Redhawk Caldera vividly

@Fox >>

He approached the Caldera in singular intent, lured in by keen nostrils and a (purposely) convenient breeze. Yet a few miles out, his approach would not be deterred by the presence of a border. He would find where it was weakest, and he would seek to intrude. Borders were heeded only by those who were afraid— those who didn't know what they wanted— but Kaizer was no such wolf. He was a bachelor, uninterested in the life of the casanova male. For he craved things no single wolf should want; broad strength and social affection, the only kinds of things that came in numbers.

He would throw himself at the mercy of those who dwelled there. He would strive to pass every test thrown his way, and triumph until he reached a tier in the pecking order he was satisfied with. Bluesummer was painfully aware of how reckless he was being, aiming to barge into a family dynamic and inject himself as an unknown entity, but the smell was driving him wildly, instinctively forward, forcing him to feel ready to compete as necessary— to get what he wanted.

He had yet to reach the borders, but his pace did not imply that he would stop once he reached them.

Assuming this is set after she tells Shrike to get lost.

She hadn't stuck around long after she had told him to leave. A niggling voice in the back of her head kept telling her she'd done the wrong thing, but she ignored it. Fox was far too full of herself to believe that she was ever in the wrong, just as she was too full of herself to believe that anybody would refuse her. But Shrike had done that, and she could not have anybody disobeying her. That much she had always made clear. Ferdie and Jace had been the first to refuse her command, but they had not been the last. She did not think that Shrike would be the last, either, but she pushed thoughts of him out of her mind as she patrolled.

Somebody approached at a speed she disliked, and Fox's hackles immediately rose. At first, she thought it was Shrike, but the closer he got, the more she realized that it wasn't him at all. In fact, it wasn't anybody she knew. Somehow, that made him suddenly appealing. He wouldn't have any guilt over stepping in for Peregrine. He didn't even know her former mate. But that was putting the cart before the horse, and Fox wasn't about to let just anybody step into that role. She was picky.

She barreled toward him, stopping just outside the clearly marked border and gnashed her teeth. This land was hers, and he was not going to waltz in here without some sort of proof that he was worthy enough to stay here.

His cannonball plan was derailed by a fiery she-demon; rising, spitting, from depths unseen. The stranger gave appropriate pause, his tail low and waving in tentative slowness. He licked his lips, knowing her to be he source of the scent— his intended target— but his ears pulled back as he recognized her position of power in this matter. She was alone, which meant he didn't have to fight another male for her, only make himself worthy of the position to take her. He didn't speak, not prone to conversation in the least, but edged forward still, his nose and ears lifting forward in naked interest.

His tail wagged a little faster, and his sinewy body quivered in anticipation as he tensely angled himself sideways, his body language beckoning her forward to take advantage.

Raven was just returning from a brief foray beyond the borders, a few plants held gently in her teeth as she prepared to climb up to the rendezvous site and store them in the badger den. She barely made it back into pack territory before she was waylaid by the sight of a stranger near the borders. Before the aspiring caregiver could so much as react, her mother appeared out of nowhere and rushed the intruder.

The yearling unceremoniously dropped the items in her mouth, stepping on them as she flung herself to Fox's defense. Her heart beat fearfully in her chest, yet Raven knew she must help fend off this unwanted suitor, lest he try to take advantage of the Alpha female in her time of vulnerability and grief. It did not even occur to her that Fox might welcome his advances as she flung herself to her matriarch's flank.

All better. ;)

He didn't—he couldn't—know what she had been through in the past few days. She still ached for Peregrine, for the mate she had known and might have loved. The father of her children, the patriarch of the Redhawk family. It wasn't as though he was forgotten, but not talking of him made it easier to grieve, in some way. Even after just a few days, she was tired of being sad. Her stupid brain thought that taking a new mate, a new father for her children, a new leader for the caldera, would soothe her. It wouldn't, of course, but neither had anything else she had tried. Fox was impatient, sad, and lonely. And her body would only be receptive for a few more days.

He didn't speak, and she had no inclination to start. Body language was what she needed right now. No smile came to her face, as it might have if she had not buried Peregrine two nights prior. Or had it been three nights? It seemed it had just happened, but also that it had happened in a previous life. The selfish part of her wanted to whisk this one away and start somewhere new, somewhere fresh. But even the most selfish version of Fox couldn't leave Whip and Gannet here. They didn't deserve to have both parents ripped from their lives.

The widow moved forward, her nose twitching as she sized him up. No hint of disease was in his smell, nor did he look underfed. Her hackles remained standing up, her tail stiff over her back and her legs stilted.

Suddenly, though, Raven was at her side. It was not something Fox had expected, and it threw her off-guard. She very nearly snapped at her daughter, but realized who it was and instead shot a befuddled look at Raven. What was she doing here? Fox could only assume that she was considering herself backup to... fend off... an intruder? Or she was worried about her ol' mum getting in over her head.

"Raven, no, it's ok," Fox explained feebly.

Blurred eyes glittered as she came closer, ears tipping back while a low and eager growl-whine begged her forward. He stood up a little straighter— wanting her to properly see his assets— and his tail motored anxiously back and forth, cutting him respectful figure rather than a fearful one. He had not yet angled his body to face her directly, still aware that he was male and foreign, and therefore a vibrant threat— but he did turn forward defensively as another body came into the picture. Puffed and inky, Kaizer retreated a single step, gaze and body flashing in alarm, though he remained silent as the small, burning alpha turned to deal with her repulsed  shadow.

Fox looked at her in confusion, yet Raven wasn't looking at her mother right this moment. Her yellow eyes pinned on the stranger, her ears falling back. Her stance and body language were pure defense, no offense. She licked her lips a little nervously, only glancing at the Alpha female when she quietly reassured the yearling.

"Mom?" she said questioningly, not comprehending the abrupt shift in Fox's demeanor. Her ears splayed, betraying her own confusion, though she would naturally follow the Alpha's cues. "What're you..." she began to ask when it suddenly occurred to her that maybe her mother was actually amenable to the stranger's attention.

She shot him a sort of wild-eyed look, then glanced sharply back to her mother's face. "Are you going to—? Are you sure—?" Raven spluttered, feeling shocked and awkward and a lot of other things all at once as she tried to process the situation. What about dad? her expression said, though she bit her tongue and didn't actually voice that question. Peregrine was dead and gone, after all.

"He is a loner on our doorstep, Raven," Fox replied, glancing at him. What did Raven think she was going to do? If Raven had not intervened, Fox likely would have boosted him to the top of their ranks and had him lead by her side after assessing him some more. As it were, she couldn't bring herself to do it with the shadow of Peregrine right beside her. He wasn't dead and gone, he lived on in their children. Each and every one of them. Well, the ones that were alive.

Fox lashed her tail and returned her attention to the wolf who still hadn't spoken. She hadn't addressed him, either, so they were even in that regard, but the Redhawk matriarch proceeded to throw off that balance. "Your name?" she asked, dull grey eyes scanning him over once more.

Not presuming to know anything about this situation, it only took a moment for Kaizer to retreat out of his own defensiveness, and to yet again assume a standing position of attentive deference. His eyes shifted between alpha and shadow respectively, but after finding nothing but a wide-eyed support system in the silk-onyx faerie, his gaze settled on the small, fire-lashed wolf at the Caldera's helm. He could feel his body ache at the sight of her; her scent tearing his insides apart as he fought the need to carouse with her.

He was loathe to speak, but took her question as command, which made it easier to reluctantly say: "Kaizer Bluesummer."

Her mother's mood swings were giving her a bit of whiplash. Raven just blinked in reply, then took a step back to move out of the way as Fox proceeded to interrogate the newcomer as if this was just an ordinary day at the borders and not the middle of the fresh widow's heat. She kept her wary gaze somewhere in the vicinity of his chest, mistrustful of his intentions. No doubt the Alpha female's scent had brought him here and likely neither of them was firing on all circuits due to their raging hormones. Of course, she wouldn't intervene should her mother extend an invitation but just in case Fox needed her as backup, Raven lingered like a shadow.

Mood swings? More like mood rollercoasters! Fox had been unable to keep anything steady since Peregrine's death, and it was a wonder nobody had dethroned her. Not that she would have accepted such an order. But nobody had even attempted. Perhaps that was the strangest thing of all, and allowed her to continue thinking that whatever she was doing was completely fine. Or at the very least, acceptable. Nobody told her no, so Fox would keep on doing what she was doing.

The stranger introduced himself, and Raven stood at the ready. Fox was happy to have her support, of course, and made no move to chase her off. "You appear fit, free of disease, and well-fed. What are your intentions here?" she asked. Fox strived to appear normal, even if she was having a continual breakdown every second since Peregrine had left her.

"You," he answered; unwavering, unashamed. Not commanded in any sense by his emotions, he felt no compulsion to lie or even pretend as if he were anything but a creature defiled by instinct. Though neither woman before him outwardly expressed that there was anything wrong in their pack, Kaizer detected the emotional discord, sensed it in the undercurrent of their words and actions. Even without feeling it, the fact that this she-wolf (in heat) was patrolling the borders seemed evidence of it enough. No male had come to claim and protect his packmate in estrus; an unheard of feat, in Kaizer's world. "To protect. To serve..." he came a pace closer.

Though he dared not presume that he could claim the fireball himself, his hormones made him brave enough to try. Their spectator mattered little to him if she wasn't going to physically stop him, and he came forward gently, excitedly, tail lifted and flagging back and forth as he watched the caldera's leader expectantly. He would chase all that bad energy away...

The younger she-wolf twitched at the male's blunt answer to Fox's question. Her yellow eyes narrowed slightly and she glanced sideways to gauge the Alpha female's reaction. Would her mother seriously entertain this suitor? The caldera was a pack built on family and loyalty. This outsider could claim neither. Yet it was absolutely not Raven's place to question the matriarch. She swallowed, deeply discomfited by the situation but unwilling to rock the boat.

Mom, she nonetheless pleaded mentally, eyes boring into the side of her dam's face, this isn't right...

Well. That was the answer she had expected, in a way. Fox wasn't so stupid as to believe that she had no sway on males who smelled her as they were passing by. He moved forward, and Fox let out a warning growl. Maybe it was Raven's presence that kept her somewhat grounded in reality, or maybe her mental pleading somehow got through to Fox. Shrike had been different, and that was why Fox had gone to him first. He was already part of their family. He had proven himself loyal, dependable, and worthy of being by her side.

This one had not.

"I am to be earned, not taken," Fox clarified, lashing her tail. Again, Raven's presence made this decision bearable, even if every ounce of her body screamed out for him to take her right here and now. That wasn't to say, of course, that he would not be able to earn her. But that would take time, dedication, and proving himself worthy of a place at her side. She had the upper-hand here, especially with her daughter by her side. Maybe it was the fact that Raven was practically a spitting image of her father.

A smile dawned across his features, slow and virile, and even though neither of them had met him before, the expression seemed terribly rare. With eyes remaining fixated on her as the curve of his muzzle eased back into neutral, he inclined his head in silent agreement and reined in another advance with a quietly amorous whine. He kept quite still after that, appearing anxious for further instruction. Ready and willing to be given purpose.

The yearling let out a long, low breath when Fox spoke, insisting he must earn her favor before he could stake any kind of claim. Relief washed through her and she gave the stranger a meaningful glance as he strode boldly forward. Her ears fell back slightly and she took one step closer to her dam. She made no gestures otherwise, just stood by Fox's shoulder and gave a brief nod as if to punctuate the Alpha's words. They were law, after all.

The smile was not returned by Fox. There was far too much grief still in her heart to allow for it. His nod was slight, but it was enough of a commitment that she accepted it. She glanced again at Raven, another flicker of Peregrine coming to the forefront of her mind. What would he have done? It was literally the first time she had asked herself that question about anything since his death (or during his lifetime, come to think of it). Perhaps he was more powerful now than he ever had been alive.

"Prove you are a worthy hunter and warrior," Fox decided, "and gain the trust of the pack." Then, and only then, would she consider making him her equal. It was what Peregrine had done long ago, and while she knew he could never truly be replaced, she knew that raising the children alone—even with the help of Elwood, Finley, and the older Firebirds—would be no easy task.

If he somehow managed to do this before the week was over, he could have his way with her. That was, of course, highly unlikely. Redhawk Caldera was a tightly-knit pack, and trust was not given out freely. But if he had longer-term goals in mind, perhaps he would still be interested.

"Whatever you need," he responded subserviently, quite prepared to undertake the task of proving himself— a feat he would have been ready to accomplish had the alpha male still been in seat. "I'll return when I've something to show for myself." Kaizer didn't need their names, or what this pack was called. Such things barely mattered to him. He turned on his heel, trotting a few yards away before breaking into a run, eager to tear himself away from the thick source of her scent, and even more so eager to return with some other type of meat to offer her.

idk if you wanna title him or not, but he'll just barge in when he returns, at any rate xD

The Alpha laid out some specific tasks for the stranger. Kaizer, Raven corrected herself. He was well on his way to becoming a pack mate now. She huffed quietly, not sure what to think about that. She didn't trust his motives at all, though who was she to speak against him? Especially if he did what Fox asked of him? It wasn't her place at all, so Raven remained mum.

When he hoofed it, the yearling slowly turned to her mother, a thought springing to the forefront of her mind. "Mom? Can I ask you a personal question?" The news of Peregrine's death had blindsided her and she had been so preoccupied flinging herself into the caldera's personal tragedy to stop and think about much else. But with Kaizer very ardently pursuing Fox and her mother evidently entertaining possible new suitors, suddenly it made Raven wonder...

If there was one thing Fox had always liked in a mate, it was to be served. Kaizer dashed away, and the widow watched as he disappeared into the thicket, away from Redhawk Caldera. She was pleased, thus far, with his actions, and would likely continue to be pleased until he inevitably fucked up and she sent him packing. For now, though, she tucked that thought away and turned her attention to Raven, who had asked a question about asking a question.

"You never have to ask if you can ask me a question, Raven," Fox replied, her tone warm and welcoming. "What is it?"

She couldn't be sure how Fox might take her prying, especially not when her mood seemed particularly (and understandably) mercurial right now. But she appeared amenable. Raven smiled at her mother's welcoming tone, though there was a nervousness to the expression. She paused a moment, trying to think of how to phrase it delicately.

"Are you—er," she fumbled, feeling the tips of her black ears getting warm. How did you go about asking your mother if your father had successfully managed to impregnate her before dropping dead? "Is there any possibility you might already be pregnant?" she finally blurted.

If it hadn't been for her loss, Fox would have given Raven a smile. Unfortunately, she'd lost one of the few things in this world that had ever mattered to her, and smiles were not likely to tug at the corners of her mouth any time soon. "Yes," Fox replied, "but I won't be sure until it's too late." The signs wouldn't tell her if their constant boning had gotten her pregnant for at least another few weeks, and that would be well-past her heat. If she found a worthy mate, a worthy leader, before the end of her heat, she would allow him the same privileges she had allowed Peregrine.

Fox's answer did not make sense to Raven right away. Too late? she repeated in her head. Too late for what? She was concerned that her mother was desperately searching for someone to help raise and provide for the pups possibly growing within her already. Raven wanted Fox to know she wanted to be there for her. She wasn't the same as Peregrine or a mate in general, yet with her medical knowledge, hopefully she could serve as the caretaker the Alpha female needed so desperately.

It finally clicked. Fox might not be carrying the late Alpha male's offspring yet. Her hormones and instincts were driving her to procreate with someone, anyone, in order to spread her genes. Her behavior toward Kaizer made a lot more sense to Raven now. She thought of reasoning with her mother, suggesting that she avoid getting pregnant and the strain that would place on her body, heart and mind at an already stressful time, but even the yearling knew it would be futile to try arguing with nature... or Fox, who could be a force of nature.

"Well." For a moment, she wasn't sure what else to add. Then Raven said, "I just want you to know I'm here to support you. I mean, help you with the pregnancy and pups. If you want it." Her mouth clapped shut after that.

Fox craned her neck toward Raven, nuzzling her fondly. It was a great comfort to have her back, even if it wasn't the happiest of times in Redhawk Caldera. This year had been rough, and it only seemed to get rougher. If Peregrine left her with nothing, despite his efforts, Fox was not sure how she could go on. Then again, perhaps nature would give her a second chance, like it had one year prior. She vaguely recalled that they had tried once, nothing had come of it, and later had tried (and succeeded) only a few months later. But even then, they would not be Peregrine's children, and that was decidedly less appealing. Even if she let another mount her now, she could at least pretend that they were his.

She pulled back, glancing once more in the direction Kaizer had gone. Exhaustion was overtaking her, and Fox suddenly felt drained of energy. Between emotional lows, hormones, and general unease with the world, she wanted nothing more than to curl up and sleep until her children were (potentially) born.

"Can you bring some more of that... whatever you brought the other day?" she asked, turning toward the rendezvous site.

She paused, wondering whether Fox meant right now or in general, especially taking the potential pregnancy into consideration. Either way, Raven answered, "Yeah, of course. It should be safe." Raven paused contemplatively. "I might recommend slightly smaller doses, though, just in case." Her tail switched and she gazed off in the general direction of the badger den, mentally sifting through her inventory.

Fox seemed to be looking in that direction too. "Let's go home and rest," Raven suggested, seeing the drawn look on the Alpha female's face. "C'mon." She nudged her mother, then began walking slowly upward toward the territory's figurative heart.