The den was silent with only one occupant in it. Saracyn sat alone in the common space of the cave he and Avacyn had claimed for their new home. The only thing that broke the silence was the intermitted almost rhythmic scraping of a whetstone running down the length of his sword, the slow sound of metal grinding against the rock deafening in the oppressive quiet. Focused cerulean eyes remained on his blade as he honed it to a lethal sharpness, following the instructions the Hallows Aegis had shown him when he'd received the weapon from him. He was busying himself preparing for the upcoming raid, making sure his weapon was ready and his armor was in tip-top shape—but more importantly he was distracting himself from his solitude and his thoughts. Idle paws left him too much time to dwell on the present, and having a task to occupy his time kept him from thinking about how Avacyn was out with Albion right now, the two having spent most of their days together lately and how she was likely "cultivating their relationship". Or getting fucked, as Saracyn preferred to plainly see the truth of it.

Crimson lips peeled back from sharp teeth as the thought momentarily crossed his mind. He hated that albino mongrel. He hated that he still stuck around like a ghost haunting him with the reminder of what he was powerless to stop. He hated how close the cur was getting to his sister. He hated that his family had ever met the Kleins. He hated everything right now. Again Saracyn resumed sharpening his blade, forcing the thoughts from his mind while he focused himself back into his work. The raid would be a good means of venting stress, one he direly needed. Not to mention the lingering temptation to steal a bite with his serrated teeth at Albion's stupid smug face amidst the chaos was sorely tempting... As much glee as the idea brought him, Sara doubted he could get away with the friendly fire without making himself look suspicious, especially not with his disdain of the Klein well known after the look Avacyn gave him at the meeting.

So Saracyn sat alone in the den, occasionally glancing up to his work at the darkening night sky outside to get a gauge of how long he had been at this before sinking back into his mindless tasks. He frowned; he had been waiting to see if Avacyn would come home for them to eat dinner together, but it seemed like she'd be dining with her fiancé. It shouldn't have mattered; Avacyn was a grown wolf and able to make her own choices and decisions, and Saracyn was not her keeper. But it still bothered him more and more every day he was forced to watch it unfold before his eyes, like watching a car crash happen over and over and over again. The prince resolved himself to finish his work and see if she'd come back before he was done. If she didn't, then he would have his answer on where she was spending her night, he supposed.

"Saracyn Mendacium"

Avacyn trotted back toward the caves she shared with Saracyn, sighing gently to herself as she made the trip across the island from the land bridge that connected them to the mainland where she had parted ways with Albion. As she began to make plans and gear up for the upcoming raid, she had been making her rounds, speaking with the fighters she intended to take with them, speaking with the healers so they could begin to gather supplies, and had done her usual patrols. As he had begun to do as of late, Albion had accompanied her for a lot of her work, keeping her company and spending bits of time with her in-between. A little smile tugged at her lips as she thought of the pale man. She hadn't expected to grow as close as she had to the Kline male, but the longer she spent with him as a part of Elysium she had grown quite fond of him. It would have been easy enough to treat their relationship as truly transactional, but she didn't want to. He had shown her a certain kind of softness and loyalty and she wanted to give him the same in return.

The thoughts of her betrothed quickly left her mind though as she approached her and Saracyn's den–admittedly far later than she had originally planned on. Her trips criss crossing Elysium's territory had taken her longer than she had meant for it to, but it had been a productive day none of the less so in the end it was worth it. Still, she hurried a bit as she loped along the path to return to Saracyn in the hope that she might make it back before he ate dinner so they could eat together. She heard the grind of metal on stone a fair distance off so she wasn't surprised to see him working on his sword when she made it through the cave's entrance, slowing to a walk as she lightly panted and gave her brother a grin. She made her way immediately to his side with her tail wagging gently behind her, leaning in to press a kiss to his lips. "Have you eaten yet? I'm starving!"

"Avacyn Mendacium"

Saracyn was mid-stroke of the whetstone down his sword when Avacyn approached their den so the red brute didn't hear her enter at first until the soft sound of her light panting caught his attention. Bright blue eyes lifted from his blade to meet hers, his expression lifting naturally just from seeing her, though his face remained carefully impassive. He didn't want to let her in on his brooding thoughts, especially not after the hard look she'd given him at the raid meeting. He returned her grin with a small upward turn of the corner of his mouth, not enough to be called a smile, but a response all the same. No words were exchanged while Ava came up to place a quick kiss to his lips. The moment her muzzle met his, Saracyn felt the world begin to melt away the way it always did when he was with her, the dark thoughts that haunted his mind momentarily repelled by the light that she was to him. He wanted to kiss her back and forget everything else—but he couldn't. He was still subdued in his enthusiasm, his tail not wagging nor did he get up to greet her when she came to him, his mood unusually withdrawn from how he usually was. Maybe she would notice, or maybe she would be too caught up in her own happiness to see it. And why shouldn't she be happy? Saracyn almost felt ashamed of himself for being so bitter about everything when he saw how happy his twin was.

She asked if he had eaten yet, and the brute shook his head, flipping his sword over to inspect both sides of the blade. "No, I haven't," he replied, his voice even and measured. "I was waiting for you." Saracyn slid his sword back into its sheath and set it off to the side with his armor. He would put them away later once they'd finished eating. Rising to his paws, Sara moved over to their private food storage, where he had set aside a pair of choice salmons he had fished and cleaned earlier in the day while she had been out with Albion. He knew Avacyn loved fish, and maybe this was a bit of a peace offering of sorts, or maybe it was still him trying to one-up the Klein bastard in his mind. Sara was no chef, but he had done his best. Bringing out the two fish, he carried them back over to where he had been lying and presented the bigger of the two to Ava—she had said she was starving, after all—and then laid down with his own to begin eating. "How was your day?" asked the Mendacium male in passive conversation, half hoping to distract Avacyn from noticing anything off with him, though it was getting harder to do the more he noticed Albion's scent still faintly clinging to her coat. It could have been from completely innocent walks next to each other all day—or it could have been from far more physical things. Saracyn didn't want to imagine that right now.

"Saracyn Mendacium"

As she caught her breath from her hurry to get home, she quickly picked up on her twin's demeanor as he returned her kiss and gave her what felt like a noticeably short answer to her question. It was enough to make her take notice and her wagging tail slowed as he slid his sword into its scabbard and went over to gather something for their dinner. She knew her brother extremely well, sometimes better than she knew herself, so it didn't take much tip her off to the fact that something was wrong. Ever since she began working on her relationship with Albion there had been moments of tension or noticeable aggression between her two lovers, but she hadn't noticed it seeping into her time alone with Saracyn until now. Her white tipped ears flicked a bit with concern as he was turned away from her to get their dinner, but returned the smile back to her lips as he came back with two delicious looking pieces of salmon. Settling down on her stomach in their little sitting area, she grinned gratefully up at her brother as he presented her with the fish and she began to quietly eat, humming softly with delight as she enjoyed the tender, flaky meat.

She lifted her ebony gaze back to Saracyn again as he questioned her on how her day was, the unusually mundane question only reaffirming for her that something was up. "It was busy, but productive," she replied after a moment, wondering to herself if there was something in particular he was fishing for. "It seems like all the final preparations for the raid have been completed. The scouting team left several hours ago to begin getting the camp ready for tomorrow." It felt a bit like she was just trying to fill the air between the bites of her dinner and perhaps she was. There was an odd tension that she couldn't quite name that she wasn't used to feeling around Saracyn. The only time she had ever really felt something similar was when their mother had proposed the arranged marriages for the two of them to Albion and Scylla before he had lashed out and stormed off. There was a bit of contemplative silence for a few moments before she finally mentioned, "It feels like there's something on your mind." It wasn't really a question, but she left the air open in case he wanted to elaborate.

"Avacyn Mendacium"

She knew. From the moment she looked at him when he asked his humdrum question, he could tell she had picked up on his mood. Saracyn wasn't a wolf to wear his heart on his sleeve, but Avacyn had always been able to see right through him. A blessing and a curse of knowing your twin so well, he supposed. Ava entertained his idle curiosity by filling him in on the happenings of her day, relaying the final preparations for the practice raid and that the scouting party had left to perform their duties. He nodded his head once; progress being made was always a good thing. Saracyn continued to eat in silence while Ava spoke, giving her the air to say as much or as little as she wanted. He pointedly noticed how she didn't once mention Albion. Was it because she knew of the growing tension between the two brutes, or because she didn't want to tell Sara about the sordid details of her love life with her betrothed? Not that he really wanted to know, but there was always a pang of envious curiosity that made him wonder just what this other male was doing with the fae he loved. Deep down, he knew that knowing would hurt... but not knowing would just make his mind run rampant and drive himself crazy.

As if reading his mind and showing off her keen intuition and insight into him, Avacyn gently probed for what was on his mind. She didn't question him. She already knew. Saracyn paused mid bite, glancing up into Ava's obsidian eyes from around a mouthful of fish. He sighed, withdrew from his meal and licked his lips clean. "I-" He paused, trying to piece together a sentence that didn't make him sound like a completely jealous and clingy partner. After a moment of thought, the dire brute just sighed again and shook his head. "It's nothing you need to worry yourself over. Just dumb thoughts and stuff." It wasn't a total lie, at the very least. Saracyn would never lie to Avacyn. He loved her and respected her far too much to lie to her. But he couldn't bring himself to speak what was really on his mind when he knew it would only hurt her. She didn't deserve to suffer because of his own envy and insecurity. Sara's eyes turned down to watch his paws idly pick away at the flaky meat of his dinner, peeling it away from the bones in chunks, doing just about anything to distract himself. "Are you enjoying your time with Albion?" he asked, using a bit of force to keep his voice even when saying his enemy's name. Avacyn was smart. No doubt she'd put two and two together, but it was all Saracyn could think to ask, the PG-rated version of what was on his mind.

"Saracyn Mendacium"

If she hadn't been sure that Saracyn was hiding something from her before she certainly was now. The way he looked at her when she mentioned how heavy his thoughts appeared to be told her she was spot on and the hesitation he had in answering her confirmed it. A small frown pulled at her lips as he quickly deflected her attempt to let him speak his mind and instead that it was just "dumb" thoughts. She didn't doubt that whatever was bothering him was a result of his own thoughts rather than something specific that had happened since she knew he wouldn't outright lie to her, but it very much felt like he wasn't telling the whole truth either. She didn't press him right away though, instead taking another bite or two of her meal until he spoke again, questioning her on how she was enjoying her time with Albion. She glanced up at him with a raised, questioning brow. He'd never brought up Albion before and she had mostly avoided talking about the wolf she was to marry since she knew it wasn't exactly a pleasant subject for her dear brother.

Whether he meant to or not, he gave away exactly what was bothering him with that question, her brow furrowing a bit as she tried to decide how to answer. With Saracyn now fully taking her attention, she pushed away the mostly eaten salmon as she licked her lips clean. "I have been," she replied honestly. She couldn't lie to him any more than he could lie to her. She knew that he'd see right through it if she tried to tell him that she wasn't just to soothe whatever worries he had made up for himself. "Not as much as I enjoy being with you, though," Avacyn added, feeling a need to reassure her brother even though she hoped that her desire to return to him each night and the happiness she wore when they were together was enough to prove that to him. She reached her white-tipped paw across to his, brushing her paw pads across the tops of his toes as she asked, "Do you want to tell me what's actually going on in that head of yours? Or do you want to drop it?"

"Avacyn Mendacium"

Saracyn swallowed back a knot in his throat when Avacyn confirmed that she was enjoying her time with Albion. Of course she was; why wouldn't she be? That had been a stupid question to ask. It deepened the brute's frown all the same though and only added to the mounting guilt he felt feeling like this when he knew he would be destroying his sister's happiness if he was to be honest with her. Avacyn pushed her meal away, now focusing solely on him, and Sara knew he was screwed. Avacyn saw through him like he were made of glass. There would be no point hiding anything from her now; it would only serve to damage their relationship pretending to do so. A soft, gentle touch tore the prince's eyes up from the mostly decimated fish before him, cerulean eyes lifting to spy Ava's white-tipped toes gently brushing over the tops of his own with a delicate touch. He marveled at how similar and so very different the two of them were in that simple touch. Twins, alike in almost every way, down to the white tips of their toes, yet Avacyn was so gentle, so kind, so compassionate, and he was hard, rough, jaded... The only time he ever felt like anyone or anything other than his callousness was when he was with her. The thought of losing that to someone else... Death would have been a preferable option.

In dulcet tones, Avacyn asked if he wanted to tell her what was troubling him or if he wanted to drop it. The easy answer would have been to tell her to drop it, to go back to repressing his feelings and fears back inside himself and pretending they didn't exist. But ignoring a wound only allowed it to fester, and at some point the infection would eat him alive from the inside out. He couldn't let his own behaviors poison the one good thing he had in life. Drawing in a deep breath, Saracyn held it for a moment before letting it go in a long, heavy sigh, his eyes still turned down and unable to meet her gaze. He didn't want to see the hurt or upset in her eyes when he told her how he felt. "Do you love him...?" he finally asked after gathering his thoughts. His heart was pounding with anxious fear against his ribcage, feeling like it might break out at any moment. Before she could ask him any follow up questions, Sara explained further. "I need to know, because... I don't think I can keep doing this anymore..."

Another sigh and a slow shake of his head while blue eyes disappeared behind crimson lids. "I hate him, Ava... I hate him because he's everything to you that I can never be. I hate him because he's become so much more than he was supposed to be. Albion and Scylla were supposed to be our cover-ups. Our fake arranged marriages so we could be together. But now... now I'm left with nothing. Scylla is a detestable reprobate who also wants nothing to do with me, and Albion-" Saracyn resisted the urge to snarl again as the words left a bitter taste rolling off his tongue. "He told me he cares for you... and I know it’s a lot. I’ve seen the way he looks at you, how he follows you… This wasn't the way it was supposed to be. This wasn't part of the deal mother made for us, and now... now I'm afraid I'm going to lose the only thing that's ever mattered to me..." There it was—the truth to why Saracyn hated Albion so viciously. He was threatened by the other male, and he was afraid he was losing Avacyn to him. Saracyn had never admitted he was afraid to anyone before in his entire life. But Avacyn deserved the truth. She deserved everything from him.

"Saracyn Mendacium"

Saracyn's sigh and the way he avoided her gaze made a concerned frown pull at her expression, her dark gaze softening with worry as her mind started to jump to conclusions and scramble to try and think of what could possibly have her usually brash brother in such a state. Before she could question him again or come to any of her own conclusions, Sara finally spoke, questioning whether or not she loved Albion. Her gaze widened and blinked with surprise, taken aback by the sudden question. At first she couldn't answer, her mouth opening and closing a couple of times as she tried to find the right way to phrase her feelings toward the albino-marked man, but before she could muster a response Sara went on, stating how he needed to know for his doubt around whether or not he could continue on with their current arrangement. It quickly made her realize that this jealousy and aggression she had seen between the two males ran a lot deeper than she had originally thought. Of course she had expected Saracyn not to like Albion on principle with how protective and possessive he was of her, but she hadn't understood that it was hurting him this deeply. "Saracyn..." she whispered softly, her ears folding back as her stomach twisted with knots, looking at him in a complete loss for words.

Luckily she didn't have to find a way to respond just yet as her twin continued on with a sigh, sharing the thoughts and insecurities he had been hiding from her all this time. The hate he had for Albion purely because of the fact that he could provide something for her that Sara couldn't, the fear that he might lose her to the Kline male one day, the failed state of his own relationship with Scylla, Albion's confession about how much he cared about her... It was all so much to take in, but the only thing that really struck her was Saracyn feeling as if he could no longer go on with their original plans in this current state. A twist of worry and fear dug deep into her gut, making it feel as if there was a pit in her stomach at the thought of losing him. He echoed her thoughts exactly as he mentioned his fear of losing the one thing that mattered to him. She wanted so badly to just stop it all, to promise him the world just to chase away this look of hurt and fear from his face, but there was so much more resting on her shoulders. It forced her to hesitate even though she hated that she had to. Neither of them had asked for this fate or this pressure, but this was the position they had been put in and now she had to deal with its consequences.

Avacyn shifted closer to him quietly, her feline paw trailing up his foreleg from where her paw had lightly rested over his to curl around his leg behind his elbow just to have a way to hold on to him while she brushed her muzzle against his and pressed a kiss to his cheek below his gently glowing marking that mimicked her own. "I do care about him," she admitted quietly after a moment. No matter how much it hurt, she knew she had to be honest with him the same way he was being honest with her. "But I could never love him the way that I love you." She had done everything she could think of to show him that. Accepting this arranged marriage, splitting her life in two to share it with Saracyn and Albion, risking her reputation and skirting the laws of their family to love him the way she wanted to, laying out the plans to have him lead along side her as her other half... "What do you want me to do to prove to you how much I love you?" she questioned softly with a slight, emotional break in her voice as she pulled back just enough for her obsidian gaze to find his, searching his face as if it might have the answers.

"Avacyn Mendacium"

Once he started talking, it felt like the floodgates had just opened up. Saracyn was not an emotional creature, nor was he good at sharing or acknowledging his feelings, but Avacyn just had this way about her that made him bear his heart and soul to her on demand. Throughout his entire dialogue, the Mendacium prince did not once look up at his twin, too afraid to see the look in her eyes as he tore down what she undoubtedly assumed was a perfectly fine and functioning relationship. The way her leonine paw moved up his foreleg to curl around the crook of his elbow to hold herself closer to him brought him a little comfort, as did her kiss to his cheek, his gaze still turned downward at his own paws. Then she said the words he dreaded to hear. Avacyn cared about Albion. The words felt like a punch to his gut, the dire wolf's ears folding back to his skull. He nodded slowly in understanding. Of course Avacyn was going to develop feelings for the man she was supposed to marry; it was only natural for someone as caring as her to do so. But it did make things messier... more complicated. It also confirmed his fears that their arranged marriage would eventually grow into a proper relationship—one he would never be able to contend with.

Avacyn tried to reassure him that she would never love Albion the way she loved him and Saracyn gave a little sardonic snort under his breath, shaking his head slowly. He appreciated what she was trying to do for him. He knew Ava loved him; he had never doubted that much. But what he didn't believe was that this was how things would always be. Already they had changed so dramatically in the two short seasons she'd been engaged, and they still had their whole lives ahead of them. Her relationship with Albion was boundless. They could continue to grow and foster their love to the end of time, but in this state, Saracyn was already at his limit. He could not develop his love with Avacyn any more than it already was. They could not be known as mates, as husband and wife, they could not have children together, they could not be known to the public as a pair or anything more than siblings. Albion would eventually be known as her husband, her mate, her king. They would raise countless children together, and with each one Saracyn knew her love for her own family and her mate would grow.

"You don't have to prove anything to me, Ava. I know how much you love me. I've never doubted that—never," Saracyn responded as soon as the question had left Avacyn's lips. It was only now that his eyes lifted to meet hers, cold cerulean meeting dark black and revealing the depths of the fear and the pain inside of them. His barking began to glow at a quicker pace as his heart sped up out of anxiousness, still feeling like he was walking a razor's edge in this conversation. So many things could go wrong right now. But how could the future look any more bleak than it already did? "But you can't prove that this is how things will always be. What happens when you spend every day with him? After you get married, do you really believe that nothing will change in the way you feel about each other? What about all the places you both go as mates, as alphas? When the world sees you at meetings and parties and feasts together, when they refer to you as Avacyn and Albion Mendacium, will you correct them? And when your pups are born, can you promise me that you won't feel closer to the father of your children than ever before? Every year, when you have more and more of his children, will your bond with him not grow stronger? Will you still leave them every night to come be with me? How are you going to explain to them why you keep sneaking off to see Uncle Saracyn in the middle of the night? And what happens if he asks why you bother keeping me around at that point? You have your duties as Matriarch, responsibility to your family and him, would you even have time for me anymore? If he asked you to make him Commander, would you have a reason to say no? Would I have a place in your new life, or does my time with you have an expiration date I'm too afraid to acknowledge?"

Saracyn gave Avacyn a moment of silence to process everything he was saying. He knew it was a lot to unload and digest in one sitting, and with each sentence the young brute was feeling more and more anxious and nervous. But he had to share this with Avacyn. She had to know the truth of their situation. Sara sighed, dejection slumping his shoulders as he contended with the impossibility of their circumstances. He glanced down at his paws again, flexing his toes to claw idly at the stone beneath them. "I know you love me, Ava. I know you'll always love me, and I will always love you, but things are changing... They're changing too fast and too dramatically. The yearling me was willing to do anything to be with you. The older me realizes just how impossible that is for us. Sooner or later, Albion will have more of your love than I will. Whether as your partner, as your mate, or as the father of your children, he will. I know it, and I think deep down you know you can't be sure it won't happen. I can't give you the life he can, but I also can't stay on the sidelines watching him live a life with you that I would give anything for, trapped in a fantasy while I pray you don't move on without me. I can't ask for the one thing I want because it isn't fair to you. I won't make you make that choice." Saracyn closed his eyes, trying to hide the crystalline tears welling up in the corners from Ava, but felt them cut down his cheeks all the same. Dammit. He wasn't the kind of wolf to cry! "I'm sorry..." he murmured, not really sure what else to say.

"Saracyn Mendacium"

Avacyn's ears fell back against her head as Saracyn immediately insisted that it wasn't her love for him that she needed to prove. If that wasn't it, then what else could she do to reassure him that he was the most important wolf in her life? To ease whatever this worry was that was causing him to be this way? As his gaze met hers and she saw the fear and pain in those blue eyes that she knew oh so well, she fell silent, anything she might have said or questioned dying on her lips as she instead listened to the picture he painted of how her relationship with Albion might drive them apart. She wanted to insist that wouldn't happen, that she fully intended for him to be the one at her side whenever she could manage it, but as he went on and brought up the children she was to have with Albion she began to see how it was almost impossible for her to deny that portions of it could be true. Raising a family would make things infinitely more messy and difficult, forcing her to prioritize the time she spent with her pups and in turn Albion over everything else. She knew that it would never be to intentionally hurt or push Saracyn away, but was he right? Was it inevitable? Was she letting herself be too optimistic about the situation or too hopeful that Saracyn might find someone else to care about as well so she wouldn't feel so guilty at the possibility?

The silence that lingered after Saracyn shared this vision he feared for their futures felt heavy, weighing on her more than any of the pressures or inevitabilities she might face in any other part of her life. Now she had to weigh and decide what hurt more–breaking Saracyn's heart and in turn her own to be true to their family and the role she had been born into or letting down their family and falling short of what she had been destined to be. Her gaze had slipped down to the space between them as she thought about what he said, but when he spoke again her attention returned to his face and she listened with a new, grim understanding as he mentioned how he had been willing to accept anything with her when they arranged all of this and now had come to realize how fast everything was changing and the fact that she couldn't promise him they wouldn't change more. Still, she wanted to refuse the fact that Albion would eventually have more of her love, but the words felt hollow even to herself. She couldn't know what the future was going to look like and tearing her loyalty between them only seemed to be hurting Sara more than anything else. She had only wanted this so that she could continue to be with him and yet it was doing the exact opposite of that. She couldn't blame him for not wanting to continue on with this when it was causing him so much pain, but it put her in the impossible position she had been trying to avoid this whole time.

The tears she saw in the corners of his cerulean gaze tore at her like nothing else, making her own shoulders sag as her ears pinned back yet again, trying and failing to fight with he part of herself that wanted to immediately comfort and give him anything and everything to keep him from feeling like this. He was her other half. Her soul mate. His emotions, his pain, his fear, she shared all of that with him. As much as this hurt him, it hurt her just as much. She tipped her muzzle forward again, kissing away the tears from his cheeks with gentle licks until she finally shifted even closer until her chest was pressed to his and she could slip her forelegs around the base of his neck, hugging him close while she struggled to find some kind of response. For a while she didn't, instead just letting herself hold him with her face pressed into his scruff, fighting off her own tears and just letting herself be with him for a moment as she tried desperately to figure out a way to make this work. It was strained and flawed on the best of days and it wasn't fair to her, to Saracyn, or to Albion. She wished she was the kind of wolf that could use someone like Albion just to give her the continuation of their bloodline that she needed, an heir to take over when her time was done, but she wasn't. She didn't have that kind of heartlessness in her and Saracyn was right–the more time she spent with her betrothed the more she cared about him. At some point it wouldn't matter how deep her love for her twin ran, she would have to make decisions that would hurt them in the end.

It took her a while before she was able to speak, but when she did she didn't pull away. She held on to him as if he might disappear if she didn't, leaning her head into his neck while she closed her eyes and tried to just let his deeply familiar scent comfort her even just a little bit. "I know you don't want to make me make the choice between you and everything else... but I have to. I tried to have everything, I tried to do what I had to for our family while doing what I wanted at the same time and... you're right, it's just not possible to keep going like this." Finally she began to shift back a bit, leaning back until her gaze could find his again, her paws shifting to rest on his cheeks to make sure the blue of his eyes met the obsidian of hers. "But I have to pick you," she told him softly, her voice cracking under the weight of what that could mean for her. All of her life she had been groomed and prepared to serve one singular purpose, led down a path that had one singular destination lined with laws that she was meant to uphold. Now she was having to go against everything she had ever planned for her life and instead follow her heart. "I can't do this without you. Any of it. I don't want to be a Matriarch if it means not having you at my side. I don't want it if it means hurting you to do it." The reality of that statement slowly began to sink in as her paws slipped from his cheeks, looking down at her paws as tears stung at her eyes. "What... What am I going to tell mom? Albion? How... What am I going to do?"

"Avacyn Mendacium"

Saracyn could see the conflict in Avacyn's expression the more he painted the picture of all the twists and variables their future held for them, and although neither of them could predict which way their paths would take them, it was almost a certainty that they would end with Avacyn having to make this choice at some point in their lives. Saracyn feared that if she made it later, with pups and a husband in the mix, it would be almost assured that he would draw the short straw in that deal. From the look in Avacyn's eyes as she processed and considered everything he said with her analytical brain, it seemed she was coming to the same conclusions too. Secretly, Sara had hoped that maybe his sharply intelligent sister would find some way to salvage this for them—make it so that they didn't have to be put in this situation and neither of them would have to lose the other. But when she said nothing and instead slid closer until her chest pressed to his and she wrapped him up in a hug, the dire brute felt his heart sink and crack. There was no magic solution, there was no best case scenario. There was only pain in store for them.

Sara slumped forward to press the side of his neck into Ava's, nuzzling into her fur as she buried herself in his scruff. Her warmth, her soft fur mingling with his, and her sweet woodsy scent in his nose made his heart skip beats, each thump in his chest radiating pain as he thought about how temporary all of this was. One strong, thickly-corded foreleg lifted to drape around the back of her neck and around her shoulders, embracing her as she held onto him. So deep was his love for Avacyn and his commitment to her that Saracyn didn't even consider a possibility where she didn't choose to become the Matriarch. He had already written himself out of her future plans because of how committed he was to her. Albion's snide words echoed in his head. "You are obviously much less concerned about what she wants." Oh, if only that were true... In actuality, the prince but the heiress' own happiness and life well above his own. It was why he hadn't wanted to have this conversation at all. It was also why he was now preparing for the inevitable heartbreak that would follow, and preparing to make his exit out of this impossible problem for her benefit.

Avacyn eventually broke the heavy silence between them with muffled words into his fur. Saracyn clutched tighter around his twin when she conceded that this was a choice she was going to have to make eventually—whether now or years down the line. It was a fork in the road that had to be crossed. There was no middling path between two conflicting paths. She admitted that he was right, that it was impossible for this to continue on forever. Saracyn did not speak, but did nod his head. He understood. He knew what had to be done. He was prepared for the blow to his heart and what would follow. But when Avacyn drew back and gently cupped his cheeks so his sapphire eyes met the striking obsidian of hers, the words she spoke next caused his brain to crash. Like a blue screen on a computer, Saracyn's mind fully stopped, unable to process what she was saying. She was choosing him? She was going to throw away all of her life's plans and preparations for him? No. No no no, Saracyn couldn't let her do this to herself.

"Ava-" he tried to interject, but Avacyn silenced him by explaining that no matter what, she couldn't go through life without him. She did not want to be Matriarch if it meant hurting him or not having him. Her words lifted his aching heart, but devastated him at the same time. This was exactly what he had wanted and not wanted simultaneously. When her paws fell from his cheeks and she looked down with tears in her eyes lamenting what she was going to do, Sara took the opportunity to speak and shook his head sharply. "I'm not going to let you give up being Matriarch, Ava. I won't let you do that for me." Tears still burned in his eyes, but now his gaze was sharply narrowed in determined focus. Giant red paws moved to take Ava's in his, holding them gently as if she were the most precious thing in the world—and to him, she was. "You are going to be Matriarch, and you're going to be the best damn Matriarch our family has ever known. You're not going to throw away your ambitions for me."

Saracyn squeezed Avacyn's paws in his own, leaning in to gingerly lick the tears from her cheeks now, just as she had done for him, their matching markings glowing in perfect sync in their close proximity. He wasn't the brilliant intellectual his sister was, but Saracyn was not a stupid wolf either. His mind raced, trying to think of a solution to make things work for them. "You can tell Albion the truth. That you care about him, but you can't live that life with him. Maybe we can talk to mom together. Being a Matriarch means leading our family, upholding our culture and laws, and continuing the Mendacium line. What if... What if you could do two of the three things?" he mused aloud, hoping that talking through his thoughts might spark an idea in his twin. "If you're sure this is what you want to do, maybe you could still be Matriarch. There has to be conditions or rules for what happens if a Matriarch doesn't have heirs, right? What if a Matriarch was infertile, or all their children were killed, or... I don't fucking know, but there has to be answers, right? This can't be the only time this has happened." Tightening his lips, Sara looked at Ava with pleading eyes, raising a paw to gently lift her chin until their eyes met again, losing himself in the inky depths of her gaze. "Are you sure this is what you want, Ava...? Choosing this... it's picking the harder path in life. I can't ask you to do that."

"Saracyn Mendacium"

Warning: Saracyn is an explicitly mature character for violent and sexual content. Read his threads with caution.
Saracyn's designated wolf to protect as a Bodyguard is Avacyn. She may enter his threads not marked as Private.
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Her vision began to blur with tears as she wrestled with the reality of her situation, trying and failing to even begin to think of a way to tell her mother that she would have to step aside and the years of preparation they had done were for nothing or how she would have to admit to Albion that she would have to be the one that couldn't uphold her end of their bargain. She couldn't bring herself to lift her gaze from her white-tipped toes even as Sara began to speak, insisting that he wasn't going to let her give up on being matriarch for him. She lightly shook her head, wanting to say that she must and insist that she would do anything for him, but before she could his paws appeared around hers and her feline paws flexed to squeeze around his, looking at their similar yet opposite paws as he continued on, reassuring her that she was going to be the best matriarch their family had ever seen, that she wasn't going to throw away her ambitions for him. But how could she be the matriarch while she was actively breaking their laws? How could she enforce something that she couldn't follow herself? Were these really her ambitions or were they the ones that were given to her? She wasn't sure she even knew the difference any more.

As the tears that had pooled in her eyes began to run down her cheeks, she felt Saracyn lean toward her and felt his tongue on her cheeks as he licked away those tears. She listened as he laid out what she could do. Tell Albion the truth, talking to their mother together, finding different interpretations and ways around their laws, bringing up the possibility of what might happen if a Matriarch does not have an heir. It was hard to find a path through this when she felt like she was having to grieve the only path through her life she had ever known, but Saracyn found a way to poke holes in all of her fears and doubts, showing her that there might possibly be a way to make this work. It wasn't ideal and it wasn't the example she had always wanted to make for their pack and family, but there was a way for her to be with her soul mate and still follow this destiny that had been laid out for her. She desperately wanted him to be right. She wanted to be able to love him and be his soul mate just as badly as she wanted to make their family proud and be the Matriarch that their mother had always planed for her to be. Seeing the path to having both of those things was just murky and difficult.

As if reading her thoughts, Saracyn's paw gently lifted her chin, bringing her obsidian gaze up to meet the blue of his. He questioned if this was what she really wanted, pointing out what she was already thinking with how much more difficult this path was going to be. She searched his gaze for a moment, their twin markings glowing and pulsing in time with one another, her paws squeezing his like he was the life line and tether she needed. While she still didn't know what the future was going to hold, she at least knew that she couldn't fathom that future without him in it and that fact told her what she had to do. She quietly nodded as a shaky sigh passed her lips. "I know its going to be hard, but... A hard life with you sounds better than a hollow one without you," she told him, her voice quiet and hoarse with emotion. There was still so much doubt that they could actually make this work, that she could still be the matriarch despite all of this, but at the very least she could look forward to spending her life with Saracyn and giving him everything that he deserved. He had been her most loyal supporter and advocate since the day they were born and loved her unconditionally through everything. He deserved for her to be able to give him that in return.

"Avacyn Mendacium"

Avacyn was so disconcertingly quiet the entire time Saracyn tried to come up with plans or ideas to help reassure her and assuage her of the fear and panic that gripped her heart. His sister, who was usually so bubbly and vibrant around him, now seemed dismal and forlorn. It broke his heart to see her like this and know that he was the cause of her pain. If he had just been able to sacrifice his love for her so she could live the life she had been destined for, if he had never been born at all and she would never have to be forced into this situation... It just made him feel all the more superfluous; the excess Mendacium that should never have been. Avacyn could have been an only child, never forced to endure the heartache that came from their forbidden relationship or the pressures of having to weigh her destiny against her desires. She could have grown up, married Albion, and lived a straightforward life as Matriarch with a dozen little Mendaciums to keep the cycle going. And yet for some reason, the Ancients had decided to throw a wrench in that cycle by giving Saracyn life. The gods truly had sick senses of humor...

When Avacyn's dark eyes met his, Saracyn felt all the air sucked out of his lungs. Even just the simplest look from his twin stole his breath and made it impossible for him to do anything but keep staring at her. She was a star, beautiful and radiant and all-encompassing in her glory and light. His paws would squeeze hers back in time, their markings glowing in perfect synchronicity as they lay together, reflecting the matching beats of their hearts. When she nodded again without saying a word, Sara almost tried to talk her out of it. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt Ava or make her life harder. But he never got the chance to refute her wishes. Avacyn was already speaking, asserting that a difficult life with him was far better than a life without him. Saracyn could have cried. In fact... A white-tipped paw lifted to touch his own cheek, feeling the rolling droplets spilling down his fur. Nobody else brought out this kind of emotional response in him. Only Avacyn. Only her.

Avacyn's renewed vow to pledge herself to him reignited Saracyn's conviction that this was the right move for them. Yes, it was going to be challenging, and yes they still had obstacles ahead of them to tackle first, but there was no doubt in the young brute's mind that they could do this together. Leaning in closer, Sara pressed the side of his muzzle to Ava's and gently nuzzled their cheeks together. "Then we'll make this work... One way or another, we'll find a way to make it work." He drew back, leaning in until the wet pad of his nose gently booped hers, his piercing gaze set on her own as a strengthened resolve burned in his blue eyes. "I love you, Avacyn. I'll do whatever it takes to make you happy." With a touch of a little smile turning up the corners of his mouth, Sara leaned his muzzle in fully until his lips connected with hers in a tender kiss that lasted for only a few seconds, but spoke volumes for the caring love he felt for her. No matter how hard this life might try to be, Saracyn would move mountains and swim oceans for keep Avacyn happy and cared for and loved—oh so very, very loved.

"Saracyn Mendacium"

Warning: Saracyn is an explicitly mature character for violent and sexual content. Read his threads with caution.
Saracyn's designated wolf to protect as a Bodyguard is Avacyn. She may enter his threads not marked as Private.
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As Saracyn leaned his cheek into hers, she leaned back into his touch, letting her eyes close for a moment as she just focused on his affections while he reassured her that they would find a way to make it work. It was hard to see that path right now and she knew as she went into this that there would undoubtedly be sacrifices that would have to be made, but as she laid here with Saracyn, both mourning what would be lost and celebrating what they had found in one another, she felt like it had to be worth it. He was her Soul Mate, her greatest supporter, her other half. The part of her that wanted so desperately to believe that the Ancients wouldn't lead them astray and wouldn't give them a Soul Mate they weren't meant to have had to believe that she was doing what she was destined to do. Perhaps the destiny she thought that she had been assigned was wrong. Maybe she wasn't meant to be the next Matriarch–or at least not in the same capacity that their mother had been. All she knew was that she was supposed to be with Saracyn and whatever happened because of that was what was meant to be.

She blinked open her eyes once more as his muzzle brushed against hers and his nose lightly pressed to her own, her obsidian gaze finding the bright blue of his. A small smile of her own touched her lips as she saw the determination in his gaze and heard the love he had for her. She returned the tender kiss he gave her, knowing that he would undoubtedly keep his word to do whatever it took to make her happy. In the end though, his happiness was all she really needed. As long as she was able to return the love he gave to her and prove to him that he was as truly as wonderful and special as he was in her eyes then she would be happy. Anything else they managed to salvage or reconfigure to fit their lives together would only be a bonus. She smiled softly again as their brief kiss ended, saying in return, "I love you too, Saracyn. I love you so, so much."

As if there was any doubt about that, she still felt the need to bring her lips to his again, pressing her own firm, loving kiss to his lips. She lingered there for a few tender moments, savoring the familiar feeling of his kiss and reassuring herself that this was how she wanted to spend the rest of their lives. When their lips did part again she only wanted more. She wanted to forget all of the responsibilities and the expectations that she would have to find another way to achieve or come to terms with giving up and instead just wanted to lose herself in the man she loved. When her gaze found his again, their markings glowing in time together, he captured her entire focus and she wanted nothing else but to drown out all the other noise in their lives with his love. "Take me to bed and show me how much you love me," she told him softly against his lips, giving him one more quick, parting kiss before she started to slip away and get to her paws.

"Avacyn Mendacium"

All Saracyn needed to know that things were going to be okay was Avacyn's smile, and that was thankfully what he found when he gave her a few tender affections and reaffirmed his love for her. The little smile on her face made his heart soar in his chest despite the lingering tears on her cheeks. They were going to make it. They'd find a way together, just like they always did. Avacyn declared the depth of her love for him as well when their lips parted from the gentle kiss they shared, making the crimson prince's smile widen. His time with Ava was one of the few rare instances where true happiness showed on his usually sour features. Avacyn bewitched him, captivated him, made him feel like the best version of himself no matter how he perceived his own existence. Another kiss was pressed to his lips by his loving twin, this one firmer and more insistent than the light one he had given her. She was seeking his love and affection, reassuring herself through their intimate actions, and Saracyn was quick to respond in kind to her. He kissed her back with just as much delight, refusing to be the one to break their kiss as they showed one another the boundless depths of their love for each other.

When Ava did finally part her muzzle from his, it was to tell him to take her to bed and show her how much he loved her. Sara stared at Ava in delighted surprise for a moment. The last thing he expected from her in this emotional moment was a demand for sex, but that was exactly what he was getting, watching with wide eyes and a wagging tail as his twin gave him one last quick kiss and rose to her paws. "With pleasure, my alphess. Your Commander obeys your every wish," he teased her with a roguish grin, swift to rise to his own feet with her. Without another word, Saracyn moved to circle around behind Avacyn, ducking his larger form beneath hers to hoist her lighter, smaller frame up over his back. A playful smile was turned back to her over his shoulder, tail still wagging like a giddy puppy as he carried her the short distance through their den from the common area to their bedchambers.

Saracyn gently deposited Avacyn down onto the massive bed of soft, luxurious furs that made up their bedding, letting her slide smoothly from his back until she had collapsed onto hers on the bed. The giant brute wasted no time moving to climb his way over hers, an eager and frisky grin painted on his features while he gazed up at Ava with blue eyes shining with nothing short of true love. The marking on his face began to glow brighter and faster to match his heart, beating faster with anticipation for what was to come. The familiar heat in his belly that she stirred within him began to grow again while he ate her up with his gaze, not stopping his slow, almost teasing approach to bring his muzzle up to hers, reaching up to place a few licks to the underside of her chin and jaw, a gesture that a wolf would usually do to show submission to their alpha. Saracyn was showing Avacyn that she would be alpha, and she would be Matriarch of their family still. Despite what was changing, this would not.

"No more tears," the prince whispered against the heiress' neck, nuzzling into her warmth and softness while strong forepaws moved to hook around Ava's waist, moving and pulling her hips to align hers with his. "No more anything. Just us. Always and forever." With his vow of commitment uttered, Saracyn let his body finish his declaration of love to his twin as he brought their hips together, joining their bodies with a shuddering sigh as he prepared to do as she asked and show her how much he loved her.

- fade -

"Saracyn Mendacium"

Warning: Saracyn is an explicitly mature character for violent and sexual content. Read his threads with caution.
Saracyn's designated wolf to protect as a Bodyguard is Avacyn. She may enter his threads not marked as Private.
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