Sky was in her room, yeah, but she wasn't at home until shortly before Liam had knocked. The girl was somewhere between insanity and having another episode. What? Because the damned curtain wouldn't go straight! (OCD + Schizophrenia = BAD COMBO XD)

She sat there with the curtain, now effectively torn to shreds, scattered around her on the bed. She'd have some explaining to do when Taliesin came home, but for now, she was considering homicide of the fabric kind. As if the damn thing wasn't dead already.

A knock came to the door, then an unexpected voice. Liam! Finally, the boy was coming to talk to her! She perked her ears (or well, the stubs that were once her precious, soft, fluffy ears) and stood from the bed, parts of the curtain falling to the floor from her lap. One sec, Liam. The door's locked. She called back, voice completely calm and happy, as if her episode hadn't even happened.

She trotted over and unlocked the door, smiling when she opened it and leaned against the frame. You don't look happy. What's troubling you? Sky; always so quick to point out someone's lack of a smile. Even if they were just bored or indifferent, Sky always assumed the worst. Or maybe she hoped for the worst, in some weird insane witchdoctory way.

Sky blinked at the mention of Ayasha. Of course she knew the girl; she'd been the one to inform Sky of all the happenings in AniWaya during the war. She'd been the reason Sky had even gone there.

Sky didn't think of her in ill respect though. Ayasha was a smart, kind girl. She'd been so concerned and loyal to her pack through out the entire ordeal, from what Sky had seen.

I believe she's still there, now that Maska is gone. Last I saw her, Ayasha was doing fine. She wasn't skin and bones and bloodied like us prisoners, so she must've been able to hold her own. She spoke in an honest, leveled tone, as if speaking to an equal.

Then, she smirked and flicked her tail. Why so worried for Ayasha, Liam? Thinking you'll be the Romeo to her Juliet? Her voice was teasing, but not mean; she didn't want to insult him or strike a nerve. She figured if her guess was true (which generally, she had a good eye for this sort of thing), then he'd have been looking at a wall of trouble for it. Smitten with someone from another pack? Loyalties were tested to the extreme in cases like that.

If it turned out to be a problem for him, Sky would be sure to offer her assistance in the matter. There were plenty of solutions, it was just a matter of figuring out which one was the right one for them.

That, of course, was if the boy was actually in love with the girl. He could've been worried for a friend or something, for all Sky knew.

If you want, Liam, I can go and check on her for you. I'd like to visit them again soon, anyway, make sure they're recovering okay. She offered when he mentioned not being allowed to leave the pack. She'd heard about that, but held no ill-will to the boy for it. To each their own, as long as he could resist acting on whatever evil was there. She'd bring it up later, maybe.

Pfft. The worst of it was coming home. She grinned, still ego-rubbed about the whole thing. She and Ephy had kicked ass that night, of that there was no doubt. The two had made an epic team and she'd be proud of that until the day she died.

But then, this wasn't about her. Liam, what happened that Skye ordered you to stay inside the borders? She voiced finally, concerned tone evident. I haven't really heard about what actually happened, just what the result was. Are you okay?

The dark snicker Liam gave before his explanation made Sanja perk up in interest behind Sky's blue eyes. As he spoke, a soft rumbling buzzed through Sky's head, though she was sure it wasn't out loud. Dark wolves? And Liam had been the one to take Juliet to Crimson Dreams? This was all news to her. She waited a few seconds in silence as she mulled it over, then finally stood straight and stepped aside, waving the boy into the room. We should talk, Liam. Don't worry, you're not in trouble. I just want to get a few things figured out, okay? Her voice was calm and neutral, as it usually was whenever she decided to be serious.

If he took her invitation, she'd wander over to the bed and sit down, scooting back against the headboard and crossing her legs. The torn up curtain remained scattered where she'd left it, a hinting towards her own insanity that threatened to break through every day.

Tell me about the Shadow Wolves, Liam. Why is it your destiny to destroy them? Her voice suggested honest interest, and in a way, it wasn't just a mask. Sanja was intrigued. Sanja, that part of Sky... terrible nightmare.

Sky listened intently, but her mind was buzzing.

"Butterflies? Sounds familiar, eh, Sky?" Sanja mused. "I dare say this boy's as haunted as you are."

...raped and marked? Taliesin...

"Focus, Sky! Listen to the boy. He's got voices. Listen. Listen."

He'd finished speaking and Sky hummed in thought. Not bad, no, but misguided I think. She tried, testing the waters. They're not God, though. Gabriel might've mistakened them for such, but they're not god. She stated, her voice solid and denying any argument, as if she knew first hand.

I'm not going to give you advice just yet, Liam. Instead, I want you to listen, okay? She sat up straighter, moving to pick up one of the torn pieces of curtain and play with it.

You've got the butterflies. I've got Sanja. Woah, what? She was telling him about Sanja? Not even Taliesin had been told about the demon in her head. Lucky boy... maybe.

Sanja's not good or evil. He's a voice of temptation, mostly.

"I'm a voice of reason, you mean."

Shut up and let me finish.

I was raised by my sister for my first two years. We were rogues. We'd seen a lot of hurt, a lot of pain. Through it all, I always had a hinting sensation to do something against my nature, to go against who I thought I was and do something I'd never even consider normally. A temptation. As per usual, with Sky, there was more.

I lost two sons before I met your father. They were stillborn. I think that's what triggered Sanja. After that, he started speaking to me. If I had listened to him back then, I would've killed some very important people. Not, tried to. She would've outright killed them. She knew how, poison, suffocation, untracable murder. There wasn't much of a chance they'd even see it coming.

Orin. Shawchert. Even Taliesin. Now, my closest friends, my family. But at some point or another, Sanja wanted them all dead. She bit back a growl at that, not at all happy with what her demon used to want. Now, though, they had reached a mutual agreement of sorts. A mutual understanding.

When Maska imprisoned me, I let Sanja help me. I didn't give him full control. I didn't give into temptation, I simply found a middle ground. A solution. With Sanja whispering in my ears, I was able to break out and fight my way home, where on a normal day, I couldn't even hold my own against someone half my size. Not a fighter.

Long story short, Liam, those butterflies probably want the best for you. They want to protect you and your father... and Ayasha... from the dark wolves. She smiled in an understanding way. That doesn't mean you need to kill every black furred wolf you see, though. Not every animal with black fur is evil. Maska didn't have black fur, but he wanted every hybrid dead or enslaved. If you ask me, that sounds pretty evil.

Find your middle ground with them, Liam. Learn to tell the black furred wolves and the dark wolves apart. Those evils... they blend into the crowd. Some of them could have fur as white as snow, for all we know. She believed him; dark wolves existed, but she'd known enough evil to know that they didn't always come in obviously wrapped packages.

If you let me help you, Liam, I'll help you track down those evils. I've always had a knack for figuring out who's good and who's bad. You just have to let me in, talk to me, tell me what they're saying and Sanja and I will help you decide on a good middle ground each time. That way, you won't get into trouble anymore... and you'll be able to keep your loved ones safe from harm. Finally, she was done. She left it at that, letting the boy mull over her winded speech. Yes, she'd said a lot, more than she'd originally planned. But at least, now, hopefully Liam would let her in so she could save him from the corruption of his demons.

Purity isn't something to strive for. That much she'd learned. You don't get anywhere in life thinking you're better than the rest because of a gift or a curse. Rather, equality; like building a house. Too high and the winds will knock you down. Too low and the water will wash you away. Even ground.

"...little brat." Sanja rumbled in Sky's ears when the boy started to bait her. She wasn't concerned about that, though. Her mind was more geared towards what the boy had said before that; a test? What kind of test? She prayed it wasn't as it sounded.

Not sure. She admitted with a shrug. We haven't had any because I'm not really very fertile. The fact that I'd been pregnant at all in the first place was a miracle. She spoke of it as if it were no big deal, and these days, it wasn't. She'd learned that sometimes there were more important things to deal with than pups and marriage. If it happens, it happens.

Then, a thought. ...So you'll be leaving to be with Ayasha someday soon, then? Sky sat back against the headboard fully, tail flicking to cover her paws. What's your plan there? You can't just up and leave without telling anyone, y'know. Well, actually, he'd just told her in a sense, so he wouldn't be doing that anyway...

"Why do you have to be so damn patient all the time, Sky?" Sanja growled in what could've been a pout.

Why do you have to be so damn impatient, Sanja? It's in my nature. Now shush.

"...bitch."

Sky listened to him intently, appreciating the honesty. So she'd be saying goodbye to him later, then? Fair enough; she knew the troubles of having a love at arm's reach. It's why things hadn't worked out between her and Shawchert... but she hoped the best for Liam and Ayasha. She seemed like a nice girl and Liam still had a chance at being a good person, if he could overcome the butterflies in his head.

Well, I'll have to come and visit you once you're settled into the tribe. It's a good place, despite the war's scars. I'm sure you'll find your place there. She smiled, a lovely expression despite her scars.

Then he brought up pups again and she noted the wistful tone. Don't get up hope just yet, boy. She played in a joking tone, leaning over to poke his shoulder gently. I'm not dead yet. Someday, while you're off being a mighty Ayastigi, I'll come to visit and I'll bring some pups to meet their estranged big brother.

Then Tammy came to mind and she smiled coyly, leaning back against the headboard of her bed. And of course, there's little Tammy too. I get if you don't consider her a sibling, what with the lack of blood ties, but she's still a part of this family... give her a chance. You might end up liking her. Another coy grin, this time with meaning behind blue eyes; sometimes a brother or sister didn't have to be blood related. That much she'd learned through Valinta.

Liam's curiousity was unexpected; Tal hadn't introduced them yet? But Tammy had been with them for at least a few weeks now. Surely that was long enough to have introduced the new siblings? Poor child lost her mother. Your father and I took her in, adopted her. She's your little sister. And as Sky finished her sentence, as if on cue, Tameri sped into the room and climbed up onto the bed with them, settling next to Sky with her eyes on Liam.

Sky made a sound of mild surprise, then smiled, moving to rest a hand on her daughter's shoulders. Good timing, Tammy. She mused. Liam, this is Tameri. Tameri, sweetheart, this is your big brother, Liam. How weird was it that Sky had to introduce the two new siblings like this?

Her eyes settled on Liam softly. I take it, then, you haven't spoken to your father in a while then? Her tone suggested annoyance, but it was towards Taliesin rather than her step-son; Tal was expected, as their father, to be a part of both of their lives equally. So why hadn't he told Liam about Tameri yet? She'd have to have a long talk with him later about this...