He had tried to take a few hours to cool his head and that hadn't been enough. He took a couple more and that still didn't quite cut it. He had never experienced the kind of heartbreak and rage toward one individual like he had when he figured out what Aranea had done. He stalked around the whole perimeter of the pack several times hoping to walk it off and that did basically nothing to help him calm. If anything it just allowed him more time to think, more time to internalize his hurt. He went to the training fields and tore apart a few of the dummies and that did help some, but not enough to fully bring him back down to earth. It was inexcusable and heart wrenching and he could barely convince himself to even go back into the castle because he knew he'd have to face Aranea again.

Ulric had avoided pretty much everyone for most of the day, stewing in his own anger until it had settled into a deep, low ache. He had already made up his mind of what he had to do, though it still wasn't easy for him. Despite how furious he was, he was still too soft, too kind. It reminded him of when he had discovered the truth of how his sister had let her children die out of spite. He had lashed out at Philomena then, leaving them both scared, which was what he was trying to avoid, but at this point he had to do something. This had effected him too much and he refused to be drug back down just when things were beginning to turn around in his life.

With a heavy sigh he walked back into the castle, hesitating in the main entryway for a long moment before forcing himself down the hallway toward the infirmary. It was later in the day now, the sun nearly gone and darkness pulling at the sky. When he walked into the ward he saw Gwynevere lingering off to the side, sorting through some herbs, but Aranea was still where he had left her. He gave the healer a glance, nodding toward the door for her to leave. The Carpathius girl gave him a questioning glance, but complied and left him alone in the room with Aranea. He steeled his nerves and turned to face her, gritting his teeth as that anger he had been nursing started to flare again. There was a pause while he tried to sort out his emotions and failed. "Why?" he demanded, his tone cold and hard. He had blamed himself for most of their time together and the fallout that had created, but this he took no responsibility for. This was entirely on her shoulders and he needed to know why. It wouldn't change the outcome, but it was a question he needed answered for his own sake.

Ulric Adravendi

Life is short, but this time it was bigger ___________________________________________________________ Aranea had come down from the drugs now that they weren't in her system, but she still wasn't feeling entirely well. Her insides pained her, she was still feeling sick from her empty stomach. Her breathing felt a little labored as she was still processing what she had done and how she was still here. She only glanced as Ulric entered the room again, looking forward to where Gywnevere was standing but wouldn't follow her as Ulric motioned for her to leave. Instead she kept her gaze forward, away from Ulric out of the shame and embarrassment she felt. She felt the tension build as he stayed silent, probably sorting through his thoughts. And he would finally let out a single word, or question really. She instantly changed from emotionless into a sob, not letting him go unanswered. "I can't live like this anymore Ulric!" She struggled for breath through the first few words, but her words became more clear as she went on. "Allegro didn't want me like this." In fact, she had no intent of Allegro knowing she was pregnant at all,  and who knew if it could have been any different had she joined him in Abaven as she was supposed to. "I-" her voice broke as she wasn’t able to tell him what came after she left The Hallows. The stranger she let rape and berate her, it had opened her eyes to more than one thing. It did not help her self esteem as much as it was already beaten. She regained herself, looking at him as she called him out, "You told me you would do anything for me." she reminded him of the fact that he had gone back on by sending her away, even if it was justified because it was. "I would have settled for you, I would have mothered your children, I would have done anything for you." She found herself looking away, thinking of how she told him that she loved him, "You lied, you didn’t feel the same!" Her voice broke down in a sob again, she had grown her own resent of him through their time apart. For reasons that were beyond his control, and mostly out of her own delusions. Walk "Talk" ___________________________________________________________ Than the strength she had to get up off her knees

The quiet room was suddenly filled with the sounds of her sobs, her words making him grit his teeth until his jaw began to hurt. Of course Allegro hadn't wanted her. How could he blame the poor man that had fallen into the same trap he had? He could only imagine what the other man was feeling, expecting the mother of his children to come home to him only to see her pregnant. He had briefly wondered if perhaps these were Allegro's pups instead of his, but he couldn't make the timeline work in his head and even if he could her admitting that Allegro had turned her away told him all he needed to know.

His hackles began to bristle as she began turning his words back on him, reminding him of him saying that he would do anything for her, feeding him lies of how she would have settled down to be a mother for him while in turn calling him a lier for not feeling the same. Delusional, suicidal, accusatory. Turning the blame away from herself. But he wouldn't let her do it. Not this time. "Like hell you would have," he muttered, a growl to his tone. "That's never what you wanted and you know it. How was I supposed to believe that when you abandoned your own children?"

He gave a hard shake of his head a low growl pulling from his chest before he could stop it as he forced his gaze away from hers. He was done. He thought he could keep it together to speak with her to find some sort of reason in this mess, but there was none. Logic and reason were gone here. "You killed them," he managed through gritted teeth, his ears falling back against his head. "You... You could have just left them here, I wouldn't have questioned, but you... You killed them. I can't forgive that. I can't."

Ulric let out a measured breath, his claws scraping against the stone under his paws. "I don't want you here," he told her, ignoring any protests or sobs or whatever she was going to try and do to twist at his heart. She lost that privilege with this stunt. "Take whatever supplies you need and then get out of my pack. I don't want to see you here come morning." He turned to leave then, too furious to trust himself to be around her any longer.

Ulric Adravendi

Life is short, but this time it was bigger ___________________________________________________________ His words were hurting her more than Allegro's waking, Allegro may have opened her eyes to statements that she chose to ignore, but when they came out of Ulric's mouth, it hit her different. She pleaded with him, reaching out with a paw from the bed she laid on, "Ulric, I would have!" He may not have believed her, but she really would have. She would have been his mate, his wife, the mother to his children, and so much more. Somewhere in her mind she found the same undying love she had for Tyranis, and it had given her an unhealthy obsession with Ulric. So much so that she made herself believe that he felt that same way. And when he didn't come after her, along with the other soul crushing events in her last few weeks, she just couldn't live anymore. She had never had the strength to kill herself before, but it was her final breaking. She fell back into herself, letting the degrading words sink in for his sake.  Because she couldn't take back what she had done. "I didn't want to leave them here. I wanted to be with you." It was probably words to deaf ears at that point, Ulric didn't want her, especially now after what she had done to their unborn pups. Her gaze moved back up to him with a hideous distress, he was sending her away again. She almost wanted to deny him, but she knew she couldn't physically fight her way back into The Hallows, weak, pregnant, or completely healthy. "Two of them are still alive. Ask Gwynevere if you don't believe me." She huffed as she found that hatred and resentment back in her heart. "You don't have to worry about me after. They will kill me." Walk "Talk" ___________________________________________________________ Than the strength she had to get up off her knees

He was half way out the door when she told him that two of them were alive, freezing him in his tracks. He very nearly called for Gwynevere then and there as proof, but he didn't. His hackles were already bristled, but his muscles tensed as he stood there conflicted and at war with himself. He could care less if she lived or died at this point. She had caused too much pain, too much strife, for himself and those around her. Allegro, her children, their unborn children, not to even mention the tear she had placed between himself and Ezra that he had only just begun to heal... But those children. Those children that might be his. The two that might still be alive. That was enough to make him pause, make him reconsider.

But the thought of her being here in the castle made his skin crawl. He couldn't live like that for however long it would take to get her out. Not when he had the power to do something about it. He almost didn't even want the children here either on the off chance that she did survive. He didn't want an excuse for her to be here near him. But the soft spot he had for pups in his heart outweighed pretty much anything else. It was enough for him to turn toward her enough to be able to look at her again with a pained expression, his stomach churning uneasily. "I don't want you here," he repeated, his voice hard and final. He faltered slightly, giving a trembling, furious sigh. "There's a few dens on the edges of the gardens south west of the castle. Take what you need and go there. I'll send someone occasionally to bring you meals and I'll send Gwynevere to assist with the birth. But... But you can't be here. I can't... I can't live with you here. Get out."

He turned and stormed out. He was heaving air into his lungs as he stormed back out into the cool evening air, furious and pacing and at a loss for what he could do with himself. All he knew was that he couldn't be in the same room with her. He couldn't be in the same structure as her. He was at his wits end and he couldn't possibly take any more. He stalked off toward the training grounds, going to release some anger while he figured out his next steps.

-exit-

Ulric Adravendi

Life is short, but this time it was bigger ___________________________________________________________ He dismissed her again, and she found herself gritting her own teeth to more rejection not just from him, but from everyone. She looked at him again,but not able to make out any words before he stormed out of the infirmary. He didn't even give her a chance for another word. She at least expected a decency for the loss of her life but she didn't even get that. Even if she didn't care about dying, she cared that he didn't. She may have had issues staying faithful to Allegro, even if she was delusional and ignored all the things she once said to him. But she would have stayed loyal to Ulric for the rest of her life. Surprisingly she had been incredibly honest with him, even with the few instances she altered for her feelings. It wasn't long while she was left alone with her thoughts, infact right after Ulric left the room that she quickly pushed off the bed. When she had all four paws on the ground, the wobbled from the weight she was holding. She fell backwards into the shelving behind her, a couple things crashing to the floor along with the thud of her body. She started to cry from everything that had happened to her. Tyranis, her children, Allegro, Luke, and Ulric. She saw herself as worthless as everyone else did. Ulric didn't even show a care for her life. Walk "Talk" ___________________________________________________________ Than the strength she had to get up off her knees