Stone Circle I know in time we'll find this was no surprise

Set the morning following this

Steady hadn't returned to the den that night, nor did he even know if Keoni was returned. He didn't know how badly he had hurt Mirabelle, or if what she said was true. Something in him didn't want to believe her. Why had she been in his den in the first place? Why had she not called for he or Valette if she really felt Keoni was going to die? None of it made sense, and therefore he was reluctant to simply believe the Theta.

And then, there was Chaska. He had believe Mirabelle so easily over him, with no questions asked. Steady hadn't realized it then, but when the scene replayed over and over in his head in the hours following, he could remember Chaska questioning Steady's judgement. But, had Chaska seen Keoni choking? Had he seen the convulsions her body was going through? All Steady knew was that Keoni had been fine when he left her in the den. And, the next time he saw her, she was with Mirabelle, and not at all okay.

But, what he did believe was the fear in Keoni that he had caused. It was the first time a pup had looked at him that way, and it would be no surprise to him for it not to be the last. He questioned whether or not to go back at all. Valette would be a good caretaker for them, even if she doubted it herself. But, it felt it would unfair to simply abandon his part of the deal. They had gone into this together, and he worried she would feel let down if he backed out. But, what if Keoni didn't want to be around him? He would not force his presence on her. 

As he sat in the middle of the stone circle, he kept going over and over in his mind what he should do next. But, a clear answer simply didn't come.

Tagging @Keoni for reference :)

Valette missed Steady that night. After she talked with Mirabelle, she made sure Keoni was safe in their den with her brother. The dark colored female made sure the pup drank some water and hoped Mirabelle would find some herbs for the young one while Valette kept her warm. She curled around the female, and well her brother. She couldn't really leave him out. She was there for when the pup needed her.

The next day Valette was creative enough to find the deer she had taken down a few days ago and stripped the deer hide of it, as much as she could in one piece before returning it to the den and placing it on the ground for Keoni to stay warm when she was away. She even made a light joke of her riding a deer seeing that she was on top of the deer hide.

Valette worried about Steady though, and she decided to quickly go look for him. She tracked him down and found him in the middle of the stone circle. The female let out a soft woof in greeting and was quick to snuggle against his side, licking under his chin. "I missed you last night," she spoke softly hoping it would spark a conversation.

A woof behind him caught his attention, and Steady's head turned to find Valette. He wasn't surprised that she had found him—he hadn't been hiding, after all[/mdash], as he knew she would want to know what's up. He returned her nuzzled, having become quite familiar with them, and he found the short time away from her he missed them. I missed you, too, he admitted softly. 

How is Keoni? He hoped, almost assumed, she was doing alright, as he thought someone would have come and found him sooner if she wasn't. He loved the pup, and her brother, and the fact he had put that look on her face had killed him. He had never wanted to do that; he was just trying to protect her from a perceived threat. 

Valette smiled when he spoke about missing her too. She stayed close to him, mostly to give him comfort. Which she did for him. There was totally no self gain for her in this, of course not. Valette took a little whiff of his fur and started to lick the blood clean from his muzzle because honestly this man was clearly a little bit of a mess. It was also not going to make him feel better in her eyes if he had a reminder on his maw from what happened before.

"Sick, we have herbs and medications so hopefully those will help with the cold to pass. She is currently being held warm by a deer skin," she explained, little did she know the young female would even ask for her adoptive father. Valette lifted her head to look at him. "She is strong and a hunter at heart. She has a good chance of getting better in my eyes. However... I rather wanted to know how you are doing," she spoke with care in her tone. Her hazel eyes looked slightly worried.

She expected Steady to be triggered by this event seeing what happened in his past. She didn't know all, just that there was a lot of death and loss for him. Hence the move to Stone Circle. "I'm here for you. You know that right?" Hell, she even defended him in front of Mirabelle and Chaska in the heat of the moment.

Valette began to groom the blood from his maw, which he had completely forgotten about. He started to pull back a few inches, unaccustomed to someone grooming him like this, but then he paused. It felt like forever since he had someone to share these intimate moments with, and if Valette felt comfortable enough for it, then he was going to gladly accept. He gave her a few returning licks as a quiet thank you. 

He hated that Keoni was sick, but he was glad that Valette was doing something to help their daughter. Is she back in our den? he asked. Chaska may have thought he was wrong, but Steady still had suspicions about Mirabelle's actions. It simply wasn't smart to take the Alpha pups, as they were now, out of the Alpha den, without so much as a brief howl to say so. 

Valette changed the subject, asking how he was. It wasn't often Steady thought about himself and his own well being, and he had to think a moment for a reply. He looked to Valette as she openly spoke her loyalty to him. He found comfort in the fact that he had never doubted it for a moment. I do know that, and I appreciate you pointing it out, he said, a soft smile forming on his maw. I don't really know how I am, he said honestly. I hated that I put that look on Keoni's face, that she feared me, but... I thought I had lost her. She was shaking all over and vomiting, and I... I honestly thought Mirabelle had killed her. He looked to Valette to gauge her reaction with nothing but honesty in his eyes.  I would not have attacked her if all the signs didn't point to that. Maybe he had read them too fast. Maybe he should have asked questions first. But, he had failed in protecting Althaia, and he thought, in that moment, that he failed to protect her daughter, too. 

Steady sighed as he looked out over the meadow. I don't know what everyone thinks of me, if they think I'm pure and right as their leader, or a hot-headed killer, but... He paused as he fought for the words. I'm not like Fitz. I am a Warrior at heart, and I don't have a problem killing a wolf it means my family will live. I don't have a problem running them out if they present a threat to us. I feel a duty, and an honor, to protect those that want to be a part of this family, and I don't apologize for the way I do that. His voice was steady and even as he spoke. He turned back to Valette, wondering if she understood that he would not apologize for what he had done to Mirabelle. She had taken Keoni, without permission, without a word, and that was not something that he would let go.

Valette could tell that Steady had it tough. She was glad that she asked for his well being. This gave her far more information on the male and how he was thinking about the situation. She could tell that he really hated scaring Keoni. Valette however was sure that she would get over it. Steady just protected her. Valette listened to his words as he continued to speak.

"Steady you must realize that everyone who is in this pack is here because they follow you. I've been loyal to you, not your brother. Frankly I never knew your brother or his mate. I've been in the pack for a long time and there are not many who remember Fitzdutiful. I'm sorry," she spoke. After all it was the founder of Silvertip. "We are not at Silvertip anymore. We are at Easthollow. Your pack. We are all loyal to you. I don't think you are a hothead and if they think so then they are wrong and don't know you well enough."

For her it didn't matter what other's think of Steady. She knew she was loyal to him. However, she could see that Steady was worried about wolves leaving. "You are a good alpha, a warrior like you said. You will protect your family at all cost and I think that is admirable. You would do anything to save them. What Mirabelle did was unacceptable. She took the pup from our den." She wanted to assure Steady that he had done nothing wrong in her eyes.

He didn't just hear her words, he listened to them. The weight he was putting on his shoulders to be like his brother was obviously his own doing, and no one else's. His worried expression softened a bit when she came to his defense, having an argument for every concern that he had. He realized the only wolf putting all this pressure on him was himself. He made a move, then second-guessed it nearly every time. But, he was Alpha, and a good one, as Valette pointed out. Mirabelle had taken their daughter without permission, without a word, and so she had received a punishment. Had it been rather harsh? Maybe. But, Steady was fiercely protective of the pups, and Mirabelle had not yet proven herself here. 

He gave Valette a soft smile. I'm very lucky to have you on my side, he said easily. When he doubted himself, she was there to make him realize that his initial instinct was right. He stood, I'd like to go home now, he said, before pausing. Though, I think it might be better if I slept outside, at least for tonight, until Keoni is alright. He didn't want to upset her further while she was still sick. 

Valette couldn't help but beam when Steady spoke that it was great to have her by his side. She was working hard to get his approval. After all she was very loyal to the dark colored male. She smiled at him for encouragement. "Then we shall go home," she agreed with the male and started headed towards the den.

"I don't think she is that frightened of you, but do as you wish. Perhaps she will ask for you," she smiled. She knew that Steady's bond with the other was strong. Her legs carried her closer to the den, she looked over her shoulder at Steady. "Come inside when you are cold okay? You shouldn't punish yourself so much either," she pointed out to the dark male, ready to head inside the den.

feel free to wrap it up in your next post! :D