No...No...Not again...He'd lost everything...Again. First his family, Luna and his parents and now...now Desdemona. She had come back, broken and battered, but alive. He'd thought that they would be able to start their life anew, build from the ground up again. She had come back for a reason hadn't she? He thought it had been because she'd wanted to continue with their lives...but it seemed she'd had other ideas. How could she do that to him? What the hell had he done to deserve it...He'd loved her, cared for her, protected her....He'd made her his wife, had given her his seed so they could build their own family...Why?! He had been so close to having everything he'd ever wanted...But now he had nothing. Nothing! Desdemona had left him without a word and his unborn children were dead. Everything that had mattered to him in his life was gone. Forever. Forever...


He had no home...No family...Nothing. Nothing except...Chrysanthe. His best friend. But...how could he burden her with his tragedy? She was an alpha now and she had many responsibilities. She didn't have time to deal with his now pathetic life. But...she was all he had left now. The only wolf in Alacritis that he could think would care about anything that happened to him...And so the white man had abandoned what was once his home in Tortuga, taking his paws to the earth as he made the trek north, passing through many lands yet unexplored to go back to the one place he knew, or at least he hoped he would be welcome; Valhalla. It was funny how things played out. He'd originally been going to join Valhalla, but he'd met Desdemona and she'd changed his mind, steering him towards Tortuga...But now that he'd lost everything, he found himself wandering back to the place that should've been his home...If he'd gone with Chrys, could he have avoided all of this heart ache? He supposed he would never know now. Powerful limbs brought the porcelain man to halt at the Valhallan border, mismatched gaze dancing over the somewhat familiar landscape, haunches folding beneath him as he sat himself at the border, crown hanging limply between his shoulders. He didn't want to call out to Chrys, to alert her to his pain, but he didn't know where else to go...Demonio sat at the Valhallan border, hoping that his best friend would chance upon him...



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She hadn't heard from Tikaani nor Demonio for quite some time. She had only just been crowned last she ran into them, but it had been nearly a season since. Winter had gone, spring was here and summer was on its way... so where were her Tortugan brother and sister? The alpha walked steadily through the slightly waterlogged lands, the flooding had receded, but there were still muddy patches and small pools that were more like ponds than they should have been. Her paws led her toward the borders, which she would proceed to remark after the water from the floods had made them far weaker than she liked. Yet she didn't get to start in her task before she scented someone familiar nearby.

She idly smiled, wondering what news Demonio had for her now. It should be around the time for his wife to have her children - perhaps he had come to introduce her? She hurried toward him, excitement evident in her azure eyes, but when she finally spotted him... he looked entirely broken. A jaded man, his head hung low and his body was hunched, the weight of the world on his ivory shoulders. "Demonio..." She whispered, edging closer to the brute she considered a branch of her own family. "What happened?" If someone, anyone had hurt him she would tear them apart! Anger would be held back, sitting in the far reaches of her mind while she focused her attention on figuring out what ailed the white knight so.

Was he really that bad of a man? Did fate really think he was such a horrible creature for having allowed his family to have been killed that now it was taking everything that had ever meant something to him? The world hated him and he had no way of defending himself. There was no more fight left in him. He had given up. He allowed his once wife to leave without question. He hadn't chased after her, hadn't wasted his time trying to find her. Nothing. She had left him. It was simple as that. He wasn't going to chase after someone who obviously no longer wanted anything to do with him. But why did she ever lead him on? She had seemed so madly in love with him, so determined to have a family with him and now this...He was done. She'd broken him beyond repair, taking the heart that she had healed and ripping it to pieces, scattering those pieces to the four winds. He was empty, hollow...broken. The wall around his heart, or what was left of it were back up and rock solid. No one was getting through them ever again. He wasn't about to be fooled for a second time.


Audits twitched about his limp crown, the sound of paw steps registering with the white man. At first he thought it just to be some strange Valhallan passing through, but when the paw steps came closer and her familiar scent wafted into his nostrils, Demonio knew; Chrysanthe. His best friend. His only real family now in this forsaken place. She edged closer to him, whispering his name, asking him what had happened. His throat constricted, mismatched gems blinking furiously as tears began to slip down his ivory cheeks. She's gone Chrys...gone...I have nothing...No home....No family...Nothing... His voice was a strangled whisper as he kept his head lowered, not wanting the young woman to see him so broken. She wasn't supposed to see him like this. He was strong...But he had no reason to be strong anymore...



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He was hurt, but looking him over it was not physical. There was not a speck of blood upon the alabastar lupine, not a scrape or hair out of place that she could blame on the teeth or claws of another. And so she waited, waited for him to tell her what had happened to him. What had been done to put him into such a sorry state? She knew... of only one other that was capable of breaking him so utterly and completely. No... It couldn't be...

Yet as soon as he took in that painful breath and expelled the news, he confirmed her utmost worries. Desdemona had left him, gone, disappeared and left the man who loved her more than anything else behind. The alpha was angry with her - how could she not be? She had abandoned her best friend, a white knight that had wanted to do nothing more than dote upon his queen. Yet the strongest feeling within her was sympathy, sadness for the brute that had found true love and lost it.

"You are not alone Demonio. Did I not tell you that I would be here should you need me?" This was definitely one of those times. She would make herself and Valhalla the pillar of support that he needed until he was ready to face the world on his own once more. Perhaps it was all fate or some strange form of irony, that he would end up returning here

She offered him a small smile, sitting beside him and nosing his chin, hoping that he would lift his head a bit. "I am sorry for your loss." The alphess couldn't imagine losing Gideon that way. "But all hope is not gone." She would do her best to show him that - he would do the same for her after all.

"Would you stay in Valhalla for a while? It's as much your home as it is mine." Anything that was hers was her family's. Hopefully he was alright with letting himself breathe while he was here. Tears did not suit a creature such as him, and if she could help it she would try and keep him from feeling as hopeless as he seemed to think he was.

She was going to sneak up on Demo, wanted to use her sneaky skills to scare him, try to make him smile since they had left their old home and he seemed to be pretty sad about it. The other reason she wanted to sneak up on him, he had left her alone in the den when she had fallen asleep. She would make him pay! She closed her eyes and grew a large toothy grin at the thought of it, muffling a chuckle before continuing on. Little paws carried the dark female, nose close to the ground, following the white male's scent. She wasn't the best at following them but his was very strong and very easy to follow. Within minutes she came upon a field, lowering herself to the ground, mismatched eyes falling upon Demo and another wolf not that far away, talking. Seraphine tilted her head, ears perking up to try listening to what they were talking about. Maybe it was his friend and they were just seeing how each other were? "I have nothing... No home.... No family... Nothing..." Eyes went wide, body lifting form the ground to stand fully up. Did, did Demo not think she was his family now? Was she annoying him already even though they haven't been together that long? She didn't even catch what the other wolf said, her paws carrying her forward, a saddened look on her little face. "Demo...?" She spoke up, voice soft. She stopped just a few feet from the two, her mismatched gaze looking up to the man, her new father. "I'm not your family now?" Her little head hung below her shoulders. "normal, talk, think, you" Awesome table by Serendipity <3

He was so broken, it was a wonder how he had managed to bring himself all the way to Vahalla. Since Desdemona's disappearance the white man had wanted to do nothing more than simply lie down somewhere and waste away. She had been the love of his life, the reason he believed he had been put on this earth for. And now she was gone. Completely and utterly gone, not even wasting her breath in order to give him a proper goodbye. It was like the world was over for him. What did he have to live for now? The reason for his extistance had abandoned him, left him for no good reason. He shouldn't have come knocking at Chrysanthe's door. She had enough responsibilities as an alpha to be worrying about him. He couldn't bother her with his petty problems, and yet here he was, broken practically beyond repair, crying before his best friend, unsure of what his life would become now.


You are not alone Demonio. Did I not tell you that I would be here should you need me? I am sorry for your loss. But all hope is not gone. Would you stay in Valhalla for a while? It's as much your home as it is mine. She came up to sit beside him, nosing his ivory chin with her clay muzzle, looking to raise his head. The ivory knight complied easily enough, allowing his head to raise, teary mismatched gems flickering to Chrysanthe. He was beyond lucky to have befriended such an amazing woman as the Valhallan alpha. Tears continued to flow down his pale cheeks as he nodded slowly, agreeing to remain in Valhalla with his friend, the only place he could call home now. Demo...? I'm not your family now? He'd known that Seraphine would've bee following him but he hadn't expected her to come find him his quickly. Her question confirmed his worst fear; she'd Heard him. Demonio's face fell, his already broken heart breaking into a million tinier pieces. No no my little darling, you are my family. You will always be my family now. I wouldn't trade you for anything in the world. Come here my little one, meet my friend Chrysanthe.


He reached out to his adopted daughter, pulling her to him with his right paw, crown lowering as he presented her little dark head with a gente kiss, nuzzling her affectionately as he turned to look at his friend. Chrys, this is my daughter Seraphine. Seraphine, this is my best friend Chrysanthe. She's the alpha of Valhalla. He didn't bother to use the term adopted; he knew Chrys would figure it out immediately. As he glanced between his daughter and best friend, he hoped the alphaess would extend the offer of a new home to Seraphine as well. He couldn't bare being parted from his new daughter.



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She hadn't heard nor smelled the girl approach the sad scene. She was a bit small, and had noticeable burns on her face and body - but seemed to be equally as tender a creature as her appearance at first glance was rough. Chrysanthe could guess that she and Demonio were close, but it wasn't apparent exactly how until the dark pup tentatively spoke up. They were family - the alpha immediately wanted to correct her, to explain that Demonio was going through a tough time and when he said that he was alone, he did not mean that those that cared about him mattered any less. It was difficult to lose your most precious person, no matter who you were. Yet she paused, waiting for the brute to tell her just that himself. It was a shame that Desdemona was gone, that she had taken his chance at a family with her, because she could see how good a father the ivory knight was with the way he handled his adopted child.

Smiling at the babe, she dipped her head when she was introduced to the younger female. Seraphine her name was, why she sounded like she was a little angel. "It is a pleasure to meet you Seraphine." Hopefully the girl would feel welcomed here in Valhalla too. Although she didn't know it, she would be a big part of Demonio's recovery from his missing wife. Children tended to ebb away at pain over time, both because they were precious and they gave you something to fight for. Chrysanthe knew that once Valhalla's pups were born that it gave her even more of a reason to protect and defend the wolves here. They were the pack's future, just as Seraphine would be Demonio's legacy. "You are welcome to stay here too of course - but you must do me a favor."

"Remember to make your father smile from time to time." It was the only request she would make of the young girl. Looking back to Demonio she grinned at him, winking at the brute in an attempt to bring a small smile to his face. The woman was determined to prove to him that there was life beyond Desdemona - and although she could not be his woman, she would be there for him whenever he needed her.

Regardless, she felt a bit uneasy, Gideon was not going to like this development. Her husband had the tendency to read a bit too deeply between the lines.

"So, would you like a rank? Or do you want to get settled in first?" He was welcome to do either, whatever made him comfortable at this point.

The black pup looked up at the man with big, wet puppy eyes. Ears folded back against her head, bottom lip quivering. Dd he really mean it? Did Demo not think of her as his daughter and didn't care about her, only about the lady who left him and didn't give him the pups he really wanted? It hurt, like a pine needle to the heart, stomach twisting, throat growing dry and tight. Seraphine felt like crying, first it was mama, then Luce, now him. Was something wrong with her, was Seraphine being a bad little girl without realizing it? She turned her head away, her paws about to carry her little self back to their den but his voice prevented her body from doing so. Her good ear lifted off her head, swiveling towards him to catch his comforting voice. He told her she was his family, and would always be his family now. But then why did he say he had no family, nothing left? He told her he wouldn't trade her for anything in the world, and that made her lips pull back in a small smile. Mismatched blue and golden orbs looked up at the pretty lady, Demo's friend, Chrysanthe. She let him pull her into him, leaning into his kiss, and nuzzled into him. With where she was the pup slowly slid behind his leg shyly, looking out slightly to look up at the lady as Demo introduced them to each other. She was the Alpha of Valhalla. Was that their new home? She watched the lady dip her head, doing the same when she said it was a pleasure to meet her. She said that Seraphine was welcomed to stay here too but she had to do the pretty lady a favor. The pup gave a nod of her head, taking a step out from behind Demo's leg, ears perked up, waiting. "Remember to make your father smile from time to time." Was her request, something the little girl could easily do. "Yes ma'am, I can do that." She said softly with a smile, the watery sad look in her eyes fading away. At the mention of ranks and settling in the little pup slipped out from behind Demo's leg completely, lifting her head, stump of a tail wiggling behind her. "Um... excuse me Miss Santhe." Her name was a little hard to say, even in her head head so she would say Santhe for now till she got it down. Hopefully she would not mind. "You are very pretty." She said shyly, a little paw swinging slightly in front of her, little claws scraping the ground. "normal, talk, think, you" Awesome table by Serendipity <3

He was more or less convinced that his having met Seraphine was probably fate. It was like the universe had purposely put the little darling in the white man's path, knowing that he would suffer a great loss and need something or someone to help him refocus his energy. And Seraphine had been just that. She was his little angel, his little darling, his little daughter. He had met her by chance up in Tortuga one fateful day and then rescued her from the clutches of the Kumai delta a few weeks later. And ever since then, the pair had been inseparable. She was an absolute joy to have around. So curious and playful and full of life, able to keep his thoughts from straying to Desdemona, although there were still times where she managed to creep into his thoughts. Sometimes when they settled down to sleep, his little girl snuggled up at his side, he wondered if his biological children would have been just like Seraphine or if they would've been completely different. He was always quick to banish those thoughts. There was no point to having them around. Nothing could be done about them anyways.


All the negative thoughts that had been circling through his system began melting away as he held Seraphine against him, a gentle smile curling his ivory jaws as she nuzzled into him, hiding shyly behind his forelimb as she gazed up at Chrysanthe with her own mismatched eyes as the queen greeted the youth. Of course his best friend would take a liking to his daughter, how could she not. She was a little blessing from above. He watched in curiosity as the clay-faced woman conversed with his daughter, extending the offer of a home to her as well, but on the condition that she do her a favor. One eyebrow raised up questioningly, mismatched eyes dancing between the two females, ears pricking with interested as Chrys asked Seraphine to make him smile from time to time. He had to have one of the most amazing friends in all of Valhalla. Yes ma'am, I can do that. Came his daughter's response, her sadness from a few moments ago now just a memory. Children. They certainly were little miracles all in their own.


So, would you like a rank? Or do you want to get settled in first? Rank or get settled? Demonio wasn't the kind of man who liked to sit around, letting the day pass him by. He liked having a responsibility, something to occupy his day, other than caring for his little one. I think a rank would do be good at the moment. Any rank you can spare would be greatly appreciated. Came his rumbling response, his attention returning to Seraphine as she came out completely from behind his leg, looking up to the cream woman, her little tail wagging as she declared that Chrysanthe was very pretty. A low chuckle rumbled in the man's white chest, amused at his daughter's observation. That she is little one. Probably one of the prettiest wolf's here. He tacked on, looking up to Chrys with a genuine smile creasing his muzzle.



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