[html] http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y199/l ... stFire.jpg); background-position:bottom; background-repeat: no-repeat;">
Private, Ethereal Eclipse. 300+
AvsnittIf he followed their scents, he was convinced he would end up at Deuce’s place. Rumours suggested she had left Phoenix Valley behind and become a lone wolf. Why? And, would that mean her litter was stillborn since she made the choice of living alone in the middle of winter? Questions were heaping up and making it hard to have a normal, mental conversation with himself. He had not seen his white female friend (and former lover) since he had rejected her at the Dahlia de Mai borders. If he had been slightly more normal, he would have felt regret. He was not particularly proud because he had refused to take part in their offspring’s lives, but Deuce did not know Haku Soul as well as she believed she did. She had said that she had killed a canine and enjoyed it, but he knew that was because there had been personal conflicts that had set the fire and made her do what she had. Haku did not need any reasons. That was what made him so dangerous.
AvsnittHe avoided the path that would lead to Deuce’s cottage, and walked straight forward past it instead. A catch of Lucifer’s scent made his nostrils itch, and the male stopped in his tracks. That male had fooled around with his mother, and then not long ago he had been a prick at the borders. Was this black ‘Nothing’ acting the role of Haku’s offspring’s (if any survived) father? Unable to control himself, a frown entered the male’s face, and he bared his teeth at the mental image of the younger black male with the blue eyes. He did not understand his own emotions, because he was not supposed to care at all. Even worse, if Lucifer hated Haku as much as the chocolate male believed he did, then what would he feel for the bastard offspring? Haku turned to the right and padded steadfastly towards Deuce’s home.
AvsnittA few minutes were all it took, and Lucifer’s scent was not too present. Good. His frown had faded and his body was relaxed and under Haku’s full control. He halted outside the cottage and made a dull scratching noise on the dry wood. "Deuce? It is Haku." Deuce’s smell dominated here, together with a scent that she knew belonged to her older son, but there was also another scent, young and fresh and unknown yet strangely familiar to him. The Lilium held his breath.
|
[/html]
[html]
The mother was inside with her son and daughter. The full grown white male was sleeping; the mother and her daughter were not. Willow raced across the hardwood floor, giggling shrilly, her nails clicking on the finished wood. Deuce followed in her lupus form, tounge lolling. A voice outside made her skid to a stop, her bi-colored eyes swinging in disbelief towards the door. "Haku?" She'd left the door partially open so she and the children could leave without having to shift. She preferred spending her time with Willow in this form, as it made it a little easier to relate to her month old child. Willow sprung at her tail, which Deuce ignored, padding towards the door a little cautiously.
She hadn't seen the chocolate male since he'd rejected her and the pups. She hadn't wanted to. But here he was, at her doorstep. Lucifer would not be pleased when he returned home. There was nothing she could do about that. She swallowed, then nosed the door open, standing back. Willow crawled under her belly, peering out at the stranger with curious sky blue eyes.
It was Haku. Deuce felt a strange lurch in her heart. Had he come to take Willow from her? She swallowed again, nudging Willow bak with a paw, stepping back herself. Willow, feeling her mother's discomfort, stayed close to her leg, pressing against her. "Come in, Haku." In his room, Taliesin slumbered on, anaware of the turmoil that was in his mother's heart.
|
[/html]
[html] http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y199/l ... stFire.jpg); background-position:bottom; background-repeat: no-repeat;">
300+
AvsnittDeuce’s voice made him uncomfortable, and he struggled to find his reasons for being here strong enough. She did not come out, simply opened the door and stepped a bit back, as if he had come to drag them all out of their homes or something like that. She was not happy to see him, it seemed, and the brown and cream male felt disappointment cling to his chest. Had their friendship withered away so quickly? She had asked him to take responsibility, here he was, and her first reaction did not hold a smile. He regretted coming here instantly. Something under the white female teased his eyes, and he looked straight into sky blue eyes that resembled his. He drew a sharp inhale and could not help but stare at the child while Deuce’s voice invited him into the cottage. A little baby girl, was it? The small female reminded her of Coli, but she had some Deuce in her as well. It was a beautiful child, so surely it could not be his? Haku was unable to create anything beautiful.
AvsnittHe withdrew his eyes and looked up at the female that had once been a close friend and lover, a support when he had needed it, even though she knew some of his dark secrets. "The question is; do you want me to come in?" The male’s voice was a bit flat, because he was still experiencing the disappointment that wallowed in him. "You’re not happy to see me, I can tell.." His voice died down, and his ears flickered slightly backwards, revealing the discomfort he felt. He was late, but here he was, what startled the white woman so? Was it Lucifer? Had he poisoned her with words about the Lilium? He supposed Deuce had heard about what had happened at the Phoenix Valley borders, but Haku was not the only one to blame, he had just passed on the ball after Lucifer’s attempt to throw it into his face.
|
[/html]
[html]
Did she want him to come in? She didn't know. he'd removed himself from their lives. But he was here now. She didn't know if she was happy to see him or not. She was scared, really. And so was Willow, who could feel her mom's unease. She returned the stare, pressing agianst Deuce's legs. After a while, the woman spoke.
"You didn't want her. Don't take her from me now, haku. That is my only fear. If you are here to take her, leave us. If you really want to be part of her life, you may stay." She stepped back, leaving Willow on the floor between the two of them, a reminder of the night he'd comforted her. Her gaze drifted to the pup, who's coloring was so much her fathers.
Bi-colored eyes moved to the blue ones of Haku's. "This is Willow Soul. Her brother, Ash Soul did not survive." She lowered her head, nuzzling the girl. "Willow, this is your father, Haku."
Willow blinked. She understood the word father. Da said often enough that he wasn't her father. Tal said he was just Da. So this guy was her father? She blinked at him, her eyes darting to ma. Fadder? Deuce nodded quietly, her eyes on haku now.
|
[/html]
[html] http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y199/l ... stFire.jpg); background-position:bottom; background-repeat: no-repeat;">
500+
Avsnitt
He cocked his head and let out a small portion of honest confusion when he heard the female’s next words. She tried he was here to take away the child? He made sure his amusement did not reach his face, but kept his usual mask on. If he had wanted to take her, he would simply have done so and then be on his way. He was disappointed, Deuce should know him better than this, and he silently pondered if the child had broke off the two adults’ ties forever. It was a shame, because Deuce had been someone he had trusted and appreciated, and there were so extremely few of those. The white female stepped further back, and he got his first proper look on the little child on the floor. He could not think of any male that could fit better than himself on the list of possible biological sires. She had the extra intensity in her amazingly blue eyes, and there were few with the same coat as Haku.
Avsnitt
Willow Soul. His lips curved slightly upwards. Deuce had given her daughter his own surname, and with that, it would have proved hard to attempt to deny the fact that he was connected to this child. It was.. almost sweet in a way though, he had to give her that. He lowered his neck and stared at the child with his face at the same height as the child’s. The child’s basic looks reminded him so much of his eldest daughter that he was sure he never would see again. It was almost painful, because it brought back memories that were better off forgotten. The Lilium of Dahlia had changed, though, and his self control had improved. He was not free any longer, and could not let the demon out to play as in the past. There were rules here, and he would not jeopardize himself unless the need overtook him.
Avsnitt
He licked his lips slowly, and his ears flickered gently with mild interest as he heard the child’s voice for the first time. ”I am not here to take her from you.” The male said soothingly. ”I’m sorry about the boy.” Both had been given the Soul surname. How had Lucifer reacted to that? A constant reminder of Haku, how could that be good for his mood? Haku very well knew that if Firefly had carried another man’s litter, he would have killed the spawn as soon as they were born, and he would probably have killed Firefly as well. He hoped he never would have to face such a decision, because it would underline how much of a hypocrite he really was. This gave him an excellent reason to be concerned for the child.
Avsnitt
”You gave her my surname.” His smile widened slightly, and he kept his gaze on the pale female with the bi-coloured eyes. He missed what they had had together, and the scent of Lucifer saddened him slightly. Maybe he did care for her more than he had realized. He was confused, though. Why was she here on her own? He decided to not start with his questions yet. He wanted her to calm down first.
|
[/html]
[html]
His words eased her fears, and the tension left her muscles. Her bi-colored eyes softened as he studied their child. "Ash looked like me." She wanted to share that. It had been important to her, even though Ash hadn't lived, hadn't opened his eyes. Willow studied her father intently, walking over to him in her clumbsy puppy gait. She circled him, sniffing at him. "Choo smew funny."
His comment about her surname made Deuce smile and shrug lightly. "She looks just like you. There was no reason to deny it, in my opinion. We have no intention of causing problems for you, you know. We'll just stay here..."
She attempted to catch his eye as she spoke again. "I've missed you, Haku." Her voice was soft and sincere.
|
[/html]
[html] http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y199/l ... stFire.jpg); background-position:bottom; background-repeat: no-repeat;">
300+
Avsnitt
Male had looked like mommy, female looked like the father. He almost felt the female’s loss, but just almost. He could not grasp the love the mothers managed to shower their children with. If anything, perhaps he was slightly jealous of their ability to feel so strongly for something, while Haku himself was as good as empty most of the time. The male slightly stiffened as the blue eyed child circled him all of a sudden without any fear of the strange adult brute. Her young and fresh scent circled along with her, and he actually felt quite weird. The child seemed to be around one, two months, maybe even older (Haku was not very good with guessing ages), but he had not really been certain the litter had lived, so he had not known about the child.
The child spoke directly to her biological father, and Haku felt his face grow slightly hotter, unable to figure out how he should react to the child. ”Yeah, probably." A dumb and meaningless answer, but he was full of uncertainty. Maybe it was a kind of fear of the child. He did not want to fuck things up again, and babies seemed to appear everywhere nowadays. Firefly and Haku’s litter would soon be born, and he could not take that easy path again. When Deuce attempted to catch his glance, he calmly raised them to her face. He smiled when he heard her words, and he felt much better. He had wronged Deuce, he had turned his back on her and let her down. Still, she did not chase him away.
”I’ve missed you too” He hesitated a bit before he went on. ”Why are you out here all alone? These are cold and hard times, why have you left Phoenix Valley behind?" It was no accuse of any kind, he just needed to know. It was dangerous to live alone, especially in the coldest winter season and with a small child. And he wondered what had made her leave the pack she herself had helped create. Had she been chased out or something like that?
|
[/html]
[html]
He spoke to the child, and she seemed satisfied with his answer. Blue eyes blinked lazilly as she ceased her circling and stretched. Almost two months old now, she had the beginnings of her mother's cat like grace. The pup sat down between mother and sire, watching the two interestedly.
Deuce felt more relaxed as the male met her eyes. Things were okay between the two. When he asked his question, she didn't hesitate to respond. "I left Phoenix valley because it wasn't home any more. I helped to found it, thinking that I could keep my pups safe from the hybrids and coyotes, but now it seems to be made of nothing but hybrids. I didn't feel safe there, and I wasn't going to lose Willow like I lost Shadow."
She had gone a little insane when she'd found her son's mangled body in Inferni. His body had been desecrated, urinated on, and worse. She'd carried him back to her special den. His loss had caused her to miscarry the pups she and Lucifer had concieved. It had seemed so long ago, but it was still so recent to her. She still remembered the grief she'd felt so keenly, the knife that twisted in her gut every time she thought of how she'd failed her young son. She still felt remnants of that grief every time she thought of the boy, and even now the sadness shadowed her eyes as she spoke of the young male.
"Being here alone here is safer than being there with my family at risk."
|
[/html]
[html]
300+ Sorry for wait, dear
She gave him her reasons without hesitation, and he could not do anything but nod and support her for her choice. He did not share her view of things though. Coyotes and hybrids were what they were because of how they had been brought up, how they were treated. There were very few purebred coyotes around, and Inferni was a hybrid clan, not a coyote one. They were all canines, just a bit different in appearance. The soul arrived in the body untainted, and it was up to the circumstances and genes to sort the new sprout out. Some turned good, some turned bad. Just like with pure bred wolves. None was better than the other, although Haku liked to think of himself as an exception. He did not usually question other wolves' believes, and he would not do so now. Deuce had a past that forbid her to acknowledge coyotes or hybrids as equal beings as wolves. If he had been in her shoes and not fucked up in his head, then perhaps he would have shared her view. It was not good to know. Leaving Phoenix Valley had been her choice, and he knew better than to offend her by the validity of her reasoning.
He frowned slightly when her last words were out in the open. Safer alone in the coldest season with a small child? He gritted his teeth and gave her his typical look of approval. "I can understand your reason for leaving Phoenix Valley, but I do not think this was a smart move. You are alone with a small child to support." And, there was of course Lucifer. The main reason why Haku had finally managed to drag his sorry ass to the little family. "You cannot live by yourself, it is too risky. I can smell Lucifer, and I'm sure that together you might manage fine, but you know he hates me. What about Willow? How can he ever love her when everything about her reminds him of me? Is she safe?" His gaze went to the child that had settled between the parents. How come they all looked so much like him?
|
[/html]
"I can understand your reason for leaving Phoenix Valley, but I do not think this was a smart move. You are alone with a small child to support. You cannot live by yourself, it is too risky. I can smell Lucifer, and I'm sure that together you might manage fine, but you know he hates me. What about Willow? How can he ever love her when everything about her reminds him of me? Is she safe?" Her eyes were troubled as she lowered her gaze to the child in question. "Lucifer left us recently." Her confession was a mumble, almost as if she was ashamed of that fact.
Her eyes swung back to the male. "No one will hurt our child. I will die first. Besides, can you promise she would be safer anywhere else?" Her voice was a soft challenge, a gentle push. She felt there was no where safer for little Willow except with her, here. It was up to him to prove her wrong.
Willow glanced at her momma, then stretched. She wandered to the room where Tal was sleeping, curling up against the large white male. She batted at his tail, nibbling on his ear. He shook his head, shaking the girl off, opening his blue eye and peering at her. When she leapt at his head, he pulled it up, out of her reach.
In the living room, Deuce watched the sire of her youngest child, aware of the crackling fire in the fireplace, and of the distance between the two. She wondered if there would always be that distance, now that he had a mate. She wouldn't push it. He was still a friend, no matter what had happened between the two.
[html]
300+
He should have been sorry for her, but he wasn't. Lucifer gone? Good. A pathetic brute that left his woman alone with her child. It settled Haku's worries for most parts, but in other ways it was even worse now. She was all by herself with her two children. Her white son was old enough to hunt together with his mother, but too many things could still go wrong. Haku Soul mentally frowned and looked away from both mother and daughter, towards the door. She would give her life for Willow, but was that enough? Why risk it at all? Deuce could be killed while hunting, drown, a lot of things! A loner's life was a hard one, Haku knew this well. He had raised two puppies on his own after all, and it had been very hard to keep their bellies full, keep them safe. Deuce had other options, and she challenged him to come up with a better solution. Easy.
"Come to Dahlia with me. All three of you. It might not be the ideal place for you, but you will be safe, have food and shelter." Oh, what was he getting himself into. He had just come by to see the child and make sure Deuce was okay, and now he was digging himself deeper into trouble. Nothing to do with that, because in a way, they were his responsibility. The brown child was his, and therefore he had a role to play in their lives. He had not wanted to first, but he was slowly changing his mind, warming up to the thought. Deuce deserved this. He threw in a pathetic puppy look, hoping she would drown in his intense baby blue eyes like she had done before the night where Willow was created. There could never be love between them, but he could offer friendship. He could be a father. He would take care of them.
|
[/html]
He offered to bring her home with him. Her eyes softened as she gazed into his eyes. A memory troubled her mind and her eyes clouded over. "What of Firefly? Can you garuntee that Willow will be safe from her as well? That moving us there would not bringh more harm onto our child?"
A valid concern, she felt. She stepped forward, closer to the male, until she was a few scant inches away. "Can you promise that no one will hurt our Willlow?" She was close enough she could feel the heat emnating from his body. His scent passed over her with every exhale he made. She searched his face for the answers to her questions, for an answer to her inner turmoil. She wanted to go, if only to allow Willow to grow up with a father around.
[html]
Wrap this up?
He fully understood Deuce’s concerns. He felt them too. He knew too well how vicious his beautiful woman could be, but surely she wouldn’t go as far as to harm a small child? Haku did not know what the woman had done with the child in Crimson Dreams, so he sincerely hoped that she would keep her temper in chess. Surely she would not want a child to die in the wilderness, right? He did not reveal his uncertainty in front of the older woman. Dahlia was not the ideal place, but it was much better than living alone. He looked at the pale woman with the bi-coloured eyes. His blue gaze then raced down to the child. Such a shame she looked so much like her biological father, or else this situation could have been handled much easier. ”No one will hurt Willow, Deuce. I will protect both of you with my life.” , like he would for every Dahlia de Mai member. This also included conflicts within, and his words were as sincere at they could get. Willow and Deuce would be safe with him. He would not share a home with them, but he would be around and he would attempt to get to know the chocolate coloured child with his baby blue gaze. He offered a soft smile to the female that once had been one of his best friends, his best support. Now with a child everything was changed, but there was still an available spot of friendship reserved for her. Never a couple, but they could raise the child together. ”Come home with me, Deuce.”
|
[/html]
Sounds good to me! And I started our Willow thread in DdM. 
His words flowed over her like warm honey, soft and reassuring. Willow would be safe. Though she'd never feared for Willow here, it was good to know she wouldn't be the only grown adult watching over the child. She moved forward the last inches, offering the male a gentle nuzzle, then moved away, letting him know she wasn't going to intrude on his life, on his relationship. Although once upon a time he hadn't cared she'd had a mate, this was a different era, a different world. Things were different now.
She glanced to her herbs, and decided to take the valuable, the irreplacable. The rest she'd come back for later. She allowed her body to shift, taking on the two legged form of the Luperci, and began gathering the herbs she would not leave behind. She then got the children ready, and tucked Willow into the specially modified carrier. The family was ready to follow the male into thier new lives.
|
