Drooping Willows who is the lamb and who is the knife

@Avella <3 Can backdate since she's so close to her due date, but a join thread where he calls for her! Preferred if it's just her please

Edit: Backdated to 5/7/2022

He hoped the drought would end soon. Time at the spring had been wonderful until enough predators had settled in. Camden found he was not much a fan of conflict. He preferred peace, and love, and happiness. It was part of the motto he lived by… perhaps that was why he found himself wandering back towards the borders of the pack where he knew she was. Mon Cherie. Admittedly, he had lain with many this season, but she stuck in his mind, the way the brown and grey extenuated her pale frame, the mismatched nature of her eyes.

Try as he might, he had not been able to get her off his mind. He was not a fan of it, determined to never be tied down or settled… but between the way she appeared in dreams and the lack of water… perhaps it was time to at least consider a temporary residence for the immediate future. He arrived to the borders with a rabbit hanging in his jaws and let out a call for her. Mon Cherie.

sorry baby girl but i can't tonight

(This post was last modified: May 14, 2022, 01:08 AM by Camden.)

Though she'd never had pups before Avella had a sense that she was getting closer and closer to being a mother each day. Every one of those days that the sense grew stronger she became more and more worried about the fact Willow Ridge didn't have a single drop of water left in it. She was now beyond traveling for it which left her wondering what she was going to do once she was den bound.

To keep her mind off the lack of water and all the worries that came with that she focused on what she could control. Where she was going to have her litter. Avella had already picked the place, where she and Scully had been born. It only seemed fitting. All that was left were a few finishing touches since she'd been working on getting the den ready since she'd realized she was going to become a mother.

Her work was interrupted by a Familia voice calling for her. She stopped and looked in the direction of the border. Avella thought she'd never see Cam again considering the circumstances of their meeting. She did smile though as she left the den and made her way to greet him. Her movements weren't as fast as they were only a few weeks ago but she soon found the man waiting for her. "Couldn't stay away?" She teased, "What brings you to my borders again Cam?"

He did not have to wait long, though when the Angel appeared his eyes widened. He took in the swelling of her sides with a hint of apprehension. Was he finding out now that he was to be a father? He did not dare let the question fall from his lips as the soft timbre of her voice washed over him. “Never, mon Cherie. An angel like you is impossible to stay away from.” The flirtations continued as his eyes softened at her appearance and her question.

Did he admit that she had been haunting his dreams and calling to him? Surely she would find that creepy, right?

“I was hoping to find a home.” He admitted to her with a soft smile. “What better place than a home blessed by an angel…” The question was dying to fall from his lips. “Am I to be a father, Avella?” He finally plucked up the courage to ask her, his head tilting to the side. In the moment, he had never considered the fact that perhaps all of his trysts had made him a father that year… it had never crossed his mind before now.

sorry baby girl but i can't tonight

In the moment Avella didn't consider all of the implications of Cam's appearance at her borders. She didn't think of the trouble it might cause within the pack. What went through her mind was the way he'd spoken to her and treated her in the time they'd spent together. She couldn't help the way her smile widened as he spoke in the same way he had the first time they'd met. "I see you still know how to make a girl feel special. I must say I did miss that," she returned as she moved closer to brush her muzzle against his cheek.

Despite the fact that she believed she wouldn't ever see him again her mind did drift to him occasionally. Especially in those moments when she thought about her pups.

Her attention was solely on him as he told her that he was hoping to find a home. She didn't want to read too much into it but it sounded as though he wanted one with her. "I am happy to give my Prince Charming a home," then her smile turned to a small smirk, "That is if your ready to meet my brother?" She raised her brow.

Her expression feel at his next question. All flirtation was set aside because now the conversation turned serious. Her gaze dropped to her paws, "I can't be sure Cam," she admitted, "You weren't the only one I was with." She lifted her gaze to meet his once more, "But it's possible. Does that change things?"

He just offered his timeless grin to her. He offered a gentle brush back as her muzzle ran against his cheek. “It’s a shame no other man in your life has offered you such a feeling… surely I could have a talk with them, maybe teach them the error of their ways.” It was foolish of them, truly, to not appreciate the gem in front of them. A dashing grin lit his features when she offered him a home. “Such a blessing from a queen.” He offered with a dip of his head. He couldn’t help but smirk at her question.

“Admittedly, mon Cherie, brothers don’t like me too much… but I suppose I ought to try and sway his approval.” He teased right back. “And I’ve been known to fight a brother or two off in my days when push comes to shove.” Except it never did… he usually just ran and cut his losses but he’d never felt this confusing pull before… so perhaps he’d show his fangs just once if it were needed.

She admitted that she couldn’t be sure and he offered a sympathetic smile, offering her a comforting nuzzle to her neck if she would allow it to him. “It doesn’t change a thing, cher… you were not the only one I was with either… would that change things for you?” It would surely make them hypocrites. “All I know is you were the one I was so drawn to that I needed to return.”

sorry baby girl but i can't tonight

Despite how they'd met Avella was convinced that Cam did have a good heart underneath it all. She felt a little heat in her cheeks as he spoke of the other men in her life not showing her what he had. "It is a shame," she agreed, "But I rather like that it's just you that says such things to me." Its what set him apart from all the rest. The way he spoke to her and made her feel made him special to her. Even when she'd believed she'd never see him again he was still there underneath the worries about the drought and being a first time mother.

Happily she offered him a home with her in Willow Ridge. She wouldn't admit it to anyone but he was different than all the rest. "A queen does need her Prince Charming," she said as he dipped his head, "Perhaps it's me who is blessed." Never in her dreams had she thought that something like this would happen.

She couldn't help but smile when he spoke of swaying Scully's approval. "I don't think fighting will be necessary. Scully will approve as long as you promise him to be good to me. He's very protective you see." Avella fully believed that her brother would approve as Ling as she didn't get hurt.

The hard topic soon came up and like with Hagar she couldn't lie or keep the truth from Cam. She leaned into his touch he spoke of things not changing. "No Cam, I knew the moment we met that I probably wasn't the only one. I don't care about the others you've been with because what matters is you're here now." She pulled away to look at him when he said that he'd been drawn to her tobreturn to her, "I didn't think I'd ever see you again but you haven't left my thoughts," she admitted, "Maybe that means something? I'm glad you came back."

He couldn’t help but feel heat in his own cheeks at her words back. He liked to think he was special enough to earn that from her, a sole attention he gave her to make her feel special. She probably had all of the guys smooth talking her… and he knew that. It felt like commonplace, at least where he was from. There was a drought, Avella was pregnant (and possibly with his own children to boot) and yet nothing else quite felt more right to the Casanova… terrifying and threatening to his nickname indeed.

“A queen does not need anyone… it is her Prince Charming who needs you.” He offered a wink at the power she held, at the blessing they mutually agreed to having. He still could not explain the musings and pulling at his heartstrings that led him to her border, and yet it had. He chuckled softly at her words. “Well, that is a promise I feel more than confident in making.” He’d never hurt her, not intentionally, and he’d beat himself up for any accident he might cause that could cause her the faintest hint of grief. “Perhaps it will not be so difficult to win his approval, with such an easy promise for me to make.” He hummed out.

He could not help the soft smile that grew on his features when she admitted she had already known that. “I suppose I was nothing if not obvious, was I not?” It was just a hint of a tease. It had all been fun. “You have not left mine either… you’ve lingered in my dreams… it pulled me back here, in this direction. I am glad I am back as well.” He was glad he was exploring more of this feeling that tore inside his chest and shed all kinds of emotions he’d never truly experienced before. He was glad he had returned for the possibility that he could be a father, if she’d let him. Even if the children were not his, he would step up, he would be involved because he cared about her and her family by extension of her.

sorry baby girl but i can't tonight

The other men in her life treated her well there was no doubt about that. Avella knew they cared about her. None of them made her feel special like Cam did. Well except for Scully but he was her brother. Even on their first meeting when she thought that it was a chance encounter that woukd hopefully lead to her becoming a mother he hadn't treated her as such. She still couldn't believe that he was standing at her borders asking to have a home with her. Never in her dreams had she thought that something like this could have happened to her.

"A queen is only as strong as those around her," she challenged playfully, "Besides maybe this queen needs her prince charming as much as he needs her?" She thought that they could both agree to that. She truly felt blessed that it was her border he was at and not another woman's. She hoped that Scully would be okay with it all. Once her brother had been brought up she worried that he might not be. Cam didn't seem worried though when she told him that Scully would be accepting as long as she wasn't hurt in all of this. "I'll hold you to that promise Cam and I will promise you the same." After all she was just as capable of hurting him as he was her whether he would ever admit that or not. "I expect it won't be especially when he sees that you are sincere."

Avella'd had no expectations when she'd met Cam. They'd both had the same desires in mind amd they'd done what they'd come together for. Now that he was at her border it was clear that maybe setting else had occurred between them that they weren't aware of and this was their chance to figure that out. She laughed at his question, "I'm afraid you were pretty obvious," she said brushing her muzzle against his, "I expect I was just as obvious," she pointed out. He spoke of her lingering in his dreams and bringing him back here. She smiled when he said he was glad he was back. "Well it seems you and I have something of a dilemma," she said smirking slightly, "I think the only solution is to explore what has drawn us to each other." She didn't know what the future held for them. Whatever it was she felt that they had to see where this might take them. They owed it to themselves and to each other but it she were being honest she hoped it meant more than spending one night together.

He did not realize quite how special he made her feel. To be quite honest, he almost felt like she was whispering sweet nothings to him because surely every man saw how special of a wolf she was. If he could feel it as a terminal bachelor and be drawn to it, then surely there were others as well, right? That had to be how it worked.

The playful challenge was met with the furrowing of his brow. “I suppose you have a point.” A teasing concession fell from his lips as he accepted her words. A queen was always right and though he did not feel she needed him more than he needed her, he could agree with her if only to support her. He flashed a toothy grin back as he stepped forward, offering another comforting nuzzle to her neck when she swore to hold him to that promise. “I expect nothing less.” He assured her softly. He hoped her brother could see the genuine want he felt to make the woman in front of him feel happy.

He felt pretty obvious and she only confirmed it. Her muzzle brushed against his. “You were not very subtle yourself.” He confirmed lightly before she started to speak of a dilemma. “I would agree with that, if the noble queen would allow me to compete for her paw.” He offered again, his eyes focusing on her and her form. “Would you like to lead the way around our home? How are you feeling? I don’t know much about pregnancy but I remember hearing that it could be exhausting…”

sorry baby girl but i can't tonight

Who is the lamb and who is the knife.

She hoped that the day wouldn't ever come that he would stop speaking to her as he did. Having one man around her that did so reminded her that she wasn't just the leader of a pack meant to be obeyed. That there was someone (who wasn't her brother) willing to take that extra step to make her feel special.

She smirked, "Well of course I do. I'm the queen, remember," she teased in return. The truth of the matter was that she was more than happy to have Cam there in the Ridge with her now that he was there standing in front of her. She smiled, "I'm glad we're in agreement then." She said as she leaned into the nuzzle he gave to her neck.

Then she laughed, "No, I suppose I wasn't at all. I'm not actually sure I was trying to be if I'm honest." Avella had known what she wanted and what she had to do to get it. That was what she'd done, she hadn't been counting on him. Avella could feel the heat in her cheeks, "She would be honored for such a charming prince to compete for her paw." She was starting to wonder how she'd gotten so lucky to not only have found him but remained with him so much that he had to return. "I would like that very much," she said as she brushed her side along his to mark him with the scent of the pack. "I am a bit tired but that's pretty normal at this point," she joked, "It is pretty exhausting but that's not the part that bothers me. It's being uncomfortable most of the time," she explained as she moved to lead him into the Ridge, "Welcome to Willow Ridge my prince charming."