(Ooc - Oh you Dothraki you)

Magnus sat and looked on as so few stood against their new Alpha. It was good. But those who did oppose him had their reasons. They were emotionally invested in his survival. But one whose opposition did stump him was Tye's. But the Lead Warrior posed some good questions. Would their lives be better with him? Would he continue Steeles mating regime? No. The look of contempt he gave an infatuated Katyusha spoke volumes about his personality. It seemed he was not interested in the idea of love and mates. Perhaps he had no intention of ever taking a mate in these lands. They might have no Alphess. Not that this was unfamiliar to him. His birth pack had been much the same. His old Alpha saw the value in feminine strength, but would take no mate as his own. Only his concubines.

Magnus stepped forward, not sparing a fiery glance for his dear Chiara. They would have time to speak later. For now his duty was to the pack. He offered a slight nod to his new Alpha, keeping his tail distinctively low to show he posed no threat. He turned to his comrades and spoke. "Wolves of Erenyx! Hear me! This new Alpha called Teren has freed us from Steeles tyranny. Most of you know of what he asked of the faes who wished to mate, and to the best of my knowledge, very few of you agreed. Steele was recluse and selfish to the point where his own pack held little respect for him. If any of you held him in high regard, you would be standing here with Katyusha and Samael. But you are not." He paused to take a breath. "Respect is earn, not given nor forcefully taken. Leadership demands loyalty and respect and Steele had neither. Teren defeated Steele in a fair trial by combat, unaided. He was successful even when two of our number stood up against him. He has broken no laws of ours and he is rightfully our Alpha." He turned his back on the congregation and looked to the massive brute."Alpha Teren, as Lead Hunter under Steeles reign I pledge myself to your service. Whatever rank you should provide me in your rule, I will gladly fulfil it's duties." Magnus bowed low to the ground out of respect, then sat on his haunches where he was and howled in a new reign. He cared not if no one joined him. Steele was dead and Chiara bore no bastard brood.

Steele was gone and now everything seemed to fall into place. The new Alpha was large, formidable and already had her respect. A part of the respect came from the fact that Steele's previous ruling of her future litter was gone, but mostly she respected him for the air about hi. Steele got distracted by both Esmerelda and now Katyusha, it clouded his mind to the pack and hindered his ability to truly lead. Teren stated against love and mates, making her think he wouldn't follow in Steele's paw steps. With that not holding him back she could only imagine what sort of pack he could lead them into.

His mannerisms, though, made her remember how the males of her home pack treated faes. She hoped he wouldn't demote all of the faes into subordinate roles, but instead would give them a chance. Being careful Chiara hung her head and stepped forward to the new Alpha. Bowing low her ears fell back and her tail curled under in an obvious show of submission and respect for him. "My lord and Alpha I greet you as our new leader of Erenyx. I am Guardian Chiara and am here as whatever rank you see fit. If left with my current rank I will spare no injury to myself to protect and serve you, for unlike our previous leader you are a wolf who deserves the respect he demands." She said, backing off from him and stealing a quick glance at Magnus in the process. Perhaps now they could be mated and have their own family. Perhaps now some light would shine in her life.

Nashoba felt something snap in him when he saw this wolf kill Steele, he felt respect and a wish to be as brave, strong, and powerful as this wolf. He stepped forward and lowered his head to the wolf, "Welcome Alpha Teren, I am Warrior Nashoba and I greet you to our lands. I am here to protect you and our pack with all needs and I hope you lead this pack better then Steele ever did." Nashoba thought it was weird how he welcomed this wolf but he didn't care. He glared at Katyusha, "I would watch what your saying and doing if you want to keep your life." he had no respect towards this fae at all. If she was to act like she was then she was as good as dead. He had already forgotten what he said before and so he was willing to be by this wolfs side. If Teren wanted to use Nashoba then he could use him, he wanted to get better and none of the other lousy wolves around him would do as good as Teren. He stepped back into the crowd and sat watching other wolves step up and introduce themselves to the new Alpha. He went over his plan in his head. After the meeting he would go to the alpha and ask to be trained by him. He would promise to him to do what he said and he would be as brave as he could. Nashoba just hoped that he would accept him as an apprentice. He was going to wait.

This was it. Katyusha knew the next few minutes would be the last she ever saw her mate, the last she ever heard his breath, the last she ever felt his warmth. She kept herself pressed against him, just inches from the other brute. And even though she was so close to the murderer, one who could kill her so easily with no one who would dare save her, she showed no fear. What did one with nothing to lose possibly have to fear? Death would be a release to her, a liberation from this foreign pack that had taken her hostage, and to be reunited with the only one she truly loved. She feared no pain, or torture, all she felt was numbness over her whole form. All of this felt like some terrible nightmare and she just couldn't wake up.

Katyusha would whisper one last time to her mate, her voice starting to quiver as she tried to hold on for one more minute, trying to be strong so Steele didn't have to worry about her "I love you so much Steele...I love you." and the only response she got was the warm splash of blood. She would feel the last breath gurgle from his torn throat, and knew it was over.

With Steele gone, Katyusha could hold on no more, she stood on shaking legs, her whole body feeling like she had laid on it for too long. The small multi-colored fae would stumble backwards struggling just to stay standing. All of the voices around her slurred into nothing more than noise. Katyusha had lost everything. When she woke up this morning she had been pressed against the love of her life, unable to believe she was really so lucky to win his heart and have a family with him, and now, just a few short hours later it was gone. Any hope at happiness shattered like a piece of ice hitting a rock. The hope of ever having a real family was ripped from her in a way more painful than any physical wound she had ever felt. And now this brute even stole Steele's heart from her, drawing a soft whimper from the fae as she tried to speak, her voice barely coming out "No please....that's mine." she whimpered her gaze seeming like it was 1,000 miles away, her eyes focusing on nothing at all as if trying to block out the horror she was witnessing.

Katyusha was brought back by the warrior's harsh words, her gaze turning to him with an empty stare, there was no emotion, no joy, no excitement, only emptiness "Why would I wish to keep it?" she asked honestly before turning away from him. Katyusha had only one goal now. Slowly she walked up to Steele, sliding her muzzle onto the ground to hoist him onto her back. Even though he was considerably larger than her she didn't waiver, appearing to not even notice the weight. Without so much as a glance to anyone else in the pack, Katyusha turned and carried the battered corpse of her mate off, not certain of what the future held for her, or if there would even be a future for her.

Everything in this moment all happened in slow motion. The forest was quiet, too quiet. Only the sounds of the wolves speaking surrounded them. Samael had wanted to save his father, at least be given the chance to do what was right to Steele. His eyes watched the scene before him, listening to the tyrant which stood on top of his father, unwavering. This brute was serious for his cause, his wants, and his reasoning. Nothing would change the mind of a relentless killer. Katyusha had tried to shake the binds he held on his father, making him see that this "Alpha" was loved by some. Seeing her actions gave Samael a glimmer of hope. No wolf could be completely closed off to the idea of breaking a love, a strong and miraculous love apart. If only he had seen Steele and Katyusha together, perhaps maybe he would understand. But as he stood down and moved back from his father, the display did not go well for them. Teren made some gallant speech about how new life was coming to these lands. Samael could hardly careless what he had in store for them. He held his tongue, kept his dagger-like eyes positioned on the newcomer. He did not look away, not even when Teren ripped into his throat and tossed his jugular right between his own paws. He could smell the scent of fresh blood, and felt it splash onto his coat. His eyes stared to the "Alpha", not looking to the part of his father beneath his own nose. Katyusha stayed right there, getting a splash of his fresh blood all over her face. But no matter how much these images troubled him, he could not look away. What Teren performed next, shocked him even more than before. It only took a matter of minutes before Steele slipped away to the land of the dead. You could see it within his life-less eyes, now truly gone. His body barely moved to the stirring of Teren's actions. He could hear bones break and crack inside his body, and his eyes did not tear away once the non-beating heart was ripped from the carcass. He watched the other, giving another useless speech and then he devoured the heart, right before the pack. In this moment, the world ceased to move, it seemed surreal that this was even happening. He took a deep breath and watched as the Elite moved from her lover's remains. She attempted to lift his body, all on her own she did it. It must have been the shock or the adrenaline coursing through her, which allowed such a feat to happen. He could hear the voices around him speaking, probably congratulating their new Alpha, or trash talking their deceased one. Whatever it was, Samael did not want to hear it. He saw the contempt look from Teren to Katyusha, and he watched as she started to take his father from the worthless pack around them. He did not speak a word, instead he followed after her. When he caught up to her side, he pushed up against her, taking a good portion of the weight for himself. Walking so close to her, he could stabilize her own body and help her from shaking. When they were far from the others, he whispered for only her to hear. "Katyusha, I swear to you, I will make Teren pay. I will give my life if it means killing him as well. But I am here for you. If you need someone to talk to, I will always be here for you."

It was all over quickly, Omen stared at the scene unfolding as he heard more speak to the newest Alpha, Teren, who just mercifully tore the throat of Steel out before his very eyes. Then like the unspeakable he could not peel his eyes from Katyusha who in her own way mourned for the loss of her mate as she carried his body off. The caretaker listened to more come forward as he too let a a bow out before the new liege but words would not as quickly for the shock was still there. The praise around the court was mixed reviews but for Omen, he could not stand there and dispute the fact that the older male was indeed top dog, and that itself was worthy of praise. Torn on the matter, Omen finally spoke, the words were simple. "Congratulations Alpha Teren."

Omen did not speak of his name, did not speak of his rank, but of sheer congratulatory effects. There would be another time and another place on which he would meet the Alpha. This was not of that time, not now, and not in his eyes. The sable male turned and left the scene, his mind still in bewilderment as he felt sorry for the Elite. What was to come of her being Alphess now? What was to come of her pups? What was to come of Steele's son who saw the very breath ripped from his father? For someone who didn't like to meddle in other's affairs, Omen couldn't help but feel pity for Steele's family, for he never had the chance to truly meet the male but had only heard of his horrible ways. Would Teren be any different? Either way Omen would respect that fact that the strongest male one, Teren was now the Alpha, and from Omen's work standards that would be who he served. It didn't matter who reigned, so long as it wasn't him. The male slipped into his den and found slumber he so desperately needed.

Ripping the heart out and eating it. Well. Tye didn’t know what was sadder. That he felt absolutely nothing at the seeing it happen or that he had somehow ended up walking down a path that he had sworn he would walk out of. Perhaps he was getting too desensitized. Or he had seen enough to not be disgusted. And the darker, macabre part of him formed the simple thought in his head when he watched the older male eat the heart. Mainly, if heart tasted like hare. Tye was not surprised when everyone started to go towards him. But he had not answered his question. Or perhaps he could not. As the last of the pack migrated towards him, Tye spied Katyusha leaving with Steele’s body. Or what was left of it. The black male’s gaze followed her, one ear twisted towards the others as Magnus proclaimed his allegiance towards Teren which galvanized the others into doing the same except for Steele’s son. She had wisely backed down, with the boy helping her. She was out of the line of fire, so to speak. Tye turned his attention back to the others. To Cliché. He thought he had heard a cackle from her when Katyusha was leaving. He was momentarily surprised but pushed it towards the back of his mind. Something had probably happened between them before he had arrived. As their furs brushed against one another, he managed a slight smile at her. Tye wasn’t the one to smile a lot and in this situation, he was even less inclined to do so. But he supposed she was happy enough and no one’s throats were getting silt. He had never seen her eyes burn so bright before, with anticipation for the future. When she introduced herself to Teren, he watched the other carefully. Tye did not trust him. Not yet. Looking back at Cliché as she spoke, silent understanding passed between them. He looked at the Alpha, meeting his eyes with his ice blues before speaking briefly in his usual wry humour, “Lead Warrior Tye at your service. Defender and guard of this pack. Cheers to a better future.”

The tides had turned. Fate had spoken. And history had changed its course. But the wheels of time would turn, forever and ever, churning and spinning. It left no room for grief, or elation or anything in between. And the hunter was just another chess piece in the wide, wide fabric of inter-connected possibilities and lost opportunities that was the eternal universe. He had yet to find his place. He was not the father who was glad to see their leader burn, or the loyal and grieving son and widow, or the relieved faes who had been saved a fate that they did not desire. Not even the glad pack-mates who found it better that their former leader was dead as opposed to him alive. He was, by all respects, the outsider. The one who had just set paw into this tangled, intricate mess of relationships without even the barest scrap of knowledge to glean from to distinguish the reasons for their individual behaviour. He could imagine what kind of pain some were in and also the elation and relief that others felt. But he did not care. His heart did not bleed for anyone here. It was ash and dust, a dead thing. Tearing out the throat and eating the heart? Nothing felt, nothing at all. Not disgust, or horror, or squeamishness. So Elias joined the others in their allegiance towards him, his faded amber eyes passing over the male with clinical interest to keep his image in his mind for future references before straying into the woods. Once it was there, he nodded to Teren, a sign of acknowledgement to his reign before walking into the surrounding woods. His ghostly form disappeared into the darkness without a noise.

A dark figure stood from a ways, gold/silver eyes watching the scene before her, lips twitching slightly upwards at this cruelty. The responses of this new developement varied, but Katyusha's was by far the bravest. Some didn't say a single word. Tye.. she didn't quite know. It was hard to tell with him. She watched, the small curve of her lips turning into a full smirk. Teren was interesting to say the least, but he appealed to her more than Steele ever did. She did feel slightly bad for Katyusha, but hardly. No, she didn't give her trust out readily, but she already liked Teren more. She was glad that Steele was taken down a peg or two, and that he now knew he wasn't the best anymore. Eyes flicked over the other wolves that threatened the wolf who had killed the former Alpha, Lowering her head, she ventured closer, head and tail lowered as she approached the new leader. "All this talk of killing the new Alpha..tsk.." She muttered quietly,  ears pinning as she stood before the one called Teren.

Lowering herself to the ground, she hid a smile. "Hello, Alpha Teren. Congratulations on your victory, and welcome, as new Ruler. I'm Warrior Ariste." She introduced herself, head dipping, before she raised her eyes to look at him, the tinyest of smiles curving across her maw.   "Good luck." She said, eyes still cold, but showing slight amusent. She backed away, out of the crowd of wolves, watching, fur disappearing into the blackness of the shade.