I Guess This Means I'm a Grown Up Now?

Alastor gave a short bark of laughter when Mariah insisted he gave her too much credit and that any den could become a palace. "Maybe, but it takes a creative eye and an ingenious mind to make it so. Both traits you possess in spades, my little love." Alastor thought back to the den he grew up in with a disgusted wrenching in his chest. He thought of the first den he had lived alone in, sparse and empty. Mariah was living the exact opposite of the life he had grown up with—which was exactly what he wanted for her, and for all of his children. He wanted them to have everything he never did.

Alastor sat beside Mariah around the crackling fire while she unwrapped her housewarming gift. Once she revealed the carved wood plaque, all of Al's attention was on her with anxiously held breath. He felt very much like a student showing off their work to their teacher and hoping they approved of it. Mariah studied the carvings, taking them in... and then there was the light of recognition in her argent eyes. Alastor couldn't help the swell of pride and love in his heart when Mariah whispered her admiration of the gift, his own long flowing tail wagging almost out of control. The smile spreading on Alastor's lips couldn't be contained and he immediately received his lean daughter into his powerful forearms in a big bear hug, the kind that could only come from overly affectionate dads. "I'm so glad you like it, Mariah. Crafting isn't really my forte, it's more your older sister's passion, but I wanted to give you something special to display in your new home." Reaching a paw over, Alastor extended a ruby claw to tap at a space of unmarred wood next to Mariah's marking with a knowing smile touching his lips. "I left some space here too, just in case we need to add someone new to our family tree at some point." He was not-so-subtly hinting at the possibility of Caedes one day taking the Soulmating Ceremony and joining their family, an indirect inference that he hoped he chose to stay with Mariah. Small crystalline tears welled up in the corners of Alastor's dark eyes while he craned his neck down to nuzzle Mariah's forehead tenderly, taking in her scent, her presence, just her being back home again. He hadn't realized just how badly he'd missed his children until they had come back home again.

There was a bit of reluctance when Al let Mariah go so she could look up at him. He met her gaze with that ever-present smile of his, softened only ever for his family, while a large ebony paw wiped away the tears from his eyes and he sniffled back the rest. Oh dear, the big bad wolf Alastor was getting all choked up! The next words Mariah spoke with some hesitation yet appreciation didn't take Alastor by surprise. He knew Caedes would tell Mariah about their interaction in the Redbud Nook. He hadn't been trying to keep it a secret, but he hadn't been looking for praise either. He just wanted to do right by his daughter. "You're very welcome, little love. All I ever want in this life is for you to be happy and loved the way you deserve. If Caedes makes you feel both, then I'll do what I can for you both. You deserve to have someone make you feel like the most important wolf in the world." It was a messy situation with the Syndicate and the Saxes—but he wasn't dealing with the Syndicate or Saxes per se. Just Caedes. "But do let him know that if he does anything to hurt you, I'll be happy to show him why nobody fucks around with your dad!" Alastor punctuated his threat with a hearty laugh, grinning from ear to ear, joking around with his daughter and yet also deathly serious at the same time. It had been some time since he'd fed a corpse to the crabs in the shoals.

Ah, but he was deflecting now. Alastor's smile slowly slid off his muzzle the longer he looked at Mariah, battling with himself on how much he should share with his daughter. How much did she really need to know about her sire's fucked up life that led him to make decisions like letting her pursue a relationship with an enemy of their pack? "Just promise me you'll always remember how loved you are, Mariah. By everyone. Me, your mother, your siblings, Caedes... You matter very much. Especially to me." Leaning down again, Alastor would go to plant a gentle kiss on Mariah's crown, just above the swirling white markings around her eyes.

"Alastor Mendacium"