Its a hard knock life..... (open)

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Red sighed as a feline like stretch pulled her fur taunt. Obsidian eyes flickering over the frames of her pups before out of the den into the open. They were old enough to wander about now.....though more than once she had retrieved them. Fearful of what the outside world had in store for her little family. Lips split into a smile as one pup growled at another one, batting them gently with her fluffy tail. Life had been....interesting as of late. While her time was mostly taken up by the pups she had not seen a lot of Hep. Though she had heard that their little pack had grew another member.....and had smelled that said member all over her mate. It was disturbing.....she was not one to like to share....and maybe...maybe it was time she addressed this thorn in her side. Pulling away from her pups she slipped out of the den, sending a growl back at them to warn them to stay put. A quick stiff of the air verified that there was nothing dangerous near by.

Long limbs carried her quickly through the territory. Though she knew not who she was looking for specifically. Was it Hep? Or Hep's new plaything? She passed by the spring now nearly frozen over as winter set in. But as she crept through the trees a bit of movement made her pause. Blinking her dark eyes she wriggled her way through the young pines towards the disturbance. Wondering just who she was about to confront.

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Home was still a fairly foreign concept, but the male was settling in well. Bonding with the demonic wolf with his orange eyes, who had Robin almost gleefully hyper aware. It was never quite a pleasant thing to be going on a wild goose chase, hoping that he might catch a crumb or two. His pleasure in the chase, however, was sustaining for the time being. It would have to do until he found another outlet. Already he dread the mere thought of leaving the mountain, it was a concept that he could not grasp.

Leave Hephaestus and his family in order to go about and wander? It was a concept that could not be fathomed at the moment, luckily he had been counting on every step. This was a home away from home, although Robin had never really chosen to settle before. Whether or not this would be a short term fling or not was remaining dependent on the choices that would come on his tail for the future.

Ears swished, and the tall male kept his steps effortless. He wagered his thoughts were on the right track, knowing that there was a family to spend time with. He could infiltrate and become a part of for a short little time being. The sounds ruffled ahead of him, though, and he forced himself to stop in his tracks. The suspicion was so evident on his features, his heart stopped in his chest. He almost, almost called out eagerly as if he was about to come upon his leader. But no, he could have sworn her crossed Hephaestus's trail already. It meant it was someone else.

Coming face to face with the red beauty, he looked abashed for a moment. He should have introduced himself long before this point, but his ears dropped and yellow eyes stared forward, hitting somewhere around her chest area. “Lady Red.” The greeting was short, curious. What a dangerous situation to step into. An Overlord's Mistress was most certainly not someone to step on.

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She sniffed the air, though she knew almost immediately upon seeing the beautiful form that he was the one her Hep has been lusting after. Large ears swiveled about her skull until settling back until they touched her slender neck. He addressed her formally. As if he already knew her. As if he had not rocked her very world with his appearance. She had taken a leap in trusting Hep......having never trusted anyone in a long time. And here before her was the very creature that had made her earth shake. Her lips pulled back to expose a row of perfectly white teeth. Maybe it wouldn't have been so bad....maybe she wouldn't be so angry if she did not have pups at home. Pups that were just now learning to eat meat. So young were they....how long after she had given birth to his pups had Hep started looking elsewhere for his pleasures?

But as angry as she was.....it was not this wolf she was angry with. He had not done anything to her...not really. If her Hep was so easily taken from her....well them maybe it had been her mistake all along. Slowly her lips descended to cover her fangs. Her red hair which had been on end slowly fell against her skin. "You...." She said slowly, her ebony eyes never leaving his tempting frame. She stepped closer to him....sure that she would smell Hep all over him. But held her breath....as if not wanting this final confirmation of her mates betrayal.

She swallowed her feelings, pressing them down into the pit of her stomach where they subsided into a slow ache. "Where is Hephaestus?"Her voice was monotone, eyes never leaving his pretty face as she waited for his answer. Bushy tail high and erect above her back. What she was going to do when she found her mate she had no idea....but attacking this wolf would do nothing to sate the blood lust that pushed her on.

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Hostility was not totally unexpected, but the lack of understanding on what he might have trampled on was lost on the orange wolf. His head cocked to the side at the aggressive stance, and ears rolled back against his head as he leaned back. Oh shit, what had he done now to offend the lady of the mountain? Although he supposed it might have been his bonding time with Hephaestus - when was the last time he had wandered back to watch over his Mistress?

Sheepish features turned more concerned for himself as his tail flicked. What was the rule of the mountain? Everyone getting along; he had been wise, trying not to toss and tumble himself over Hep like a free leg of meat begging to be eaten. Perhaps it was the fact he was confident that his morals did manage to keep him from wanting to destroy a family. Pups needed to be looked after, there was no room for him to step in. Not that he had not taken it before, he had destroyed relationships a fair few times without bothering with the consequences.

Where was Hephaestus? “A good question, my lady.” His head bowed lightly, hoping there was no reason for him to be the source of this fury. Gosh, what a lady! “Last taste I have of him was when he was headed East around the mountain side, worried that someone might be trying to take him from behind.” Wide eyes blinked lightly, taking another step back.

“May I be of assistance, Lady Red?” Respectful voice asked almost hopeful, tail swishing tentatively as he lowed his head to his own chest level, looking toward the ground. Jeepers, the lady was intimidating. Perhaps it was just that spike of envy that kept him standing there; she had Hep, she had lost him for the moment - but ah, he would be back to her soon.

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For a moment she hesitated, unsure of his response...could someone have slipped past her Hep? The pups! Nervously she looked back in the direction she had came, her erect tail slowly falling as concern for her family overrode the desire to taste Hep's blood. "The pups..." She mumbled to herself. Looking back at him....hell she didn't even know his name..."My pups.... She said louder, turning back to the handsome beast. "If he truly fears someone may be trespassing we should both head back to the den." It was hard to choke out the words....just the thought of bringing a home wrecker around her pups was enough to make bile rise in her throat. But if it would keep her pups safe she would take assistance from the devil himself. Without another word the slender red wolf turned on her heel and began to hurry back to the den. Not bothering to look behind her to see if the male had followed.

By the time she burst through the trees to see the den in sight her sides were pounding with breath. With quick light steps she made her way to the den entrance, greeted by five little healthy live pups. Pompeii a dark little beast much like her father tumbled out of the den to nip at her mothers tail. Red looked back over her shoulder to see if the male had actually followed.....if he had listened to her...

Red was torn. It was in her nature to be aggressive....so to hold back and not rip this male to pieces was hard for her. But something held her back. Something she could not quite describe. Blinking she turned back to her pups, nudging Pompeii until she tumbled back into the warm den with the other pups. The cold air had been hard on her lungs, they ached and burned from the exertion. She was not in the best physical condition of her life. She was rather gaunt and thinner than usual with the pups still nursing on occasion. But now that they were eating meat she could start to gain her weight back.

Thoughts of Hephaestus swarmed her mind but she pushed them back, turning back he dark eyes searched the tree line for the pretty male.

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Concerned features attempted to keep himself from being eaten alive, and his tail swished from one side to the other and he exhaled in relief. Thank heavens she was not intent looking to lunge and rip his throat out. Somehow, while Robin would knowingly fight for his life, he was not confident he would win against the female. There was a reason he had spent most of his life mooching off of the ability of others for food and protection. The handsome male was in fact, useless.

Blinking wide, he was shocked about the fact she was far away from her young enough to warrant it a concern. He had thought they were hidden away mere feet, but instead, his head lifted and his body carried him forward. Consequences be damned, she could kill him after it was assured they were all right. While he doubted there was many that could get past Hephaestus, there was always a risk. There was so many more active wolves wandering, was she not privy to the whispers of revenge and war?

He was obedient to follow his mystery, and he actually managed to go wide. He brought himself to check the den site only long enough to be assured she was there taking count, before he did a minor sweep of the area. It was one of the few things Robin was good at, stealth and ratting out the secrets of others. If there had been someone there, waiting to step and and steal away, the orange tall male would have attempted... something.

When satisfied, he ventured herself out carefully, knowing there was a reason to appear nonthreatening. “Lady Red,” Concerned voice hovered, only guessing that he could have missed something. How easy, how shameful it would have been. “I trust your young are in good health and safe? None scent around the area... But I... I will happily hunt them down if they turn up. If our... Your mate does not first.” Envy sighed through his tone, but then he offered her a half hearted bow of his head wit the vow.