The chocolate brown and jet black mixed wolf had just gotten out of a fight with a loner on a later midnight patrol. The damn loner had no senses for watching territories what so ever and he'd missed the beginning of his meeting with Rose. He had a wounded muzzle from the fight, but it would recover no doubt. The wolf with the chocolate brown eyes padded up behind his love. Gently licking her shoulder in respect. "Sorry I'm late, a loner was caught by our borders." He said kindly, his eyes full of compassion.

He gently walked around to in front of her and licked her forehead and sat down. His muzzle still stinging from the fight, though he had done his duty as a pack member. He could do his duty as a mate to protect her and talk to her. He was excited, they hadn't necessarily gotten along the greatest this past month. He knew that since he was not the alpha, and neither was she, they had to stay apart during the spring months to avoid mating. That was unless they wanted to leave the Willow. But they couldn't, it was they're home and there was no leaving now. He waited for her. He would always wait for her. She could decide what she wanted to do and he would always support her.

He couldn't help but admire her, the girl who had captured his heart and kept it safe from himself. The young brown and white women, the one with the yellow eyes. The one he was proud that she bore the same last name as him. Most would think siblings, as the last name. But those who truly know them... they were mates through and through. Through the thickest of the rough patches to the happiest of times. There was no making them leave each other. Not for anything stupid. Not for anything logical. This was true love.

His tail wagged as his eyes were obviously filled with excitement. He wondered if she could comment about him being late, he hoped not because I hadn't been able to run from the fight. He'd been frustrated and so he took out his anger on the nearly intruding loner. He couldn't have given in.

Shade glanced into Rosealia's eyes, of course she knew that he'd do anything she asked. "What can I do for you my love?" He asked, his eyes full of concern for her, what was it that she needed. He would love to help as much as he could. He saw that in his own heart, he'd do anything for her, even he would leave Willow Ridge for her, but she loved it here. He doubted that she would ask him to run away with her, but if she did. He knew the answer.

His tail still wagging as he gently butted her shoulder with affection. He sat down, he was more in like a sphinx like position, his paw in front of him and his tail curled as around him as it would allow itself to go. He always wondered what it was like to lead a pack, what it was like to be born into a pack. He wondered what it was like to have the life he didn't.

His eyes looked at her tan and brown fur. Soon we cannot see each other for a while, or we would defy lady Elettra's laws. The laws she laid down to protect this pack. But what is so wrong about pups? Was it that they could not support them? I never knew the likes of a pack or what it did. This is my first pack ever. Depending how things play out, it might not be my last. He thought to himself.

328 Words

Shade smiled at Rosealia as she asked her question, it was simple enough and there were no rules against it. It was just combat training that she happened to be using to face Skana. Then if something happened where Koda and Elettra were to both step down or die, then they would be a leading couple, not him and Skana. He loved her and would prefer to not have to show dominance to her at every pack event. His tail wagged slightly as he answered, his eyes lit up with joy at the thought of just having some alone time with her again. "Of course I'll help Rose! You didn't even need to ask, all you had to do was tell me that I was going to help you train and lead me away to the mountains, or to the meadow. In fact, there was a trail I found of a wolf I knew, it was odd since it led through the mountains, away from the pack, that I wanted to check out. We could train on the way!" He said, his ears perked up, listening with excitement.

He had remembered the scents of the pack that had clung the the girls pelt when he met her, it smelled of the river, the same scent traveled into the mountains. He had smelled it just before the flash floods that had occurred when he had gone to tell Nina to tell of Koda's fate. He hoped that Koda would be alright to lead, he feared he was not good enough nor ready to lead. The moon hovered above them in the sky, the midnight patrol was over so he had no need to go back to the borders. They could leave right now to follow the trail if she wanted. He was completely relaxed and his tail was drooping. The snow beneath his feet and the freezing cold temperatures nearly made him shiver. He looked at her with kind eyes.

Shade was shocked and a bit offended by her question. “I’ll be the same old me, always loving you, even if I do become leader. I’ll always be there beside your Rose, I always will be.” He whispered into her ear. His tail wanted to just wrap around them both to keep them together, much like an arm around a humans shoulder. But he couldn’t. His most compassionate and lovely look that he could muster in his eyes. He wanted to never leave, to be here is a moment. He wondered… if breeding season came along, could they just break from the willows. Could he turn his back on his first pack? Maybe, his love was strong enough, but would Rosealia be willing. Of course they would have to talk it through together. IT was a crazy idea. But it opened many possibilities. Pups of their own, they could be raised as Shade had, as lone wolves, just with different teachings. Perhaps they could be raised in a pack, one that they could start.

Shade was always there for her, so whatever she wanted, he would give her. They could start on that trail soon too. But right now, they had to savor the moment of being together, of being one with each other. Shade wanted to just run away and leave, knowing that what he wanted could not be achieved in Willow Ridge. But he held back. Elettra would kill him and Rose if they did that. But what more did they have to lose? They could lose everything. It was a worthy gamble to him, one he was willing to take, but he did not speak a word about it.

Shade looked at her as she apologized, granted he hadn’t any idea why she was apologizing, he understood where the question came from and her concern. “Rose, there is no need to apologize; I have a question for you though. This spring… do you want to be bound to the laws of Willow Ridge, or do you want to write your own laws? I’m asking you this because I feel that as long as the laws of Willow Ridge bind our relationship…. We cannot be who we want to be nor can our relationship move further. Will you continue the Slayer line with me?” He said as his heart racing as he waited for her response. He was curious as to if she actually meant her oath to Elettra. It was disloyal, especially for a leader, but it was what his heart wanted. He was attracted to Rose and Rose to him, so why be stuck in the jaws of someone else other than to put up with pains and tortures.

“There is a place we need to visit before we start on the trail. It’s a place I’ve always loved since I’ve been in Relic Lore and it deserves to be shared with you.” He whispered into her ear as he smiled, his tail was still drooping and his ears perked with curiosity. He honestly had no idea how his mate would react to such questions or the place he was going to show her. What he had asked of her, it was treasonous to the pack they swore faithfulness to. They were going to turn their backs on them all, the world would fall around them, but they would have each other. If Shade planned it right, they would have a pack too. He couldn’t be sure that he was going to have a pack, but go big or go home. With his plans, there was no going home anymore.