Darkness had become his refuge. Staying in the waking world was a struggle; sleep was painless and comforting, wrapping him in its warm, familiar arms and holding him there tightly. He would drift periodically in and out of consciousness, trapped somewhere between the world of dreams and the real world. It was so long before he finally rose again, his eyes seeing the sunlight for the first time in so many weeks. Fatigue was written clearly across his bedraggled features, despite how much he had slept the last fortnight. Limbs were slow to respond as he slid from the den in which he had kept himself, slowly rousing himself from slumber like a bear emerging from its winter hibernation. His appearance was tousled and his frame gaunt from hunger, but he still was impressively large, though his stomach had shrunken considerably and his face was now more thin and pronounced.

He had failed her. He had realized it before it had even happened. He was no leader -- he had always been a follower. Weak, like his mother. An empty shell of a being that had never even existed to begin with. Always he had been tormented with pain and loneliness, a perpetual cycle of emptiness that could be filled by nothing. No love nor companionship could satisfy the void in his chest. But this was the one thing he knew could ground him and keep him steady. Cataleya and their pack. She had always been the true leader -- always would be the true leader -- but he was not far below her.

A snarl left his lips as his fangs suddenly found his own flesh. Pain seared through his limb as sharp incisors tore deep to the bone. His movements had ceased, his body growing still as his jaws wrapped around his forelimb. Basilisk Saxe had always been loyal to his family, and he had extended that privilege to Cataleya. And he had failed her. The snarl that slid from his lips slowly gave way to a growl that bubbled from deep within his chest. He would prove his loyalty and devotion to her, and hope that she would forgive his deviance from their agreement. Never again would he falter or stray from her side. The man knew he had been utterly too passive. There was no time for such things any longer.

Blood began to litter the ground around him as his head pulled upright, nostrils searching for the scent of Cataleya. It was easy to track, though a great distance from where he lay. A trail of blood followed him as he went, his gait uneven as he loped forward. His eyes would immediately find Cataleya, and he would find his way toward her. He was fully prepared for whatever words she might throw at him -- and he was equally as ready for her to strike him out of anger for his absence.

"For my Queen," he told her softly, leaning to drop a piece of flesh he had torn from his own limb before her. Blood stained his teeth and warily he licked his lips clean of the warm substance. A small wound was visible on his left forelimb, just above his paw. An open wound, but a clean one, and he was certain he could keep it clean enough to prevent infection. His voice only quivered ever so slightly. Basilisk bowed his head as he reclined to his hind legs, eyes dropping to the ground. "A symbol of my devotion. Give me another chance, and I swear that I will not fail you." His voice was low, the latter meant only for her and no others that might be lurking nearby. He didn't know what he would do without Cataleya any longer, without this pack -- he had nothing else in the world to fall back on.

Peace surrounded the woman. Her and Kylar had worked things out, though her pregnancy was still a secret to the rest of the pack. She had been heading towards border to complete her daily patrol. However the sound of heavy paws would stop her, silver crown turned, looking over her shoulder, a familiar mass coming closer. Eyes would narrow, irritation immediately filling her chest. Basilisk. The monster of a man came to a halt beside her. The Queen would turn so that she faced him head on. The smell of blood filled her nose, and she would look down when he dropped a piece of flesh at her feet. Her gaze would drift to his leg, finding the source of the blood and his offering. Her crown would lift, her gaze cold and unforgiving. His words fell on deaf ears. "You have not only made a fool of yourself but me." Words were soft, though they held enough venom to kill. He had failed miserably as an Alpha. Not one wolf in this pack respected him or even saw him as an Alpha. Steps would bring her closer to the sad excuse of a man. He was starved, no longer impressive in size and strength. "You dare ask for a second chance after your miserable failure? I built this empire!" A snarl ripped free from dark jaws, daggers flashing in the sun. Anger flared in her chest, her hackles lifted, jaws parted as her eyes narrowed. Pregnant or not, he was going to feel her wrath. "Why should I give you a second chance? I should blind you and chase you from these lands!" Her voice rose with every word. She didn't care who heard, anyone in earshot would learn not to cross her. Her tongue rolled against the roof of her mouth as the idea sounded more and more appealing.

She was angry, and he understood why. She would be stupid to be happy to see him. There was no smile painted on his lips, no emotion teasing the corners of his mouth as there once had been in her presence -- he was expressionless as he watched and waited, oblivious to just how angry she would be. Perhaps she would be merciful and kill him, ending his suffering for once and all.. but she had never struck him as anything but merciless.

He had not understood until now. Only now did he truly grasp what he had to be. Not just for Cataleya, but for the pack as well. "It has taken this for me to understand," he began slowly. The words that fell from his jaws were laced with fervor. The fire had not yet been extinguished in him -- it had only grown stronger and more bright. "This has always been your empire, never mine," he told her heatedly. Though his voice rose slightly in tone, he would not grow angry around her. "But I still ask for another chance to aid you."

They would learn to respect him and treat him as a leader. As they treated Cat. For so long he had felt like a child; but finally he knew he was a man. Perhaps not the greatest of men, but a man nonetheless. And he wanted to build this empire by her side. He had craved revenge for so long; he had put all of his anger and energy into fulfilling a goal that had never even been within his grasp. "Do what you will with me," he sneered. "Since I have met you my fate has always been intertwined with yours. I don't want to change that. You know I will never betray you." His own tongue lolled from his mouth, his own blood still staining his fangs. Basilisk watched her unflinchingly, despite her anger. Pain did not scare him any longer, but the threat of being alone certainly was growing to be quite terrifying. "If I disappoint you again, I will answer with my life."

Pinned audits twitched as he spoke, announcing his mistake, yet speaking the truth. Rage still made her blood boil even as he tried to make amends. For once in his life, there was no sneer plastered to his face, he was expressionless. As he spoke, he still pushed for a second chance, but he was more than willing to take his punishment, he didn't flinch away from her, but stood his ground, allowing a sneer to finally grace his dark features. I will answer with my life. The boy has never been a fool when it came to his wrong doings. It was a silent promise that she would fulfill. "Disappointing me again will be the last thing you do." She reiterated his statement, glaring at him with a look of pure loathing. He had a log road ahead of him. The pack was already settled in and established, they were not the type to accept new leadership with open arms. But it would be the ultimate test to prove his resolve. Did he really want this? Or would he die at her doing? "You will attend all the pack meetings and training, and you will participate. You have a long road ahead of you." Her words were still harsh, cracking like a whip, but her posture had relaxed some, though her eyes burned like liquid fire. She had practically raised him to be the man he was today, she would not see him fail so easily, no matter how foolish he had been. But he would not get another chance. He had one chance to prove himself capable of such greatness, if he wasn't, then she would end his miserable life. "Pull yourself together, you look like shit." He had really let himself go, he was skin and bones, his dark coat was bedraggled, and he now had a wound on his leg.

Basilisk was a broken man. He'd been fatherless for as long as he could remember, and hardly any of his family had cared enough to find him and to figure out if he was even alive. He was only alive because of Cataleya -- and once again, he saw that she was loyal to him, even if she would never love him. He would never love her, though he was committed to her in a way few others would understand.

She did not move to strike him, though her words were as vicious as any attack. His purple gaze was fixated on her, watching the anger ebb and flow like the tides of the ocean, washing over her and carving her face into a mask of fury. But it seemed to dissipate slowly as she heard his words, and he would simply nod to her.

"It will not happen," he retorted sharply, a bit of his own annoyance slipping from his lips. His presence had not been entirely absent from the pack, but it had not been strong enough. "I will always be there." He had to pull himself out of the rut he had fallen into. Nobody would feel sorry for him -- and what an opportunity he had to succeed here.


'Pull yourself together, you look like shit.' A snort fell from his lips as he looked her over, slipping back into his normal self around her, though the pain still ebbed in his leg. The flesh would heal over there, but it would never quite be the same. A slight chuckle fell from his lips. "Well, you look fat," he commented idly. It was no so strange that she had put on some weight -- as a Queen, she would not easily go hungry now -- but something was a bit off about it. His nose wrinkled as he eyed her. Her scent had changed significantly, now that he tasted it once again, and he leaned a bit closer to her. "You're pregnant." He'd experienced a pregnant Cat before, and it had not been much fun -- who had she fucked this time, he wondered?

His replies rolled off his tongue sharply, his annoyance becoming evident, the silver woman would only narrow her eyes, she had every right to lay into him. But the conversation would quickly change, flowing into less aggressive topics. He snorted, and immediately noted the change in her body. A growl vibrated in her throat as he called her fat. He would lean closer, his nose wrinkling before his accusation rolled off his tongue. For a moment she said nothing. "Yes." She confirmed it, there was no point in denying it, he was far to observant to not notice. And he was the only one bold enough to ask. "Kylar is the father." She kept the details to a minimum, he didn't need to know the extend of their relationship or the feelings they shared. If he asked then she would answer, but if he didn't then she would say nothing. "I will need you to step up when its time for me to rid myself of these things." It was not a request, it was part of his duty as Alpha. If a meeting needed to be called then he needed to make sure it got done. He hadn't been at the last meeting with the higher ranking wolves so she didn't expect him to know which meetings to call and when, but she would fill him in.

Though he felt pathetic to the core, he knew Cataleya would make no effort to make him feel better. Truthfully, it was her staunch nature that helped him stay so stable -- it pushed him to be stronger and powerful once again. Despite the pain that throbbed in his leg, a symbol of his utter devotion to her and determination to aid her in this venture, he stood a bit taller as he reclined to his haunches near her. Though he was rather thin as of late, a few good meals would enable him to fill in his massive frame again rather easily. His dark tail flicked idly behind him as he waited for her response.

She did not respond completely favorably. It seemed she had a habit of having children when she did not anticipate them. Surely she was not so stupid to ignore the possibility of becoming pregnant? He was utterly thankful that they had not conceived children during their brief time spent together. If anyone, he would certainly chose her to have children with -- but he didn't want any. Probably never would want any. A slight scowl turned the corners of his lips down, but a cold laugh still managed to escape his pursed lips.

"Interesting," he said simply. Perhaps now he wouldn't be given the task of caring for her children, a duty he rightfully didn't mind passing up. "And I would be honored to." He would prove to them his dedication to this pack, and they would learn to respect him; he would settle for nothing less. "Your wish is my command." Though his tone was teasing, in a way, he was serious also. It seemed he had lightened up considerably since first meeting Cataleya, though a gleam of hatred seemed incapable of ever disappearing from his amethyst gaze.

He had always been a man of few words. She would ignore his sarcasm, settling herself to be satisfied with his promise. The Queen would scrutinize him for a brief moment. There was no sure way to tell that he was committed, she would simply have to wait and see. And if it came down to it, he would lose more than his rank. "Good. Call together the next meeting for the higher ups. We gather once a season to discuss any issues or members." It was a simple command, one she hoped he was follow through with. Nostrils quivered, his blood still clung heavily to the air around them, but it was merely a flesh wound, it would heal in time. Idly the woman wondered what he planned on doing with his life. If he took this chance and stepped up as an Alpha then would be satisfied ruling the rest of his life? Would he ever settle down, find a girl even? She would walk past him, brushing against his side as she did so. "Don't disappoint me." She would glance over her shoulder at him. -exit?-