The male stood at the edge of the pool of water staring at his reflection. He didn't look to be his best, but it had been easy enough to hide from the pack. He wondered when Ixionn would be fully trained, but his brain turned towards Irune. They needed to talk, he couldn't string the girl along any longer. She had her ambitions and he encouraged them. He was worried about breaking her heart, but it would be worse if he tortured himself any longer that was certain. Plus Irune deserved better, she deserved someone who shared the same feelings and goals she did. He raised his head in a howl for the girl. Quelt expected her to hate him, to loathe him, but that would be alright. She was still a friend, someone he cared about. He just knew these feelings were not of a love attachment. His black tail flicked back and forth and he waited patiently. Taking in a deep breath and telling himself the gods would guide him through this difficult part of his life. Speech,

Things had not been what to girl had expected upon her return. First Quelt was no longer the alpha but some woman he had known, never mentioned, someone she didn't know. Then Ixionn was to be the Heir, and she couldn't be more proud of the boy she saw as her own son. Him being nervous and unsure told her he was going to make a great leader one day. And lastly she found herself not among the ranks of the pack anymore. She had disappeared due to natural disaster, making her now think they had thought her lost and gone forever. To the point of no hope in her return. Then there was that deep gut feeling something was going on with Quelt. She had not gotten the greeting she had hoped for from him and her nights were spent along, as well as her days now. Had he given up so much hope, thinking she was dead, he didn't know what to think or do now? Or had he fallen out of love with her? Fallen for another? Maybe that Arain? As if fate as always knew just what to do, his call for her reached her ears. Amber eyes flattered open from the closed position they had been in. Head lifted from her paws as she gazed about her in this lonely north. Never had been seemed cold to her before, not till now. Getting up from the cold earthen ground she shook her fur out before setting out to go to Quelt. It would not take her long to find him. Stopping a few feet away she stared at him. She was almost too afraid to move any closer, to see why he had called for him. Something told her, this was it, the end for them. Her stomach clinched at the thought, heart twisted painfully but her eyes remained emotionless, guarded, hiding what she really felt. Slowly she walked over to his side but did not bring herself to brush against him, no matter how much she longed for the contact. Her eyes would lift to his face, his gentle handsome face."Quelt?" Her voice was steady, soft but questioning. Her eyes never leaving his face, trying to see into him, to read his thoughts. "Speech"

He shifted slightly underneath her gaze as she came to his call. Her words were like an icy grave towards his ears and his lungs felt like tightening up an making him drop dead. He was the scum of the earth wasn't he. No normal man would fall out of love with this beautiful woman after she had been so hurt and overwhelmed. But what would have happened if he had kept this waiting. He did have anyone else in his life right now, besides his heart towards his friends in Abaven. His tail flickered a little, his knee's felt weak but he remained as he was. "Irune." he breathed the name like it was a delicate frozen flower about to break. Shutting his eyes he stopped his shivering and took in a deep breath before letting it out. "I've been thinking a lot about this lately.... a lot about us." his eyes darted to the side for a moment before looking at her. "I don't have the feelings I once thought I had for you. No there isn't anyone else, I just don't think we could ever work out. Both our hearts are in separate places." he smiled at her slightly and painfully. "I truly loved you, and loved spending time with you, but time has changed my heart. You should live out your dream of becoming a leader, I still want to be your friend if you'd allow it but I don't want to drag you down or string you along with fake feelings that aren't there anymore." he stopped for a moment biting into his lip. Was he bipolar? "I'm sorry, don't hate me" and he would wait for the revealing truth. Speech,

She stood there waiting and when his eyes finally found her's, she could not help but feel like the earth had slipped from under her. His words stumbled out of his mouth. She felt like someone had just rammed right into her gut. The air whooshed silently out of her lungs, head bending down towards her chest and eyes closing. A burning boiled in her blood, of sheer pain and loss, of pure anger. Her teeth clenched, lips twitching, did he just ask her not to hate him, to forgive him?! How could he not love her anymore? Did she do something wrong? Had she not understood him? She had thought he wanted to be a leader like her. To create a place, a family that they could protect and love together. When she did finally look up at him her eyes burned with anger but more in pain."When? When did you realize this? While I was gone, lost because of that damn storm? Was it because I couldn't get back to you soon enough? Was I not good enough for you?! Don't hate you! Quelt you are breaking my heart! You are all I have left here and your asking me not to hate you?! Go to hell Quelt! I came back here for you! I knew you needed me, or so I thought! No don't even answer, I don't want to hear it. I don't want the excuses, the reasons, nothing! Perhaps I should have done what my brother did, kept to the family, fall for a sibling, keep our line pure! Maybe we Aramada's are just too much for anyone to handle but our own flesh and blood! " She snarled up at him. Her fur was bristling, making her look twice her size. She was nothing but a pure firey spit of anger and raw painful emotions. Stepping back with a look like he had slapped her across the face, she shook her head. She had done everything to make sure he was okay, to make him happy, and to support him. She tried to keep her father from him, to keep him safe, had given up the freedom she relished to love him and be with him. Had sat there and help him raise another's pups. She felt like she was falling into a hole. She was loosing everything and everyone. She wasn't sure if she could handle it. "Speech"

Anger, his worst fear had been brought back to reality. He didn't make a move, his heart clenched, it slowed in its rate rather than quickening. So she did hate him, well that was expected. Quelt wished he could force the feelings back into him, but he couldn't. Her words spoke with venom, and he didn't even feel anger flare into him. He simply, tried to understand her end of things, but he couldn't. If anything in those moments, he wanted to love her, he really did, but it just wasn't there. His tail flicked back and forth. He was a monster, and he had torn her heart to pieces. "I only stayed because I thought it was what you wanted. I realized it when you came back, when my body didn't react the way I thought it would the way I wanted it to." he looked at her calmly unlike her raging ball of fur. The large male lowered his head for a moment, she wouldn't forgive him, it was probably in her nature. "You were too good for me, you always have been the angel that cannot be tamed." he was tongue tied for everything else. "Do you never want to see me again, because I can arrange that." he looked at her coldly suddenly. A side of him she probably would never understand. This was hard for him, he didn't care, if she hated him, that was for the better. If it was up to him, he would have just left without a word but the better half of him told himself to at least give a chance to say goodbye. He prepared himself in case she struck out, but within her next words he would probably leave he wouldn't bother her ever again. She could go to her god damn family, it would be better, she'd be protected her heart would heal and she would find someone better than he was. Speech,