We Will Break Away Together.

Caedes felt the weight of her gaze, her silver eyes offering him her full attention as she absorbed his words. This beautiful woman whose mere existence destroyed his stoic, indifferent one. Her paw remained in his, a gentle, grounding touch that kept him from drifting too far into his clinical detachment from life in general.

Norad’s fate seemed to weigh heavily on her, the bitterness of it clear. He saw how his matter-of-fact recounting of the tale unsettled her, though the more brutal realities of life was a truth he had long accepted as a daily struggle. He knew she was not oblivious to that, either. Despite her understanding, she clung to familial ideals that seemed foreign to him; while his circumstances were bloody and bleak, with family being synonymous with a hoard of depraved monsters.

Her gaze briefly left his as she reassured him of her understanding, the embers of the fire casting shifting shadows across her lithe form. She spoke of her kin's loyalty and the delicate balance they had to maintain. The mention of Artorias and her sister's allegiance to the Hallows made him tense, though he already knew this. It was a visceral reaction to the threats from the Hallow Alpha, his lips curling upwards in a feral grin as his eyes narrowed at the memory of Sephiran recounting the brute’s proclamations. His pack was another matter; right now, he needed to focus on securing their future. He took a breath, relaxing the flex of his muscular shoulders as he centered his gaze in her face once again.

“Your sister,” Caedes began slowly, his voice its usual calm rumble, “If she wishes to meet, then I will meet her. I will be honest. About Norad, about what I am asked. I will not lie to her or to any of your family. I’ve no patience to do so.” It was a proclamation, though he knew his truths would not all be well-received. But such was the way of differing opinions. He held no fear in his heart, he hadn’t since he was a child.

He took a moment to consider the weight of what lay ahead. Sharing the harsh truths of his life with her family was a necessary step, one that could either bridge the gap or widen it further. But he had to believe that honesty would pave the way for trust and understanding, if not for his family, then for himself. Anyways, politics was his uncle's chosen profession. “Our actions, our history, are not easily understood by those outside our pack or homeland. I will share what I can, with honesty and transparency. If I am to build trust between myself and your family. But I am no politician, Mariah. I do not spin sweet tales. If you believe anything I may say will shock you, ask it now. Or, my uncle can better articulate a.. more favorable estimation of the Syndicate?”

Caedes couldn’t help but feel a touch of cynicism creep into his thoughts. Her trust in her sister, her belief in transparency, seemed again foreign to him. In his experience, truth was often twisted, used as a weapon rather than a bridge. The world was harsh, unforgiving. Loyalty was often just another word for self-preservation. He didn’t even fully trust his cousin as far as he could throw him. That paranoid bastard.

’I love you,’ she whispered, her voice barely audible against the faint crackling of the fire. The words hung in the air, thick and rich like the aroma of the wood smoke. His heart stilled, then erupted into a frenzy of excitement. His emerald eyes blazed, his features softening with a possessive regard for the woman beside him. Caedes leaned in closer, his forehead gently touching hers. The tenderness of the moment overwhelmed him, nares taking in her scent with a heavy inhale. Love. To love and be loved. He hummed, pressing closer to her, instinct telling him to get closer; even if physically impossible. “And I love you, Mariah, for as long as you’ll have me. For longer than even that should you cast me aside, I swear it.” He murmured, his voice filled with earnest sincerity and a gruffness befitting the first time he’d ever said those words to anyone other than his grandmother — not even his father and especially not his mother. She was his undoing, he was as certain now, if not more so than the day they first met.

Yet, in the back of his mind, a darker thought lingered. Love and loyalty were powerful, but they were not always enough. The world outside this cave was brutal, indifferent to their bond. He tightened his grip on her smaller body, a silent but powerful vow to protect her and the emotions they shared. If all else failed, he could rely on that.