Ravensblood Forest in a cave on a failed bit of terraforming

i laughed so hard at "cum-late" xD

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In some ways, yes, Arturo mentally concurred: he did not want the young man to run off, especially given that they'd lost one ...one of the actual Family as she'd ran off to be with her real family, but it was more than that. He was reluctant to let anyone into the Family that he did not ensure would stay. Paths diverged sometimes: it happened. Typically, he followed along with the tradition of “once apart of The Family always apart of The Family” but Arturo didn't like surprises and he didn't like not having a say or trying to come up with possible alternatives first. Children were different. Adult wolves decided to be apart of Teaghlaigh and children were born into it. They would always be presented with the chance to leave The Family: to make the choice. Arturo winced slightly at the butchering of the rank as it fell from the young man's lips. “Calm-litch,” Arturo pronounced it slowly for the younger man, unwilling to let him run around calling it cum-late. “Just call it Associate if it's too hard to say.” Arturo encouraged. Even the common tongue word would be better then cum-late.

“There are two rules you, even as a Comhlach are expected to obey and enforce. The Ceannasach's word is Law and The Family before Everything Else. If you can do that, you're welcome to the associate rank for the winter,” Arturo drew in a breath and let it out. “If at any point you decide you want to become apart of The Family's ranks you come see me and I'll assign you a task that when completed will see you as an official apart of Teaghlaigh. If you decide to just ride out the winter as an associate then it's your choice.” Arturo wasn't going to make it for him and he wasn't going to force him one way or another. That wasn't what The Family was about.

“I am Arturo. What do I call you?” The gangster inquired, ears cupped forward in anticipation of a name.

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