Well this would turn out to be horrible. Just like he thought it would have turned out horrible the first time. Vereux was well aware - this could be the stupidest thing he had ever done. So, if this was going to cause Ivalice trouble there was no way he was going to have that. Hell, Yfir at one point had been his home. Just... he was tired of having been rejected. He was afraid, a coward, and for a coward to stand up again was probably like playing with fools gold. He would stand on the shared border. If Avalon came by so be it, but this was between him and Katja. He'd be damned if something else happened. So the wolf would raise his head in a howl for the woman. He thought about what he was going to say. No sense of sorry would work. And he would give up his life. Vereux would fight for that much. Should it be a maim or otherwise though he deserved that much. He would fight to stop it, but he would allow it if it came. Vereux would make it clear to Katja he had indeed ran. He had in a sense betrayed them, and no amount of why would make sense because hell no wolf listened to him anyway. He sighed, and waited. For his impending doom. “Vereux” “Avalon”

Avalon

She had thought long and hard about the conversation she had with Bass. It wasn't all bad things, but it wasn't all good either. She was confused, her mind working nonstop to put together the jigsaw puzzle of a potential mess that her ignorance and naivete had gotten her into. Was she too quick to fall again? Or was she in the right to have chosen who she did? She hoped for the latter. The last thing she wanted to feel was that her heart had guided her down the wrong path. Again. She'd been resting in her den, her belly starting to swell with new life. Sighing, she laid her head on her paws as she thought about it. Her season wasn't until summer! How had she managed to get pregnant right now? While it was true she did want pups again, she was feeling too stressed out to deal with this, running the pack, dealing with her suddenly rebellious kids, and now the new problem that was nagging at her mind. Groaning, she flopped onto her side as her eyes closed. Only for them to fly open as she heard Vereux howl in the distance. Raising her head, she narrowed her eyes as she pin pointed his call to come from the side that bordered Yfir. Was he calling for Katja? Why did he suddenly decide to do it now? She hadn't even gotten a chance to talk to him about what she and Bass had talked about...so why now? Growling with irritation at this new occurence, she rose to her paws and headed in his direction. The usually calm alphess was confused by this sudden action, and was not at all pleased that he didn't consult her first. She hated when people went behind her back, it showed a lack of trust and clear disrespect, and she hated that. Her gait was swift, an easy lope as her paws ate the ground. Once Vereux came into view, her gaze locked onto him as she headed straight towards him until she came to a stop a few feet behind. He was still on Ivalice's side of the border, something that Katja wouldn't cross without good reason, right? Narrowing her eyes again, she stared at the man's back. "Vereux, what are you doing." It wasn't even a question, but a demand.

His skin crawled when he heard her voice. He was kind of hoping that she would show up though. His single eye would turn towards her. “I've been doing a lot of thinking, and I should probably get this out of the way.” Vereux answered rather quickly as he looked at her. He gave a sigh, looking at the scent marker. “I'm a coward Avalon. But I know for certain I would have been turned into a slave if I had returned to Yfir... I never would have seen you again. I was afraid the same thing would happen when I came back to fiori. I would be denied access to a place I probably never belonged in the first place.” his tail flicked for a moment. “If I don't face Katja, it will cause trouble for Ivalice. That is the least I want. To own up to my mistake is something I have to do, Yfir did offer my a home at one point. I will not let her take my life, but if she needs to fight me than I say maybe we should.” Vereux stared at the floor for a longer amount of time. “I don't want to burden you... or the pack. I'm finally getting a second chance, but I'm weighed down by my past. Was I wrong to do this?” he looked towards her and tilted his head. “Vereux” “Avalon”

Avalon

He was really quick to answer, and the woman stood there listening. Her gaze did not waver nor soften, instead it remained narrowed on him as he sought to explain himself. What made him think he would have been a slave? His own fear? She had learned that he seemed to kind of have an overactive imagination. Kind of like...Arian. She shook her head a little, wondering what had suddenly made him change his mind. Why would he wait an entire year? Did he perhaps wait until he was safe and secure behind the walls of a pack border? Or something else? The conversation she had with Bass echoed in her head, and she was struggling to figure out what to do. She had wanted to talk to Vereux, and then talk to Katja to see what was really going on. But here she was. Standing in between. Ears pinning back, her stance showed clear tension and displeasure. Maybe even some anger as she struggled to hide the confusion in her eyes. "Why didn't you do it sooner? Why didn't you go back if you simply got washed away from your home? Why avoid it for so long? Why not tell the pack you swore loyalty to that you were alive and well?" Questions began to pour from her, she didn't understand anymore. At first, she thought she did. Then she figured that maybe she had just been ignorant then. But now? Her eyes were opening more now that she had a pack, and kids, with more on the way to take care of. What got her though, was the fact that he said he would have been a slave for returning home. Or that if he went to Fiori, he would meet the same fate. Her lips lifted slightly, was he serious? She knew Leo well enough to know that he would not simply condemn nor enslave someone purely out of...whatever Vereux was thinking. And Katja? Well, she wasn't sure. She doubted that it would have been the case if he had just gone back to tell her something, anything. But now, more then likely he was branded as a traitor, a deserter. And she was harboring him next door. He went on to say that Yfir had given him a home. That he didn't want to cause trouble for Ivalice, but in Avalon's mind, that might have already started the moment they moved in next door and his scent was all over the border. And it seemed to her after he said that if Katja wanted to fight him, would she herself step in? It was a possibility. She had a duty to protect her pack members, after all. But when he said "we" should fight her, a red flag rose in her head. As much as she loved Vereux, and wanted him to be safe and happy, as an alpha, she had a bigger duty to protect the pack as a whole. She didn't struggle this long to create what she'd dreamt of, only to cast it away for something like this. She would not put Ivalice at war for that. There were so many conflicting thoughts. She wanted more then anything to protect him. But here he stood, staring at the floor after saying all of that. Amber gaze watched him as he said that he didn't want to burden her. Isn't that what he was already doing? She was caught between the spider and the Web. Backed into a corner before she could really talk to either of them without the high amount of stress she was feeling right now. When he asked if he was wrong to do this, she remained quiet for a while. Was he? She was still unsure as to why the sudden want to do it, why now after everything he said before. Finally, she would speak while avoiding his gaze. She knew that if she looked up, she would see the symbol that she recalled Bass saying was a symbol of loyalty he had pledged to Yfir. But in the end, would he ultimately betray her too? "This is your fight now. And you will fight if you need to. I will not fight your battle, even if I wanted too. I think you waited too long though...but I guess we'll find out. I don't however, appreciate that you're hiding behind my borders. You will not fight on Ivalice lands." She didn't know what else to say. She supposed it depended on what he said, otherwise she would wait for Katja to show up and watch what happened. She would not blame katja if the Viking chose to be mad at her, but she would speak and explain what she needed to. She was the alpha after all. After that, whatever happened happened she supposed.

Vereux shuddered, he would take in a deep breath. At the moment he was facing his alpha. This wasn't his mate, this wasn't the mother to be. Avalon was angry, and he wanted to make things right. Arguements couldn't be avoided, and now perhaps she didn't trust him. However, he was a changed man. He knew that, his sister's words echoed in his head. He narrowed his eye and raised his head to look at her. Only a coward looked to the ground. Only a man who wouldn't ever be able to make a name for himself would do that. "Why didn't you do it sooner? Why didn't you go back if you simply got washed away from your home? Why avoid it for so long? Why not tell the pack you swore loyalty to that you were alive and well?" Her questioned could be easily answered. He would be truthful. “Because of my false anxiety. Maybe she wouldn't have done a thing, but I'd seen how Yfir works Avalon. I already made my vows, a man once tried to leave because he fell in love with a woman I hear. He didn't make his vows so he was allowed to go... but he was branded a deserter and probably would have been maimed if ever seen on Yfir lands again. This just... wasn't something I could agree with and I should have thought of that before I stayed. And because... I was simply kidnapped and taken away from my family but what did I get? I got the fact as if I was left of my own accord.... I avoided it for so long because I was a coward. I've changed recently, I've seen and learned new things. I regret not going back, but I can't change the past. As I am now I would have faced Katja no matter my fears. I knew her well enough, and this was not her fault either just the way of their people.” He answered Avalon fully. As he became rigid, his heart pounding against his chest. “I don't want you to distrust me... you've had enough of that in your life. I don't want to leave. Ivalice is my home. YOU are my alpha, and YOU are the one I love. I don't have any reason to deserve any of this but I'm fighting to keep it tooth and nail no matter what it takes.” he breathed. Vereux took in a sharp breath, he nodded his head. He knew this, he knew it well. He would cross the border when the time came if needed, but he wanted to talk with Katja first. “I'd like to talk to her first if fighting can be avoided. She's a logical woman. Despite me being born in the north I seem like a soft southerner I guess.” he looked into the Yfir lands. “Avalon, I'm sorry I waited so long. If it means anything with those words. The man I used to be and the man I am now are different. It's all because of you. I'm stronger in a sense I suppose. Why now? Of all days? Because I do it before I think I can't.” he shifted under his paws. Vereux smiled and looked towards her. “And I'm not hiding behind your lands, I'm respecting their borders.” he was not going to let that be pinned on him. “But if you could... tell me what you think. Do you want to help talk to Katja, or should I be doing this alone? For a man who dearly, viciously SUCKS at making up for his mistakes. ” “Vereux” “Avalon”

She watched him in silence. Body unmoving as he spoke. Throughout the entire thing she would say nothing, however. She still didn't know what to think let alone what to say anymore, and the more he spoke the more she was heated with conflict. She didn't care what someone else in his former pack had done, the fact was he thought something horrible would happen, and instead chose to assume instead of going to face it. The short mention he gave of his former pack mate made her raise a brow nonetheless, and she would be sure to ask katja these nagging questions to see what added up and what didn't. Especially after the talk with Bass, she couldn't just take the word of one anymore, no matter who it was. There were always two sides to a story. Three, in her opinion. The third being the actual truth.

When he questioned whether she would help talk to katja, she remained silent a moment longer. This was his bed right? She'd done enough to win the anger of her children, and truthfully, she didn't want to deal with the anger of katja right now. Turning away, she pursed her lips. They'd been waiting for some time, and there was no sign of the Viking woman. Maybe she decided not to come. Maybe she was much to furious to come at the beck and call of what they called a spy or traitor, or whatever he was to them. Without looking at him, she would simply speak. "Do what you need to. I've a pack to look after. Besides, I don't think she's coming." With that, Avalon would leave him to his own devices and lope further into the territory.

-Exit-

Idiotic. That's what he really was. As his muscles tensed, he listened to her. Did she not hear a word he said? Or had he said something wrong. Regardless she was right... the viking woman didn't seem to care. Which was odd, he would assume she would waltz right up to him and take his other eye or worse. Plus perhaps it would give him some time to calm down, remind himself never to do this while heated and emotional. He would follow beside Avalon. “I apologize Avalon.” he said sincerely before going at a slower pace. Perhaps to just give her space. After all, she did have a pack to look after. He knew he was not the only one she had to look after. Vereux let out a sigh, think to himself. What did he need to do. -exit- “Vereux” “Avalon”