The normally frigid northern regions had a more mild and temperate atmosphere in the summer months. Green grass spring between the massive trunks of the redwood trees that towered to the heavens like skyscrapers. Foliage and flora bloomed, and pockets of song from birds around the forest could be heard breaking the otherwise peaceful environment. A warm summer's breeze rippled through the dense forest like water, weaving between the trees in gentle gusts.

The stillness of the forest was shattered abruptly by the cries of pain of a wolf echoing like the shriek of a banshee through the woods, reverberating and sending a nearby flock of birds scattering from a tree in all directions. Down below, the massive form of the black dire wolf with red brindle markings snarled as he lunged for a smaller male wolf sprawled across the ground, sinking his razor-sharp teeth into the muscle in his hind leg. The downed wolf howled in pain while Alastor dragged him by his leg, bobbing his head side to side to avoid the kicking from the wolf's other hind leg as he tried to fight back. Alastor's strength could not be contended with though, and as soon as he had drug his opponent over to a rock protruding from the ground, he positioned the wolf's head just over the rock, then bit down on the leg in his jaws until he heard a loud snap of bone disintegrating and tasted fresh blood pour into his mouth.

The wolf screamed in agony again as his leg broke, and Alastor simply stepped around to the disabled wolf's head, smiling down at him as he lifted a back leg and brought it down on his skull hard, snapping his neck over the rock with a crunching of fragile vertebrae. The wolf's body went limp in the blink of an eye, leaving Alastor to stare down into the glassy eyes of his defeated opponent with a sickeningly sweet smile. Aww, so close...! he thought to himself as he licked the blood from his fangs, turning his gaze from the corpse to look around the clearing. Now where did he... Ah, there he is!

Alastor's grin widened when he saw the trail of crimson staining the grass leading to another downed wolf, this one still trying desperately to crawl away. Smiling to himself as he strode without hurry up to the wolf that was quietly whining and whimpering in a combination of terror and pain. His black eyes lingered on the torn and exposed muscle and sinew on the wolf's leg, admiring his own handiwork for a moment. He had effectively incapacitated the poor soul as soon as their fight had begun, and he'd actually made pretty good progress in trying to flee! Too bad for him, Alastor had been more efficient at killing his companion than he was at escaping.

"Now now, just where do you think you're going?" he asked, stopping the wolf with a firm paw down on his injury that made the wolf yowl in a way that sent shivers down his spine. "All I did was ask you and your friend a simple question. You didn't have to be so rude, you know." The wolf began to sputter and beg again, but Alastor was already over it. Neither of them knew where the white-furred female he was looking for was, and anything this wolf said now would clearly be a lie to try and save his own life. Sure, Alastor could have been merciful and spared the incapacitated wolf. But Alastor was not a merciful wolf. "No no no, it's fine, I'll simply have to continue my search on my own. But before I go, let's play a game!" His eyes flashed with a wicked gleam as his grin widened, exposing all of his teeth in a deadly smile. "Your friend lasted one minute and thirty-seven seconds. Let's see if we can beat that!"

Ignoring the wolf's please for mercy, Alastor lunged forward and sunk his teeth into the back of the wolf's neck, tossing him onto his back before lunging again. The wolf pressed his paws to Alastor's chest, trying to hold him back, but the dire wolf was relentless, and as the wolf's strength seeped away with his bleeding leg, Alastor was able to wrap his jaws around the wolf's throat and bite down hard. He felt the rip and pop of flesh giving way, he tasted that delicious metallic tang of blood as it filled his mouth, and he heard the strangled gasp as his opponent succumbed to his injuries. Tearing back with a rip and splash of gore, Alastor stood over his dying opponent, smiling down at him with blood-stained teeth as he watched the light slowly fade away from the wolf's eyes, gasping and choking through the bloody hole in his throat as he expired. All the while, Alastor chuckled to himself, counting down the seconds in his head.

"Speech" — Thoughts

Lurid Amarix

The night had gone smoothly, Kichi surprised her by not waking up with a nightmare she had to soothe without getting angry. Before the dame knew it, morning light streamed through the entrance to the den she had dug at the bottom of an ancient and massive redwood tree that had been struck by lightning ages ago. It had been blackened, charred to a crisp, and left hollow, but sturdy enough to not topple over. The day wore on without much to do, Kichi went off exploring while Lurid set about cleaning the den and surrounding area. There was no worry in her mind, Ilyn would keep her adopted son safe as he had been doing while the boy wandered and learned from his environment. The glaringly bright demon had barely noticed the passage of time from early morning to late afternoon as she absorbed herself in her boringly domestic work. It had to be done, though, and Kichi was not old enough to do it himself. Birds twittered in the canopy, crickets chirped and cicadas sang with their annoying loud voices; all in all, it was a quiet day. A peaceful day of rest for the wicked mother, one that allowed her to complete her work and even get a moment of rest. This would be short-lived, however.

A piercing scream of pain filled the forest, snapping Lurid from her half-dozing state and causing her to dart those sharp, holographic eyes around, searching instinctively for her son. More screams brought the now angrily disturbed woman to her paws, subconscious worry for her son fueled her, even though she hadn't recognized the shrieking voice of the wolf in pain. It was this worry that had her sprinting toward the sound, each screaming note like a siren's song beckoning the demon forth. She would murder whoever was responsible for disturbing her peace, massive yet feminine paws carried her swiftly and silently over the top of a small, tree-laden hill where the agonized screams came from. Holographic lavender eyes peered down at the grizzly scene, fury clear in her gaze rather than the customary worry that most would display. Like a ghost, she appeared from nowhere, a full-body apparition of death and despair. She was not prepared for the scene that greeted her venomous glare, and momentary surprise flitted over her face before she hid the expression. It wasn't long before the screaming was silenced, and Lurid could allow herself some relief that it had not been Kichi in the grasp of the familiar black and red heathen. Anger still remained, but there was a spark of satisfied joy within her as well while she watched from behind the male.

Allowing him to finish his game before she interrupted, Lurid watched with sick fascination as the brutal male brought an end to the screaming, sniveling wolf before him. She sat on her knoll, at the base of one of the red giants in full view of those gorgeous black eyes. The contentment at watching quickly ended, there was still the matter of her rude awakening to address, and the undue worry he had caused her. Never would she admit to being frightened, but she had been startled. After all, it had been a quiet day until Alastor decided to play with the residents of Boreas. His reasons for doing so didn't matter, he had disturbed her well-earned piece and she would make sure he understood her ire. Not to mention he was here in Northern Boreas against direct orders to stay with what remained of her father's empire, 'No, your empire,' she mentally corrected herself. Pulling herself together, the gleaming witch descended with a swiftness that was graceful and predatory. Gliding into the clearing with a silence that only the dead could match, the ivory beast of a woman glared at the backside of her childhood friend without saying a word. Was she glad to see him? Of course, but he defied orders and woke her up from a quasi-nap and made her worry needlessly for her adopted child. She sat a few feet behind the male, making sure not to disturb anything that would give her position away, and waited for him to turn and face her.

|| Word count: 706 words. ||
"Talk." || 'Think.' || 'You.'

Note: AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!

ART by BRIENA

Forty-nine seconds. That was how long it took for the gurgling wolf at his paws to stop sputtering and choking up blood and go silent, his soul leaving his broken and torn body. Alastor's red-tinted smile never left his face the entire time he had been counting, anxiously anticipating just how long it would last, and ultimately winding up disappointed. What a shame... I thought he would have more fight in him than his friend. Oh well! he mused in silence, onyx-hued eyes gleaming with the rush of adrenaline and dopamine currently surging through his bloodstream like a hit of a narcotic. The raw flavor of blood still sat on his tongue like the remaining aftertaste of a fine wine, further deepening his disturbed delight. What had started as another mundane day of hide-and-seek with the object of his search had transformed into something far more thrilling thanks to those fine gentlemen! A delightful break! But now back to-

Alastor's thoughts were cut off when he lifted his head to glance around the blood-soaked clearing, catching the glimpse of pallid white out of the corner of his eye. He turned around, smile still stained with blood and muzzle and chest positively dripping with the fluid. There was no question as to who had brutalized these two wolves when looking at him. Jet black gaze settled on the spectral white femme seated comfortably behind him, an all-too-familiar scowl on her otherwise beautiful and unreadable features. Her eyes held a look the brute had become familiar with over a lifetime, and her calm demeanor told him exactly who he was staring at. For the briefest of moment's Alastor's smile fell from his face, leaving the man staring back at her with a look blended of shock and amazement, as if he had spied a celestial being manifested into flesh. The soft patter of blood dripping from him and hitting the grass filled the otherwise silent forest between them. But that moment was swift to pass, and the black and red male met her with his signature smile, a flash of white speckled with deep red, and his eyes illuminated like a thousand fires had spontaneously been ignited all at once.

"Hello!" he greeted his familiar companion and leader with jovial delight, as if he had not just snuffed out two lives in a barbaric fashion. There she was; Lurid! Exactly who he had spent the last several days scouring across Boreas for! At long last, his trail of breadcrumbs and whispers had led him directly to her feet! Alastor turned to fully face the alabaster woman, grinning ear-to-ear as he fixed her with his excited stare. "Lurid, there you are! You have no idea how difficult it has been to try and track you down! You know you're a hard wolf to find when you want to be, hahaha!" The brute punctuated his happy statements with a laugh that was far too joyful for the bloody battlefield both wolves were still inhabiting. "I was afraid I'd find you dead! It has been quite some time since anyone has seen you, after all. Were you having too much fun without us?"

"Speech" — Thoughts

Lurid Amarix

There was a silent pride in the woman's face as Alastor turned to face her, watching that trademark grin fade right off his overly self-satisfied face - even if only for a moment. Holographic eyes ate up his gargantuan form, easily sliding from his blood-soaked face all the way down to those massive ichor-covered paws. Even if the man hadn't been at the scene when she arrived, she would know the culprit, his trademark bloodbath literally soaking the forest floor in crimson rivulets. The pattern from the other wolf's drag marks seemed to complete an odd bloom of red where the first victim lay, the blood spread across the ground in a macabre flower of sorts. A calling card she knew well when the demon before her decided to make a scene. She met the male's gaze with a blank expression, though the thought of him bringing her a bloody rose warmed her heart.  Despite her anger, Lurid found herself cracking her own wide grin as he spoke his greeting and quickly set about explaining his presence where she had forbade him to go until she was ready. Though, she honestly had missed him and wondered how her family and packmates fared.

Without thought or hesitation, Lurid strode to the slightly taller devil and ran her head beneath his bloodied jaw, then around the side of his neck in a hug of sorts. "Alastor, you fool..." Her dual-toned voice whispered and sang in his ear before she pulled back, her face and head now crowned in the blood of his victims. "I would only die if I wanted to, you know that. Forgive my extended absence, I have been very distracted." With a roll of her eyes she made a point to meet his gaze, "While I feel your worry, I can't help but notice there is something very wrong here..." Her smile seemed to darken her features rather than brighten them, and while she stood before him, her hackles raised on her spine like glistening blades to show how truly upset she was with him. He was told to keep the pack in line, to keep them safe, and yet...he had carelessly abandoned his station. Her ears perked forward with aggression, that demonic grin on her face as she took a step toward him, intending to force him to either bow or take a step back. Either would be counted as a submission, but would not entirely spare him from her fangs.

Redwood forest had been quiet before her anger struck, and with the mood came deadly silence, even the crickets and cicadas seemed to know a real danger was present. "Tu crediderunt verbo oris mei, Alastor ..." Her vocals rang with the sweetest threat, just before she moved. Fast as lightning, the devil lunged at her minion and struck her jaws out to catch the right side of his scruff. Should she find her grip, she would shake her head viciously in an attempt to punish him. A sinful part of her hoped he fought back, the part that harbored love for her childhood friend wanted him to submit to her will, for his sake. To let her anger wash over him and then they could get past the deliquency and move forward with her plans here. Perhaps his arrival was a sign, and she should take it as such. Her heathens were getting restless, it would be time to move soon. But, not before she gave the shadow and blood brute his prize for going against orders.

|| Word count: 588 words. ||
"Talk." || 'Think.' || 'You.'

Note: Mouse over for translations!

ART by BRIENA

If there was one thing Alastor did not possess a capacity for, it was the ability to feel fear. The silence in the dense forest did not frighten him. The cold, expressionless glower Lurid was fixing him with did not frighten him. And when her expression finally did break with an unsettling grin, it did not frighten him. Alastor locked the gorgeous femme fatale with keen eyes, electric and fire seeming to pass between those empty black irises. While he knew Lurid was not a brash wolf, choosing her words and actions as carefully and meticulously as the care she carried herself with, the silence did seem to stretch on between them for far longer than he would have preferred. Her smile, when it did appear, lifted the bloodied wolf's spirits, eyes alighting with a lively blaze while he held still as she came closer to nuzzle and embrace him.

Alastor's toothy grin relaxed into a content smile, lowering his head to embrace her with gentle rubs of his muzzle against her forehead in response. She truly was a delight to behold. Her silken soft fur brushing against his dense coat, her warmth from their close proximity, her luscious scent of sickly sweet butterscotch hinted with the richness of rum... Oh, how he had missed his lifelong friend and leader. No other wolf could contend with Alastor's primal, often seemingly insane, bouts of vivaciousness and violence. Lurid had always taken his behavior in stride, going so far as to encourage him and giving him focus. Now that she was here, he already felt far less lost and bored. That lyrical duo-toned voice sent chills down his spine in ways that sparked electricity through him, like touching a live wire. The dire brute remained silent while she spoke, graced to be merely in her presence once more. At no point did his eyes leave hers when they connected, lips still curled in a ghost of a smile. That stalwart smile did not even quiver when her demeanor changed, watching as the stunning phantom of beauty transformed into a horrific pale demon with no reaction whatsoever. He knew what Lurid was. He had seen and been on the receiving end of her violent outbursts of anger before, and after a lifetime of dread and pain, there was very little she could do to inspire fear in him.

When she approached him again, Alastor remained stock still, neither bowing nor backing down, leaving her to either back down or make contact with the emotionless male. As it turned out, she opted for contact. His ears flicked to catch her melodic Latin threat and only barely managed to get a grin out before she was on him. Again Alastor did not move, the wolf letting out a snarl of surprise and pain when her fangs sunk into his scruff. But despite the thrashing and shaking, the burn of her fangs as they ripped into the thicker flesh of his scruff, Alastor just laughed. His light, manic laugh mixed with the sounds of their scuffle to reverberate and almost echo around the clearing like a haunting choir of demonic voices. The stinging pain accompanied by flashes of hot euphoria was like a hit of a drug that numbed him to all of the world—save for her. Alastor just laughed while she released her anger on him, the larger male not resisting or fighting back as she ‘punished’ him in the most quintessential Lurid manner, simply yielding to her and taking it in stride. There would be plenty of time for more of their rougher play later now that he had found her again, and for him to stand against her and show her he wasn't a wolf to be pushed around willy nilly, but this was not the time for it. He had indeed disobeyed her—he knew that—but he could not bring himself to regret it, not when he was at last feeling alive for the first time in months!

Alastor's mad laughter was only broken every few seconds by the occasional yelp when she caught a particularly sensitive nerve bundle with her teeth. "Oh, how I've... missed you... Lu Lu!" he managed to shout out between gritted teeth and low growls as he bore the brunt of her assault, knowing full well what further pushing her buttons would mean for him. Of course the hulking brindled wolf didn’t care; he enjoyed flirting with danger and relished stoking the fires that burned inside the alabaster devil currently using him as a chew toy. His massive paws finally lost their grip on the ground beneath Lurid's savage threshing, kicking up chunks of grass and dirt as he nearly collapsed to the ground, head still held up by his scruff locked securely in her jaws. He was at her will by this point, whether she decided to continue with her physical punishment or relent.

"Speech" — Thoughts

Lurid Amarix

Bloodied as their embrace was, Lurid would have it no other way. Her alabaster tail waved in the air as the simple contact sent electricity zinging through her bloodstream. Her heart quickened and there was a girlish part of her that wanted to giggle and chatter incessantly about how she had missed him. A million questions coursed through the labyrinth of the pale ghoul's mind, but one stuck out with glaring clarity. 'Why didn't he stay with them?' It was all she could do not to scream it at him. To lose decorum now would be counterproductive anyway, she would not let him see her temper tantrum. In the past, she would have stomped her paws, demanded he answer, then punish him. She was too overjoyed at not being alone anymore, too happy to see her old friend - even if he had left her pack members unprotected. When they embraced, Lurid had to refrain from biting him even then. His scent was intoxicating - especially given the season - sandalwood and larkspur combined to make a heady concoction, not unlike a vanilla pound cake. He made her hungry and she could not see a reason to delay his inevitable punishment any further. Pulling back to look at him fully, Lurid wanted to make sure he understood, to ensure he would accept what came and not fight her back. She was still the boss here, after all.

Of all the things to admire about her dearest and longest friend, it was the incapability to feel fear. She knew she would not intimidate him or make him cower and relished in it. He was pure, unadulterated strength with an explosive force equivalent to a nuclear bomb behind it. Lurid also knew that when it counted he took what he was owed without question. As long as she remained fair with her punishments, he would accept them - publically, at least. It did not phase her motion that he did not cower or bow to her, though the impact with his form was jarring. Her jaws wrapped themselves within the jet black of his ruff, teeth delving into his flesh with punishing brutality, and she took his transgression out on his hide. When the first yelp bubbled from him, she wanted to release him, not realizing she had actually struck a nerve. He spoke that name, poking at an already infuriated beast. The sadist in her only shook him harder, even pulling on his neck to convey that she wanted him on his side in a unique submission that only he was afforded. Lurid would not ask him to reveal his belly to her, to do so would demean him, it would take something from him that she would never dare require. Alastor was a man of pride, strength, and maybe a bit of an ego; to turn him belly up would be to spit in his face. Once she had him on his side, provided she got him there, Lurid pulled savagely at his scruff. How dare he use that name where others could hear!? The words and the tone in which they were spoken, both pained and full of foolishness, stoked the desire for carnage and all its delights. "Lulu..." his mouth ran with that hated, yet treasured title, a childhood nickname. If she let loose on him now, would she push him into fighting back? Sparkling intent gleamed in her holographic lavender gaze, another shift in her demeanor was coming.

As children, they both had nicknames they hated, and they used them with frivolous abandon simply to goad the other into violence when boredom struck. Though she didn't want to release her hold on him, the mere position she wanted him in required her to, it was a simple fix. Adjusting her aim to position her mouth a scant couple of inches from his crimson tipped ear, possibly tickling the fur lining the inside of the shell, the demonic empress growled her own admission. His had been delivered as if to a deified lover, howled through pain, and a desire for more. Well, it was Lurid's turn to anger him. "Oh, Alleycat.." she practically purred into that sensitive ebony appendage. "You should have stayed home..." A trigger phrase, she was sure of it, the same as 'leave me alone,' was for her. A direct result of life in Mirovian culture while her father ruled, it left her with a rather odd group to lead. After these words and his own moniker was set, Lurid knew the game would be set and if she wanted to pin him it would be more akin to riding a bull who had been shocked repetitively with cattle prods. He wanted to play, they could play. With a smile she snapped at his face, delivering a swift antagonizing lick right after. Would he dare go against his newly found empress? Would he test her as she knew many of her new followers would? She certainly hoped so, she wouldn't hold it against him. Hell, Lurid was the one who had kept them waiting, wondering, and probably thinking she had abandoned them. She deserved something for it too, if he was feeling bold.

|| Word count: 864 words. ||
"Talk." || 'Think.' || 'You.'

Note: ---

ART by BRIENA

The response she had to him pulling out her most loathed childhood nickname was instantaneous and feral, and had been exactly what Alastor had expected. Irritating Lurid and getting underneath her skin had always been one of his most favorite pastimes, one he had sadly not gotten to indulge in some time. She shook him by his scruff harder, the forest around the brute becoming a blurry world of color and motion whenever she did, only to settle back into dizzy familiarity once she stopped. He laughed harder, almost in hysterics by this point and beyond appearing completely insane. Of course, he knew Lurid was well aware of who he was. She was one of the very few wolves that had known him since childhood and had seen what he had become. There was no doubt in his mind that she was probably more at home with him howling with laughter like some sort of manic hyena than if he had been quiet and stable. That was the trick with Alastor: his emotions had always been one extreme end of the spectrum or the other. He was either delightfully mad or filled with a homicidal rage. Only Lurid seemed to be able to read him like a book no matter his mood.

With his loss of his footing, Alastor ended up on his side in the grass fairly easily. Lurid had been able to leverage his larger frame and weight against him, and no sooner had he hit the ground, he felt her attack grow in ferocity. Once again the world was sent into a spinning frenzy of colors and blurred shapes, making the mad wolf cackle to himself. The stinging pain sent a fresh rush of dopamine through his bloodstream, providing him with a hit of demented pleasure that he could only find in select few places. His chemical-laden rollercoaster ride came to a sudden and abrupt end when he felt her powerful jaws eventually relinquish their hold around his scruff, leaving the male both dazed and confused. He turned his head to try and meet her eyes, but was instead greeted by her muzzle against his ear, her warm breath and hushed words making the thin appendage flick in reflexive response. She spoke, her voice in that seductive purr that had led many a wolf to their demise, and the one that was currently raising electric tingles throughout the larger male. She called him by his nickname, one he equally loathed as she did hers, but had come to endear whenever she used it. His grin turned into a full smile in response.

Then she spoke that final addition. Alastor's smile vanished all at once. His black eyes darkened further, clouded with haunting memories and aching scars that never healed nor went away. The corner of his mouth twitched in a semblance of a snarl while the neurons in his brain fired over and over and over. Behind the veil of pain and anger in his eyes, it was clear his mind was working at a breakneck speed to fully process what she had said. Alastor's claws flexed against the ground, tearing deep trenches into the earth where he lay. He was barely present anymore as that rage flared up inside of him, growing from singing embers into a fire that scorched his very soul—or what remained of it. He was barely even cognizant of her snapping at his face until he felt the warmth and wetness of her tongue running across his cheek. Conflicting demands from the voices in his head battled for supremacy. Did he maintain his facade and laugh it off, let her remain in control and bear the pain of his punishment? Or did he respond in turn and show Lurid that even she had limits with him?

After a moment of thought, Alastor fixed Lurid with as best of a glare he could from his sideways position, his mouth contorting into a full growl that exposed all of his glistening white dagger-like teeth as the violent rumble grew in his chest. If she was going to test him, he was going to do the same to her. She wanted to play and he was more than happy to oblige. He snapped his jaws back at her, nipping through the air near her cheek and ear. It wasn't an earnest attempt to get at her, but his unspoken challenge had been issued. He would take punishment for going against her word, but if she wanted to prove that she still had the ability to dominate him, she was going to have to prove that. Alastor knew he had the size and strength advantage over her should she choose to escalate to full contact, but she had the advantage of already having him off his paws and the knowledge of how to beat the deranged dire wolf in combat. His eyes burned like two smoldering pieces of coal, locked onto Lurid's heavenly visage as he snapped at the end of her snout again, planting his paws on the ground and digging his claws into the earth to stabilize himself against whatever she decided to throw at him.

"Or else what?" he retorted, voice practically dripping with defiance in hopes that she would take the bait of his challenge and try to prove she could still dominate him. Despite his growls, he began grinning again, eagerly awaiting Lurid to show why she was still worthy of being called an alpha. "You'll rock me to sleep again? You didn't do a very good job of it just now."

"Speech" — Thoughts

Lurid Amarix

Through the obsidian depths of his eyes, Lurid watched as reflective pupils expanded like hellish portals opening for Satan himself. Her glistening tail rose in answer to his unspoken threats, already bracing herself to hold him in place as she made him face a storm within. The trick to punishing a male who could feel no pain, a male whose nerves had been murdered by abuse and repeated injury had simply given up on coming back and lay mostly dead within his skin. There was a trick to this man that few were privy to, as he snarled, Lurid gave her own maddened laugh. The titans of Mirovis would clash only this once, it was almost ritual for them both, a way to keep them sharp when no other could match their specially honed prowess in battle. Watching her handiwork take root, the beginnings of that madness in him take hold fully. As Lurid snapped forward, so did Alastor, though he was just shy of reaching her. His mask had fallen, she had delved deep in the abysmal labyrinth that was her long-time friend. What did he want from her exactly? Would he like to be curled into a ball and sat upon her lap? Did he want her to make him curl himself into the fetal position as he tried to comfort himself? Did Alastor want his satanic overlord to break him? Or was his game only about physical domination?

To ensure his cooperation, the dame moved her hind paw closer to his hindquarters in answer to what his face now said. That zing of adrenaline spiking through the demonic goddess, dousing her body with the effectiveness of ice water. Her own pupils dilated until the white holographic lavender of her gaze was barely a sliver, the beast of a woman poised herself above the hellish brute in splendid, dark glory. Flexing the claws of her right hind paw, Lurid demonstrated with startling clarity just where the appendage was. The woman was a bitch possessed and Alastor had found her own personal trigger. Insubordination. With a snap of her jaws, Lurid aimed a hard bite at the meat of his cheek. Growling in that deep, yet ghostly sinister display of her own vocal power, the resonance of it surely reverberating within his ribcage with their current proximity. Rage saw her eyes cloud with a red film over her vision, tainting everything with a red halo.

Lurid already had him on the ground, her head pulled back as she lay her weight upon the obsidian and blood heathen. He wished for a full display of her power, the look on his face said everything. With an aim to further wound the male's pride, Lurid moved her paws toward the side of him that was on the ground, digging the blunt edges of her hardened claws dig into the skin to contact the bone and sensitive nerves on his sides. Her laughter this time was low, truly threatening, and one Alastor would recognize as the one she gave those who went one step too far. The devil was pissed that he would even challenge her right to dominate him in such ways. Demanding the male roll to his back, Lurid spoke in a deadly calm voice, eloquence, and command in her dual vocals as she growled and spoke. Her fangs bared even as she hopefully gained purchase on his left cheek, clearly itching to carve his handsome smile into a forever grin. Pushing her claws further into his side, she spoke with an enraged wobble to her dual-toned voice, "Alastor, future Dread Father of the Mirovian Empire, under the Amarix rule…I command you fully submit to me or be marked as an oath-breaker and set upon by myself and Ilyn, who you know is always near." That barely contained rage peaked through as she snarled in his face, her holographic lavender eyes only inches from the deep hell-mouth of his own black gaze as she practically purred his blood-oath to protect her and what was hers.

Lurid stood over him, her nose to his ear, an impatient snarl upon her maw as she raised her tail and hackles, she would plant her weight on him. Waiting for his chest to rise and for him to submit fully to her. Should this be achieved they could go back to their happy reunion, his vow should hold enough for now. Lurid certainly didn't want to fight with him, he had made it all this way and practically made it to her doorstep before she had even known he was there. Once he did what she wanted, Lurid would relax against the steely hardness of his frame. She would let him up, but only after she mentally slapped him back into his place. It seemed her absence had given him more balls than brains, she would fix that. Perhaps he would snap back to himself once he remembered his promise to her, once he remembered the true power she could give him. There was a ringing in her ears, the hum of adrenalized heartbeats humming in her sensitive ears, blood rushing from her own elevated heart rate. This was a nasty business, to have to remind him that she was indeed his queen, to worm her way into his head back to the childhood ritual they were made to partake in. While the formal rites had been painful, yet alluring, their parents bound him to her as a protector. It was the private ritual she invoked now, the one they had held for one another as a renewal of sorts when they understood the weight of their responsibilities.

There had been enough damage done between them, it was time to repair it. Lurid prayed her words got through his haze, it wasn't often she forgot that her words could be weapons. Lashing out had never done them any good. There was a shame in her actions toward the man, but he would have to be reminded of his place somehow. Yes, she was petty enough to pull rank on him. It was a better solution than savaging him any further, she knew he would struggle fiercely and she was ready for it. Come what may.

|| Word count: 1,041 words. ||
"Talk." || 'Think.' || 'You.'

Note: Lurid v. Alastor for Unofficial spar.

ART by BRIENA

It was an incredibly difficult thing for him to do, restraining himself in such a way. Restraint was not something the red and black wolf was well-versed in. The demon inside of him demanded blood—demanded he lash out to release the fury and rage burning him alive from the inside out like a wildfire. But whenever he would turn his furious gaze to glare at Lurid, her face broke through the fog of anger clouding his mind. He did not want to hurt her; she was the only one he did not want to harm in some manner. But if she had gone soft during her time of solitude, did she still deserve to be a leader? This was his test for her, just as much as she seemed to be testing him. He felt her teeth graze his cheek and snapped his head back towards hers, reaching for the soft skin near her neck on instinctive reflex. Rabid snarls and bloodthirsty growls continued to rumble like vicious thunder deep within the feral beast of a wolf as he turned to snap at her again, only to feel claws flex against the softer parts of the lower end of his body. Lurid had positioned herself expertly over him, using her weight to keep him subdued. Even though he was larger than her, Lurid was by no means a pushover either, nor was she small or lightweight, both wolves clear contenders to match one another.

Alastor released a wild, pained snarl when Lurid's toughened claws sank through the flesh on his side til she was scraping them against his ribs. Thin rivulets of crimson blood spilled from around her paw, sending searing agony through him. Ears flicking to catch her threatening laughter, Alastor lunged up to snap at Lurid's throat again, a primal desire to sink his fangs into the tender flesh of her most vulnerable spot driving him, but still holding himself just shy of making contact with her. The brute yelled as his tormenter twisted her claws against his side to subdue him further. She demanded his total submission without concession, her voice sending a cocktail of emotions through the giant wolf. Narrowed onyx eyes stayed fixed on the flawless features of her face, the brute breathing heavy and hard against the stinging pain and the unrelenting urge to both maul her and do things on the exact opposite end of the spectrum. She reminded him of his predetermined destiny with her, of the oath he had taken long ago, and finally threatening him with that damned bear of hers. Although the prospect of getting to fight and kill a polar bear did entice him, he knew better than to try and challenge Lurid from his current position.

Alastor suddenly became painfully aware of his situation as clarity began to slowly filter back into his brain. He felt every part of Lurid's body above his, keeping him pressed down to the ground, the sensations of her hot breath washing over his face as she leaned closer to whisper directly into his ear. His chest heaved with each deep breath he sucked in, and each one pushed her claws harder against the bones of his ribs, renewing the stabs of pain in his side. Gradually the fire of relentless rage burned down in his eyes, her demands still swarming around in his head like a swarm of angry hornets. As the seconds slipped by between them with Lurid effectively keeping him pinned with her claws and body, the monster that had emerged within him began to sink back into the depths of the darkness within his soul, his facade returning to conceal the pain away. Alastor's tense body began to unwind, relaxing beneath the domineering fae's, until the snarl fell from the demonic male's face, leaving him staring up into the murderous gaze of his empress. Still breathing hard, Alastor's ears folded flat to his skull as he shifted beneath her slowly, rolling to his back in a clear sign of submission to her. It felt wrong. Everything about submitting felt wrong. But he had no other choice between that or fighting, and if he fought her, they'd both only end up bloody, bruised, and hurt. He could have continued to struggle and defy her, and there was no doubt that their battle would be extraordinary, but where would be the fun in that? What a wonderful way to waste all of the time and effort he had put into finding her again.

There's the Lu Lu I remember... he thought as his smile slowly returned to his face. A low chuckle started in his throat, slowly growing into a light laugh. Still on his back beneath her, his belly exposed in surrender, the black and red demon dared to reach a paw up and place a careful touch to the side of her cheek, grinning to himself like a madman as he ran his touch along the side of her neck til he reached her chest, his claws raking through her fur as it traveled the curves of her body. He was still rejoicing in the fact that he could actually touch her again as he had finally found her!  "So glad to see you haven't lost your touch, my empress." He flashed his white teeth up at her and gave her a wink. "I've missed you... We've all missed you."

"Speech" — Thoughts

Lurid Amarix

She both hated and loved the sounds he made as she sank her claws into him, his reaction making it clear he remembered his words. Still, she tucked her chin with her maw wide open, stopping just shy of engulfing his beautifully sculpted, jet black eyes before snapping shut. His attempt would have been in vain, and she would be all too happy to make him remember his attempt if need be. Her claws twisted in his side, bringing forth that gutteral yelled of pain, which only brought out another peel of demented laughter from the demonic goddess. Her tail raised over her hips and she issued her threats, the woman smiled as she felt the heathen beneath her panting and fighting his most basic instincts. The heat pouring from his body was soothing to her, and her brow quirked at him in a knowing look. Seeing both the urge to murder and the lust in his onyx gaze, Lurid gave a teasing laugh and flexed her precariously positioned hind paw. The ivory woman's coat bristled as she stood over him, even while he relaxed and gave her what she demanded. He had pushed her to it, to make her do this to him, maybe it was just to see if she would. Lurid hoped the rest of the family wouldn't make her do this.

Once he fully submitted, Alastor reached up to caress her cheek, that trademark grin right back on his face. Lurid smiled and leaned into his touch, those holographic eyes losing the fires of anger, replaced by a different heat. She raised her lips in a silent snarl as his paw trailed down, she knew there was no threat in his motions, but he took too many liberties after just testing her. The dark goddess didn't miss the way his eyes shimmered with wonder at her as he ran his paw though her cloud-like fur, and it turned a baring of teeth into a genuine smile as he spoke in that awestruck voice. "I see you've regained your senses, dear Alastor. I've missed you, and I miss them." With a small laugh and a chaste nuzzle against his cheek, Lurid moved off of him so that he might sit up. Idly clicking his blood from her claws, the demonic woman waited for him to right himself. "Forgive me, I did not mean to pierce your flesh...this time." Her eyes narrowed at him with a humorous squint to show she was only kidding with him, though she would truly have no need to threaten him. After a moment of staring at him, Lurid smirked and returned back to savoring the flavor of Alastor's blood on her paws. She waited for news of her family, and her friends, she wished to know everything.

|| Word count: 465 words. ||
"Talk." || 'Think.' || 'You.'

Note: ---

ART by BRIENA

Her silent snarling visage did nothing to dissuade the manic man, especially not when he felt her lean into his touch. His smile widened; he knew he had her then. Sure, she was still pissed at him, and she had a right to be. He knew he had disobeyed her direct orders. But could he really be expected to uphold orders those orders were directly harmful to her or her pack? She had been gone for far too long, and had no idea the state of order in the remnants of Mirovis. Once he had relayed his report to her, he had a feeling she'd be much more receptive to his sudden unexpected presence in Boreas. Her snarl shifted into an earnest smile then, and Alastor saw the familiar face of Lurid peek out from behind the vicious mask. A lighter laugh escaped the dire wolf to match her lyrical voice when she nuzzled his cheek, his laugh shifting into a painted grunt as her claws retracted from the muscle on his side. He wasted no time in rolling to his belly and pushing himself back up into a seated position, getting out of his exposed and vulnerable position as quickly as possible.

"There is nothing to forgive! You were simply staking your dominance as an alpha," he replied, meeting her gaze just in time to catch her licking his blood off of her claws. A sly grin split his muzzle with a rumbling chuckle. "Enjoying the taste of me?" He laughed and pressed a paw to his side, checking to see how badly he was bleeding and, after appraising his injury as minor, turned his attention back to the pale ghost of a wolf.

"Your family sends their regards. Morbid and Sanguin have been having a hell of a time managing things in your stead. Lurid they are not, haha!" His smile faltered a little, but never truly disappeared. "The pack grows restless, Lurid. They were fine for the first few weeks, but each one without word sent more doubt through the ranks. Whispers and rumors that you had died, or fled and abandoned us to start your life over... We did what we could to quell the suspicions, but after I'd killed a half dozen of the dissenters, more rebellion began to grow. Your siblings are handling things to the best of their abilities, but I fear that they're merely pouring water on a forest fire." His eyes moved to meet her gaze again, the look in his coal-black eyes revealing the concern he had for the stability of the last Mirovis wolves. "They need their leader, Lurid. They will not wait much longer. If I had not come searching for you, I may well have had to kill half of your pack. Morbid and Sanguin decided it would be better to send someone out to look for you. They chose me. I hope you can forgive me for disobeying your orders now."

"Speech" — Thoughts

As he righted himself and spoke, Lurid listened intently as she groomed herself back to glistening perfection. While she had expected some chaos from the nature of her subject, she certainly hadn't expected that she was literally the glue that held them all together. Lurid had probably expected too much from her siblings. Alastor she completely understood, he was not meant to lead, his role was to enforce not unite. Morbid and Sanguin had been raised by the same wolf she had, but their father hadn't beat it into their heads how to lead. Lurid made no move to respond to the news, however, though at his last sentence, Lurid shot Alastor a sympathetic look. "Al, you know I can't stay angry with you. You can pack your puppy-dog eyes away now." She used his handsome face as a focal point as she thought for a moment.

While she had no home for her pack of heathens they would be exposed, at risk. She couldn't afford for them to come when she had no where for them to take sanctuary when they needed it. There was no real home to come to every night, but she and Kichi had been living in the forest without too much issue. "I suppose it is time for the family to come over, what's left of them anyway. I shall send Samael with word to Morbid and Sanguin to mobilize, and bring the pack here to the redwoods." Her mind worked at triple capacity, her plans would be hastened now out of necessity. Fixing Alastor back in her holographic gaze, Lurid smiled. "In the meantime, there is someone for you to meet and we have to get a place prepared for our family." She spoke of course of her adopted son. Kichi was a work in progress, but he was coming along. Perhaps, Alastor could help bring the boy out of his grief for his parents. Admittedly,  the boy had been a distraction, but he was one she hoped would pay off. Lurid loved her storm cloud baby, and she hoped that Alastor would approve of him, not from a permission standpoint but from a need for all of the members of her family to get along. There was much to do, it seemed, and not much time to do it if she hoped to keep her pack together.

Alastor had been unsure how Lurid would react to the news of the decaying morale in her pack. He had imagined both anger and frustration, but she simply sat there, stone-faced as ever, taking in everything he said as if he were reporting on something as mundane as the weather. Of course, he had been mostly sarcastic when asking for her forgiveness, but Lurid gave it to him with a look of sympathy. Alastor smirked, a crooked smile while he just reveled in her presence and her beauty. He watched each motion she made to groom herself back to her godly beautiful state. "But they're so effective!" he remarked with a tone of playful sarcasm, but returned to his standard smiling state all the same. He did not know what plan was going on in her head, but from the way her holographic eyes seemed to peer straight through him, he knew she was lost in thought, no doubt trying to plan her next move like a chess master.

His ears perked when she began to lay out her intentions to him. A moment of concern passed through the dire wolf, but he hid it behind his smile. She wanted to bring her pack here now? While he did not deny that they were growing restless, there were a lot of logistics behind moving an entire pack. Where were they going to stay? Did they have ample resources for the pack, like food and water? She turned her eyes to him and Alastor immediately sat up straight and alert, returning her gaze with a very Alastor smile. His ears pricked up and eyes sparked with life. She had someone for him to meet? A twinge of envy twisted in his heart. She had met someone else here in these lands? Of course, he had no cause for jealousy; she was free to do as she wished with whomever she wished. But something still picked at the sinister man's brain. His smile widened and he nodded his head eagerly.

"Of course! Can't have your family showing up without us being prepared!" He rose to his paws and shook the grass out of his thick fur. "So where are we going to set up our new home? Does this forest suit your tastes? Or do you think a cave system would make our family feel more at home? It can be just like before! Oh, and... where is this someone I need to meet?"

"Speech" — Thoughts

Naturally Lurid's mind took double duty when it came to planning and communicating, even as her meticulous brain took stock of what prey items had been around and if her current home would be comfortable enough for her pack to come home to, she was able to listen to every word that came from Al's ebony lips. There was an urgency to his warning, one that meant a storm brewed even as they discussed it. The real threat to her rule wasn't some upstart taking over, it was her own bid to find them a home that had seen dissent grow. She couldn't fault her followers, it had been a long time since any of them had heard from her. She'd needed Samael here, to keep an eye on Kichi and let her know where he was and what he was doing. Ilyn took care of the ground work if the boy ran into trouble, but she had tasked the bird with keeping her in the loop at all times. There was much to be done still by ways of finding land suitable enough for Mirovis. Alastor hit her with a series of questions, which in all honesty Lurid was unsure what their answers were.

"Hunting is about the only benefit in this forest, shelter is lacking unless stolen, borrowed or borrowed. I think our more sensitive members will have a problem with the move, best not to shock them too much. Caves would better suit our needs for that matter, I have only seen a pawful of places that meet my requirements." Her porcelain brow furrowed as she concentrated, feeling the wheels turn but gaining no traction. It had been unintentional for her to get this far behind in her work, she had meant to be further along than what she currently was with her goals, and this had been the blast in the face she'd needed to get that ball rolling again. Lurid gave a smile to Alastor, "We can shop around for housing while we wait for Morbid and Sanguin to mobilize the pack. They will need time and we will too. Since you're here you can help me with this, as well. I know there is a system of caves not far from here, to the southwest. I have seen them in passing, but I have not yet had the chance to explore them." Kichi would probably sink backward in his progress from the move, but Lurid didn't think it would be too much of an issue if he had someone new to play with. Speaking of the boy, he should be home soon. Lurid grinned at Alastor, one that was prideful and bashful simultaneously as he asked about who he would be meeting. "I recently took a ward, he is young still, and lost both his parents in a hunting accident. I would very much like him to meet you, you've always been good at cheering others up. His mind does not dwell in the dark, but I fear his grief is eating him alive." The way she explained their deaths to Alastor would give away the real cause of the accident. Lurid had murdered Kichi's parents so she could have their son, using an elk as her weapon. She couldn't outwardly admit to such a deed, considering the boy could happen upon them.

At that thought, the ivory devil looked around, then at Alastor's current state of dress. "Uh... maybe you can meet him after a bath!" Her words were teasing, but there was a strong suggestion in her tone. He couldn't meet Kichi while he was soaked in the blood of his victims, no matter how accurate that first impression would be. "Come on, he will be back soon, I want you clean before you meet my son." She stood to take the lead as she made her way east toward the river that flowed near by, pausing only to give him a chaste kiss on his cheek. "I am glad you're here, even if the circumstances that brought you to me are less than ideal." With a reassuring smile, Lurid moved east, fully expecting the hulking shadow to follow her.

From the way that Lurid was looking, she must have been really burning through thoughts at a million miles an hour. He had clearly caught her off guard, both by his presence and also with his questions. While he did not expect Lurid to have all of the answers immediately, he was a little concerned by the lack of any definitive plan in place. She'd been here for how long again? Months? Although Alastor would never blame her or voice his doubt, he did have to wonder if Lurid had put as much effort into scouting and finding them a new home as he had been assuring the pack she was doing. He listened as she laid out the land to him, explaining the places she had seen and the availability of prey. His tactician's brain started to mull over the information she had provided him, putting pieces together into a potential solution. They would still have some time to finalize all details, but now the clock was ticking against them more than ever.

Then Lurid washed away all of his concerns and jealousy when she told him about her new ward. He blinked in surprise, relief replacing the strange enviousness he had felt before so much so he nearly laughed out loud while she was speaking. Her words would be an enigma to any other wolf, but Alastor knew Lurid. A lifetime with the pallid devil had taught him to read between the lines and see through the veil she hid behind. A wicked grin crossed his face as she told the tale of her and her new pup, the subtle details not lost on the ebony brute. "That's very noble of you, my empress! Such a shame about the boy's parents. Tsk, tsk... Such a tragic accident..." he said with a chuckle. "I would be delighted to meet the lad! Why, if there's one wolf who knows all about smiles, it's Alastor! Hahaha!" Alastor's smile widened, then dropped a bit as he glanced down at his blood-soaked form, his fur matted and sticky with a combination of both his blood and the blood from the corpses still lying strewn haphazardly across the clearing.

"Ah... you have a point." Alastor lifted his gaze back to hers, his smile returning in full force to show every pearlescent tooth. "Then I'd best get spruced up! You know what they say, you only have one chance at a first impression! Haha!" The massive demon of a wolf strode up to Lurid, waiting for her to take the lead to the nearest water source—only to feel her lips meet his cheek in a soft kiss. He blinked, stunned, his expression freezing, but quickly revitalizing with a bright smile and glowing eyes as he followed her every step. "I'm glad to be here as well, circumstances be damned. They were worth it to find you again." His piece said, the black mountain of a wolf followed behind the earthen angel, leaving fading paw prints of blood in the grass and two broken bodies in his wake.

"Speech" — Thoughts