Whitestone Monadnock at your worst you still believe

Early Morning || Heavy snow, -1 ° F, -18 ° C

She was tired of this already and the season was still young. Piety frequently busied herself by digging in the snow or getting Morganna to groom her. Both were merely temporary fixes for the itch and fire. She grew more irritable by the day. Luckily the two females below her often stayed out of her way. She feared one wrong move from them would light her fuse.

There was a way to put an end to all of this still early on. She knew if she went to the right place and did the right things he would be able to find her. Only he would know that her little hints were special. That morning she had crept out of the den from @Wraith and Morganna's sleeping pile. She left the giant a nip on his cheek and the lead Archer was given a gentle nose to her scruff. She took her time to make her way down the monadnock in the morning light. Snow had covered the land so she was careful with her steps. From the clouds overhead it seemed like more snow would fall from the skies any moment.

She worked her way around Whitestone's frozen water source. Soon it would thaw out and be a lovely place to play and watch the sunset. She was eager for those days but until then she was content with the cold tundra. It would help soothe that awful feeling under her skin...

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Fenrir, save him, this season was a brutal one. As if @Morganna had not been enough to handle for another year, fate had tossed him a sister of sorts. It did Wraith's soul good to see Morganna bonding with another, especially a female. She needed a friend that could understand her in all ways, including the ways only women understood. While Wraith could offer all the advice in the world to his Alpha, he could fully admit that he would never understand some things and nor would @Craw for that matter.

Piety was as much a gift as she was a curse. But as far as curses went, he was perfectly happy being vexed.

A warm, sleepy grumble greeted her plaintive nibbling and Wraith had as much hope falling deeper into slumber as the river had of running uphill. Encouraging Morganna deeper into slumber with gentle, repetitive licks along her head, the brute hummed a sigh. He shouldn't keep her waiting too long. His own instincts would not allow him to wait anyway.

While Craw was seeing to it that his old packmates were staying settled, Wraith saw to the duties within the pack. And two particularly rowdy females had been nagging him for days. On silent paws, Wraith slipped from the den and trailed after @Piety with a slightly groggy saunter. Upon finding her, the black man sat beside her and rested his chin on her crown and let his eyes slide closed while snow fell around them in heavy waves.

"Good morning, love," he murmured gently.

There is a deer that was killed by a lynx nearby. +10 Health

She didn't have to turn her head to know she was being blessed with his presence. The pale female kept herself composed and seated right where she was. Her muddy eyes looking directly out into the vast lands of the tundra while he sat next to her. That feeling under her skin grew stronger but she stayed still, behaved for now.

"love."

Her heart picked up its beating. When was the last time it felt like this? When Morganna took her ear? When Skoll called her Miss Santoro? When Sven was born? She couldn't remember but none of that mattered. His chin was resting on her head so she leaned into his kind embrace a bit. "Good morning." The dove cooed back softly. She had no idea what to call him in return so a simple greeting would do for now. With the snow falling strongly she was grateful for his appearance. Between him and the natural fire in her, she would be warm.

"I'm lucky, you know." Her voice was gentle as she spoke to him. There was not a trace of her usual teasing tones that she had with the large male. "Between you and Morganna I don't think I could ever spend a day here and feel unloved." It was no secret that the dark Archer had taken to guarding Piety against anyone who wasn't Wraith. Even at night, the pale Santoro could occasionally find herself tucked more against Morg than anyone else. She never minded, though.

Piety let her nose ruffle through the thick fur on his chest and neck. She hadn't known him that long but they had been spending countless hours together. As sad as it was to say, once Wraith had come into the picture it seemed Lorcan had been painted out. A brief frown crossed her face but she simply dug herself into his fur to hide it. His scent would soothe her down hopefully, it always had.

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Unless it was ever pointed out to him specifically, Wraith never would have noticed that @Piety had no term of endearment for him to match his own. It wasn't something that bothered or threatened the northerner as he was just fine with her taking things at her own pace. However, it did not take any great amount of investigation to know that what was between them was far more than just friendship. For it to never have a name suited the male just fine as well, for he enjoyed her presence whether they were friends or whatever this something more could be called.

Snow gathered on the black man's thick eyelashes and peppered his fur until he could fool another to believe him a black and white wolf at a distance. The image reminded him of @Enoki and he wondered how the bicolored woman was doing in passing. But no more than a passing thought was spared for her as his attention was far more devoted to the woman beside him.

He was enamored and not at all ashamed to say it if it was asked of him. At least not if it was @Craw or @Morganna doing the asking. To Piety herself, well. He had no problem calling her love. To another packmate, he would make no comment if asked straight out how he felt about her. It was no one else's business but his own, Piety's, and perhaps the Alphas.

'I'm lucky, you know.'

He hummed in question, canting his head slightly as he listened to her explanation. A slow, easy smile spread across his face and his amber eyes opened to shine with warmth as he too looked out across the tundra. "Good," he rumbled with approval.

Not so long ago, she had confided in him how worried she was about maintaining her rank. And now, here she was, right alongside him. It felt right. As if it were meant to be that way all along.

"You smell lovely," he murmured, his voice far huskier than it had been moments before. The male tilted his head to snuffle at the base of her torn ear and licked there gently.

His rumble of approval was met with a gentle whine. It wasn't one out of fear, though. While she was this nuzzled into him she wasn't even sure that fear was an emotion she could experience. If it was, she knew that the gentle giant could protect her.

Piety's good ear flicked softly at his compliment. She noticed how his tone had changed and she couldn't stop a smile from curling up her lips. Once she felt him kiss near her damaged ear she rumbled with a playful growl. The pale dove pulled away from his form and let her tail sway behind her, obvious that she was perhaps only luring him in more. "I know." She cooed out and took a few prances away from him. Her head turned back to look over her shoulder at the large man. They could enjoy each other's company before anyone else came around.

Her tail kept its gentle swaying motion as she slowly moved out into the snowy lands. The pale Santoro was positive her message would get through to him. If he didn't then it was purely his loss. Well, not exactly. She would still be left with the irritations of her heat and that longing feeling. For good measure she sent him another glance and barked softly.

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Wraith laughed outright at her comment, the sound low and appreciative. It was so much more natural this season. There wasn't the hurt, the pain, the anxiety that came with the turmoil surrounding Willow Ridge. This season, there was only the snow, the monadnock, and a beautiful woman staring at him with a sultry smile over her shoulder in clear invitation.

Propriety said this should be wrong. In another pack, perhaps that was true. But under Morganna and Craw, the laws were different. Perhaps that was simply because it was specifically him and specifically Piety.

Fuck propriety, Wraith thought with satisfaction.

Perhaps this time...it would be different. Perhaps this time, he could help raise the pups as more than just a teacher or mentor. Perhaps this time, he could actually be a father. But those were musings for the future and it had no place in the present.

The gold of his eyes was but a thin circle as his pupils dilated wide. As his laughter was dimmed by the thick fall of snow, Wraith stood and followed after Piety away from their home. As if he didn't already know what she wanted, her soft bark left no room for wondering. More than ready to ease her heat, the brute happily approached and nuzzled along her neck in promise before nipping playfully at her tender ear before taking off across the land to put more distance between them and the pack. While Wraith was a thorough teacher, he had no intention of teaching the pups just how other pups were made in such a public way.

Piety adored his laughter in every way possible. There was so much heart in it every time. It never once seemed false or forceful. She would make up a thousand and one jokes just to hear his laugh all day.

She knew he would follow after. The pale female leaned into his touch before he pulled away. Piety was quick to chase after him and even nip at his hip when she was close enough. Her tail had positioned itself to wave above her pale form like a banner as she followed him further away from the center of their Monadnock home. She understood exactly why he was leading them out. This was a more private encounter than their usual spars or patrols.

The tattered dove let out a loud bark and tried to bump into his side. He was much larger than her but she knew he could play along. Or at least she was hoping he would. "Get me!" She called out as she pushed herself to try and get ahead of the dark second. Everything felt easier this time around. Was it because of Wraith? Maybe Morganna's permission? Whatever it was that had her with such a carefree attitude she was thankful for.

Her long legs carried her in strides as she occasionally turned her around back to see how close her companion was. She didn't want to make any of this too hard for him.

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Wraith used to think of himself as a rather serious individual. He was noble and loyal, fought hard for what he believed in, and only shared smiles with the ones closest to him. But Piety had encouraged laughter every day since they met. Not a single one had passed where the pair hadn't teased each other in some fashion. It warmed his heart and, the male felt, made him a better wolf. Kinder. More compassionate. More understanding.

Piety didn't complete him. His father had always described a mate as the one who filled in the missing pieces of one's soul. In this moment, Wraith had to feel that his father, rest his recently departed soul, must have been mistaken. With Piety, she didn't fill in his missing pieces. She was no balm for the atrocities he'd committed in the past. She could not patch the grief and baggage he carried with him from a life before her. That was for himself to fill. No, Piety...she brought out the best parts of him. The parts that were already there, but needed help to come to light. If his father meant to say a mate completed the other, then Wraith could at least agree with that. Alongside Piety, he never felt more whole. But only because he was able to fill those empty places with laughter and love and light. She was the catalyst, but he had the raw materials all along.

So when she barked and bumped into him, he didn't need words to tell him to stumble. He did so willingly and sprung into action to give chase. He didn't nip at her tail as he might have previously. That was a game for pups and friends. And this was no game. This was life and love and he intended to see that it was done properly.

Properly for Piety would of course be filled with laughter.

So, of course, the brute tackled her happily into the snow, restraining his strength so as not to injure her as he rolled on top of her and pinned her where she lay. "What was that, love?" he asked daringly into her ear, breathless with laughter. "Was that a challenge?"

Piety knew he was getting closer but she didn't speed up. She didn't want to beat him or run away. She was merely bringing him along on her little run. Yet before she knew it they were down in the snow. Her breath was lost but she had to wonder if it was because of the tackle or because the gentle giant was now lingering over her.

His question caused her to laugh softly. She nipped his cheek and smiled. "You've never backed down from a challenge before." The pale Santoro growled softly as her tail wagged slowly against the snowy ground. "Are you gonna start now?" She promptly pressed her nose against his fur, still thick from the cold of winter. The Kael man's scent filled her lungs and she closed her eyes. Everything felt perfect in this moment. There were more things to do but if all he wanted to do was stay like this than that was fine by the pale female.

Her eyes opened back up to look up to Wraith. He was everything she wanted and then some. She couldn't thank him enough for becoming friends with him (were they still friends or was it something more now?). Piety couldn't help but also silently thank Morganna for putting the pale dove in the giant's care.

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