the words we shall say

Venom had seen Hattori as her partner long before she took him as husband or mate. He was pledged his loyalty to her and that had sealed their fate. The Empress would grow old with the one she chose, the one who had made himself invaluable, irreplaceable, in her life. Having that pillar removed from beneath her rocked the woman to her very core. Venom became shocked and speechless as Hattori spoke. She kept the building emotions to herself, expression neutral as she listened to the man beside her, a man who was no longer the wolf she vowed to give her heart to.

Her eyes gaze sightlessly towards the sea as she struggled with the words he said, a willful disconnect as her mind tried to refute what was happening. The shock hid the pain that was growing in her chest. She knew the words that went unsaid, she had always been able to read between the lines Hattori spoke. He had no wish to continue on the path they were on, she was no longer the center of his world. Hattori was ending their partnership, he was breaking his vow. The cracks formed over her heart, and he spoke as if his apology or repentance would do anything to soothe his decision to leave her. He did not wish to see Ashen change for him, and yet his actions would restructure Venom and the pack on a fundamental level.

He said her name and pulled her from her daze, just in time to watch him rip his toe from his own paw for her. He would leave his mark on her, a wound inflicted that might not ever truly heal on the Empire, and he believed to make up for his decision with a toe. He would carry his shame forever, but Venom saw no real remorse in him.

"If you were truly sorry you would have kept your vow.” The soft hopeful whisper left her voice as her future crumpled in her paws. Anger flickered in her chest, daring to ignite and overwhelm her good senses. She took his offering, but his short term pain couldn't eclipse what he was doing. "So what do you want, oath breaker?” She asked him then, her expression changing. She no longer recognized the man before her, he truly had been changed. Venom scrambled away from him like he had stuck her physically. Her quills lifted with her hackles. She grit her teeth and blinked away the harsh emotions that filled her. "What is more important to you than our marriage?” Venom finished, her voice deflating in defeat. "What is more important than me?” She cried out, finally feeling the hurt and personal pain of being rejected by the one she loved and cared so deeply for. The one who had held her undying loyalty, but did not return it in the end. Venom couldn’t keep them back anymore and small rivulets of tears began to fall down silver marked cheeks.

"Hattori & Venom"