The ebony dame had come back from a successful hunt, paws covered in crimson due to her holding her prey down when bite wounds had been present on the kill. She had killed an elk for the pack, and had brought back a few substantial hares for Chrono and herself. The thick and intoxicating aroma of blood wafted into her nostrils as she placed the kills down upon the den floor and lied down. Her emeralds eyed the kill as she munched on the bones as loud cracks from her canines broke into the marrow.

"A successful hunt, hopefully Chrono will be able to eat the hare I brought back for him," she said as she left the other hare for her mate. The smile that had not been present on Esperanza had now come back, for she could see that the brute was starting to become his cheerful self once more. Once he had come back into the den, she licked his cheek and placed her crown upon her forepaws and listened to the sounds of birds chirping off in the distance. Crows cawed their throaty song and looked around for easy pickings.

"I'm glad to see you're feeling better, my love," she smiled as her emeralds focused in on the male's lavender and crimson orbs. His all so familiar scent of oak and maple made him smile even more as she had her tail wrapped around her side, and turned her head to look outside and watch the world be in motion.

His mind would wander, his eyes looking up through the trees. He yearned to turn into a bird and fly away, but life wasn't so simple. His rump sat on the blanketed grass just off the water by his den, admiring his surroundings in the moments he could. But his nose would fill with the scent of metallic, and his unsettled feeling would be masked with the charming smile his mate always knew. He would turn his head, showing to be happy to see her. He was, but he still couldn't wrap his head around everything he had ever done. He rose to his paws, following her to the den and eyeing the hare in her jaws. She dropped them inside, not too close to the mouth of the den but not too far in. And he would give her a loving eye, thanking her for the meal. As she munched on hers, he wouldn't take a bite of his until later. When she wasn't watching, or at least when he felt hungry. Her tongue would latch out a kiss to his cheek as he walked to her, a bit of blood grabbing at his fur. He looked at her with his compassionate grin for a bit before pouncing to her and nibbling at her neck, his body on top of her. He would teach himself how to mask his feeling, and he would start now. Walk "Talk" Think

When Esperanza had finished her meal, she had dug a grave for the bones of the rabbit, soon covering the hole back up with dirt and lying down back in the den. Her emerald eyes looked to the brute that was her mate and smiled, but soon, she was met with something new. He had been on top of her and had begun to nibble on the sides of her neck. Slight amounts of pain began to move throughout her neck, and she would wince slightly.

"Chrono," she would say in an effort to try and get him off of her due to the small amounts of pain. She moved her body back a little bit and had placed her head down upon her paws. She knew Chrono was trying, but with a smile, she licked his muzzle and placed her paw on top of his, showing her compassionate and kind smile.

He jumped off of her, his ears slightly pinning back. He wasn't meaning to hurt her, only for some fun. She would give him another loving kiss, this time on his muzzle. But he would walk in between her and the den wall, laying down in the middle. Her paw reached over and touched his but he did not move. He would turn to her, seeing as he had turned into the sorrowful wolf he was only a few nights past, and rearrange his face to a smile. The male rolled to his back, leaning close to Esperanza, but keeping his weight off of her. A silence grew to the den, but he would make sure it was a happy silence, and not one ungrateful and regretting. (OOC: Chrono muse is still dead today.) Walk "Talk" Think

The dame looked to him with her compassionate and caring smile that she constantly used. Her emerald pools met his lavender and crimson pools and she gave him a caring nudge. "Chrono, please don't be sad. And don't think I do not know that you are. You can't keep things bottled up, it will only make it worse." She cared for her mate. Seeing him sad made her feel as if she couldn't do anything since he was not opening up to her.

"I am not and never will be angry with you. But, I am sad that you will not open up to me and tell me how you feel. We're mates, and as mates when one of us is sad, the other has to try and help. That's what I had learned. " She nudged him gently and licked his muzzle. Esperanza wanted to help, but how could he when he bottled everything up and kept them hidden from her?

He didn't want to open up to her. He didn't want her to be stuck on his past. He wanted to get over it and live in today. Her kisses did nothing to him as he lay beside her. But he knew she wanted to help, wanted to be a part of his life. Be a part of his past. "Esper..." The back of his skull would push gently at her shoulder, "I can't..." His voice cracked, covered with pain. He was about to break, he was about to let his emotions flow from his mouth on to her. But he was doing all in his power to stop it. Maybe he shouldn't have fallen in love, maybe he should have just stayed away from other wolves and lived his life alone. Walk "Talk" Think

The ebony woman knew he had started to regret his decision of being with her. "Do you really think that you can't, or have you trained yourself to not let your emotions out?" Her emeralds started to show sadness as she had her head down. "Please, Chrono. I know you have been in a hard past, but you must open up and tell me what's wrong. For all you're doing is hurting yourself."

She heaved a slight sigh and stood up, sitting in front of the den entrance, eyes closed. "I love you Chrono, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. But, I know that even if you won't open up to me that is your decision and I will be ok with it. I just want you to be happy."

She would stand and walk to the mouth of their den, Chrono's weight being pushed to the wall. She would tell him she loved him, like she did so often. And he would lay to his stomach a few more seconds before standing. He wasn't ready, but she was. He walked to her, gently pressing his shoulder into hers and leaning his neck into her fur. His eyes would close tightly before letting out another word. "Esper," A short pause, "I left him." He would announce speaking of his brother. But she didn't know what had happened, and although he never wanted anyone to know, ever, it was over. Walk "Talk" Think

The ebony babe knew he had talked about his brother. She could sense the sadness and pain he had been feeling. She knew that he was hurting, but at least he had been able to say a little bit to her. With a sigh, the fae nudged her cranium into the fur of his chest, the tip of her lobes touching his chin. "I'm sorry, Chrono. But, I know you're strong in your heart. Even though you may not think so, you're kind, loving, and will always be someone that I will love and stay with until the day I die."

She had meant everything she had said and laid down, soon keeping her head looking to the sky as her eyes were closed. She was saying a prayer, that she and Chrono would work out, and that he would be happy and accept the fact that he is with her, and that the past is in the past and to move forward. Though, she also felt responsible for hurting him as well.

"I'm sorry too, Chrono," she would say as she placed her right front paw on top of his, trying to sound comforting and caring, a small hint of apology in her optics.

Though her words had really touched his heart that time, he looked at the ground as she pulled into his chest. He would then place his chin on her skull, holding her close. But her body went to lay down, his eyes looking to the stars a moment before joining her. She placed her paw onto his, and he would give her a thankful smile in return. "Thank you, Esperanza." His spirits then slightly lifted. "My love." He would give a lick to her cheek, showing he was glad that she wanted to help him. But in his mind he was still cold. Would he ever get his story through to her? His chin laid softly onto both their paws, hold his own weight up. His violet eye grabbing her emeralds and a smile escaped his maw. Walk "Talk" Think

Esperanza smiled and nudged him tenderly, emerald optics looking outward toward the small pond that was near their small home. She looked to her mate with loving and caring orbs as her emerald ones locked onto his lavender and crimson gaze. Her lobes could hear the sound of fish leaping from the H20 that they lived in, and penetrating the water's surface when they came back down with a small splash.

A growl erupted through her stomach as she saw the fish leap from the water. The dame licked her chops slightly as she got up, stretching her legs as they cracked slightly as her muscles were popping due to being wrapped around the bone. Continuing onward, she waited for the perfect opportunity to catch her meal. With a grin, one had leaped right in front of her jaws. Esperanza snapped down upon the slippery creature, the sound of cartilage and small bones cracking from her canines grinding and breaking them. Soon, the creature lay limp and unmoving. As she began to catch another and brought back the two she had caught, placing one down in front of Chrono and then enjoying her meal as she made sure to look away so he could eat.

Her eyes would wander to the water where they had decided their den would be placed. She left the roots, the brute keeping his rump to the ground watching her as she chomped down on the fish that swam through her jaws. But his thoughts still took an evil play at his mind, though he was able to keep a smile on his face. Esperanza came back, a fish for him and one for herself. He wasn't hungry, but he knew it would make her feel better if he ate. She would turn away to munch on her meal, the brute taking nibbles on his. His orbs came up to meet hers, suggesting that he was finished. He stood and laid next to her, pulling through the fur under her ear gently with his teeth. "Come Esperanza, let us sleep." He would whisper, "It's late." Walk "Talk" Think

Esperanza looked to her mate and gave a calm and tranquil smile of her own. The sound of the pond close by running through her lobes as she nudged Chrono with a loving and caring gesture. Her salmon colored tongue licked his cheek as she lied down and placed her crown upon her forepaws. The bones that were from the fish had been buried as they were only small and easily disposed of. Her emerald optics met her eyes, and she couldn't help but smile at him.

"Good night, my love," she smiled and closed her eyes as a small huff escaped her maw as her ears stayed lifted and erect as she listened to see if her mate would have any questions for her, or if he would repeat her two words that were said to him not a couple seconds before.

For some odd reason she could sense that something was wrong, but she did not know if it was Chrono, or if there was something going on outside of their den. There were no smells of other wolves or anything since they were in their territory and safe from other wolves, at least for the time being as she soon moved her head off of her paws, and placed her head upon his paws as a smile stayed across her maw.

The fae would drop her head to her paws, accepting what Chrono had said. Her voice let a smile lay on his face, it made him happy to hear her so gentle. Her chin moved to his paws, and he lifted his head just a little higher to give her room. But then he placed his throat over the back of her skull and pulled her in closer to him. Even if he was in a dark place, Esper was helping. Esper was making him happy. But was that what he wanted? "Goodnight, Esperanza." He would whisper. As he closed his eyes but refused to sleep. Hopefully she would fall into slumber soon, and wouldn't feel his even breath of life. He wouldn't sleep that night, but he wouldn't let he know. -Exit Chrono- Walk "Talk" Think