[Raiden?] What now [Justyn]

[[Midnight]]

The hearts start breaking as the year is gone
The dream's beginning and the time rolls on
It seems so surreal, now I sing it.
Somehow I knew that it would be this way,
Somehow I knew that it would slowly fade.
Now I am gone, just try and stop me now

[/size]

He half-stumbled down the relatively small slope, walking a little quicker than just a casual gait. The sun burned hotly against his black and brown hued back fur despite the falling snow, and he was suddenly wishing the on-coming Spring didn't exist. It brought nothing but yucky weather and loneliness.

Justyn was two this Spring. What was Rose? Three? She wasn't older than that, was she? And Duke. That old man probably had a good four years on Justyn. Just thinking about it all made Justyn snort. Only a couple more to go and Justyn could probably take Duke down in one fight.

Two years old and all he had done with himself was become Beta of Falling Moon. Where was it all gonna go? How long would things be running in circles like this? When would Rose finally get tired of him and he'd be left alone again? Would he be ruling Falling Moon one day or would one of Duke's sons or daughters take over? Would Justyn die before then?

Was Rose going to have pups this Spring?
Weird. So weird.
That lucky bastard, Raiden.

He was subconsciously scowling to himself, now, as he began to sample the scents in the air and stare at the all the colorful flowers beginning to pop up in the grass. Duke, Raiden, Myu... They all got what they wanted in life. Wasn't his fault he had to betray his home pack in order to find a place he belonged.

[smilies]

R A I D E N

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It wasn't very often that Raiden made the move to interract with members in the pack, other than Rose. His natural loner instincts had made him, molded him into a solitary wolf. He liked life like that, he preferred it that way. So, then why'd he come to a pack? It was a difficult question, one he'd struggled with answering but finally he thought he'd come to an answer that he could reveal to anyone who asked the question. He liked being alone, but only in the sense of being by himself. Just him, in a secluded area with no one to bother him. But to him, there two different alones. One, being by yourself, and the other, being unloved. He'd come here, not to be with company, but to be loved. He'd found that here with Rose and that's all he wanted, all he needed in life. This pack, these wolves, didn't matter to him. He stayed here for Rose and that was it.
Yeah, sometimes he missed the lifestyles of the loners and longed to go back to that, but his longing for Rose was more immense. And so here he was, venturing around the pack he'd managed to stay with for over a year, almost two years. And though he liked being alone, on rare occassions he decided to make his presence known to the world. Now was one of those times.

His muscles rolled oh so elegantly under the thick ebony coat that clung to his skin, saving him from the bitter cold of winter that was so slowly beginning to fade. Piercing yellow eyes could be seen scanning the horizon, not exactly searching for anything in particular but still searching all the same.
Finally, his eyes roamed over the chocolate and charcoal form of the beta, Justyn. A wicked smirk crossed over his maw as his pace quickened just slightly. Not only was this beta but Rose's best friend, the male that had tried to steal her away during Raiden's absent. A little chat wouldn't do any harm.
"You look happy," he noted when he finally reached him. He came to a stop before him, the smirk to still present on his blackened lips. He knew that most were surprised by the suacy disposition he displayed. Some considered his solitary lifestyle to make him quiet, and submissive when it came to interracting. However it was completely the opposite.

Despite the fact that Rose had turned to Justyn while he was away, he showed, nor felt any grudge towards him. He'd been a friend, he'd been a shoulder to cry on for Rose, and in a way he was greatful for that. Even so, the fact that Justyn had wanted to be more than friends, or so Rose had said. It still sent ripples of anger rolling through his body, but it was controllable anger. And besides, Raiden got the pleasure of having Rose as his own, while Justyn could never have her.

[/blockquote]

[[Midnight]]

{Weelllll....actually, Rose and Justyn never actually talked to each other about being more than just BFF's.. strangely enough xDD}

Justyn froze in place when he heard the approach of a wolf. He turned his head to look at the ebony-pelted male, just as he spoke, and his ears shot forward while his head was brought up high.
He wasn't sure who this wolf could be. Never seen him before. But he was definately a Falling Moon, so there was nothing to it. He smirked at the other wolf, his eyes narrowed a bit in thought.

"Do I really scream it?" he said in casual response, with a slight icy side to it. But his temper didn't flare...yet. Here in Falling Moon, sarcasm could sometimes be the nicest way for a greeting or a 'what's up.' But then again Justyn wasn't the FM Beta for nothing. He scored his way up in the ranks when he was little more than a pup.

As he studied the male a little more, he became uneasy, although his perfectly straight posture and slitted eyes said nothing about what was racing through his mind.
Could this wolf be Raiden? Wouldn't it make sense? Recently returned to the pack, and Justyn had yet to meet him or see what he looked like. Well, maybe now the latter was no longer true. But this definately had to be him.

He was surprised at just how much his neck fur began to bristle. This was the guy who waited basically a year to come back and fix Rose's life for her. All the suffering she went through, for this guy. This was the same wolf that Justyn said he would walk through fire for to bring him back to Rose, and he here he was now, standing in front of Justyn with a big, fat, accomplished smile on his face.

It was almost like deja vu, even though this was their first encounter.

"Actually, I think something did just strike my funny-bone," he said with a changed expression. He took a couple of steps closer, peering at the confident wolf with a scrutinizing hazel gaze. Hm, so was what was this guy like? Big temper? Laid-back? Sickeningly nice?
"Welcome home, Raiden."

[smilies]

R A I D E N

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Raiden was secretly surprised by Justyn's tone and attitude. This was the first time he'd ever had a conversation with the male who'd made himself such a significant part in Rose's life. Truthfully, he hadn't expected it. He'd exepected him to be sweet, kind...Submissive. However he was quite the opposite. But really Raiden shouldn't be surprised. Justyn would've had to be nice to spend time with Rose. She would have it no other way. She wasn't one to stand around and put up with bull sh*t. Maybe that's why Raiden had assumed Justyn would be like that. Then again it was a completely different story with males than it was with females. He should've recognized that fact before even interracting with this male.
He studied Justyn closer, and could sense the wheels in his mind turning as he tried to figure out who Raiden was, what he was like. Just as Raiden was doing to him. He would never know he was, though.
He cocked his head to sarcastic acknowledgement that could hardly be called a greeting. However, considering their surroundings maybe that was as much of a greeting as he'd ever get. "Only slightly," he said with a smug grin in response to his sarcastic question, the one that had surprised him so much.

Raiden prided himself on his good observation, and now was no exception. As if it was right in front of his golden colored eyes, he could see the male's fur bristle. For a moment he pondered what it meant. Maybe the male was territorial, or naturally competitive. But then Raiden realized that this wolf didn't exactly know who he was. Just another face in the crowd. However, he had faith in the male's intelligence. He'd figure it out eventually. Either by his own natural competitiveness or by the smug knowing grin he'd been wearing since his arrival.
His mind was brought back to the present situation just as Justyn was stepping forward. Raiden's own fur bristled just then, taking the gesture as a challenge, whether that was meant to be symbolized or not. A growl rumbled in his throat but he held it back. However his dagger-like canines were revealed as his lips were pealed back ever so slightly, warning the male just incase this gesture was one of a challenge.

Raiden was often calm, laid back, but it didn't take much for his temper to flare...Especially around males. His ears pricked instinctively at the sound of his name. So, he'd finally figured it out. Ever so slowly, his lips fell into place over his ivories, and his head lowered only slightly, dropping the warning posture he'd picked up along the way of their brief encounter. He nodded his head ever so slightly as the smug smile returned. He wasn't sure why he'd come here. Maybe to check to see if he had competition, or to thank the male for the help he'd given Rose while he was away.
"So, you're the one who took care of Rose while I was away?" he questioned. Of course he knew the answer but still he'd rather hear it from him. He wanted to know what it was like for him. That's when he realized why he'd come. He wanted to truthfully know how Rose was while he was gone. After all, would she really reveal to him all she'd been through?

[/blockquote]

[[Midnight]]

Like instinct, Justyn could sense that Raiden had taken his quick but noticeable aggression as a challenge. It did not phase him right now, mostly because Justyn was just as interested in knowing about Raiden as Raiden was to him. Still, he lifted his chin with a bitter smile, giving an even wider flash of his teeth. As was with Raiden, Justyn was not one to be flailed on with bluffs. That's why things usually only turned out one way and one way only. And that way was what got him where he was at that moment.

Justyn's eyes confidently bored right back at Raiden's. The fact that Rose felt compelled to talk to Raiden about the two of them gave him a warm feeling. He was finally worth something to someone after all this time. But the warm feeling was nothing but coldness on the outside as his ears shot forward and he stood rigid against the rocky ground. Take care of Rose, huh? If only he really could.

So he snorted.
"Take care of her? I never thought Rose could be taken care of. As far as I'm concerned, she takes damn well good care of herself," he said matter-of-factly. The words came out almost like vomit, but as fiery as they were, he knew he believed them too. Quite whole-heartedly.
The summer flies were buzzing around his coat, causing his nerves to twitch as they nestled there way into his furry coat. He ignored them.
"As much as I'd give tooth and nail to take care of her, it's more like she took care of me. That's the way she is. When she lost you and the pups all at once, she started taking care of her father - more than he'll ever admit. Then we met and bumped heads, and found out that we needed each other right then on. So she started caring for someone like me."

The conversation was a very personal one, and part of Justyn hoped that the words would somehow burn Raiden. Jealousy, guilt, anger. It didn't matter. Just burn! But he had to be careful. This was the Raiden he was standing in front of. Rose's lifeline. Don't hurt her feelings.

He took a quick breath and exhaled calmly, feeling at ease with the situation. He felt in control. He stared at Raiden, still wondering what made this male Falling Moon material. Fighter? Liar? Hm.

"I hope you can start taking care of her now that you've been on vacation. You and I can't really imagine how empty she's been."

[smilies]

Unconciously, Raiden's jaw had clenched. Already he couldn't stand this male that somehow managed to get so deep into Rose's heart. If only he'd been there to see how he'd done it. What was it? Lying, deceit? He didn't like how he talked about Rose, as if he really knew her. He wanted to lift his paw in the air and swipe it across his face.
He wasn't quite sure why these emotions had suddenly become so strong within him. But they were there and all he could do was run with them. Long ago, he'd learned that trying to change your emotions about a certain something or someone was extremely difficult and was done in vain. After all, you couldn't change how you felt. Even so, he wondered what was making him feel this way. Maybe the fact that he'd spent nearly a year alone with Rose, doing things he would never know. Maybe it was his slight kid-like personality...Well, everyone seemed kid-like to him. He was slightly older than Rose herself and that meant he was probably older than this male. But either way their personalities didn't click. To top it all off, Raiden's subtle hint at gratitude was shot down by the defiant remark he'd spat so rudely at him. He had the uncontrollable urge to snarl in his face. And now he no longer wanted to display his thanks to the male.

Despite the harsh, and threatening emotions towards this male, he had to remember that he meant something to Rose. If he were to kill, which he was sure he could do, that would break her. And he wasn't willing to hurt her again. Especially not after his absence. So he kept the obsene motion pictures at a restraint in his head. No blood shed would be happening today. Unless, the brute did something incredibly stupid. But the way he spat his words was seriously beginning to get under his skin. He was aware that the male was beta, but along with the responsibility came having respect for the members. Especially ones who were older and could rip him apart.
A nearly silent growl ripped through the air. There was only so much he was able to contain. "You obviously don't know Rose as well as you think you do," he snapped eyes blazing, daring him to strike him so he wouldn't have to take responsibility for starting the whole thing that would end his life. His tone settled during his next words, but only slightly. The low growl still remained as well. "Rose is beyond capable of taking care of herself physically...Maybe you should've looked beneath the facade she was putting on." His mind flashed back to the image he had of Rose when he'd first arrived. A helpless lump of fur on the forest ground. His heart immediately felt sore just from the memory. He wiped it away with a single switch of his mind. Maybe she'd put on a tough face so others wouldn't worry about her.

His next words were triumphant in sparking jealousy within him. His skin twitched in restlessness. It had been so long since Raiden had fought, so long that his battle scars as a loner were even beginning to fade. But if ever, now was the time when he felt the need to kill. This male clearly didn't see how lucky he was to be Rose's friend. If he wasn't Raiden could easily guarantee that blood would've shed by now. "Has it ever occurred to you that maybe she used you...To keep her mind off of me?" There was a sinister and smug grin on his maw that was only to be washed away just as soon as it'd gotten there.
His ears pricked ever so slightly at the male's next words. The words that would ignite the flame of rage within him. The time to hold back from hurting, or even killing this male was quickly coming to an end. He was already beginning to think of excuses to tell Rose as to why he did what he did.

A vicious snarl ripped through the air, Raiden's jaws parting to clamp down only an inch away from Justyn's face. Adrenaline and anger was pumping furiously through his veins. He couldn't remember the last time a wolf had made him so angry and the last time he'd let one live if they made him this way. "What you feel for Rose, isn't even a fraction of what I feel for her. So don't you ever say, or even imply that I stayed away from her by choice," he snapped. Along with the fiery words it was extremely difficult for him to keep his battle-inflicted history at bay. "You don't know me, and I can guarantee you don't know Rose the way I do. You never have and you never will," he spat, the fur on his back bristling as growl came out with each word.

"And actually I can imagine how empty she felt, because guess what? he questioned pausing for a brief moment. "I felt the same way."

[/blockquote]

[[Midnight]]

The constant burning in his stomach, though he figured it would never truly go away, had been dormant the past few weeks. He hadn't snapped at someone in a while, nonetheless fought with his fangs in months. He hadn't felt the need to do that to anybody. No one was worth it.
Now the fire was burning again, igniting the bitter ashes of his pathetic life. The moment the next perfect fight comes along, it has to be the love of Rose's life. No fair! But as much as he told himself not to get into a brawl with Raiden, instincts were intincts. He could almost smell the blood in the air as Raiden snapped his jaws just mere inches away from his face.

He did not flinch, but his neck fur bristled and his fangs were out in the open, lips curled back in an ugly snarl.
"You have no idea about the way it is, Prince Charming," he growled forcefully, lowering his head. "I've already considered it. Everything being an act. Everything. And then I realized something."
His teeth glistened in the sunlight with saliva as his lips quivered.
"I don't care what Rose's intentions were or whether or not she told me lies. If she needed me to forget about you in your absence, then I'm glad I was there for her."

His tail curled in silent anger. "I'm not interested in hearing your sob story of the past year, so don't waste words on me. You're finally back and that's wonderful. I believe Rose when she tells me she wants me to be happy and that we are friends. If it was you she cared about all along...."
His laid his ears back against his skull and gave a challenging snarl.
"Then why did she bother telling me that she loved me?"

Different kind of love or not, it was all Justyn really needed to hear from her. He felt like he would always have his Rose to be his one and only friend. And Raiden would never understand their relationship. He was never meant to.

He waited for Raiden to snap at him again... Except this time, he expected the black wolf would go for blood. He was ready for it.

[smilies]

It took literally ever ounce of willpower to not strike at that moment. He wasn't used to fighting with words, he was used to proving himself on the field of combat. He didn't want to listen to trivial words that meant nothing to him. He knew Rose, he knew she loved him, and he knew basically everything there was to know about her. This male meant nothing to him, and yet he still refrained from striking. If he didn't leave now, he didn't think he could guarantee this male's safety.
Raiden snarled at the petname he'd so cleverly come up with. He was getting pysically and emotionally sick to his stomach by this feminine male. He was actually fighting over someone he would never have.

His last words were all he needed. He could explain this to Rose later, and hopefully she'd understand. There were just some things he couldn't leave alone. Raiden had a short temper and when accompanied by a stubborn male who had a personality Raiden's didn't click with, things were bound to get out of control. He could feel his well rested fighting skills surfacing. The skills that he'd learned the hard way, defending himself as a loner. Without warning, Raiden's jaws parted a second time, again aiming for just short of his maw. With the slight distraction, his large form lumbered forward until his shoulders were met with his. He pushed, all his weight moved to that one side, his muscles working to hopefully push the male off his feet.

He wasn't sure if it was his words that pushed him into this brutal state. Perhaps it was the fact that his fighting had remained idle for a while, and sometimes he just needed to take his anger out on someone. Unfortunately it had to be Rose's "friend" and now Raiden's enemy. He was risking his neck in this pack by fighting the Beta of Falling Moon. He wondered what Duke would do if he knew....Let alone, what Rose would do.

[/blockquote]

[[Midnight]]

Not at all caught off guard, Justyn felt the old familiar adreneline rushing to his paws. He had doubled back as soon as Raiden's jaws came for his face. However, he did not half expect Raiden to try and smack him down with his body weight, and that made his hazel eyes flash with uncertainty. His natural instincts were keen, so when the ebony male turned on his heels, Justyn instantly braced himelf for the impact. Considering he was directly related to Caerwyn and Xaka, though, Justyn was not to be considered puny in size. He stumbled for a moment - but stayed right there on his four feet.

So, this was the way it was going to be.
All the concentrated hatred that Rose had been starting to wipe away was coming back full force. And this was the blood lust that had gotten Justyn to the Beta position - that had even saved his life those moments he stared up at Duke as a scrappy pup. And Raiden was the lucky bastard who got to taste it firsthand.
Without waiting to say any more pointless words, the multi-colored brute threw his body through the gap between the two of them. With jaws agape, he came towards Raiden with forceful and fearless brawn, snapping towards the male's face or neck - whichever one came first. Justyn's fighting style; overwhelm the enemy with your all.

He was no longer thinking about Rose, Duke, Myu... His mind was clouded with frustration and hatred for the wolf who dared flaunt Rose as if she was a trophy to win.

[smilies]

Raiden was taken aback by the male's odd fighting style. His brows had unconciously furrowed trying hard to concentrate on the moves Justyn was displaying. When his jaws were mere inches away from him, Raiden stealthily slipped in the space under his head and in front of his shoulders, avoiding any injury towards his neck or head. Even with this quiet and sudden maneuver, he realized he was at a disadvantage by facing away from the male. Raiden turned quickly on his paws to face the male, who would normally be standing with his back facing him.

Without even thinking the move, he pounced, hoping to at least get the male off his feet. His jaws remained ajar though, eager to get any scrap of skin they could get. However Raiden knew the trick to all fights was to remain on your feet. You lose your feet, you lose your fight. It was as simple as that. There wasn't one wolf he knew that could fight lying down, and Raiden was not the exception in that vast amount of wolves.

[/blockquote]

[Paint]

ooc.

Rose: -waves goodbye to 'happy family' dream-

...

Who was she kidding, anyway? Hahahha
Carry on chaps (:

[[Midnight]]

{Awww, poor Rose! I wonder if it would be interesting if we had her intervene last moment, though? DUNDUNDUNNN.}

To see Raiden dodge the head-on attacks made Justyn recalculate a strategy in his head. Raiden was tall, not at all to be considered weak, but he was much older than two-year old Justyn. Though the old man might be experienced, Justyn didn't feel as if experience alone was enough to keep you alive in a fight like this.

As Raiden pounced once again at Justyn, he wondered what the black wolf was thinking - didn't he just try the same move moments before and go nowhere with it? Surely young and brawny Justyn couldn't be stumbled by such obvious body slams. Perhaps Justyn had been overestimating this guy's strengths.
But as he once again braced for the impact, he realized Raiden was using his jaws at the same time. So, it was a little different after all.

Seeing this too late, a ripping pain just underneathe his left shoulder caused him to flinch. Raiden's teeth had made contact. No yelp came from his throat but his snarls were ear-deafening as he began to thrash, in case Raiden decided to keep hold of him. But that could be a wrong move on his part, because Justyn threw his head to the side and snapped for a leg...

[smilies]

[I like Middy's idea. ^^ Annnddd, Raiden is not that old! Everyone thinks he's ancient..He's maybe like a year or two at the most, older than Rose. ....Just saying. xD]


Raiden felt a triumphant pang within his heart as his jaws made contact with the brute's flesh. With a vicious snarl, the pressure in his jaws increased, trying to hold on to to the male for as long as possible. With his mouth locked around the male's lower shoulder, he pushed with his chest, again trying to get Justyn off his feet, uncertain as to whether or not he would succeed.

When he felt as if the battle would be ending soon, a sharp pang of pain brought him back to the challenge before him. Clearly Justyn wouldn't be a simple kill. Not a difficult one, but certainly an obstace to say the most. His leg throbbed with the sharp canines wrapped tightly around. With a sharp intake of breath he attempted to pull his leg out from the brute's mouth, feeling the gashes go deeper as he struggled. Throughout all this, however he focused to keep his jaws locked around the brute's flesh. Raiden was sure he'd have a few fairly deep gashes on his lower leg.

[/blockquote]

[[Midnight]]

{Hahaha, I know, I know. That's just the way Justyn's viewpoint is with older wolves. He calls Duke Gramps too and I think Duke is the same age as Raiden?}

Raiden wasn't letting go; Justyn's thrashing hadn't helped throw him off, either. It only made the stupid wolf's jaws tighten and the pain intensify. But now Justyn had a grip on his leg, and he was prepared to stick it out like this as long as they needed to. It seemed like an equal trade; a shoulder for a foreleg. With dialated eyes and a salavating mouth, a sadistic sort of grin shot across Justyn's face as he crunched his jaws even tighter around Raiden's furry leg. This battle had just started but it was already equalizing out. He wasn't sure how he would do on this bleeding and cut up shoulder once he was free, but there was no way Raiden would be walking on this leg with a smile on his smug face anytime soon. Maybe he could break it if he could put more pressure on. So he tried, feeling his teeth sink deeper into flesh and blood oozed into his mouth. His head shook every few moments, but his face cringed as his shoulder began to ache. Who would tire out first?

[Paint]

ooc. Someone give me a yell if you want Rose to run in all pregnant and screaming at them. It'll be good times =D