A cut above the rest

Alastor couldn't help the chuckle that came from him when Manea shot him that teasing look that held many familiar promises of what they'd do to each other once they'd finished their business here. It wasn't long before someone began to approach to answer their call for an audience—but it was not anyone the dire brute had expected to arrive. Instead of some reigning king or queen, a little girl came padding up to them, her long, luxurious fur flowing gracefully behind her with every smooth step. Despite being such a small, dainty thing that couldn't have been older than a couple of seasons, she carried herself with such confidence and spoke with a maturity the likes of which Alastor had never seen before. The girl was astoundingly gorgeous, with clean whites and blacks accented by red. But what Alastor knew Manea had valued the most were her mutations: a small set of nubs that would grow to be horns and occasionally catching the flick of a forked serpent tongue when she spoke. All at once, Alastor knew why Manea had wanted to be in the graces of this family.

The girl introduced herself in a long chain of syllables he could only barely understand, using words and dialects that left him reeling. He stared at the pup, obsidian eyes wide and mouth slack, trying to collect his thoughts enough to give her a coherent sentence. That proved to be quite difficult when he'd only understood every other word out of her mouth at best. Was that gibberish? Was she speaking gibberish to him? Oh boy, Alastor, think on your feet! She's greeting you, right? That makes sense. "Hello, little darling! My, aren't you a well-spoken young lady!" he said with his usual enthusiasm and zeal. He dipped his crown to her while Manea informed him that this was the special little girl she had spoken to him about. "I am. My name is Alastor, and it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance! My wife is quite taken with you, my dear, and I can see why!"

Shortly after Ikigai's arrival, Alastor spotted two more wolves approaching: a sizable fae and another daughter that looked more akin to a wobbly fawn with those long legs and strange horns and whiskers. The other daughter brought about a bright smile from Al, who rejoiced in the presence of puppies and found her clumsiness the most endearing thing ever. The woman, while beautiful and a clear herald of where the two girls had gotten their looks from, didn't strike Alastor as anything special—until she greeted them as Venom Abraxas, the empress, and Alastor saw the serpentine tongue that Ikigai possessed within her mother's maw as well. One by one Alastor began to put the pieces together. This was a family of mutants, and that was why Manea valued their company so highly.

Lastly came who Alastor assumed was the sire: massive, black and orange, curt in his words and dour in his expression. He introduced himself as Hattori, then remained silent, watching the two newcomers the way a warden would watch an inmate. Alastor shared a respectful dip of his head to the man, but let Manea hold the delegations as she saw fit. She was to be the Matriarch of their family, so he would give her that freedom and power to bloom on her own. Manea introduced them both, the dark brute exchanging his unending grin with his wife while subtly glancing his tail across her hip when hers brushed over his. He would behave, but he also wasn't one to not show affection back to his mate. Manea explained their intentions for the meeting, as well as their future plans and ambitions. Alastor silently watched the Ashen wolves, appraising them and keeping a general watchful eye on them. He didn't assume them to be threats, and normally couldn't have cared less if they had intended violence, but he had more to think about than just the fun of spilling blood, as was evident by the slight swelling of his mate's belly. He had more to live for now.

Manea did not mince words; she got to the topic at hand. They were starting a family. They desired land and power. Whether it came from a sharp tongue or sharp fangs, Alastor would give his beloved wife the world she deserved. "Or if there's any packs you simply think would be fun to watch burn, we can work with that," he added to the end of Manea's pitch. The grin on his face never faded, though the friendly connotations did shift toward more sinister intents as he spoke. "My wife is very taken with what you've accomplished so far, Your Grace. She's spoken of little the past week other than our children and establishing a pack worthy of a union with your empire. And believe me when I say she's dedicated and tenacious when she sees something she wants." That had certainly been the case with him. Manea had wanted him and a family with him, and now she was thoroughly pregnant and happy as a clam.


"Alastor"