Alastor had noticed Mariah attempting to slip out of Elysium lands every now and then for extended periods of time, never saying where she was going and always coming back looking both elated and wistful at the same time. With only one way on or off of the island, it didn't take much detective work for the former Commander to notice the pattern in her movements, watching from the shadows as she went about her life. Mariah was of course an adult now and free to act as she pleased, but the sire could not deny he felt an excessive protectiveness around his youngest litter. Their afflictions were never something he regarded as a disability in them, but as something he needed to ensure the cruel world did not try to beat them down with or take advantage of. Because of that, and because he honestly felt like he'd failed them as a father for giving them their conditions, Alastor felt compelled to keep them safe. Mariah's secret little field trips challenged that compulsion.

But Alastor did not confront his daughter directly. Oh no, that would've made far too much sense and been a rational, healthy way to address his concerns! Instead, Alastor simply tracked his daughter's comings and goings, then utilized his raven to see which direction she headed in when she hit the mainland. After establishing her patterns of movement, he brought his tracking skills into play, following shortly after her to pursue her scent across the lands. Mariah was no hunter, so she would have no reason to consider things like masking her trail or covering her tracks, and it showed. Eventually he was able to track her down to some tunnels that ran beneath Mount Volkan, but that still didn't give him the answers he sought. What was she doing all the way out here underneath an active volcano?

With even more questions than answers, Alastor decided to stake out the tunnels. He returned to Alias to grab a white blanket of sheep wool and then found a cozy little spot downwind of the tunnel entrance. He settled into the brush beneath one of the many cherry blossom trees, pulling the blanket over himself to hide his ebony fur so he could watch and wait to see what she was looking for—or who she was looking for. The snowy foliage and the blanket helped camouflage his dark form which otherwise would have stood out against the bright white snow like an inkblot on a sheet. Thankfully, Alastor's hunter skills had been honed and adapted from almost a decade of training and sharpening. Dark eyes remained locked on the tunnel entrance, his breathing slow and shallow to minimize how much steam rose from his mouth in the cold winter air. Now he just had to play the waiting game...


"Alastor"

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.
____________________

The situation he and Mariah found themselves in was... displeasing. They could neither openly express their affections nor meet as easily as when they first came into contact. Their kin were enemies, thanks to his cousin’s hotheadedness. Normally, Caedes wouldn't care about such conflicts, but this involved his love life. What a stroke of fucking luck. It was terribly frustrating, compounded by the already exceedingly complicated traditions Mariah’s family partook in. Though, if he were honest, his own family’s ways were their own monster to overcome. These thoughts always consumed his mind when she was not. Abandon his family, abandon her. Be hunted by his kin, or remain hunted by hers. Blood was blood, but she was his soul. If asked to die for her, he would. But he much preferred not to, so he could continue to worship the fragile woman.

Really, they were all driving him insane. Every one of them, except her.

As he approached the tunnel’s exit, his predatory instincts flared. Something was different this time, and a life of survivalist teachings quickly took hold of his senses. Despite his massive size, the brute moved with the grace of a beast born for the shadows, his steps quiet and meticulous as he slowly emerged from the mouth of the tunnel. He paused there, emerald eyes scanning the surroundings, ears pricked for the faintest whisper of movement. The cold breeze tightened the scars on his ruined hide, an annoyance he was accustomed to since calling the north home. He was on guard, the thick scent of Mariah still clinging to his coat. The snow-covered landscape offered little cover, and he saw… nothing. Yet he knew something was out there; it felt like a trick of his mind. The air was different, somehow. Ignoring it would have been easy.

But it was better to be sure. With a flick of his tail, he stepped out fully into the open space, just as his raven came down, clutching his mask in its claws as it confirmed his suspicions. Laying in the snow! Wolf in sheep’s clothing! A low growl rumbled in Caedes' chest, a warning to the unseen wolf, as rage and protective impulse brought the beast to life. Hackles raised, ears flattened, eyes searching the snowy ground – After all, she was still in the tunnel system, waiting. He’d told her he would be back soon. So who the fuck was this?

"speaking"

Alastor would have waited outside that tunnel all day if he had to. The wolf was old; with age came wisdom and experience. A good hunter knew how to lay in wait for his prey for hours at a time just to secure his kill. Tracking a wolf was no different; the stakes were just higher. So he waited, dark eyes glued to the hole in the side of the mountain, his mind racing with possibilities. The anticipation and the waited were the greatest parts of any hunt. That delicious moment of suspense right before your quarry came into view, the rise of action in the moment before the climax. It sent tingles jittering down the brute's spine and made him feel alive!

Eventually there was a shift of shadows in the mouth of the cave, a subtle motion in the dark that caught the hunter's attention. Alastor's body tensed, eyes sharp as steel and laser focused on the tunnel. Was it Mariah? No, the shape was much too large to be his daughter. Someone else was in the tunnel with her. Alastor had heard from his eldest children about Mariah finding a wolf she fancied. Was this that brute? Had she been sneaking out for trysts with her lover? Truth be told, Mariah hadn't spoken much to Alastor since she'd left Elysium on her journey. He attributed that to his own fault in making her the way she was and was his punishment from the Ancients. But that didn't mean he hadn't taken an interest in his youngest daughter's life. Finding out she had a secret boyfriend had been a painful blow. But now it was high time to see who this enigmatic Casanova was.

Hidden beneath his camouflage, Alastor watched as a brute equal to himself in size and stature stepped out of the tunnel, peering about at the snow-covered world with suspicious eyes. He was young—looking to be a freshly anointed adult, maybe three years at max. Alastor held his breath, leering at the stranger from his hiding place. He knew the wolf wouldn't be able to see him; so long as he didn't move, he was concealed. That is, until a raven flew down from the sky and alighted near the wolf, and Alastor knew the jig was up. Fuck, he hadn't been watching the sky! A rookie move, but there was no undoing it now. His cover was semi blown and he knew it from the growl the stranger issued to the world at large. He still couldn't see him, but there was no point in stalking any longer.

Alastor slid out from underneath the white blanket, rising to his full height as he stepped from the brush and made his way towards the wolf. Stygian eyes bore holes into the stranger's, showing no fear, no apprehension in his strides ever closer. Alastor stopped a few paces apart, studying the brute up close now. He was clad in nondescript black fur, marred only by scars and no other marks or shades. Alastor could see no obvious gifts on the wolf, but he knew better than most that a wolf's outside appearances could be vastly deceiving. The wind blew, carrying the stranger's scent towards him and the Mendacium brute's nostrils flares, catching every nuance and note. The stranger reeked of his daughter, making it painfully obvious what they had been up to. He also smelled of that pack neighboring them to the north, the ones that Avacyn was perturbed by the presence of. That told Alastor two things right away—this was indeed the wolf that had been fucking his daughter, and that this was also an enemy of Elysium.

But Alastor did not attack. He did not show any signs of aggression beyond the furrowing of a graying brow and the pull of his lips into a tight line. He had come here with a goal in mind and he would see that goal through. Raising a paw, Alastor beckoned the wolf closer—testing his courage and his confidence—then waited to see how the stranger would respond. Did he have any idea who he was? Had Mariah told him about her family? A smile slowly split the dire brute's lips, Alastor's signature grin finding itself at home on his muzzle. "Hello, stranger! Do you know who I am?" Alastor called out to the Syndicate wolf. A simple question, neither threatening nor intimidating in nature. In fact, it was downright conversational as Alastor awaited the stranger's response.


"Alastor"

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.
____________________

Caedes watched the older brute emerge from his hiding place, every muscle in his body coiled with readiness. The man was obsidian in color, with streakings of red and a long, luxurious coat that Kaino would rather like. But his eyes — like soulless coals. The scent on the air was one Mariah shared, Elysium. That was enough information for Caedes to have an inkling of who this man was, long before he spoke a word. After all, who else would be stalking Mariah like this except her father?

He’d been expecting an attack, yet none came. Instead, the man approached with a steady, deliberate gait, eyes as dark and impenetrable as the night giving nothing away. No anger. No threat. Caedes found it hard to believe. He held his ground, verdant gaze indifferent as he assessed the situation; detached as he usually was. But perhaps clinical in the manner he dissected the approaching man, eyes tracing every scar and imperfection the other wolf had to offer. A true healer, his eyes unable to go without meticulously examining all.

This was Mariah’s father, someone the woman cared deeply about. She had warned him of his physical appearance, but not what entirely to expect from him. To meet him like this, face to face, was a twist of fate he hadn’t anticipated, but he would not shy away. It simply was not his nature.

Alastor’s beckoning gesture brought a quirk of his brow. A trick? A ploy to get him away from Mariah’s earshot for whatever reason? Fine. He would rather not disturb her rest anyways, especially if it could be a last moment of peace for her. He took a step forward, then another, his movements measured and confident. He stopped a few paces away, close enough to feel the tension crackling in the air but far enough to react if Alastor’s intent shifted.

The elder wolf’s grin would have been more disarming, but Caedes knew better than to be lulled into a false sense of security. He had been bitten before, smiles and all — how do you suppose he got his numerous, horribly carved scars? But this dance was unknown to him, he could only fall back on what he’d learned growing up as a Saxe. His own lips twitched in response, forming a grin that didn’t reach his eyes. Energy to match energy. “It would be rather strange if I did not know.” His deep rumbling voice came, steady and forward, “Alastor Mendacium, Mariah’s father — or am I mistaken?” Most likely not, unless there was another who fit the description.

He kept his gaze locked on Alastor’s, refusing to look away. He was perfectly content to face a possible threat, considering what was at stake. Perfectly able to stand before this man, proud that the woman he loved had chosen him. “I am Caedes Saxe of The Syndicate. The one who loves your daughter.” His words were neither boastful nor meek; they were a simple statement of fact. “So, what now?” The bestial brute asked, his tone even. “Do you want conversation, or do you want a fight? You’ve come for a reason, which is it?” The choice lay with Alastor, but Caedes was ready for whatever came next. He would protect Mariah and their bond, no matter the cost.

"speaking"

Oh, the brute was brave after all! Each measured step the Syndicate wolf took closer to him delighted and impressed Alastor evermore. He had expected nothing less from the man coupling with his daughter. Mariah was strong in mind and spirit. Whoever he was to have captured her heart would be nothing less than spectacular, of that the Mendacium patriarch was assured. The wolf's rich emerald eyes studied him, impassive and guarded, a clinical look that he recognized from the healers and surgeons of Elysium—though this wolf had an appearance more akin to a wartime trauma surgeon than the genteel manner of Ikigai or Aliana. From the lack of surprise in his countenance, Alastor could only assume the Syndicate wolf knew this meeting was coming sooner or later. Good. That would make the next parts easier to get to. Each step the obsidian brute took closer Alastor followed with his eyes, yet all the while he remained relaxed and at ease. The poor lad looked ready for whatever would come next, be it hell or high water. Alastor's grin widened. Oh, it was so much fun to make the boys his daughters brought home squirm!

The dark brute came to a halt mere paces away, the tension in the air going by unnoticed by the Mendacium brute. He felt no need to acknowledge the electrical suspense when he was the one smiling ear to ear. A smile was an invaluable tool, after all. It kept his enemies guessing—though this wolf had yet to deign himself friend or foe. How this interaction went was entirely up to how he responded and if he answered honestly. The pair of scarred brutes sized each other up from up close. Alastor could see a canvas of a painful past etched across the brute's body. He bore more outward scars than Al did, but not every scar Alastor bore was visible. Perhaps they would be more alike than he initially thought... The stranger smiled, though his eyes remained guarded and alert. Of course he knew Alastor. He spoke with confidence, and the ebony and crimson brute's smile widened as he dipped his head with a dramatic flourish of his paw. "The one and only." A rich baritone chuckle escaped the elder wolf, abyssal black eyes sparkling with mirth. The game was afoot!

Alastor did not interrupt as Caedes introduced himself as a Saxe, as a member of the Syndicate, and as the one who loved his daughter. Well now, that was an interesting declaration to make! "Caedes Saxe, the first of your kin to interact with us Mendaciums. Pleasure to be meeting you, quite a pleasure!" Caedes was straight to the point, asking if he was here to talk or to fight. Alastor tilted his head to the side a fraction of an inch as if considering both options, weighing the pros and cons. "Come now, Caedes, it's not polite to tease me with foreplay when you've already expended your energy all over my daughter. Besides, I don't think Mariah would take too kindly to either of us harming the other." Alastor couldn't help poking a bit of fun at the Saxe brute. After all, the situation between them was dour enough as it was without needing to drag it down any further. "I simply wanted to meet this brute that had swept my little girl off her paws. She's quite smitten with you from what I hear. I just had to see what all the fuss was about!"

With a flourish of his flowing tail, Alastor brought his hind legs up and reclined on his haunches to sit more comfortably with Caedes. He was showing two things—that he did not intend to do harm to Caedes (today, at least) and that he did not see Caedes as a threat to him. Alastor had killed wolves far more imposing than the Saxe lad, but he had no desire to spill his blood. There would likely be enough of that in the near future soon enough. A giant black paw gestured for Caedes to sit as well. "Mariah is very precious to me, Caedes—more precious than you will ever know. Her happiness and health are all I've ever wanted, though it seems I can only ensure one of those things." Caedes was undoubtedly aware of Mariah's afflictions by now. The curse bestowed upon her as a sick gift from his blood. Alastor's greatest regret. He hid that remorse away though; Caedes was not permitted to hear that story yet. "I want to talk to you, brute to brute, as someone who was also brought into the Mendaciums by love. I want to know if you're aware of the circumstances we find ourselves in, if you are aspiring to be more than just the lover she hides away in tunnels." "We", because the Mendaciums were one cohesive family unit—but the Mendaciums had some beliefs that could not be compromised on. "What has Mariah told you of our family? Of our spiritual practices?" What did Caedes know of Mariah's soul and being her soulmate?


"Alastor"

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.
____________________

Caedes felt a flicker of intrigue at Alastor’s theatrics, though he kept his expression neutral. Who would have thought Mariah’s father would be of the… animated sort? The Mendacium man was playing a game, testing his resolve and perhaps his intentions. Caedes was no stranger to standoffs, whether physical or mental. It was a familiar dance, one he had engaged in with many who sought to challenge or understand him, his most recent being the disagreement with his Sultan over Mariah. Being face to face with the man whose daughter was recovering from certain… unholy activities a few meters away was not the ideal first interaction. Beggars could not be choosers, though.

“I see,” Came the only reply from the obsidian brute, Alastor’s words taken easily enough as his reasoning for seeking answers. Perhaps if he was a father he would understand all the more.

As Alastor reclined, Caedes sensed a shift in the dynamic. This was not an immediate threat but a conversation. For all intents and purposes, this was the best-case scenario he could have hoped for at the moment. How comfortable could this uncomfortable talk become? He followed suit, lowering himself onto his haunches, his eyes never leaving Alastor’s. The older wolf’s words were heavy with meaning, and Caedes listened intently, absorbing every nuance. Alastor wanted brute-to-brute honesty, and he would have it. Not a word slipped from his maw until the other man was done speaking. He spoke of his affection for Mariah and his hopes for her health and happiness. Then he leaned into the Mendacium practices, questioning Caedes about what he knew.

“Mariah is precious to me as well,” Caedes began, his voice steady and sincere through the gruff timbre. “I understand the weight of her happiness and health, and I would give everything to ensure both.” He paused, considering how much to reveal. Honesty seemed the best path forward, though he would tread carefully. It was all Mariah had ever asked of him, after all. But what did everything really mean? His life, sure. That was easy. Nothing else about this situation was easy, though.

“I know she carries burdens, afflictions that no one should have to bear. She has shared some of your family’s traditions and spiritual practices with me, enough to know that they are deeply ingrained and significant.” He met Alastor’s gaze, the emerald intensity of his eyes like steel. “I am not here to be a fleeting lover hiding in the shadows. I want to be with Mariah as long as I breathe, but I am faced with betraying my blood or betraying her... She does not want me to choose. Both choices will condemn me. Be it my soul or my life – I will pay a price.”

And yet, a choice had to be made, one he could live with – but Mariah hadn’t forced him to choose, and she wouldn’t. That was his only salvation from making a call. With the current politics, though, he wasn’t sure if his choice could spark a war. He knew his cousin wouldn’t take kindly to Caedes abandoning the Syndicate for the enemy, as Sephiran so endearingly called them. But to live without Mariah? How long could they maintain these fleeting meetings? How long could he tolerate the distance? And what if war came anyway, and Caedes was forced to fight against her blood?

"speaking"

Though his words were terse, Caedes did join him for a sit in the snow, passing Alastor's first test with flying colors. It would have been easy for the obsidian brute to simply decline him, to turn and leave, but he showed he was willing to engage in a bit of conversation. Good. Caedes listened attentively and respectfully, and when it was his turn to speak and answer the questions posed, Alastor returned the same active listening in kind. Caedes affirmed that Mariah was precious to him as well and that he valued her health and happiness the same. Yes yes, Alastor had gathered that much, given the scent of his daughter intermingled with the smell of sex coming from the brute in front of him. Alastor was a fiercely protective father over his children, but he was not unrealistic or out of touch. Mariah was no longer his little girl, but a fully grown fae. He and Manea had never been shy around raising their children to be sex positive, but to always be careful. This would be the test to see if Mariah had heeded their advice.


Caedes revealed that he knew the gist of Mariah's ailments, to which Alastor simply lowered his gaze—out of shame or guilt? Perhaps... No one could ever really know why Mariah was the way she was short of dissecting her and looking for a cause, and of course that option was just right out. But what Alastor was more interested in at this time was what he mentioned next: the Mendacium laws and traditions the family was bound to. Alastor's Stygian eyes lifted to once more meet Caedes' verdant ones, holding his gaze with an adamant intensity while the Saxe brute declared that he would not be a fleeting lover to Mariah and that he wanted to be with her in full. The circumstances of their position were... precarious, and he seemed acutely aware of them too. It came as no surprise to hear that Mariah did not want him to choose, but ultimately a decision would have to be made at some point. The Mendaciums' and the Saxes' ways of life were not symbiotic it would appear. And if Caedes meant what he said when he claimed to not be a temporary lover, then there was really only one answer.

"Thank you for your honesty, Caedes," replied the dark dire brute. He could tell Caedes was being truthful with him by his body language and the ease of how he spoke—or he was the best liar Alastor had ever met. He preferred to think it was the former. "I love all of my children very dearly, you know. There was a time I believed I would never sire children, never believed I was worth being a father. I was seen by a monster by the world, scorned and hated just for existing. I felt like I was destined to be by myself until my dying day, and that I didn't deserve stupid things like family or happiness." The smile began to slowly return to Alastor's lips, the mists of memories crossing his obsidian eyes. "Until I met Manea. She made me feel like I was someone worth loving. She made me feel like I wasn't a monster or alone. She gave me a purpose, a drive—and then she gave me a family." It had been everything Alastor had ever wanted, everything he had thought he would never have. But he had to make the same choice Caedes was now facing to obtain it all.

"When I met Manea, I was a part of a very old pack—a fallen empire looking to revive itself in Boreas. Like you, I found where I belonged with her. She made me feel ways no other wolf ever had. And when she told me of her family's laws and customs, I had to make the same choice you do. I had to betray my oath to my past to take the future I wanted." Alastor breathed a slow sigh, shaking his head. "I took the leap of faith. I swore myself to Manea and took the soul mating ritual to bind myself to her. In return, she blessed me in her family's name, awoke the Ancient soul inside me. I thought it was all religious hogwash and did it just to make her happy... but then things started happening." Alastor gestured down to his long flowing fur, to his luxuriously cascading tail. "My appearance began to change. My children were born with rare gifts and mutations never seen before. Traits I'd lacked before started manifesting." Alastor lifted a giant paw and flexed his digits, extending the retractible gemstone claws for Caedes to see. "Maybe it was all coincidence... but I've seen things that defy logic and reason. These Ancient souls... they are our family's means to power, power we share with the wolves destined for us."

Alastor stowed his claws away and looked over Caedes briefly. The brute possessed no obvious mutations or gifts that would outwardly make him a suitable soul mate for Mariah—but Alastor knew better than anyone else that looks were deceiving. "Mariah bears an Ancient soul, Caedes. The same soul that gives us our powers and gifts. It is her destiny to find her soulmate so they may bring the next generation of gifted Mendaciums into this world. This soulmate will be a brute that can offer her strong pups with exceptional gifts. You... are rather plain." Alastor cocked his head to the side, as if studying Caedes beyond the surface level with an appraising smile. "But I think you're like me, Caedes. I believe there's more to you than meets the eye. Mariah is probably the smartest of all my children. If she sees value in you as a partner, then I trust her judgment. If you mean what you say, that you wish to be with her forever, then maybe you have latent gifts waiting to be awoken in you too." And now for the caveat... "But for you to be with Mariah, for you to sire pups with her, means you will need to take the soul mating rituals and bind your soul to the family, just as I did. That is the choice you must decide to make if you speak true of your commitment to my daughter—or you put her soul in mortal danger of being lost forever."

With a lot said, Alastor drew in a deep breath and gave a dramatic exhale as he looked around at the barren trees and snow-covered rocky landscape. "But that is not a decision you need to make now... or tomorrow... or next week. You're both young and you have so much time still. And since my daughter is so fond of you and you seem quite keen on her, I'd like to spend some of that time getting to know you too... although maybe in less drab and dangerous settings." Alastor turned a knowing smirk over to Caedes, a mischievous look in his dark eyes. Would the brute see this part coming? "I don't exactly relish the idea of my daughter and her lover coupling out in wild lands where anyone could be skulking about. The world is a dangerous place right now, you see. Danger could be lurking anywhere, and while I know you're no threat to my daughter, I don't think the rest of your family is as benign. So, if you want to continue seeing Mariah and... ah, enjoying your time together, I simply ask that you do it in the safety of my house, in the privacy of her own den, where I know you'll both be safe." Alastor grinned, pausing for a moment to let his words sink in to Caedes. "I'm offering you open access to come visit Elysium whenever you want to see Mariah—and to get to know your potential in-laws better. What do you say, Caedes?" Alastor's smile widened, almost menacing if it weren't for the hopeful hidden deep in his obsidian eyes as he offered a paw towards the other brute.

"Do we have a deal?"

"Alastor"

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.
____________________

Alastor spoke of his past, burdens, and transformations, which Caedes listened to intently. The weight of the words and the gravity of the choices ahead was not lost on the obsidian brute. Once Alastor finished speaking, he let the silence linger for a moment, absorbing the full import of what had been shared with him. He could see the red striped brute greatly cherished his family. It was a relief that Mariah was truly loved, in ways that Caedes had never been, save for his grandmother. All in all. He was thankful for the honesty. It was a lot to think about, and even more so the trust just placed into his hands.

Like Alastor, he believed in no gods, but he did believe in the supernatural. When it came to Ancients, mutations, and soul bonds, Caedes was open-minded, even if he didn't fully grasp their importance. But the proof, seeing, was believing, as it were. He’d watched as Alastor gestured to his tail and displayed his crystalline claws. He got the point. He understood the significance of the Ancient souls and the traditions that seemingly bound their family. Customs meant strength and unity. Mariah told him bits and pieces, but he was hardly a pious man to begin with. His kin were all heathens and hedonists alike.

Caedes' gaze had not wavered at Alastor’s remark about his plain appearance. The scarred male wanted to grin at the time, and maybe a ghost of a curl graced his inky lips; but still he gave the older man his time to speak without interruption.

Again the mention of the soul mating ritual had been daunting. The idea of binding his soul to another was both thrilling and provocative even if he did not share their beliefs, and they seemed to think it would protect Mariah’s soul. Caedes would do anything to protect every bit of her, even if he couldn’t see what he was safeguarding. He dwelled on that for a bit wondering if her father would push him to choose now – to stay or go. Would his path follow the same one as Alastor and Manea's? Would he eventually cast aside his family, take her hand, and the rest be history..? Then Alastor gave a reprieve from the pressure of choice. A chance. An opportunity. An offer for Caedes to visit Elysium without threat or danger, on the premise that he gets to know their family. To see what he was embracing, or letting go. He could hardly imagine the latter, but abandoning his own kin was… not the life he had ever envisioned for himself. What of those he had left behind in the old kingdom? He would be cutting them off as well, he’d be forced to. It was a heavy price to pay on both ends.

Caedes took a deep breath, steadying himself before addressing the more immediate and practical offer, casting aside his unproductive thoughts. He straightened his posture, his muscles tensing with resolve. “Your proposal is generous. I understand the trust you are placing in me, sharing your story and giving us this chance.” With a deliberate and confident motion, Caedes extended his paw towards Alastor, his gaze unwavering and intense. “We have a deal. I will visit Elysium, get to know you and your family better, and learn more about what it means to be a part of your world.” He clasped Alastor's paw firmly, the grip solid and unyielding, sealing the agreement with a determined shake.

"speaking"

To the man's credit, Caedes listened and he listened well. He took in everything Alastor said in stride, giving only occasional little reactions or responses in his expressions and body language, but he never interrupted or showed any signs of disinterest. Alastor had been studying the brute, interpreting his reactions to gauge how true his words were when he spoke of his commitment to Mariah. From what he could see so far, Caedes was telling him the truth. Good! It would make the rest of their interactions that much more pleasant. The great flame-marked brute could see the gears turning behind the emerald eyes of his daughter's suitor, assessing his situation, weighing his options. He had a grave decision to make eventually, and this would be the first step towards helping him make it. Alastor was not usually this generous a wolf, but for his family and for his daughter, he would move heavens and hells. She was happy with Caedes, and so he would receive the best of Alastor until such a time when he made his choice.

After some thought, Caedes took a deep breath and clasped their paws together with a resounding smack. It may have been the dramatic effect playing in his head, but Alastor could swear he heard the sound echo around the volcanic woods. Caedes agreed to Alastor's offer; he would come visit Elysium to learn their ways and meet the Mendacium family. Alastor's smile widened (if it was even possible at this point), obsidian eyes gleaming with delight and mirth while he shook Caedes' paw with enthusiastic vigor, their intense eye contact never breaking. Al could practically feel the electricity thrumming in the air between them. Oh, he could see why Mariah liked this brute so much! "Lovely! I'll make all the necessary arrangements with our warriors so you may come and go as you please! Give me a day to get things prepared, then feel free to drop by for a visit whenever you'd like!" Alastor released Caedes' paw and gestured back towards the tunnel the other brute had emerged from. "I'll leave you two to enjoy your time together. Just don't leave her on her own for too long. If she's anything like her mother, she won't be very patient waiting for you to come back." A knowing chuckle rumbled in Al's throat while he turned to leave, his business here concluded. But after a few paces away, the Mendacium brute stopped.

"Oh, and Caedes," Alastor called back over his shoulder, shooting the other male a toothy grin. "When she asks you what happened here, tell her the truth." Alastor had considered asking Caedes to keep his involvement in Mariah's relationship out of her knowledge, but the more he thought about it, the more he felt she deserved to know she had wolves who cared about her in her corner. With nothing else to be said for now, Alastor trudged away to gather up his camouflage and make his way back to Alias Island. He had work to do.

- exit Alastor unless stopped -


"Alastor"

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.
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