Tell Me What Did I Do? {Tane}

[Delph]

Blood coarsed through the fae's veins as she pumped faster, urged her exhausted body to move faster. To not stop against the urge to faint. She couldn't wimp out, she didn't have that option anymore. She wanted to cry, but salt from her own sweat stung her eyes and caused her to blink rapidly as the wind blew back her pelt. At first glance she looked nothing like she did before, at first glance you wouldv'e never known that this fae was just granted the position of being an Alphess of the Paladin pack. That her own sister had abandoned her and ran away, and that her mate ran after her. Leaving her alone with her brother Jasper as her elite guard, and her father and a femme she hardly knew as her advisors. She honestly didn't know what to do, and the more she ran, the more her head screamed just stop. Just stop everything, stop breathing, stop wishing, stop wanting, you don't deserve any of it. It screamed that she was worthless, that she deserved to be in Delph's place, somewhere out there a long way away that she didn't deserve the ranking, they should just give it to Iris. Someone who cares, someone who is fit for the job. How was a one year old supposed to carry this much responsiblitiy? To go from school and lessons of hunting, to leading a pack? How was she supposed to talk in everyone and lead them to war when the time came right? She couldn't she was just a kid.

As she came closer and closer to her destination, the water seemed to get larger and larger, growing in quantity and expanding before the fae's eyes. It seemed to grow a deep black mirroring the moon's reflections above. Like the horizon and the water were combined. She screamed, and her voice echoed among the trees and landscape. Penton lake came closer and closer, and soon enough water wafted up to the femme's knees. She wanted to stop but her body wouldn't let her. It kept walking and walking and before she knew it another scream was released from her lungs. What was wrong with her? What happened? Tears streamed down her face, as she continued walking, the water now up to her neck. She had to stop herself but part of her wondered what it would be like going in all the way, would she see an underwater kingdom before she died? Where would she go after death? Screaming one more time, the water overcame her.

Flailing her legs around she tried to catch everything within her grasp, but slipped and hit a stone with her head. Bubbles escaped her mouth and as a current swept her deeper into the lake, she flurried around in panic. She didn't want to die, but at the same time she did. What was wrong with her? Peddling like a mad woman to get to the surface over the water, her breath started to run out. She knew once she stopped breathing she had a grand total of ten seconds of unconscienceness before she died down under the lake. No one would ever find her body wrapped up in the kelp. She would die down there if she didn't get up. Breaking the surface she screamed, but was only pulled down again by her lack of swimmming ablility. She cried a help, just before she went tumbling into the abyss. Blood slowly trickling down her forehead. Ten seconds left.

[[F] aint]

Amber eyes shone in the dark light of the warehouse. It was mid afternoon and most of the Demeron pack was asleep, dreaming of better days. Not this brute though. No, Tane never slept, at least not like a normal dog would. He would catch a few minutes of sleep now and then, but he never would lay down and let life pass him by for hours at a time. He was always too busy doing things, always too busy trying to learn what life was about and too busy trying to work his way up in ranks. The shepherd mix padded through the warehouse, looking at all the sleeping dogs and growled. They were all weak and he almost hated that he had a share a home with them. Shaking his head a little, he stepped out into the sunshine and blinked.

The brute let a yawn stretch his jaws, but he didn't allow the tiredness he felt take over him. Pricking his ears forward he listened to the sound of the river. He knew water would make him wake up, but he had been to the river so many times in his one year of life that he was tired of it. Turning his gaze away from the river, Tane began to pad away from the warehouse and all of the sleeping dogs in it. As he padded along, he thought of where to go that had water. The pond in the park would be a nice place, but he would have to hide his wings. Growling, the brute turned another direction and headed toward Penton Lake, where only one human thing was.

It didn't take him long to reach the lake, with his long legs that carried him a fast lope. Everything on his body had gotten stronger in the past year, and he wasn't that weak pup he had been before. He was almost bigger than the one that had trained him, Fringe. His pelt had darkened some, and his muscles ripped under the thick coat. As he loped closer to the lake the sound of splashing water came to his ears. He had heard the sound many times before and it didn't seem to phase him very much anymore, but this kind was different.

A loud call sounded into the air and Tane bolted toward the lake. He knew the cry for help anytime he heard it, and he usually ran toward the sound, not to help, but to watch the show. Tail was held high as he came over the hill that dropped down to form a small valley that the lake layed in. Ears pricked forward as amber eyes locked on a dog that seemed to be struggling. A small grin appeared on the brute's maw, and he had no idea why. 'Have I really become that evil?' He thought to himself, thinking that watching a dog drown was fun. The brute growled to himself as he ran down the slope and jumped into the water.

The dog had disappeared under the surface and the shepherd-mix took a deep breath before plunging in after it. Amber eyes snapped open underneath the murky water and they quickly found the dog that seemed to be dropping toward the bottom. Tane swam toward the dying dog, his lungs feeling like they were going to burst. When he got close enough, he grabbed the dog's scruff between his teeth and pulled it hard as he swam toward the surface.

As his head came above the water Tane sucked in the fresh air through his nose, before padding his way to the shore. He heaved the dog onto the sandy shore before shaking his thick, black pelt out. Amber eyes looked down at the dog he had saved and he growled. Who was this dumb creature that would swim, if they knew they could not do it?

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[Delph]

Mercury felt like she was living in some dream. All she could remember was water overcoming her figure, and her bodice pummeling to the bottom of the lake, and now here she was, fluttering open her eyes softly to see grass. Land. She was on land. Immediatly her lungs ached, rolling over onto her stomach, the fae lifted herself up onto all four shaky legs and coughed. Water spewed out of her lungs and disposited on the ground. She felt like her insides were strewn everywhere, like her earlier attack had taken a toll on her. Still staring at the ground, the femme tried to breathe easily. Focusing on keeping her body intact. How did she even get out of the water? She didn't really know. She felt her legs give out beneath her, and she collapsed, knocking her chin on the cold ground. Blood still trickling down her forehead from her earlier wound. Coughing again, she closed her pretty eyes, and gazed at the back of her eyelids. She felt like shit, and she was not going to lie.

She didn't know who saved her, but whoever it was was going to get a lecture from the fae. She didn't want to be saved, at the same time she did but she didn't. Oh, it was confusing even to her. At one side of the argument she didn't want to lead the paladins, and on the other side she had the rest of her life to worry about. Did she want to be tied down to the pack she grew up in? She did not know. Anyway, it didn't matter now. Might as well thank the dog who did that for her. She knew she would be in deep trouble when she went home to the church anyhow. Fluttering open her eyelids, she let her one blue eye and one black eye reveal itself to the world. They were a sight to look at, and became an increasingly beautiful trait when she lost her puppy fur, slimmed up, and grew into an older voice. Daddy's little girl was growing up and was no longer a child. She was different now, and she matured. Taking on every bit of information that was given and saving it for later. She never knew when she might need it.

Looking up to the sky, she blinked when the stars became so clear to her blurry vision. Of course she could only see half of things considering she was blind in her pretty blue eye. It was like someone was holding a hand over your one eye. You had to move to see everything. That's when she moved to see who pulled her from the abyss. It was dark at first, and it took her eyes a bit to register, but then her eyes fully adjusted. Or rather her eye, and they honestly couldn't believe themselves.

Getting to her feet, and stumbling. Mercury backed up a few feet. Her beautiful pelt drenched. Her curved bodice and new height looked strange when she saw the brute. At one point in time she was like a car in front of a sky scraper standing next to him. Now she was barely under five inches shorter then him. He had grown up from being a pup, losing the scruff and gaining beauty beyond belief, just like Mercury. She was taller, and had curves in all the right places. Brutes were already courting her, although she dodged every single one, but it seemed as though the demeron in front of her grew in a different way. He was dangerous looking, dare she say it sexy? She honestly didn't know how to describe his brilliant eyes and intriguing wings. Staring at him with disbelief, Mercury opened her maw to speak.

"Tane, I missed you." Her voice just slightly cracking, Did he remember her? Did he notice how her voice turned sweet and compelling? Probably not, she was nothing but a mere fae to him. Easily killed, easily replaced.

[[F] aint]

The brute shook out his thick pelt again as he watched the dog he had saved cough up water. He felt nothing as the dog fell over and just layed there. Blood trickled down the dog's head and he wondered if he had done that, but he knew he hadn't. Blinking, the brute stepped back and shook his head. 'It doesn't matter if you did it. You shouldn't have even saved the dog!' His mind yelled at him, and he knew his mind was right. There was no reason to save the dog, but something in him had made him jump into the water and pull it out. Amber eyes looked over the dog that he had pulled out of the water, and he could tell that it was female. 'Damn,' He thought, 'Now she'll be all over me.' The brute shook his body once more and let his wings stretch out a little.

As the fae turned her head and looked at him, Tane noticed her eyes. One was blue and the other, brown. He had seen those eyes before, but where? Looking over the rest of the fae's body, he saw that it was almost full grown and it looked nice, unlike most of the young faes in his pack. All of the ones he lived with seemed sick, and weak, but not this one. Everything on her was strong, and beautiful, just like her voice. As soon as she spoke Tane seemed to go back into the past when he had been in the cemetery. That's where he had seen those eyes before, that's where he had heard that sweet voice.

"Mercury?" The brute questioned, and he knew as soon as he said her name that it was true. The only friend he had, had when he was young was standing before him. He had just saved her from death, his only friend. "What are you doing here?" He snapped, ignoring the feelings that were swelling up in his chest. He hadn't felt what he was feeling since he had runaway that day, after he had walked her back to the church. After that day he had ignored the feelings, and they had gone away, but they were back, and more intense than ever.

"Do you know what could've happened to you just now?" He barked at her, his voice strong with anger. His amber gaze was bright with that anger, but also filled with worry. He couldn't hide that one emotion, even if he tried. He wasn't really worried about her life, but he was mad that she had done that. That she had gone into the lake, by herself, and then almost died. Something about that fact really pissed him off and it was clearly seen on his features.

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[Delph]

Mercury felt her eyes shift to the ground. His voice raised at hers, and she automatically felt like a little kid. She wouldn't accept that. Standing up, she walked over to Tane so he was a a couple inches away. "I don't know what I'm doing here, but I do know you have no right to get mad at me. I haven't heard from you in days, no months. What has it been? Two months. Yeah, I haven't seen you in two months. Didn't you tell me once you didn't care if I died? Well guess what? I'll do that favor for you." Rolling her eyes, she turned around and walked a few feet away. Trying to calm herself before her body language gave off to much information. She didn't want Tane to be here. He couldn't, he should of just let her drown. She couldn't see him anymore, she was bound to being an alphess now. He didn't know, but it was a simple fact. She couldn't see him anymore, she couldn't rest in his embrace of soft black feathers, she couldn't laugh with him, do anything. She couldn't see his face anymore. Feeling tears well up in her eyes, she started breathing faster again. A tear rolled down the side of her cheek and hit the ground. She had to be strong, be like her sister. Live up to her sister's reputation. She had to stop before the water works got out of hand. She could't show weakness in front of Tane, she just couldn't, but was showing emotion really a weakness?

Shaking her head, she turned back to the brute, her calm but stormy eyes scanning over his body, assessing the changes that had taken place since last time she had saw the brute. They were older now, more mature. Both physically and emotionally. Could they even continue being friends? Or had they grown out of each other's company? With Judge gone, and the new demeron Rhea in charge, it was harder then ever to get in contact with dogs within the warehouses, and if anyone found out she was talking to a demeron member she would no doubt be punished, even if she was an alphess now. It was the rules, and when Benjii got back he would no doubt find out about it.

Clearing her voice, and stroking away and dampness around the fae's eyes, she opened her pretty maw to speak. "Tane, I'm the alphess now. My sister ran away. I don't know what to do." Looking to the ground, she felt herself swaying on the edge of reality. It felt as if her heart were being torn into a million different pieces, that now that so much pressure had been brough upon such a young fae that eventually the stress attacks will get worse and worse, and she will indeed succeed in killing herself. She had nothing to live for, no one to keep her on track. She was just sort of hanging around. Waiting on the world to change, living day by day.

She wanted something to live for in the future. She wanted a family, but she doubted she would ever find one. She wanted to be loved, hell, she wanted a friend, she knew Tane didn't want to be friends with her, that was obvious enough. She just wished he would admit it already so both of them could move on with their lives. Staring blankly at the brute in front of her, she let her eyes move up and down his wings, and back to his sweet amber eyes. Wondering what he really thought.

[[F] aint]

The fae stood up and walked over to him, sticking her whole body in front of his face. A low growl rose in his throat, but it faded as soon as she started speaking to him. Her voice was strong, unlike it had been when he had seen her before. As he listened to her, he tried to think back to when he had last seen her, but he didn't think about that when she started talking about what he had said before. It was true, he really didn't care for her life, but something had made him save her. She quickly turned away from him and stomped off, showing that she was as pissed as he had once been. Amber eyes watched the fae as she had a small melt down. Again, she was showing how weak she was! The growl that had been in his throat rose again. He had saved a weakling, and he really wished that he hadn't. One less weak dog in the world would make it that much better.

It wasn't long before she turned back to him and looked over his whole body. It was uncomfortable for him, but he had done it to her before. He shifted his wings a little and took a deep breath. He could tell when she was finished looking over him because she dropped her gaze and spoke. What she told him made his eyes light up, but only because she was sharing information with him. 'This is good. She'll trust you, and then maybe you can attack them first.' He thought to himself, and he stepped a little closer to her, pricking his ears forward. "You have to stay strong, I guess." He told her, trying to keep himself from laughing. It was hard for him to support others, but he needed to do this. He needed to make sure she trusted him.

Those different colored eyes looked over him, and he could tell that she was trying to figure him out. That she was trying to see what was really on the inside, and that made him want to cover himself more. The brute shifted the drying wings on his back and shook his pelt out once more. "Why did your sister leave?" He asked her, letting his amber gaze lock with her own.

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[Delph]

Mercury's eyes turned cold. This wasn't the brute she was friends with before. Rolling her eyes, and clearing her voice of any emotion she showed earlier she looked straight into the brute's eyes as she talked. "That's not quite any of your business now is it? And if your done here you might as well hurry along back to the warehouse. I'm in enough trouble as it is without having to be ran into with you around. I'm sure you have better things to do, like screw with some fae or kill a puppy." With that the femme got up and circled around the brute. Her strong, muscles rippling under her beautiful pelt that seemed to shine under the moonlight. She had defnitly improved in all catagories, and she couldn't see herself as a puppy anymore. With her new found responsiblities that was impossible. Letting her voice deepen, she almost sounded compelling, almost. She had taken a class with Embry, he said she'd need it one day, and now she knew why. Totally changing her act, she flicked her tail in the brute's face. Circling him closely, in her past experiences this often deluded the other dog, made him distracted. Which meant he was more likely to spill out his true feelings. Mercury's voice had almost taken on a light tease. She had awesome voice control, and she was even better at acting. "So, how have you been." She asked softly, speaking by his ear and then turning her head away before he could say anything. She was taunting him, and he would either get pissed and throw her back into the lake, or play her little games right back. Either way she'd take it by stride.

Mercury then walked away, sitting down on her haunches so she looked over her shoulder to see Tane. She couldn't help but think about the time at the cemetary they had spent together. They were so little, so stupid. Yet, she missed that. She missed being able to say whatever she wanted, and Tane actually be some what humane about it. Now he was just a cold silent killer. They were both like teenagers now, and it wasn't fair the way their lives had taken a turn. When they were in the cemetary, Mercury and him had something in common. They both were trying to find there way, and now Tane has chosen his. So why did Mercury have this huge feeling in her gut telling her she can change him?

Shaking her head, The fae stared out at the watching as the moonlight filtered off the surface and reflected back onto the land. Creating little light for the duo to see. Mercury hoped silently he wouldn't go away, as much as she wanted to just jump back into the lake. She enjoyed the brute's company. She really did, she had missed him, and she wanted him back in her life. She really did.

[[F] aint]

It was true, he wasn't the brute she had been friends with before, and he would never be the same again. He was taught to be a killer, and everything in his blood told him to be one. The only dog that didn't want him to be who he was, was his mother and he had hated her from the time he could see. Multi-colored eyes rolled in her skull, and Tane listened as she spoke in his face. Everything she said wanted to make him open his jaws and tear her throat out, but again, those feelings seemed to over-ride the urge to kill her. Narrowing his eyes, he opened his maw to speak, but she quickly changed the course of what was happening. One second she was almost ready to kill him, herself. Then the next she was circling around him, like she was some love-struck fae that wanted to play around.

The way she moved around him made his stomach tighten, and he growled. It was making him uncomfortable and he was extremely glad when she walked away from him and sat with her back toward him. Everything changed in her, in two seconds, and it confused the brute. He shook his pelt, hard and looked at her. She seemed to look back at him with pretty eyes, and he disliked it. "Stop playing around!" He barked at her when she turned her gaze toward the lake. Anger seemed to flair up in his body. Growling, he lowered his body to the ground, like he was hunting, and slowly moved closer to her. He had no idea if she was paying any attention to him.

With a loud growl, he lept at her, hoping to land right on her back, but he didn't know how well his aim had been.

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[Delph]

Mercury knew by his footsteps something was going to happen, and she didn't know why but her natrual instincts took over. As he lept into the air, the fae tucked underneath his body as he hovered over her, she then rolled slightly out of his way. His claws missing her bodice by one inch. Mercury lept to her feet and circled behind the brute. She had been trained for this, she had lost her childhood over something so stupid as to staying alive in a battle. Her natrual instincts told her he was bound to strike again, and the femme knew this time she would be ready. He might be stronger, but he obviously let his temper control him. Turns out more then one lesson of Delph's and Embry's were keeping her alive. Letting her eyes go cold, she watched his every move. Antcipated which part of the earth he would hit next. She knew the brute well, and he knew her. He also knew she was stronger then she looked. Once again, his body relaxed a bit, and Mercury walked up to him. Daring him to pounce at her again like some stupid little cat. Taunting him, she hoped he would. She hoped she could teach him a lesson. She had to make him see there were other ways to be a fighter without killing. She had to make him see he didn't have to be a demeron.

Opening her pretty maw to speak, she circled around to the front of him. Looking calmly into the brute's amber eyes. Skeptically watching him out of the corner of her eyes. Waiting, wondering, hoping. All wrapped up into one pretty package. What had changed with him? Why was he so horrible now? Letting her eyes gaze into hers she shook her head. "You know what you promised me? You promised me we'd see each other again, and guess what? You try to kill me. What happened to the brute I meant at the cemetary, the one who walked me home? The one who stood up for me in front of my sister? The one who's wing I was secured under when I was scared?" Letting her eyes fill with anger, she took a step back, still looking in his eyes, still watching his body. Being cautious, careful.

"I want him back, he was my friend, and all those times you came up in my mind. Did you even think of me?" She let the words sink in. Whether they meant something or not she didn't know. She was serious now, noting the way his muscles tensed and his eyes darted back and forth. Assessing the area, assessing her. All that time she had spent thinking about him, when her sister tried to get her to spend time with other brutes. She had thought when she saw him next he would remember her, he would welcome her, but she was wrong. She should've known.

She realized then that not all dogs could change like Theo. Not all of them had hearts like she did, and not all of them cared, but some part of her kept her wanting to know what he really thought of her, and that was the only reason she was still standing there. She wanted to know, hell she'd give anything too.

[[F] aint]

The brute felt his body hover in the air for a second before he fell to the ground, his paws landing on the cool grass. A growl sounded in his throat and he quickly turned his body so that he was facing her. Amber eyes held the 'death glare' that he got every time he hunted, or every time he ripped a throat out. The growl grew louder for a second, before the feelings that he had been trying to hide, came over him and he felt his whole body relax. 'What are you doing?!' His mind screamed, and as she taunted he wanted to listen to that voice, but he kept still and lifted his head from the killing pose.

As she came closer to him, he felt himself tense up, but he took a deep breath and just let everything relax. Each step she took he watched with his amber eyes, and each step she took he could picture himself sinking his teeth into that fine muscle. Lowering himself down onto his haunches, Tane made everything in his body relax. Hawk-like wings rustled as he rested them against his strong back. Just as he felt himself getting calm again, she spoke and this time the feelings overcame him.

Everything she said was true. He had promised her that they would see each other again, and he had tried to kill her just now. It was how he was trained, and she would never understand it, in her life! Taking a deep breath, he pulled his gaze away from hers and didn't answer any of the questions she had shot at him, and just kept his jaws together. Fringe had given him scars from when he had opened his jaws, and he wasn't about to with this fae either. No, he wasn't scared of her, but more of himself. He was scared that he would jump up and rip her throat out, like he wanted to do so bad.

Anger overtook the fae and Tane looked up quickly. He could see it, in both of her eyes, and he wondered why she was so upset about it. Their lives were totally different! For a second, his own anger seemed to overtake him, but he took a deep breath and listened to everything she had to say, even though it wasn't much. The question she had shot at him, made him think. Had he really thought much about her?

The answer was yes, he had thought about her, but not nearly as much as she had thought about him. He had gone through a lot in the time they had been apart, but so had she. The brute dropped his gaze from her and took another deep breath. He could almost feel her gaze on his body, and he let himself relax. Looking back up to her, Tane stood. "Our lives are a lot different." He told her, knowing that she wasn't wanting this at all. "I have been trained to kill, almost anything that moves. I have screwed around with bitches, and damn, it feels good. I have done every bad thing you can think of." Each word was thrown at her, just like each word she had spoken to him was thrown.

"You have been trained to be open-hearted and a leader. Much, much different." It wasn't harsh, or he didn't think it was, but it was all true. Their lives were so far apart from each other, almost like they were on different worlds, and those worlds could not come together. If they did come together, bad things would happen.. just like him. His father had been from another pack, and his mother had allowed them to fuck. Then he came along, and he was the worst pup in the whole pack. He was what Fringe called, evil.

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[Delph]

Mercury felt like a rock hit her in the face as he said his speech. She should've known it was coming, but she didn't want to prepare herself for it. Tane was really the one guy she could never have, and as much as her mother and father wanted her to grow up as leader of the pack and a mate to be successful, she could see her eyes have casted their shadows in the opposite direction of the couple's wish. Looking at the brute with intelligent eyes, her mind calculated and solved every problem in her head, and really their was no solution. She couldn't stay away from him, because whenever she did she ended up hurting herself in someway and he ends up showing anyway, and she couldn't be in his life, because it was simple. He didn't want her to be, but oh did she want to be his eyes. Ignoring her natrual instincts that told her to get the hell out of there. Mercury just tested the waters even more by stepping one step closer. Dropping any expression she looked levely into his eyes as she talked. Letting her hold his gaze, and take his attention for as long as she could.

"I don't care who you've killed. What kind of blood you have on your paws. I don't care who's looked at you. I don't care who's had you, all I can think about is you, and I know in some way you feel the same." Breathing in for a moment, she closed the space between the two. Hoping by some slim chance that she wouldn't get killed for this. That he felt the same way, she brushed her nose across the bottom of his maw. It sent shivers up her spine to be that close to the brute, but she didn't try to pull away. All she could think about was if this was her last moment on earth, where would she like to spend it? The answer was in his arms, and so she buried her head in the brute's neck. Closing her eyes, and opening her maw a tiny bit to whisper. "Just be with me."

Part of her was alive, tingling with the sensation of being this close to a brute that swore he wanted to kill her, but at the same time she had seen the conflicting emotions run across his face, could he possibly be faking it only to throw the fae off? She didn't really had done this before. The damn bastard could be acting. care after all. She was with him now, what did it matter in the future? If anything she had two choices. One, to die here with him, or two for him to reject her and she could heal herself up and move on. Even though both options sounded easy enough, she knew that was no such sort. Either way she would be hurt. Either way her heart would ache. There was no stopping that one.

Inhaling the brute's intoxicating scent, Mercury let her soft warm breath sting his neck she was nuzzled by. She had never been this close to a brute before, but somehow everything seemed natrual, then she realized he had done this before, the damn bastard could be acting.

[[F] aint]

Feathers rustled as the fae took a step closer, making him uncomfortable. In truth, he hadn't expected her to come closer to him, but instead, take off back to her home. They really did need her in the Paladin pack, but he wasn't going to tell her that. Everything in him, in that moment, screamed for him to tear her throat out. To feel the warm blood run down his jaws and taste the metallic flavor of her liquid. It was so strong, that when she started talking to him, his eyes went down to her throat and watched as each vein pumped steadily. It was almost too much for him to take, but before he could make one move she came closer and pushed her muzzle underneath his own.

Something shot through him, but it wasn't anger. It was the rush of something he had never felt before. His heart pounded as if he had just killed someone, and his amber eyes stretched wide. Out of all the faes he had fucked, not one had done this to him. Not even his own mother had tried to go this far with him, not even she had tried to get close to him like that. The fae buried her face in the thick fur of his neck and the brute sucked in a breath. No, no one had ever done this to him before, and it felt very weird.

Ears shifted to catch the whisper of the fae, and Tane narrowed his eyes. Be with her? The words, he had heard them before, but not in the way that she was saying. She wanted him to be kind to her, to be her friend, maybe even her lover. He wasn't kind to anyone, not even Fringe. He had never been a friend to anyone, and no one was up to the challenge of trying to befriend him. He could be someone who she fucked with, but her lover?

Thoughts raced through his mind and different emotions threatened to come out all at one time. The brute closed his eyes and tried to breathe deeply, but her scent filled his nose each time he let air into his lungs. Growling, the brute pulled away from her. "What are you doing?" He barked, his voice not filled with anger, but confusion. "You have no idea who I am, Mercury. You cannot be with me, and I.. I cannot be with anyone." He paused for a second and looked her in the eye, feeling confusion even more.

"There is no way anyone could love a beast like me. There is no way anyone could understand someone like me. No one understands.." Tane trailed off and let his gaze fall from Mercury's.

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[Delph]

Mercury looked up as Tane’s gaze filtered away from hers. Feeling cold, alone the fae glanced out to the lake. Letting her emotions rest in the empty void in her heart. She didn’t cry, mostly because it would be useless, but a part of her wanted to throw herself in Tane’s embrace once again and pour her heart out to him. She had to make him understand, it was the only way she could keep on acting as though she didn’t care her best friend had turned into a monster. Sighing, the fae looked up to the brute. Letting her gaze wander across his body, letting her wonder where he had been, and what events had overtaken him in her absence. She didn’t say anything yet, because she honestly didn’t know what she could say. Nobody would love a monster, but Delph did, and so does she. Are they a nobody? She let that question linger, and then found her answer. No, they are somebody, and so is he. Letting her blue/charcoal gaze meet his, once again. She took a step closer. Not willing herself to get any closer, but still letting herself be close enough for her scent to wash over him, and for his to do the same to hers. Strangely the scent was comforting, and not of blood, but of a certain wildflower. A primrose, that’s what Tane’s smell reminded her of. The one root that flowered in the winter, in the presence of ice, the presence of water so cold from the air around them, him, blooming in the wake of one of the most horrid places in their country for dogs. Harthorn city. Letting that calming thought overcome her stable mind, she opened her maw to speak. “No, most dogs would not love a monster, but Delph did, and strangely. So do I.” She paused for a moment, letting her words sink in, but instinctively tensing up and hoping he didn’t jump again. “I do know you, and you know me. Beyond what’s happened on the outside. There still is the same dog I’ve met before. I know he was confused, scared, but yet brave. Ready to take on the world. I remember that sweet scent of rose that came to my nose when I huddled close to him, I remember that beautiful summer evening and how his watchful gaze would follow mine, how he was so willing to condemn himself to save me from trouble. I remember the sad glances you gave towards the graves around you when you realized you probably creating some of those deaths, but most of all I remembered the promise you gave me. Promises aren’t meant to be broken, and whatever the hell you say, I’m not letting you break ours.”

Turning away, and this time walking to the edge of the water. Mercury dragged her paw across the frothy surface, letting a sea of algae accumulate on the white’s of her paws. Watching as the moon reflected on the surface, the fae smiled. “We can’t stay out here all night. If you want to, you can stay with me tonight. I understand if you don’t want to, or if you leave right away in the morning.” Turning her head to let her gaze meet his, the femme yawned. “It’s late, and nobody goes in the attic of the church. Everyone will be asleep, we can sneak in through the graveyard entrance towards the back. It’s rusted, but it opens nonetheless.” Letting her blue eyed gaze meet his, the fae nodded and with one last stroke of the water on the surface of the lake, started her descent back up the hill, past Tane, and off into the distance. If he followed or not that was his choice. Sure, the fem would be disappointed to lose the brute again, but at the same time she wanted nothing more then to curl up with him for the night. Feel that feeling of comfort once again, like she did when she was a small puppy. Nothing more then a pup with the power of words, curled up in an older brute’s wings. It was heaven to her, and she remembered that feeling faintly in the back of her mind. She also remembered the way the moon shone down on the couple as they headed back towards the church. It was quiet, simple, beautiful. They were nothing, but a pair of dogs that hadn’t yet been exposed to the cruelties of the earth around them. Too bad that didn’t last long, because soon enough the bomb was dropped and the two had to distance themselves from each other, it was a surprise that Delph had allowed him to live, but then again. Delph had a soft spot for puppies, she had always wanted her own, and often times she treated Mercury more like a daughter then an actual sister. Now that she was growing up, the femme gave all her responsibilities to her and left to find herself. Hell, Mercury didn’t even know who she was.

Was she just a simple fae sworn to take the place of her fallen sister’s legacy? Was she a stupid fae that was to spend the rest of her time trying to change a brute that wanted to rip open her throat? Would she die because of that very brute? Would she die leading the paladins into war? Would Tane be by her side? She could imagine that, him standing next to her when the battle cries are sounded. Them loping alongside each other as the first bodies start to clash. Much to her dismay, she could also imagine him attacking her. She could imagine the blood shed as the two were hurdled to the ground. Mercury’s heart being stopped, just as his was. The truth was he probably couldn’t wait to kill her, and if he came with her tonight, there was a big chance he would end her life in her sleep, then again. There was also a chance that if he didn’t want to come, it was because he wanted to kill her. Either way she couldn’t concentrate on that. Her mind was on a blur, and as her paws dragged against the dirt of the bank, the moon shone down on her pelt. Illuminating the look of determination on her face as the scent of primrose started to leave her presence. God, let him come.

[[F] aint]

No one really understood what went on in the brute's mind. Not even he really understood what went on in there, and that really scared him. He knew he could snap at any moment, and being around a dog that he cared for was dangerous. He had been taught, since he was able to talk, that his mission was to kill and make the population of the Demeron dogs grow. That was what he was created to do, that was why he was born. The husky had placed only those thoughts in his mind, and it was how he needed to live, how he was programmed to live, and how this fae wanted to come into his life and try to fix it all? Tane's mind screamed with the idea of being fixed, and a low growl began to rise in his throat, and it rose even louder as the fae stepped closer to him.

Nothing she could say could change him, he knew that, but he listened to her words, and kept his amber gaze down on the grass beneath his paws. Everything she said made him want to jump at her and rip her throat out. None of it was true. He was not the same dog as she remembered! There were things that he had done that would make any normal dog run the other way, and now she was telling him that she loved him. Him! A monster! He said nothing to her about what she said, and her scent left him as she walked over to the lake. Looking up, the brute saw the fae's form outlined by the moonlight and he sighed. 'No one will love a monster, Tane. Get over it.' The small voice in his mind told him, and he just stood there, trying to push everything out of his mind.

The sweet voice came not too long after she had left him, and ears pricked up to catch the words that floated in the air. She wanted him to sneak into the Paladin pack, into the heart of where the dogs stayed. The fae met his gaze for one second before walking up the hill, past him, and away. Tearing his gaze away from the fae's form, Tane shook his pelt out hard. It was almost dry now, and his wings ached to be used. He hadn't flown in almost a full day, and he wanted to just spread them and sore into the clouds. Stretching his wings out, the brute looked up toward the moon and sighed. His life was beginning to get complicated, and it was all because of one fae.

'Why would she love me?' He asked himself as his eyes studied the big rock in the sky. 'She loves the idea of fixing you, Tane.' The voice in his mind answered, and the brute sighed. "Yeah, well.. I can't love anyone. So, she needs to just go on." He said to himself, but as he spoke each word, his heart pulled and he didn't know toward what. Looking back to the place where he had seen the husky-mix last, he took a step forward before flapping his wings once and jumping into the air.

Hawk-like wings lifted the brute above the ground, and he pulled his legs up underneath him, just like a bird would. It had taken him a few times of almost ripping his legs off to think of that. As he flew higher into the air, the shepherd-mix could see Mercury, walking slowly, with her head down. A smirk formed on the brute's lips, but it was only because he knew he had her under his wing. 'Get close to the fae, Tane. Get close and take over the pack.' The idea came from the voice in his mind and he grinned. It was perfect, and he could be around the one dog that cared.. but in the end, he would hurt her..

"Wait!" The brute barked before he flapped his wings, making him sore above the ground and closer to the fae that wanted to fix him. As he got closer to her, he let his legs drop and stopped flapping, making him land right beside her. "My pack won't miss me if I'm done for a couple of days. They'll just think I went on another one of my adventures." He told her, hoping she would buy into the story. In truth, the pack never cared where anyone was, and Tane knew the only dog that would miss him would be his own mother.

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