Blackfeather Woods Ultra Violence

Permission to PP Takiyok lightly

When he heard the call from Eldritch of all people, his gut fell. Ever since Takiyok had somehow been poisoned by that wretched tree at the forest's heart, Taikon had been in a terrible mood toward anything that lay beyond his tiny family. Since coming to these awful woods, they had suffered nothing but heartache and defeat. His friends had all disappeared or been killed. Zephyr had still not returned from his journey, and though he had been kind enough to tell the prince that he would take an escort, Taikon did not trust him to maintain his own safety. He would not leave Takiyok, especially not now.
Her heat never came.
Appearing together to find Eldritch and some injured stranger who smelled vaguely of their forest, Taikon stood rather than sitting to hear what she had to say. Rowan was curiously absent, and this did not bode well. He did not trust Eldritch. She had left them as quickly as she had come, and he did not bear ties to her. To find her in a leadership position troubled him greatly.
As she spoke, Taikon stayed close to Takiyok, never allowing a gap between them. They had been stuck together almost like glue since her venture with the tree.
"In Rowan's absence, I am taking his place as Alpha of Ivory Rose," declared Eldritch. In a different context, under different circumstances, Taikon might have challenged such a brazen declaration from one who had left them to the dust. He had no fight left for such politics, and nudged Takiyok. Let's go. He said it in a whisper, and turned toward the border. He did not look back.
They had lost nearly everything to this shitty, dark place. He was done.