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 Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2009 8:05 pm
Pacing the outside of their shallow den, the seeress wondered what she was going to do about her current situation. She had never intended this to happen, but she felt like she should have seen it coming. With all of her powers and ability to predict, she couldn't believe that she had missed something so huge. Huge. She hated that word. She'd be growing huge if mother nature had anything to do with it. She'd grow moody and ravenous with her food, never able to get enough in her starving belly.
Hallie sighed, finally coming to a stop and settling on her haunches. She had searched and probed Darius' mind, trying to figure out what his reaction would be. But her search had turned up nothing, as Darius had never even touched on the subject of having puppies with her. In the back of her mind, she feared the worst. He was lazy and often neglected his normal adult responsibilities. He was lucky to have won over Hallie, for she was probably the only wolf willing to completely take care of him. He might have starved otherwise, for a sheer lack of will.
But now this. She was almost certain he would walk away. He couldn't take care of himself, let alone a litter of puppies. He'd wimp out and go running back to mama with his tail between his legs. But he wouldn't tell her what was wrong, because that would be admitting to a mistake. And Darius never made mistakes.
Speaking of the brute, she could hear him tossing and turning within the den. It was small, and every night one of them had to suffer with the other squishing them against the wall. More often than not, it was Hallie who had to put up with such treatment. Darius was far larger than her, and quite the heavy sleeper. But she noticed that, if she wasn't by his side while he slept, he often had fits. It was as if the removal of her body from his side left him fearful and troubled, struggling to find her again within the confines of his mind. She never probed him while he was sleeping, however, so she could never know for sure.
One thing she did know: he was waking soon and she would have to tell him the news.
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Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2009 8:38 pm
As soon as the warmth disappeared from his side, his dreams immediately changed. It was as if someone had reached into his mind and placed some sort of worm within it, writhing and causing cold, malicious pain. His dream beforehand hadn't been anything spectacular, but his dream now turned into something of a horrific nightmare. It felt like he was falling, although he could see that his paws were placed upon the ground. All around there were these creatures, if they could even be called that. They were hunched over, their arms dragging along the floor and their heads slightly twisted, as if someone had tried to kill them that way. Their lower jaws protruded, and blood dripped from their decaying teeth instead of saliva. Instead of eyes, they had empty sockets that somehow seemed to follow him. They looked hungry, and were heading straight towards him.
It was all enough to send chills down his spine, and to cause him to start up in a cold sweat. Normally a heavy sleeper, he hadn't ever been startled awake by something so insignificant as a dream. He wasn't usually one to give silly mind games a single thought, but for once he simply lay there, watching the ground and going over the scenario over and over within his mind.
But Darius looked up as something in his peripheral vision moved then settled. The light from outside made him wince, but once he adjusted to the brightness of the day he was able to make out Hallie's form sitting near the entrance of their makeshift den. He immediately smiled, his dream forgotten and replaced by his overwhelming desire to be near her. He wanted to draw in her scent, to bask in her beauty and to never let her go.
Rising to his paws, he stretched out his front limbs and gave a great yawn. He then headed outside to join his mate. Habitually, he licked her face and ears, but forced himself to draw back when he saw the tenseness of her body and the distant look on her features. He knew instantly that something was wrong, and he whined quietly, ears fall back against his skull.
"Hallie," he called, knowing full well that she could often become separated from reality and lose herself within her own thoughts. "What's wrong?"
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Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2009 9:17 pm
If there was one thing that truly bothered her, it was when others were able to read into her emotions and to figure out what was going on deep down. She was the seer, and in her mind she was supposed to be the only one with the uncanny ability to read into others. But, she supposed she couldn't really say anything with Darius. If he wasn't able to understand what she was thinking and feeling, then there wouldn't be much to their relationship.
Her mind stirred, and the part of her that was connected to him mentally sprung to life. An ear swiveled atop her head, pointing towards the den as she listened to him move about. She heard his paws hit the ground as he walked steadily towards her. She could feel his sense of relaxation and bliss, and was thankful when his emotions affected her own. Yet she was still troubled, and he caught that instantly.
"Nothing is wrong," she lied, and feeling terrible about it. She knew he would notice, and he would grow hurt and offended that she would try to hide something from him. They would fight. He would storm off, or she would simply walk away. They could be apart for days, or just a few hours. But she wasn't sure that she could handle being apart from him for any amount of time, not in the current state that she had found herself in. But she also doubted that he would be able to handle what she had to tell him.
She sat and waited, her mind feeling around his in order to gain any hint or foreshadow at what was to come. She wished she could see the future clearly, and that it wasn't revealed to her in small flashes. She wanted the big picture. But she would have to wait, and so wait she did.
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Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2009 10:37 pm
Darius watched his mate for what seemed like hours, but for what was really only a few moments. Then it struck him, like a bull in rutting season slamming into him at full speed, trying to protect his harem from predators. Her words cut him deep, as he knew they told nothing but a lie. Hallie was hiding something from him, something she hadn't done since before they had admitted their feelings for one another. She had pushed him away before, and it had almost destroyed them. Now she was doing it again, and he wondered what he had done wrong to cause such a reaction within her.
Little did he know, there was something stirring within her. Something alive. Something he had helped create. Something he hadn't ever wanted.
"I know when you're lying to me, Hallie," he spoke harshly, his ears falling back as he narrowed his eyes towards her. She still wasn't looking at him, but somehow he knew that she could feel his glare in some way. She could feel his hurt and his anger. Yet she still remained still, which only upset him more. "Did you think that you could just brush it off and I would take the bait like some stupid lackey?" He had been called that before. Hallie was so controlling, and he so lazy, others speculated that she simply used him for demeaning tasks that were below her. They had it completely screwed up.
"I can leave you alone, if that's what you want," he offered, although he didn't sound happy. There was something in his tone, underlying his words, that hinted that if he left he wouldn't be coming back. He was tired of trying to guess what she was feeling. He wanted her to tell him, since they were in a relationship and they were supposed to be completely trusting of one another. Yet she still shut him out, time after time. And he was through putting up with it.
"Well?" he demanded, still staring at her. Little did he know, she was facing terrifying decisions about their future.
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Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 3:36 pm
Hallie's mind raced through a million thoughts a minute, trying to find any easy way out of this. She lost herself in her thoughts for a moment, and couldn't figure out where she was or who was talking to her. She could hear his voice, but when she tried to turn towards him she found that her head felt heavy and was almost immovable. Then, in an instant, she was back to reality and heard the last of his demands. Darius wanted to know what she was keeping from him, and his tone indicated that he wasn't playing around. He was truly troubled by this, and he was willing to risk their relationship in order to learn of what it was.
"I don't think you can handle it, Darius," she spoke truthfully. A growl from deep within his throat told her that she should try to rephrase herself. She shifted her paws nervously, for once fearing what he might say. She probed his mind to try and get a clue, but she felt nothing except anger radiating from him.
"Do you remember that night, Darius?" she asked, daring to look at him with a sideways glance. He looked confused. She drew in a breath, hoping that she wouldn't have to explain it all to him. But his brain seemed groggy from having just woken up, so she supposed she couldn't really blame him for not remembering.
"It was raining, and we had sheltered within a small cave. We had gotten wet from the rain and tried to huddle together to keep each other warm. But we had done more than that, Darius. Do you remember?" She awaited his answer, waited for his mind to put the pieces of the puzzle together, waited for him to figure it out and to freak out. It was only a matter of time.
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Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2009 11:26 am
Darius had to admit that he was running on a rather short fuse. First his nightmare, then she tries to pull something like this on him as he's still trying to wake himself up. He felt disgruntled and wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep. But he waited for her, as he had done before, but didn't like what she had to say.
He growled low in his throat, offended that she believed he wouldn't be able to take whatever it was that was bothering her. He was a grown male, capable of handling anything. He hated that everyone expected him to do about as much as a pup. Just because he was lazy it didn't automatically mean that he was incapable. But everyone would always comment about how Hallie was more like his mother than his mate, since their relationship seemed kind of dependent on his part. They didn't understand that he was simply saving his energy for when it truly mattered.
Like that night in the cave. At first he wasn't sure what she was talking about. Simply calling it "that night" wasn't being very specific, so he wondered why she expected him to remember. But then she told him, and his mind started working at the puzzle pieces, placing them together and seeing where they fit. Finally he worked it out. Sort of.
"What does it have to do anything? We had fun, that's all." Perhaps he was simply in denial, and didn't want to believe that anything other than a good time had come out of the actions. How could something such as this happen to him? He wasn't the type of wolf that this happened to. He just wasn't.
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Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2009 12:04 pm
Disappoint was her first reaction. Her mind invaded his immediately, working to find some underlying meaning in his words. And what she found infuriated her. He knew the implications of her words, but he still chose to deny it and to act like nothing had ever really happened. Others thought he was a puppy at times, and for once she actually agreed with them. He didn't own up to any responsibilities, he didn't act anything like an adult. And to so blatantly ignore something so huge as this...
"How can you say that?" she snapped. "You are seriously going to just stand there and tell me that nothing else happened? I can't believe you, Darius. I really can't." She shook her head, turning away from him. She rose to her paws and walked several paces away, her tail hanging limply behind her.
Was this really how it was all going to play out? She was hoping that he would surprise her and would own up to his responsibilities, that he would recognize the consequences of his actions. But it turned out that he hadn't changed at all since they had come together and officially declared themselves mates. She didn't have any affect on him whatsoever, and he remained the irresponsible pup he had always been. How could she expect him to be a supportive parent if he wouldn't even admit that there were puppies on the way? She knew what was to come, but knowing didn't make it any easier to digest. She would become the single supporting parent, and Darius would walk away. He wouldn't acknowledge their existance.
"I'm disappointed in you, Darius."
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Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2009 3:39 pm
Taken aback by her sudden snapping, Darius pressed his ears back against his skull and narrowed his eyes in annoyance at her. She was always treating him like a puppy and acting as if he didn't do anything right. He watched as she turned and walked away from him. His heart beat hard against his chest, and a sick feeling developed within his stomach. He didn't like where this conversation seemed to be going, and he was almost afraid to continue.
Almost.
He could tell that she wasn't happy, but he really felt like she was blaming him for everything. She was there that night, too, and he couldn't have done it if she didn't want to go along with it. She was perfectly capable of stopping him. Even though he was larger and heavier than her, he wasn't a monster and would have listened if she had requested that he not go through with it. But she, along with him, made the decision, so he didn't understand why she was so upset. Perhaps it was because she knew what his reaction would be once she actually said the problem out loud. He wouldn't stick around. Even now, he knew that.
"Disappointed in me?" he scoffed, tilting his head as if he didn't comprehend. "You were there, too, Hallie, so don't go putting all the blame on me. You know full well that this is partly your fault."
Why couldn't she just n** the problem in the bud before it grew worse? Females could do that, right? Just... reabsorb the fetus. Easy, right?
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Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2009 3:51 pm
When Darius turned the blame around on her, she turned on him. Her yellow eyes blazed with anger as she bared her teeth at him. Being pregnant made her emotions difficult to control, so she found it harder and harder to keep her cool with his antics. "Don't turn this around on me, Darius. That is NOT what I'm upset about. I'm upset because you aren't taking any responsibility for your actions. As usual!" She huffed then whined, pulling her tail in close to her body as she sat and shivered.
Her body felt so overwhelmed with the whole situation. She was trying to remain calm and stress free for the pups, as she knew that too much stress on the mother could affect the growing pups within her. Darius, however, was making things difficult. He was making her angrier with every passing moment, and it was fueled by his own as she entered his mind and felt what he was feeling. She felt like she couldn't escape, and that her puppies were doomed before they were even born.
"It's not that simple," she whispered in response to his thoughts about reabsorbing the fetus. She admitted that it might have been a good suggestion if she wasn't already feeling the mothering instincts kick in. He wanted to kill the puppies already, and she hated him for it.
Besides, a fetus could only be absorbed if the mother was seriously unhealthy and in danger of dying herself. Her body would seek nutrients and would eat up the unborn pups as a method of survival. But Hallie would have to starve herself in order to go through with Darius' plan, and she wasn't about to do that simply to please him. She felt that he needed to be a father to these pups, whether he wanted to or not. He had helped create them, and he needed to help raise them.
"You're going to help."
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Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2009 4:12 pm
Sensitive ears picked up the whispers of his mate, and he became confused for a moment, forgetting his anger in the midst of it. Her words didn't make any sense in their converstaion, and he vaguely wondered if maybe she was simply talking to herself. She often lost herself in her own thoughts, and when that happened she normally couldn't be brought about. But then she spoke louder, and her words made sense again. He shook his head, forgetting her earlier murmurings, and narrowed his eyes once more.
Then she dared to say that he would help her out. He loved her, and he hoped that no one would ever think otherwise, but he just wasn't a puppy lover. At all. They were loud and obnoxious and just too much to handle in general. He would most likely ruin their lives, anyways. What could he teach them? According to everyone else, he didn't do anything right and the only thing he was good for was cleaning off a carcass. Disgruntled, he wouldn't give them the satisfaction of having him fail as a father.
"The hell I will," he scoffed, shaking his head. "They're yours, not mine." That was probably the worst thing he could have said, for a moment later Hallie looked ready to tear his throat out. She was crouched down, her ears flattened against her skull and her lips pulled back in a ferocious snarl. She was sick and tired of his nonchalant attitude and seemingly uncaring nature towards what was growing in her belly. Her instincts took over, and the next thing both of them knew, she was hurling herself towards him, jaws opening towards his throat.
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Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2009 4:30 pm
The seeress wasn't aware of the changes overcoming her. One moment, she felt tired and ready to give up, and the next she was leaping for her mate, wanting to tear him to shreds. She supposed that she finally had gotten tired of him not doing anything to help out. She always did the hunting, and she was the one who kept a look out when they went traveling into unknown territory. He never seemed to be bothered by any stress or problems, since he figured that Hallie would take care of it all.
And, until now, she had been. But him saying that there was no chance in hell of him helping her to raise their puppies, and that they weren't actually his, threw her over the edge.
"How dare you say that!" she snarled, as their bodies met. Her paws flew up as she attacked him, and her jaws attempted to grab on to his neck. But it seemed that his weight was on his side, as its excess created layers of fat and extra skin and fur that helped to protect him. She, on the other hand, was skinny and lean, and didn't have the fat reserves that he was blessed with.
But luck was on her side as he didn't attack her in return. Rather, he simply played defense and only pushed away her attempts to harm him. Soon enough, her burst of energy and adrenaline ran out and she stood in front of him, legs shaking and breaths coming out in shallow bursts. She didn't dare look at him, ashamed of her actions and her inability to control herself. She also didn't dare to look into his mind, for fear that her powers would take over and cause him some terrible harm.
Instead, she simply let herself sink to the ground.
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Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2009 4:52 pm
He wasn't exactly sure of what was going on between them, but he was lucky that his instincts took over and moved his body in the appropriate ways. As Hallie attacked, he deflected her and managed to keep them both unscathed until the whole ordeal was over and she was sinking to the ground, tired and out of breath.
"Are you done?" he asked tentatively, worried that his voice would cause her to go into another frenzy. He knew that his words were what had trigged her to attack him, but his love for her caused him to think past his own danger and to make sure that she was okay. But when she didn't answer, he whined and dared to move towards her. A sharp growl from her, however, caused him to stop and curl back. Yet, despite it all, he still wasn't sorry for what he had said. He knew that he didn't want these puppies, and that he had no intention of helping to raise them. She would have to give them up or handle raising them by herself. He wouldn't feed them, wouldn't groom them, nothing.
"Hallie, please say something."
More silence. She just lay there, not even moving aside from the rising and falling of her chest as she took in air and dispelled it. He took another step forward, but Hallie suddenly chose to speak, and her words stopped him dead in his tracks.
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Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2009 5:03 pm
It was amazing they had lasted this long. It was amazing that she had lasted this long. After having him depend on her for so long, her will was simply worn down and she was tired of running around and doing absolutely everything for him. She hunted, she kept him clean, she made sure he didn't get his loud mouth into trouble and get his a** beaten by wolves that were bigger and stronger. He was basically a puppy, and she supposed that he had given her training for becoming a mother. But puppies, unlike Darius, had an excuse for acting in a such a way. They were small and incapable, and needed to be taught the basics of life. Darius should have already known them.
It did him some good to have been worried about her wellbeing, but she was so fed up that she simply couldn't be satisfied with him. He still didn't want to help her, and he still wasn't proving himself to be responsible. She was going to be a mother, and she couldn't continue mothering him.
"Either you help me raise these puppies, or you walk," she growled, not looking at him. She feared that, if she looked at him, she would break down and he would continue using her to get food and to take care of him. She couldn't risk that. Her puppies would surely perish if she continued looking out for Darius.
"I can't have you weighing me down once they are born. They will require more attention than you, and you'll have to act as their father. You'll bring food and help watch them. If you don't want to do that, then you can get your a** far away from here. I won't stand you burdening me any longer."
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Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2009 5:15 pm
Her words ripped at his heart, devouring it from the inside out. He knew that he wasn't the easiest wolf to put up with at times. He was lazy, yes, and sometimes rather stubborn, but he always thought that Hallie loved him despite all of that. Now, as she talked about him weighing her down and being a burden to her, he began to wonder how much of their relationship was a lie. And, if she really didn't like him being so lazy, why didn't she just ask him to help out a little?
For a moment, he debated staying and trying out this whole father business. But fear overcame him and he worried about disappointing her even further. He knew that he wouldn't be able to provide for them, so instead of facing failure, he opted to walk away from her.
"If that's what you wish, Hallie," he spoke quietly, his heart pounding but his eyes cold as ice. He felt all love drain away from them, and he wondered if they would ever be able to come back from it. He would leave her alone for now, but he would always be thinking of her. Never did he think he could ever find someone quite like her. Even if she had chosen to send him away, he knew that it was only because of the puppies. Perhaps when they were gone, he would return and they could work things out.
But as long as the puppies were with her, he felt he couldn't stick around.
"Farewell, then," he whispered, not even reaching out to touch her one last time before he turned away from her and left her alone in front of what used to be their den.
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Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2009 6:03 pm
The moment he left was the moment the color drained from her world. She curled up into herself, whimpering and whining to herself. She knew that life from now on would be terribly difficult. Not only would she be alone, but she'd have a litter of puppies to care for all by herself. They would be in great danger whenever she went out to hunt, her energy would be drained every day, and her will would be tested. But she knew that she had to perservere. She was a fighter, and she would be damned if any of the puppies died because of some inability on her part. She wasn't Darius.
Darius.
Yellow eyes looked around, confirming that he indeed was gone. He hadn't even touched noses or gave her one last nuzzle. He was simply gone.
She slept outside of the den that night, curled up tightly in a ball in an attempt to get rid of the chilld that sank deep into her bones. But she knew that nothing would ever feel warm again unless he came back into her life. But she had chased him off, given him a choice that she knew he wouldn't be able to make. She knew he would walk away, and she forced him into doing so.
Life was so meaningless.
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