The cooler nights of the northern autumn were bitter cold compared to anywhere else in Boreas. It wasn't uncommon for the grasses beneath heavy paws to crunch like shards of glass as frost formed across the foliage. The sky above was clear and bright, a blanket of dark indigo studded with silver stars and a glowing moon. The silver light silhouetted the large, hulking form of the dark-furred dire wolf as he slunk silently out of the tree den he shared with Lurid and Kichi, peering back at their sleeping forms in the darkness. A small smile touched the brute's lips before he slunk out of the warm den and into the cold, still night. He needed to get away from them, to be alone with his thoughts for a few moments. Ever since his encounter with... whatever that thing had been in the cave weeks ago, Alastor had been suffering through more and more sleepless nights, the creature's words weighing heavily on his troubled mind. Since then, he had kept himself occupied through the days by tending to the injured Lurid and taking care of Kichi, a full time job in its own right, and didn't have any downtime to dwell on his experience. But the nights were different. Alone in a quiet, dark world, all Alastor was left with were the thoughts, the memories, and the worries.

Now you will give birth to a little monster like yourself...

Those damned words buzzed around his brain like those fucking bugs had in that hellish cave. What did that even mean?! Was the bug creature just trying to fuck with his head, or had he actually hexed the man in some manner? The fact that he would never know drove Alastor mad and made him want to lash out in anger at... well, everything. He felt dirty, tainted by something beyond his control. All he had ever had to look forward to in life was now possibly twisted and warped in some horrific way. What did it mean?! Alastor stopped just outside the den's entrance, not wanting to wander too far from where Lurid and Kichi were sleeping, gods forbid someone or something came in when he was gone. He still had a duty to protect them, after all.

Alone with nothing but his dread and heartache, Alastor sat back on his haunches, his bushy tail curling to wrap around his paws while he stared up at the starry heavens above. How was he ever going to tell Lurid about this? How could he be expected to fulfill his vows to her now that he was fouled with such an obscure curse? He could never allow her to birth his children not knowing what might come next. What if they killed her in childbirth, or harmed her in some other manner? What if they grew to be far more demented than even he was? How could he choose who to defend and who to fight when it was between his mate and his child? Of course, Alastor knew what one solution could be... but the thought made his stomach turn. He was a monster, and he would not deny that, but he was not that monstrous. Those were his own children, for gods' sake! The very thought of having to murder one of them... Alastor bared his teeth in a silent growl, wishing with all his might that the earth would just open up and swallow him whole, to end his misery and prevent Lurid from ever being subjected to his curse. He wasn't good for her anymore. He wasn't fit to be her mate or to create the next generation of Amarix rulers. All he was good for now was to die.

"Speech" | Thoughts

Warning: Alastor is an explicitly mature character for violent and sexual content. Read his threads with caution.
As his mate, Manea may enter any of Alastor's threads not marked Private.
____________________

Here, kitty kitty, come and tighten the leash;
How about a little discipline for the violent beast?

It wasn't like her to sleep at night, she was sensitive to the sun and as a result, her usual hours of operations were from sundown to sun up. Recently, however, her body demanded she rest; even against her own nature. The ivory goddess was sleeping more than she ever had, but she was still aware most of the time. The consequence of being a light sleeper - you never miss anything that happens around you when you sleep. There was a noticeable chill in the den as the air stirred and Alastor exited, his mass disturbing the air and waking her up. Brilliant white lavender eyes watched with concerned interest in their holographic depths, having heard the behemoth's growls in the night that signaled nightmares. Lurid had coaxed him through his terrifying nights before, but this felt different. This seemed to hit him somewhere even his father hadn't been able to affect him, and what ever it was that plagued the demonic man hurt. It didn't take a rocket scientist to see his torment and Lurid wasn't going to make him suffer alone, even if he had gone out to get space. The white devil gave him a few moments to breathe, then rose on three legs while she put on her very crudely fashioned sling and followed Alastor outside.

Silently padding through the darkness of the night, the snowy empress moved with caution. She was unsure of Al's current mental status, and couldn't risk further injury to herself or him. When she found the brindled behemoth, his posture said something ate at him. Lurid could see these things in her lifelong friend, he was tense, his tail curled around his legs in a subconscious gesture of self-comfort, and his breaths barely seemed to hang in the chilly autumn air. "Alastor, are you okay?" Her duo-toned voice rang softly as a bell in the darkness, notes of heavy concern drifting into the lyrics. What would drag him from the warmth of the den at this hour? "Nightmares again?" She asked, trying to find a way to gauge his reaction to her presence. It had been a long while since he had been plagued by such things, and Lurid had thought them to be a thing of the past. If anyone knew about the resurgence of nightmares, it was Lurid. She had been having plenty of her own since she came out of that strange cavern, most of them involving collapses of crystalline tunnels or worse. Had something devastating happened to Alastor there too? Could that have been the reason he was awake now? Worry for her long-time crush and friend had her coming to sit closer than would seem wise, but she was not afraid.

Word count: 454 words.
"Talk." || 'Think.' || 'Hear.'

Note: I am super in love with this table!

ART

It should have come as no surprise that Lurid would have been awake and alert to notice him try to slip away, no matter how stealthy he thought he had been. It still made the male's fur bristle unconsciously when he heard her melodic voice call out his name, though it wasn't in aggression. It was a gesture of tension, surprise and anxiety reading like words in a book in his posture. Despite his best attempts to remain stone-faced, his body language betrayed his thoughts. He turned his head a fraction of an inch towards her to acknowledge that he had heard her address him, but otherwise made no motion to face her, not even turning his eyes away from staring into space. She asked if he was okay. No, I'm not... She asked if it was nightmares upsetting his rest. Something like that... He didn't utter any of these thoughts, instead keeping them locked inside the prison that was his mind. He couldn't tell her the truth so bluntly. How could he? The truth would devastate her, ruin her dreams and plans of the future. But here she was. There was no avoiding this conversation now.

Alastor didn't show any signs of aggression or desire for her to back off when she came to sit closer to him. He appreciated her presence and he wouldn't scorn her for looking out for him. It was a nice gesture, one that she had been keen to for most of their lives. No one looked out for him, save for her. Perhaps that was why he had been so willing to bind himself to her. Blood repays blood. But now he was incapable of fulfilling his oath; how was he supposed to tell her that?! Alastor slowly closed his eyes, letting darkness blind him as he exhaled a long, drawn out sigh. There was no good way to tell her what had happened in that crystal cavern. With any luck, maybe he'd be able to convince her to cut him out without much reasoning why. It would be better for the both of them. She wouldn't have to be saddled with whatever burden he had been cursed with, and he... Well, he could finally cut loose and burn the world until the fires consumed him too. Death seemed like a preferable alternative to whatever may come, especially if it put Lurid in danger.

"You always could read me like a book, Lurid," he replied after a moment to collect his thoughts, a ghost of a smile painting his face as he cast a cursory glance over his shoulder at her. It was hollow though, lacking the carefree mirth the deranged man usually smiled with, his eyes missing the luster of insanity in them and appearing like sinkholes where shimmering onyx had once resided. "I just have a lot on my mind. It's nothing you need to worry yourself over..." Please just go back inside, Lu... Don't make this conversation happen... He knew it was wishful thinking, but maybe Lurid would take his half-truth at face value and go back to sleep. He glanced back at her again with the same feigned smile, his eyes drifting to the leg held in the sling. "You should go back to bed. We don't need anything else hurting you, not when you have a pack to prepare for..." His final sentence held a dark meaning only he knew. Nothing else is going to happen to you—because I won't allow myself to do anything to hurt you...

"Speech" | Thoughts

Warning: Alastor is an explicitly mature character for violent and sexual content. Read his threads with caution.
As his mate, Manea may enter any of Alastor's threads not marked Private.
____________________

Here, kitty kitty, come and tighten the leash;
How about a little discipline for the violent beast?

The silence stretched between them, if not for the slight motion of his head, Lurid would have thought he was ignoring her. It was unlike him to tense at her approach, and for a moment, the empress felt her confidence waver. Had she done something to anger him? Nothing sprang to mind that would have been recent enough to warrant a reaction now, it had to be something else. His bristling didn't worry her, but it was unlike him to give anything away, let alone these small body cues she was able to see without even trying. There was something unraveling her dark knight, even if he wouldn't admit it right away. Whatever was keeping him awake, it was worse than when she had found him soaked in blood and hysterical all those years ago. Alastor wasn't one to fall apart and to see the string of his sanity coming undone slowly made her nervous. He was a grenade with a dysfunctional pin on the best days when something ate at him as it did now...There would be no saving anyone in his path when he detonated. There was no surprise on her face when he tried to deny anything was wrong, even a gentle roll of her eyes was given as he told her to go back to bed. Lurid knew there would be only one way to get him to come back to the den and help warm Kichi, she had to get him talking. Some days, getting the brute to shut up was the trick. This, however, would take some elbow grease and finesse. "Oh, well...If you insist..." She said gently, dejected-sounding as she tensed her body as if she was going to actually listen to what he was saying rather than what he wasn't.

Almost immediately, her body relaxed back into her seated position and she fixed him with a stare that said she wouldn't be moving any time soon. He wouldn't have left her side, and hadn't, even when she had gotten snappy. There was a part of her own vow that she took seriously, no matter what was going on in her life, she would be sure to make time for him. Lurid stood by her promises, they were binding, whether she brought darkness or light was entirely upon the one she made the promise to. A vow was much more serious, and if she failed to uphold her end, she would gladly meet her end. It was probably the oldest custom of the Amarix rulers, one that had been set in place by ancestors she couldn't even remember the names of. Their pact stated that should one go mad, the other would have to kill them or die themselves. After this legend, her family had made it a practice of theirs. It was a rather effective deterrent for some of the more dishonest Amarix family members, a way to ensure loyalty between family. Seeing as Lurid was not ready to die, she wouldn't be leaving Alastor alone when he clearly needed her.

The white in her holographic eyes glinted in the light of the full moon, making them gleam eerily as she fixed the abyssal depths of his own gaze with a look that said it all. She would obviously not be leaving him to catch death by himself. "I know you better than that, Alleycat." Lurid could feel her heart beating against her chest, what could he be keeping from her? The shadowy demon had never been one to keep things from her. She had been the one to discover him right after he killed his father, after all, and she hadn't said a damned thing about that. Surely her reaction wouldn't be as bad as he was expecting, nothing could be that bad, right? 'Why won't you talk to me?' The thought came unbidden, and something in her chest clenched tightly. Had she been wrong to kiss him after their escape from the crystal cavern? Betrothal or not, both of their parents were dead, she wanted Alastor to want her because he wanted her. If he didn't... Lurid swallowed the knot in her throat she had been unaware of. Why was she suddenly so nervous? Taking a soft, steadying breath, the pale goddess said nothing else, only sat there in the dark with the demonic man, and began to doubt herself. There was something foreign in his gaze, she recognized it, but there was no place for it on Alastor's handsomely chiseled face. That belonged to prey, to victims, to enemies. To see it on him made her pupils dilate in subconscious reflex, the hunter in her wanting to reach through and act, her own monster threatening to come to the surface.

There were only a scant few who knew what fear was for her, what the sight or smell or sound of fear did to her. It had taken her ages to learn to ignore it in Kichi but to see it suddenly manifest in a wolf who had never known fear was unexpected. The look caught her off her guard, and a tic worked at her jaw as she worked to restrain herself, keeping her struggle silent. "You can't lie to me, I see you." 'I smell you...' The last she didn't add, she also neglected to mention how the sick fantasy of delving her teeth into his flesh for keeping secrets when he made promises never to do such things, of bathing herself in his blood for daring to attempt to make her break her own vows to be there for him. The lines of Amarix ran deep with monstrosities, Lurid being the worst thus far, but sane enough to function. What could be worse than that?

Word count: 959 words.
"Talk." || 'Think.' || 'Hear.'

Note: Edited...

ART

Lurid's almost immediate resignation to his simple request to go back to bed and the dejection in her voice struck Alastor to what remained of his fragmented heart. He heard her shift behind him and his gut wrenched. He didn't want to worry her; she didn't deserve that and she was only being concerned for him. It would be an idiotic move to scorn the only support he had ever known in his life. "Wait," he called back, finally relenting and turning to face her in time to catch her returning to her seated stance, closer than he'd realized yet still with cautious distance between them. She was giving him space in case he exploded. It was fair, especially given his track record of spontaneous violence. But he would never turn that aggression on her—not his Lurid. He couldn't keep this from her without hurting her, and he had vowed to protect her from all harm. But what happened when his vows conflicted? He had to be honest, but being honest would inflict harm, yet protecting her from harm would require lying to her. It was a catch-22 and there was no good answer. But there was one path that led to less damage.

She reassured him that she knew him better than that, and she was right. No wolf knew the dark corridors of his own splintered mind and twisted personality like she did. His jaw clenched when she accused him of lying to her. He wanted to snap back that he wasn't lying to her—he just wasn't telling her the entire truth. He would never lie to her, that would go against his oath to her, and he knew the penalties for defying his vows. Expression hardening, he fixed Lurid with a look that begged her not to press further, but he saw the same predatory gaze in her glistening holographic eyes, the moonlight accentuating the tones of lavender in her silvery gaze. In the moonlight, she looked positively radiant, like the most elegant of specters, haunting his very existence in the most intoxicating of ways. He wanted so badly to confide in her, to relinquish himself to her in every way a wolf could to another. He wanted to surrender to her completely, to lose himself in her, to forget every trouble weighing on his mind and find solace in her touch and smell and sound and taste. But he couldn't—not anymore.

"I'm not lying to you," he replied to her, rising to his paws and moving closer until they were face to face, mere inches separating the two contrasting demons. He gazed deeply into her gorgeous eyes, studying her beautiful features as if he would never see her again after this moment. So many fantasies played out in his head of what he wanted to do, each more pleasant and enticing than the last. But instead he took a deep breath, letting it out in a slow exhale before gathering up the courage to speak to his queen. "Lurid, I'm sorry... but..." He swallowed hard, maintaining eye contact as he continued. "I am no longer fit to be Dread Father of the Mirovis empire—or to be your partner..." He gave her a moment to process his words, already anticipating her next question. "I vowed to never let you be harmed and to protect you with my life. In order to keep that vow to you, I have to give up my claim as your future mate."  

Alastor was unable to hide the pain or regret in his obsidian eyes as those words left his lips. He tactfully avoided mentioning the curse or the cave. She didn't need to know the details, only that he was unfit for her, tainted with a curse he couldn't begin to guess what would happen. He would still be her bodyguard, to protect her from any threat to her or her empire, but he could not continue to live a life with her in good conscience not knowing how he might eventually bring her to danger or grievous harm. Alastor wished he could go back in time and prevent himself from ever entering that god damned cave, then this moment would never have to happen. He wouldn't have to worry for Lurid's safety, or break her heart, or make her hate him. He half expected Lurid to attack him now, and he was prepared for whatever she may punish him with. He deserved all of it for his stupidity for getting himself in this situation. Maybe she'd just kill him and end the suffering for him. If she did, he only prayed that she made it a magnificent spectacle.

"Speech" | Thoughts

Warning: Alastor is an explicitly mature character for violent and sexual content. Read his threads with caution.
As his mate, Manea may enter any of Alastor's threads not marked Private.
____________________

Here, kitty kitty, come and tighten the leash;
How about a little discipline for the violent beast?

Lurid never had any intention of actually leaving him, and the fact that he had believed she would stung in ways she couldn't even begin to explain. She tilted her head and waited, as he asked her to though the request hasn't been necessary. The moonlight goddess found herself holding her breath as she waited to see what had her dark knight so far down. There was no greater desire than the one to bridge the distance between him and wash the scared sadness from his face, to pull him close and hold him steady, to bring him back to the ground with her. The look on his face didn't match with any expression she had seen him wear before. It made her angry, if only because the way he looked at her scared her. Lurid did not respond to fear well, it made her aggressive, brutally so.

Once the apology began, her stomach sank and the world once again tilted on its axis as dread filled her and blood turned to ice in her veins. By the time he finished, Lurid was visibly panting; shaking with the effort it took not to rend his body into a hideous, heart-shaped statue. The reason he gave was paper thin at best, and she sat there blinking at him in stunned silence. How could he believe she would have ever let him near her if he was unfit? What made him think this way? She could see the way it tore at him, but she needed to know. "What makes you believe you are unfit, Alastor?" Even to her ears the tones inflected in her voice were hollow, formal, removed.

She sounded like her soul had left her body and she had been left on autopilot. Raw emotion clawed at her, forcing her to push herself back and allow the Night Mother through. Stone faced, Lurid waited for a response from him before she reacted, the least she could do was hear him out.

Word count: 332 words.
"Talk." || 'Think.' || 'Hear.'

Note: !

ART

The way Lurid's demeanor shifted into an automatic almost robotic form actually made it easier for the dark-furred demon to dissociate himself from her, the same way she was trying to do to maintain her composure. The way she was shaking with rage only solidified in his mind that this was what had to happen. If she was so upset by him trying to sever ties now, she would never have forgiven him if he'd sprung this upon them later in their lives, once they were finally preparing to consummate their union. It was better to rip the bandaid off now than let the wound fester beneath. Emotions were raw and tensions were high between both parties, that much was obvious. She was angry at him; he was angry at the world. Alastor couldn't fault her though. None of this was her fault, and yet he was the one bringing this upon her.

She asked him why he deemed himself unfit, but her words were lifeless and disconnected. She had taken herself out of the situation and was acting as an alpha now, not as his lover. It was what she always did whenever she had to make tough choices and firm decisions. Alastor had seen this side of her firsthand a number of times, but never quite like this. She was barely holding herself in, if her tremors and uneven breathing were any indications. He was having his own inner struggles coming to terms with his predicament. Alastor had always been by Lurid, supporting her every decision and action. This was the first time he had ever openly opposed what she had wanted, and she deserved to know why. This was it. There was no more hiding the truth.

Because I'm an idiot. Because I ventured into an unnatural cave and nearly got killed only to end up cursed by some fucked up bug monstrosity that wouldn't give me the courtesy of telling me what he did? That my children will be far greater monsters than I could ever be? Because every moment I'm with you now jeopardizes your life. Because I don't know what I'm capable of unintentionally doing to you now. Because I care for you and need to protect you from myself. Because I vowed to never allow anything like this to happen. Because you deserve someone who isn't broken or tainted. Because I failed you.

All of those reasons ran through his mind, but Alastor never spoke any of them. He chose his words much more carefully, knowing who he was dealing with. "Because something happened to me in those caves, Lurid. Something I didn't tell you about out of a foolish attempt to protect you." He glanced away from her momentarily, just long enough to allow himself to collect his thoughts without being captivated by her beauty or succumb to his guilt by the pain in her face. "When I was in the caves, I met this... creature. I don't know what it was, but it cursed me. Or so it claims... I have no way of knowing if anything has actually happened to me. But if it is real..." Alastor's lips quivered as his teeth flashed at the firefly lord's words echoing in his head. "If it's real, then any children I bear will become more monstrous than I am. I don't know what that means, but it could make them extremely dangerous and volatile... and it could make them a threat to you. That's why I am no longer fit to be your Dread Father. If we were to ever have these pups, they could pose a danger to you or your pack, and I would have broken my vow to you. I can't jeopardize you like that, I just can't because I-" Because I love you. Alastor's words trailed off while he shook his head, resolute in his convictions to safeguard her at all costs. "I failed you, Lurid. My own stupidity brought this on myself, and I'm sorry. I failed you when I should have been better. That's why I'm unworthy of you."

Alastor waited a few beats to let Lurid process what he had explained to her, before adding in finality, "If you want to kill me, or exile me, I would understand. I'm dangerous to you, and you need to deal with me accordingly. Do whatever you feel is necessary, my queen."

"Speech" | Thoughts

Warning: Alastor is an explicitly mature character for violent and sexual content. Read his threads with caution.
As his mate, Manea may enter any of Alastor's threads not marked Private.
____________________

Here, kitty kitty, come and tighten the leash;
How about a little discipline for the violent beast?

By the time Alastor began to explain himself, Lurid was deep in her thoughts. Sitting there in the frosted leaf litter of the redwoods, she studied his face as he began to speak, though he sounded far away - like someone had shoved cotton in her ears. With every syllable, he got clearer, until she could only focus on the sound of his voice, the broken cadence of it echoing in her mind as she attempted to keep herself from fixating. He was leaving her because he would birth monsters? 'What the fuck did he expect to breed with me?' Her thoughts circled around this, they were demonic gods on this plane, did he not expect monsters to spring from their union?

Her shaking stopped, the problem already solved in her eyes. By the end of his speech, even though he felt the weight of the world crash in on him, Lurid was grinning in an expression that said she thought he was foolish. She couldn't fault him, this time. He only wanted to do what he thought was best, what he imagined to be the safest course of action, not thinking for a second about what she might want. Honestly, Lurid had expected someone else posed a threat to her claim, she knew better but the thought was wont to cross any woman's mind at some point.

Swallowing against the lump in her throat as relieved tears welled in her eyes, Lurid released a crystalline breath into the air, shaking her head as she looked down at her good paw. "You beautiful fool," she stated with a soft, low chuckle. Alastor thought his cock was a threat to her, that his seed would somehow sprout hellish beasts, grotesque and hideous. "What are my titles? Lurid Amarix, Night Mother, Empress of Mirovis, and Mother of Monsters. I am the Dark Messiah, The Vengeful one, Harbinger of Death." It had been announced before the pack that she would not only be the next Night Mother of Mirovis, but the shamans had prophesized she was also the Mother of Monsters. In her blood ran the materials for hellish beasts, not his. Maybe this reminder of destiny would help steady his mind and aid to clear his conscience. He didn't really want to leave her, did he?

The Amarix line was rife with monsters, her own great-great-grandfather had a reputation as an emotionless beast who only existed to end life - a reputation he utilized with the utmost glee. He had been the last Amarix born with silver brindling as well, and now Lurid held the same pelt. She was foretold to bring horrors to this earth, it was something she looked forward to. She looked him over, moving closer to him and bridging the gap to nudge him gently with her shoulder. "You say he cursed you, I say he made a prophecy come to fruition. This is not a curse, dearest, it is a sign. We are extremely volatile on the best of days, Dread Father, I would expect nothing less from our children without some weird being in a robe saying they would be. Why do you run from this now?" She addressed him by his title on purpose, letting him know she would not release him so easily, and he was not excused from his role. The same being had also visited her and had refused to heal her broken leg. It seemed he was sent as a stumbling block, then, a ploy by some unseen force to make her falter.

Perhaps, the being had been a test of them both. The ancestors were only seeing what their bond could bridge - if they were truly meant for each other. That's all this was, it had to be. Maybe Alastor had forgotten his path and needed to be reminded that Mirovis was bigger than just her, they had a hell to raise. This should fix his somber mood, if not, she wasn't sure what else could be done.

Word count: 666 words.
"Talk." || 'Think.' || 'Hear.'

Note: ---

ART

Alastor had been expecting rage, indignant and uncontrollable. He had been expecting hate and heartbreak and violence. It was what Lurid was known for, after all. Mercy and understanding were not her forte. What he got instead were tears and a heavy sigh. He had not been prepared for such a sudden and honest expression of emotion from his dark queen. His brow furrowed in a cocktail of confusion and bewilderment. She seemed almost... relieved? Why would she be relieved by his explanation? He'd just told her why he could never be what she wanted him to be, and she was taking comfort in it? He was about to press her for an explanation when the moonlit goddess offered it to him first. She repeated her titles to him, placing special emphasis on the Mother of Monsters. Alastor tightened his lips into a fine line. He had always thought that title to simply be ceremonial, or in reference to her violent band of misfits she called a pack—not to literal demonic monsters!

Despite her confidence in her own prowess and regality, Alastor remained deeply concerned for Lurid's safety by whatever may spawn between them. Normal wolf pups they birthed would be touched by whatever dark forces had twisted and created the two of them, but with another layer of evil bestowed upon them... What if they were carnivorous cannibals that ate her alive from the inside out? What if they were horrifically deformed, destined to nothing but an early and painful death? He had no way of knowing, and it was that unknown factor that scared him the most and made him fear for Lurid's life.

Lurid's words brought him a little comfort, but what got the dark dire wolf out of his self-deprecating slump was when she referred to him by his future title. Red-tipped ears pricked up atop his skull, black eyes rising to meet hers with a familiar spark of life turning them back into the shining chunks of onyx she had always adored. She truly was unafraid of him or what he might bring with him. How could she be so calm and confident in the face of this unknown threat? Did she not care for her own safety? Or maybe... maybe he was being too cautious and worrying too much. If his queen was unafraid of what was to come, why should he be? Hell, he didn't even know if any of this was real. Perhaps it had all been one tremendous bluff to mess with his mind. Boy, wouldn't he feel like a damned fool then! A slow smile spread across his face as he came out of his depression. It would take him some time to truly get over the trauma, and even then, he doubted the worry would fully abate until after their first litter was born, until he had proven to himself that his cock and balls were not carrying some deadly threat to his lover.

"Forgive my selfishness, Lurid. I should have been honest with you as soon as we got out of that damned cave..." Alastor met Lurid's eyes with his own, marveling at how beautiful she was, especially veiled in the silvery moonlight. Whatever gods had granted him the good fortune to earn Lurid's favor years ago had his praise, as it had afforded him the chance to be with her like this tonight. "I should never doubt myself like that. You don't doubt me, Lu Lu, and whatever happens, we'll face it together. I was trying to protect you..." He chuckled under his breath. "...but you don't need my protecting from me. You are Lurid Amarix, and the shadows quake in fear of you. How silly of me to think I could ever do anything to harm you."

Alastor slowly raised a paw up to her face, reaching forward to caress her cheek with his paw pads. She was his queen—his, and no one else's. He would never doubt that ever again. If it weren't for her injured leg, Alastor would not have held himself back from enjoying her in the most carnal of ways. He would have savored her touch, her feel, her scent, her taste—all of her. He was trying to be careful with her, despite the primal desires smoldering like a subdued fire within him. Soon he would be able to show her how much she was his and he was hers. For now, he would have to settle for what he could get. A dark fire blazed in his eyes, and the brute chuckled before murmuring, "You make it so fucking hard to behave around you, my beautiful moonbeam." Teeth flashing in a grin, he leaned his muzzle forward aimed to capture her lips in a kiss reminiscent of the one she had given him when they had escaped the cave. She might rebuke his advances, but Alastor was done pretending she was some porcelain doll that needed to be shielded from the world. Lurid was a force of nature—his force of nature—and he was going to let their nature take its course tonight.

"Speech" | Thoughts

Warning: Alastor is an explicitly mature character for violent and sexual content. Read his threads with caution.
As his mate, Manea may enter any of Alastor's threads not marked Private.
____________________

Here, kitty kitty, come and tighten the leash;
How about a little discipline for the violent beast?

Lurid had long ago learned how to conquer fear, the only way to do so was to face it head-on and stare it down. While the prospect of misshapen children with horns and cleft palates did scare her, Lurid knew that they had about the same odds and any other couple to get such things. The one thing she knew was that she would not let fear dictate who she got to love, she would not allow Alastor to surrender to such things either. They had endured so much already, why should they quit now? Abuse, neglect, famine, disaster, plague, death...They had been up against some of the worst things life had to throw at anyone, even the death of their parents had been shared. Granted, Alastor's brand of loss in that regard was unique to him, but it was something Lurid admired him for. Alastor was the one who knew her better than she knew herself, just as she knew him. Lurid was unshakeable in her belief that the robed figure's prediction was a sign that they were on the right track, that his premonition of monsters to come meant she would succeed in her goals with Alastor at her side.

He seemed slow to believe her, sluggish in coming around, but she remained steadfast. The effect her words and behavior toward him had was showing, and Lurid was content to let him work his way back to her. She never wanted to experience this particular fear again, the thought of losing Alastor now, even without the formal bonds of matrimony tying them together...The notion that it was even possible made her afraid. Would he still want her if their children did come out as some kind of horrifying travesty that begged for culling? Even in her head, she refused to bow to fear or insecurity, knowing full well that would be admitting defeat. When she was finally able to meet Alastor's gaze again, there was a spark in the stygian depths that had been noticeably absent before. Despite what her father thought of him, Lurid knew she had made the right choice in Dread Father. Suitors had paraded themselves at her, but they had never managed to excite her. Each of them had been the cookie-cutter, stereotypical "bad boy" and not of them had actually had it in them to make her heart rise above a steady cadence. Until Alastor had come to the court.

The pale demoness was unsure even now if he had made his entrance on purpose or if he had truly been attending some other matter, but he had stumbled upon the betrothal battles. Suitors had pitted themselves against one another in an effort to curry her favor, but they lacked any substance to their fights. There had been no magic in the air until her eyes landed on Alastor. Something had clicked in her head, as he had lifted his gaze as well and their abysmal depths locked onto hers. It had seemed as though the cavernous hall had pitched and swirled until it all revolved around him. There had been an undeniable tug toward the warrior that she had to fight herself to keep from reacting to him. That had also been the day when she stunned the entire pack, they had not thought she would pick any of the contenders - purposeful or otherwise. When her brilliant, glittering form had moved across the distance toward the dark knight, the entire congregation gasped with stunned delight. He had been busy defending himself against another suitor when she made her approach. The now-dead male had been rearing up when she came for him, headbutting the male's ribs to remove him from Alastor. The male stood, excited, thinking she had chosen him to fight. She hadn't. In that instant, she made it very clear who she would have walking beside her, and he was a wolf who struck fear into the hearts of the entire pack. She had attacked Alastor, rolling him swiftly into a pin, which had been quickly reversed, and as ceremony dictated when she picked her future mate, Lurid made no move to dislodge him.

It was that day when he had managed to actually pin her to the floor, that she knew he was hers and she would be his. Before then, he had been a childhood friend, a confidante, someone to run to when lessons had been too hard on a little girl and she'd only wanted a hug. Alastor had - from an early age - ensured that Lurid had no security without him. If there was no Alastor, Lurid was prone to fits of rage, murderous rage. Kichi's parents had been subject to this. She was a terror on her own, Alastor helped her through all of that. Seeing the way he looked at her now, the deep jet of his eyes piercing into her soul made her hungry. Did he fear cannibals? Lurid herself was known to dabble in such taboo oddities as cannibalism when the occasion called for it. "Foolish indeed to think I would be afraid of our little hell-spawn." Her dual vocals were low, husky sounding, the soft whispers that usually danced behind her voice seemingly enhanced.

A soft gasp escaped her as he made his gentle caressing contact against her cheek, spellbound as even that simple gesture made her skin tingle in little silvery trails that followed where ever he touched her. Her eyes sought the hell-mouths of his own, technicolor rainbows meeting monochromatic black unflinchingly. Her heart flip-flopped in her chest as she recalled the kiss from the caverns, and in subconscious feminine fashion, she brushed the tip of her tongue against her lips as the memory drifted through her mind. "Do not ever try to leave me again..." She let the heartbreak resound in her voice as she met his hungry gaze, panic rising once again to try and claim her. In response to the spike in her blood pressure, her broken limb throbbed in a painful reminder that she needed to avoid straining herself. But...what if she didn't have to stress her leg? Alastor's admission stole her breath, he looked at her as if he wanted to devour her, and Lurid found herself thrilled rather than appalled.

An unnamed feeling stirred low in her gut as virginal nerves took her over, but she found herself tempted to give in to the carnal delights those eyes promised. She would have responded with some clever quip about the difficulty of behaving and why he should stop restraining himself, but he seemed to have no problem with the solution. Eagerly, he captured her lips, hot and demanding, as if he needed her to breathe. Her eyes widened, but soon rolled shut with pleasure as she allowed herself the freedom of getting lost in Alastor. Soft womanly sounds escaped her through panting breaths, needy whines and heady growls joined the sounds in her own siren song. Her smile would curve against his lips, and she carefully scooted herself closer to him, fully engaging him and infusing emotions of her own into their contact. She met him motion for motion, with nips of scolding anger for thinking he could leave her, then earnest pressure of a starving woman, Lurid feasted on him as much as he feasted on her. Lurid burned the way one would after a shot of high-dollar whiskey, low in her gut and radiating outward. She only broke their kiss to give loving, but rough nips to his jaw and neck, quickly returning to his lips. Lurid would let Alastor lead them, ceremony and custom be damned, she needed him. Lurid felt the need to bind him to her with more than words, she couldn't risk him trying to leave her again, but more than that. The demonic queen could feel his need for her as well, and she wouldn't deny him this time.

Word count: 1,320 words.
"Talk." || 'Think.' || 'Hear.'

Note: What did you do :o oooooooo!

ART

The soft gasp he elicited from Lurid with such a simple touch was like taking a hit of a stimulant, the quiet sound making the small grin on his lips spread wider to reveal more of those pearly-white knives in his jaws. Alastor was entranced by her; her voice captivated him, that urgent and needy look in those shimmering holographic optics stole his breath, and the way she shifted her body closer to his stoked the fire blazing in his core. Blackened heart thumped hard against his chest, pumping magma through his veins that seared him from the inside out. In her eyes, he saw their entire lives; their pasts, presents, and futures dancing in the swirls of blending holo colors. She whispered a simple command to him. "Do not ever try to leave me again..." The worry and pain in her voice rang clear like a knell. I will never leave you, Lurid, my love... Though his words remained in his head, he let them seep out through his actions. The moment his lips made contact with Lurid's, the explosion started, and once it began nothing could stop the inferno from raging on.

Heavy breaths and muted growls rumbled from the dire brute as he crushed his muzzle carefully against hers. Lips and tongue worked in harmony with Lurid's, capturing the taste of her mouth, the heat of her breath, the music of those wonderful sounds she was making. The man's pride—amongst other parts—swelled to the knowledge that he was the one causing her to act this way. It would only ever be him to have the empress this way. This moment was his prize, these actions his reward, and Lurid his destiny. His paw stroked her cheek, claws tracing the bottom of her jaw to loop around behind her head and play with a delicate ear all while keeping her from pulling back without his consent. Another black paw reached up to catch her by her waist as the gorgeous femme scooted closer, sliding her the rest of the way until their bodies were pressed together. Despite his baser needs taking control of his brain, Alastor remained cognizant of where Lurid's injured paw was; he wanted to please and excite her, not hurt her after all. But he wanted her—all of her—and he was going to have her. The devil only broke their mouths apart whenever they needed to breathe, heated exhales forming thin clouds of fog in the cool night air between them while they panted and gasped, thin trails of saliva shining like silver strings between their mouths, only to disappear when they went at one another once more.

Between kisses and rounds of making out, Lurid busied herself with covering his neck and jaw with small yet insistent nips and bites, drawing heavier gasps and husky moans from her betrothed. Paws flexed around her, digging claws into her waist on reflex. Grinning to himself, he happily joined in her game, teeth catching one of her soft ears between sharp canines whenever she went for his neck, only to return the favor to her own jaw when she hunted for his. He knew Lurid so well, but now they were learning each other in far more intimate and salacious ways. It was bound to happen at some point, he supposed. Ever since they had been bound to one another, it had been an inevitability. Yet even knowing what was coming, nothing could have prepared the dire wolf for what a whirlwind the actual moment would feel like. With an ever widening grin, Alastor pressed further, moving his paw from behind her head to wrap around her upper back. Keeping a tight hold on his lover, he carefully leaned their weights to the side, attempting to maneuver them so he could lay her down gingerly upon her back on the grass. This was the only way he could think to position them that didn't involve her putting any weight on her broken leg and where he could also make sure he didn't nudge or jostle it. If she relented and allowed him to move her, Alastor would position himself above her, surrounding her with his entire being and shielding her from the unworthy world.

As Alastor gazed down at his beautiful queen, a more genuine expression of love and admiration mixed with that hungry, wild look of lust in his obsidian eyes. Seeing the way Lurid seemed to glow like a diamond in the moonlight was bewitching. She had poisoned his mind like a drug, taking over his spirit and soul and possessing him like a specter. He wanted to love her and guard her away from everything like a cherished secret, yet at the same time ravage and fuck her until she screamed his name to the heavens to declare that Alastor of the Mirovis Empire had claimed her. She was his beginning and his end, his alpha and his omega. He would live and die by her every breath, just as he had known he'd do from the first day she had shown him a shred of kindness. Memories flickered through his mind like a skipping film reel. All at once, he was back in the darkness of his childhood home, sticky and soaked with blood, laughing and crying to himself until her dulcet duo-toned voice had called out to him. He would never forget that first moment he laid eyes upon Lurid Amarix. She had brought him food, come to make sure he hadn't died, and when she saw he had been abandoned and orphaned, stayed and spoke with him like her equal. Alastor had never given two shits about the Amarix family that ruled the pack; in his opinion, they had all been silver-spoon assholes who didn't even know he existed. That all changed when Lurid found him.

Alastor would lean in to claim Lurid's mouth in another desperate kiss, missing her taste on his tongue already. The memories skipped forward suddenly. He was a season away from turning two. An Amarix bodyguard had fetched him from his den with urgency and brought him to a gristly scene. Lurid had killed another wolf in a fit of mental breakdown and was presently trying to gouge out the throat of another. He had never really figured out what had happened to get her in such a state, but he remembered pulling Lurid away and positioning himself between her and the rest of the world. It had earned him a reflexive bite and scratch from the Amarix princess, but once he had her restrained in a tight embrace and held on the ground, she began to settle down, just as he had done when he'd found her in the caves recently. How many nights had he spent lying awake with Lurid after she'd sneak out? How many secrets had they shared? How many hours had she vented and raged to him about the tribulations she faced? How many times did he just hold her when she asked for it? He couldn't even begin to count... but he could remember the night he confessed to her about his childhood, the monster that was his father, and how he had slew him in cold blood. As far as he knew, Lurid had never shared that with anyone.

As Alastor began to shift his mouth from hers to roam across Lurid's neck and throat, he would go to return every kiss, lick, and bite she had given him back to her, working his way down the tender skin of her neck. He wished he could feel her pulse, to get an extra kick of adrenaline to feel her heart race whenever he did something. His was currently slamming into his ribcage like a hammer, threatening to burst from his chest. His muzzle moved down, following the curve of her neck to the hollow of her throat and upper chest, continuing his work down her body while black eyes were either peering up at her to catch every reaction or gliding closed to savor and focus on his work. Large black paws ran slowly down her sides, claws extended to part through her pristine white fur and rake at the soft skin just below, feeling and following every smooth curve and trace of muscle he could find. He was studying Lurid's body, memorizing her form. Being able to touch the empress like this was the greatest privilege; Alastor was going to make sure she took as much pleasure out of this as he was.

Once more, his memories jumped forward to the day that changed his life forever. He had been wandering the tunnels of the Mirovis caves when he passed by two gossips, catching the words that stopped the dire brute in his tracks. "Big to-do at the Amarix caves. Today is the day Lurid is to choose her suitor!" Alastor had known what Lurid's future entailed; she had detailed it to him during their private rendezvous. Well, he couldn't miss this! Alastor made his way to the Amarix chambers, talking his way past the guards at the entrance with sweet lies that Lurid had invited him for the show. He had been well-known as Lurid's friend, and between that and the known fact that he was a homicidal maniac, he was allowed entry. Alastor had made it into court just in time to watch the start of the courting battles. In all honesty, he had only been there to see who was competing for Lurid's heart. Several contenders were fighting tooth and nail in the vast chamber, and as Alastor watched them scrap, his gaze instinctively turned to find Lurid, watching the battles with such disdain on her face. Then she looked up and their eyes met. Time froze. Glistening lavender holograph locked with vacuous black. Her expression changed, something shifting in the way she looked at him. Alastor's casual smile had slipped from his face when he saw her, his facade gone the moment she saw him. She looked so unhappy. Alastor knew this was his one chance, and he knew what he had to do.

Grinning widely across the room to Lurid with a smile that spoke of his intentions, the dire wolf muscled his way through the crowd and onto the battlefield. He hadn't noticed the gasps or whispers, all he saw was one of the suitors turn to him and the look of dread on his face. Alastor liked the way the male looked at him. The male lunged, unwilling to give up his claim to the Amarix princess. Alastor was more than happy to engage him. He was ruthless in his fighting, biting and clawing and tearing at anything remotely close to flesh, unafraid to spill blood in an event he had essentially crashed. None of these scum were worthy of his Lurid, not if they couldn't defeat him. The first one yielded easily, the second that came for him proved to be a better match. Alastor hadn't even been aware of how many males were fighting in the skirmish until Lurid suddenly appeared in front of him, knocking his opponent away and fixing him with a steely gaze. There was that look in her eyes, a pleading challenge for him. Then she pounced. The fight with Lurid had mostly been a blur at the time, the only thing Alastor recalling with absolute clarity being those eyes and the smile on her face when he finally got her down into a pin. She had put up a challenge, but made no effort to continue the fight once he had her. She had made her choice clear. Alastor's heart had leapt up into his throat, and just like that, their worlds were forever intertwined, and his life would never be the same.

Chuckling to himself while grinning like the Cheshire Cat, Alastor paused his slow descent down Lurid's body just above her lower stomach. He moved to press his nose into her thick fur to breathe in her scent like taking a hit of cocaine. She was the most powerful aphrodisiac in the world and he was getting higher and higher with every second exposed to her. There were oh so many wonderfully lewd things he wanted to do with his queen, but he knew of the strict customs and traditions her family held in high regard. Regardless of his own urges, needs, and desires, he would never put her in a position to compromise her peace of mind, body, and soul. "I want you, Lurid," he said, his profession spoken with a heated, lust-laden voice against her skin. "I want to do everything I can to you. But you and I both know why I cannot." The brute placed a long, languid kiss and lick across her lower belly, glancing up over her form to her elegant features. His eyes smoldered with unspoken and unabashed lust. "Unless my queen were to command it, of course..." He grinned again, his paws moving towards her hips to keep her held close and still. "I will never make you beg, darling. But I will make you command me."

"Speech" | Thoughts

Warning: Alastor is an explicitly mature character for violent and sexual content. Read his threads with caution.
As his mate, Manea may enter any of Alastor's threads not marked Private.
____________________

Here, kitty kitty, come and tighten the leash;
How about a little discipline for the violent beast?

Maybe it was the shared homicidal tendancies they had, perhaps it was the fact they both had suffered by the wills of their fathers, or it could have been any number of other factors but Lurid had always found herself drawn to the heathen who so fiercely held her in his embrace. To embrace Alastor was to embrace death, something the pallid queen was no stranger to. Dotted throughout their lives, there had been instances where she had nearly given into temptation and let him have what her royal customs had held as sacred. As the heiress to the Amarix throne, her own purity was held as the 'holiest of holies,' she was not to be deflowered before there was a bonding ceremony. In her current condition Lurid wouldn't be able to perform the rites necessary to mke their coupling official. Her family would take it as a personal insult, but, they were betrothed...

His attentions thrilled her, made her want to toss away custom and take this dive with him. Her silver tongue wanted to wave the command at him in daring fashion, but reason sank into her mind to break through the fog of desire. They were only just outside the den, and Kichi was sleeping inside. The thought, though unbidden and intrusive to her wants and needs, was like a bucket of ice cold water dumped over her head. While she lay breathless and on the brink of letting go beneath Alastor, she had just enough room to roll to her stomach. Sensually, Lurid lay there looking over her shoulder to the wolf who had so captured her heart. "Not here, a stone's throw from the den." She spoke softly, her voice laced with the need of him, heady and sinful. Sitting up enough to put her back against Alastor's chest, she turned her head to place a few more not-so-gentle nips to his lower jaw, planting kisses right after. Too many times she had walked the tightrope of desire with him, tonight she would dive into this with him. As best as she could, Lurid moved to stand, then run after she caught her balance. He would follow, at least, she hoped he would.

Word count: 368 words.
"Talk." || 'Think.' || 'Hear.'

Note: Blec crap tag XD so sorry XD

ART

So lost had he been in the heady lust and need for his queen that Alastor had completely disregarded his surroundings. It was only once the ghostly white femme had rolled over onto her stomach, denying him permission to venture any further south that he blinked past stunned coal eyes to peer up at her with a quizzical look. The expression on her face told him to keep going, but the way she had moved just out of his reach perplexed him. Then she explained why, and Alastor took a moment to process her words. Oh, right! He glanced back at the mouth of the hollowed tree mere yards away from them. It wouldn't do either of them any good if the young pup inside were to wake up and stumble upon them in the throes of passion. That was a conversation neither of them needed nor wanted to have with the boy just yet!

Alastor's ears fell bashfully to his head as he realized just how close he'd been to that slip up. Before he could respond though, Lurid had sat up and leaned back into his body, gracing his lower jaw with wonderful bites and kisses that stirred sins deep inside him. No doubt she'd be able to feel the effects she was having on him with her body pressed so close to his too. A wolfish grin returned to his features, and he turned his muzzle to return the nips to her forehead and delicate ears. Lurid then slipped away from him and took off into the dark forest, leaving the dark brute sitting where she had just been, watching as she began leading the way away. It took him a few embarrassingly long seconds to realize she was leading him away from the den to continue their antics. Once realization dawned on him, Alastor's grin widened and he jumped to his paws, pausing only long enough to glance back at the den. He was concerned to leave Kichi on his own, but the aching need in his balls and promise of sex left behind in Lurid's wake were too much to ignore.

The answer to his concerns peeked out of the den after a moment. Alastor locked eyes with Ilyn, the polar bear checking on his master. Ilyn would protect the boy while he took care of Lurid's more baser needs. Still grinning like a madman, Alastor simply said, "Stay with the boy," before he turned off after his empress. Alastor had never given commands before, having never held rank nor a companion of his own—but if he was about to indulge in some of the pleasures that came with being Lurid's Dread Father, perhaps it was time to start getting used to the idea. Heavy paws pounding the ground, the black and red male bolted into the nighttime forest in pursuit of his betrothed, following her scent and the glimpses of her silvery white form like a specter in the woods to wherever she deigned to take them.

"Speech" | Thoughts

Warning: Alastor is an explicitly mature character for violent and sexual content. Read his threads with caution.
As his mate, Manea may enter any of Alastor's threads not marked Private.
____________________