Welcome to Gaia! ::

Devon shrugged. "Perhaps he was one of us." he suggested with a grin. As they walked down she noticed her gaze fall on the painting of larks. Particularly the ones under the title "Caged Heart".
He squeezed her hand gently. "Strange. I don't remember these. Though I should have." he mumbled. He looked down, trying to gauge what she was thinking by her face.

Devon again was displeased with that look. He could see pain in her eyes, and he hated it. He didn't hate her, he never could and never would. But however caused her to recede so far into herself he felt like ripping to pieces.
Taking her hand he pulled her away from that painting and propelled her toward a path leading to a sitting room. He would take no argument and had her sit in a seat farthest away from everyone else there. Only then did he take her hands and sit down as well.
It was awhile before he said anything, but finally he sighed. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked.

Devon growled audibly and stood again. He looked down at her with his face expressionless. With a grunt he stood and pulled out his phone. For a while he just stood there and stared at the device.
He'd promised himself that he would push anything on her. He would force her too obey him as all his wolves did. Even if he did want to convince her that she wasn't trapped.
"Let's go. I'll take you some place to eat." he said finally, pocketing his cell. "But Lark...." He look around the halls of art, almost sadly. "I don't care about the past. Don't let it be a cage, My Little Lark." I would open the door if you'd let me, he added to himself.

Devon took her hand in his and looked around. He was debating. He didn't want to push her, but it was already this bad. He could just leave this like it was. What if by waiting, she only closed up more?
He pulled up his phone and sent a text out. So at least they'd know where to find him.
"Come on. I think there something I want to show you." he said.

Devon drove. He drove until the downtown fell away and they came threw the housing area, one Lark would be familiar with. He knew her house was not far. A few blocks to his right near the woods. But he drove until he reached the same wood, quickly turning off into a barely noticeable dirt road. After a few seconds he parked and got out, helping Lark out as well.
"I hope you don't mind a walk, but the place we're going is not too far." he said apologetically.
He kept his hand in hers as they walked. The trees grew thicker after a time and soon they found themselves walking uphill. The town was set in a valley, not too far from the city further south. The forest was part of a reservation. Unlike the town there was nothing flat about the land. Though trees grew everywhere, the land they grew on rose and fell in unexpected ways.
This particular hill became a ledge that looked over the forest. "Well. What do you think?"

Devon nodded. "I thought you might like it." he said. He smiled with his eyes, but it never touched his lips. He looked out over the land. It wasn't the highest point, but it was the closest. He sat down inviting Lark to sit on her lap instead of on the ground.
"You know. I've seen this place a thousand time and it always brings me a sense of peace." he murmured. "I started coming here when I first made the change. Even though I was born one, it's still not the most easiest thing to go through. I shifted when I was ten. I was always stronger and had better senses than most people, but the sudden flood of all of that was overwhelming. Here I felt like I could deal with it." He didn't know why he was explaining this part, but he knew he wanted to tell her. "I felt trapped. I had to be more careful, not to get too angry. Not tell anyone I was friends with anything. I was walking on eggshells. I hated it. So I came here. At least here I felt free."

Devon closed his eyes. "I'm only free when I'm a wolf. When I'm on the hunt. Or when I want to be. It's not having to worry about anything but what is in front of me." he stated. "I grew to accept what I was and it wasn't in cage anymore. However... when I became King it was a whole new cage. I am chained to the responsibility to my people and the problems they bring to me." he whispered, meeting her gaze.
"I don't regret it. I chose it. We choose our lives. It feels like a cage sometimes, a burden. However I wouldn't trade it for something else. This is what I want. It's less a cage and more a home now. As stupid as that sounds." He chuckled wryly.
"We make our own cages. And our homes, Lark."