He had been doing his best to attend to his duties as well as attend to his family. He had been hard at work to keep his ties close with Danica, Athena, and Rory but it seemed, just as always, that his efforts were not enough. His niece was gone, something that would surely piss off his dearest sister once she heard about it, the woman he had taken under his wing again had left, taking her child, the one that Ash had specifically eased her worries about and had promised to help take care and look after no matter what. The alpha had been trying to give his life and devotion to these wolves and once again it had been thrown smack dab back into his face so that everyone could see how foolish he was again. He never should have agreed to take in Athena and Dziban, but he had still loved her and he had wanted to protect the child. Oh, how much the sweet little children got to him. They were always his soft spot and Athena had used that against him, he just knew she had, and he had foolishly fallen into her little trap...AGAIN.

He was slumped against a tree after having rammed into it many times in anger. He was sure to have an even more shoulder the next day due to his temper. It was best he not encounter anyone from the pack that day, he wouldn't wish to subject them to his anger. And so without much of a thought Ash was constantly changing his location throughout the day, clinging onto the hope that no one would accidentally bump into him and get the impression that he was a bastard...though sometimes he didn't doubt it. Maybe that was why the women that he loved always left. He didn't think that he was a bad man, but he could certainly be wrong...he had been wrong many times before. Needless to say, because of his temper, the next time he got up to move to his next location, he was limping.

The man continued on in silence, pleased that he was alone, until an angry snarl met his ears. Immediately, the large brute stiffened, his tail flicking behind his back in a dominant gesture as he turned towards the intruder, his head angling down to protect his neck. Ash's lips were pulled back into a menacing scowl, his mossy green eyes narrowing. He did not wish to be bothered, but when he saw the pretty little form of Narimé, he relaxed slightly, or he had until he heard the words coming out of her mouth. However, what he was met with shocked him, and his face morphed into disbelieve, before standing to displeasure, and then quickly changed back to anger. She had to be jacking with him, and he was definitely in no mood for a joke. He jaw clenched as he glared back at her, "I'm assuming that you are talking about Rory...and no I didn't let her drown...I am her guardian and if she were still here I would still be as such. But as it seems, Athena had taken her from me once again. So if you would please excuse me, I would like to be alone." With this he snorted, his mossy green eyes staring back at his partner icily.

He was a prideful man and despite the fact that he would do anything he could to protect those that he cared deeply for, but now that things were as they seemed, no one would be able to do anything to help him. He had been betrayed by Athena twice now and he knew himself foolish for allowing her to fight her way back into his mind to claim it. He just wished that he could keep moving, but he awkwardly shifted his weight to his side that he hadn't injured and waited for a response from the alpha in front of him. He did not wish for them to be on the wrong paw, but if she pissed him off enough, it might just push him to his breaking point. He had a temper, but the brown man still knew his limits.

Just as he was about to turn away from her, he denied his need. At the command towards him he stiffly turned around, his lips pulling back into a snarl. If she wanted to challenge him, she was making a bad decision. He was stronger out of the two of them. Both of them knew that. Her words echoed in his ears, and he snapped at her harshly, annoyed that she would even think of such a thing, "You know what I'm not in the mood for? Bullshit...but that is exactly what you're giving me." Even though he said that, he knew what she was talking about. It was the incident with the fool Maksim. The idiot hadn't known what he was doing and so Ash had left with Namara...but he had never dropped a pup, or ever left a pup to drown. They had been Ava's children, and he had held the life of one in his jaws. He would never fault a child...especially the life of one of his best friends.

Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he spoke to Nari once again, "I'm assuming you're talking about Ava and Kade's child. During a massive flood, we got separated from our alphas and I saved one of their children from dying. Without our alphas, the seconds took charge, but the male, Maksim, made a horrible mistake...at least, the way I viewed it. I had led before, and his way of reasoning was not...accurate. We needed to travel over the mountains, where it was wet and slick. Namara and I were the best ones to navigate, but he refused and then sent Namara away. I had made a promise to her...and so I handed the boy off to one of the other subordinates, to make sure that his life would be spared...and then we left. Needless to say, we took a much safer path and got over the mountains much quicker than that bastard. So we are not on good terms." Finishing, he watched her for the reaction that was sure to come.

As he explained, he could see the sense of his words starting to kick into his partner's brain. She too seemed to be able to understand what he was going through right then. It had been a hard decision, and he knew that he would not have been able to stay beneath Maksim if he had stayed. Eventually, he would have felt the need to rise to the top and beat out those ahead of him. He was, however, surprised by Nari's sudden burst of anger. It wasn't something that he was use to and he also knew that she had changed considerably since she had returned from her delayed trip. Personally, he felt that they made a much better partnership than he and Minka ever had. He continued to remain still, he ears pricked towards her. He too agreed with the woman in front of him. Maksim acted like he had the mentality of a pup and Ash was quite tired of it. The Hervok had since moved on and had found better things to focus his energy on...like providing for a pack that he led.

He couldn't help but watch Narimé as her silver pelt flickered every once and a while in the lighting. He couldn't understand why he was then...but it occurred to him just how beautiful she was. She had quite the fire to her when she was angry, and side of her that Ash truly only saw when she was around him. And to tell the truth, he enjoyed it. Not the act of her being angry, just the fact that the woman felt that she could trust him and rant to him about her troubles and doubts. He continued to listen and once she was finished, he had no problems agreeing. "Yes...I believe it is time that our...neighbors realize who they are fucking with..." He growled this out darkly, his eyes flashing in the direction of the Cut Rock River pack, his blood boiling within his veins.

Despite their pissing tournaments, there was no doubt that Narimé and Ash made a sublime team. After one got angry with the other, it was only a short amount of time until they would calm down and return to their passionate partnership. Ash enjoyed spending his time with her, she....made him happy, despite the circumstances, and now that he had cleared his name, he saw a familiar flame in her eyes. One that he remembered from the past...and one that would certainly attract him to her. He listened to her words, nodding with her. It was time that they finally claimed what was right, but Ash felt like there was too much risk involved. Especially sending one of their own scouts. If it was someone else...someone who didn't know them all to well, perhaps things would go more smoothly.

So with this in mind, he gazed into his partner's now familiar eyes, and spoke in his deep baritone voice, "I believe we can ask my sister to look into it for us...make an "alliance" of sorts. I'm sure if one of us asked her, she would...I would certainly do the same for her." He watched her closely, trying to determine her reaction. If she was not alright with it, he would not go through with his idea, because he wanted their partnership to run as smoothly as possible, much unlike his former partnership with Minka. He continued to cling onto the hope that he would never have to come into contact with the bitch again. Their rule had not been a pleasant one, and he never wanted to have to relive the experience.