Porcupine Ridge krazy glue

@Capriccio

Taggarik had been as steadfast in his guarding as he could be, refusing to leave the white subordinate despite his growing unease. He was haggard now, exhausted, from depriving himself sleep and rest, and from worrying about the alpha female. He had not seen Capriccio since he had unwittingly upset her again, but now that guarding was no longer required, he took to his paws to find her. His pace was hurried, with his heartbeat influenced by a medley of troublesome emotions. No sooner had he smoothed the waters with co-leader had they turned turbulent again it seemed.

Relief slackened some of the tension in his spine as he picked up her trail. She was still in the territory; he had worried she might leave. He tracked her, stretching his body out in long strides. He spotted her, and she took note of him too and immediately turned her back, loping away from him. "Capri!" he called out to her, his pace quickening. "Capri, stop!" But she did not stop, and along with the medley of guilt and concern came a twinge of anger. "I didn't mate her, Capri!" He hollered, slowing his steps to a stop, knowing well that at this distance she could not help but hear him clearly. If she kept going...

...well, he'd probably chase her some more, if we're being honest.

Taggarik had finally left the side of his newly beloved it would seem, and the she-wolf practically cringed as the wind told the tale of how near he was. She was not ready to look upon him, and so her paws began to hurry away, seeking out the direction of the border – she could take a day or two away from the territory to clear her mind.
 
She had nothing left to protect here, anyhow.
 
Yet Taggarik’s voice thundered across the terrain, and determined still, her lope would only quicken. It was then the male spat out a statement that sent her pelt bristling once more – not once missing the ridiculousness of the statement nor the anger in his own tone. Whirling, a fitting image of fury and scorn, the she-wolf practically seethed at the wolf, her eyes narrowed, her form shaking gently with emotion. “Oh?” The tone practically oozed venom, and she gave a gentle shake of her pelt, trying to rid herself of her nerves. “I seen you, Taggarik. You’ve claimed her. You’ve made your choice.”
 
There was another pause and she exhaled gently. “And if she wants my rank, she will have to try to take it from me.” Gone, apparently, were the days of her word when she had promised she would step aside for his mate. His word to her had been broken – she had no quarrel returning that favor.

It was a repeat of last time. The coldness. The seething. The poison-laced words. He was incensed, perhaps even a bit insulted that she would continue to hold him in such poor light after all his efforts to do good by her. He could feel his anger bubble beneath his concern, and had to stay the questions that started to invade his mind about whether or not this was worth it, if he should even bother.

"I did not mate her," he repeated, firm but for now retaining his calm composure as the met face to face. He stood tall, refusing this time to bend with apology. She had been mistaken, and he had done no wrong. He was here only to assure her of that and to later address the matter of the beta's coupling. "I guarded her. I was trying to prevent the beta male from copulating. There was no sex, no... penetration." He bit back the shared blame she seemed not to be mindful of, that as the alpha female, it was expected of her to stop these heats before they happened, or to do her own share of guarding instead of running off.

He drew a breath, exhaling slowly, as he went on, saying what perhaps he should have said before. "I have eyes only for you. It is you I have always wanted, as a mate, and as my alpha female. I have been wanting to ask you if you would choose me... before your heat, before mateship was chosen for us." He knew he would claim her when that time came, but he did not want their mateship to seem forced. For as traditional as he could be, this was one thing he wished not to do by the old way.

Something was different this confrontation – this time, Taggarik did not humble himself before her. This time, Taggarik stood, proud before her – happy he had taken the pale she-wolf and now lied to her about it. Capri did not enjoy this new dynamic at all – it left a bitter taste in her mouth, and she partly wondered if she was able to confront him fully now, or if she would instead empty the contents of her stomach in the lingering snow beside her.
 
She chose the former – her more lissome form puffing up completely as she was about to really let him have it – the ire in her eyes keeping them frosted and upon him. Her jaws opened, about to spit out something harsh along the lines of how it looked like he particularly enjoyed his ’no penetration’ tactic, when his next words swept over her, and completely threw her off kilter.
 
Deflating like a popped balloon, she stared at him, almost disbelieving what he was saying. For so long the two had been at some form of odds – getting to know one another, settling in to new routine – the fight between them.. and now this. She had wanted this more than anything, and yet somehow, it felt alien to her.
 
Was it possible that they could not hurt one another any longer, and move forward in to a true partnership?
 
“… Vuk is not with your children?” Her voice shook now – her mind trying to process what it was he had said. What it meant. And how in the world was she respond when one finally got what it was they had wanted all along?

His words seemed to cause her pause, and he regarded her quietly as she registered what he had said. His tail drifted back and forth his hocks in an idle sway, partially animated with lingering agitation. Not only at her, but at what he must say next.

"No." He said. "But, she may be with our beta's." Though he felt the sting of failure once more, neither his eyes nor his nose tipped down under the weight of it. Even his ears remained upright, for he was determined not to have his confidence or his certainty shaken each time things did not go perfectly. He held his gray eyes impassively on Capriccio's face, unwilling to give her a chance to act out against this before he continued speaking. His firm words left little room for argument; his stance was very much 'take it or leave it'.

"She ran off on me, straight to him. I will be speaking to her, and I will handle it if and when pups are born. In the meantime," here, his voice softened. His fondness for her was evident in his tone and in his gaze, but the stony, business expression remained. "You need to trust me. I am not perfect, I have made mistakes and I will probably make more, but I am doing my best. I will not do anything to intentionally hurt you or upset you."

He turned then, intending to leave her alone with what he had said.

She had expected a reaction, but certainly not this. The male before her had told her words she ahd longed to hear for so long, and yet the could not shake the image of his hips against Vuk -- the look of shame on the ivory girl's face, and the way he had all but ignored her.
 
Yet he claimed she was not with his pups, and she found in that very instant she believed him.
 
Even worse, was the knowledge that their Beta male had indeed found the girl -- and had not failed to reproduce. He turned to leave her then, and she practically balked at this, her own form scurrying forward so quickly that she practically stumbled upon her own paws.
 
"Tagg," she called, her tone pleading. As fast as she could, the girl practically pressed herself to his side if he did not move, her muzzle snaking up to touch her nose to his cheek. "Tagg I want to be with you," she clarified firmly, her eyes pleading as they studied him. "It hurt to see you with her. I thought.." She shook her muzzle, her gaze seeking his reaction. "I can take care of the puppies that might come from their union. She was my responsibility." And this time, Capri had been the one to fail them both. "I'm sorry. She never should have hit her heat."

But she did not let him leave.

He was surprised by her sudden nearness, the feel of her pressed against him and the touch of her nose to his cheek. He expected she would need time, and perhaps would be irate with him for springing the topic on her such as he had, but neither was the case and he gazed upon her fondly as she spoke.

"It's okay," he said, reaching forward to kiss the top of her muzzle in reassurance and in appreciation that she would share in the blame for this blunder. "I will not have you looking after her pups, if any." In his mind, there was only one solution, possibly two, but either way, neither him nor his wolves would support the illegitimate offspring. He simply would not allow it.

He shifted forward, tucking his snout into the plush furs of her neck in a lingering nuzzle. "You will be mine, and when you are ready, we can have our own."

He perhaps misunderstood her meaning of ‘taking care’ of Vuk’s puppies, but she did not correct him. Her own implication had meant to take their lives, and yet she was almost relieved she did not have to voice this further.. and that he instead would take whatever came of it in to his own hands. The very thought of doing so made her nauseous – but wolf law was very simple by nature.
 
It was the Beta she was far more upset with, than Vuk. That, and herself.
 
She felt her heart hammer at his words – she would be his, and she gave a shake of her muzzle. “I am yours,” she clarified, her nose gently reaching up to nudge at his cheek, testing these words and these new waters. She did not need her heat to make this proclamation if he was willing to wait for her – and pulling back, she studied him with pale eyes, waiting for his own confirmation if he was willing to accept her as such now.

"I am yours", she said, and he felt the press of her nose against his cheek before she pulled away, and his gray eyes found the periwinkle blue of her own. He beheld her warmly, fondly, for some time, before he bridged the small gap between them with a step forward. He slid his muzzle against one of her ears and across her cheek, whispering his confirmation. "Then I am yours." He would not stray from her, and he trusted her not to stray from him. His heartbeat quickened with the anticipation of her season, and the eventual birth of pups. Finally, things were coming together.

Fade here, or one more from you?

His words warmed her – and while she did not speak anything, it was her actions that proved her sentiments as she pushed herself closer to him, pressing her smaller body against him in an embrace that spoke volumes of her feelings for him.
 
The gentle graze of his muzzle along her cheek stirred her eyes shut, and inhaling softly, she pressed her nose in to the thick fur of his nape, surrounding herself with his scent of her mate.
 
She would not remove herself from him for some time – for that stolen moment, she wished only to live in that moment of when her world finally pieced itself together fully.