Venom felt los tsince Ashen had fallen through Chimera’s paws. Like a part of her identity was suddenly lost to the winds. Her family was now scattered, and she felt broken and useless. She hadn’t been able to face Avacyn of Elysium so she had not followed her brother to their sister pack. Instead she lingered in the red rocks,uncertain what the next step would be. Of course her husband would be there to prop her up, and if she did not have him Venom was uncertain if she would have had the strength to carry on after such loss.

Another day of laying in the caverns as she moped and mourned for the tragic blow that had befallen her. Uncertainty at its highest point as she closed her eyes and tried to relax to the sound of the underground streams. A heavy sigh from her lips as she thought about the life that continued on in Boreas without her, and she wondered if she had even made a mark or if anyone would remember her name.

News of her granddaughter taking up a pack had reached her, and the thought had lingered in her mind with pride. She wondered if she might do some good if she and her mate were to offer their power to Delphi. She hadn’t brought it up yet, but surely Maverick would feel the hope of his wife looking towards the future again.


"Venom & Maverick"

Maverick was angry. He was downright furious with Chimera for letting Ashen fall apart so easily. Generations of work and history, just gone... washed away like refuse in the aftermath of a storm. All the work Venom and her family had put into establishing their empire had no matter in the end when it came to the carelessness of her brother, and just as easily as Venom had handed the pack over, Chimera had let it be decimated. Ruling and power had never mattered to Maverick, but Ashen had been important to Venom, had been the home to their children, and now it was all gone because of him. If sickness didn't claim the degenerate wolf, then Maverick vowed he would do it himself if for no reason other than giving the failure of a Klein the just desserts he deserved.

In the aftermath, Mav had put on his bravest face and tried to hold things together for Venom. She had recovered from her depression only to go right back into it when she found out what Chimera had done, only this time he didn't know how to help her. There was no throne for her to return to, their ancestral home had been taken up by strangers yet again, and their family was split and scattered across the world. Mav knew Rebel had gone down south to the Hallows, which brought him some comfort knowing she'd be safe with their friends, but Rogue, Renegade, and Rampage had all gone off the grid. He had no way of knowing if his sons were all right or not, where they were, or if they were even still alive. He just had to hope that they'd found their own way like Rebel had.

Returning to the cave he had made into a makeshift den for him and Venom, Maverick prowled through the dark of the night, a pair of hares caught in his jaws. His entire life's mission had become keeping his mate alive. He brought her food and tried to get her to eat, tried to get her to do anything besides lay in bed, and when that failed he was content to just lie there with her. They had never gotten to have the proper royal wedding they had dreamed of, and now it seemed like they never would, which broke his heart on her behalf more than anything. He'd have to find some way to still give her the dream wedding she'd always wanted...

Stepping into the quiet of the den, Mav's claws clicked on the stone floor, announcing his presence. He strode through the tunnels to their bed, seeing Venom still lying there where he'd left her. His heart sank and he sighed. Coming over to the bed, Maverick dropped the hares down beside her—dinner in bed—and then moved close to nuzzle her neck, careful to avoid her quills hidden in her scruff. "I brought you something to eat," he spoke softly to her, deep voice rumbling in the quiet and the dark. Hopefully she'd feel up to eating tonight. "How are you feeling, love?"

"Venom & Maverick"

Despite her shortcomings and her flaws Maverick stayed by her side no matter what. Through her decline and relinquishing of the throne. Though she knew power never held much allure of him, she had always been his real prize. Still, the fall of Ashen held them both quite devastated. Their family was scattered to the wind, and the Klein name was broken. After all of it, Venom felt oddly neutral about it all. What had her most concerned was the scattering of their little family. She could only thank whatever gods were out there that their brood were old enough to take care of themselves. They could make their own decisions and she could worry less about their whereabouts than if they were still young pups.

A yawn opened her maw just as Maverick returned to their current den. Her sunset gaze lifted to his form as the click of his claws revealed his presence. He had a present for her, a tasty meal just for her. She grinned up at him, incredibly thankful that she had him as her rock now. The one constant in the turmoil of their lives. "Thank you, my love.” She murmured as she nuzzled him in return, her eyes closing in pleasure as he asked how she was. "I’m.. Alright. Better than I’ve been.” She hadn’t had any hallucinations for strange happenings since that day she had imagined falling into the volcano. "You’re too sweet to me.” She went on with a grin, unable to imagine where she would be without him.

"Venom & Maverick"

Venom shifted when he approached her, lifting her head with a sleepy yawn as groggy sunset eyes met his own turquoise ones. He returned her easy grin, finding it easy to smile with her still despite the turmoil their lives had been unexpectedly thrown into. It was almost a little ironic the circumstances they found themselves in, and if Venom hadn't been so miserable about it, he would have almost found it humorous. Venom thanked him, then assured him that she was fine and doing better than most days. That news lifted Mav's heart. Good days were becoming more common than the bad ones at least.

When Venom made a comment about about him being too sweet to her, Maverick just scoffed and shot her a lopsided grin. "Nah, I could never be too sweet on you. You mean the world to me, Ven. This is the least I could do." Snuggling up closer around his mate, Mav began to tear into his food, keeping an eye on Venom to make sure she started eating too. That had been the hardest part of keeping her cared for these last few seasons—making sure she kept up with eating and her nutrition. "Y'know, it's kinda funny, we started out with me being the scruffy ruffian loner and now we're both roughing it out in wild lands," he said in casual observation with a deep chuckle. "For an Empress, the roughing it lifestyle is very becoming on you, gorgeous." Leaning his head over, Maverick planted an affectionate lick to the side of Venom's muzzle, nuzzling along the side of her neck while he was showering her with affections.

"Venom & Maverick"

Were it not for Maverick Venom truly did not know where she would be after everything that happened. Feeling like she was losing her mind then losing their home and pack. This had been Maverick’s life before they were together though, and she was in good paws when it came to their new lifestyle as vagabonds. She didn’t wish that Ashen had fallen but their newfound freedom was a feeling that she had never explored before. Since birth she had been in Ashen so this was truly a completely new way of life for her.

Mav just grinned at her when she told him that he was too sweet, but he disagreed with her. Venom wasn’t about to start to argue because she knew exactly how he felt. "And I, you, dearest.” She returned softly as she snuggled into him and the two of them settled in comfortably. "And I don’t know what I would do without you.” She told him lovingly, ending her sentence with a kiss upon his muzzle. She chuckled as he mentioned how they were now ruffians together.

Maverick kissed her in return as he mentioned how gorgeous she was as a wilding. "If you say so,” She knew he would find her attractive no matter the circumstance just as she felt for him. "I have felt… less than with the loss of my title and decorum.” She returned somewhat sadly.

"Venom & Maverick"

This was a difficult time for Venom, this transitional period between everything she had known and an uncertain future. Maverick knew this wasn't easy for her and he was doing his best to be her foundation and stability she could rely on while they charted these unexplored waters together. Together the pair of lovers snuggled in their rustic bed, tucked away from the rest of the world for the time being, exchanging sweet words and tender kisses. It was perfect by Maverick's standards. He didn't need his beloved wife to be an Empress or an alpha. He wanted her just the way she was—and he always would.

Venom seemed to dismiss his flirtatious compliments to her, seeming troubled with something in her mind. Mav had been about to ask her what was on her mind when Venom intuitively gave him the answer, explaining how she had felt lesser since the loss of her title and decorum. To that, Maverick gave a little snort and wrinkled his nose in incredulity, looking Venom over from tip to tail as if he were admiring a work of art—and in many ways, he was. "The only thing that's changed is your title, Ven. You're still the same Venom you've always been, if not stronger and more free of those expectations of ruling. You're still the same wicked clever, sharp as a tack, charming, beautiful, loving fae I fell in love with." A cheeky grin slowly crept its way over Mav's muzzle as he leaned in closer to nuzzle against his lover's cheek, nipping playfully at her closest ear as he whispered in husky tone, "And between us, you never really had much decorum around me anyway. But if it makes you feel better, I'll still call you 'Empress' in the bedroom." Playful and sly as ever, Maverick wanted to show Venom nothing had changed about her for the worse. She was still everything she had always been in his eyes, if not more now that she continued on in spite of her opulence and regalia.

"Venom & Maverick"