Warriors Nature (open)

[angel]

Angel Fraisure had been born to be a fighter, His body was a towering brick of muscle and most that spent any time around him saw him as just that. A fighter that knew how to fight using his body and weapons. More than that though was the fact that he was one of the best and most dangerous trainers that operated as a member of the guard. More often than not one would find him or the captain personally overseeing the training of the newly commissioned soldiers. But despite that he was far from a cold blooded killer, his size belied the hidden calm and peace loving nature of the man. At the moment you would hardly realize how much he hated bloodshed as he stood in the middle of the Guardsmen wing of the palace. Around it were barracks an armory and a training courtyard. At the moment the grounds were slicked with mud from recent rains pounding the region.

Angel stood in the midst of a ring of young untested lycans. He was showing them what he could teach them. To often a pup would come in having grown particularly reliant on a specific sense. More often than not it was the sense of sight. He would break them of that. Vision could lie to a person, smells and even sounds could be a useful tool and the senses of a lycan made all of them fully useful. At the perimeter were a number of the elder instructors. Of course their were also a few off duty guards watching the display as their lieutenant stood amongst the crowd. His breathing easy in the damp air. Is leather clad feet light in the squelching mud of the parade ground. His ears twitching, listening to them. His breath steaming as he breathed in through his nose only exhaling from his mouth.

The Instructors had given each of the pups some training but a little bit of training to young lycans had made this batch arrogant, one would think they would learn better. Angel planned to teach them a little humility and show them how little they actually knew. They reeked of arrogance as they stood unsure, after all 20 soldiers against one seemed unfair. Grinning, Angel peeled the leather vest from his rain slicked form, it revealed the white scars that cut across his body, gathered in many battles against creatures that had the talent and ability to actually hurt their kind. Some of them from the captain herself. He could remember a few times when he was younger, when he couldn’t control himself as well. Entire nights under the full moon the too of them tearing into them.

For this exercise all Angel carried was a stout staff of sorts of the same weight and design as his 6 foot claymore though dulled to the point that it was no more than a club. Either way though his attacks would be more effective than the clumsy movements of the pups. A few of them he noted were young lords of random houses. Pups sent to the guards to learn how to behave. How to follow orders the more rebellious ones. He remembered distinctly the training he had put Duke Richard through. The boy had proved more than apt with blades. Particularly short swords and daggers.

It was in clumsy disorder that they came at him, some seemed more cautious but all of them charged. He listened for an escape and moved to the side ducking under on particularly over eager pups axe stroke. Angels free hand clamping onto the boys hand turning him as Angel moved out of the ring of children with a grace that in all accounts should have never been possible in someone of his size. Then was the fact that he had done it without making a noise. The one gripped in his mit of a hand found his hand unable to move against Angels unheard of strength.

“Clumsy, Slow... Weak...”

Each word characterized his manner, careful and sure as he slammed a knee into the trainee causing his entire body to lift from the ground and causing him to bite into his tongue at the same time. Angel could smell the boy's blood as he let him sink to the ground. He would heal and honestly he had held back. The boy would be left to quiver in the mud until he could drag himself off. No one would help the children in this training... it was not allowed, if they got hurt protecting the king the others duties fell to that protection not helping the fallen. Their would be time enough for that after the king was safe... Plus they were Lycans they healed faster than mortals.

Again the students thought they had the advantage, after all he was in a corner with a fallen comrade. It was amazing how much confidence dripped from them in their scent. Angel had patience enough to stalk a deer, he had the courage even to face a lycan when he was a human and force it from his village a feat that few mortals could have ever say they did... the cost though was loosing his tribe and people.

He waited for them he listened as their booted feet slid in the soft mud their movements clumsy and loud as he wondered if they would ever be able to move across a stone floor slicked with blood. If they couldn’t move safely through the mud they had no chance as guards. He smelled one closer to his left the steel club whipping out with the force of his body in that direction catching the trainee against her ribs sending her smashing into the padded wall and whimpering on the ground. In the same movement he ducked below a second attack before slamming a solid left hook into the mans face literally flattening him with a single strike. He felt the blow of a mace against his back, let out a light grunt before turning and using his sword like a baseball bat both hands upon the hilt and slamming it with all of his weight into the boys stomach leaving him crumpled upon the female trainee in the corner.

The students were stunned by the vicious assault they all froze seeing their squad mates on the ground each of them whimpering or simply knocked fully unconscious in the mud. Angel could taste the fear and rage boiling in a few of them as they tried to contain themselves. They hadn’t expected angel to actually hurt them. They had thought this would be an easy thing to do. The instructors and the guards had all gone through this when him and Dawn had trained them. Though it seemed that sometimes Angel was more vicious in his methods than his sister in law.

“Hmph,”

A simple grunt was all that was needed, the instructors had already explained what was expected and he could see a few of the trainees loosing it, a few were falling to their knees green and sick at the sight of their fellows. A few others looked like they were about to explode out of their skin and those left were just frozen and afraid to move. They had been warned not to allow themselves to change. That they had to fight this battle in their human state. He saw a group of them 5 in total, they looked to be allowing their rage and fear to take over. A deep growl rippled through Angel as he barked a deep command to them. They didnt hear him their rage and fear had lost themselves, Glancing at the instructors he nodded as they pulled the others to the side.

It tended to happen like this, a group of them got so petrified of him they lost control, the fighters that wouldnt ever back down would let the change take them and then try to take him. Yet they had never seen his monster. Tossing the the shaft of steel to the side he stalked forward. Letting his eyes close as he reached into himself, he felt out for the moon in the night above but he didnt need that, he had learned to change and control himself as he brought it upon himself. Blood read fur sprouted from his tanned hide, he looked to be coated in dried blood as his jaw pushed forward and formed a muzzle. His ears elongating into elegant points and his body nearly doubling in height.

He saw the pups run at him, one clawed hand caught the quickest who tried to jump for this neck, it sent the pup spiraling to the ground. The next came low only to find Angels leg catching him in the face snapping his head back with a crack as he lay on the ground. The other three lunged at the same time. Angel reached out collecting 2 with his hands. The third, and final of them nipped at him only to find a foot lifting and slamming into the fork between his legs sending it to the ground in obvious pain.

Angel then tossed the 2 he had held dangling in his hands choking to the ground and groweled at them until they cowered and retreated. Slowly they took to human shape. It took less time for Angel to Change back but he did... His eyes hard upon the pups that he had beaten. He hated doing it, he hated to make them feel that kind of pain but it was needed, they had to understand what it was like to fight in a real battle. He had known he wouldnt kill them, that they would live... but eventually it would be really. Letting his eyes catch each of them his dark eyes seeing the fear in their eyes. He spoke quietly and calmly to them. His words nearly silent in the stunned training area. His fingers grabbing his vest and pulling it back on and fastening it shut across his chest.

“If this had been a real battle, If I had been an enemy of the Throne... Each of you would not just be wounded... But dead...”

He left them like that, let them stew in the realization that they should all be dead, that he could have killed them all. He shivered at the thought as he left the grounds stalking to a a guards room and connected showers. He rinsed the thick mud from his body. Before leaving in a change of leathers, the last thing he needed was someone seeing him in muddy clothing. He of course put the sodden attire into a bag, he would grab it on his way home to his Summer. Dawn had ordered him home for the duration of his mates moment of fertility. As he moved he headed towards a small out of the way point of the palace, a simple place that held within it a small place of peace, a garden that existed in one of the courtyards that was open to the world outside, he followed the path through until he found an ancient oak in its center. His body sinking to the grassy earth as he just closed his eyes and listened. Let his nose take in the smell and sounds of the miniature sanctuary. As he sat he could hear it, the rustle of the wings of the hawk. It was old, but it stayed in the oak only coming out to catch the occasional mouse or to say little things to the elder Lycan.

“Blessings winged brother”

He whispered to the hawk as it landed upon Angels hand letting out a shriek of aged understanding and greeting.

[Summer Fraisure]

For some reason, Summer felt like surprising her mate, Angel. She didn't exactly know why, but she was certain it wasn't because she was ovulating. At least she didn't think she was. She could never tell these days. The only way she could tell was if she was feeling increasingly aroused or Angel was being much more playful than usual. She was so tired of ovulation tests and trips to Doctor Alder. Nothing was wrong with her or Angel, so why were they not having pups? Perhaps they were putting too much pressure on each other. Perhaps they should just stop trying and just enjoy the intimacy and the time they had together. The question was, could she do that? She was almost three hundred years old and still without pups of her own. She didn't like the strain it was putting on their relationship though. She knew Angel wanted pups and she wanted pups as well, but she was starting to wonder if maybe they just weren't meant to have them. As much as it pained Summer to think that, she might have to accept that fact.

So she closed up shop a little early, making sure all her stuff was locked away safely in the booth. She started for the palace, walking at a leisurely pace. She imagined Angel would enjoy the surprise visit. She didn't visit him at work very often, but that was because she didn't want to see what he really did at work. It was bad enough that Dawn did what she did on the job, but she didn't like to think about what Angel did as well.

By the time she got there, Angel was already gone. She went past the training grounds, taking in the "carnage" of the new trainees. He certainly never went easy on them. She could understand why though. You couldn't guard the king and the royal family if you were a weakling. Angel usually weeded out the weaklings easily. Summer was a little irritated that she'd only missed him by minutes, but that always seemed to be her luck when she went looking for her mate. She spoke to one of his lower ranked men for a moment to figure out where ran off to. She was informed that after he took a shower he went roaming through the woods. She managed to pick up his scent a few yards into the woods. She slowly followed the scent, keeping an eye open for her mate as well.

She stopped when she found him. She smiled softly and leaned against a tree as she watched him with the hawk. She would have approached him, but she didn't want to scare the hawk away. She she just leaned against the tree she stood by and laid her head against it gently, golden eyes watching her mate with his woodland creature. It always reminded her of that first time she ever saw him with all the little woodland creatures.

[angel]

The forest was such a special place, it seemed that no matter where you looked while under its canopy their was always some piece of life circling. If one was to believe in the legends of his people, when one passed from their mortal lives their spirits took a place among the animals that the tribe held as sacred. It was for this reason that he held such respect for the creatures that surrounded his home. He hunted when he needed to and even then he never used the powers granted to him as a Lycan. It felt that the hunt was cheapened by doing that. No instead he would take his time and look at each paw print, or the mark left by a hoof as the animal moved across the area it was within.

This particular place was special to him, for many reasons really and not because the Hawk had a roost within the ancient Oak. Angel had never been sure how long that particular tree had been within the forest or why it was so annoyingly difficult to locate it. In all honesty it seemed like a sanctuary that only he and those he showed the path to even knew about. Oh it would hardly be troublesome to track him he left some signs if one knew what to look for. But that was not why he was in the sanctuary of the forest listening to the trilling of the birds. Even the Hawk was more talkative than normal, though it was honestly difficult to fully comprehend what a bird had to say.

In truth, Angel had realized that this was perhaps some piece of his legacy, his grandfather had been a medicine man for his people, a sort of spirit guide a person that could even commune with the spirits... or that was what his mother had told him. Had he stayed a human he would have likely been taught of those abilities by the medicine man at that time. His grandfathers apprentice and son. The man had been Angel's uncle and yet that chance had never happened. As such as age came and Angel learned more and more about his connection to the animals and how it was all connected he gained a clearer understanding of what an animal meant by a certain sound it meant. It also meant that it was impossible to sneak up on him in the forest, though it was hardly a simple matter to do anyway. He tended to blame the hard shoes worn by most of the lycans.

The rubber soles made to much noise and didn’t flex as much as the leather moccasins that adorned his own giant feet. That of course was not how he knew when Summer stopped outside the edge of the clearing. No the actual reason was that he could hear the beat of her heart, he had after all memorized the stead thrum and sound of it years before. Before that though was the fact that he had heard the lithe movements of her through the underbrush. He knew of course she was their as he looked to his brother hawk. Leaning he whispered to the hawk making sure his mate would not know the small conversation that took place before the Red Tailed hawk took to air for a moment vanishing into the brush. It had to find a path to Summer after all.

“Summer, you should lift your hand out like mine was a moment ago.”

He called winking in her direction... He knew the hawk would wait for her hand to raise before landing, but Angel chose to move as it did. His hide skin clothing allowing him to blend into the forest more naturally than most cotton based clothing ever would. It took him a rather short time to backtrack around his mate and come up behind her. A grin plastered upon his face as he remembered her stumbling into the clearing to find him sitting in just pants his long hair tied back as the animals scattered. He had known by their reaction that it was a lycan, however for the life of him he couldn't actually manage to say anything either. But then his English had not been as well rounded or natural to him in those days.

So as to ensure she didn't flinch from the hawk as it came upon a branch near Angel and Summer he slid up behind her, He could smell her, she still smelled the same, it was an odd smell that he could hardly describe if anything he could only describe it as the season that was her namesake. One hand slid without thought to her waist as he towered up behind her his heart beating as hard as it ever did in her presence his other hand slipping along her hand to hold it in place.

“Watch”

The words were a hushed whisper as the Hawk moved, feeling safer with angels presence with Summer alone to travel towards the outstretched hand.

(OOC: I can alter the post if you wish to remove the last couple paragraphs just let me know, I was going to ask but you weren't online at the moment...)

[Summer Fraisure]

She wasn't surprised that he heard her coming. She wasn't all that great oat being stealthy. She didn't care all that much. She wasn't really one who enjoyed hunting. When she did she really only tracked. She always let her prey get away. She just couldn't bring herself to killing another living, breathing thing. She just enjoyed tracking stuff. She discovered interesting places that way. That's how she found him that first time. She grinned as he winked at her then blinked in confusion. "What?" She asked, watching the hawk swoop into the trees. She looked back to Angel, a frown on her lips.

She sighed and looked around for him as he disappeared into the trees as well. It was annoying how easily he could do that. Just sink into the forest as if he were one of the trees. You would think a man his size and stature would never be as stealthy as her guardian angel. She let out a gasp of surprise as he came up behind her and wrapped an arm around her waste. She grinned and looked up to him as her hand ran over his arm softly. She always welcomed his strong touch. It made her feel so much more safe. He was a comfort to her, and she rarely slept well when he had to work late.

She looked up to him at the softly spoken word for a moment as his hand gently guided hers in offering to the hawk. She looked up to the majestic bird as he fluttered down to her hand, wrapping his talons around her fingers. She didn't really notice the pain it caused. She was too entranced by the beautiful animal. "Show off." She meant it teasingly of course. He had a magical way with animals and she would never fault him for it because she certainly had no way with animals. She just liked to poke a little fun at him on occassion.

She understood Angel's love of animals. It was a part of him and his people. They worshiped the spirits of the animals, so she understood the way he was with animals. She kind of envied his connection with nature. She loved animals, but she didn't have the touch with them like he did. She looked up to Angel, smiling softly before looking to the hawk. She reached her free hand up and softly stroked a crooked finger down the feathery chest of the hawk. "Well, Hello there." She cooed to the hawk softly.

[angel]

In all honesty their was nothing better than holding Summer in his life. All the animals that gathered around him or listened to his words. Nothing came close to compare to what he felt with his arms wrapped protectively and gently around his mate. Her touch along his arm, was gently and relaxing after the training he had put the pups through. A line of fire of sorts rippled along his nerves where her fingers traced his arm. He found it amusing that at times they could find themselves not speaking and yet understanding the thoughts of the others mind, in many ways he thought they had spoken to each other without realizing it that first time they met.

He watched her face as she looked at him, the gentle warming smile that had a habit of him forgetting the curse that had extended the span of his life, at times he was left wondering how a curse could allow him to be so happy. It was not something that he could understand and yet he was missing some tiny thing that he desired, he wanted her to bear him a child and yet as the years had dripped by nothing they had done had allowed to to take with child. He wasn't about to bring it up, he was apparently capable according to the fertility doctor but something was wrong with them. It drove him mad to think about his inability as a mate.

Yet it was not a thought that plagued him when he was with her, when he could feel the life of her against his body. His hand wrapped around his waist her scent filling his nostrils blocking out the smell of the forest that wafted around them. As he held her hand up watching the hawk come forth, he let his eyes drift shut, taking in her scent let it run through him like a cooling spring in the midst of a summer.

"Show off."

[/center]

He grinned as he leaned down letting his head that was normally well above her head rest in the crook of her neck kissing it gently as he held her soft radiant form against his own gargantuan rock of a body. He let his mind wander back to the moment of their meeting in the very clearing that they now stood outside of. Him leaning against the oak the animals chattering happily as he stroked a young fawns fur. She had burst through the clearing as graceful as ever, He would never admit it but that first meeting, she had surprised him, he hadn't been snuck up on since he became a lycan and yet here she had done just that. It was why his head had whipped up the way it had and the animals bolting every direction but towards her.

“I didn’t do anything... The Hawk wanted to meet you...”

[/center]

He responded with a grin, he had known her words were a tease. Fact was though that he could ask an animal a favor but to control them was not a talent that he held in his hand, and if he did it was not something he would ever wish to use upon them. No he had felt an urge to let his mate meet one of his friends, let her see the world that he could. More than that though, he felt a sort of overwhelming glee that was probably near childlike when he did something that surprised his mate.

"Well, Hello there."

[/center]

Angel noted as the Hawk bowed its head slightly one eye watching Summer and Angel. It was an odd thing to see, a hawk from the wild on the finger of a lycan, not many would believe such a thing possible in the reality of things. Yet here it was happening before her eyes, and upon her fingers. It was always enjoyable for him to show her some different piece of his people for in his eyes in marrying him she became one of the tribe, though now many of his people would not know of him nor even the language of their people. So what he could show and teach he did.

“He is winged brother, Alas he is ancient and tired, finds the hunt more trouble with each passing moon. So I spend time with him, He and I have been friends for many seasons. He is the one that had the broken wing a few summers back that I healed on the roof... He wished to thank you for the safety you provided him.”

[/center]

He whispered the words unconsciously translating the shrieks of the hawk to his mates ears. While he did that he slid a hand into a pouch at it waist digging around until he pulled out a small package that he opened and offered to his mate with a light grin.

“you should give him the fish, I told him you would give him some food if he landed on your finger...”

[/center]

[Summer Fraisure]

A slow, easy smile spread across her lips as she studied the hawk thoughtfully, listening to Angel's translation. Her free hand continued to stroke along his chest soothingly. She looked down at the offered package before looking up to Angel with a faint smile. "Resorting to bribery?" She asked teasingly as she looked back down to the package and gently picked up a piece of fish and began to feed the hawk. She remembered him now. Angel found the hurt hawk out on their private balcony with a broken wing. They gave the animal shelter until he could heal. "I remember you." She murmured as she met the hawk's gaze. "And there is no need for your thanks." She said sweetly as she watched the majestic animal on her hand.

It saddened her a little to know that he was growing old. It would be only a matter of time until the majestic predator would leave this world. She didn't quite remember what happened to the deceased in Native American culture. Death was so long away for her and Angel that she so rarely thought of it, much less speak of it. Deep golden eyes studied the Hawk in silence as she fed him the fish slowly, watching the majestic beast as he ripped at the flesh with his beak and talons.

She looked back up to Angel as she gave the hawk the last piece of fish. She softly leaned back a little, knowing his muscular frame could easily support her lithe, small frame. She turned her gaze back to the Hawk with a faint smile. It was most certainly not every day that you saw a lycan with a hawk perched on her hand. It wasn't every day that she had one perched on her arm. Angel always knew how to surprise her like this.

And she just now realized they were in the clearing where her and Angel first met. The corner of her lips quirked upwards at this realization and she looked around for a moment, noting the clearing for a moment, then her gaze fell on the big oak tree. She could easily remember every little detail of those few short minutes where they just stood there in silence, having some sort of silent conversation. The tree, the flowers, the bush she came bounding out of hot on the trail of a deer. And him, sitting in the middle of the clearing with animals bounding all over the place to escape her. She remembered it all. She grinned and looked up to Angel with a soft, content smile on her lips. “Surely you plan some of this?” She asked teasingly as she turned her head and nuzzled her nose into his jaw softly, brushing her lips over his neck tenderly.

[angel]

It was her smile, the way it spread across her lips, much as the sun would rise in the east, that he lived for. Any other purpose and other excuse he could think of in her presence he could see and find no curse to his life. It was amusing how easily the translation of the hawks speech came to him, but then this hawk he had know for years. He could only stand and watch his mate in transfixed silence. He wished that he could just teach her how to understand them, but it wasn't something that was taught, it was something that you learned. You had to be able to understand the way each creature interacted with to. In all honesty he felt that is she could learn to be as still as him, to learn how to really listen to the world she could share in the harmony and peace of spirit that he had gained.

"Resorting to bribery?"

“The Hawk likes fish... and I wanted you to share in this...”

He whispered, for this hawk was more than he would admit to her, this hawk wad followed him, journeyed with him from his home and how it still lived boggled his mind, and only one thing had made sense to him. Why it was always near always watching. Sometimes he wondered, why it was this hawk kept such a close eye on him, why it never mated or ever left. Yet it did, it watched him grow and learn. It had been this hawk that had placed him in the path of his future. Yet he never knew why. Never understood why it wanted him in this clearing.

Yet here he was, waiting for it to happen, this hawk was a spirit, had watched him and taught him what he needed to learn. Its time to teach was fading and in time it would, It was a sad time for him. Yet it was a gift granted to him by Maheo, the creator. He could only watch as his mate and the spirit spent some time together. Angel, knew that the sun, moved across the sky could feel the change in the forest as time moved on.

“Surely you plan some of this?”

He could only smile at her words, the teasing tone of her voice making his heart skip a beat. How long had they sat here. He could only watch the Hawk that was a spirit, his guide in this world. His mind wondering, all the questions that had never been answered. Why the body of a hawk? Who the spirit had been in life? Why Maheo had sent him a spirit guide. Yet none had been answered.

“I planned nothing,”

He whispered to his mate, he watched as the hawk launched from his mate and flew through the tree's the sun sinking darkening the forest, revealing a glow to the hawk as it flitted to the clearing. Taking his mate by the hand, he moved forward, he could see the animals clustered at the edges of the clearing, watching the hawk that sat before them.

“Maheo... Great Medicine in your tongue, sent us a guide my love.”

How can one describe the moment a spirit moves on to live as one with all others that went before, the light that washed the clearing as Angel simple held his mate. Feeling the life and power that came from the spirit. Then a voice, one that he had heard so often in the past, one that he had fought to protect. The one that had died as he strove to take the life of the lycan that changed him.

“Ho'neeme'ehne, A fitting name I think... Summer... My sun speaks highly of you and I can hardly disagree in his choice of a mate”

A woman, no taller than summer stepped from the light, as if life had poured to his mother and lifted her to the world. He would have never guessed that his guide would be his mother, that the creator, would guide him through his mother. One that knew him so well, the one that had borne him to this world had guided Summer to him and he simply couldn’t handle it as he collapsed to the ground, tears within his eyes. He could feel his mother hear her in the clearing, feel the touch of her on his hand. Looking he noticed her hand, holding him and Summers hands together. A kiss to his forehead and her other hand wiping away his tears.

He could only stare, at his mother, watch as she held their hands and whisper things into his mates ear. Who knew what words they were for somehow they were kept from him. Secrets granted to her from the Maheo, to be passed to his mate. He wondered what it could be. Finished his mother drew him to his feet, he slouched slightly as she beckoned to him The tongue that whispered in his ear was that of his people so long since it fell upon his ears that he hardly recognized it.

“You are not cursed son, Rising Wolf you were Risen you have... Blessings from Maheo... And shall you bear many Pups.”

With that their was nothing. His mother and the hawk had vanished to the greaty beyond... She now was with the spirits. One thought remained in his mind, Why bless them with many pups, when they couldn't have one. A sigh broke upon his lips, wondering if the secret words spoken to his mate had been some secret thing to do. Or some way to lead to them having a pup or three. He honestly didn't know what to say, a blessing from the creator as it was said by his people, among one of his chosen people, that had been cursed a curse that kept him alive, had been blessed.


(OOC: kinda crappy any issues let me know, It was 4 in the morning when i wrote it)

[Summer Fraisure]

She looked to Angel in confusion after the hawk swept through the forest away from them. "What are you talking about, Angel?" She was a little confused to say the least, but she followed as he guided her after the hawk. She let out a gasp of surprise as a bright light flashed in front of them.

Summer watched in shocked awe as the hawk disappeared into the light and out stepped a very beautiful woman. She jumped as someone began to talk and realized it was the woman. She blinked in surprise, tensing and pressing into Angel. She didn't know what to make of all of this. Summer wasn't exactly the very spiritual type, and this definitely counted as something spiritual. That much was clear. She looked up to Angel in confusion when she realized the woman had addressed Angel in his native tongue. Her head snapped back to the woman though as she began to speak to Summer. She blushed a little as the woman spoke of how highly Angel spoke of her. She looked up to Angel though, when she heard a particular word. "Your mother?" She asked weakly. Summer thought she would never get the chance to meet Angel's parents. After all, they were humans, which meant they passed long ago.

She looked to Angel, frowning she carefully laid a hand over his head tenderly. She very seldom saw her mate behave in such a way. It was a surprise, and it made her ache for him. She looked to her other hand as she felt a warmth grow on it. Angel's mother was holding Summer and Angel's hands together. She smiled weakly and looked up to the woman, watching as she soothed her son. She looked to Angel as his mother began to whisper words of encouragement to Summer. Encouragement not to give up on having pups. And something about certain rituals of fertility, but Summer wasn't entirely sure she understood. Did Angel know of any fertility rituals? Summer felt tears well up in her eyes at this wisdom though. Surely a spirit would not encourage such a behavior if that meant that she would never have pups. The spirit may have not said it exactly, but the knowledge that she would have pups filled her soul with gladness. A sense of relief washed over her at this news.

Golden eyes watched as the mother spirit urged his son up and spoke to him quietly in their language. She smiled weakly as she watched in silence, her hand gently gripping at Angel's in a silent comfort. She gently moved to press close to Angel, stroking his hair slowly and tenderly. She watched her mother-in-law as she left the two of them, and she wondered if she would see her ever again. She wasn't sure, but she didn't want to ask Angel and risk upsetting him any at the moment. She looked up to him and brushed a kiss over his cheek tenderly. "Let's go home, Angel." It was really an order or anything. It was more of a plea. She wished to go home and just spend some time with him alone. It didn't matter to her whether they made love or not. She just wanted to spend time with Angel.