Round Stone Crest blame it on the rain

The expression she found on Gent's face was definitely not the one offered to Aeus just a moment before, and again she found comfort in his softening for her. A memory of his smile the day the rank challenge had taken place flashed in her mind. She was right to trust him. Each and every time there was conflict and the ebony man held himself back, her confidence in him grew. Her friend wasted no time in giving his side of the story; prompting her ears to cup forward and catch every syllable that left his once snarling mouth. She could guess from his words that he had tried to reconcile but it had not gone well in the slightest. She never suspected that Gent would flat out lie to her, so his words were taken seriously, if with a grain of salt. ”...is currently choosing to use you and your affections against me.” The words drove her eyes to her chocolate-pelted lover; now swimming with worry that what Gent was saying was true. She had overheard him throwing her into the mix; though the way he did so seemed useless to her. Their affection could not trump the word of their leaders if they wished to remain here.  Raela's ears flattened at the temper she could hear rising in the icy-eyed man. His swearing did little to shake her of course; knowing that it wasn't directed at her in the slightest. It only served to betray just how upset the king was with Astraeus, and so the latter's interjection was met with a cool stare. It wasn't unappreciated, but she did feel it unnecessary, especially when it could flare the black patriarch's temper even more. The request was swiftly followed up with a few words of his own, though it did little to answer her question. Aeus was hardly putting any effort into defending himself the way Gent had, but his words had her stepping forward; angled in the older man's direction now. His eyes were so obviously teeming with disgust and distaste for the new Alpha. Confusion at the behavior and actions of the wolf before her, and the wolf she was sure she had known swirled together to change her expression and tone in an instant.  “What 'side?' What 'game?'” The woman's tone slipped irreversibly into exasperation and irritation as her ears pricked forward. “We need to be on the same side.” The words were spoken as if it should have been obvious. “We are all concerned about the state of the Crest, aren't we?” Her glinting eyes found the tumultuous mahogany optics of her 'boyfriend.' If what Gent said, and what she overheard was true, Aeus was sounding less and less like that was his true concern. Sighing once and removing her eyes from the both of them, she collected her thoughts. “I have seen before that you both want what's best for the pack, but you two constantly seething anger and going around like you hate each other will do nothing for anyone.” She paused, directing a hard stare at the man she was thinking she'd begun to fall for. She knew that he couldn't stand the fact that he'd been beaten to the throne; but had never expected it to consume him so. Her voice fell, ringing hollow and numb. “You know you can't stay here if you can't get along with him. He's perfectly within his rights to kick you out right now.” It was a truth, and she had a feeling it was exactly the action Gent would want to take. Pain began seeping into her chest as she stared at him, feeling the reality of his banishment's likelihood weighing down on her whole body and pushing water into her eyes. He knew she couldn't leave, he knew the dangers of defying Gent this way, so... why? She steeled herself again by looking away. “Gent's the leader Aeus.” The russet girl's voice grew heavy and stern again though her posture slouched. “Even if you don't like him you can't just do this.” She was referencing his venomous words as much as his insubordination. Something stirred in her core the very next moment. Perhaps pain, perhaps betrayal, perhaps a mixture of many things. Her head rose, staring into those orange eyes she'd begun to adore with only pain in her own. “But you know that.” The words fell flat on the forest floor as she struggled to keep her voice low and even. “So why.” It was a demand. “What's he done to you? What's so awful about him that you put us on the line?” The sheer amount of hurt the woman was feeling, both about the treatment of her friend and the carelessness of her love peeled its way to the surface in little tremors and subtle cracks of desperation in her voice as she slowly realized what Astraeus Taranath had really done.  “If you leave, I can't follow. If you're dubbed an enemy, I can't see you.” Then the cracks in her facade broke open and poured out her sorrow.   “What were you thinking Aeus?” Image © Chris Smith Photography Manipulation © Jenandra

            

Gent nearly couldn't believe that man that stood before him. It was decidedly so that this man was even less deserving of anyone's trust than Gabriel had been. Taranath was backpedaling helplessly, trying to save face in front of Raela. Now he wanted his own game to stop, now that she was here to see exactly how vile and unreasonable he could be. Such a deceitful nature would never have a place in Gent's pack; he would not risk the order which kept himself and his subordinates safe, and that was exactly what this scheming personality of Aeus' would do if given the opportunity. It seemed there was no limit to the heights Aeus could push his anger; he wanted, no commanded, that Gent just accept and allow Astraeus blatant contempt for him to continue.

With diamond eyes he glared back at the burnt black wolf before him, a solid refusal cocked and ready to fire on the tip of his tongue. However, before he could even think of getting out, Raela's voice again hit the air. To the monster's great relief, she did not turn on him in defense of her lover. Instead, it was Aeus who who she directed her words at. Initially, Gent was nearly smug; that's right, Taranath. Raela's too smart to fall for your little acting gig any longer. It didn't matter how quickly he tried to pull his mask back on; Raela had seen the grin of those venomous teeth underneath, and she despite whatever emotions she held for the man, Gent could now be confident that she would not ignore what she'd witnessed. His eyes turned to her, an incredibly small but endearing smile upon his maw as he silently thanked her for not turning against him.

But then, Raela began to slowly, subtly lose her composure. Concern overtook his features in a flash as his ears registered the horror and heartbreak that her voice was struggling to hold back. A new breed of outrage entered his veins then; not only was Aeus an insolent liar in Gent's eyes, but now he was causing Raela to crumble right before him. His little black heart went out to her, and he wanted dearly to steel her eyes away and comfort her. Not even thinking of what reaction it might cause in his verbal opponent, Gent stepped forward to stand at Raela's side, leathery nose touching her shoulder for the briefest of moments in silent reassurance that whatever happened, he was there for her. Gent knew that if Astraeus fully broke her heart, if the man was gone tomorrow, that simply being there was the only thing he would be able to do for her and he hoped dearly that it would be enough to hold her together. Gent wanted to give her anything that would make her happy, but if this was the man Astraeus wanted to be, Gent could not risk keeping him in the pack. At that point, it would be more than Raela's heart that was at stake.

*Mic drop*

Before Gent could reply, Raela responded- scorching the man from the inside out. The words, "Same side" made his heart skip a beat, knowing she was right to the core. All was well because she was angry, Gent was angry and so was he. Fury was easy to handle because it didn't really hurt anybody. It was all banter- and some of it was important banter... but never the less, not so important. And even her hard glare wasn't as heartbreaking to what would come next. She knew that Gent was in control and she also knew that he hated it, but what she was saying was true. A glob formed in his throat, forcing his to breathe through his mouth in short little gasps of air. One, two, three... He counted, trying to regain oxygen into his lungs. "So why?" She pleaded, cutting the air off completely from his muzzle. "Raela I-" He gasped, pulling a little more air in to live on. She was dripping with anger, turning on him in the cruelest way- she wanted to help but she was siding with the man he could not bring himself to do so. “If you leave, I can't follow. If you're dubbed an enemy, I can't see you.” The air was silent. He wasn't breathing any longer, it was just a husk of a man who once was proud. Just the thought brought moisture to his eyes. He wanted to scream at the top of his lungs, just let it all go and sob, 'IF YOU CAN'T SEE ME THAN I CAN'T SEE.' But Astraeus Taranath couldn't bring himself to the consequences of being on the lower hand. Because he was selfish and greedy and driven by anger. His tears were met with hers, the salty liquid rolling down his cheeks and landing in the pigmented dirt to dry out and be no longer. She was curious and so was he. Why the fuck would I ever start something like this? I'm not stupid, in fact I am fairly educated- why couldn't I just suck it up? Be the bigger man? Come on! Fuck Aeus! His core reminded him silently. On the inside, his gears were turning at a high velocity but on the outside, he was still. He looked stupid, sitting there with his jaw open and crying. Gent had been sneering behind him, thanking the lord for Raela's decision. Aeus paid him no mind, just starring in pain at the woman he had cradled just hours before. "I didn't me-" He stuttered, more tears filling the air. "Just couldn-" There were no loose ends, that was that. He didn't see any real reason to speak anymore. Maybe it was for the best if he left? He was obviously causing the woman he loved too much pain and was wreaking havoc with his own Patriarch. It wasn't a bad idea, and generally, he wanted Gent to just get it over with. Let me go... I'm hurting her can't you fucking see with those eyes? A black shape merged with the tawny one he was gaping at. He's hugging her. The thought just dashed across his mind. He wanted to be the one embracing her, crying with her, apologizing a million times and with each apology met with a kiss to her face. It was like someone kicked him in the stomach and had caused internal bleeding. It was tearing him apart slowly... ever so slowly. "Gent.. I'm sorry." He muscled out, meeting the cold glare head on. "If you find it necessary to ban m.. me- do so at leisure." He uttered, the words coming out jagged and rough. If it needed to be done, just fucking do it Lieris. ”Speech”

Colourize-Stock @DA, ScifiStock @DA  & Dawnthieves.de - Table by PuppyThief

ITS NOT LIKE I WANTED US TO HAPPEN

She was only just barely aware of the movement beside her. Gent's touch, however well-meant, was but a blip in the chain of events that was taking place. She made no move to acknowledge the gesture, but she did not pull away either. The knowledge of his support would be stored away for a later time, when the world wasn't crumbling around their feet. She was frozen, rigid, her eyes shining and swimming in quiet tears. Her head hung in the air, every part of her too stiff to begin to know motion. The fear and panic of loosing Aeus – both physically and emotionally as the man she thought she knew – was climbing her rib cage; winding between the smooth, cold bones and tying painful knots meant only to keep her still. The gold of Raela's eyes shone so brightly beneath her tears. They took in every movement of the black man's shocked face, staring cold and broken to the core. He was crying now too, but of course he was. He'd hurt her.  It was something of relief to see him feeling her pain. There was at least some hope for the man she was so sure she knew. His stuttering, useless syllables did nothing to calm her. Still her pools searched him, asking for more. Was there any more? Was the truth that he had simply managed to fuck everything up in anger and jealousy? He made no attempt to tell her otherwise. His broken sentences stopped, leaving plenty of space for real tears to pelt the earth. In those few moments, she felt her core warming up; beginning to melt with sympathy and the hope that Aeus would try to fix it all. Then, the words they all needed drifted reluctantly into the air. ”Gent... I'm sorry.” It was a breath of fresh air, releasing the horrid tension that had built in her lean, coiled muscles. Her head lifted, taking note of how he now looked to their leader with the most mournful and serious of faces.  He was tripping over his own words, practically blubbering before the man he only minutes ago had insulted and picked at with all the hatred she'd ever seen him muster. The words dropped a rock in her stomach; lifting the woman's eyebrows with panic. No, he couldn't. Quickly her ruddy-colored head whipped backward; brilliant yellow eyes locking onto her friend's pale glaciers effortlessly. She emitted no sound, no whimper or plea. Her eyes, still soaked with tears and wide in fear simply looked back at him. He wouldn't.   Image © Chris Smith Photography Manipulation © Jenandra

            

For the first time in all of this chaos, disgust became the most prominent feeling within Gent's overcrowded mind. He watched the other man dissolve before the both of them, horrified by his lack of control on the situation and allow fat tears to dribble down his face and soak the ground at his paws. Gent was reminded of little Ari and the crocodile tears she would cry when she didn't get her way. His baby girl could get away with such a childish reaction because she was a child. She did not have the power to solve her own problems. Aeus, however, was a grown man playing the part of spoiled child and refusing to take the responsible path in this situation.

Obviously, if he could no longer fool Raela with logos, the man thought he'd try his hand at pathos. He choked on his words each time he tried to utter them, at a loss for excuses at this point, and ensuring that Gent could never give him an ounce of respect. Gent would've laughed, if it hadn't been Raela's heart on the line. He felt the heat of her next to him, her thick fur slicing through his own, and his resolve solidified. This would never happen to her again, not that he could help. Unfortunately, he could in now way control Aeus' actions, not with any amount of threats; he knew this now. Gent could give someone a vicious ultimatum, but ultimately it was the subordinate's choice in the end. Still, he had the power of pressure, at least, and he would exert it in full to ensure that Aeus did not hurt Raela like this again.

A final scoff of repulsion escaped him as Aeus mustered his final sentence; the white flag. It appeared that if he could not sway Raela with his deceit, he would merely give up; allowing Gent the final word on the matter so that it could loosely be pinned as his fault. Gent fully considered taking advantage of the offer, confident at this point that Raela would not truly blame him for the way things turned out, just as she had thus-far better sympathized with his position on the entire matter. And yet, when ice met honey, he saw with astonishment that she still wanted him to keep the wretch around.

A soft scowl marked his face for only a moment, before the man's mind was made up completely. Tail curling high once more, he froze an unforgiving gaze upon Aeus' dial for one final time before the king spoke.

"She thinks more highly of you than you deserve. Get. A hold. Of yourself," he wouldn't have anymore of the blubbering; Aeus needed to grow up, and fast if he wanted to salvage what he'd held so dearly before this encounter.

"It sickens me that you can stare into her eyes and choose to fall apart and retreat rather than owning up to the pain you've caused her and doing something to fix it. Regardless of your lack of will, it seems she still wants you, so this is how it's going to be, Taranath. I'm going to give you a second go at the decision you so pathetically just made." He didn't expect the insults to win him any favor in the situation, and yet he would not hold them back. Gent didn't coddle, and Astraeus sure as hell didn't earn any privileges. The chance he was extending to him was for Raela's sake alone, and the Lieris kind had to know that Aeus was dedicated enough to her to take it and with integrity."You can leave Round Stone Crest behind with your tail between your legs, letting both her and the pack down. Or, you can choose to stay and work to fix what you have broken here. Raela and I will leave to consult with Minka about what has occurred. You, will return to the borders with composure where you will take your shift patrolling. You will put in the work to earn the position as guardian, and that is where you will stay until I or Minka choose to move you. Once every other day, I will join you on one of your shifts, both to monitor your performance and to offer opportunity for reconciliation. Obviously, Raela sees something worthwhile in you, and because of my trust in her I will give you one last chance to be the man she deserves. You say I haven't earned your respect? Fine. We'll both work on gaining each others' trust. But you will respect the hierarchy and my position, because that is what is best for the pack. If you doubt my ability to do my job, if you think you could do better, you will officially challenge me for my rank like a man. There will be no more underhanded bullshit, and you will not openly defy me again."

One last pause took its turn controlling the nearly-tangible atmosphere around them, before one final declaration was made: "and if I ever see Raela this upset again, and find that you are to blame, you'll receive her pain tenfold. Now, if all of that is understood, I will ask you one last time: are you willing to earn the position, or no?"

GENT BE NICE XD

He didn't want to meet eyes with Gent, he only wanted to gaze upon the fallen flower before him. The words were blurry and he just merely understood what Gent was trying to say. The instinct to speak up was being forced down his throat and into his stomach. The insults were aimed to melt him from the core out, but they just slid down his form. The message he received, was ever so clear. It was him hightailing it out of there or holding post. He knew serving the duty of guardian wouldn't be his forte- he desired a more intellectual exercise. The inside of him cringed forcefully, enough to rock him backwards an inch. With great pain, he mustered out a reply. "I won't leave- at least anytime soon." Aeus mused, looking up at the chiseled features once more. He mustered a thoughtful sigh, his eyes facing a more edged glare as the king spoke on. It made his stomach queasy hearing him speak for Raela. It was odd seeing Gent think of himself as the "good guy". Astraeus could feel his paws heating up with the rising sentiment. "You won't have to worry about that.. I would never." He gave Raela a sincere glance. "You have my word, that, is something you can trust." It was refreshing to hear himself making a pact once again.  He gave a soft sigh, facing his new boss with a formal nod. "I'll see you in the morning?" Guardian.. sounds fitting- for now. ”Speech”

Colourize-Stock @DA, ScifiStock @DA  & Dawnthieves.de - Table by PuppyThief

ITS NOT LIKE I WANTED US TO HAPPEN

Time moved much slower in the seconds preceding the king's decision. First on his face was disbelief, then something akin to disgust. After eons, the blue-black mammoth averted his eyes, rising to his dominant stance while staring daggers at the sad heap that was Astraeus Taranath. His posture betrayed nothing of his decision, but the words that followed seemed to promise the better of the two options. The patriarch was far from happy about it; refusing to allow even one more moment of Aeus' breakdown display. Inwardly she was cringing; feeling for the chocolate man simply because he too was hurt. It was emotion that had taken her, sweeping off rationality and urging her leader to accept this man despite the circumstances. There was a chance for things to be mended; and that simple, fragile idea was enough for Rae to fight for. The following sentences spoke aloud her own concerns; chiefly the fact that her “boyfriend” had nearly given up and deserted her just now. Gent was no happier than she with regards to this fact.  The swarthy Alpha's voice rumbled on with conviction, leaving the woman beside him to listen quietly; her eyes cast down. She was in no position to speak here at all, much less interrupt her friend. Nothing the man suggested disagreed with her anyhow. The words were less than earth-shattering; garnering no extra attention from the girl until her name was mentioned. Gent's statement had her shiny eyes moving up, finding his stern face as she realized just how much the brute had begun to trust her. She could see this decision is not the one he wanted to make, but his discomfort was greater in seeing the damage heartbreak would do to her. The last of his speech continued on through lowered ears. She was no elated pup just because she'd gotten her way. There was still so much that needed repair; so many things that were still wrong. She remained frozen, staring off into the dirt while Gent seemed to collect his thoughts. The voice of her other dear friend, as muted and strained as it sounded, managed to pull her gaze up again.  Relief washed over her stressed body, but it was nothing near the comfort she needed right now. Once more, the king's deep voice plowed through the air between the members of this little gathering. If his words had made her feel valuable before, the sentences he spoke now put her on top of the world. The commitment wasn't something she wanted; but the sentiment behind it had her watching his face with awe. How much had seeing her like this hurt him? His promise never to hurt her was groundbreaking enough; surpassing even what Tolas himself could honestly offer. Now was the promise to avenge not her death but her emotional pain. Deep inside of her there was joy; the feeling of being loved she'd lost moments ago in Aeus' mistake. She was left with mere seconds to comprehend her good friend's devotion before her attention and gaze snapped across the clearing to focus on the mahogany-eyed man's reply.  Suddenly the older man seemed to burn with determination; almost coming back to life as he made his promise. The eyes that had looked on her with admiration now found her again, threatening to draw more water onto her face. Oh how she wanted everything to be fixed. She would seek him out as soon as she could, and she was sure Aeus wouldn't have it any other way. For now, she had to leave with Gent. Oh how things had changed since the rank challenge. Raela only managed to tear her hopeful eyes away from him when it was time to leave. She supplied no more words to either of them. Nothing more was necessary. Solemnly, she would turn to leave with the ebony mammoth; steeling herself to keep from looking back at the man as they departed. Once out of eyesight, she brushed against her companion; a silent thank you and a hidden plea for comfort spoken in the way her head gently rubbed his sturdy shoulder. She could count on him, at least. He had proven that much.  Image © Chris Smith Photography Manipulation © Jenandra

            

Gent's gaze bore down on the male before him, so pitifully melted with self-inflicted emotional pain. The other man, in turn, was focused on Raela, who feigned to be enthralled with the ground... a waiting game all hinging on the clearly fickle Astraeus Taranath. When at last he choked something out, Gent's ears quivered and his eyes narrowed. What the hell kind of guarantee was that? It wasn't helping his case at all, to say that he would stay for now. Keeping Aeus meant a great deal of effort on Gent's part, and the king could only bring himself to do it if he had some glimmer of hope for an equally significant return. If Aeus didn't prove to be the guardian they needed, to be a loyal and dependable man, then this was all a waste and Raela would only hurt more with the false hope that had been given to her. And Gent sure as well wasn't about to pour that much energy into someone who would be walking away from them in the future.

Yet, he knew that he couldn't have everything exactly the way he wanted it; he knew that he would not be able to go through life without taking a risk here and there. Gent only hoped with everything he had that if this all fell through, it wouldn't hurt the pack and that Raela would be able to recover. He had faith in her to be strong, but realized that he did not know her inside and out; for all he knew, Aeus betraying her in full could break her completely. The chocolate-edged man spoke on, and while Gent did not trust the promise he made to Raela an inch, the rest of what he had to said did its job in calming the Lieris alpha down. At least, a bit. Over all he was deeply upset about the way this whole event had turned out. Everything inside of him still desired to chase Astraeus out of Round Stone Crest with snaps and snarls. But he needed to give Astraeus this chance. This last chance.

Gent returned Astraeus' nod, the look of mistrust now absent from his features. Instead, his eyes spoke nothing but solitude; I swear you will get back what you put in. If Aeus really did work to overcome whatever it was that was so tangled between them, Gent would not hesitate to return that effort and make it worth the man's while. After all, his mind mused mildly, if they could overcome something like this in opposition, imagine what they could do together. Perhaps they could make an incredible team one day. If only the trust is there.

"Bright and early," he confirmed vocally, before turning to take his leave alongside Raela. Lapsing back into silence, thoughts of Astraeus swiftly turned into thoughts of both the woman beside him and the meeting they were now heading toward with Minka. He felt confident in his actions, though still a little part of him wondered if the Lagina widow might disagree with him. Perhaps it was just nerves, that foreign anxiety that he'd successfully avoided until that fateful day when he had approached Lugh for the crown. Dismissing the concern, for they would soon be upon his co-alpha's den and he would have his answers, Gent felt Raela's touch.

The response came naturally to him now, touch barely an issue anymore. Time and time again he had comforted a crying princess or snuggled up with the trio together, giving kisses and cleaning precious little heads. Minka's children had immensely softened his little heart and it no longer seemed like such a heart-stoppingly big deal to speak through contact that wasn't aggressive. Gent pressed back against her without ceasing his strides, and touched black his nose to her temple, offering her his own silent promise. Always would he be here.