Honey, honey, you're my favorite drug

Alastor was in a dour mood as he had been for the past weeks, his expression sullen and cloudy. Dark brows were knitted together in a morose scowl, his jaw set tight as massive paws thudded over the earth and trudged through the dense pine forests of Alias. The setting sun cast long, dark shadows across the woods, almost entirely obscuring the ebony wolf in darkness as he finished his evening patrol and began to make his way back to the land bridge, bound for mainland Boreas and the den he'd been sharing with Relm. Ever since Manea had effectively evicted him from their familial den, Alastor had simply been going through the motions of his life. He got up, fucked Relm, then set to his daily routines and duties—patrolling, hunting, discussing the state of Elysium's fighters and training regiments with his General, then patrol one more time before coming back to bed Relm once more and sleeping. Wash, rinse, repeat. He avoided the mountain ranges where his home was, mostly so he wouldn't have to see Manea. He really didn't want to see his wife taking long, romantic walks with that new boyfriend of hers, didn't want to smell them all over one another nor the remnants of their salacious acts. He didn't want to go home and smell the stranger in his bedroom or even be in the general vicinity of the pallid fucker.

So the dark dire wolf kept to himself, performing his expected duties as Commander and maintaining his distance from Manea. He knew that if he came near her, there would likely be violence, either towards her or her lover, and that would just make the messy situation even messier. No doubt the prick was enjoying some degree of protection from the Matriarch while she sucked his dick, and he didn't feel like putting himself in even worse graces with her. Alastor heaved a sigh and maneuvered his way through the pine woods towards the southern shore, eventually emerging from the trees to follow the rocky coast to the land bridge. Sunset had almost finished by now, the world heavily plunging into twilight as night crept over the land. Alastor was mentally preparing himself to repeat today again tomorrow as he made for the bridge, pausing just briefly to glance back over his shoulder at the distant mountains. A pang of longing hit his heart for his family, but he was as stubborn as Manea seemed to be, perhaps even more. He could have tucked tail and gone to find her, made his apologies, but they would have been lies. Apologizing meant diminishing what he and Relm shared and admitting fault for something he truly didn't believe he was in the wrong for. Manea had her lovers and he had his. The fact that this was destroying their marriage was just an unfortunate consequence of that fact.

Scowling and shaking his head, Alastor turned and made for the land bridge. He had only taken a couple of steps away from the trees and across the pebbly shore when the familiar voice called out his name. Manea's voice froze him in his tracks. Alastor's shoulders visibly tensed, his fur bristling but smoothing a moment later. When he turned to look at her, his expression was hard and impassive. He had to keep his emotions under heavy check to ensure he didn't lose control of himself. Seeing her hurt him. It felt like a dagger being twisted into his heart. She walked closer until she was only a few feet from him, and Alastor turned to face her fully. Obsidian eyes regarded her. She looked tired; no doubt from a lack of sleep being up all night with whatsisname. "Manea," he responded back, his voice flat and measured and very uncharacteristic for him. There was no mirth, no manic energy or life or any trace of his permanent smile or laugh. He had considered addressing her by her title, but that felt unnecessarily cruel. No matter how much she hurt him, he wouldn't stoop to that level against someone he cared about. The waves lapped at the shore behind him, creating a soothing white noise that felt wholly out of place in this tense moment.

"Manea & Alastor Mendacium"