It occurred to him, sometime between her first mention of the idea and the further discussion of it, that he was not happy. He was content with this life, but it did not challenge him. Anathema did not challenge him. He was going through motions and not living as he had once done. Naniko was a woman with little ability besides her charisma, but that paled when she was compared to others. Theodore was strong, yes, but Larkspur was not blind and so he was aware of the blue-eyed man’s infatuation with Demi. The girl had approached him about lessons not long ago, and while she was a good pupil, he had noticed she spared glances at her intended anytime they had passed.
So this idea had settled back in his mind, in the part that was as clever as it was cruel. He waited. He listened. Larkspur was not stupid by any means, and he saw the potential in this new kingdom. Eris was terribly smart, and she contained magic within her. She would no doubt be followed to the ends of the earth. Her cousin, crafty thing he was, had bewitched their daughter and shown hints of his potential to the brute. The D’Angelo wolf knew he would not be able to follow a weak leader, but he trusted Eris—if only so much. Doubt would remain until he was shown otherwise. After that, his loyalty was infallible. It had become this way with the woman, even if he caught unfamiliar scents on her pelt, even if she spent much of her time with other men. He was utterly devoted to her.
Though rare, he was in his lupus form. A trot carried him through the forest, belly full with the remains of his meal. Salvia and Pandemic had accompanied him but since departed. The two had begun observing his hunts, and soon he would allow them to assist as well. Four legged, he moved with the steady gait of a wolf, strong and fast through the forest his pack owned. The scent of fresh blood rose with the wind, and to it he turned, recognizing the musky scent of goat. When he broke from the thick underbrush and found the woman, her artifacts did not perturb him. He had seen far worse.
<style type="text/css">
.larkspur {width:400px; background-image:url('http://www.ghostecho.net/souls/larkspur.png'); background-position:bottom center; background-color:#BDAC9A; background-repeat:no-repeat; border:1px solid black;}
.larkspur2 {padding:10px 10px 165px 10px; font-family:georgia; font-size:11px; color:#fff; line-height:15px; text-align:justify;}
.larkspur b {color:#EACDB3;}
.larkspur p {text-indent:39px; margin:0px;}
.larkspur3 {background:#352A1E;padding:5px; filter:alpha(opacity=50); -moz-opacity:0.5; -khtml-opacity: 0.5; opacity: 0.5; border:1px solid black;}
</style>[/html]