Delom

Brown paws hit the ground as the demon moved towards the territory that he had a plan for. His orange eyes scanned the ground as he moved through the trees towards the pack. His head was low, looking for the border of the territory. His wish was soon granted as he ran into a scent. Powerful and formed in a line. Definitely the border. He sat down and scanned the territory in front of him. Mostly trees and rolling hills. Did they really live here. Not good cover. He shook himself and a smile of insanity came onto his kissers. He was here for one goal, and one goal only.

To assassinate the alpha, Nachi.

A while back, when he was at The Canyon, he had run into an old femme, by the name of Cortinarri. Oh he was going to kill her at first, and she was very much afraid of him, but that was when she made him this proposal. She didn’t really like this Nachi, which is the alpha of her pack. Yes, this pack that he was at the border of, she is in. Of course, if he were to do this, he told her that he needed a reward. Though she listed a couple, only one suited his fancy. She would provide him with endless fun with wolves and animals that she needed dead. And with his agreement, she started giving him information. And when he got all the information he needed, he had left leaving her with only his name; Delom. It has been a couple of days since then and Delom was ready. He had made up his plan and found his way to this pack. And now it was time to put it into motion.

His smile grew wider as he thought about ripping apart the old alphess. Just to taste her precious red liquid on his tongue. Ah, it had been to long since he had that to another wolf. Way to long. And with that motivating him, he stood up and lifted his cranium to the sky. His melody rang out over the territory, calling for Nachi, and only Nachi. If anyone else came, he would ask for them to get their alphess. When his song ended, he looked back over the land and waited, already replaying his plan in his head.

Nachi & Others

When Delom's howl rang out, it awoke the alpha from his nap under the shade of an old cedar tree. He scrambled to his paws and tuned his tan auds towards their border, where the call originated. Who in the world is calling Nachi? It was clear to him that the call was meant only for his mate, but had it in mind to investigate anyway, since he wasn't familiar with the caller. Just as he was giving his pelt a quick shake and starting off though, Cortinarri stalled him,
"Star-" The old wolfess had kept close to her son int he last few days, knowing that Delom would be stalking the land in the coming week - she did not want Starscream picked off by the lunatic, as she feared would happen if he went to answer the call now. "That must be one of the Haunters, sent by her brother. I wouldn't bother giving them the time of day."
Starscream turned his dial back, giving Cortinarri a sour look for even mentioning the other pack, "I'll give them the time of day alright, and then some. It's-"
"Unless my ears deceived me, they called only for Nachi." The elder wolf pinned her son with a knowing gaze, before licking at a small sore on her leg.

------

Further away from where Cortinarri was doing her best to stall Starscream in as casual a manner as possible, Nachi was already loping towards the border. It wasn't terribly unusual for Cavan to send someone over to check on her if she hadn't been in contact with him for a while, but she for one didn't believe this was a Haunter at the edge of their territory. Curios as to why the stranger sought her audience, and hers alone, the brown and gray pelted alpha reached the border in good time, and slowly approached Delom. She didn't hold her tail up like an alpha, oddly enough, but the fae did hold her head up, ears erect, and eyes narrowed slightly in that domineering way. "Do you have a message for me, stranger? Or is there another reason you called me here?" She questioned immediately, without so much as a greeting.

Delom

Delom didn’t have to wait long before the alphess showed up in the distance and walked to him. Though her tail was not in alpha position, her body language showed her dominance. Seeing as she came alone, either his howl was listened to, which he doubted, or Cortinarri is stalling whoever would come to him, like her son that is mated to this Nachi. Immediately, Nachi’s lyrics pierced the air, asking if he has a message for her. Delom lowered his head to Nachi, in respect. Though it was false. It was all a part of his plan. When he looked back up, he let his lyrics flow off his tongue.

”My name is Delom. I do not have a message for you though I do have a reason for calling you. I would like to join your pack. And I have called only you, for you are the alphess, and the only one I know of in this pack. I had heard of you from another pack. Before you say no, I have a family. A bit away from here. They sent me to ask to join, and would like to meet you face to face. If you accept me and my family into your pack, would you come with me to get them. It would be an honor.”

Delom tried to keep his insanity out of his voice, but since this was the first time he tried this, he didn’t do that well. Of course, all of this was a lie. It was just to get Nachi away from the pack and get her somewhere secluded. Another challenge of this assassination that Cortinarri had given him. It was entertaining for it provided a challenge. He had never planned ahead when killing someone nor done in it secret. Hopefully his plan will work on this alphess.

Dove & Others

Dove's family had fallen under the radar for a while; she and the rest of the Peacekeepers needed a break from war and trouble, and while they stayed in the Aspen Grove pack lands, they mostly kept to themselves. After all, Dove had already lost her mate and had been forcebred by Vicious, and she didn't want that to happen again to her or her family.
Dove's gaze fell on Silence as she thought about that. To this day, she had hardly spoken to the younger wolf/saluki hybrid about her history. Silence knew some of it, or had a suspicion, but she knew her mother didn't want to elaborate on it.
Kiku was surveying the territory from his place atop a rock, keeping an extra close eye on his sister, Mikomi, who sat by her sleeping grandfather, Glider.

Silence was the first of her family to pick up the sound of a howl. Instinctively, she howled back and raced toward the border. Kiku, seeing his half-sister bolt toward the sound of the howl, jumped from his perch and landed in from of Silence. "I'll check it out, sis," the hybrid said, which was met with a slight sneer from Silence, as if to say that she didn't need to be protected.
As Kiku headed toward the border, Mikomi followed, nodding to Silence to give her permission to follow. She knew her little sister had the brain and the muscle to defend herself and didn't need as much protection as her brother thought. "
Starscream..." Kiku began, bowing his head to the alpha. "Are you going to see who called? It could be, you know, somebody dangerous. I'd be glad to scout for you." The hybrid was unaware that Cortinarri had already stopped Starscream, and he really had no idea exactly how bad the situation could get.
"Yeah," Silence added, much to Kiku's surprise that she followed. "It could be Vicious. He might kill Nachi, or worse." Silence assumed the worst. She didn't know whether or not Vicious was still alive, but the situation that led to Dove being attacked - and subsequently giving birth to Silence and her now-missing brother - was much like this. She wasn't taking any chances.

Starscream & Others

Nachi stood stalk still as she watched Delom bow his head. There was nothing remotely pleasant or inviting about her body language, and one might get an inkling for why Cortinarri didn't like this female one bit. There was a strangeness to her, something that wasn't... quite right. Maybe it was in her eyes, or the peculiar way she would flick her tail from side to side in jerky movements, or just the disdainful air around the aging female as she looked down upon the brute like he were some lowly mongrel that she could scarcely be bothered to deal with. Whatever it was, Nachi showed no warmth or respect when she answered back, "This pack has enough members as it is. Unless there are pups in this family of yours?" One thing that Cortinarri hadn't thought to mention, but what Delom might pick up now, was Nachi's bizarre obsession with pups. She'd stolen a number of the years, and she'd slain quite a few too, once she'd gotten bored with them. If there was anything that could lure her out away from the packlands, it was the promise of pups.

----

"I'm an alpha too, unless you forgot." Starscream groused back to his mom, as if he were a pup that still needed her permission to do what he wanted.
"You're also an adult, who should have the common sense to respect another's privacy. Nachi's a big girl herself, and whoever it is that wants to speak with her, I'm willing to bet she can handle it." Cortinarri had her lead lowered and eyes averted to her leg, which she was still fussing over. There was a nagging guilt tugging at her gut right now, knowing that in the next few minutes or so, Nachi would be slaughtered. Oh, she didn't care one bit about that demented she-mongrel, but it pained her to know that she was keeping this assassination secret from her son. It's for his own good, too.
Starscream stared in the direction of the howl, with his auds perked, listening for any call from his mate or the stranger. They were far enough away that he didn't hear a thing, and wouldn't unless the howled again. "Even so.." Feeling defeated on the subject, the alpha tried to come up with some half-hearted defense for himself, but it floundered when he failed to come up with anything. As it was, Kiku was just arriving, forcing Starscream to turn and address the other with a slight nod of his head in formal greeting. "I had the mind to do that-" Irritation was abundant in his vocals, and shown in the side-glance he gave Cortinarri, "-but she feels it's not our business."
Cortinarri had to look up now. She had talked her son out of a potentially lethal encounter, and all without arousing any suspicion. But now she had more of the pack arriving, and they were rightfully curious about this stranger. "It's not Vicious, that much I can tell you. I would recognize that monster's howl. No.." It was a struggle to keep her words casual, without going overboard about keeping them away from the border. If she pressed it too much, they'd surely begin to suspect something. Thinking quickly, Cortinarri played on the well understood dislike of the Shadow Haunters, "As I told Star, it's likely only a messenger sent by Cavan, to check up on her. And I'd prefer that we not... 'socialize' with the likes of them." She went back to cleaning her leg.

Delom

Delom noticed Nachi’s body posture. Something about this alphess was off. And it definitely didn’t include insanity. The brute would know if he did. He was insane himself. How she looked at him almost made his smile. She looked at him like he was a piece of rotting meat that wasn’t even worth eating. Entertaining now was she. When the alphess finally spoke, Delom’s ears twitched as he listened. Her voice had no warmth or even respect. She told him they had enough members. Delom almost growled that his plan didn’t work, but the next statement that Nachi said made his smile again. Pups huh? Seems the alphess liked pups. Her enthusiasm in the last statement proved that. He bowed his head again, his voice ringing out. ”As a matter of fact, I do. 5 pups. Healthy litter. 3 males and 2 females.” He tried to pick the best litter he could think of, to attract the alphess. ”Would you like to see them before you consider it?”

Nachi

When Delom's plan had been on the verge of failure, he made the lucky move of playing on one of Nachi's greatest weaknesses, and one of the main oddities about the wolfess that drove her bizarre personality. "Yes, I'd like to see them." Grey eyes followed the movement of his head when he bowed it, and she didn't so much as return a nod or give him the courtesy of a smile for his pleasant attitude; even if he was just faking it. "What are their names? The males?" Nachi took a few steps closer to indicate that she was ready to follow him. What she didn't do was answer his last question, as she had no intention of letting so many adults into the pack. Her scheming, pup-obessed mind was already scheming about how she might steal away one or two of the pups, or perhaps talk the pack into letting her take them. Little did Nachi know that she was the one walking into the trap...

Delom

Delom smiled even more as his little change in plan worked. He has caught the alphess’ attention. With that, he raised his head and smiled at her, though it still had a tinge of insanity in it, he was able to hide most of it. Standing up finally from his sitting position, he turned his back to the alphess and set at a nice pace towards the den. He had been residing near this pack in the den he was going towards, so at least she knew that he was on this path before. To make her not suspect that he was leading her somewhere that he never had been. When she asked her next question, he almost stopped in his tracks, but luckily he was able to continue on his pace. Shit. Names. He didn’t think of that. Pondering the question for a tiny bit, though not long enough for her to expect he was making the whole thing up, he listed off three names that sounded good in his mind.

”Storm, Blood, and Eagle. The girls are Rose and Snow. Ah, you’ll like them. The three boys are so very active. Blood is the biggest and he just loves to spar with his siblings. Eagle is quick on his feet, even for his age. And Storm, well he’s the best of both. The girls like to spar also, though they mostly watch. Rose loves her mother and Snow, well, since they were born in winter, she loves the snow. That’s why we named her that.”

Delom even surprised himself that he was able to make up all that in just a tiny span of time. But hopefully, since he described them so easily, it was more believable. They were about halfway to the den, which was a good distance from the pack. Just a little more acting and then he would be rewarded the alphess’ sweet, sweet red liquid.

Nachi

His efforts at being friendly and keeping a pleasant smile on his white and tan muzzle got absolutely no amiable response from Nachi. Her attitude remained, at best, one of aloofness and mild annoyance, as if she didn't have the time to put up with a stray wolf looking to join her pack, when most would jump at the chance for a new member. I'll see how many there are first. Too many adults, and I can have Cavan send a group out to pick them off. Otherwise my pack can handle them. Nachi's thoughts were darker than her cold, slightly-out-there persona, but unlike Delom, her damaged mind did not revolve around the lust for killing others. For her, there was a simple detachment and lack of consideration for other lives - they were merely obstacles between her and her obsessions. "Our pack could use a few more strong male pups. My own have grown already." There was no fondness in her voice when she mentioned her grown offspring. The truth was that she had no fondness for her own children once they had grown out of the cute puppy stage, and had even tormented her daughter to the point that she'd have died, had not Starscream stepped in to protect the youngster. It was a sad reality with this she-wolf, and one more reason why Cortinarri wanted her dead.

Traveling further away from the safety of the pack, Nachi did note that the trail they followed already carried Delom's scent. He'd been very clever indeed to stake out their territory, and that planning paid off when Nachi didn't suspect a thing wrong with his story. "I'd like to see Storm first."

Delom

As the two wolves walked towards Delom’s den, and after Delom had explained his ’family’ to the alphess, Nachi told him that they needed a few more strong pups, and that her own had grown up. The demon was partly surprised to hear not an ounce of fondness in her voice. Instead, he swore he heard a bit of disdain under her tone. Maybe this was one of the reasons Cortinarri wanted her dead. Out of the pack. She was quite the weird one. Then she told him she would like to see the pup Storm first. Of course she would pick the one with the most speed and strength. If Storm was real, he would of also. Shaking his pelt a bit, he nodded to her. ”Of course, alphess.” They then walked in silence, and it wasn’t long before they got the den. They were a fairway from the pack lands, far enough that, even if she called for help, nobody would hear. Stopping in front of the den, he turned to the alphess and stopped her in her path. The entrance of the den was blocked by a ton of mint leaves and vines. The mint to mask his scent and the vines so he wasn’t disturbed. Nodding to the den, he spoke to Nachi one more time, in a whisper. ”They are in there. Probably still sleeping. Excuse the mint. My mate wanted to mask the scent so she asked me to find a lot of mint leaves. I did as she asked. Go ahead in the den. Storm is the one with the black and grey pelt. Go ahead.” With that he stepped out of the way and let Nachi into the den. And, if she did go into the den, he would follow closely behind, trapping her. Here is where it all falls. Her rule. The act. Her blood

Nachi

There was no fear in Nachi's heart, no inkling of the life and death fight that was soon to take place. In the lofty height of her thoughts, the wolfess felt secure and untouchable. Neither Starscream nor Cortinarri dared lay fang on her during the many arguments they got into, both fearing the wrath that would befall them if Nachi went running to her brother, who would lead a contingent of Haunters here in a heartbeat to teach the pack a lesson about 'messing' with his sister. And so she continued to follow Delom to her doom, unwittingly led astray by one of her own pack members. "Mint? Clever." Nachi had stopped just before the den, where Delom had taken a stance in front of her and briefly explained the situation and the presence of the pungently scented leaves. She lowered her dial to sniff over the herbs, wrinkling her nose back at the pleasant but overwhelming odor - these were perfect for masking scents. "The black and gray one? I hope your mate isn't in here." After murmuring that, the she-wolf lowered down on her paws and began to crawl into the den...

Delom

Delom smiled as the little bitch crawled into the den. He quickly followed after her, trapping her in the small space. Once she saw that there was no wolves in the den, he stood up straighter and a sadistic smile came onto his face. His kissers pulled back to reveal a row of teeth, a smile of insanity plastered on his maw. It wasn’t long before his lyrics flowed from his tongue, now dripping in the tone of insanity he carried had been trying the hide. The fake identity, the whole act, crashed down to the ground like a broken mirror, breaking along the ground at his fores. ”Welcome, alphess. Really, I should just call you Nachi. Or maybe bitch. Possibly dead…meat?” His tongue rolled across his kissers. ”Welcome. To your death. Now enough talking. Let’s dance.” Before the last word even hit the stone, he lunged, aiming for the back of her neck. Hopefully, if he hit his point, he would land on her back and sink his teeth into her nape. If she moved forward, he would hit her spine and if she moved back, he would hit her muzzle. It was a tight place they were in and there wasn’t a lot of room to dodge. Let her rule end. Right here. Right now.

Nachi

Shortly after entering the den, Nachi's busy nose picked up no scent of pups amongst the damp, musty odor of the earth. Delom's own scent was here, but... where were his pups? Surely his mate's smell would be clinging to these dirt walls as well? A red flag rose high in her mind, and a sudden dread clutched at her heart... How often had she done this very thing, luring an unsuspecting mother to her doom with sweet words and deception, only to kill her and claim her young pups? 'It's a trap.' The frightening revelation struck her as she heard Delom shuffle into the tunnel behind her. Nachi's fur bristled and she wiggled and contorted to shift herself about in the tight confines of the den, managing to turn herself about to face her would-be attacker in the middle of his blood-chilling speech. The fae's lips went back, revealing worn, chipped teeth that were yellowed and brown. "You... treacherous fool!" Those words were hissed out, while her widened eyes betrayed a blend of terror and rage, and a look of insanity that wasn't so far removed from Delom's.

Nachi parted her jaws to say something else, but the male lunged forward already. There was no room to dodge to the side - earth surrounded her and the cramped conditions made moving slow, especially for a fae at the ripe old age of ten years. In the face of death however, Nachi did not cower and quiver in fear. She snarled, producing a sound that was as savage as it was shrill and heart-stopping, and a perfect embodiment of her emotions. She went forward on her limbs, deciding to meet her attacker head on, despite the overwhelming odds against her. His bite landed towards the back of her neck, close to her shoulder blades, and the sharp pain that lit through her brought a yelp from the old alphass. At the same time however, she was turning her dulled but still powerful fangs for the side of his chest...

Delom

Delom growled in triumph as his tools found their mark. Right at the back of her neck. His canine dug into her flesh, grapping a tight hold on her neck. The delicious red liquid he loved oozed into his maw, pooling on his tongue. Oh!! It just taste amazing!!! He snapped his head from side to side, ripping the other’s flesh from her bodice, tearing muscle and tissue alike. But the old alphess was already commencing her counter attack. Delom jumped off the ground, to make Nachi fall to the ground under his weight, and he guessed that was what saved his chest from a nasty bite wound. For as he pushed off the ground, her brought his legs close to his front, so he could possibly dig his claws into the bitch, but that backfired yet also helped him. Instead of hitting the brute’s chest, like she planned, her teeth dug into his paw and leg, ripping open the thin skin. Delom growled out his pain and kicked his back leg, hoping to release it. He didn’t let go of her neck. Instead, he snapped his jaws to get a better grip on her flesh and still rapidly tossed his head side to side, the fea’s blood splattering against the wall. He again kicked off the ground to put all of his weight on the queen, to pin her to the ground and have an advantage.

Nachi

It crossed Nachi's mind to howl out for help, but there was no way she could issue a loud howl while she was being thrashed so violently by Delom. Even if she managed a short one, the damp walls of earth around her would have absorbed most of the noise and her cry would never have reached the heart of the territory where her mate and the others were located. She was all by herself... and for the second time in her long, erratic life, the old wolfess felt very, very afraid, and desperately alone.

The warmth of her own blood leaking in her grey and brown coat was a distinctly unpleasant sensation, though it didn't compare to the searing pain as her skin and muscles were torn by Delom's merciless attack. A further few yelps escaped her, crying out in between defiant, blood-chilling snarls. She hardly had the chance to savor her foe's blood from the gash on his leg and paw when he kicked his leg free of her hold and suddenly shifted his weight. In her younger days, she might have held up, but her body was already reeling from the sudden loss of blood and the shock-inducing pain, and her advanced years didn't exactly give her great strength any more. With a grunt, Nachi went down, the air momentarily knocked out of her lungs. She tried to roll slightly and snap at his belly, ripping at any flesh she could reach while attempt to wiggle out from underneath him...

Delom

The noises that came from the queen made the beast’s heart beat race within his chest, threatening to pop out. But he also smirked as the girl kept snarling and growling, despite the obvious pain and vulnerable position she was in. The smirk grew wider as the czarina dropped with a grunt as the air was pushed from her lungs under his forceful weight. But Nachi was already trying her counter attack. She tried to flip under him but the demon let go of her neck and slipped off her body, going a bit more deep into the tight den. It was easy for him since he was only a year and a half old, making him smaller than a regular wolf. He let her roll unto her back, and watched for a second as she snapped at nothing but air, her jaws making a satisfying clack as the top and lower jaw slammed into each other. That was when he acted. Delom surged forward and aimed for the queen’s neck, right for her jugular. Once he had hold of that, he would throw his head back and forth, ripping open every muscle and vein in her neck. And then, with a jerk of his head, he would literally rip the muscle and flesh that was in his maw from her body, ending her rein for good. The demon would then snap his head back and snap at the meat in his maw, swallowing it as it sent a shiver down his spine. Ah, so amazing. He would then smirk and his lyrics would flow out. ”Long live the queen? More like long live the King. Good bye, stupid bitch. Nice meeting you. Actually. Nah. It wasn’t. Just so you know. You taste amazing. ” But if he missed, he would continue with this battle and try to kill her another way.

Nachi & Others

The dirt that ground into her ravaged neck was one more assault against the queen's flaming nerves, but one that her frantic mind was able to overcome when imminent death threatened her. There was no time to stop and account for the pain when every ounce of attention and strength was going towards defense and preventing this bastard from causing her any more damage. Thus she snapped her jaws close with all of her strength, ready to tear into the vulnerable underbelly of her foe and rip at whatever internal organs might fall between her worn fangs...

...clank! Instead of the satisfying warmth of flesh and tangle of thick fur, Nachi's jaws met nothing but air before snapping shut. Delom had maneuvered away from her, his greater agility and youthful age allowing him the grace and skill that the elder wolf simply didn't possess. Nachi flexed and turned to the side, turning her legs quickly so that she could right herself and face her attacker, but it was too little too late. He'd already rushed in, and his powerful jaws were closing over her soft, ashen gray and tan-lined throat. The white-hot pain erupted again as flesh was rendered between his keen fangs, only this time his strike was true, and the burst of pain was countered almost immediately by a sort of numb, disconnected feeling. Nachi felt herself snarl savagely even as he thrashed his head back and forth, tearing out a fatal chunk of flesh that left behind a gaping wound and spurting blood from a torn jugular. She vaguely felt herself scrabble at the earth in a feeble attempt to get up and charge at him, but her actions got her nowhere. As blood drained rapidly from her body, so to did her strength and clarity of mind. It took only seconds before her maddened snarl had died into a huffing, shallow breath, and her weak attempts at trying to stand up were reduced to a few pitiful shuffles of her front legs.

"..Cavan.!" Nachi gasped in a barely audible voice. Old eyes glazed and she sucked in a gasping breath, "..Cav, please.. I.." Everything felt numb, from the agonizing pain to the terrifying fear of death. Yet as those things faded from her, what was left was a feeling of emptiness, and... "..I'm... alone." The last breathy word escaped in a death rattle.

Rikka

White paws beat against the ground as they carried the ebony body through the forest. But it wasn’t long before she stopped on a hill and looked down it. A small smile came upon her at seeing a den. Somewhere to sleep!! Immediately, she was running down the hill, careful to not fall over and tumble down it in a ball of black and white fur. Once she got to the den, she did not notice the blood scent all over it for the mint had blocked her off. Shaking her skull, she crawled into the den quickly, closing her eyes so the vines and mint blocking the entrance didn’t hit her. What she came upon had her frozen, her icy blue eyes staring at the horrid scene before her. A wolfess, laying on the ground, covered in her own blood that still poured from her body. It couldn’t have been long ago that she was killed. Whoever did this was sick. Absolutely sick. Her first thought was to take the body out and mourn whoever this was. So she stepped over the body gingerly, holding back tears in her eyes. Even though she had not known this wolfess, it was still horrid to see a wolfess dead like this, her jugular ripped clean out. Hell, even some of her abdomen and muscles on her were ripped off, like the killed had eaten her also. The scent of blood was pungent in the air as she grabbed the dead wolf’s scruff in her maw, her blood dirtying up her snow white paws as she pulled the body out carefully. Once she was out of the den, she laid the body down and sat by it, staring down at it. She stood up again and lowered her skull, pressing it against the other’s torn up throat, her blood dripping on her pelt. She laid next to the wolfess, not caring for the blood that stained her black pelt. She mumbled slowly under her breath to the body. “May you rest in peace, whoever you are.”