Kaitlyn was terrified. The birthing had started, and Gods above it had taken her so long already. Clay was off somewhere, she prayed close enough, perhaps hunting… Kaitlyn shook though, wondering what Lucifer might try to do to her if he found her before she had the pups. If he smelled Clay… she flicked her ears back, giving a soft whine. Either way, the female thought, if Lucifer showed up she was going to be in for a world of hurt. Kait knew it, and, were it not for the fact she was going to give birth here, probably would have been pissing herself in fear the moment Lucifer’s scent was on the breeze or she heard his voice.

It took hours for the children to be born. Three alive… one stillborn. Kait had cleaned them, as a mother should, but her body felt sickened. She could barely look at the tiny pup who had been born still… It looked like it’d been crushed by it’s larger siblings. Kait shuddered and, after having let the three nurse a short while staggered to her paws. She knew Clay was right… she had to run. She grabbed the stillborn child, and, with a heavy sigh left the den.

Looking around Kait paused before breaking into a run. If she could just get away from here, get to Clay...

He wasn't naive to the fact that Kait had run off. In fact he was tracking her down. He had moved Vianni to a particularly ghostly forest that seemed to be a good place. After all if you didn't watch where you went you'd get turned around quickly and lost. It was even dark enough that the winds sounded like ghosts. It would keep many at bay.

He moved at a slow deliberate pace, with his nose to the ground. She was easy enough to track since she never once seemed to have a head on her shoulders. At least she could hunt he supposed. Though her tastes weren't refined like his and Vianni's. He found the end of the trail and what he found was Kait running with a still born. He eyed her, and a twitch of his lip was all he gave to betray his self. He was truly exhausting himself with hunting the biggest game he could alone for Vianni. His blood red orbs sat upon her, likely his lack in anger showing through. "So you intend to abandon them, not speak with me about your problems, and spit on my protection of you then?" he gave her no time to answer him. His face held a seriously disappointed look to it though. He moved to the pups then and sat with them, covering them with his tail for warmth. Noctus eyed him warily, not sure of his master's lack of anger at her trying to kill his children. "So be it then. Go take none of my children for you are not worthy of being called their mother. Go sleep with your male companion, do not return to me for my protection, nor to seek out my children. If you do I'll let them devour you." he looked to noctus then and nodded to him to come closer. He'd have to have the children escorted to Vianni by noctus one at a time until he could help.

Noctus was quick in approaching. He took the first, a large female with a striking mask. He could swear if he knew no better that she had come from Vianni with her darker pelt. He gave one word to name her. "Belua." and with that noctus was off. To deliver the first to Vianni. His eyes fell on Kait then. "you may name the other two before you take your leave." he liked to think he was a very reasonable man to those that deserved it.

Kaitlyn froze. All of a sudden he was there, and he was more than ready to deliver judgement. Kait’s ears flicked back, holding the stillborn carefully within her jaws for a moment longer before lowering it to the earth. She wasn’t sure what to say to him. To tell him how she’d been hurt… how she’d tried to stay positive with him and Vianni. But it was hard… so hard… he couldn’t understand. Vi’s words from that day still rung in her ears. The threat behind them. If she had sought Lucifer out… then she’d have had to deal with Vianni’s anger. She couldn’t win.

Kaitlyn felt a stab in her heart. She didn’t want to abandon them… Gods she didn’t… but she didn’t know what else she could do. She lowered her gaze, setting the stillborn at her paws. She felt weak… dizzy… but she knew she couldn’t rest here. Not now. “You’d never understand… all you’d see is your Queen’s side of things.” Kaitlyn replied, the hurt evident in her tone. “I trusted you… and you betrayed that trust. I heard what you said to her… about taking them away from me if you had to. How is this any different?”

Kaitlyn shuddered, shaking her head. “These children won’t know their mother… but perhaps that is for the best.” She glanced down at the stillborn again, her heart clenching in her chest. “I’m sorry things… have to be this way…” But why was she the one apologizing? She’d been the one who was hurt! She glanced up at Lucifer then, giving a defeated sigh. “The boy… His name shall be Gary… and the other girl… Lyle…” Kait turned then, feeling tears prick her eyes. “Not even they will be equal in your eyes, will they?” She whispered, a tone so soft she doubted the male heard it. She turned then, hesitating as she glanced at the stillborn. Would she even be allowed to give it a proper burial?

Her words brought a snarl to him. It was deep and guttural, protective even of what he knew was his. Vi was his and these children were as well. He was a man of many faces and she had yet to see the man that would kill for his most loyal of followers, the man that would gladly die to keep his family safe. Had she ever thought about what she gave up by abandoning them? No most likely not.

"You think I would not understand? You do not know how much I would understand anything Kait. Understand that to me words are always empty, they mean nothing, it is the actions one takes that have meaning to me. Even with my own words. There is also none that govern me, Vianni is queen because she has proved how loyal to me she could be. She has proved what she is willing to give up to stand by my side, and for that I will give my life to see her and hers live." his words held venom now. Kait had no idea about his temper. If he wasn't concerned with keeping the children alive he would already be ripping her tongue out for her inability to use it anyway. To her thought that they wouldn't know their mother he gave a snort. Of course they would. None of them would know Kait, but they wouldn't see any other but Vianni as their mother now so they would.

"Their mother is Vianni, and they will know nothing of you. They will be just as equal as my others, but understand it would of been no different any other way. They are all my children. Vi's firstborn son is heir only by birth right. You know nothing about how I feel about any of my children, so perhaps I shall let you know now. Every child of mine is precious, none have favor over another, different mothers matter not to me. They are all mine, to love, to protect, to die for." he put emphasis on the last sentence. Perhaps then this daft woman would understand. She truly had no idea about how deep his own loyalties went. She struck a deal with the devil and so had Vi. Their deals are what protected them from him. He was a man of his word no matter what that deal was.

Kaitlyn bristled at Lucifer’s words. “You’re right.” The female spat, her tone become hard as both of her alters fought beneath the surface of her conscious. “Words do mean nothing to you. Your actions, while I thought they were kind at first, showed me how distance I was forced to be. Your mate didn’t want me to touch you… didn’t want me to show signs of happiness near you. What the fuck do you expect me to do!?” Kaitlyn bared her fangs, and though she was no threat in size compared to Lucifer she would speak  her mind.

“...and your words have proved to me you’re nothing but a filthy, fucking liar. You probably knew she’d want to keep me away, right? Then she dared make it known I could only go to her for company… yet gave me the cold shoulder. I was alone, even I was around you both!” Hot tears formed in her eyes as she backed away, her emotions threatening to consume her. “I wanted to be loved… protected… but I didn’t expect to be treated like some den bedding in the process.” The female turned her gaze away from him. She didn’t want him to see her cry.

“You were willing to rip them away from me… I heard you say it to her…” Kaitlyn bristled a bit more. “...and you told me the day we mated that MY children would never be equal to hers. That they were not your heirs. They were different… and I was nothing but your little slut, your little whore… You… you didn’t really care about me. You just wanted to further your bloodline!” Kaitlyn felt even more sick than before. “So take them… take the children you claim to covet. Hopefully your actions to them will be truer than the ones to me.”

With that Kait spun on her heels, rushing helter skelter away from the scene. She doubted she’d get far before she collapsed… but hopefully Clay would find her then. The Gods knew she needed a friend right now...

-Exit Kaitlyn-