With the birth of Ikigai and Deimos' children she now knew that their heir had been decided so that was one concern that could be crossed off of her list. The trio of children were beautiful and she was eagerly watching the development of the two girls before she made a final decision on which of the two would be named the Heiress. In the mean time, she was able to give more of her focus to other areas of the pack and the concerns about the pack's fighters and defenses came into question once more. She and Saracyn had previously talked about arranging a practice raid of some sort with one of their allies, but with everything that was going on they had not had a chance to settle on the who or where.

The line of thinking did bring one big question to her mind though–was she ready to defend their pack? She was extremely familiar with fighting in theory and had fought off more predators than she could count, but the number of other wolves she had fought was fairly small and none of them had been in recent history. Her armor and weapon were practically just for decoration it felt like and that was a shame given the work and craftsmanship she had put into the pieces. She decided it would be beneficial to do a bit of training herself before she started imparting that same requirement on everyone else and who better to make sure her skills were still as sharp as they could be than her own Commander?

She went to the clearing that had been prepared for spars and training alike with him, giving him a little grin as she moved to stand across from him. She did where her armor for the sake of practicing moving in it and utilizing it for defense, but she had left her fang caps at home. She didn't wish to really injure her husband and a bite was bad enough without serrated metal backing it up. "So, what shall our stakes be, Commander?" she asked teasingly, her tail swaying gently behind her. "What do I get if I win?"

"Avacyn Mendacium"

Ever since the birth of the new Mendacium pups, Saracyn had noticed the anticipation building within his twin and mate. They both knew that one of the two girls would end up being the next Matriarch of Elysium, and though they had many years before that came to be, he knew Avacyn liked to over prepare and plan well ahead of time. One of those preparations apparently had been concerns over the pack's security, as that morning during their breakfast, the reigning Matriarch asked him to participate in a training spar with her. Well, Saracyn was never one to turn down a fight, and never one to turn down a chance to get paws-on with his sibling, so of course he was going to fight her! Their only stipulation had been no weapons, which was fine by him. Sara didn't really feel like slicing at Ava with his sword, nor did he relish the idea of being on the receiving end of those vicious fang caps she wore.

Following his violet queen down to their training arenas, Saracyn also wore his leather armor to better replicate the simulation of actual combat. It had been some time since he’d had a need to wear it, the last time being the previous year’s raid against Valta, so it took a bit of time getting accustomed to the feel of the padded leather wrapping around his chest and sides once more. They arrived to the sparring rings and Saracyn easily fell into place opposite his sister, meeting her grin with a crooked smirk of his own. When was the last time the two of them had a play fight with one another? Too long if you asked the dire brute. Sara was just doing some warmup stretches when Ava posed an intriguing question of what their stakes should be and what she would get if she won. Sara raised a curious brow at his twin and uttered a husky chuckle under his breath.

"Feeling lucky today, Miss Matriarch?" replied the giant brute, his own bushy tail wagging excitedly behind him. "How about the winner gets to top the loser. Anything they want, any way they want." The playful grin on Saracyn’s lips turned much more lecherous, those cerulean eyes gleaming with a wanton fire as he eyed up his sexy mate across from him. "Interesting enough stakes for your taste, my queen?"

"Saracyn Mendacium"

Avacyn had no doubt that when she posed the question to her mate over what the stakes of their fight should be that his suggestion would be of the lecherous variety and he certainly did not disappoint. She gave him a sly smirk when he asked if she as feeling lucky today, replying with a chuckle, "Well... I have a feeling I'll be lucky one way or another." Whether she won or lost she was sure they would have a great time with one another regardless so it was truly win win for her no matter who ended up the actual victor. His suggestion was simple enough and still earned him an approving grin from her, her dark gaze giving him a similar lecherous look. "Sounds perfect to me, my Commander." She had not always been so bold with her advances or as comfortable with her own sexuality, but as she got older and grew more comfortable with herself she found more of a confidence in that area of her life as well. Much of it was thanks to Saracyn and his endless desire for her encouraging her sexuality–and perhaps a bit of underlying jealousy from everything that they were arranging with Scylla at the moment.

Regardless, she was even more excited for their fight now as she began to settle into her defenses across from him. Even though it had been a while since she had been in a proper fight, the muscle memory never really went away and she immediately set her defenses without much thought, the steel scales that overlayed her cuirass shifting against one another as she moved. "Ladies first?" she questioned with a smirk, but didn't wait for an answer as she sprung forward with graceful, fluid strides, feline paws moving nimbly as she charged toward him only to dodge to his left at the last moment and hop forward to aim a bite where his side met up with his hip, aiming for the soft hollow of skin there. She wouldn't try to do anything deeper than a grazing bite, of course, but still wanted to aim for places she would target in a real fight regardless. She kept her tail tucked beneath her to keep it from being a target as she passed by him, not pausing as she made her strike in passing and kept moving to get behind him, spinning back around to face him again as she got to his rump.

"Avacyn Mendacium"

Saracyn didn't expect Avacyn to turn down his suggestion of a prize for their spar, and the sly grin that crossed her face at the mere mention of a sexual triumph was all the evidence he needed. She agreed readily, then got prepared to fight. Sara, for his part, was always ready for a scuffle, and merely had to set his paws and hone his reflexes while he kept his piercing cerulean eyes on his twin, a cocky and confident smirk on his lips. She suggested the first move and Sara simply chuckled and narrowed his gaze in steely focus. "Ladies and alphas first." But Ava was already rushing him, closing the distance between them with her long, graceful strides. Were they not in the midst of combat, Sara would have appreciated the show of his svelte mate's lithe body flexing and stretching as she charged towards him.

Whether it was because they were twins and shared some sort of unknown neural link or because they had trained together so often (or maybe Avacyn was just that predictable to him), his violet sister's feint attack was not a surprise to the crimson brute. She dipped left, and Sara didn't hesitate to kick his paws off the ground and pivot his hips away from her snapping jaws, leaving her attack unsatisfied. He swerved his body around counterclockwise so he was now facing her side, but rather than repeat her maneuver, Sara instead lunged for Ava's closest hind leg, jaws aimed to latch down around her ankle. He had to be careful with his shark-like teeth that he didn't cause her any actual damage, seeking instead to get a hold of her leg and yank with his greater strength to pull her off her paws.

"Saracyn Mendacium"

Just as she reached for his hip, he pulled away, leaving her with nothing but thin air to bite down onto. If there was anyone that she had no doubt could meet or exceed her skills in battle it was her brother so she was far from surprised that he deftly avoided her attack so easily. She also knew that it would be hard for her to come up with some kind of move that he hadn't already seen from her with all of the countless times that they had trained together so she was bound to be predictable. However, the same was true for the inverse of that as well. She was able to pick up on the twitch and movement of his toned muscles easily and as soon as he went to lunge for her back leg she quickly leapt up and out of the way with a dancing step to the side. "You're going to have to be faster than that," she teased, tossing him a grin as she spun to face him again. She wasted no time ducking down as she lunged forward once more, aiming to head butt his chest with her horns with one quick fluid movement. She wouldn't put too much power behind her attack of course, just enough to give him a hard bump if she managed to catch up to him before he dodged away again.

"Avacyn Mendacium"

To an outside observer, watching the Mendacium twins spar would be akin to watching a pair of choreographed dancers maneuvering through a routine together. Their steps were like clockwork, their movements precise and honed to perfection, each one a perfect mirror image and compliment to the other's. It would be no surprise that they had both had the same upbringing and training. Avacyn deftly dodged his counterattack, leaving Saracyn to bite down on nothing but air. He shot his sister a playful glare, but that was short-lived as she pivoted quicker than he could regain his poise. The next thing Saracyn knew, his twin was charging at him headfirst with those horns atop her crown pointed in his direction. Sara didn't manage to get out of the way in time, but he did manage to brace himself against the impact, which came with the entire force of his mate behind it.

With a grunt, Saracyn went toppling over sideways, knocked a couple of feet back from Avacyn. He hit the ground and quickly rolled with the momentum, landing himself on his paws and pushing himself back up to a standing stance. "Okay, Miss Matriarch. No more Mister Nice Brute," he remarked with a playful growl in his tone before he was charging for Ava once more. This time however, he didn't go barreling into her, instead stopping on a dime a couple of feet in front of her and launching himself into the air with his rippling muscles in a pounce at her, forelegs extended in an attempt to come crashing down onto her back and tackle her to the ground.

"Saracyn Mendacium"

Avacyn paused as she rammed into her brother, using the brief moment she had while he rolled back to his feet to reset her own fighting stance, knowing full well that her mate wasn't going to give up so easily. They were two sides of the same coin, but both of them were just as stubborn and resilient as the other. She grinned with a playful glare as he reset his composure and insisted that there was "no more mister nice brute" before he charged forward once more. She braced herself, expecting him to ram into her or perhaps try to grapple her, and she was ready to dodge out of the way as soon as he was within range of her. However, he stopped short, surprising her enough to catch her off guard as he changed up his approach at the very last second to instead leap and pounce on top of her. It took her one second too many to figure out what he was doing and by the time she tried to scramble out of the way it was too late.

She made a soft "oof" as his massive frame landed on top of hers, feeling his powerful forelegs wrap around her a second before she was suddenly pulled off of her feet, the pair tumbling across the ground a time or two before landing with Saracyn pinning her to the ground beneath him. She tried in vain to squirm away from him, twisting her head to try and nip at his forelegs to get him to release her, but she couldn't quite reach and her struggling didn't get her anywhere. After a few moments she finally relented with a resigned sigh, chuckling as she turned her head to peek back over her shoulder at him with a grin. "I guess you're not the Commander for nothing, hm?"

"Avacyn Mendacium"

Saracyn had made a bold and calculated risk with his aerial assault on his twin. The maneuver could have secured him a decisive victory or resulted in putting him in a devastatingly terrible position. Thankfully, fortune was in his favor as his Ancient spirit dominated hers as their bodies collided and Sara was rewarded with the impact of flesh on flesh. He and Avacyn tumbled head over paws with one another for a moment, gravity all out of sorts until Sara managed to get a glimpse of clarity long enough to land squarely on top of his twin, pinning his sister down to the ground while sprawled across her back. It was far from the most graceful position to land in, but it had been a secure one, as with his weight holding her smaller form down and his powerful forelegs wrapped around her sides, Avacyn could do little more than squirm and thrash fruitlessly beneath him. Despite her best attempts to nip at him, Sara held Ava in an inescapable pin, and with a triumphant grin on his muzzle, he waited for his mate to relent to him and yield.

After some moments of fighting, Avacyn surrendered with a sigh and a playful glare and grin shot back over her shoulder at him. Saracyn returned her grin with a proud smirk of his own, keeping her held down where she was, positioned oh so perfectly beneath him. "What can I say, I've got to be good at what I do to keep you safe," he remarked with a deep chuckle rumbling in his chest as he lowered his muzzle to nuzzle into her scruff, speaking in huskier tones while he added, "And what better way to watch your back than to be on top of it every chance I get?" Yes, Saracyn was a hopeless stereotypical male that thought first with his cock and second with his brain. But hey, when he had his beautiful mate pinned underneath him like this, who was he to resist nature's alluring temptations? Chuckling again, Sara slid his paws down Ava's slender sides until his strong forepaws were hooked around her shapely hips, tugging her body tight to his. "Now, I believe there's a prize with my name on it, hmm...?"

"Saracyn Mendacium"

Avacyn was not at all surprised by her mate's immediate shift of his attention from their fighting into something far more intimate as he leaned down across her back to nuzzle her scruff with a comment about how much better he could watch her back from on top of it. Saracyn was nothing if not a lustful creature so when he landed on her back with her hips naturally pressed into his own it was inevitable that he'd take advantage of the situation they were in–not that she minded of course. She chuckled and hummed in response with her plush tail curling up between his hind legs to tease and brush across his most sensitive parts while his front legs hooked around her hips. "Hmmm, I suppose that is true..." she commented with a similar husky purr to her words.

He mentioned the prize he had won and she grinned as she pressed her hips back into his. "I believe there is, my mate... So I guess the only question now is how do you want to claim your prize? Out here in the open on the sparring rings? Or shall we take this somewhere more private?" She certainly wouldn't put it past Saracyn to not care about the possibility of someone finding them here, but given that it was still fairly early in the day and that possibility was far more likely than if it had been later in the evening she thought it might be a good idea to at least mention and give her horny mate the option of taking their time together inside or at the very least somewhere more secluded in the trees.

"Avacyn Mendacium"

The playful yet oh so lecherous grin painting Saracyn's face grew wider when Avacyn gave a thoughtful hum and agreed with him that it would be easier for him to watch her back from atop of it. He chuckled low under his breath—and then sucked in a sharp gasp as soon as he felt the soft brush of his twin's tail up between his hind legs and brushing around his most sensitive and intimate parts between his thighs. His whole body jolted and went tense as a bolt of electric pleasure lanced through his brain from his mate's intimate touch, instantly flaring his primal instincts to life. For as lustful as he was for her, she never failed to meet him in his desires, and this time would be no different.

Ava pressed her hips back into his then, grinding their intimate parts together and coaxing a growling moan from her dire brute. His paws flexed, gripping around her waist tighter and digging his claws gently into her soft hips as if preparing to thrust forward and claim her. Ancients, he was close to doing just that too! But Avacyn reminded him of where they were when she asked if he wanted his prize out here in the sparring rings or somewhere more private. Sara blinked his eyes and looked around them at the empty yet open sparring arena, realizing that he was basically mounted atop his soulmate right in the open where anyone could see them. A surge of heated lust rose in the brute's core as he imagined someone walking by and watching him claiming Avacyn as his own, a dominant and possessive lust rising in him.

As hot as that sounded and as fun as it would be for him to exert his dominance like that, he didn't want to embarrass Avacyn or tarnish her reputation as Matriarch. That lecherous grin returning with a playful shine in his cerulean eyes, Saracyn thrust his hips to drag his most intimate of parts against Avacyn's, teasing her, tempting her with their closeness. He wanted to feel her shudder for him and yearn for him the way he ached for her. "It would be quite fun to see if anyone notices their alphas fucking amidst the woods..." he purred into her ear, grazing the white-tipped appendage with the sides of his sharp teeth. "But I'm feeling selfish... I want you and your reactions all to myself." With great disappointment, Sara dismounted Ava and met his sister's gaze with a grin, motioning back towards their den. Sara walked alongside his mate all the way back to their den, teasing her with subtle brushes of his bushy tail against the back of her thighs every step of the way.

"Saracyn Mendacium"

Even though she couldn't exactly see his face from her current position, she could tell he was considering the facts she presented to him as he held still with his claws pressing against her hips and certain parts of him pressing dangerously close to her most intimate parts. It truly would have been too easy for him to just have his way with her out here and she was sure he knew it, but she also knew he loved her best when she was at her most unfiltered so she wasn't all that surprised when he decided that he wanted all of her and her reactions to himself–but not before he could tease her, of course. The feeling of him pressing into her and his teeth grazing her ear pulled a gasp from her and a wide grin crossed her lips as she shuddered lightly beneath him. Their sex life was certainly alive and well, but it wasn't all that often these days that she got to have him spontaneously in the middle of the day like this so this was a special kind of treat.

"Excellent choice, handsome," she replied with a chuckle as he stepped off of her and allowed her to stand. She gave herself a quick shake and then looked at him with a sly grin as he gestured toward their den. She started back the way they came, following the trail that had been worn into the forest floor up into the mountains where their den was nestled among the pines. Along the way her mate's tail brushed against her thigh, making her hum with anticipation and glance his way with a little grin. As they got closer to the den she picked up the pace a bit so she could walk ahead of him, curling her tail up and over her back, giving him a bit of a show with her swaying hips as she led the way into their den. She peeked back at him with a sly smirk as she stepped into their bedroom, walking over to the large, plush spread of furs and sliding slowly down onto her belly in the middle of it with a content sigh.

"Avacyn Mendacium"