Post by Breeze on Jan 30, 2009 20:55:41 GMT -5
It was going to snow; she could feel it in crisp air, almost smell it in the sky. Mostly, however, she smelt the trees, pine and spruce, scattered maple and birch. There were squirrels hiding in that particular tree, a herd of elk off to their right, a hawk soaring overhead. That hawk was big enough to take a puppy, she thought. It probably would have taken a puppy if it had been closer to the mountains.
Dennis thought of these things mainly to avoid facing her companion. Gabriel's eyes rarely left her as they walked. He was this bizarre blend of wolf and dog -- Dennis desperately wanted to place him in one category or another, but when she contemplated he was more wolf she saw his face markings and lankier body, and when she thought he was more dog, she saw his body markings and behavior. Sabbath was easy, at least -- she looked very much doggish, but behaved like a wolf. Gabriel was just... Bizarre.
"Dennis."
Her ears twitched in Gabriel's direction, and the alpha sighed. It was always this difficult, but he had finally realized that Dennis heard every word. He was stuck in a quagmire; a part of him wanted to punish her for her insubordination. The main part of him wondered why she stuck around if she clearly didn't like them all, why she bothered submitting at all when it was done with such disapproval.
That and he recalled his own behavior, going from the Omega of the pack to alpha. He could not scold someone who, it seemed, had conflicts similar to his. Tail drooping, he nudged Dennis's shoulder; felt the wolf stiffen but not move away.
"You hate puppies. Why did you save them?"
Dennis almost stumbled over her own feet; she picked herself up with grace, but her ears were back, tail hanging limp at her heels. She knew her dislike for puppies was clear -- it was hard to hide it when faced with three helpless and yet annoying critters, tripping over themselves and whining. She didn't hate them, but she secretly hoped their parents would come for them.
"I had to."
"Oh?"
Dennis growled softly at his tone, receiving a pointed look in return. She lowered her gaze, tail tucking and stomach sinking, ears already flat. He was, she reminded herself sternly, the alpha. It did not matter if she didn't like him, or didn't want him knowing things. She had no choice.
And that was the problem. No choice. Anything the alpha wanted to know he could. Anything, no matter how personal or damn important it may be. The female's lip quivered, and while Gabriel saw it, he did not say anything. It was not directed at him, in theory, but rather at the nearest innocent pine tree.
"You didn't have to save them, Dennis. You could have left them to die. Or tried to find their parents. Instead you brought them back. Why?"
"I..." She shook her head, body lowering until she was almost crawling; she was relieved when Gabriel stopped moving. "It's a personal matter."
"I know that, Dennis. That's why I'm asking." Gabriel nudged her flank, but this time she didn't respond. He wagged his tail weakly, ears floppy but at least perked. "To see why you saved the puppies, or why you haven't left the pack yet despite how much you hate me."
"I don't hate you." She shocked herself at the truth of the words. Even Gabriel was silent, posture drooping slightly with surprise. Dennis sighed, lifting her posture into a stiff sit. "I... It's... They killed my puppies."
Gabriel froze, ears flat. "They what?"
"They killed my puppies." Her lips curled, fangs exposed at the dirt. "I mean, I knew they would. I was just some mid-rank wolf, not the alpha..." She growled, ears flat, lips curled. "It was an accident. I can't be an alpha... And so he killed my puppies."
Silence. Dennis snarled at the ground, fur bristling, trembling. Gabriel stepped a few paces back, a low whine in his throat. Ears drooping, he struggled for words. "It's... It's normal..."
"Oh, I know it's normal. It's completely normal for a subordinate to be thrown out or have their children killed. I know that." The wolf rose suddenly and paced. "But... What was I supposed to do, hm? Have you ever had a mate? Sometimes stuff just happens, and I couldn't raise them alone..."
"Alone?"
"Alone. My mate was the omega, all right? He wouldn't leave with me. And wouldn't say anything about what happened so he wouldn't get killed or kicked out. It was up to me to handle being blatantly pregnant and try to defend a litter against a fucking alpha. It didn't work, of course." Dennis turned upon Gabriel, ears flat and teeth bared, though her posture was submissive. "So that's it, all right? I couldn't save my own damn puppies but I could save them. But I can't raise them. Your damn sister can, she's great at everything, I've noticed."
Gabriel growled softly. "My sister has done nothing to you."
Dennis froze, lip lowering. She then shook her head, tail tucking to her belly. "And neither have you. Except for oust a wolf who was nice enough to let me eat. I can't deal with a close relationship with you, okay? I'll hunt for you, and your sister, and your father, and whoever shows up, but I..." She shook her head.
"I understand." And he found he did. He supposed he could be annoyed at her statements, but she submitted, and he knew she would keep her word. She was just blatantly rejecting every last one of his advances. The alpha's ears flicked back and he snorted, but he did not protest. "I needed to pry. I needed to know what was going on before I punished you." Gabriel shrugged. "Now I'll know."
"Don't baby me." Dennis' jaw snapped shut, though her eyes widened and she lied low to the ground, gaze averted. "Just... Don't. I'm just another pack member. Don't treat me like anything else."
"I guess I'll just have to dominate you, now." Dennis winced at the words, whining. Gabriel frowned. "I was joking. Contrary to popular belief, I try to not be a jackass."
No response. The hybrid walked over to Dennis and touched noses with her. "You can go. We'd like you to come back, but you're under no obligation to."
Dennis paused at the words. To her own surprise, she didn't want to leave the pack. Even if she walked on her own for while, contemplating the conversation and living in misery, she planned to return. It was, she regarded, bizarre; but then if she had just admitted her life story to a hybrid she barely knew, then she might as well stay in her pack rather than gain a reputation.
"No, I'll... I'll be back." She rose carefully, tail low and nudged Gabriel, licking at his chin. Gabriel licked at her face in return, and quietly Dennis turned around and disappeared through the trees.
The alpha watched, then sighed. He knew nothing about what she felt; he was barely old enough to choose a mate, let alone have children killed. His father wouldn't do that anyway, the sympathetic old fart. As he turned back towards the den, Gabriel thought that, so long as there were other options, he wouldn't either. The problem would be not treating Dennis any differently. How could he treat her the same as before?
He supposed he could start with a mate. Snorting at himself, the male weaved through the trees, heading in the opposite direction of a distraught female wolf.
Dennis thought of these things mainly to avoid facing her companion. Gabriel's eyes rarely left her as they walked. He was this bizarre blend of wolf and dog -- Dennis desperately wanted to place him in one category or another, but when she contemplated he was more wolf she saw his face markings and lankier body, and when she thought he was more dog, she saw his body markings and behavior. Sabbath was easy, at least -- she looked very much doggish, but behaved like a wolf. Gabriel was just... Bizarre.
"Dennis."
Her ears twitched in Gabriel's direction, and the alpha sighed. It was always this difficult, but he had finally realized that Dennis heard every word. He was stuck in a quagmire; a part of him wanted to punish her for her insubordination. The main part of him wondered why she stuck around if she clearly didn't like them all, why she bothered submitting at all when it was done with such disapproval.
That and he recalled his own behavior, going from the Omega of the pack to alpha. He could not scold someone who, it seemed, had conflicts similar to his. Tail drooping, he nudged Dennis's shoulder; felt the wolf stiffen but not move away.
"You hate puppies. Why did you save them?"
Dennis almost stumbled over her own feet; she picked herself up with grace, but her ears were back, tail hanging limp at her heels. She knew her dislike for puppies was clear -- it was hard to hide it when faced with three helpless and yet annoying critters, tripping over themselves and whining. She didn't hate them, but she secretly hoped their parents would come for them.
"I had to."
"Oh?"
Dennis growled softly at his tone, receiving a pointed look in return. She lowered her gaze, tail tucking and stomach sinking, ears already flat. He was, she reminded herself sternly, the alpha. It did not matter if she didn't like him, or didn't want him knowing things. She had no choice.
And that was the problem. No choice. Anything the alpha wanted to know he could. Anything, no matter how personal or damn important it may be. The female's lip quivered, and while Gabriel saw it, he did not say anything. It was not directed at him, in theory, but rather at the nearest innocent pine tree.
"You didn't have to save them, Dennis. You could have left them to die. Or tried to find their parents. Instead you brought them back. Why?"
"I..." She shook her head, body lowering until she was almost crawling; she was relieved when Gabriel stopped moving. "It's a personal matter."
"I know that, Dennis. That's why I'm asking." Gabriel nudged her flank, but this time she didn't respond. He wagged his tail weakly, ears floppy but at least perked. "To see why you saved the puppies, or why you haven't left the pack yet despite how much you hate me."
"I don't hate you." She shocked herself at the truth of the words. Even Gabriel was silent, posture drooping slightly with surprise. Dennis sighed, lifting her posture into a stiff sit. "I... It's... They killed my puppies."
Gabriel froze, ears flat. "They what?"
"They killed my puppies." Her lips curled, fangs exposed at the dirt. "I mean, I knew they would. I was just some mid-rank wolf, not the alpha..." She growled, ears flat, lips curled. "It was an accident. I can't be an alpha... And so he killed my puppies."
Silence. Dennis snarled at the ground, fur bristling, trembling. Gabriel stepped a few paces back, a low whine in his throat. Ears drooping, he struggled for words. "It's... It's normal..."
"Oh, I know it's normal. It's completely normal for a subordinate to be thrown out or have their children killed. I know that." The wolf rose suddenly and paced. "But... What was I supposed to do, hm? Have you ever had a mate? Sometimes stuff just happens, and I couldn't raise them alone..."
"Alone?"
"Alone. My mate was the omega, all right? He wouldn't leave with me. And wouldn't say anything about what happened so he wouldn't get killed or kicked out. It was up to me to handle being blatantly pregnant and try to defend a litter against a fucking alpha. It didn't work, of course." Dennis turned upon Gabriel, ears flat and teeth bared, though her posture was submissive. "So that's it, all right? I couldn't save my own damn puppies but I could save them. But I can't raise them. Your damn sister can, she's great at everything, I've noticed."
Gabriel growled softly. "My sister has done nothing to you."
Dennis froze, lip lowering. She then shook her head, tail tucking to her belly. "And neither have you. Except for oust a wolf who was nice enough to let me eat. I can't deal with a close relationship with you, okay? I'll hunt for you, and your sister, and your father, and whoever shows up, but I..." She shook her head.
"I understand." And he found he did. He supposed he could be annoyed at her statements, but she submitted, and he knew she would keep her word. She was just blatantly rejecting every last one of his advances. The alpha's ears flicked back and he snorted, but he did not protest. "I needed to pry. I needed to know what was going on before I punished you." Gabriel shrugged. "Now I'll know."
"Don't baby me." Dennis' jaw snapped shut, though her eyes widened and she lied low to the ground, gaze averted. "Just... Don't. I'm just another pack member. Don't treat me like anything else."
"I guess I'll just have to dominate you, now." Dennis winced at the words, whining. Gabriel frowned. "I was joking. Contrary to popular belief, I try to not be a jackass."
No response. The hybrid walked over to Dennis and touched noses with her. "You can go. We'd like you to come back, but you're under no obligation to."
Dennis paused at the words. To her own surprise, she didn't want to leave the pack. Even if she walked on her own for while, contemplating the conversation and living in misery, she planned to return. It was, she regarded, bizarre; but then if she had just admitted her life story to a hybrid she barely knew, then she might as well stay in her pack rather than gain a reputation.
"No, I'll... I'll be back." She rose carefully, tail low and nudged Gabriel, licking at his chin. Gabriel licked at her face in return, and quietly Dennis turned around and disappeared through the trees.
The alpha watched, then sighed. He knew nothing about what she felt; he was barely old enough to choose a mate, let alone have children killed. His father wouldn't do that anyway, the sympathetic old fart. As he turned back towards the den, Gabriel thought that, so long as there were other options, he wouldn't either. The problem would be not treating Dennis any differently. How could he treat her the same as before?
He supposed he could start with a mate. Snorting at himself, the male weaved through the trees, heading in the opposite direction of a distraught female wolf.