Willow Ridge bred from sin

As I would like this thread to be as current as possible, I'm going to assume this is after Shade and Rose leave. As I believe they will be running away in their current breeding thread?

So much had happened over the coarse of winter, even now as spring brought new life to the world and new starts for the wolves which lived in it. It left Elettra wild in frustration, worry and rage. Her pack had lost too many within the winter season, be it disappearance, accidental injury, or disease. Now, with only spring barely into its first week, three more had vanished from the still crumbling Willow Ridge pack. What was left was four men and four woman, including her own self for the the time being she stood as it's sole ruler whilst Shade's disappearance slowly became realization to the rest of the pack. As brief as the last man's ruling, would come the next and with only hopes that Sica would show her much more respect and loyalty that the last. Elettra's weariness brought down on her an ever more concerning disposition, her attention of the wolves on her pack keen. She would take any action necessary to root out any remaining betrayers, law breakers and lovers who couldn't keep it in their pants for the better of their Leader's own, and eradicate them. Too many had spat on the pack's code and with it, her trust. Judgement was not reserved only to Kiche. No, she would judge them all.
Now, for the first time since returning from the meeting of the Relic packs, Elettra does not patrol beyond her rest. She wakes this night and eases herself into he open darkness for a means of escape, of some desperate attempt at peace. The moon is high, uncovered by the cloudy skies which still captured much of the star's light. She moves as an even pace, trotting and bounding through the sparse forestry of her home, drinking in the scent and such moves, faster, and faster yet. Her destination brings her at the eastern boarder of her territory, where the lands incline and become more rocky as they reach the foothills of the mountains. She bounds from rock to rock and eases along the path which brings her up to the hidden cave entrance, a sliver in the rock face that she slips into easily. She would find privacy here where she would not find in the open pack's den where her brethren slept and just at the thought of this privacy, a deep sigh of relief escapes her. No one knew of this Storage Den, savor her fellow Medic which she had briefly mentioned it to yet never the opportunity to showing her the exact location.
The woman offers the moon one last glance before she pushes further into the cave - a small, rounded out room still with the hinting smell of herbs which were dried and brittle in the back corner. The lighting was dim here, an echo over the floor which the dark woman blocked out until she made her way further in, slumping down at the back wall with a seeming huff of defeat. So many had gone and so many she missed - Remy, Reed, Koda, Kanosak, Narime.... Was Narime happy with her new life already? Had Koda remembered his loved one as he had before? Had Kanosak found peace in the afterlife? Now with Shade having spat on his position and the pack he had pledged to protect, Elettra is left to wonder if Sica would rise at her side or if fear of a curse would hold him back. Or would it be Phineas, whom lit her up so easily and yet who only weeks ago had his past coming banging at her door? The frown edged further as her body slumped deeper onto the ground and for now, she found herself content to be locked away in here forever.

• omg i'm a terrible person.

In the land of the Willows they were dropping like flies. Their fading scents did not go amiss to the blossoming wolf as he stalked the borders of the territory. Though he didn't know their names or their stories, he knew that, like himself, they had once pledged themselves to Elettra. That meant something, right? They were supposed to be her's. Her's in the way that Kiche was her's. But now they were gone and the Ridgeland was much more empty. The brooding ginger wolf was uncertain about what he was supposed to feel. Because he couldn't know if they had deserted or fallen prey to the Devil and his savages running amok, he could blame no one, judge no one.

But it's not my place to pass judgement, he reminded himself.

Judgement was a duty reserved for his goddess, a duty that Kiche neither deserved could be trusted with. This did not, however, prevent him from tentatively picking up her mantle and setting it about his shoulders, trying it on with a curious rumbling in his heart. He wondered at Elettra's lonely office, at how she coped with all the disappearances. What did she make of Shade and Rose fading away into the darkness and the fall of Kanosak? Was she wounded? Was she angry? But why did Kiche act as if he had no idea what her reactions might be? He had seen them. He had seen them many times. For every time that Jayse had greeted him with open arms there had been an instance in which Elettra had scorned, threatened, and whetted her vitriolic disapproval.

This was not the first time Elettra had been abandoned, he understood that now.

But I have always come back, he told himself, whether or not she wanted me... I came back. Did that count for anything? It was hard to say and almost entirely irrelevant int he face of realities he could not ignore: the dark lady had wandered off and he knew, on some level, that she was hurting. Cautiously, the red priest followed the trail of her scent that had been tinged with something very strange, wondering if the change in her scent was something that should give him cause for alarm. Had she been bitten too? But... but she didn't smell like those devil wolves had... No, she smelled very, very different from them.

It wasn't long before Kiche realized where she was going: the storage den. There was no other reason to be so far east, there was nothing else out there. Since it was no longer necessary for him to struggle to track her through the willows and the undergrowth, the saint picked up his pace. It was some time before he reached the pile of rocks that would carry him up to the mouth of the cave. In the bloody gloom of dusk he came upon her.

"My lady, are you.. alright?"

like my art? comission me!

Silence befalls the woman in her corner, settled in a slumping manner against the far all, sunk low to the cool cave flooring. ...And then there were eight. The Ridge had definitely flourished as it was created, many members coming more so in the autumn and winter. Though Elettra had been a high ranking Princess within her home and knew a bit of what it took to lead a pack, Elettra had never before actually ran one. Now the dark woman was coming to understand that much of the members were temporary, coming in for the cold seasons for survival and then leaving their after, liking to form a family and pack of their own. Elettra was certain she would do her best in being careful whom she claimed loyal, devoted members in the future. Though falling in love was not a problem of Elettra, for Narime had gone in the best way of possible with fair warning and pushing her hard work in order to keep the pack on it's feet before she left. It was wolves like Shade and Rosealia, however, which were spat upon. Wolves that went behind her back, broke pack law, and then disappeared in the night without the decency to face their wrongs.
A snarl edges her lips then, the light of the moon casting her eyes aglow in the darkness. It is here her attention meets that of Kiche, whom had wiggled his way to near and without her being aware of it until he was staring into her direction, questioning her health of ether mind or body. She must have been out of it, to not have noticed him and for a moment longer she stares, silent and uncaring of his questioning. Why would he care? Still, it puzzles her how once they had hated each other so greatly. How once, she was a vile, evil witch whom meant their pack harm and he, filth, pathetic scum which needed to be killed with a moment's chance. She remembers holding his life within her jaws, within this very room and by him still being alive to stand here now makes her certain her feelings for him has changed. He was hers, as he had pledge himself. Hers to judge, to command and to take care of as by now, she had fully come to recognize him as a member of her pack. And he? Though she knew not all his feelings of her locked within his mind, his obvious care for her and desire to prove himself as a worthy member was shown if not by finding this den, collecting herbs he knew nothing of, challenging for rank, informing her of dangers, then it was simply by him coming here now...if only to ask if she were okay.
Her grey rimmed lips part, offering a soft sigh to escape her mouth as though she had been holding her breath, having been stilled in time. "Was I ever?" Her words are a lingering whisper, a question more to herself then to him, that perhaps he may even struggle to hear the words. Had she ever been fully herself, since her very first betrayal? Had she ever and would she ever, recover from the blow? Perhaps all this would pile up, further and further until she snapped and this time, never to return. "Time mends all." She then states simply, not fully answering his question with a 'yes' or a 'no' answer, as she was not a woman looking for a shoulder to cry on, but more likely in search for a shoulder to tear into. Right now, tiredness, weariness kept her at bay, and a hunger, if not for blood, then for lust. Her motherly instinct was like a disease clawing its way from the inside out. She had thus yet successfully kept herself away from males in order to prevent a commitment she was not ready for, though an obvious yearning to reproduce was there. She was a Leader, on top of this, and with her pack growing smaller and smaller, room for pups and for their loyalty above no other, made too much since for her to deny it.

• When enemies are at your door I'll carry you way from more
  If you need help, if you need help
  Your hope dangling by a string
  I'll share in your suffering to make you well, to make you well
  Give me reasons to believe that you would do the same for me
  gone, gone, gone - phillip phillips

The familiar greeting of a snarl was on her lips, and it was a comfort in a way. If Elettra was still snarling... then she was still whole, right? She was still coping, still fighting, she was still okay. And yet... it was as if that creases in her muzzle were lost in the depth of her thoughts as her expression became more distant. His heart lurched suddenly, and for a moment he almost called out after her before he realized she had not moved. But he felt as if she were fading back into herself, he felt as if he was losing her to some terrifying unknown. He could not follow her into her thoughts, but he did not want them to dwell on the hardships that had befallen her empire.

"Was I ever?"

His eyes widened suddenly. Her response had answered nothing, but something about her sigh, the softness of her tone, and the bareness of the question struck him. He could not answer her, he realized, for he knew nothing of who she was or what she was truly like. He had always seen her as some terrible figure, either of power of evil... but never had he seen her so mortal as this, and now he was faced with a new reality: that she came from a past and he had no idea. All he could manage was a meager whine, a plea for her to return to herself, to be the Elettra he knew... the stranger in her clothing scared him.

"Time mends all."

In an instant the door seemed to close. Once more Elettra built a wall between herself and her servant, and Kiche felt himself relax a little. But he knew that the strange Elettra was still there, lurking behind the wall, perhaps waiting for another chance to reappear. He didn't want that. Oh, he would do anything to have his old Elettra back in all her terrible, adamant glory.

Without a word, the red man slithered closer to his queen. Reaching her paws, he rolled onto his stomach, the pale fur of his stomach glowing in the moonlight like the white flag that it was. His life was bared to her. (It was more hers than it was his, really.) I am yours, he seemed to say with this familiar gesture, Make something of me. Take me.

like my art? comission me!

There was feeling beyond her shell of fur, tooth and claw. There was a girl who had been pure and carefree, happy and daring. A girl whom grew into a young woman, powerful and of much future. Though there was just the same a woman broken, locked away in the shell of her pain and hatred, huddled away to scream in agony for all eternally. He whines, frightened by the same vulnerability in her that she too was frightened by, so held deep away for no one to see. In the very seconds she tries to real back her more weak, unpleasant emotions, Elettra could visibly see him relax somewhat. In that very moment, Elettra knew she could never love Kiche. Knew that he could never be for her, rescue her from the pain she locked away so deeply. Kiche opened himself to the very worst of her, the danger of her, though Elettra presumed now he would never understand the weakness of her, the still woman heart broken and dying to be swept away again, seen only in these moments of distress. Pain and Hate and Vengeance had taken her. It had formed her. The strength, the poise, the passion and determination. Each hardship had thus made her harder, stronger and her walls rose, higher, higher, towering like the city of Troy though with no horse, no prince, to sneak its way into her heart. She was the Iron Maiden and in that moment before her future blackened with all the tragedy that had struck her, did a flash of acknowledgement and understanding flicker before her eyes, alighting them to a much paler, eerie craving for attention then before. She would overcome. She was invincible.
Instantly the woman rose, pulling herself up from her cell locked away in the corner and shedding the pity from her skin in shadowed waves that fell to the hard, cold floor. Allies to strong packs would be made from Koda and Narime's leave. Vengeance would be gained in Kanosak's death by the death of each and every being involved. Blood would befall the earth of the two betrayers of Willow Ridge, painting Justice over the lands for any and all to know never to cross such a pack again.
"Get up." She demands, a hiss in her voice as her tongue lashes between bared teeth, silver fire dancing in her eyes. She could beat him, she could break him and she longed to do so. Loved with every moment that he could give this to her in a way no other had. Though he would not touch her, caress her, hold her like her inner weakness cried out for, to be loved in a way which she now knew to believe she was not deserving of. This was what she deserved. This was all Elettra was ever worth.
She awaits him to obey her command, certain that he would and then finds herself circling around him, examining the large form never to truly build to potential from the diet he upheld. Her tail shifts, dancing upwards and flickering in the air to literally smack him in the face a scent to pull his instinct that had otherwise been lacking. There was no other man she could recall fitting for the job and though it might have been only a wild craving to suddenly spur, she felt as though her choice as as acceptable and solid as ever. Shade had up and abandoned her, though would have never been a choice married or not. Sica was now to be the new Leader at her side with the shift in ranking, though had yet to shown his face. Phineas seemed to purposely doing the best to avoid her, having not seen him in far too long and Guiness had never been a male to cross her mind. There was only one choice. There was only Kiche. "You are mine to command." She insists with a snap of her teeth, directed to snag at the loose skin at his thigh in a snip of warning as she makes her way back around his front. As she does so, she brushes at his side so that as she moves around, she is facing the cavern wall beyond him, her body fixed with a certainty of her intentions. "Touch me."

What was there to be said for Kiche? He had always been a coward. The unknown had always scared him — and perhaps this was why he believed so desperately in God. He needed a higher power to make sense of things, to organize the world for him, to build a structure. There had been a time not long ago when the doubt had infected him, had poisoned his sight and carried him far away from Relic Lore. He had seen another side to this world that he hadn't liked, a side of himself he hadn't liked. It scared him. And so he had turned his back on this unfamiliar face of nature and run back to God, tail tucked between his legs.

And this why he could not love Elettra.

If he couldn't be afraid of her, if they could be equals... then his world would be turned upside down in ways he could not comprehend. His world had been overturned one too many times in the past few years and this boy, this boy who was slowly growing into an older man, was too tired to face more uncertainty He needed his God and he needed his stoic, brutal Goddess to lead him into the darkness. He wanted to follow her anywhere. He wanted to trust her. But if if they were equals, if Elettra knew no better than he did, then the world would be even darker and more uncertain.

He would never see how this affected her. Even though Kiche was capable of being empathetic in many small, meaningful ways... he was selfish and thoughtless in the very core of his heart, and he longed to know that he was safe. When his safety was threatened he would do anything to protect it, regardless of who it hurt.

"Get up," she said. And so he rose. Comfort flooded back into his veins as he was buffeted by the power of command. She would keep him safe. He could trust her. Unknowingly, a hopeful smile creased his face as he stared down at her familiar paws. The infatuation of a servant reflected in his fiery eyes that would never think to meet hers ever again. Just that once had been enough to last him a lifetime. He watched her paws move, following them as she moved around him. For what purpose, he could not tell. But his trust was infinite.

Is this love? he thought. This is what he felt for Pangur.

Out of nowhere, a black bottle-brush tail came up and thrashed him across his face. The man flinched visibly, unsure of what this painless act of lashing out meant. He wondered if she was going to reach out to his throat and bite him again — for that was what he thought of her. And yet an instant later his nostrils were blasted with a scent he could not name. It overpowered him with a burning curiosity. "You are mine to command," she said, and he felt her teeth buried in his skin. "Yessss," he murmured thickly, twisting his neck to watch her walk back in front of him, feeling the pressure and the coarseness of her black fur, unsure of what was going on. Idly, as if in a dream, he wondered if he should be afraid.

"Touch me."

"I... What?" His voice was the smallest whisper. This command held all the strength of the last one, and yet Kiche could not understand it. For several long moment he stood there in utter confusion, staring down at his lady's paws as if they held some sort of answer. He would follow her command if he could, only, he didn't know what she meant — for clearly there was some sort of darker intention in her tone. She did not want to be touched in such a literal sense...

From where she stood in front of him, though, a thick, inviting scent drifted from her, snaking it's way around his heart. Never had a woman smelled this way to him before. He felt the need to take a step closer, to be closer to this smell that was so warm and sensual. It made him feel strange, tense. Like his whole body was quivering with expectations unknown to his heart. Always were these dark intentions. Maybe his soul had never learned of these things, but it was clear that his body had always known about this moment, it had been passed down to him over thousands of generations. He had been born for this moment.

"Okay," he whispered, a little color returning to his voice. The response was more for himself than for her. He was afraid of what his body would do, but he felt that if Elettra had asked for this... then this was what he must do. There would be time for him to grasp at the meaning later. Only action now, only dark intentions. He took another step, his body rigid. Get on top of her. He had no idea where these instructions were coming from, but he tried to tell himself it was Pangur. That made him feel a little better. Otherwise he was unsure of how he would have done it. His place was on the ground, pressed into the dirt at her feet. Lightly, Kiche raised himself on his hind legs and reached out to grasp his dark Goddess with his forelegs. The sensation of closeness was enough to make him explode. For a moment he teetered dangerously, but somehow he held on.

The world was fading in front of his eyes, and his only thoughts were of her, how to please her.

like my art? comission me!