My Bad Habits Lead To You

For @Satan <3 keeping Highvalley things vague and assuming she and Sov were allowed entry!

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The guilt picked at her, like a vulture at carrion.
Eventually, she told Sovereign of her intent to return to the Desert to at least talk to Satan.
The yearling wasn't a fan, but ultimately didn't stop Nyra from taking the long trip into the hellish lands of her former home within the realm.
Her first, in truth, even when Warcrest hadn't been there.
When Sanatorium had stood.


Now, it was raining, heavily so.
The sky looked almost black with the clouds and rolling thunder overhead.

Nyra hesitated, watching the opening of the Eye to see if Satan might come out, might see her...
She knew he would not be happy to see her again. 
she knew also he would be rather bitter about her and her daughter vanishing into thin air. 

And yet she held herself with grace, poised and practiced in preparation for whatever was to come. 
Every part of her senses remained on alert, constantly making sure she was ready for anything....
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He had been angry, furious even, and had taken that anger out on everything and everyone around him. The walls of the cave sported various claw marks as did a few of his members that dared to speak up. He had even headed north to try and relax. But now, returning home, he had simply fallen silent, only speaking to those around him when telling them what to do. Other than that, he had no connections. 

So, as he moved out of his den for his evening patrols, he paused for a moment, catching a familiar scent. No, he had to just be over thinking again. If she wanted to leave so badly, then she would have no reason to come back. However, that thought quickly faded as he passed the threshold of the caves, stepping out into the rain. There, he saw her, eyes meeting hers for a moment as he stood there silently. He uttered no words and simply turned away from her, heading in the opposite direction to start his patrol. 

He made no moves to attack her, to chase her off, to scream at her or to even speak with her. He had no intentions to.

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Nyra saw him emerge, saw those ruby reds even in the dark.
She tensed, underneath the stillness of her appearance, but nothing came.
They held each other's gaze for but a few moments before he simply turned the opposite direction, supposedly to patrol.

Nyra blinked and did a small double take Like This before standing there, stupidly, for a few more moments, trying to decide if she should just leave, or follow him, or wait inside...

she ultimately chose to watch his figure grow smaller as she plodded into the Eye and chose a spot close to one of the walls to lay down and wait for him to come back, and see if he was in the mood to do anything at that point.
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The man walked away, though he partially expected her to follow him. Be in thankfully or unfortunately, she didn't, leaving him to hunt alone. And so he did, going out to catch one of his normal meals, a camel. This time though, he was clearly not fully paying attention. He had gotten so used to taking down camels that it was an easy thing for him, but this time not so much. There were wounds littering his body, one of his shoulders having been kicked by a camel. Blood covered his white pelt though this time, it was his own. 

Even with that though, he would drag back two corpses, a mother and child corpse. Perhaps it was a message, though he wasn't entirely sure she would have lingered. It certainly wasn't a smart move to do so. However, as the man slightly limped back to the cave dragging the two corpses, eyes would glance over at her, shocked for a moment that she lingered. Was she that desperate to speak with him?

"You're trespassing." He said simply, though she knew him well enough to know there was always a message hidden in his words. This one, that is she didn't start talking soon, he would treat her like a random rogue in his territory.

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The wait was fruitful, if only barely.
You're trespassing.
The Warqueen grunted something soft yet sharp in response, at first.
She indeed knew him well enough to catch the warning behind such simple words.
"If you didn't want me at all, you could've said so." She began vaguely, voice tinted with bitterness.
"You have children now. Granted you can do whatever you please, because you're the King here..." She mused with much less venom. Instead, as she continued talking, her voice sounded tired, and sad.
In her mind, it was assumed he had children with Reign out of love, and not a simple one night stand, and she allowed the assumption to be writ across her face in the way her eyes appeared almost hollow from the confusion and sadness and hurt.
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He dropped the prey as she spoke, turning to look at her, standing so still one could almost assume he was a statue. It wasn't until she finished speaking that he would lunge at her, attempting to knock her down and pin her under him, snarling harshly with fangs showing. "Don't you dare say this is my fault! You left me! Not the other way around!" His voice was loud, screaming and growling as he glared at her. 

"Those children were simply a means to an alliance, you would have known that if you had the guts to ask." He would start to back away, his body trembling from anger as well as pain. "I had planned to have an heir with you, to make you my queen and rule Warcrest along side you. But you clearly didn't think the same. You played me and left me." He would shake his head and snarl, not longer looking at her. 

He wasn't sure if he was more mad at her or himself. "And to think I was stupid enough to believe it when you said you loved me. What jest." He would look up at her, his face now void of any emotions. "But never again...."

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As he lunged, Nyra braced, but as he tried to hold her to the ground and scream at her, she fought back with hurt, wounded tears in her eyes as she bared her own teeth and snapped harshly at him, intent to rend his flesh with her fangs.
Eventually though he moved away of his own volition, but even as the tears stung her eyes and she lunged onto her feet, hackles razored, she roared back at him "I DO LOVE YOU!" She boomed, for once her voice so loud it rivaled the thunder overhead.
"YOU THINK I WOULD'VE JUST LEFT LIKE THAT IF I THOUGHT I HAD ANY OTHER FUCKING CHOICE?!" The Warqueen shrieked, lunging at him in her own effort to barrel him down, to cage him in, as if the wolven equivalent to slamming him into a wall, holding his head in her hands and hissing listen, you stupid motherfucker 
"Yeah, I left you. Because for all I knew my fear was reality and your brood was out of love for someone else." She admitted coldly, even though her voice cracked and quivered along with her body.
Out of hurt, anger, desire, and everything in between.
"I didn't ask, yes. But you also never offered to talk with me about it." She rumbled, eyes blazing as she stared him down even as hot, salty tears rolled down her cheeks.
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As she bit and clawed at him, he would simply take the attacks, almost relishing in the pain as her teeth and claws ripped flesh. Even after he backed away, he would snarl as he listened to her, bracing himself for her to tackle him but no moving away. Though he didn't fall back from the slam, he took the whole brunt of it, his shoulder popping slightly from the force as it dislocated. Still though, he didn't move away, willing to take whatever pain she gave him. In reality, he was so broken, she could go for his throat right now and he probably wouldn't move. 

As she finished speaking though, he would speak up again, his voice dangerously low and quiet. "You say you love me, yet you left. I assumed you would have trusted me, but clearly not. When have I ever been one to explain myself? I didn't think I needed to." Though he didn't cry, his eyes still stung slightly, refusing to show any sort of emotions to her anymore. "You used me to gain power and when you didn't get the power you wanted, you threw me and the pack away like we were trash." 

He would shake his head as he turned to leave, no longer glancing over at her. "Do what you want. I have no say in your life anymore." He was genuinely hurt by her and, in response would entirely shut down emotionally, putting walls around himself once again. Sure, a part of him wanted to her come back, to lead warcrest with him, but another part of him didn't trust her anymore.

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He made his way over to the prey, beginning to drag both of them back into the den and deposit them in the pack cache. He was honestly surprised that she hadn't said anything or stopped him. It seems he had hit a nerve with what he said. Still, he continued to set up whatever he needed to, only after glancing out to see what she was doing. He had heard the whine, only sighing to himself. Perhaps he was a bit too harsh? No, she had left him. Not the other way around. 

After a few moments though, he would huff, walking back into his den to pick up the pelt that he used as bedding. This was getting ridiculous. Dragging it out, he would walk out to her and attempt to toss it over her, not really caring if it landed correctly, just as long as it covered her. "If you're too fucking stubborn to get inside, then here. I don't need a corpse in front of my cave." He would mutter as he turned to leave again, this time glancing behind him to see what she would do. He was still hurt and the wounds on his body was still bleeding, but he figured he might as well care for her first. 

Regardless of how much their yelled at each other and snapped, he still cared about her and, though he would never admit it, still did love her.

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Nyra started if ever slightly when the pelt was thrown over her shoulders.
If you're too fucking stubborn to get inside, then here. I don't need a corpse in front of my cave.
The Warqueen grunted softly in response at first, and after he walked away, she assumed he wouldn't turn around again to see what she did.
This assumption in mind, she stayed outside for a few moments longer before letting out a sharp sigh and going inside, pausing abruptly to see him looking at her as if caught doing something wrong.

Staying paused for only a moment or two, she eventually, gently, pulled the pelt off her shoulders and dropped it by his hind legs.
"I'd feel worse if I let your bedding get drenched any longer." She muttered softly before starting to make her way to one of the inner walls.

She paused again, looking back at him as if in thought, before she approached him a second time, looking over the damage she had done to him with her teeth, the bleeding wounds she made...
A slow exhale as she glanced to his eyes, meeting them with her own as she blinked away the last of her tears.
"Will you let me clean the wounds I gave you?" She eventually requested, voice feather-soft in its utter.
She knew she fucked up, and though the apology wasn't said aloud, there was regret and sorrow in her fiery ambers as well as the unsaid apologies.

This was the least she felt she could do.
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He had indeed been staring at her, waiting for her to eventually get up and make her way inside. Sure enough, she did so, dropping the pelt by his feet. He struggled for a moment to not laugh before picking up the pelt, staring at her for a moment as she looked at the damage she caused, giving her as much time as she wanted to stare at him. Only after she asked to tend to his wounds would be start to walk back into his den, tossing the pelt onto the ground again. 

"Only if you join me for dinner." He would move to pull out a carcass, grunting slightly from the pain in his shoulder, though not voicing any pain. Red eyes would glance over at her, idly staring at her as he worked. It was clear he still loved her though he knew they needed to talk.

Only after he pulled the food out would he speak, his voice low and quiet. "Are you staying?" That was really all he cared about at this point, hope hidden in his voice.

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Only if you join me for dinner He said, walking to his den.
Nyra watched him disappear into the dark, to reappear with a carcass.
She moved toward him and the chosen meal, looking at him again as he asked...
Are you staying?

She didn't hesitate with her answer any longer than a few seconds, just to torture the poor man in a playful, silent jest.
"Yes, if you want me to." She said gently, yet with certainty, not yet making a move to bite into their meal.
She would wait for him to take the first morsel before joining in, it felt only right to do so.
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The man would watch her as he waited, not yet eating and only sitting down next to the corpse. The second that she waited felt like an eternity, though he said nothing about it. However she finally did answer, leaving the brute to let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding.

Instead of eating first, or saying anything he simply would sand up quietly before heading over to her side. Without a single word he would aim to press his head against her neck, breathing in her scent if she let him.

”Be my queen.” He said simply, his voice quiet but determined. He knew what he wanted and it was now sitting next to him.

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Nyra watched as he let out a breath.
Had he been holding one in for that long?
She wanted to chuckle softly, but refrained, instead allowing him to get closer, allowing him to press into her neck fur and breathe in her scent.

Be my Queen Was all he said. 
The Warqueen was bewildered, surprised, caught off guard.
But she didn't show any of it, instead pressing gently into him and his touch, and embracing him as best she could.

"Okay." She agreed softly, offering a gentle lick to his cheek before pressing her own nose into his ruff, breathing him in as well.
The monolitic woman would loosen her embrace ever slightly then, allowing Satan the opportunity to pull away if he wanted to, so they could eat, and so she could tend to the wounds she had given him after they both had filled their bellies, like she had requested.
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The man smiled into her fur, though said nothing else. As she licked his cheek, he would sigh contently, laying himself next to her. It was only then that he would begin to eat, clearly relaxing for the first time since she left. Though, he still would glance up at her every once in a while, almost as if he was afraid that she would leave again, or that she was just a figment of his imagination. 

Relaxing slightly, he would let her do whatever she wanted, whether she eat now or work on his wounds. Whatever she did, he didn't care as long as she did it with him.

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Nyra let out a low, soft rumble of content as she laid down close to his form, deciding to lick gently at the bleeding wounds she had given him only minutes prior to this...peace.

Once she was sure he was as clean as he could get before a medic was able to get to him, she smiled ever slightly and adjusted to start tearing into their meal.
She would eat for many minutes, occasionally glancing at him from the side as she thought over their new mateship.

Swallowing another bite, she looked to him and decided it was a valid question to ask:
"Will we make an announcement?" She voiced quietly in reference to them becoming mates and by extension, her becoming the Queen. Intrigue was on her features as she listened for his words, watched for his reaction.
If he didn't think a meeting was needed, she would leave it alone then.
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He was content to let her heal him as she wished, for once happy that she was here and back with him. However, he was now more aggressive and possessive than normal, not longer trusting that she wouldn't leave him. And so, when she asked if they would make an announcement, he would grin, flicking his tongue across his lips. "Of course, everyone will know that you're back and that you're mind. If anyone tries to ruin that, their pelt will line the den." The threat was clear, he was willing to kill anyone, even her, if they tried to ruin this.

 

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He confirmed an announcement would be made, but there was an underlying threat aimed at her that she caught.
A strong defiance flashed in her eyes immediately, but she took a slow inhale to calm the rising aggression that screamed at her to rip into him again.

The fucking audacity of this man.

She could understand his desire to not be hurt again, but god damn.

Nyra snorted softly in response, and rose from her place beside him, turning to disappear down into the depths of the caverns without another sound.
She wouldn't go to his den or even her own yet though, instead intending to visit the Mouth of Anubis, the blood-colored lake that sat deep underground.
It was like a sanctuary of sorts, and she remembered, after seeing Exalted in Highvalley, the meaning the Mouth used to have here, its significance. 

But so far, it was only sacred to her, as far as she knew.
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