The brute rose early one summers morning and stretched his great, muscled limbs. He exited his den well before dawn and set off for the stream. Each morning it ran slow, affording a nice place for one to find water fowl. He stretched out lazily amongst the reeds, watching the birds come and go. He allowed them to become used to his scent and lull into a false sense of security. Though he playfully snapped at those who dared venture too close. His tail flopped around, slapping the dirt softly. He timed himself. Carefully and slowly inching his way towards the ducks. In the reeds there were three. Full grown but still young and inexperienced. Their lives ended quickly. He had no taste for torturing his victims. Prey was prey, not a toy. But two geese flew overhead and landed on a boulder on the other side of the stream. He couldn't pass up the opportunity for some larger prey. With new members joining the pack there were more mouths for him to feed. He made quick work of the geese and lay his kills in a small pile at his feet. It was still quite early so he set about the task of plucking each bird to pass the time. When they were all pink and raw, he took one of the ducks for himself and made a meal of it. The rest of the birds he held in his mouth and stood to leave.

As he departed the stream, he eyed the pile of feathers, searching in case there was a good looking feather for Chiara in there. The Lead Warrior had taken some time but finally she was beginning to warm to him. But today there was no feather, so he made his way back to the pack clearing taking the birds to the kill pile. Magnus glanced in the direction of the Alphas den and decided that now, with his achievement of the ever growing kill pile, he should formally introduce himself to the Alpha. He selected the larger, finer goose and picked it up delicately in his maw. The brute strutted confidently over to the Alphas den, setting the plucked bird before him and without knowing if the Alpha was inside, bowed deeply. My Alpha. I am the Lead Hunter Magnus of this Pack. I have brought you a fresh breakfast to satiate your hunger. He waited patiently, hoping for the Alphas reply to be a positive one.

Stirring in his private chamber, the hairs along his spine stuck forward, reaching for the fresh air. His eyes were sealed gently, hiding the color-less hues. Large paws held his chin from touching the chilled ground of stone and dirt. His ears twitched with the touch of an annoying insect buzzing about his head. Squinting, he fought to keep himself asleep, not allowing the pest to stir him from his decent slumber. It had been the first time in a long one that he had actually slept pleasantly. His mind had been filled with thoughts of Esmeralda, drowning in them until Nyx was able to save him from the terror. With her miss colored eyes, he found solace and peace. In her white coat, he found shelter. It was a color which forced him to forget of the deserter. She was perfect for him, but would he even begin to allow her the chance to be with him? His mind filtered to the thoughts of the Hunter and he became confused. She was a toy, a tool for his ultimate wish, his most true desire. Steele opened his eyes and stared to the wall. His thoughts forced his vision to blur and his mind to stir. He sighed deeply as the detail in the walls disappeared and grew foggy. It was not until a voice rang through his den, that he stirred from his zoning out. He shook his head and stood on all paws, making his way to the den's entrance. Stepping out into the early hours of morning, he spied upon the male to his front. Magnus. He looked over him, still feeling a bit groggy from just waking. But his nose caught scent of the fresh blood. "So, what brings you here.. Lead Hunter?" he spoke as he moved to take a duck carcass into his mouth. He did not thank the other for the gift, for it was an expected treat, but began eating before the other, listening intently for a reply from the other.

Magnus would wait patiently for his alpha to emerge. In traditional fashion he offered a low bow to his superior as he revealed himself to the light of day. When the larger male did, he took the meal offered him and ate it without another mention of the carcass. The Lead Hunter took no offence to this. His Alpha had every right to consume the best kills at his leisure. If one was brought to him personally then it simply meant he had less work to do to obtain what was already his. The words that did leave his mouth were only customary questioning of the sable males reasoning for doing so. Ah his leader was of course intelligent. Most wolves here didn't bring their Alpha something unless they wished good stead for the favour which they might ask. It made sense in a pack where ranks were earned through hard work and sparring. Strength was paramount.

Nothing too serious, My Lord. But I would ask a favour of you. There was a pause, allowing the Alpha some time to digest the spoken words and the potential meanings behind them. Respond if he would. And allow the Hunter to return to his questioning. There was no lying to ones Alpha. It was disrespectful, even treasonous to some. He would not dance around these words. He preferred not to. Straightforward. That was the way he had to be with everything. It was the way he was with Chiara when he realised how he felt. With Silacea when she bothered him. And how he would be in his bid for higher power. My Lord, I would ask your permission to take the Lead Warrior Chiara as my mate. There. He had said it. But now his future was balanced upon this dangerous precipice he had begun to traverse.

Nothing too serious... Steele looked to the hunter. His treat was beginning to slowly disappear. He devoured the morsel before the other, not caring if he made a mess now. He looked over the other, curious to what he could mean which was Nothing too serious. The Alpha heard the rest of what he had asked for, and soon the Alpha stood tall before the other, pushing his chest forward. "Nothing too serious?" he asked as he looked over the other. "I suppose it would be nothing too serious if it was about losing a prey, or perhaps a member becoming ill." He stared to the other, choosing his words accurately. "Perhaps love is nothing serious? Perhaps mating is nothing serious? I think if you believe this, then you are sadly mistaken, and not ready to give yourself to another fully. For all I know, you could become mated and when she finally gives her heart to you, you may desert her, desert the pack. How do I know I can trust that you will stay here, stay true to your pack and your word to me? How do I know that you will care for Chiara properly and when the time is right.." he paused his rant for a moment and thought of a devious and horrid plan, yet it would force the pack to grow in strength and numbers, with true noble blood. "You say you wish to take Chiara as your mate. If that is so, then you must love her for anything and everything she is. But let me ask you this, would you love her is she were to bear the young of another male? Would you still wish to her her mate in that situation and provide for her as you so graciously have for me?"

The Alpha was a hungry brute, to be sure. Tearing the plump carcass apart, greedily stomaching the perfect flesh. But the Lead hunter had no qualms. He allowed the Alpha to pick apart his words in his tirade. Though his intention. Had been that mating was far less serious than the instance of desertion. Or perhaps a great plague decimating pack numbers. Mating was a serious issue, of course, but there were far more serious topics a wolf might speak of with his Alpha.

He found it almost offensive that his leader would even for a heartbeat believe that Magnus could desert not just Chiara, but his pack. Though his emotion would not register on his features, he knew he had to reiterate his oaths to the sovereign and those who followed him in order to at least remove some doubt. He could have spat. All this talk of late is ridiculous. Actions are far better for expressing ones true persuasions... Word can be manipulated, poisoned... But I shall do as my Lord commands.

Too long the sable male thought. He didn't respond quickly enough and the obsidian ruler turned the conversation in a far more sinister direction. The concept of Chiara being with another. The thought made him enraged and Ill. Such a thought of dishonesty from the female he found it difficult to digest. But he had sworn to the female and he must now swear to the Leader. "My Lord, when I was accepted here I made an oath to protect and provide for you and those who follow you. When I was promoted I swore I would continue my efforts to feed your wolves. And when Chiara told me she loves me, told me everything about her past, I swore I would not cause her the same pain ever again. I am a male of my word, I do not take oaths and promises lightly. If I were to be mated to Chiara, I would be delighted to remain always with her and help raise our pups. And if she were to choose another, to bear another's pups, I would still love her with all of my being. I would still care for those pups because they are a part of her and I could never harm anything she cared for so much..."

His deep baritones would pause to allow for breath before his finale statement."I do not take the concept of love lightly, and the idea of being mates with another is not only a duty of any loyal pack member, but a privilege. And should the pups mature to yearlings and winter once again returns I would most certainly be back here once more, asking for the chance to be fully mated to her." Large forepaws would knead the dirt as his rump lowered, tail clearing the space it would occupy. And he waited for his Alphas answer.

"Good." He spoke a single word, formulating his plan all in his twisted mind. His sliver eyes watched the wolf before him, curious to how he was going to take the news Steele was going to throw his way. Standing completely still, his eyes never left the frame of the other wolf, not even for a second. "Then you realize how important Chiara is to this pack, and how important she is to me. Because she is so strong and has risen through the ranks, and proved her worth to me. She will birth a good litter and possibly all litters when the time is right. But for this coming winter, she is to come to my den on the first night, when she begins her heat, she will come to my den and I will give her the gift of a strong and honorable litter. When the pups are born, I shall be around, but it will be your responsibility to raise them, to teach them properly. I will be having multiple litters birthed from my genes this coming winter, and do not have time to watch them all myself. If you can keep all of them alive, every single one, then I will allow you to mate with her in the following winters to come." He stared to the hunter, curious of his thoughts, allowing it all to sink in. "If she does not come to me, then I shall come after you for betrayal, and I shall kill you in the center of the pack clearing for all to see what happens when a wolf disobeys his Alpha. I will take your life before her eyes, which will be the worst thing you could ever let happen to her."

Inwardly he seethed at his Alphas request. To take another's mate for his own. To take multiple others. He did not like the notion one bit. But the Alphas word was law and he must abide. He had his strength and prowess, but he was nothing if he could not keep an oath to his leader. Slowly, carefully, his head dipped in respect and acknowledgement of his Alphas words. "My lord, I will raise your brood with Chiara as my own. And I will protect them as I would any pups belonging to any member of this pack. I shall not disappoint you, Steele." He took a breath, steadying his anger. He cautioned himself. You must not argue with your saviour. Direct your emotions, your qualms into a more productive activity. He swallowed a low growl and kept his face stern and solemn. "I shall present the news to Chiara as soon as possible." He ignored the blatant threat on his life as he knew it would not come to fruition. It was not his own safety that mattered to him, but the safety and mental wellbeing of his mate-to-be. It was she that dictated him in this manner. He would not otherwise care for the threat, but he could not bear to have her hurt on such an emotional level. To preserve his own life was to preserve her happiness.