⌈ how can I ever trust that you love me? | open

[broken*]

name; cassius || rank; alpha male
age/gender; 6 y/o brute
location; den, camp || tagged; feodora, the pack

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as he pulled himself back up, standing up straight, he noticed how his fur was sticking up in all sorts of different places. he looked a bit like a scruffy mess, but that was relatively common, for in his sleep, before he went down into that peaceful deep slumber, where he would move around, and get all sorts of things stuck up in it. when his mate approached him and began to groom him, he didn't flinch away or anything of the sort. she was trying to show him her love and support, and he wanted to be accepting of it. he wanted to fall in love with her again, as hard as it may be, he was willing to try anything. he was tired of this endless guilt, looking secretly at a fae behind her back, and he wanted to try and get over the omega and truly love his alphess. he listened to her spoke, as she pampered him, making him look presentable to the rest of the pack. it was an important meeting and he needed it to go well. when she finished her grooming, he pulled himself back up to his feet, preparing to walk out the den, before being stopped by his dear mate, something clearly on her mind. and thats when she said it, the thing he was not looking forward to, but had known she would bring it up sometime soon, and he felt a ball in the pit of his stomach. but this would make her happy, pups would be setting a good example for the rest of the pack, and it would give him a even stronger reason to fall back in love with feodora... taking a step towards her, blocking her from leaving as she was about to, he nuzzled her chest, before placing a gentle lick under her chin. "if you believe we are ready to become parents, and pups would make you happy, i am willing to try dear." he gave her a kind smile, before slipping into the camp.

looking about, practically all of the members of the pack were up and about, conversing with one another as they truly woke up that cool morning. their den, the alphas, was carved out of a section of rock, and the top/roof stuck out a bit, allowing for a perfect platform for when he had to call meetings. there was a thin layer of snow on the ground, which he ignored, as he jumped up to that platform, making sure to watch his step as it was slippery from the thin icey layer on the rocks. rolling back his head, he let out a deep, loud howl, signalling to the pack that it was time for their winter meeting. he called a meeting every day, to assign patrols and such, but today was different. it had snowed for the first time that season, overnight, and thus winter had begun. today's meeting was more than just that, it was instead a formal address to the pack. he looked around the camp grounds, waiting for everyone to gather around, as well as for his mate to join him at his side, gently placing his side against hers, offering her support so that she wouldn't slip and fall off the platform. "good morning everyone, i do hope you all slept well. as you can clearly see, we had out first snow of the season, which means that today i will be presenting the winter address." he allowed the pack to take in what he said, calming down and focusing in, sitting and finding comfortable positions.

"i am aware that this cold has come sooner than it normally does, meaning we will have a longer winter than normal. because of this, i want to remind everyone, specifically elizabeth and finnick, not to feel bad if it is a struggle to bring back prey some days. the hibernating animals are likely to go into hiding today, and so we will have less prey to hunt. i will be discussing with freki a rationing strategy, but i want to stress to everyone, not to worry about our bellies this season." he looked around, watching to see how everyone was reacting to what he was saying, before he continued to speak. "rowan and erianthe, now is the time to be extremely rigorous when you are on patrol of the borders, because the smaller packs nearby may try to encroach upon the borders, to try and steal out prey. now, if anyone comes in contact with a rogue or a loner, they are to be brought straight to feodora and i, and we will decide whether or not they are deserving of joining us, if they bring enough valuable skills to help us. i also want to make sure that vesper is stocked up on all of her necessary herbs, so perhaps someone could travel with her to collect things, and i want to mention too that everyone should take precautions and try their best not to do anything reckless." he paused for a moment, for he only had one final thing to bring up. he knew that tensions were high, especially among some of the paired mates, but it was important for the survival of the pack that it was discussed. "i also want to urge you to consider mating, myself included, as the season has now started. a new generation is crucial for the survival of this pack."

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[O.G.]

__Fᴇᴏᴅᴏʀᴀ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀʟᴘʜᴇss__
She called love's name, but it never answered.

Feodora paused mid stride, one paw off of the ground as Cassius suddenly turned and blocked the exit to their den. She almost asked him if something was the matter, but with a couple of gestures of affection she understood what his purpose was. Her heart performed a small leap in her chest and she beamed at him, but she had no time for words before he was gone. She could not help but to laugh gleefully once he was gone, quiet so that no one outside could hear her. She couldn't believe this! Pups! And he had said yes! Of course, she could not celebrate now. There was a serious meeting to attend, and she was expected to be the regal alphess she was. Pressing her lips firmly together and calming her heart, she released the last of her delighted giggles and centered herself. With a deep breath and a few touch ups on her fur, she strode out after Cassius.

Her sparkling gaze met the whole of their pack, warm and pleased to see everyone healthy and together. She noticed her sister's watchful gaze first, offering her a smile and gentle tail wag in greeting. She would speak with her as soon as the meeting came to a close if she was not required to help Cassius and Freki devise a plausible rationing plan; she would assure her that she and Freki would not be expected to try for pups as the rest of the pack would. It broke her heart to think about, and it wiped away all excitement for her and Cassius' future. She had suspected for some time that Freki was not treating Vesper as he should, though only recently had she learned the heart wrenching truth. Apathy. She could not imagine anything worse in a mate.

Of course, she could not think about that sort of thing now. She had a mate to support, and, without further ado, she followed her mate with a graceful leap up onto the overhang above the mouth of their den. Without a slip of a slide, she swooped daintily by his side and sat tall, a faint smile tracing her lips as Cassius' firm body pressed near to her so that she might not fall.

She sat quietly at her mate's side as he gave his speech, looking the perfect right arm of the alpha. Her gaze was alert, observing the faintest of reactions from her pack so that Cassius would not have to read his pack members and could focus on his eloquence and authority. She had always been the one to handle the emotional aspects of the pack, both as a favor and out of genuine talent and desire. She was a sleuth when it came to the hearts of others, and she considered it an asset. Oftentimes she was the glue that kept the pack whole while Cassius ensured both their safety and order. A perfect team, if she did say so herself.

"Do any of you have any questions for your alpha concerning this season's address?" she called out from her mate's side once his speech had concluded, her voice regal but warm as she looked over each individual's face as if to invite them personally to speak up. Her eyes lingered on Vesper first, as if to silently assure her that they would speak personally after the meeting was concluded. Her eyes stopped last on sweet Ethereal, wondering how she might handle the end of Cassius' address. She knew that her dearest friend had no one with which to have a family, and it pained her beyond words. She would have to speak with her after Vesper, perhaps cheer her up with a bit of training.

.

[bravado]

E T H E R E A L ！
━━━ role : omega ━━ feeling : upset ━ tags : the pack


the gathering - the one thing ethereal dreaded the most. she knew what was coming up - the mention of pups. it was no secret that ethereal wanted pups of her own - a family - but that would never be possible for her. she was an omega, which meant she would never have the benefit of that, like the rest of her pack mates would.
and she thought their fighting to be selfish. she would do anything for a mate, for someone to love, but it simply wasn't possible. and the rest of them were taking it for granted.

shaking her head slightly, the fae padded into the sunlight as cassius howled out, calling them together. she sat at the very back, her head dipped so far her nose pressed against her chest, and curled her tail around her paws delicately for warmth. her alpha began to talk, with feo by his side, looking as lively as ever. though eth was not fond of cassius, she adored feodora with all her heart. she waited, patient, and was careful to notice how he had mentioned the roles of everyone in the pack with the exclusion of her - her shoulders drooped merely at that as her ears pinned back, but only briefly. she didn't want him to know that his words had gotten to her, whether it be intentional or not.
once feo spoke once more, the omega took the alphess' words as dismissal and hurriedly backed away from their group, heading for the camp exit.

[gull.]

[⚜] 𝑣𝑒𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑒

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[ scent: lavender & cedar ] ⚜ [ age: four years ] ⚜ [ rank: healer ] ⚜ [ location: den, camp ] ⚜ [ tagged: rowan, feodora ] ⚜ [ emotions: disheartened ]
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vespertine collected her thoughts as the meeting came to a close. she needed herbs, and for everyone to be mindful of the fact that they do not posses super strength. the fae was more than tired of the injuries that her pack-mates seemed to always sustain in winter when the plants were in slumber. she felt a cold breeze ruffle her fur, the air was ever harsh & biting.. she remembered the years when she & freki were madly in love. the winter address always managed to commence on an especially dreary & chilling day. though, vesper was never cold. freki's warmth cloaked the small fae as he sat beside her, tail entertwined with hers. I must learn to bury these memories. the healer thought to herself. she couldn't stand to be reminded of when she & her mate were actually in love.. well, vesper still was, still could be in love with freki. that flame was not entirely out.. but it was gasping for oxygen. the fae couldn't say the same for her mate who was seemingly a lost cause.

she had zoned back in to reality just in time. her dear sister had opened the meeting to questions. vespertine was more than happy to be the first to speak up, it was something to take her mind off of her own misery. I will need someone to help me gather herbs, I'm afraid there will be too much for me to carry. she knew feo wouldn't volunteer herself, though vesper did wish her sister would find some time to have a conversation. she needed to get a thing or two off her chest.

[nocturna.]

(♗) Ｒ ｏ ｗ ａ ｎ

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( scent: spruce & earth ) ♗ ( age: four years ) ♗ ( rank: guard ) ♗ ( location: den, camp ) ♗ ( mood: surprised ) ♗ ( tagged: erianthe, the pack )
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------>Shortly after the dark brute that was Freki had arrived to the small gathering, Erianthe announced her brief absence. Her tone was slightly angry or even annoyed. Rowan had been caught. He was often surprised byy how observant his mate was. She had caught the subtle, well he thought they were subtle, glances he had aimed toward Vespertine. Erianthe swiftly left his side, wandering off back to the direction of their shared den. Rowan didn't dare follow. The chances for an argument were incredibly high; not something he wanted to deal with at the moment.

------>Before too long, his mate was back to the small group. His golden hues scanned over her frame quickly, as not to draw too much attention to it. She must have took a moment to poise herself. Appearances, the tawny brute thought, they had to be kept up. Rowan's ears pricked at the sound of Cassius' deep howl. A familiar sound, but the brute knew what it meant. The Alpha would be presenting the pack's winter address. Rowan knew what was coming next... the mention of pups. It was something the brute made a point to not think of. Rowan didn't even know if he wanted pups. It was his and Erainthe's duty to keep the pack going for further generations. But did he even want them? For now, Rowan decided in not mentioning it, for he knew Erianthe desperately wanted a family.

------>Rowan's golden hues then turned forward once again to give his Alpha his attention. Although it lasted for only but a moment. Cassius' mate, Feodora, soon joined him atop of their den. She gracefully looked over every pack member with a kind smile. It was easy to see why Rowan's eyes often drifted toward the Alphess. After everything was said from the pair. Rowan remained quiet. He knew what his task was and he had no objections. As Vespertine's soft voice replied to the Alphess' question, Rowan though about offering his help. He and Erianthe needed some time apart. She was clearly upset with him and he wanted to avoid an argument for as long as possible.