Saying that things in Fenmyre had been rough would have been an understatement. With the world gone dark, wolves locked up and the deaths of six children hanging over their heads, everything just seemed bleak. The wolves of Fenmyre had been withdrawn; silent. Chimera had been blessed with one living daughter from Dalila's litter, but even the joy of having another child seemed overshadowed by the loss of six more.

Aliana was Chimera's priority. She had pulled away from him, appearing to be living within her mind after her immense loss. She had apologized over and over after their children had been born dead, but he didn't blame her. He blamed himself. He had broken the crystal that had reduced the woman to a puddle of pain. His genes were faulty. He didn't blame Aliana one bit, though it seemed that she blamed herself.

Days and nights ran together and Chimera was never far from the clouded woman's side. He made sure that she ate and drank and cared for herself. Periodically he would go to check on the wolves that were locked away. He would check on Dalila, Siren, his new daughter Rusalka. Always, always... he came back to Aliana. As time passed, he realized that she was the most important woman in his life. Initially, that realization had hurt him a bit. Siren had always been the most important and, while he would always love his sister, he was not in love with her. Aliana... Chimera was madly in love with Aliana.

The black and white man came back to the chambers that he and the clouded fae shared. She rarely went to her own space these days. In their sorrow, he had sought to keep her close. Moving to the mattress covered in furs, Chimera lay down beside the sorrowful fae, pulling her into his embrace. Gently, his teeth and tongue pulled through the fur at the backs of her ears and crown. He'd been thinking while he did his rounds and had come to a decision. He only had to share it with her and hope that she was receptive to the idea.

"Aliana... there's something that I want to talk to you about," he spoke softly. Then he waited to see if she could be pulled from her sadness enough for the message to sink in.

"Speech"

How long had it been since their children had died? A week? A month? More? Time had stopped meaning anything to Aliana. She lived only in her head now, her heart and mind broken by grief and guilt and a depression so strong it kept her from even getting out of bed for long periods. The most activity she'd done was when she'd assisted Dalila give birth to her beautiful daughter—but even that had been a bittersweet moment of realized failure. She'd failed to prevent Dalila's pregnancy, and in doing so, had also killed one of her and Chimera's children. Self-loathing held the clouded gray fae in a death grip, squeezing all life from her. Her once bright aquamarine eyes had dulled, she only ate and cared for herself at Chimera's insistence, and even on those days she wished he would just let her perish. She didn't deserve him; she was a dead weight attached to his life that he couldn't let go of. He deserved Siren, Dalila, wolves that were worthy of his life. All she deserved was a slow and lonely death to join her children in oblivion.

Chimera... Aliana's heart hurt when she thought about how much pain and ruin she'd brought to his life. Perhaps they both would've been better off if she'd never been bought for him. How different would their worlds be if she'd stayed hidden in that cell and didn't catch Dalila and Siren's attention. He was so good to her... He cared for her, stayed by her side almost constantly, only ever leaving to check on the others for a brief period. Otherwise he was beside her, comforting her, trying to bring her back from the brink. Those were the only moments when Ali felt anything. Both wolves were hurt, both blaming themselves for the tragedies that had befallen them and the pack. But the ash and snow fae could never blame Chimera. He was regal, he was powerful, he had strength of body and mind. He was their king. The fault had to lie with her; there was no other explanation.

Lately, Aliana had been ruminating on what she had to do to free Chimera from herself. He was too blinded by his emotions to see how terrible she was for him, what a failure she had been. She'd gotten very good at producing extracts from herbs, and she had a number of potent poisons in her study. It could be quick. It could be painless. It would look like she'd just passed in her sleep and Chimera would be none the wiser, free to go about his life and love someone better suited for him. Someone who could give him children instead of corpses, happiness instead of heartache. When Chimera had gotten up to go make his rounds, Aliana snuck out of the bedroom after him, heading for her study. She'd prepared an extract of wolfsbane mixed with lavender and chamomile to simulate a natural passing in her slumber. She could finally free Chimera and rid herself of the pain and anguish living with this guilt had left her with.

But as Aliana stared down at the tiny glass vial containing the clear liquid, she felt frozen with fear. Gazing at the poison had an odd sense of finality to it—a dread that kept her from drinking it. No matter how much she knew she should, Ali couldn't gather up the confidence to down the liquid, no matter how many times she brought it to her lips. With a shuddering sigh of resignation and defeat, Ali set the vial back down on the desk and headed back to the bedroom, making it back inside and slipping beneath the furs before Chimera had returned. She curled up on herself, a dainty snowy paw moving to rest on her now flat stomach, her body having returned much to the state it had been in prior to her failed pregnancy, though with some telltale reminders left behind of the mother she could have been in the form of more shapely hips and thighs.

Her chimeric lover returned a few minutes later, climbing back into bed with her. Ali closed her eyes, sinking into the brute's strong embrace while he groomed her fur with gentle fangs and tender tongue. He was so, so good to her... He'd never know the dark thoughts that had nearly pushed her to taking her own life. Ali silently lifted a paw and rested it over one of his around her side, a stormy gray ear flicking to show she was listening when he spoke to her. Dimmed aqua eyes slowly opened halfway to gaze into the darkness around them, a single lit candle providing any sort of illumination, though it was far from enough in the large bedchamber. "What would you like to talk about...?" It was the most words she'd said in a month.

"Aliana"

The time between then and now hadn't been kind to either wolf. They both looked tired, worn down. For different reasons, however. While Ali blamed herself for failing him and Chimera blamed himself for failing her, in the end, he didn't care about the dead pups. He just didn't care. What he cared about was that he couldn't start the family that he had promised the clouded woman. His weak seed coupled with the endless night... it had stolen his promise from him. It had caused them both insurmountable pain. Each of them had turned inward. For close to a month they didn't speak to one another, though he was always there with her. Losing their children had proven to Chimera just how much he loved Aliana. Truly loved her. For a month... he had been thinking about that love. He had been thinking about their journey together. Inevitably, he thought about their future as well.

Aliana's voice met his ears and Chimera's eyes drifted closed. It was good to hear her again. Good to know that she was still alive in there. Gently, Chimera turned the silver and snow fae in his arms until she was facing him. Their tired eyes met and he could see the sadness in her. The exhaustion. He needed to see her when he spoke his piece, however. It took the man a moment to collect himself, but eventually he began to speak, his voice a soft whisper. His words just for her.

"Losing our litter was hard," he began, his eyes never leaving her delicate face. It was hard because he'd failed her. Had his seed been stronger... had he been able to control his anger and kept himself from breaking that crystal... "But that feeling is nothing in comparison to the thought of losing you, Aliana." though he spoke softly, his words held power, emotion. He meant every word. "I would never have another child if it meant keeping you by my side forever." One paw drifted up, sliding over the woman's pale furred cheek. Now came the part that he wanted to talk to her about.

"I love you, Aliana. You've become so intertwined in my being that I could never imagine being parted from you." His pads ghosted lightly over her cheek. "Being without you... it would break me." Never had another being held such a place within the man's heart. Not like this. He loved Siren but it wasn't this kind of love. this love was burning. It was all consuming. Gently, Chimera took the woman's chin, raising her gaze to meet his fully. "Take my name," he insisted, his mismatched gaze pleading. "Become Aliana Klein. Be my queen in name and title just as you are the queen of my heart." There. He had torn open his rib cage and laid his heart bare for her. Whether she kept it safe or plunged a dagger into it remained to be seen. With a tumultuous as emotions were as of late... it was difficult to tell which course she would take.

"Speech"

Though Aliana had outwardly seemed dead to the world for the better part of a month, inside her head raged a maelstrom of dark and dour thoughts. She was never alone, thanks to Chimera and to the demons in her own mind. Living had become a daily challenge, one she overcame every time she opened her eyes in the morning. Just like the sun had been stolen from the world, the light inside of her had been snuffed out as well. She felt trapped in this purgatory—unable to overcome her sorrow and heartbreak but also unable to succumb to it. She thought of precious little other than their lost children and of Chimera. When she closed her eyes, she could still see the bloody corpses and the hard expression on Chimera's face when he turned away from her during the birth. She'd disgusted and disappointed him so deeply that he couldn't even look her in the eye. That entire night had been a terrible ordeal, but knowing how she'd hurt Chimera had been the worst part.

Once the soft, broken words had passed her lips, Ali felt Chimera begin to shift her in his grasp, light and lithe body moving easily to his will. She blinked open her aqua eyes once he had turned her to him, peering up at him like a child that had done something wrong and was waiting for reprisal. In his mismatched eyes, Ali saw the same heartbreak and exhaustion she felt on a constant basis. Both of them had been drained of life, like the world itself was trying to kill them. Perhaps it was. He spoke, his husky voice barely above a whisper. He spoke of their lost pups, but he also spoke of how losing her would be harder. Aliana blinked, taken aback by his words. Having a family had been so important to the king; was that not why he had gotten all of his women pregnant? Yet here he was, vowing to never have another litter if it meant keeping her alive and with him.

Aliana tipped her head up a fraction of an inch, just so her gaze could meet his more readily. He vowed his love for what felt like the millionth time, and the ash and snow fae leaned gratefully into his feather-like touch. She offered no resistance when he moved his paw to her chin and lifted her face to gaze right into those eyes that made her heart ache in all the best and worst ways. She was about to repeat her own declaration of love for him when his next words took her breath away. He wanted her to take his name, to become a true part of his family. Aliana Klein. She would have a family, a place she truly belonged. No longer a bastard's name given to her by those that held her as a possession, but an identity graced to her by a wolf who loved her—well and truly loved her. Ali's mouth fell open in a silent gasp, her eyes tracing over his face while she tried to process and comprehend what he was asking of her. Dainty paws curled to rest upon his broad chest, delicate claws prickling through dense fur to trace the edges of muscle. Her heart leapt into her throat, her pulse quickening so much it made her feel lightheaded. This was no dream, no fantasy.

"Chimera..." Aliana whispered, her voice choked with heavy emotion. She felt like she could cry again, but she had shed all of her tears. In his eyes she saw the silent plea, begging her to accept. Chimera was throwing her a lifeline in this darkness that was swallowing her, killing her. Aliana's words failed her, and she responded in the only way she could think to at the moment. She leaned her muzzle up to catch his lips with her own, kissing him with such gentle tenderness, a soft touch of passion and devotion and a sign that she was still alive. "I've wanted this all my life. A family, a name, someone to love and who loves me, and you've given me all that." A small smile crept its way across her face, as did a few tears finally springing to the corners of her eyes. "Yes, Chimera, I'll take your name. I'll be yours, and I always will be." Aliana hoped he would want her forever. The sound of Aliana Cadence Klein had such a lovely ring to it...

But there was more that needed to be said. Chimera had exposed his vulnerable heart to her, and she needed to do the same for him. He needed to understand where her pain was coming from, and if he could, save her from herself. Aliana slid her paws slowly up his chest, wrapping her long forelegs around his thick neck as she pulled her slender body closer to his. His warmth reminded her that she was still alive and something was keeping her here worth fighting for. "I just... I love you so much, I wanted to give you the family you wanted so, so badly..." Ali leaned her face forward to press into his chest, just beneath the hollow of his throat. "Everyone else did, and I... couldn't... I want to give you everything you want and deserve, because you've given me so much more than I deserve." Aliana swallowed back the lump growing in her throat as the emotions welled within her—joy, sorrow, regret, love.

"I'm so sorry I couldn't do that for you... but, if we survive the end of the world, do you think we could maybe... try again sometime?" Ali kept her face buried in Chimera's chest fur, holding her breath while she waited for his response. Her desires hadn't changed; she still wanted to give him the family they had almost had together. Neither of them would be ready just yet, but it was all Aliana wanted to show her lover, her mate, just how much he meant to her—to bear and carry and birth and raise his children—their children. She wanted something to hold onto, a brighter future with the brute she loved with all her heart and soul.

"Aliana"

He didn't know how she would react and every second seemed like eons as he waited for some sort of response. His admission brought her eyes wide and she spoke his name in soft disbelief. Surely that was a good sign, right? Rather than respond right away, the small fae claimed his lips with her own and Chimera gave back just as much in return. Her arms came up around his neck and his paw moved down the line of her body, pulling her slender frame more tightly against his muscled form. Though sadness had robbed them of life, it took little to ignite the fire within the beast.

Aliana spoke and a smile formed on her beautiful features. It had been such a long time since he'd seen her smile and the man couldn't stop looking at her. The woman's words were sweet as she relayed her hopes and dreams to him. All the while, Chimera's paw stroked one silver hip. In time, she agreed to be his. Not that she had much choice in that matter. Aliana would always be his. No matter her title. No matter her rank. The woman belonged to him like no other ever had or ever would. Even if she refused him, she would never be allowed to part from him. He wouldn't permit it.

The conversation shifted and they grey goddess began speaking of her doubts, her regrets and her fears. "I meant what I said," he reiterated, somehow pulling her closer. "I would never have another child if it meant losing you, Aliana. I only. Want. You." He tried to make that part as clear as possible. He had children. He didn't need more. The puppies that they'd created would have been wonderful, but he didn't require them. He didn't need them. Hell, he didn't necessarily even want them, but he had come to terms with the fact that she had been going to have them, so he'd looked for a silver lining.

Pressing herself against his throat, Chimera held her close, his muzzle draped over the curve of the fae's crown. Again she apologized. "Don't," he warned her. "I'm just glad that they didn't take you with them." Then she surprised him by asking if they could try again in the future. Chimera blinked and pulled his head back to look down at the wonder in his arms. After losing her children and falling into sorrow for so long, she wanted to try again. Not while this darkness was still ruling the land. He wouldn't risk it. "When this strangeness ends, perhaps we'll try again." He kissed the fae's crown softly. "I won't lose you, Aliana Klein." He spoke her new name aloud. "You will always be mine."

"Chimera & Aliana"

Aliana's advances were received well by Chimera, who pulled her svelte form tighter to his when she kissed him, drawing pleased murrs from the young fae. Her feminine form fit perfectly against his masculine shape, matching together like puzzle pieces. All the while she spoke, expressing her innermost emotions and desires, she noticed him gazing at her with such an entrancement as if he were bewitched, unable to do anything but stare at her. It took Ali a while to realize that Chi was staring because of the little trace of a smile that had found its way across her lips. She hadn't even realized she'd been smiling—the first time she'd done so in weeks. That was the sort of effect he had on her: he just made her react certain ways.

Dainty paws rifled through the large brute's scruff while he held her, her digits tracing gentle claws through thick fur to tease at delicate skin and muscle hidden beneath while he stroked over her silver-furred hip. Chimera's touch had been one of the few things that kept her fragile mind tethered to sanity through the sorrow. His touch, his voice, his love, his presence... Chimera had been the only thing preventing her from slipping into madness entirely, of this she had no doubt. His caress of her hip left tingles in his paw's wake, sparking sensations she hadn't felt in over a season.

Even though Ali didn't think she could be any closer to him, Chi surprised her once again by pulling her body taut to his, ensuring not a single inch of their skin wasn't touching in some way. Her king's words, reiterated with insistence, caused her heart to miss a beat. That was the part where they had starkly different perspectives. Aliana would have happily given her life to give Chimera the family they wanted, and Chimera would have traded the life of every pup if it meant saving her. She saw herself as expendable while he saw her as invaluable. Her mate surrounded her in his protective embrace, bulkier head draped over hers to tuck her away inside himself. His sharp retort to not apologize took her by surprise. He was serious. Chimera only wanted her.

She had half expected Chimera to try and refute her request, but to her surprise, the monochromatic brute agreed, under the stipulation that the malevolent forces that had taken hold of the world had ended. Ali gave a small nod of her head and hum of agreement; it would be nearly a year before her next heat season anyway. They had plenty of time to survive the apocalypse and prepare for their future family. "Of course. We have plenty of time between now and next winter anyway," she replied, her paws slowly trailing down the sides of Chimera's neck to dip and follow his collarbone around the hollow of his throat. It would take time for them to both be ready, and perhaps they would never fully get over the trauma of what transpired, but they would grow stronger for it together. They had survived.

Another fragile smile graced her lips when he kissed her crown, and she responded by tilting her muzzle up to drag soft, pink tongue across the underside of his chin in a tender kiss. She liked the way her new name sounded in his voice, rich and masculine and assured, as if Klein had always been meant to be attached to her. "You never will, Chimera," she spoke with a subtle harmony to her voice. "I'm yours, always and forever." Tangled up in Chimera's comforting embrace, Aliana leaned her head back to rest against his chest, pressing an ear to his skin to listen to his strong heart beat. Then, as the emotions built inside her beyond the pain and despair she'd come to know so well, Aliana did something she hadn't done since the tragedy—she began to hum. Just a quiet, indistinct melody, but it was the first bit of music the clouded fae had sung in over a month. She hummed it for Chimera, for the man that had changed her life so impossibly much and made her fall irrevocably in love with him.

"Chimera & Aliana"

As Aliana traced her delicate claws along Chimera's skin, it sent a pleasing chill up his spine. A low rumble accompanied that feeling of pleasure and her claws continued to dance over his body, trailing across his throat and collar bone. Despite their time abstaining from intimate acts, she still could get him raring to go with just a touch. She was arousing, intoxicating. He loved that about her. No other woman could stoke the fires of love and lust within him as quickly as the clouded woman within his arms. So yeah, if she wanted to try again to start a family with him, he was willing to put in all the work to get her there.

A tender kiss was bestowed to his chin and again a pleased rumble reverberated through his wide chest. Aliana assured him that she was his forever and always. He knew that she was, but it was nice to hear. He'd given himself so completely to this woman that it astounded him to even think about it. Never had he allowed another wolf to get so close. Yes, there was Siren, but she was his sister. Aliana had been a stranger. She had started out as a slave and had mad herself so invaluable to the man that he doubted he could live without her. It was amazing... and terrifying.

A gentle song pulled from the woman in his embrace and Chimera was surprised, but glad that she seemed to be taking yet another step away from sorrow. She had mourned, but it was time to put it behind her. It was time to live again. With his announcement and his vow, he had hoped to make her do just that. She was no longer just Aliana the slave. She was Aliana Klein, Queen of Fenmyre. The woman had to live up to a standard as one of the crowns of the pack. She couldn't wallow in self pity forever. The three of them had to be unified, proud, regal. He had hope that she would soon be able to do just that.

Bestowing a final kiss upon Aliana's brow, Chimera extracted himself from her grasp. "Close your eyes," he instructed as he moved across the room. Once he was sure that her eyes were closed, the two-toned brute moved back to settle before her again, placing a fur wrapped package before her. He would allow her to open her gift and was anxious to see what she thought about her new crown. "Open them and open this." With one huge black toed paw, he slid the package closer to her.

"Chimera & Aliana"

If Aliana was being honest with herself, the notion of being a queen terrified her. She knew nothing about what it took to be royal, to behave and conduct oneself with such regal grace as Lady Siren or King Chimera. She didn't know how to rule or lead and inspire others. She knew nothing of a queen's expected decorum. While she was honored and blessed to be so fortunate in her circumstances, the dramatic change to her lifestyle didn't come without its worries. What if she wasn't cut out to be a queen? What if she disappointed or humiliated Chimera in some terrible way?  Oh, how she wanted to do right by him so, so badly. But he had faith in her—he wouldn't have offered her such a life changing path if he didn't. He believed in her; she would have to believe in herself as well.

Wrapped up in Chimera's strong, loving, protective embrace was comforting to the clouded gray and white fae. She felt safe against the warmth of his solid body, finding peace in his familiar scent that was distinctly him and so intoxicatingly male. Even just being this close and entangled with him like this made her pulse quicken as her beating heart skipped like a stone on the water. They didn't need to be doing anything special. Just lying with him like this was enough to bring a content smile to the young fae's features. Ali continued to hum softly the melody trapped within her heart, the sound a touch melancholic yet noticeably hopeful and lively. It was like a musical testament to the two wolves. They'd faced impossible difficulty, yet they'd survived together, and thanks to the persistent efforts of her dedicated mate, Aliana was returning to life once more.

Her eyes had been closed until she felt Chi's lips press to her forehead, making Ali blink her aquamarine eyes open to peer up at him with a tiny smile and shining eyes. Her king instructed her to close her eyes, and though curious, Aliana obeyed his request. Aqua eyes hid behind gray lids while she felt him shift and move away from her. Her curiosity grew while she listened to him move about their room, the temptation to peek almost irresistible. But Ali was a good girl, and obedient to a fault, remaining in the dark behind her eyelids until she felt the mattress sink when Chimera rejoined her. His rich voice gave her permission to look, and when Ali opened her eyes, she was surprised to see the neatly wrapped parcel he slid towards her.

"You spoil me, my king," she teased him with lyrical tones before she'd even seen what was inside. A quick cast of another healing smile to her mate while her dainty paws unwrapped her gift—only to freeze and stare in shock at the contents within. Inside the package was a gorgeous headdress made of connected and overlapping silver chains, thin and delicate as the woman herself was. They were pristine and manufactured flawlessly. Resting in the center of the crown was a singular turquoise stone, faceted so that it caught the light from every angle. Aliana stared at the crown for a long moment, stunned by the gift's beauty and unable to comprehend that it was for her. It looked like it belonged on the head of an empress, a queen, or a goddess. But you are a queen now... She had to remind herself of that fact while she traced the turquoise with a careful digit.

"Chimera... I-It's beautiful! Where did you find something like this?" she remarked, trying and failing to find the right words to describe her emotions. Instead, Aliana turned her sparkling gaze from the crown back to her mate, gazing into his mismatched eyes, struck dumb by disbelief that a wolf like him could love someone like her so deeply and profoundly. There was no way this didn't cost him a pretty penny to buy, and Ali was still getting used to the idea of being worth the cost to someone. "Chimera, I... I don't know what to say! Thank you, it's incredible! You didn't have to go to any trouble for me." But as she admired the stunning jewelry he'd given her, Ali's eyes never left his. She reached a small paw forward to gently cup his cheek in soft paw pads, wanting nothing more than to lose herself in him for all eternity. "I don't need a crown to feel like your queen though. You make me feel that way just by loving me." Aliana leaned up to meet his lips with her own, kissing him tenderly yet with all the love her racing heart could muster. "I love you, Chimera," whispered Aliana against his lips once their muzzles had barely parted enough for her to speak.

"Chimera & Aliana"