300+ Savinaaa~



Ehno had finally made it back into the mansion. He had been avoiding it for days, ever since he had his last meeting with Naniko and discovered the odd predicament she had put him in, however unintentionally. He wanted to share the news with his family so badly, but the circumstances left him dreading it. He never imagined that telling his siblings that he was to be a father would be such a daunting task. These were circumstances that he never imagined he would have to face. Either way, he had to deal with the situation now, though his methods so far felt cowardly and even childish. Running away and avoiding the complications wasn’t going to make it any easier. Returning to the manor now at least showed that Ehno was calming down some. The Lieutenant just had to take things one step at a time. Tiredly, he trudged along through the front door of Haven Manor. The lack of sleep from his previous night of wandering was something he would have to work on.



It was later in the day, and most of the pack would be out enjoying the sunshine this week was offering them. It seemed like the perfect time during the day to sneak in unnoticed. It was curious that Ehno would think so much on his timing so that he could avoid his pack mates for the most part, yet he did not retreat to his workshop or his room. Instead he chose to sit on the large couch in the main living room of the mansion, head tilted back against the cushions with eyes closed, hands lying idly across his lap. Hiding in plain sight, he supposed? It was as if he had turned this into some sort of game, choosing a passive move this round. He wasn’t out and about, avoiding conversations any longer, but he wasn’t actively seeking them either. If Savina passed by, which she inevitably would, the conversation he was dreading would finally begin, and that was that. If not, then maybe his next move in this little game would be to finally take the initiative and seek her out.

Broferrrrr 300+



Despite it being the prime hours of the day Savina was currently taking a bit of a nap in her upstairs room. The pups had gotten her up early and wanted to play outside. She of course had obliged but they had done a good job of wearing her out. She had done some border patrol before deciding she was too tired to finish and had headed back inside. It really was a shame that that had happened today when the sun was out. It had rained so much recently that the mother relished the sunshine, but there was no help for those droopy lids except to close them and sleep off some of that weariness.



Now those emerald orbs lazily opened back up and she gave a great yawn, stretching her limbs out as she continued to lay on the bed. For a few minutes she listened to see if she could catch any movement within the great house, but her triangular ears picked up nothing. No doubt everybody was out enjoying the bright weather. Well, she better go and do the same. The days were getting shorter and she knew that soon fall would be upon them. Fall she didn't mind, it was what came after that she wasn't fond of. Savina pushed herself to her feet and stretching her arms above her head once more before heading out her door.



She had expected the house to be empty, but as she quietly walked down the stairs she saw her brother lounging on the couch. A small, wicked grin came to her features and she wondered if she could be quiet enough to surprise him. The raven fey chose her steps carefully, avoiding creaking floorboards. Slow, calculated steps took her to the side of the couch and then she plopped herself down beside her chocolate sibling. "Ciao il fratello!" she said louder than was necessary, the smirk still on her face.

300+



The house remained quiet for a while, just as he assumed it would. Everyone did seem to be out and about, as Ehno remained sitting quietly on the couch for some time, never hearing the shuffling of paws on the floorboards or muffled voices drifting in from the hallways. The solitude was peaceful and soon the Lieutenant found himself drifting into a light sleep. He let it come without a struggle, feeling the exhaustion from the previous few days’ wanderings finally catch up with him. He wasn’t sure how long he had slept there, sitting on the couch, before something plopping onto the cushions beside him jarred him from his light slumber. His eyes snapped open just as he was greeted by a loud and very familiar voice.



At first a bit of panic seized him, partially at the sight of Savina and partially from being startled awake. He tried to remove the panicked expression from his face quickly, playing it off as if she had only startled him. He could do nothing to fight off that nervousness that swelled within him now as he realized he would have to face his problems and tell his sibling what had happened. But that playful smirk upon her features put him at ease immediately and he relaxed, sliding effortlessly into his usual behavior. It was just Savina. No need to get worked up, right? She would understand.



Ehno couldn’t help but grin at his sibling’s playful actions, feeling a bit of that playfulness begin to infect him as well. It did well to combat that nervousness that had rooted itself in his stomach. "Ciao, sorella!" he called just as loudly, a slight laugh punctuating his exclamation. He reached out to his sister and moved to tickle her sides, playful grin widening on his features. If she wanted to sneak up on him, he would get his revenge by tickling. It was playful combat.

300+



As her brother started awake she couldn't help but feel a bit of satisfaction at having succeeded sneaking up on him. He had done the same to her on many occasions, so being able to get him back was always a sweet treat. She was a bit surprised by how startled he looked for a few moments though. Of course some of that went with her waking him up unexpectedly, but there was something more to it she sensed, something deeper. But then he seemed to revert back to his usual self and she dismissed that glimpse she thought she had caught of something. Surely it was nothing. After all, their lives were finally returning to normal. At least as far as she knew. Savina was oblivious to how wrong she actually was.



Then he grinned, that grin she knew so well and loved. She couldn't imagine her life here without him. Now she had Kansas and her children, but that would never mean that she didn't need him. He was the one she knew for certain she could always fall back on, even when things got rough between she and Kansas. He was there to anchor her when she felt she was slipping away. The calm that he brought to her was a gift, one that could only come with their deep bond. But then his hands sneakily came to torment her her sides and it was impossible to stop the fit of laughter that took her. Moisture almost immediately collected at the corner of her eyes, damn her for being so ticklish! "Ehno!" she called out breathlessly between giggles. Her hands and arms moved to protect herself but it was too late, so she tried to curl into a ball, preventing his access. Though she knew that she was at his mercy until he decided to stop. This game had been played far too many times for her to think otherwise.

Short and late, sorry! >:



The peals of laughter coming from his sibling reminded him of happier, carefree times. He remembered the silly games they played as pups back in Italy and foolish adventures they had together as adults, here in Crimson Dreams. When they were together, they could always find some way to entertain each other. These thoughts put him more at ease, making it feel much more comfortable and natural to be acting to silly. Today was just another one of those days. He tried not to think about the fact that these days could possibly wind up being much rarer in the future.



Ehno was always amused to see how ticklish his sibling was. She squirmed and giggled at his incessant tickling, tears of laughter forming quickly in her emerald eyes. “Savina!” he teased, imitating her breathless, high tone. The grin on his features spread to its widest, his eyes glinting with amusement. This was always a fun game to play, especially when he was winning. His raven hued sibling began to make her defensive moves with her arms before resorting to curling inward to fend off his attack. Ehno kept on the offensive for a moment longer before stopping abruptly and pulling his hands back slightly. "Lei si arrende?" he asked, tone mock-serious and hands still poised to make another strike if need be.

s'ok! 300+



Despite being on the loosing side of this battle, Savina couldn't help but enjoy herself. She loved being able to just be goofy with her brother. It was like making up for the time they had lost when he had left to go on his journey. An unbid stab of pain hit her at the thought, though there was no outward sign of this. Him leaving their birth pack had been one of the most difficult things she had ever had to cope with. For a while she had debated going with him, but the thought of leaving their mother behind had been too much. She couldn't have let her lose two of her children instead of just one. Thinking back, one of the reasons she had been so scared was that somewhere deep inside she had known that he wouldn't come back. Not that he wouldn't mean to, just that it wouldn't happen. Thankfully she was no longer there either, and things had all worked out for the better.



The sable fey was running out of breath by the time the assault finally ceased and she gulped in air. "Sì...mi arrendo!" There was no use in denying it, he had defeated her. Sitting back up and wiping the tears from her eyes a few more laughs left her as she gave a sidelong glance to her brother. "Un fratello così crudele che ho," she said with pouting lips, mocking sadness. Savina sat for a few more moments with that upset expression then it disappeared without a trace, a beaming smile in its place. The slender femme repositioned herself so that she leaned against his shoulder, her hands idly undoing the tangles in her wavy locks. "Lei è stato assente molto ultimamente sembra. Lei non prende meglio il prurito per errare di nuovo." Her voice was still light and joking, but there was a serious note to the last sentence. While she trusted his word that he would not leave her again when he was away from home so often it made her worry.

300+



Ehno laughed triumphantly as his sister surrendered. He relaxed and dropped his hands from their ready-to-strike position. "È una buona cosa che lei è arreso. La seconda onda sarebbe stata più feroce," he joked, nudging her playfully with an elbow. He plastered a mock-frown on his features, amber gaze matching it with a false hurt. "Parole così dolorose, sorella." This typical playful banter put him at ease, making him feel like things were normal for a moment. The Marino man hadn’t felt this good in some time, even if the pressing thoughts were still pestering him with a persistent whisper in the back of his mind. He wanted to prolong the inevitable and enjoy this moment for as long as he could. He didn’t know how many more of these moments there would be after he shared his earth-shattering news. He didn’t want to think about it.



He was calm, the playful smile still on his maw as Savina leaned against him, but he felt himself unintentionally tense when she spoke up. She had noticed his absences lately. Of course she did, Ehno would be foolish to think otherwise. Part of him wanted to lie or turn the matter into some silly little joke, but he knew better than that. It would only make him more anxious to find out her reaction. It would make him feel guilty, like he was trying to keep it a secret from her. He couldn’t do that. The smile faltered slightly, a more serious ghost of it remaining on his lips. It would be best if he shared the news slowly, just a bit at a time. It was so much to drop onto her lap all at once, but he didn’t have much of a choice. Ehno tried to make himself relax, but his heart picked up a faster beat, energized by his racing thoughts and his building anxiety. "Heh, si. Ho avuto molto sulla mia mente recentemente." He paused for a brief moment, trying to gather his thoughts and his nerves. "La nostra piccola famiglia prenderà più grande molto presto… Zia Savina." His ghostly smile grew with genuine happiness. He was truly glad to become a father. This first part was easy. It was what came next that had him worried.

500+



Savina smoothed her fur as he relaxed back onto the couch, giving her sibling a sidelong glance. "Suppongo così, preferirei non morire dalla mancanza di ossigeno. L'ho scommesso avrebbe un tempo divertente spiegando quella sfortuna a sue nipoti e suo nipote." He may have won the tickle battle, but she could play the word game just as well as any other. Of course no part of her believed that Ehno would actually tickled her until she died, but it was a good way to get back at him for the ruthless offensive. The woman couldn't help but let an evil little smirk mold her features at his feigned hurt expression. "Non sarebbero così doloroso se lei non era così crudele," she said, batting her eyes innocently. To her, at the moment, this seemed like any other encounter with her beloved brother. The way she was able to calm his nerves for the moment made her oblivious that something was bothering him. Little did she know how soon reality would come crashing down upon her head once again.



Her words about his wanderings had been mostly in jest, but when she felt him tense her heart faltered in its rhythm. No...he couldn't possibly be wanting to leave again, could he? He wouldn't do that to her, not again. Not when Ghita had just returned and the newest generation of their family was still so young. Stubbornly she shook the thoughts from her head, not allowing herself to believe that even a whisper of them could be true. He eyes turned to look upon his face though, and she saw his expression more serious than it had been moments before. Try as she might to keep her pulse normal it began to quicken with apprehension. She did not like where this seemed to be going. He said he had a lot on his mind, though that didn't seem particularly alarming. She did as well, of course. There was something hiding in those seemingly innocuous words however.



At first the Commander didn't quite understand what she was hearing. What was he saying? "Zia Savina?" The puzzlement stayed on her face for another millisecond before realization dawned on her and her eyes grew wide. Ehno was going to be a father? The Italian's mind raced. When had this happened? With whom? It certainly wasn't anyone in the pack. Why hadn't he told her he was seeing someone? She assumed it must be serious for surely her brother wouldn't have done this unintentionally. A smile grew back on her face and she shoved his arm with both her hands. "Come osarla la tiene un segreto da me, lei lo sciagurato!" For all the scolding, the words were said with joy. "Le congratulazioni," she said as she leaned to plant a kiss on his cheek. "Così, chi l'è?" Savina asked, her words laced with some annoyance. She was miffed that he had a sweetheart that she had been oblivious to. She hadn't kept Kansas a secret from him.

300+



Savina continued their little charade of false hurt, finishing off her statement win an evil smirk. Ehno shook his head, a short laugh coloring his words. "Oh, sicuro. La fabbricazione me fuori da essere assassino ora, siamo?" Ehno leveled the most serious look he could muster at her, but it didn’t last long, due to both the general ridiculousness of it and the unease that still fluttered around his senses.



Under more pleasant circumstances, Ehno would have found much amusement in Savina’s initial puzzlement, would have laughed light-heartedly as her eyes widened with the dawning of sudden realization. Instead he simply watched her reaction, the small, half-hearted smile still on his lips. She shoved at him then, and part of him worried that she would be pushing him away again soon, without that playful spirit. He wanted desperately to play along with her, to keep things light-hearted like it should be. She congratulated him and sweetly kissed his cheek. It only served to make the guilt sitting heavily in his heart swell to twice its previous size. "Grazie," he said, but the words were hollow. He had a feeling that she wouldn’t be so quick to congratulate him had she found out who the mother was beforehand.



And there it was, the question he had been dreading this entire time. The single fact that made what should have been a joyous occasion into a horrible one. But she couldn’t be happy for him, not fully, when it was Naniko carrying his children. Not after all that had happened between them. Anxiety propelled his heart to beat even faster, if that was possible. He was so scared to see how she would react, but he had to do this now. "Uh, bene..." he began, mind searching for the easiest way to drop this bombshell, but if there was one, it escaped him. Ehno took a deep breath in an attempt at calming himself. He could feel his blood pounding in his ears. “Naniko,” he muttered lamely, amber eyes full of guilt as he tried to meet her gaze. "È-è Naniko."

300+



Somewhere in the back of her mind she realized that her brother's actions were a bit off. It wasn't what she would have expected of Ehno. She knew him so well and could almost imagine his actions in any situation. A red flag went up, but she missed it for now. Perhaps her subconscious was trying to shield her from the inevitable pain that was about to descend over her. Part of it was also just her blind faith in her sibling. Ehno and she had always been as close as siblings ever got, their bond unbreakable. She trusted him completely and more than any other individual (even her mate, though it was a very close call). The thought that he would ever hurt her never occurred to her. He loved her far too much to ever do anything to betray that trust she held for him. It was really as simple as that to the Italian fey. He would never do something like that to her.



His words of thanks lacked something and her brow scrunched together to figure out why. Savina was still ignoring anything negative that could possibly surround this. Ehno knew that sleeping around wasn't good, what could come of it. They had themselves been a product of such a coupling and knew all too well what it was like. She wasn't for a moment placing any blame or judgment on their mother, but she had not even slept with Kansas until they had been mates. Sometimes even that was no guarantee, but having those relations outside of mateship...it was just asking for trouble. Besides, her brother was a gentleman, not the type to just hop in bed with anyone. As far as she knew, he had never even been with any female.



He began to talk and her ears pressed forward, waiting anxiously to hear the name of the mother of his children. In those short moments she tried to imagine what her brother's love would be like, coming up with a picture of the perfect woman for him. Though when a name came that picture shattered into pieces that could never be recovered. Had she heard that right? No, no she must have misunderstood. But then it came again and it felt like a guillotine had dropped between them. Savina's ears flattened against her skull and her back pressed into the couch. Startled emeralds looked at her brother, shocked more by this news than anything she could imagine. Slender arms crossed against her chest as she could feel a frigid, taloned hand grip her heart. Oppressive silence closed around them and she sat there still as death. This couldn't be happening. He couldn't have done this. Not with her. Finally her voice squeaked out, "Perché?" Tears formed in her eyes, waiting to brim out onto her sooty cheeks.

300+



He never would have thought that he could be the cause of Savina’s tears. Tears of joy, tears of laughter, those were the tears the Marino man was capable of creating. Not these tears filled with hurt and the shock of betrayal. Ehno’s job was to wipe away her tears, to comfort her when she was troubled. He was the one she could depend on, the shoulder she could cry on no matter what the situation. And instead, fate decided to pull him into a situation that caused his sister such pain. And as the cause of her torment, there was no way he could comfort her. This wasn’t how things were supposed to be.



Ehno saw those tears and the reason he had been dreading this single moment came rushing back to him, causing a sharp pain to assault his heart. Those tears in her eyes and the way she pulled back and drew into herself spoke volumes louder than her barely managed question. Ehno’s instinctual reaction to that sight was to comfort her, to pull her in his arms and assure her that everything would be alright. But he couldn’t do that. Not now. Not after what he’d done. And as much as it pained him to betray his sister in such a way, he couldn’t regret his actions, not fully. He cared for Naniko, cared for her and guided her when no one else would, and that caring blossomed into something more. There were pups on the way. He could never regret them.



The chocolate hued male turned his head away, ears flattening against his skull shamefully and tense posture suddenly deflating. He couldn’t stand to see those tears in his sibling’s eyes. He had to hide the tears that were quickly gathering in his own amber orbs. "Provavo di aiutarla… provando di sostenerla come ha ricuperato dalla sua dedizione."He paused, swallowed audibly. How could he explain this? "Poi una notte quando eravamo insieme… esso giusto successo." Ehno’s voice shook, betraying the tears he tried to hide. This wasn’t how it was supposed to happen. Every time he imagined the day he would tell Savina that he was going to be a father, they were excited. Happy. They were supposed to be happy right now, damn it. Instead he was left feeling conflicted and bitter, while Savina fought back tears from sadness and betrayal. It was terrible.

sad ;.; 500+



She wanted to be happy for him. She had always wanted to be happy for him, but now she couldn't. How could she when he had gone and done this with the one woman who had caused her so much pain and self doubt. The roots of her conflict with Naniko went further back than the incident with the drugs. Nobody else knew that know, and they couldn't understand, not unless they knew the truth. But the same evidence that would make her feelings make sense would be damning to her mate. The sable femme wanted to yell it out though. She wanted to scream it in his face so he could understand how much this truly hurt her. Despite how much she wanted it she couldn't find the words though. All she could do was close her eyes as the tears poured from them like a fountain, her face contorted at the pain of it all.



Savina listened to her brother's words but they only made her stomach turn and she was overcome with nausea. Horrible pictures of Ehno and Naniko together flashed behind her eyes, torturing her more. She could feel her nails digging into her skin, trying to distract her mind from the images. Would she ever be free of the D'Angelo? Would her happiness ever not be tainted by her? What had she ever done to deserve this? She had stood by Naniko's side always. Always defending her, always supporting her. First she had been unable to be happy about the fact that she had found someone to spend her life with and then she had gotten into those damn drugs and scarred her daughter. The thought of Cambria made anger flare up in her and it grabbed onto her tongue. "Che di sua nipote? Che della porzione e la sostenendo?" What about me? Why had she been more important? Emerald eyes burned beneath her tears. "Avrei potuto perdere mia figlia a causa di lei! E lei..." Her head shook from side to side and she buried her face against her knees, the anger retreating as quickly as it had come and she was taken over again by the hurt and the sorrow.



Her breaths came shakily, sobbing every so often, her shoulders shuddering. Why? Why had the gods done this? Why had they allowed this to happen? Just when her family had finally been brought back together it was being torn apart again in a way she had never imagined. As much as she hated this though, and as much as she really didn't want the ex-Commander back in the pack, what other choice did she have? They were as much Ehno's children as her's. They would be her nieces and nephews. She wouldn't and couldn't leave them out there. Finally after a while without moving her head she spoke up again. "Quando farà è ritornata..." The words were spoken with defeat and resignation. She didn't have the slightest inkling that things were worse than she knew.

Yeah. T-T 400+



Those furious words were so sudden that they caused him to flinch in response. Not a moment later he felt the flames of anger build up within himself in response, launching his thoughts down another path at a furious pace. He stood up suddenly, needing the space and knowing that Savina wouldn’t want him near her right now. "Non potrei mai dimenticare di Cambria," he shot back, hurt that she would even suggest such a thing. "Ma ciò significa devo abbandonare Naniko agli elementi, alla sua dedizione? Nessuno era lì per lei." His words were harsh, but he couldn’t stop them. She accused him of all but abandoning their family, and it hurt him, and with this highly emotional atmosphere, her shouting was the single spark needed to ignite his fury. "Tutto ho voluto fare era l'aiuto il mio ritorno di amico a normale, anche." He shook his head and suppressed a frustrated growl that threatened to come out, knowing he would regret it instantly.



Did she forget that he had been there to comfort his niece after the dreadful incident? He had never once forgotten about the poor girl. But after seeing Naniko in the miserable state she had been in when she fled to Halifax, Ehno could not simply turn his back on her either. Of course the Marino was angry with her about what happened, but he could see that it was because of those damn drugs that it had happened. What was he supposed to do, leave her to waste away in the city all alone? Let her succumb to her addiction further and allow her to throw her life away? She needed help too. Without it she may never have begun to return to the person she once was. Ehno couldn’t let that happen to someone he called a friend. That caring nature of his would be his downfall. Look at the situation he found himself in now, because of it.



He remained silent after his harsh outburst, the sounds of his sister’s sobs cooling his anger rather quickly. Her next question cut right through his remaining feelings of frustration, letting his previous sadness and guilt be seen again. Ehno shook his head and willed himself to face Savina once more. Tears heavy with both sadness and anger still lined his amber eyes, blurring his vision slightly. "Non ritorna," he said bitterly. He couldn’t blame her for not wanting to, but the thought still stung him. How much simpler this situation would be for him if Naniko would just return. But he already knew he couldn’t ask that of her. Ehno would just have to find a way to endure. Everyone involved in this situation was guaranteed to emerge from his unhappy in one way or another, it seemed.

Mah! I don't like this D: I'll leave it up to you if you want him to hear about Naniko/Kansas. It'd definitely be something she would tell him at this point, but if you really don't want him to hear it I understand <3 300+



His response only made her more upset. She had never been angry with Ehno before, never, and her thoughts were at war with one another. It felt wrong to be mad at him. She shouldn't be mad at him. Why was she mad? Though the reasons were too abundant in her eyes. He hadn't been thinking of Cambria when he slept with the one who had caused her pain, that much was clear. He seemed to have missed the point that hurt her so. "Non ho mai detto di nessuno l'abbandonare. Non ho mai detto nessuno potrebbero aiutarla. Lei è andato più oltre che nonostante. Che ha fatto per dormire con deve fare con ciò!?" That was where the betrayal lay. He had moved beyond simply helping his friend into more intimate territory. How could he be so intimate with her after what she had done? Whether it was because of the drugs or not, she had hurt Cambria. She had hurt her. She had hurt her more than he knew. "È più di ciò che è successo con le droghe. Lei non ha idea ciò che altro ha fatto a me. Ho provato di dirla prima che ma lei non mi crederebbe..." Words trailed off and she sobbed again. Nobody knew. Nobody knew how deeply Naniko had done her harm. She had kept it a secret to protect Kansas but it ate away at her inside.



Savina had thought this was as bad as it could get. There was no way that it could be any worse than this. The thought that the D'Angelo wouldn't return had never once crossed her mind. Her two daughters still lived here, and despite what had happened, given the circumstances she would not reject her. She might not trust her and might not be happy about it, but she wouldn't bar her from the pack. The Italian fey couldn't have thought to be in any more pain, but the words from her brother felt like a shot to the heart and her body jerked violently, her head shooting up to look at him. "C-che?" Emerald eyes were filled with a terrified light. No...no this couldn't be happening. This was worse, so much worse. She was trying to steal her brother away from her. She was trying to hurt her as much as she could, and right now, it was working. "L'E-Ehno...lei...lei non partirà farà lei? Ehno?" Her slender, hunched up body began to shake all over as panic gripped her so hard she couldn't breathe. Tears poured from her eyes with a new ferocity. She couldn't lose him. No...no she couldn't. She couldn't go on without him.

I think he'd probably be too worked up to calmly listen to her about it. o: And I'm sorry I took forever and a day to reply. D: <3 400+



"Non posso aiutarchi le mie cadute di cuore per, Savi!" Did she think that he had placed himself into this situation knowing that would happen? How could he have possibly foreseen this situation? He began helping Naniko with the intentions of guiding her away from her addiction and back into the person she once was. Ehno couldn’t have known how close he would become to the D’Angelo lady in that situation. Savina tried to speak out against Naniko again, but all her claims did was make Ehno more frustrated than before. He finally turned to face his sibling, a fire in his teary eyes. "È la famiglia ora, Savina," he began, tone drifting into harsh territories again. "Ha avuto le sue proprie avversità per affrontare qui, anche. Nessuno si preoccupa ciò riconoscere, apparentemente." Naniko needed to have someone stand by her side in this matter, and if Ehno was the only one willing to do it, he would do it without hesitation. It killed him to realize that he wanted to yell at his sibling when all he had ever offered her in the past were kind words and light-hearted jokes, but he was too frustrated right now to react in any other way. Had he really begun to change things between them?



Ehno was still trying to calm himself from the insane roller coaster his emotions seemed to be riding, adrenaline still keeping his heart pumping furiously as his anger and frustration coasted along. How much simpler this could have been had Naniko agreed to come back home to Crimson Dreams. But Ehno could not be so lucky to have that happen, and instead he had to offer more shocking and painful words to his is dear sibling. The terrified look she offered him stung him deeply, but here was nothing he could do to soothe away her worries. Certainly not now, anyway. "…Devo essere lì quando i cuccioli sono nati, almeno." It wasn’t a confirmation that he would stay here, nor was it a denial. The decision still had yet to be made by the Marino man, and it was beginning to drive him a little crazy. What could he possibly do? His sister’s dramatic reaction almost made him second guess whether he would go to Phoenix Valley or not, but he had to consider the whole situation. He needed to be there for his pups. Ehno could never stoop to the level of their disgraceful sire. "Non posso abbandonare i miei bambini."

Okie. No worries <3 We're both busybusy 500+



The words bounced off of her. No, she wasn't going to believe that he loved her. To her this sounded far too much like lust. Ehno knew the consequences of sleeping around. They had been those consequences. Even if that was the case, he should have waited until things were better. Until things had calmed down and wounds had healed. He should have known better. She had, she'd always had. That's why she and Kansas hadn't done anything like that until they were sure they loved one another and were mates. So in case she did get pregnant they would be a family and she wouldn't be alone. She hadn't wanted to end up like her mother. Savina had never imagined her brother could be so careless in matters like this and it was a painful realization to come to. She looked pointedly away from him as he said she was family now. No, not to her. There had been a time where she had wanted that, but that time was long gone now. The woman had nearly killed her child, broken her trust, and hurt her deeper than anybody knew. No, Naniko would never be any family of her's.



Savina said nothing more to him, only kept her gaze away and hugged her knees closer to her chest. He didn't want to hear what else had been done to her. He didn't care. He cared more for that damned woman now than he did for his own sister now it seemed. Silently she began to build a wall up around her wounded heart. Her heart had always been open to him and she had never wanted to keep anything from him, but if this were the way things were going to be then she couldn't keep it that way. Already pain coursed through her at every beat. So she was putting up that wall to protect herself, even though it made her want to cry. The woman had never wanted there to be anything between she and Ehno, but what could she do?



The shaking continued and there was nothing she could do to stop it. Savina had never broken down like this before, but this was more than she could handle. Already there had been so much but it just kept getting worse and worse. She was hoping this was all just some nightmare she would wake up from, but she knew that it wasn't. How could she do this to him? Mutely she nodded her head as he said he needed to be there when they were born. Yes, of course he would she wanted to say but her thoughts were fractured and broken and she couldn't find her tongue. Fingers and nails held onto her arms so tight that she broke the skin and little rivulets of blood began to weave through her fur. Then he said that he couldn't abandon them and her gaze snapped back to his. "Non le potrei mai chiedere di ciò fare. Lei sa che spero..." Her words were so soft, only as loud as she could manage in her distressed state.



Tear-filled eyes looked up at him, pleadingly. "Lei ed i cuccioli potrebbero venire qui quando...e lei, lei potrebbe andare a loro quando lei ha avuto bisogno di. Non voglio tenerla da loro. Appena..." she said, choking down a sob. "per favore non partirmi di nuovo." She let out a pain-filled cry, pressing her face against her knees as she cried, her shoulders shaking. Already their relationship had been damaged so much. If he left, it might be beyond repair.

300+



In all honesty, Ehno wasn’t sure exactly how he felt about Naniko. She was a dear friend, that much was clear. After all, he had gone out of his way to help her despite the wrong she had done to his family while under the influence of those drugs. But Savi was right; what they had done went beyond simply helping out a friend in need. Ehno wanted to believe that there was something more there, because there wasn’t he would be lost. The pair had been so emotionally high-strung that night, he couldn’t quite remember how things had happened—just that they did. There had to have been something there already to trigger it, right? All that was left to do was to figure out just what that mysterious little trigger was. But the Italian man couldn’t think about this any longer, not right now. This whole situation was confusing enough to think about as it was without his sister in tears in front of him.



He berated himself again for causing his dear sibling such grief. He felt as if he was being pulled in two directions once more, utterly unsure of what he would possibly do. He knew he couldn’t possibly leave either half of his family (how it pained him to even think of them as separate) for the other. The decision only seemed to get more painful after each passing second. His mind drifted into its defensive and indecisive mode, pushing the dilemma as far away from his thoughts as he could manage, given the circumstances. Instead, he focused on the present, nodding solemnly in response to his onyx-hued sibling’s words. He knew she could never possibly ask him to do such a thing, but he also knew how painful this all was for her. He wanted to say something, anything, to make this situation seem less daunting, but his throat locked up as another surge of emotion washed over him. He squeezed his eyes shut in retaliation to the tears, but it did him little good. Ehno tried to collect himself, and after a moment he finally found his voice, though it was weak and strained. “I’m sorry.”