-Hell's Gates-

Deadly Sins. They would know this name. Then he felt them coming and he turned just in time to see a white fem. Akira? No... this was her sister. He let her slam into him and he fought back snapping where he could to grab ahold of her, he wanted to sink his teeth into her. His eyes flashed to the deep red that was normal for a Midnight and he pushed himself upwards and shoved away from her. "Hurt me and I can't tell you why this has happened." He growled and stepped back from her. His mind wanted to kill her, he wanted to rip her apart badly but he had to control himself, He had to. "The alpha of Tirisfall sends their regards, but declines Damean's request for an alliance... two were here with us to make sure the job was done... Hamara knows too... Kaia's lover Sephiroth said this was all okay, he wouldn't let her allign with a dark pack..." Deadly stepped forward, sucked in a breath again and then stepped back... there were more coming... he'd have to leave soon... "Where is Jaded..." he spoke softly, eyes were twitching here and there...she would come...she had to...her mate was dying, or dead, he hadn't checked with his eyes in a little while...

Jaded


Jaded's ears flicked forward hearing a call for Akkio that was cut off suddenly. She got a deep sense of dread in the pit of her gut. "Damean..." she breathed and glanced at Rawbones and bolted toward the howl. Something was wrong. Her heart thudded in her chest like a drum as her nimble paws carried her swiftly forward. Where was he? She felt panic rise in her.

The thick stench of blood came heavy in her nose and her emerald eyes found the dark form that lay still on the ground. She couldn't tear her gems from that form, so still and unnatural, she didn't see Akiko's form launch herself at one of the bru's. She couldn't breath. Her body trembled and her feet seemed to move on their own accord toward the lump of crimson stained black. "No....no,no,no,no...." She breathed and collapsed at his head , his blood marring her coat. "Damean..DAMEAN!" she cried out, tears welling from her eyes. "Please don't leave me..." she breathed. "I love you..please.." she cried and buried her head into his pelt.

Her heart tightened and she kissed his maw. "Please..' she whined softly and it turned into a whine of pain as an arch of pain ripped through her. She gasped and seemed to double over. "No..' she blinked. "Not yet.." she begged the life within her to settle.

Deadly watched as Harmi got the brute and the brute fought back. So fun. Then he watched as Gladiator fended for his own life. "Make sure they get it. and look...new puppies...I specialize in their deaths, ask Tirisfal, Damean sent me, he should know... " He smirked and winked before he turned only to get caught on the face by Gladiator's teeth. He growled and lifted a paw to swipe at the white brute as he dashed away from the scene to his 'home'.

Damean felt her there before her voice filled his fading hearing ability. He choked as he tried to speak, blood poured from his mouth and he whimpered. He heard the words of the last brute and he whimpered even more. He tried to life his head, he wanted to stand up, he had to protect his pack, but as he moved his head his vision went black and he blinked several times to clear it only coming up with a red tinted view. His blood was streaming down his face, he would blink and it'd become clear then quickly get filled with a red tint again. "I love you too" he said in a whisper, and sucked in a breath, it hurt to talk, it hurt too much to breath, half of him wanted to hurry up and die, he knew it was coming, and the other half wanted to stay in the pain, it let him know he was alive, let him know that he could still be next to Jaded.

He felt her touch and grew angry. She was getting blood all over her tawny coat, his blood, his life source was getting all over her pretty face now. And then he heard her sharp breath of pain. This was happening all wrong. He was supposed to see his babies... his real babies, the ones he sired and would love more then anything in the world, and love them with Jaded. He could hear her breathing and panic filled his voice. She needed to be in a den, she needed to get away, there was danger, bears and birds sniffing for the scent of blood.

Damean let out a loud whimper again, panic growing. He felt it, felt the end, he could feel it in the last breaths he was taking. "Jaded, I love you. I'm sorry... I love you." It hurt so bad to talk. He felt the blood run down his back now... No, he didn't want to go. He felt himself moving, he could feel himself running out of time when a hurried padfall of feet entered his mind. "Oh my god..." He heard the voice and knew it was his kin. There was a slower padfall and he knew it was the elder. They were here to watch him die...everyone was going to watch their alpha die because the cowards had to fight together and not alone. "Ev.." he choked and looked up at him, he knew why he was here, he knew there were things to be done...

He could smell her. He could smell birth. He wined again and looked at her. His blue eyes were locked with her green, he smiled, felt very warm, he could feel the crisp fall air and then his eyes closed and he breathed her in one last time. His heart beat two more times after his last breath... he couldn't hear anything, he couldn't see anything, everything was gone...he was gone...

Evander felt his chest fall out of his mouth when he opened it as Damean took his last breath. His eyes traveled over to Jaded, the last wolf he looked at before he passed on. Hot tears welled up in his eyes and he stood there somewhat dumbfounded. Jaded looked to be in pain but there was so much pain right now that he couldn't place what to do next. He felt the ground shake as a female came and he looked up to see Epica standing there with her mouth opened. She looked from Jaded, to Damean to Gladiator to Akiko then back to Damean. "Jaded...you need to get to a den... the bears..." Her heart pulled for the female, her mate just died infront of her and she was about to birth pups. "Please. For Damean you know he'd freak out" she let a soft smile slide on her face before walking over towards Jaded. "Before it gets worse, please" She nudged the female softly then looked at Evander. "Looks like you have a job to do, pull it together" she could see the dumb look on his face and she wanted to snap at him. Jaded needed help, the pack was going to be devistated by this happening and all he could do was stand there...it was time to move...

Jaded


Jaded's choked a smile when she heard Damean's voice, tears streaming down her face. "Oh my love...don't go..I love you.." she cried and nuzzled him, his blood further marring her face. She only had eyes for him not noticing Evander or the elder or anyone else around her. "Damean, please.." she whispered seeing his eyes close and with one last breath she knew he was gone. She shuddered and then sobbed. "No...NO!" she cried and pressed her form to his. They had been happy...everything had come to how it should be..."NO!!!!!" she screamed, grief overwhelming her..

Pain wrenched through her again and she whimpered. Epica's voice came to her ears and she looked at the fem. She knew she was right but looked to Damean once more and whined, tears rolling down her face. She felt another pain come quickly. They were coming fast. She forced herself to stand looking like the nightmare she felt she was living. Her emerald eyes were dead, unshining and then grew to hard steely green points. She looked at Evander. "Whoever did this....will die." she vowed and took one last look at her fallen mate, tenderness in her eyes just for him. A pain wracked through her agian.

She looked to Epica. "I need to wash before they come.." she said smelling Damean's blood thick on her pelt. She shuddered again sobbing silently with grief. "And the den...I can't have them there...it's not safe." she whispered to the fea.

Jaded


Jaded felt her pain again but this time she buried it deep within her, the only noise she made was a soft intake of breath. She looked at the elder her eyes lost of light and nodded. "Show me after I rinse my pelt." Her voice was soft and bereft of life. Her children were coming she had to concentrate on that until they got here. Jaded just hoped it wasn't too early for them to be here. Her eyes turned to Evander and then fell. Jaded's heart was broken. The cowards stole from her, her most beloved thing....her mate. She was so grieved she hadn't even seen Akiko leave.

She walked slowly and surely toward the river only pausing moments when the pain ripped through her belly. Was this right? Was it supposed to hurt this much? She slid into the water letting it's cool depths envelop her. She sighed and looked back to the den at Epica as the blood was washed from her coat. "He was never meant for scavangers. He will have to be buried.." she said softly and then looked at Damean's life blood being washed so easily from her coat. She closed her eyes and slipped her face under the water. Why did you leave me? she wanted to scream to the wind which carried her beloved from her. She came up for air.

After a few moments in the river she was clean and she had to force herself out even though at the moment she felt like slipping under and breathing no more. But she had love for her pups too. They were part of Damean. So her wet feet met the sands. She looked at the elder and closed her eyes for a moment as the pain wrenched through her when it subsided she looked at him and said. "Show me."

He heard a commotion ahead, pains from wolves from physical pain and mental pain. Blade pushed his legs to move faster. The second he saw the scene, he stopped immediately, in disbelief, not knowing what happened, but seeing the results of it. Damean was on the ground, blood everywhere. Jaded was hysterical... almost. Akiko was back, and now she was running away, chasing after some unknown wolf.

Turning his attention to Evander, who he assumed was summoned here by Damean, who had somehow foreseen this potential fate. With a growl, he said, "I'm going to patrol the borders. Call if you need me." He couldn't be here right now. He'd seen many deaths, especially those from his birth pack, but he'd never felt any type of... friendship or comradeship for any who had died... until now. Blade didn't know how to deal with any of this, it was also something that he had never learned or experiences. He wanted to go after the wolf, but his rational mind made him stay... for the pack. He had somehow become loyal to Damean after he joined, but it partly killed him, knowing that it was set in his mind to be loyal to the pack first, especially since there were some he still iddn't yet trust.

He stalked off, heading in the opposite direction Akiko had ran. If there were going to be any sneak attacks, it would be from behind, where few would focus on, wondering how Jaded was coping. He'd seen her, Epica was with her with Evander, though.

Evander watched as the wolves came and went. His shoulder was brushed by fur and he turned his attention towards the elder. He rolled his eyes, seeing the old man smile. "Ya ya, I know good job" he smirked and shook his pelt. No one was around so he let himself go. Of course, he hadn't seen Zai standing in the brush. "Well that went over well. Now. I hope that stupid pup doesn't think bragging about this is going to get him anywhere. Akira is still the mother of his whelps, now they have no father, shame...nor does Jaded. tisk tisk" he sighed and looked towards the elder who spoke softly. "You know, he would have been great if he wouldn't have been scarred and blind. Why he thought packs being together as one was a good idea, I don't know..." the elder shook his head. "I'm going to tend to Jaded. I might as well play the elder nice part until it's time to unleash the rest of our plan... Landen is with Exodus right...good" The elder turned, moving silently after the two females. He would tell Epica she needed to speak with Evander...

He came upon them and stopped. "Jaded, the den is over this way. Epica. Evander wanted to speak with you. Come on love, we need to go get you a place to lay down" he nodded his head, walking towards the den. She looked horrible. Her mate had just died, well boo hoo on that one, but she was about to birth pups, and he'd never seen a female in so much pain. "I'll wait outside...or somewhere near to hear you if you call. Epica will be right back. I promise" they had reached the den and he nodded for her to go inside.

Epica walked away from the pair, watching as Jaded walked with the old wolf. "Evander. What, I thought I was supposed to stay with her. She needs to be killed right, well, in birthing she'll be so weak, what is the old man gunna do, lay on her" her words were a whisper but she knew he got the message. He nodded and turned. "Once I have control of the pack I'm going to need some simple help. It's time to get these things narrowed down... Midnight Meadows need to have a wake up call, specially Damean's 'daughter' how annoying. But go back with them. Good job, with the destraction, with Zai and Jaded... kept them at bay not to follow Damean. I'm proud of you... now go... we have lots of work to do." He felt her go, and he stood there looking down at Damean's dead body. He wanted to spit on it. "Well brother...hope you're burning in hell, better yet, hope your first love is there, and you can watch her burn..." he smirked and sat down, waiting for someone to come back with word or someone to just come out...he wondered how many wolves he could recruit with this plan... obviously not Jaded, not Akiko, not Rawbones... Blade...Petra... oh Petra her home was in Midnight too. Oh this was going to get annoying but it was so much fun. He smiled again and lifted his head up the sky...

Oh what a game, a truly entertaining game. Ever since his arrival everything had gone wrong, for wolves like Jaded. His first steps in the land had been brief, before being enticed to follow a band of wolves in the lone lands. Even that far out, there were talks of conspiracy, of taking over packs, controlling the wolves. And it wasn’t from rival pack to the other, it was new wolves, and groups of them, they wanted the change. Zaiaku was a player, but he wasn’t nearly as power hungry as some of the wolves. He preferred to do his part, play the game, taste some blood, and be on the winning side by the end of it all. And that was what he intended to do, play the part of a puppet, and get a hold of your own strings. Zaiaku wasn’t naïve to think that any one of the wolves vouching for power would use him for anything more then a weapon, whether physical or verbal.

Ocean hues watched the lyrics pour from one wolf to the next, one elder and another, then auds perked at Epica’s lyrics. Possibly the only known one to him, the other two were wolves he hadn’t seen yet. The dark hessian smirked, the wolves weren’t even aware of his presence, making it all the better. Temptation took over and the bruja smirked, he could go to Jaded, kill that older wolf for her, and warn her of everything. What good would it do? The new era was beginning, Jaded was apart of the old world, and from the sounds of it, had no place in the new one. The mind turned, judging decisions, actions, and words. How could he play it out, so that if this new world died suddenly, he might still succeed in the old. It was obvious Zai was good with his lyrics, but the playfulness was getting a bit old. Either way, Zaiaku knew he was prepared to survive, as he always had.

Slipping from the foliage, pushing his dark form through the brush. Ocean hues swept over the bruja seated starring up at the sky, likely figuring out what to do. “A King is dead, and with him the queen soon to be. After that, a new world.” Zaiaku played a dark smirk on his features, and he swept his oceans over the male next to him. “I am a servant of the dark, and run swift to mischief. If you need chaos in some other pack, let it be me who causes the pure’s pain.” There was no fun in talking like a normal wolf, it was far more entertaining to play with words. He likely was considered insane at times, but Zaiaku could live with that, then no one would expect much of him.

Evander turned his head slowly to look at the male who came from the brush. He didn't know his name quite well but had heard Jaded say it a few times. He gave a dark smile towards the male andhis eyes lit up with ideas. "Smart man. You want to join in the future, then it's time we put things back in their place. Your first mission. The Pearl. Liar. His neice...sister, whatever she is to that messed up family of his." Evander rolled his eyes and stood up. He stretched out and shook his pelt. "I must start to dig my brother's final grave. What a joy..." he sighed and looked back towards where Epica went. "Go to the Pearl. Tell them how you see fit the world is going to darkness again. Then, when you're done, I have another set of lives for you to ruin. The pearl is dark neutral, but I want them to know that the darkness is the only thing they will allign with... If you have the time, find someone there who's recently had pups. After Jaded is dead we'll need to keep her children alive, so don't be too harsh on their pack... we'll need someone who's got pups..."

There was plenty of things that needed to be discussed. Evander looked at the bru. If he could be trusted...this brute could go so far in this pack...this new pack...

Jaded


Jaded walked with the elder and sighed heavily, only pausing once or twice to let a contraction clentch and then faid. She whined softly and pinned her ears but didn't look at the elder male walking beside her. "Thank you for your help.." she said kindly but the light that her eyes usually held was no longer there. She felt cold, like her heart was stolen from her. She would never be the same.

The den was soon there and she turned and nosed the elder's cheek in thanks. She slipped down into the warm darkness and she let it's sweet darkness envelop her. She breathed a heavy sigh and then focused on the task at hand. Birthing her pups. Never would they see their father and her heart ached because of it. But Jaded was going to be damned for sure they grew up knowing who he was and be as strong as he was. She whined feeling the tendrils of pain shoot through her again. Pinning her ears she panted and she felt her water spill upon the ground.

He was focused, barely registering the sudden voice that called out. He slowed his pace, wondering what tricks his mind was playing on him, but if her voice was his imagination, then why was her scent... Blade came to a full stop, sharply turning around. For a split second, he stood, silent, seeing her stumble a bit for unknown reasons. Then he ran the rest of the distance separating them, forgetting about Damean and Jaded for a brief moment when he saw the collar, and realized it must have been humans. "I didn't know humans... here... What did they do to you?" he whispered, his cheek resting against her neck, trying to avoid the collar, as if to reassure himself she was physically here.

After a few seconds, he pulled back, urgently saying, "Petra! Damean... Jaded... pack... danger..." He shook his head, clearing his mind, knowing he wasn't making any sense. "To be blunt, Lilith came back to the lands. I chased her off- Damean had motioned me to. She escaped, and I went back, and... Damean... killed. Wolf fled, Akiko and someone I don't know chased him, towards Akira's lands. Jaded's... she's going to have pups soon, I think. I decided to make sure the... killer... didn't have an army sneaking up on us. There are no wounded that I know of... just..." he trailed off, leaving out the implied death of Damean, which wasn't curable. Pausing, he continued, "I don't know what's going on, but I don't know who in this pack I can trust. Akiko, Jaded, and Rawbones for sure. The rest... I don't know." Evander seemed to behave differently towards the pack than Damean had, although it wouldn't be right to think that family would rule in similar ways. If it weren't for wolves who belonged to the pack and kept disappearing, he'd be more inclined to trust Evander more, but he was on high alert now. Bloodeye had been in the pack for some time, but recently had been vanishing and reappearing for longer periods of time, which brought him to a higher wariness.

Looking at Petra in the eye, he said, "Let's go back and find Jaded. I'm worried about her, there aren't any other intruders, and... I've collected my thoughts." Looking back in the direction he came, he said, "Please... stay near me. I was scared when you were missing." He also feared that Damean's killer would try to kill off some of the other wolves in the pack. Petra's collar was out of his mind for now, and he looked for her reaction, to hear all this news suddenly, although it wouldn't be of any justice to try to soften it for her.

Petra's mind was slightly fuzzy as Blade approached her, and she bumped noses clumsily with him. When he asked about what had happened to her, she could hardly figure out the answer herself. "I.. I don't know really what happened," she said, "They poked me with sharp objects and put me in and out of sleep at their will. Then I ended up back here, with this around my neck." She scratched at the collar in another slightly frustrated attempt to relieve herself of it. It wouldn't budge.

She soon realized, though, that she had much more important things to think and care about. Her groggy eyes widened as he made mention of the many things that had happened during her absence which had seemed so short. Why was there so much danger? And what was he trying to say? Was Damean himself dead? It was too much all at once, but she could tell by the urgency in his voice that there was no time to stop and let things sink in slowly. They needed to be on the move, right now. She nodded her head in agreement as Blade mentioned the few that could be trusted. The others were too unfamiliar and suspicious; they just didn't act like pack wolves. Too many of them conspired in the shadows, coming and going as they pleased. When had they ever done something for the good of the pack? She had not seen any of them complete missions or help with pack duties.

Having little idea what was going on right now, Petra nodded to Blade as he bid them to go back and that she stay near him. "Alright, I'll stay close," she said, moving by his side. Then she tilted her head. What else was going on with the pack? "Are there any injured wolves I must attend to?" she asked. It sounded to her like Damean was the only victim, but it was possible any number of wolves had been involved with whatever had happened, and she needed to know. If not, perhaps she needed to tend to Jade.

Jaded

Blood was thick in the air and Jaded smiled weakly seeing her friend Rawbones. Her tail lifted once and fell to the floor in seeing him, her green eyes though thick with sadness. "Rawbones.." she said softly. "You have to look after my son." She sighed and licked the nursing pup on the forehead. "Please...." she said her voice almost a beg. She knew...there was too much blood and it wasn't stopping. Maybe it was the stress, maybe it would have happened regardless but Jaded's life was flowing from her in a river of crimson. She looked lovingly at her whelp and then back to her friend. "Call him Damean after his father.." she almost choked on his name. "And tell him about us..someday" She said softly. "Protect him....teach him..." Her voice was growing weaker but she must hold on until her dark colored son finished nursing the crucial first milk.

"One of the other pack's must have nursing mother's ...perhaps Cinder has whelped. I know she would nurse him." She said hopefully, her light was fading fast. She knew it was so...there was no hope for her and it angered her she wouldn't get to see her son grow or love him or see him love. "Rawbones..." she said softly. "Promise me please...' She looked at him and blinked her emerald hues. "Please..." she begged her biggest fear now was to keep seeking jaws from her baby son. She hoped he would, she didn't expect Rawbones to steal him away. Just to be here to protect him from whatever threatened his tiny life.

Jaded

Her eyes looked up hearing Evander's voice and smiled. Ahh here was another she had come to trust. Damean's own brother. She looked at Rawbones and smiled weakly. "Let him near..he needs to hear my words as well before I cannot utter them anymore." She said feeling her throat tighten with grief. She flicked her thorns forward and lifted her chin. These were not only a queen's orders but a mother's. "Evander..." she said and looked to the pup nursing at her teat. "This is my son. I named him Damean after his father." she said softly her voice growing weaker and the pool of blood around her hind end larger. "I wish him to live Evander. Find a fem with pups that will take him. Rawbones will help look after him...I have asked this of him. " She paused and flicked her ears back picturing a small black whelp running through the sand, tongue lolling and happy. A tear fell from her eye.

"Promise me Evander you will keep him safe as well...please...for me." She asked and turned and kissed her son tenderly then looked back up to her mate's brother. "Promise me."