All By Yourself

It was impossible for Irilyth to not notice the discord that had befallen her alphas, especially when she lived so closely with them both. Alastor’s absence had been deafening with the silence that followed in his wake, and Irilyth saw firsthand the way it affected Manea. No matter how strong of a front she put up, Iri could see the pain and turmoil her mistress was under, the way her mental and emotional health eroded day after day with her husband astray. It worried the little golden blonde fae and she felt helpless to do anything for the woman she loved. Fortunately, Manea had found solace in a new male—an arctic wolf from some northern lands—who helped take away some of the stress and pain. That brought Iri a little bit of relief knowing that her leader wasn't languishing in her misery alone. She had her children, her new lover, her pack and her family. Whatever was going on between her and Alastor, Manea had a veritable army of wolves ready to support her through thick and thin.

It was the middle of a calm summer night when Manea eventually came to her seeking support from the little blonde fae. Irilyth had been sound asleep in her cozy little alcove of the Mendacium den, curled up in the nook her fur bedding occupied. She didn't hear the dire fae enter at first, she was silent as a ghost, but she felt her when the Matriarch stepped over to join her in her bedding, feeling her body jostling as Manea settled in beside her. Irilyth blinked open bleary raspberry eyes, peering about the dark space of her den in confusion while she pieced together what was happening. "Manea...?" she questioned her mistress quietly, but the tight winding of her lover's forelegs around her slim midsection to pull her into a warm embrace made Iri squeak softly with surprise. Ruby eyes blinked a couple of times, then the petite fae settled into the cuddles, snuggling closer to Manea's fluffy chest. "Are you okay...?" The question might have been a silly ask, but it was just her nature as a healer. Tiny paws lifted to comb through Manea's fur, peering up through the dark to try and find aqua eyes she knew so well.

"Manea" & "Irilyth"