Desoto. Narla. Damn them all, she snarled in her mind. One headache after the next. At least her duties were routine and there were no issues besides those two with names. The pack was well-fed, stocks of herbs replenished, and everyone was training or doing their work. Everything ran smoothly. Fel had not seen Desmond in about a week, as that was when she reported with various routine words. There was usually nothing to report, but even nothing deserves a word for the sake of comfort. It was better to know that nothing was wrong than to guess. But now there was news. Fel had given the main issue a day and a half of thought, but when she went to Desmond’s den, she found that it was empty. An alpha need not cover his tracks in his own pack, so following his trail was simple.

As she trotted with a purposeful speed, Fel thought the decision over once more. Desoto had pleaded her not to tell Desmond, but it was also against her better judgment to withhold such information. The Elite was a genuinely effective brute, and Fel believed so, but an alpha needs to know when there is a weakness in the pack. She did not think that one brute would punish another for something he had done as well, but perhaps there could be some mutual talk and understanding between them. Whatever “love” Desoto held for Braelyn did not matter more than pack security. On that note, there was Narla. Fel was not about to tell Desmond everything between them, though she could not hide it much if he asked. But such conversations had not been discussed between them, and Blaire had not yet been informed. There would be a time and a place for everything, but she did not feel it was tonight.

Desmond eventually came into sight, sitting in the shallows of the water. Fel did not particularly care for this place, but she assumed he must be cooling off. The idea was appealing in some ways, but Fel simply walked along the water’s edge with the water to her ankles. She gave a friendly bark, waving her tail in greeting in the distance. It was too far to call out a proper hello, but she would dip her head respectfully once she was closer. The fae hoped her alpha would step a little bit closer to the shore, not being particularly fond of taking hours to dry. But it seemed that he was comfortable where he was, and she wanted for him to take the news with a level mind, so she simply plunged herself into the water and made her way over to him. Best to get it over with, she supposed. Her coat plastered itself against her muscular body, showing that her bulk was not just long fur. “Alpha Desmond. Cooling off in the waters, are we?” She rumbled in an attempt to sound friendly, “Do you have a spare minute for an old fae?”

Fel approached him quietly, listening to his nonsense about the fish. She stood beside him, following his gaze and staring blankly out into the distance. So long as Desmond seemed relaxed, she didn’t really care what it was that he was doing. He gave a little response back to her and prompted her purpose of coming. Fel momentarily turned her head towards him, averting her gaze and giving a bow of her head, “I simply come with the usual report.” It was a white lie: it was a report, but not as usual as she would have preferred it to be. But still, this was a rather routine thing to do. She commenced without much of a pause, “Everything seems to be running smoothly. Prey is plentiful, wolves are dealing with the heat but no heat stroke, and everyone is accounted for. I am told that the pups are adapting as well as can be expected, and I’ve spoken with Petra myself. She is doing better than before, I believe. Borders are constantly checked, and I also ran a scouting of the gully for signs of alligators. It’s hot and they may be active elsewhere, but I did not find any there.” Fel paused as a wave came to them and swelled up her legs. She was still standing, dripping wet from her dive. She hated salt water, and would move her paws occasionally not to sink in the sand like her alpha was enjoying doing. “I do have one… unsatisfactory detail. Desoto came to me with a troubled mind and shared a secret for the sake of his clarity, leaving me to figure out if it was worthy of your ears. However, in the interests of pack security, I must inform you. Desoto has been in intimate relations with an Erenyx fae by the name of Braelyn - one of the wolves that entrusted the pups to Agavos’s care. I was unaware of their relationship before yesterday afternoon, and simply saved it until this meeting. She’s a delta of their pack, as far as I remember. Desoto believes that the pups may be his, as Braelyn reportedly mated with Teren to cover up her pregnancy. To me, that young brute looks more like Teren’s spawn, but there is nothing I can say to confirm or deny that. It’s up to genetics. I do not know if the pups are aware.” Fel allowed the information to linger for a moment, long enough for Desmond to sift through it and gather his thoughts, but not to respond. “I found this alarming not because of the violation of pack law, for he is not the only brute I am aware of to make such mistakes. It is simply the fact that if war was to break out between our packs, Desoto might hesitate in attacking the fae. It could put lives in danger, as he is the Elite. I will say, however, that despite his mistake, he did preach that he is loyal to Agavos alone. Though I do not know where his heart lies, he has not done any other action that proves him incapable of the responsibilities his position demands, and there are no other brutes that would be worthy replacements in our ranks.” Falling into silence, Fel glanced towards him and prepared for the tides of serenity to turn.

Desmond was much more relaxed than she had expected him to be, given their last mention of illegitimate pups. Perhaps he realized that anger and punishment would be hypocritical. Whatever the case, Fel was pleased that he was in such a peaceful state when she approached. The final phrase rung out, and she looked up to the sky, answering flatly, “Ragnaar and Xymensia. Petra is Juno’s child, which explains her intellectual superiority to the rest of the batch.” The words still repeated in her mind, but not in Desmond’s voice. Praise wasn’t something Fel enjoyed much, but she dipped her head in a thankful way. It was just a confirmation that she was doing the right thing. That was all. The fae tried to focus on the sky, silently calling out for her mentor in Helidos… I made him proud too, Kenai. She blinked afterwards, snapping out of it.

Desmond went on about Erenyx while Fel considered the repercussions for Desoto. And there really were none. The brutish fae was rather pleased with herself, but her contentment was hidden behind a thoughtful but blank expression. Her maw turned sharply towards Desmond when he spoke of news, both ears pricked forward in attention. He went on about an alliance with Helidos, which was a horrible idea in her mind. She knew very well which pack needed the protection, and it was not Agavos. If anything, she would have suggested to invade Helidos and take their land and resources… Maybe another day. Azul was mentioned, and Desmond spoke reassuring words and asked thoughtful questions. With a smirk, she thought of seeing him again, “Dearest Alpha, I admire your protection, but I want none against that bag of bones. If he understands that there is an alliance, he may not attack me as he did the last time I saw him. And if he does, I can beat him away like I did before. However, if he goes for my creature or my pup, or any of my packmates for that matter, I will slaughter him.” She paused with a chuckle. The last phrase was mainly a joke, but she would not hesitate to rip his throat out if he so much as laid a paw on any of her packmates. “If he behaves, so shall I. But I think you need to remember that he sees me as the murderer of his child. Sitka is the one who needs to speak with his packmate about this dilemma... I am not so petty as to break an alliance for personal grudges.” She paused in quiet contemplation before continuing, “Where will this meeting be held? In the neutrals, or on their grounds? They are the weaker pack, and they are the ones most likely to be attacked. It would give us a good chance to survey the land, if we are to adequately defend them.” Fel would wait for a response before adding, “If we are to be ready for war against Erenyx, shall I tell the ranking wolves to make sure everyone is ready? We could initiate paired mandatory training sessions for a few weeks until the meeting. It wouldn’t hurt anyone to be a little more prepared.” She shrugged, waiting for his words with complete serenity.

The beast stood still in the moving waters, still disgusted by the reek of salt. But like most things she felt, this disgust did not show in her face, eyes, or voice. It was curious that Desmond would comment, of all the things she said, upon Narla. She simply continued to stare into the distance, pretending not to notice his gaze. There was nothing to say, anyway, as nothing had been said between them. And though the answer was glaringly obvious to Fel, it seemed wrong to speak of something personal before having discussed it with the part involved. As far as she was concerned, she enjoyed this silent, mutual understanding between the two of them. Fel licked her fang thoughtfully, waiting for him to carry on to the more important things. The only real response she gave him was a corresponding nod, nod, and shrug. ”We shall see, shall we not?”

Fel grunted softly in acknowledgement before giving a response. Helidos would see her banished paws tread upon their lands again. She smirked at the thought - that imagery! She remembered it well. The dark wolf chuckled softly, pleased, “You know… When I was exiled and took the fall for a psychotic elder by being condemned a murderer, it must have looked really convincing. You see, the healer had bled out so much that the snow around her had turned into a red slush. It stained my paws and consequently, my trail. I just find pleasure in the simple irony that I will walk upon those lands again as something more than I ever was in Helidos.” Fel yawned softly before continuing. ”I will speak with those who will listen, but I only know of one wolf there who would be a reliable ally: Elder Eclipse, a former Elite who now has a lot of time on his paws. The rest who I knew have either left or since believed me to be a monster. We shall have to see if there are any new members of substance.” Desmond went on to speak about the weather and ask questions about her apprentices. At least they could agree on that much for certain: Autumn was something to look forward to.

Fel thought about her two apprentices for a moment, as well as the newest recruit. “Blaire is coming along well. We are learning basic skills, theories, strategies, and also working on stamina. The rest will have to wait until after she hits her growth spurt so as not to injure her. Narla will finish her apprenticeship in the following weeks. I am just fine-tuning technique with her. Her independence, if I may truly call it that, will grant me some extra time to prepare for the Helidos partnership. Also worth mentioning: Petra has asked to be the rival of Blaire. I had offered the full arrangement of mentors the pack can provide, but she asked specifically for me. I have agreed to train them both, but they will be trained jointly as not to take up an excessive amount of time to explain the same things. Blaire and Petra will learn from each other’s mistakes, work together, and will have an adequate sparring partner in each other. I honestly think it is better for the both of them anyway. And with Narla free, she will be available to help mentor them as well.” She paused, giving him time to respond if need be. “And is there anything the alpha would like to share about his recent personal experiences?” Icy eyes glanced to him curiously. He had been awfully chatty about her life. Was there anything he wished to share?

Fel slowly turned her body towards her alpha as she asked, anticipating no fruitful response in return. She was about to leave, secretly having had enough of the surroundings. But then the answer came, and it made her stop in her tracks. He wanted to do what?

She had to approach this the right way. Desmond was stubborn in his haphazard desires. But she could not lie to him either, so she sought reason. ”Well, I have never been in their situation, and I do not know their personalities. There is no way I can answer your question. I am no god, to know what they will or won’t feel. I am only your beta and perhaps a friend.” She paused, staring at him calmly but sternly, though not meeting his gaze in a challenge. ”As your friend, I cannot argue with a sire’s desire to see his spawn, if he is determined. However, as your beta, I advise you to delay this meeting. There is nothing that your explanation could possibly do for their immediate survival or wellbeing, and you as the alpha of this pack have a lot going on with this new alliance being forged and the Erenyx refugees. I would wait for a more suitable time, when tensions are lower on all fronts. We need you, Desmond, much more than they.” Fel licked her fangs calmly, saying with almost a sigh, ”You have my opinion. Do with it what you will, alpha. Just let me know.” In reality, Fel believed that no, the pups would not want to see him. If she was a pup, she would have loathed to see the brute who impregnated her mother and then left without a trace. But then again, could she really judge that so fairly? Had Fel ever really had a childhood? She guessed not. From birth, her right to live was determined by genetic and technical achievement. She didn’t remember anything that came before training, because nothing did. There was no room for a small pup to romp around in a blizzard like the apprentices here run in the meadows. Fel lifted one paw out of the water, letting the droplets of salty hell drip off of it. ”Will that be all, my alpha?” She thought about the road ahead. She would have to stop by the river on her way back in order to properly rid herself from this stench and constricting feel.