Disgusted, betrayed, enraged, unbelieving, hurt.. these were all emotions that flitted through Kaino's mind when she realized that Nila had gone missing. Missing probably wasn't the word for it. The bitch had tucked tail and run. Kaino had kept Nila safe all their lives... and this was how she repaid her. Was the woman an idiot? Was she going to throw herself at the mercy of the first wolf that she ran across? What a fucking joke. At this exact moment, Kaino hoped that her old friend ended up raped and murdered. That would serve her right.

Brow furrowed, Kaino stalked around the border of the Sound. It was her typical patrol, but she was hoping that some sort of trouble showed itself so that she could rip something's head clean off. She would imagine Nila's face the entire time. Nila the Betrayer.

Nila hadn't even aired her grievances with Kaino. She'd simply decided to leave without a word. Truthfully, that made it a lot easier to cut out whatever love she'd felt for the other woman. Into that hole she poured her hatred. Gods... should she ever come across Nila again...

"Speech"

Trouble had been brewing in their home since the day he'd arrived in the Syndicate. Rogue had felt the tension and jealousy coming from Kaino's Sidi from the moment he'd set foot in their den. He knew why; he was the new guy that was stealing away Kaino's attention, but from his understanding of Saxe culture, wasn't she akin to a slave? It made Nila's vitriol all the more confusing to Rogue. If he had been stealing Kai away from another lover, then yeah he could kind of get that, but from a slave? He didn't pretend to try to understand the unorthodox relationship between the two faes. He'd just kept doing as he'd always done, being unapologetically Rogue and living his best life with Kaino.

But Nila had other plans, it seemed. They'd returned to the den one day to find her gone, and when she didn't return, oh boy did it set Kaino off. Rogue had stayed out of his lover's way while she raged, even going out to help search the Syndicate lands for signs of Nila in case maybe she was just behaving like a petulant child, but no... it seemed like she had actually fled the Syndicate. Wow. Things were not going to be good around home. Wandering through the summer woods surrounding the Sound, Rogue followed Kai's trail. He wanted to check on her. He knew she wouldn't be okay, but she shouldn't be alone in her furious state either. The Klein prince had never seen his Saxe fae angry before, and he wasn't entirely sure what he would find at the end of this path, but he wasn't about to shy away from her either. Relationships endured through the hard times. He was committed.

He found his lavender and smoke lady prowling along the borders of the Sound, waves of irate energy washing off of her in her every movement. Oh yeah, she was big mad. Either out of reckless bravado or sheer stupidity, Rogue strode right up to her, unafraid of an angry Kai. As far as he was concerned, she needed someone to vent to. "Hey Fluffbutt," he called out to her when he drew near, offering her one of his little lopsided smiles. "You look like you need to vent. My mother said I'm a terrible listener, but I can pretend if that'll help." He flashed a toothy grin, hoping a little bit of self-deprecating humor might take some of the fire out of her heart before she burned herself down with her rage.

"Rogue Klein"

As she walked, the sound of pawsteps began to come up behind her. The sound wasn't one that was trying to be stealthy, or of one rushing her, so Kaino didn't think she was being stalked or attacked. Only she was being attacked.

Rogue's sweet little pet name called out to her and heat filled Kaino's cheeks. She spun on him, brow furrowed and teeth flashing. "I'm trying to be angry here," she chastised, though humor began to seep into the fae's cool-toned eyes. With a sigh, she stepped into the dire brute's personal space and pressed her chest against his. His offer to listen brought a soft snort from the bob-tailed woman and she groaned after, burying her face into the side of his neck.

Rogue was hers, right? Being abandoned by Nila... it made her wonder. "Nila and I grew up together. I always kept her safe. A Sidi is free for anyone to use as they see fit, but I kept her close and shielded her from the worst of her role." Kaino's voice was softer than usual, but there was an edge of ice to her words. "She knew that I would eventually find a man. SHE KNEW." Pulling back a bit, the amaranthine woman gave her head a shake, her expression one of incredulity. "Betraying me like this... it proves just how selfish she is and how much she never truly loved me." Like Kaino had loved her...

"As far as I'm concerned, Nila is kill on sight." The rest of the pack would have to be informed as well, though, if they were true Saxe, they would know the price that a fleeing Sidi must pay.

"Speech"

The moment Kaino turned to face him with steely eyes and blush-filled cheeks, Rogue knew he’d had his intended response on his mate. She snapped at him that she was trying to be angry, but Rogue could see that flame of anger flicker and waver in her expression and he knew he was breaking through that wall of anger to her. "Yeah I know, that's why I'm trying to distract you by being an idiot," he remarked, his grin never faltering from his face. He knew Kai was hurting and that hurt was manifesting as rage, so he was doing the only thing he knew how to help her. Her expression began to gradually soften some, her paws carrying her closer until their chests pressed together, letting her smaller, svelte body lean into his for as much support as she needed. His bushy tail gave a slow wag behind him when she buried her face into his neck with a groan, appreciative of the physical affection even in the context it was.

"There we go. It's gonna be all right, Kai," he tried to gently reassure her, lifting one giant paw to wrap around her and rub slowly up and down her back. Kaino began to speak, telling him of all the time she and Nila had spent together, how she had protected her as her Sidi. Rogue was still unclear on all the Saxe laws and customs, but he'd come to understand that Sidi were basically free use slaves to everyone in the pack. Nila had been Kai's personal toy. Kai shook her head and spat out that Nila had never truly loved her for this betrayal. "Or maybe she loved you too much," Rogue countered, offering an alternative perspective. "She knew you'd have to find a partner, and maybe in her deluded mind she thought she could be that, despite the obvious... incompatibilities with that fantasy. It's no excuse, but she didn't strike me as the spiteful type." Rogue wasn't offering excuses for Nila's behavior; there was no excusing a slave's direct disobedience and insubordination. But it was one possibility to consider that he had been the cause of Nila's outbursts.

Kaino declared Nila to be a kill on sight enemy and Rogue's lips pursed into a fine line. He was still very new to the Saxe's ways of life, so maybe dereliction and insolence warranted death around here, but to him that seemed a mite excessive. Or maybe Kaino was just a vicious and vindictive woman when scorned. Hopefully he never found out firsthand. Giving Kai's back a more vigorous rub, Rogue slowly pulled away from her and stepped a couple paces away, putting some space between them before turning to face his lovely lavender and smoke fae with an enticing grin. "Well it sounds to me like you need to let some violence out then. So let's do it. We can go find something to kill together, or you could try your luck venting some of that aggression on me." Rogue's grin widened and he winked at Kai. "I'll warn you, I won't go easy on you just because you're pretty." It was up to Kai whatever she wanted to do. If she wanted to go hunt a predator or fight him here in the summer forest, whatever would help her in the here and now.

"Rogue Klein"