Bearclaw Valley dusty flowers

because time for a new sister-thread @Indra! tags for reference. lauren, i assumed that laurel doesn't know anything about indra-tadec yet.

When the former Alpha female had vanished one day with one of her pups, Laurel hadn't known what to think. She hadn't thought much at first, and when Indra came to her Laurel quickly let her sister and Xan know that the pups @Marten and @Nunataq could be moved towards her den. Indra took care of them and Laurel provided sustenance where she could spare, though it was very clear that she reserved most of her food -- and all of her love -- for @Lucas, @Piper and @Wyatt. The irony of the situation did not escape her, for how the tables had turned... But still she would not allow @Xan near her pups; when he did come close she would tell him off, and if he wanted to see Marten or Nunataq, well... She would simply shove them outside of the den until he was done with them.

A hope simmered inside of her chest that Xan might choose her but on the other hand she did not want to be his second best. She did not want him to choose her now that he had no one else to mother his children or stand by his side. Laurel's plans had been all along to overthrow Xan and his mate and show them that she and her children deserved the very best, to be on top, but now that his mate was gone her feelings were mixed. Maybe she should still go along with her plan and simply tell him that she would take his spot, one way or another. Or maybe she could seduce him and then break his heart. Or maybe not... What if there was love out there for Laurel? What if he was it? What if she ruined her one chance at happiness with the father of her children this way? It made her feel so nervous and she didn't want to put herself in a vulnerable spot, but the thought of her children growing up entirely without a father in their life also seemed impossible and whenever she thought of him it just felt.. good..

But he had no self-control, she reminded herself. Soon she would be strong enough to take her rightful place in the pack. Soon she would shove his face in the dirt and show him what it felt like to be used and discarded when she and Indra would take over the pack and her children would grow up the princes and princess they deserved to be.

"Indra?" asked Laurel quietly, careful not to wake up the pups that were sleeping by their respective sides, as she nosed her sister that night, kept up by her many thoughts and feelings. She wondered what her sister thought of all of this. Laurel wasn't quite sure if she would feel courageous enough to tell Indra, because she knew many of these thoughts were foolish and some were selfish, but it was Indra... so surely she could tell her anything.