how daunting he was upon first glance, the way his teeth glinted in sunlight. he fought this notion with every ounce of his being.
but leadership made him something else. in it, it brought out a primal desire to protect, and perhaps it had always been there — it was only now being dusted off and cast into the forefront of his actions, his whims. when the shriek of pure, unadulterated terror found him, there was one objective that now overwhelmed his synapses: kill the beast. protect the pack. kill the beast.
he came hurtling through the trees in a tumble of ashen fur and tight muscle. he had seen this before, this disgusting display of predation; he saw it happen to his wife. and the absolute last thing he was going to do was let it happen again to a woman under his watchful eye. unthinkingly, brain on fire, he ferociously dives straight for the pale-throated man who stood now over the redflame body of reina.
boone sought to display his head upon an altar as a warning to those who dared to fuck with him.

He reveled in the feeling of her underneath him, her warm body struggling against his strong limbs, the movements exciting him in ways that made his toes curl and his eyes close briefly. He had her now, her scream biting into his eardrums, but he didn't care. He has his prize. 

But, it appeared short lived as he heard a commotion behind him. Without moving from above her, he turned his head sharply, his gaze landing on the form of a male around his size. He emitted a fierce snarl, showing all of his teeth, his sharp canines dripping in spittle. "Back off, she's MINE." He didn't care if this male had designs on this fiery woman or not, she was his prize to take!

Her scream had reached her pack--it was Boone! She screamed his name, tears streaming. She did not want to move; she couldn't even if she wanted. Grey's limbs were too sturdy, planted firmly around her like a cage. His snarl sent shivers down her spine; his words grated her ears. She wanted to vomit.

Why me? she thought to herself with a hopelessness she had wanted to never feel again. Her brain kicked into safety mode; she felt herself shutting down into herself. All the noise and the struggle ceased as she dove inward within herself. She was back with her family. Her mother and father were snuggled together at the mouth of their family den; her siblings were play-fighting, just learning how to walk and run, putting on a performance for the adults. Reina watched them with a smile, the peace she felt was immeasurable.

This is where she belonged.

Reina will be skipped until the kerfuffle has been resolved! She's a basket case, atm.

since greysin is trespassing (and also given the circumstances of the altercation), please roll 1d15 to decide on the severity of his injuries, or tell me now what damage you wish for him to sustain

alarms sound inside the harbinger's mind, blaring, piercing.
in the scramble to knock the brute off of reina, his teeth find purchase in the thin flesh that protects snow-clad throat. ripping, tearing, sundering, squeezing; the visceral threat of life being stolen. his footfalls ripple through the earthen floor as he forces his adversary further and further toward the northeastern border, the two a flurry of scarlet and bone.
not under his fucking roof.

The scream was what alerted her first, but Mae didn't truly realize the danger until she was near enough to hear the sound of fighting.

She froze.

A million jumbled thoughts flashed through her mind. She wasn't ready. It was too soon. What was going on? She smelled blood. Blood. Someone was hurt. And that thought spurred her back to movement, to running until she laid eyes on the trespasser. A huge man. And Boone.

Mae closed in from behind, snapping at the backs of the stranger's legs with the intention of severing muscle and tendon in a bid to bring him down.

Yeesh, rolled a 10! Have at him, boys! Free reign of injuries besides death! If he sustains an injury that could be life-threatening in the long term (ie. broken spine, loss of limb, etc.), that is fine by me, too!

A whine escaped through the dusty male's suffocating bite to his throat. He had to break the hold, or he would surely start to feel his life force ebb from his body shortly. The whine progressed into a raging growl as he used what strength he had to wrench his full bodyweight in an attempt to break the hold on his jugular. He risked it; anything that meant he would not lose his life here!

A second body had hurtled towards him, jaws snapping in a clear attempt to disable him. Thinking as fast as the little oxygen in his brain would allow, he kicked back, hoping to make contact to give him space from the onslaught. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the figure that arrived after the male; smaller, covered in shadows, an assassin. 

This must be her fucking pack to have come so quickly in her defense! He knew better, but she had been so intoxicating. He felt obsessed, addicted. She was alluring. A prize worthy of him. No female got away with denying him--ever. The female of fire and brimstone, the one who stoked his body into an inferno, was no different. She would burn with him forever, he saw to that. Her future will forever contain an ember of him and the thought of that created a gleeful sensation that burned through his veins. 

Oh, she would be his forever.

>:D oof greysin LOL. taking ur liberties! let me know if any of this isn't okay, i don't want to overstep!

claws rake toward him, and in the struggle to avoid the strike, his grip loosens; but in the absence of his own jaws, another set comes in — mae.
two! two that will rip the lecherous soul from the assailant's body. regaining his footing, snow sprayed with black and red, he skids on his heels and springs forward yet again.
this time, a forelimb is caught between his teeth. never before had he so clearly felt bone snap at his whim.
with the power of adrenaline and a voracious defensive anger, he tears and shreds whatever lies within his reach. from his lips rattles a roar befitting a bear.

In a second Mae's vision tunneled and her world narrowed to that thin slice of spacetime, a fleeting sliver of forever. She felt her heartbeat in her ears. She tasted fur and felt skin tearing under teeth. He ripped his leg away from her and kicked, and she saw the way his claws tensed with the motion of it in the instant before she snapped out to catch the flying foot.

And she bit down as hard as she could.

Mae wrenched her head to the side and down, stepping back as she twisted his leg. She meant to drag his back half to the earth by that single paw, if she could. She would let Boone do the rest.

HOMG He got TWO broken limbs 0_0 the poor man XD

The two sensations of bone splintering and breaking completely within his flesh felt like they happened congruently; one pain melted into the other in quick succession, leaving him almost breathless. His instincts kicked into overdrive, the rage within him burned with a thousand suns.

He will NOT die today. He won’t allow it!

The adrenaline coursing through him dampened the pain, quite effectively, for he managed to avoid the claws that rained down in front of him. The little assassin held fast to his back paw and he turned to snap aggressively, hoping to cause her to drop it and allow more movement.

But as soon as he had done so, he felt the imposing presence of the male that met him head on. He didn’t even have to look to realize that he had…lost.

Two broken limbs and surrounded. There was just no way…

Spilled blood and warring cries commanded him to be swift.

Thoughtlessly, Kyrell charged through the wood. There was a cold sensation to accompany his heartbeat as it drummed in his chest. Something old and primal. It raised his hair into jagged spines and primed his teeth. His usual playfulness abandoned in the wood as purpose fueled his stride.

He first saw Boone. The man he knew as patient leader was transformed. Enraged and spattered with red. His heart skipped as he rallied to meet whatever met his alpha's ire head on. Then he saw the interloper. The truth of the stranger's transgressions were unknown to him, but the message was clear:

He was to be punished before being ejected from their borders.

Kyrell's pace didn't slow as he joined the fray. The intruder had turned and it was then Kyrell saw Mae was the target of his fangs. A snarl sounded from his throat as he lunged for the soft flesh of the man's exposed flank.

a third. a third, who he soon recognized as kyrell; his pack seemed to be swarming the intruder like a nest of hornets, and boone swelled with pride and adrenaline.
when he looked toward the assailant's face, met the silversmoke eyes; the panic and rage began to drift toward the reaper calling him home. in that instant, boone made a decision.
this man will not die mercifully. he will freeze in the harsh snow, alone, bleeding, and hungry; he will go back to the earth from whence he came a husk of his former self. and if he were to live long enough for it, he will know true regret.
that's enough! as boone's grip is released, spittle and blood fly from his jowls. panting, heaving, spewing venom that he hadn't known existed within him, his paw slams down on the side of the ghostly head in order to hold him down — to show his own power. power that was given freely, power not stolen from innocents. true, just power.
y'know what this fucker did, fellas? huh? the harbinger's expression was horrifyingly cold. he sought to truly, truly punish; to humiliate. he thought he could rape one of our women and get away with it.
seething, boone's claws dig into skin; cold, wet and surely agonizing. y'wanna leave here alive, mister? yer gonna tell her yer fuckin' sorry, and yer gonna mean it.

She didn't even see it coming. His teeth scored across her forehead. Heat bloomed over her skull. For a moment there was no pain; only warmth, and blood pouring down her brow and into her eyes and blinding her. Mae snarled and shook her head viciously, never releasing her grip. Someone else struck him just then, though she couldn't see them. She was relieved for that. But she felt dizzy. She felt —

Enough.

Mae would have killed him. Boone should have killed him. A low growl simmered in her throat. She shook her head one last time and dropped the trespasser's mangled foot, kicking it as she stepped away. Fuck that guy. Fuck that guy. Mae shook the blood from her eyes. She paced around the pinned stranger as Boone held him there and spoke of his crimes, hatred dripping from every glance she shot his way. We should kill him.

But he would die anyway, wouldn't he? Mae suddenly understood Boone's decision, the cruelty in it. It wasn't what she'd expected from the normally-tolerant Harbinger. She glanced at Kyrell, finally realizing it was him who had joined them.

Her agitation settled into something like respect.

I lied, I've decided death is fine for this situation.

"FUCK." The bite on his flank had caught him unawares as a third--a third?!--assaulted him. Not that the pain was really any different, it just melted into the excruciating pain of his already decimated limbs. He stumbled out of his opponent's job as an order was given to cease, flopping onto his side, his chest heaving from the skirmish.

He emitted a low growl in a last act of defiance before he relented. He relaxed his body--or relaxed as much as he could despite the pain--into the cold red stained snow. Eyes of singed smoke burned with a hate so infernal towards the large male and his counterparts, but there was nothing else that Greysin could do.

This was it. His end...

He felt it in his bones. It may not be right now, but soon. If not the wounds, the cold would soon take him. 

And because he knew this, he would not give them what they want. They have already taken his life, he will keep what he has taken.

He spits in rebellion towards the male. "Fuck you and your pack. She is mine and will always belong to me. You will see...You will see! Her soul is tied to mine. She will know in time!"

Just as he tasted hot iron Boone commanded them to relent. A low rumble lingered in his throat as he, begrudgingly, released the wretched fool. Spitting the man's own stray hairs and blood back at him as he yielded the space to Boone. His heartbeat pounded in his ears and his forced his lungs to take slow, grounding breaths.

It was when Boone declared the man's crimes out loud that Kyrell finally saw Reina sprawled across the ground several feet away. Kyrell narrowed his eyes to the stranger. No longer a man but a rogue beast that lay broken and bloodied on the ground. Like any monster it still bellowed its defiance. Spitting venom as it delayed whatever reckoning Boone would enact.

Kyrell's head drifted skywards. The overcast sky was gray with no visible break. It darkened closer to the horizon. Impending snow to bury the creature wherever it perished.

Emerald eyes fell to Boone. Waiting.

there is hapless screeching from the throat of reina's assailant. boone does not care to listen.
devotion, in entirety, to his people and their safety. the harbinger's eyes harden into shards of murky black as he turns to face the meek form of reina.
what do you want us to do with him, @Reina? there was kindness in the singe of his tone, true desire for an answer; because ultimately, it was her call. if she wished for mercy and hearthwood did not fulfill it, they would be just as bad as him.

tagging her back in for courtesy <3