Stone Circle my beating heart grew still

At first Riley's approach went unnoticed through her grief and sobbing. She might've not noticed at all if it weren't for his sudden lunge and the drool that hit the top of her head as he dove for something. It made her look up. Her? Did he lunge for her? Laurel watched, the tears and sobs gone as she stared at him, her reactions feeling as though in slow motion. It was only when she realised it wasn't her, but Indra that he was going for Laurel responded. Just as his teeth reached Indra's hide Laurel snarled loudly at him and bared her teeth. Laurel was hungry too, but she would never let anyone destroy Indra's body.

No! The scream was feral and loud and Laurel lunged forward to stop Riley from what he was about to do. Stay away from her, Laurel snarled loudly as she threw Riley to the ground. She was not so sure for how long she would be able to do that; for how long she would be the one with the upper hand. Then, all she could rely on was her dominance as their mother, but she was afraid of what the truth might be.

Valette and Greyback soon arrived, although Laurel hardly saw the latter. Laurel's focus shifted from Riley to them. Valette immediately started to treat her like a mother -- or so Laurel supposed -- but the care was so foreign to Laurel that she just froze at first. Every muscle in her body tensed as she allowed Valette for about ten seconds, before she screamed seemingly suddenly, with teeth bared to give meaning to her sudden warning: Don't touch me!! Valette said she could let out all her feelings, but it seemed like an impossible task to Laurel because there were so many more than one could ever express.

She wanted to cry and scream and fight and kill and tear apart -- but instead she did none of those things, her face hardened. The only thing that gave away her hurting was the way that her muscles were all tensed and the way her hardened expressions occassionally twitched, as if there were cracks that were letting mere drops of her actual feelings trickle through every now and then. The tears were gone now, in the presence of others, and it was unlikely that they'd return until after she was in her safe space: alone, where nobody could see what things got to her and use them against her.

The only thing that offered some kind of consolation was that Valette took charge and said that they would bury her somewhere by the stones and that she would make sure Riley was fed. Laurel nodded numbly at Valette. She tiredly got up and looked at Indra's body. Tears threatened to spill again but she held them all in in the presence of her pack mates and her son. Looking at Riley made her feel sick. She just wanted him out of her sight, and she was grateful that Valette provided that for her. It wasn't until then that she noticed Greyback truly, and she stood and waited, not really sure what it was that she was waiting for.

To wake up, perhaps.

pm me if the pp isn't ok, lauren <3