It's been a long time without you my friend

All welcome but let Reek reply first.Ignore the cheesy title. I had to haha. XD  Im baaacckkkkk :P Im not going to come of absent just yet because i still cant post alot but it shouldn't be too much longer. No need to match the length. @Reek

Wynter stood and stretched from the place she had been temporarily calling home. She had had the intent to return to the rise eventually because there was no way she could just avoid everyone forever. When Saena had given her permission to mate and have her own pups she was in utter shock. She hadn't expected it to come so fast and to be honest. She was scared. 

She loved Reek with all her heart and wouldn't change a thing. She wanted to be his mate. She wanted to have his puppies. It just all came as a complete shock to her and she got cold feet. 

Wynter hadn't moved far from where the pack was, she had wandered through the unclaimed territories not far from the rise. She had gone far enough though not to be followed by any of her pack mates. As she wandered through the woods getting closer and closer to the rise with every paw step she took she began to wonder how things were at the pack. How much had changed since she had gone. 

Once she reached the border she gingerly stepped over it knowing full well there was no turning back now. She was back and she was going to deal with whatever Reek, Saena or any of the other pack mates had in store for her. She looked around for a moment before letting out a low howl for her mate. She was sure he wasn't too far. If he was she would go find him. She needed to talk to him about everything. Apologize for leaving for so long. She let out a small sigh and began to trail through her true home.

While Saena had explicitly told Reek to take a much needed break from work, he didn't listen. Instead of taking the time off, his work around the pack (particularly tending the borders) increased tenfold in the hopes that he would catch the scent of his absentee mate. Never in the Rise's history had the borders been so well maintained, but it wasn't about the marking or how good of a job he did; work had become the only time that Reek felt normal. On patrol, he could simply pretend and live in denial, which was something he couldn't do within the interior of pack land. There he had to face the cold truth of reality.

Three weeks had passed. Reek had counted the days. After this long, he simply resigned himself to the fact that she was gone and he would have to move on. But moving on was hard and no matter how hard Reek tried to forget and just live, he couldn't. Simple as that. Her howl came as a complete and total surprise. Reek froze from his patrol, eyes wide in shock, before howling back to tell Wynter that he'd be there soon.

He shot off in her direction and finally saw her with his own eyes. She was fine. Safe. Although he felt an initial wave of relief, the bedraggled beta was still unequivocally pissed that she had left without a word. He gave her about 20 feet of space in front of him when he stopped. "You left," he droned in a tired deadpan. "Why?"

Wynter listened as her paws rustled the ground as she walked. A howl rang out through the forest. Her mate. She was happy for a moment but it didn't last long knowing full well he wasn't going to be happy with her having left. 

She waited where she was so her mate would have less distance to go to reach her. It wasn't long before the sound of paw steps could be heard. Not her own this time. She turned to look at her mate. It had been so long and he looked like he had changed. Even the slightest bit. Something was different Wynter just hadn't figured it out yet.

He stopped a distance away from her and she knew that was to be expected. She was not expecting the happy reunion that would come if she had told him she was leaving. She didn't though so she was getting pretty much what she deserved. Even then she couldn't help but be the slightest bit disappointed.

Wynter ducked her head slightly. "I-I'm sorry Reek," was all she could manage for the moment. She was mentally kicking herself. She owed him an explanation why wouldn't the words form into sentences. She may be more nervous than she thought.

"Well..." she began. "When Saena told me that we could have puppies i was super excited at first and i was actually on my way to find you. Then my head went kind of crazy and i got really nervous and then just kinda freaked out and left. Cold feet so to speak. I stayed away for a while to recollect my thoughts. Figure myself out and stop psyching myself out about everything." Wynter stated feeling slightly pathetic. 

" I was always going to come back, I wouldn't leave all of this, or you. I love you you must know that right?" she said looking at him straight in the eyes. She paused waiting for him to say something anything at all.

As much as Reek wanted to run to his mate and wrap her in his own embrace, he resisted and stayed planted firmly to the spot; unmoving and expressionless. While he loved her just as much as before, Wynter's reappearance had made him feel conflicted. Numerous emotions flooded through the once happy jokester: anger, elation, and most of all, dissapoinment. She dun goofed.  Without a word of goodbye, she had squandered every bit of trust the pair had built in their time together. The foundation of their relationship was now cracked and strained, and a house built on sand doesn't stand.

Wynter began to explain her situation and that only brought more hurt.  Fear.  She had no room to talk about fear.  Fear is staying up in a den late into the night, worrying about the safety of one's other half.  Fear is praying to gods that one doesn't even believe in, in the hopes that something would hear his cries for help.  She couldn't possibly know that.  Unfortunately, Reek did.  When she slinked off into the night, fear was all she left.

He waited in silence for her to finish and when her eyes met his, he quickly averted her gaze in favor of the ground in front of him.  "You can't do that," he croaked through his thinly veiled anger.  "You can't just fucking leave."  If she could take off on Reek so easily, who's to say she wouldn't run out on her future pups.  Their future pups.   

Wynter felt hurt as Reek had quickly averted her gaze and instead chose to stare at the ground in front of him. She knew she deserved this. Who wouldn't after running from a problem as stupid as her own. Even so, every word, every action that her mate did hurt. She knew she had disappointed him, and probably left him more terrified than she ever was. 

She regretted to no end what she had done to him. The guilt looming in her head. She didn't know what she could do to make him forgive her, believe that she wouldn't do this. Ever again. She wouldn't. After seeing what she had done to him she couldn't even think of hurting him. Not again.

"I-I know," she stuttered tears threatening to overflow their banks. "I, don't know what i can do. To fix thi. I would do anything. Anything. To make you forgive me. I know I've hurt you. I understand what I must have put you through just leaving. No word. No nothing. I shouldn't have done it and i can't explain to you how sorry i am. There aren't words to describe it," Wynter croaked as a few tears escaped their banks and rolled down her amber cheeks. Now she definitely looked damn right pathetic as she sat down. 

Will he ever be able to forgive me. Could this be it... No. I can't afford to think like this. He loves me. Right? Wynter stared at her paws and waited once again. Hoping. That there was something she could do. She didn't know what she would do if he could not forgive her. He was the only wolf she had ever loved and likely ever to love.

A second round of apologies came pouring from Wynter's mouth; and while her pleading felt sincere enough, Reek was still torn on how to handle her.  Forgiving[mdash but most importantly, forgetting, could lead to the same problem down the road, but holding a grudge would only serve to cause Reek more heartbreak.  The only option left was to fix the relationship.

However, Reek didn't even how to begin the mending process.  He was much too angry and sad for words.  No, he would need the healing hands of time and Wynter would have to earn his trust once more.   Not until then would the relationship be set back on track.

He perked his head up as she spoke and noticed the tears streaming down her cheeks and even in his disappointment he found himself making his way to her side to lick the tears from her face. "I'm disappointed Wyn," he whispered between licks.  "I still care, but I just need time." Reek pulled away, but then buried his face into the side of her neck and inhaled deeply.  He hadn't realized how much he missed her scent; it was the always little things that he enjoyed.  

Wynter was drained. Mentally. She had gone through so many emotions on this day and she was sure so had Reek. She watched as he walked slowly towards her and began to lick the tears away from her cheeks. Wynter listened as he mentioned that he still cared but he needed time. She was relieved he still did care. After all she had done. 

"If time is what you want, what you need. Then you can have it," she voiced softly. She knew things couldn't go back to being normal right away. It just wasn't possible. It would take time and Wynter was more than willing to wait. She wasn't one to give up on things she cared about. Not without a fight and she cared about Reek more than anything. 

She stood up slowly an gave a small smile. "I should go then," she said regaining most of her composure. She took a deep breath, gave Reek a gentle nudge and a lick and then began to walk away slowly. She paused and turned her head to look at him. A gentle smile on her maw she added "I love you," then began to walk away again. She would go to find Saena or one of the others. This wasn't the last of the apologies she had to make. 

Wanna continue it at least to 10 posts? We can short post and rush it out if you want!

However drained Wynter was, Reek felt leaps and bounds worse for ware. He was both mentally and physically exhausted. However, while his head lay buried in Wynter's neck, he was happy. Still angry. But happy.  Happy that she was safe, but most importantly— happy that she was there.  But, after their brief reunion, she pulled away and bid Reek goodbye.  Half-stunned, he couldn't speak until she had already begun to walk away.

"Wait," he called, turning in to her direction.  "It's been weeks! At least let me come with you. The others can wait... this is more important."  Reek ran to her side.  If there was one thing for certain, he wouldn't let her out of his sight ever again.

Wynter was startled as Reek ran up to her telling her not to leave. "Yes, you are more important than the others, i'll agree. By time. I thought that meant space. To have time on your own to think. Was i wrong?" she asked happily but slightly innocently as well. She could very well have been wrong. The impression she got told her she was right but his actions may be proving her wrong.

"Well, I'm not going to stop you from following me," she teased. She was happy he actually did appear to want her company around. Wynter decided to change to a lighter toned subject. "So, anything new happen?" she questioned with a tilt to her head. The words ...while i was gone. She had decided would not be the best thing to say. Best not keep reminding him or he would probably leave. That was the last thing she wanted right now. 

She was truly smiling this time. All sadness had been erased from her mind for at least a short time. Her tail was twitching. This day was slowly beginning to get better although Wynter wasn't sure really how long that would last. 

I dont know. This could be fun to continue. im not going to rush it but if you want it to end i dont mind. XD

Actually, this'll probably be my last post in this thread.  It might be interesting for it to lead directly into [url]http://wolf-rpg.com/showthread.php?tid=9667

"I don't intend to let you out of my sight Wyn," Reek replied. There was no way he would let her wander off again.  Reek was dead set on becoming the epitome of a hover-husband, but after everything that had happened: who could blame him?  His mate's safety had always been his first priority, and one couldn't protect what is not watched.

Her change of subject had been very welcome because it made it much easier to just pretend everything was like it was. Normal.  "You've missed a lot," he began. "Saena made me beta, Arion was attacked, Smash left, we got another newbie, and Pants came to visit.  But, other than that... things have been quiet." Quiet, may have been an understatement.  Dreary would have been a better word.  "I've missed you," he added, smiling weakly.

In fact, it had been the first time he had smiled in weeks.  However, his happiness was short-lived because @Saena 's howl caught Reek's attention.  There was only one thing that could mean.  War was at the rise's doorstep.  "I need to go," he said while planting a final lick on his mate's face.  "Duty calls."  Reek then turned from the spot and sprinted his way toward the Larksong grotto.