Teenage Dream (Justyn; OPEN)

[Paint]

Rose watched Justyn curiously. Her expression stayed calm, but as usual her brain was whirring away beneath her skull. Justyn still had not settled. She thought perhaps that he never would- he would always find something to concentrate his intense energies on, something to exert his frustrations and his skills upon. In that way, ironically, he seemed so much like Duke. It was a very Alpha-like quality, always wanting to move on to the next thing, to discover, to learn and be stronger.

Rose watched the interaction between Justyn and Fallon with a kind of coy interest. There was clearly some sort of attraction or bond between them, a little history too. But they were both terribly volatile characters, and she would not like to think that what she walked in on was a regular occurrence. Sure, Justyn could look after himself, but he was not immortal. She decided that she might perhaps have a word with him, at a later time, about Fallon. Find out what was going on and how, perhaps, she might be able to help. For now though, she held her tongue, listened and learned.

Her composure remained as Justyn mentioned that he had previously mentioned her pups to Fallon. She glanced at her, registering a flurry of emotions in Fallon's eyes. Curious. But she was soon smiling again, cooling the air. It was just the one comment that caused Rose's ears to flick back in discontent, as if she'd received a warning like thunder preceeds lightning.

I’m sure no harm will come to your pups while he’s around.

It did not sound malicious, it did not hold any hint of danger in it. But simply the mention of harm to her pups...

She remained entirely composed, the same small smile across her black lips. Her ears flicking back momentarily would've been easily registered by her father perhaps, but for now it looked simply like the wind had irritated them. She remained easy, open and conversational, pausing only a moment longer before replying.

"Oh I'm entirely sure no harm will come to them. Someone would have to get through their father, me, Justyn and Duke before they'd even get a snap at them. When they're old enough, they'll be taught to fight by these strong males in their life, and from there decisions will be entirely theirs. Until then, they've practically got an army to back them up," she smiled, laughing naturally as if her words were merely the latest joke passing around the carcass at dinner. But the intent was clear, even through her flawless demeanour, of Rose's cut-throat protectiveness.

[[Midnight]]

Here there were two females standing next to him. Two females that he cared deeply for. And now they were conversing. He studied each of their faces, searching their eyes deeply. For what, he knew not. He just knew that he liked what he saw in both of them. Fallon had a look of mischief about her. It sure seemed hard for her to hide her feelings. Even Justyn wasn't totally a clueless braindead. He turned to Rose. She was as emotionless as ever, but Justyn caught that glint in her eyes, that told him she was as perceptive as ever. She could always read his mind, it seemed, maybe she could read, Fallon's, too.

The two wolves had gotten onto the subject of protecting the pups and what it would take to get to them. When Rose mentioned his name, an electric shock zipped along his spine, almost making him shiver visibly. This protective desire to prove his worth as the protector of these pups was a foreign feeling to him. What was the real reason he was so eager for these pups to come? What could it possibly be?

It was a form of love, he decided to assume. Maybe a way to redemption. He could not go back to Dancing Stars, and he could not love Rose any deeper than he already did. So these pups were the next best thing in this world. They were life, they were the childhood that Justyn hadn't gotten the chance to finish. They were Rose's road to happiness. They were the reason all the wolves in the valley were alive. They were Justyn's reason to become a better person.

"And nobody would ever get through me, so there's nothing to fear," he said with a small tail wag, but look of complete seriousness on his expression. He was generally oblivious to the idea of Fallon harboring resentment for these pups, but was backing up Rose's protective demeanor.

Was Justyn forgetting where he was? Living with wolves in Falling Moon? Perhaps he had gotten too comfortable, but getting comfortable with two of the wolves that seemed to return his feelings of friendship seemed to be working out well for him. He was slowly changing.

"You don't like pups, do you Fallon?" he asked her curiously. "But, I don't know, I think they're kind of cool. They have enough power to bring Falling Moon wolves together. Most of us here might be blood-thirsty and cruel to each other, but I think a lot of us would secretly die for a pup if it came down to it. That's power."

[Malo]

Rose’s voice and demeanor were calm and sweet, but her words..her words held a warning. Fallon wasn’t sure if she could read her mind, or if she’d just hit a nerve. Either way, her ever spinning thoughts told her that if she was going to do anything about the little fur balls that were to come, she’d have to do it stealthily and quickly. Before they could talk or were old enough to remember anything. And she’d have to do it far away from Rose. She pushed that information to the back of her mind, keeping her expression and posture relaxed, as if the “non-threat” had simply been casual chit chat. No, she held no fear; that was her childhood talking. In the Falling Moons, you learned to fight for yourself and show no fear, only confidence, and often extreme arrogance, in your own abilities.

She turned her eyes to Justyn and noticed that he hadn’t seemed to deduce as much as Rose had. “Yes, an army and then some. There is also a pack of extremely violent, and volatile, wolves surrounding them as well.” She nodded in thought, before responding to the male next to her. “And I doubt anyone would try to get through you Justyn. Starting a fight with the beta is reckless, especially if the motive behind doing so is to off the grandchildren of one of the toughest wolves in the entire valley, if not the toughest.” Her loyalty to her alpha came out once more, and she held a proud tone just speaking of him. Yes, Duke could be cruel and unforgiving, but he was strong, with a clear head. Even if his thought were full of evil, as some thought. She hoped to one day be that strong, to hold so much power her name could strike fear into her enemies, and yet capture the loyalty of those who admired her. She had no desire to rule an entire pack of course, but gaining her birth right would be a start. She had drifted into dreams of the future, when Justyn’s next words snapped her back to attention.

A small frown crossed her face, and she shrugged as her initial response. Considering the response her last words had gained, she had to be careful. This was walking on eggshells. “No, I can’t say I’m a fan. I just don’t like babysitting is all; I like doing my own thing, on my own time. But I suppose you’re right—to be so small, they hold a lot of power in their paws. It’s no secret that our pack is filled with insanity, hatred and violence. Yet even our leader will fall victim to the fur balls each spring. I don’t know if it’s their size and defenselessness, or some supernatural powers at work, but I don’t understand it at all…I have no doubts that many of us would risk life and limb for them, for different reasons. You have your own personal reason; Rose’s is because she is a parent. Me? I guess it would be out of loyalty.”

That much was truth. If she didn’t kill them herself, she would protect them out of duty to Duke, her pack…but maybe mostly to Justyn. She didn’t know why, but she still felt the overwhelming urge to make him proud of her and who she was. She wanted to impress him. Maybe it was because of her own selfish need to be beta, or maybe it was something more. She couldn’t quite place a paw on it yet, but her heart and mind consisted of conflicting thoughts and emotions that left her exhausted, though she wouldn’t show it.

So was the life of a Falling Moon.

Keep your poker face up at all times, she’d learned that. Yet lately it was becoming hard to control. But for once, her face showed what she truly felt, and that was belonging. Malicious thoughts were pushed deep within, and she realized this was probably the first normal conversation she’d had in awhile, with anyone she wasn’t related to. Sure she’d talked to others before, but it was either playful banter like she’d done with Justyn, or verbal wars with her enemies. For once, she had no snide remarks or smirks. She looked at Rose, tilting her head with a curious expression. She’d managed to stop their fight, and turn the conversation away from an awkward situation. It slightly amazed Fallon.

[Paint]

Rose relaxed, having made her remark clear. And Justyn's emphasis only helped her. She didn't know how many pups she'd be having, but she knew they'd be trouble- they always were. And the Falling Moons could be so bipolar about pups, either wanting them dead or protecting them to the extent of obsession. She was sure that there were Dancing Stars who were the same, repressing their true natures to try to pretend to be something they were not. At least the Moons owned their flaws, if a little destructively.

The pretty white wolf settled down carefully, laying down because she was tired and felt safe here. Especially with Justyn around. Their friendship was so strong, he was like a brother to her- but actually, he was more than that. She thought about Onisim and her thoughts became dark. She had a feeling that he had gone slightly off the rails recently- she'd heard that he'd attempted to fight their father. He was too young at the moment. He had nothing to live for like Duke did.

She pushed dark thoughts from her mind, resolving that she would meet with Onisim soon and sort things out. Perhaps their relationship may be restored. For now, she should concentrate on these two. Her dark eyes glanced from Fallon to Justyn, and she caught a hint of something in Fallon's eyes that she couldn't quite place. But she let it be, as she still felt at ease, and smiled to them both again.

"You seem to be very strong-willed," Rose commented on Fallon, but her tone was entirely complimentary. "And loyal. Respectful. I'm surprised you don't have a mate, as you're also very attractive," she continued. "I'm not in the slightest suggesting that you need one, many strong females don't, and pups are another issue entirely. I respect your character greatly."

The words were entirely genuine. Sure, she could see a fire in Fallon, and the subtext of her words made that clear enough. But just because she was hotheaded did not mean that she should go uncomplimented. Rose, as a fairly shallow wolf when it came to looks, knew that she enjoyed being complimented. She hoped Fallon would feel the same.

"You two ought to be careful, though," she continued, eyeing Justyn beadily, but still smiling. She let the words hang, the hint of suggestion there. She wasn't sure what their relationship would be, but Justyn could sure as hell do a lot worse for himself. She decided to finish her sentence, having let the suggestion hang just long enough. "You could let your tempers get the better of you, and you don't want to make enemies out of friends."

[[Midnight]]

Justyn was reminded that he was Beta of Falling Moon, which led to his pondering the situation between the two packs of the valley. It was Duke who had warned Justyn that he might have to choose sides one day. Choose us, or choose the throats of your friends, was essentially what Justyn was sure he would face some day.

Once again he watched Fallon's face as she spoke of the pups and the violence of the Moons wolves - and her position on the Spring Fever. So she'd protect pups, perhaps, but not because she had that desire to love and care for them. Would it be different for her if she had pups of her own? How did that work with mothers? Weren't they supposed to be obsessed with their offspring?

Then Rose chirped in, speaking of strong-wills. He agreed with the statement, Fallon was very strong-willed, pretty much every wolf on this side of the valley had to have a strong will if they ever thought of joining "team-Duke." That was what had saved Justyn from certain death, too. With mention of Fallon being respectful, Justyn's mood soured again. He hated to think that Fallon was someone who actually admired Duke for his cruelty. His opinion of her faltered again. Was she really evil at heart, like the rest of these Moons? For the first time in his life, Justyn realized he may actually be completely turned off by evil itself. He would never be evil enough to take the life of someone completely innocent. He could never stare into the eyes of a dying companion and feel nothing for them.

Justyn wasn't evil. Just angry at the world. Willing to kill, perhaps, but only to protect.

Now Rose was suggesting the idea of a mate for Fallon. His ear twitched in a curious fashion. It had been minutes ago that Justyn felt cornered by Fallon's obvious advances. Justyn still denied to himself that he had any desire to be her mate. He knew he couldn't be her mate. It would last a day and they'd be at each other's throats again like moments before, and Justyn wasn't sure who'd win. He didn't want to hurt, nonetheless kill Fallon, and would hopefully be strong enough to back off unlike last time. But what got Justyn the most was that he wasn't sure if Fallon felt the same way. After all, she was %100 a Moons wolf.

Still, he knew he was caught by Fallon's prescence. He promised her he'd be there for her once. And they seemed to have a knack at breaking each other's walls. There was still a future in store there. How would it end?

A quiver of embarassment an uncomfort riddled Justyn at Rose's obvious suggestion. He gave her a look of uncertainty, and wasn't totally able to read what Rose's eyes were saying.

"When two Falling Moon wolves are able to stop a physical fight and apologize to each other," he commented, looking over at Fallon with a small smirk, "that tells me that it's the makings of a lasting friendship. But I almost always let my temper get the better of me...I'm still working on that."

Justyn was honestly at a loss of what to say after that. He grew silent and felt his skin growing hot. He was afraid to look at Fawny now and started to study the ground between the three of them.

[Malo]

Sensing disappearance of the hostile-sweet tone in Rose’s voice, Fallon relaxed. Her words brought a smile to her face. After all, Fallon was as vain as they came, and as far as she was concerned, compliments should be poured on her, without her asking. She nodded suppressed glee. “Thank you, Rose. I have my father to thank for those traits. He taught me that family was the most important thing, and you never abandoned them.” She cut her sentence short, almost adding unlike my mother at the end. Her brow furrowed when the thought of Almira and her new litter appeared in her head. |Selfish bitch| she thought to herself. Fallon returned to the current conversation, a little less cheerfully. “I guess his loyalty is what made him a dutiful beta. At least until the earthquake hit.”

She snorted, as if dismissing the subject. Fallon honestly didn’t want to get into detail about her tragic family history, one reason being because she thought it was useless, and the other reason…well, she didn’t think she would have the strength to hide that much emotion from her face. The thought of her lost father and siblings was enough to make her want to scream out in pain and sadness, if she could ever get away from the eavesdropping ears and eyes of her pack mates.

Rose’s next ears made her shift uncomfortably. Fallon knew she was pretty, she had never doubted that. But as she turned her head to face Justyn, she could see the discomfort there too. Rose’s insinuation hadn’t been dealt with by them personally, even though Fallon wanted to face it head on. Before the fight, what had happened? Oh yes, she remembered. The closeness of their bodies, her lips almost touching his ear…she could almost remember the warmth in the space between them. There was tension there alright; she knew she’d made him uncomfortable, knew she had somehow managed to break down a chunk of that his seemingly indestructible wall of stoicism. Fallon might not be as perceptive as Rose, but she had seen it. Seen something there, and it made her stomach churn for reasons beyond her comprehension at this time.

“Yes. Pups are a different matter entirely,” she replied casually, pointedly looking at Justyn as she did so.

As she turned back to face Rose, her green eyes changed once again, but not out of anger. “To be honest, this is the first year I would be allowed to breed anyway. And seeing as how Almira went missing during those crucial years, I really don’t know how a mother should behave.” Boy, she really couldn’t let it go. Just the use of her mother’s name showed that. “I can’t say I don’t have an interest in any particular male; that would be a lie. But, I didn’t feel the rush to start a family of my own just yet.” That, and she was still trying to figure out what Justyn’s deal really was. She intentionally kept her eyes on Rose, only watching him from her peripheral to see his reaction.

As she looked at Rose, she had to admire her wisdom. She knew that the white female wasn’t much older than they were, but she gave off the feeling that she had seen and experienced much. As Fallon thought about it, Rose probably had. She took her next words into careful consideration, and when Justyn spoke up, she returned his smirk. “For once, I agree with you Pudgy. And if you ever lose your head, I could always push you in the river to cool you off. Shallow part of course,” she chuckled. She could get back at him for all his cheap shots, and have a good laugh. She noticed that he didn’t look at her, and wondered what he was thinking. Keeping her thoughts to herself, she gave her attention back to Rose.

[Paint]

Rose nodded carefully at Fallon's words. To not have a mother around... Well. Anevay had been there when Rose grew up, but Rose found Raiden and fell in love very young. It had always been natural to her, to choose this path. She wasn't sure if a mother's presence was entirely necessary, really, but she held her tongue to avoid a painful discussion.

But Rose had grown tired. She listened to their exchange, but decided that the pups were kicking too hard for her to stay out for much longer. She raised herself slowly to her feet, smiling at the other two wolves.

"You kids have fun," she joked, playing older than she was. Truthfully she was only 4 years old, but thankfully she was aware that the other two weren't all that young. They'd understand her little joke. "I'm tired now, I need to get back to the dens. Not too far," she smiled, nodding her white head before beginning to walk away.

She thought carefully about the little exchange, hoping that they'd appreciated her input. If they didn't, though, she didn't care much anyway. If you cared too much you got hurt far too easily. Rose's expression relaxed and her dark eyes opened as she made her way carefully down the mountain back towards the dens, slowly and gracefully.

[[Midnight]]

As usual, Justyn's mind was whirring with questions that he longed to find answers for. Particularly he was curious about all of Fallon's statements; this was the first time he had ever heard much about her besides her name and her age and how they had come from the same valley. He had tried asking what her favorite color was, but she still had yet to answer that.

For now he kept his muzzle shut as he perked his ears in Rose's direction. There was a twinge of loneliness in his heart when she announced her leave. He hadn't realized he was actually scared of being alone with Fallon now. He knew he wasn't scared of her, persay, but he had lost track of what he and Fallon usually talked about, now that they had just thrown around such extreme emotions in the company of Rose. And now that Rose was gone...would they fight again?

"Don't strain yourself!" Justyn hollered after her, craning his neck to watch her descent down the mountain until she was no longer in sight.

So, they were alone again. His ears flickered momentarily and he looked back over at Fawny, feeling nothing like a Beta. He didn't feel like an enemy. He didn't feel like a packmate. He wasn't sure what he felt like as he sat next to her.

"So.. you're father was Duke's Beta?" he asked quietly, hazel eyes intense. Perhaps that explained why she seemed so attached to Duke, she was probably around him all the time. Unless Fawny's father was smart and chose to keep her away from such a killing fiend. Justyn knew if he ever had pups, he'd have to keep them far away from Duke. Justyn was son of a line of Dancing Stars Alphas, and probably Duke's least favorite wolf in the pack. Which was ironic, since Justyn was his Beta.

He remembered also Fallon saying she wasn't too familiar with the touch of a mother. For some reason, he felt strangely sad at the idea, and for just a moment he began to let his mind wander off. He was thinking of his own mother and how soft her face always was. Even when the pups all asked about "Dad" and why he was never around, that smile would only falter for a split second.

And that same mother had given her life to protect her son.

Justyn tried to shake the shame off of his back and threw his attention back to the Falling Moon near him.

[Malo]

Her green eyes watched warily as the white and black female stood, signaling her departure. She nodded in acknowledgement, and watched as Rose began to descend the mountain. “Be careful.” A simple good bye, but a fairly decent one coming from Fallon. She tilted her head, watching as Rose managed to waddle gracefully down the slope. It puzzled her, how baby bulk could make one seem so slow and klutzy, yet Rose managed to keep her grace and move smoothly. If she ever decided to settle down, that would be a trick to learn.

And then there were two, again. Fallon could feel the awkward tension that arose between them, and for a few moments, she avoided eye contact, gazing at one of the hot pools of water nearby. Her ears flicked as she searched for words to say, and felt relief when he was the first to break the silence. She turned her attention back to him as she rolled his question over in her mind.

Her family was a particularly sore subject to talk about, one she often refused to acknowledge. And yet, here it was, staring her in the face, and there was no way to give a roundabout answer. Her expression was nonchalant, but inside, her emotional walls were breaking. She loved Josiah with everything she had, and without her father and siblings…she was lost. She wanted to cry, to feel the wet tears fall down her cheeks, but not here, not now. She couldn’t reveal that much of herself to anyone, could she? |Not in this pack.|

“Yes, before the earthquake. I’ve heard stories of how Duke and Anevay held a huge brawl to determine who got to be second-in-command. My parents won.” She shrugged, as if it was that simple and nothing serious, but really, it meant everything to her. Without her family, Almira excluded, who was she? A no name delta from Falling Moon? She had never thought about why she wanted her inheritance so bad, and then it hit her.

She wanted to mean something, to someone.

She wanted to be more than just a wolf in a pack of reckless, violent, often crazy individuals who would just snap at each other just as easily as they would the Dancing Stars. Fallon wanted to prove herself, prove she was more than a pretty face and smart mouth. Lost in her own thoughts, she missed Justyn’s own inner emotional battle. When she looked in his eyes, she pulled herself out of her mental escape.

“Josiah was a great wolf. I don’t think he belonged here; my father was far too kind. But he taught me everything I know, and took care of us as long as he could. I’m the last of our line, the least I could do is make sure he’s remembered.” Okay, maybe she hadn’t completely pulled herself away from her thoughts. Her last sentence had been more to herself than to Justyn, and she hadn’t realized she’d been thinking aloud. Until after the fact. She lifted her head to stare him in the eyes, her own gaze intense in return. Fallon hoped he hadn’t heard that last part, but at the same time, it would be nice to reveal herself to someone. She hoped it didn’t backfire.

[[Midnight]]

Justyn returned her intense gaze. As usual, in every conversation, the gears in his brain were turning as he mulled over every word, every expression. He may have thought too much in general, but at least he tended to be obversant and understanding towards most others. He was keen on emotions, being that he was a terribly emotional ferris wheel himself.

Justyn hadn't felt like he knew much of anything about Fallon until this point. This was the first time she had ever offered him any intel on her background and what was important to her. Her walls had broken down a bit more. And because of it, Justyn also let his walls crumble ever so slightly. His eyes looked pained but calm and understanding. Surely Justyn, though he hated his own father, could understand wanting to revive a memory. Just as almost everyone here could.

"So what are you doing to keep the memory of your father alive?" he asked quietly, watching her with hazel eyes.

Fallon sounded as though Josiah had been her previous lifeline. Her favorite face. Justyn almost envied it; what was it like, to actually be raised by a father? The only father-figure Justyn had after the earthquake had been Duke, and all the other males in the pack. So now that Josiah was gone, what was Fallon living for? He would ask her that, he knew. In a moment or two.

He was unsure of what else to say and instead focused his thoughts on her and her expressions. What would her answer be like? How could she be keeping the memory of her father alive by being his total opposite? Surely a wolf who was "too kind" was nothing like the sassy female sitting near him.

[Malo]

Damn, he had heard her. And his response made her jerk her head to face him. She hadn’t expected that one, not in a million years. So what are you doing to keep his memory alive?[/b] That was a question she herself had yet to answer.

At any other time, she would simply dismiss the idea and not worry herself with such thoughts. Yet, she found that this was actually something important. What was she doing, to carry on Josiah’s memory and make him proud? |Not a damn thing| Her thoughts were bitter. She knew if her father was here, he would scold her for her foolishness, punish her for even thinking about murdering pups, especially the grand pups of their alpha. Her face took on a wary expression as she thought about her late father; Fallon could feel her cheeks burning, feel the tears building up in her eyes.

“As of yet, nothing.”

She almost choked on the words, and finally, a lone tear fell down her cheek. She quickly reached up to wipe it away, but she was sure Justyn had seen it. Fallon turned her head, scolding herself for being so emotional, too open. For a brief moment, she wished she’d never met Justyn. She wouldn’t be thinking about such sad and, in her opinion as of late, trivial things. She would be doing her own thing, to her own benefit, not giving a damn about anyone. Taking care of herself. Fighting her way to the top. He had managed to capture her attention briefly, and she hadn’t been herself since. She was concerned what somewhat else thought, felt that she had to prove herself when she had never had a confidence issue, anyone could see that as she had grown up. At that moment another thought crossed her mind; her family was gone. There was no one there to check her, or tell her what she wanted to hear. No one she could trust, and no one she cared for. Almira had fallen out of her good graces a long time ago. And here she was, alone with her thoughts and feelings she never wanted anyone to see. Yet, she had just revealed part of herself to someone she didn’t yet fully understand.

She turned back to Justyn, and staring into his face aroused something in her. She could tell her had changed since they last met. Maybe she had too. She sensed a determination within him she hadn’t thought she had, but she realized something right then. She had that same determination. It had been there ever since she’d arrived in Caden Valley. The desire to claim her birth right had always been burning in her heart, but she had never acted on it. Until she met Justyn. She had made it her personal goal to take her place either by his side, or by force. She decided now that she didn’t want to fight him. Fallon vaguely remembered him mentioning challenging Duke, and she thought that it was insane. But Justyn was young and strong, and stupid enough, to challenge him and win. And if she were to help his cause…maybe he could do a favor for her. She didn’t want to see Justyn die-it would probably break her heart to lose the one friend she had-but she was beginning to think maybe he was on to something.

Her eyes showed a new determination as thoughts formed in her head. Fallon wasn’t content sitting around doing nothing anymore. Josiah had fought his way to get where he had, and she would make him proud and do the same. She would come from the bottom and make a name for herself, make something of herself, do something that would have him smile down upon her. If she made Almira regret what she’d done to her that would make her victory even sweeter.

She stood, not to intimidate Justyn, but because there was a fire burning inside her and she felt sitting wouldn’t contain it. “I haven’t done much of anything that would mean something to anyone else. I’ve been so caught up in my own thoughts, that I never thought about what I was doing for Josiah. He was dedicated, loyal. He loved us with every fiber of his being. He was dutiful and strong. When I was young, I wanted to be the beta and follow in his paw prints.” She looked away thoughtfully for a moment. “You said you wanted to challenge Duke right? And remember when you said you would come to my aid if I needed it? Well, I’m offering that help to you. Going against Duke is something I wouldn’t do unless absolutely necessary, but if you win, you’ll be alpha. The beta position will be open. Sure I’ll probably have to fight for it, but I’d rather fight some no name wolf than you. You’ve grown on me Pudgykins, and I’d hate a repeat of our little spasm earlier today.”

She realized she probably wasn’t making any sense, and she’d probably caught him off guard, but she didn’t care at this point. If she’d surprised him, then she was all for it, it might leave him more intrigued and willing to keep their game of cat and mouse going. “I want to be better than my father was, and way better than my mother. But I’m not going to take it from you.” The tone of her voice said it all. If Justyn was smart, he would recognize that she meant those words, but hopefully he was dumb enough that he wouldn’t catch the hidden meaning behind them either.[/size]

[[Midnight]]

Justyn didn't like the fact that his question had clearly caused her so much pain, but he was still selfishly glad he had asked it. Because this was the Fallon he had been searching for. The wolf underneath the exterior shell, who had been hiding all this time. He watched her go through all of her inner thoughts and emotions. As she shed her tear, he had almost intervened to comfort her. A strange reaction for the adolescent Justyn; a caring, adult act for the grown Justyn. But before he could do such a thing, Fallon had already stood on her four paws. He admired what he saw in her gaze. A fiery passion not matched by many others, not shown by many, either.

And he listened to her long speech, feeling a plethora of emotions that made his heart thump hard and his ears grow hot. For a moment, he felt complete. This was what it felt like to have someone completely on your wavelength. This was that feeling when you knew you could do anything, because of them.

There was a small, bitter smile on his face when she finished, and he was quiet, seeming to contemplate something painful. He was grateful for Fallon, eternally grateful to have heard those words come out of her mouth. Rose had told him she'd be there for him, in words just as meaningful, but there was something different about this conversation. The emotions were different, though the intentions similar. Fallon had basically given up what was most important to her in a matter of seconds, and it was all for him. She may have played it off like it was for her position as Beta, but Justyn just felt it was more than her using him.

He stood up, too, and slowly padded over to her. Without saying a word, his muzzle brushed across her forehead and rested against her left ear, where it lay for a few moments.

"Suddenly fighting Duke doesn't seem important anymore," he whispered quietly, eyes closed. Now it was occurring to him that her safety meant more to him than some position of power.
"You don't have to do that for me, Fallon. Forget everything I've said."

Affection welled up in his heart and he rubbed his cheek along her fur, then backed away to look into her eyes.
"Do you want to be a Beta that bad? Than just be a Beta with me, stupid. Or if you want it on your own, heck, I'll give it to you. I will."

He returned the prospect of her hidden message, with his own hidden message, still afraid to say it out loud. Still afraid of rejection.

Of course, the position of Beta was not his to give, but right now Justyn knew no boundaries.

[Malo]

Fallon almost flinched when she felt Justyn’s chin on her ear, a normal reaction for a pack that tended not to show any physical affection. To her surprise, she didn’t jerk away either. She felt…calm, with him being that close. Considering she hadn’t shown or been shown any physical affection from anyone since she was a pup, it was a shock how comforted she felt. Fallon too closed her eyes, soaking in the moment. In this pack, you never knew how often chances like this would come along.

She swiveled her ears as she listened to his words, noticing the way they sounded. Much gentler and calmer than she had been used to. Most of her conversations were filled with sassy remarks or sarcastic insults, usually at high volumes. Her green orbs opened to gaze at him. What had he been saying, something about giving up his challenge? “ You’ve brought up a good point though, Duke is getting old. As much as I admire the old man, someone will have to take his place eventually. And if Onisim takes control, we’re all screwed. We’d be better off with the Stars or as loners.” Usually, she would have joked about that, but it wasn’t the time for that. She didn’t want to ruin the moment they were having. She paused, thinking about her next words. “If you decide to change your mind, remember, I’m there if you need me.”

When he backed away she felt a longing, longing for him to return, longing to fulfill her birth right, longing to…well, be something bigger than herself. As she felt her cheek burning where he had touched her, she returned his look with green eyes that were dark and intense, but not from foul thoughts. What came next, made them widen.

Fallon felt her stomach flip, and at first she thought she heard wrong. She didn’t even acknowledge his “stupid” comment. The shock of his words, the gravity of them…just be a Beta with me.[/b] But could it really be that easy?

For once, she was completely silent, and for a moment, she didn’t have a thousand thoughts racing through her head. Just two. |Could we really make it work? Can I really succeed my parents?|

The fact that they didn’t really have any authority to say she could be Beta, hadn’t crossed her mind yet. Maybe she would remember later, if she wasn’t caught up. Right now, as she gazed into his deep brown eyes, she didn’t really care. Yet, she couldn’t find the right words to say. So, in typical Fallon fashion, she simply walked towards him, closing the small gap, and pressed her forward against his own. She didn’t need words.[/size]

[[Midnight]]

Justyn's mood seemed to soar exponentially. She had not rejected him. Though she refused to let herself get uninvolved with his Duke conflict, he was happy that she was now on his side. He had suddenly won her trust and confidence. She was his first supporter in his quest to become something more than what he had become. He listened to her words, and imagined himself ruling over the valley as Alpha with her by his side. It was the best thing he had ever fantasized about, but he couldn't escape from the reality of what it would really be like. When he had previously thought of challening Duke, there had been nothing to hold him back. Rose was Duke's beloved daughter. She was safe.

But Fallon may as well mean nothing to Duke in this situation. Justyn couldn't imagine being responsible for her, if anything were to happen. Of course right now it was all speculation, but the idea of it still made him sick with worry. So, he would talk with her about it later. She was passionate and she probably wouldn't let it go, but he would save that for another day. Justyn would always rise to meet a challenge, but not if he would be playing with other lives.

Funny, this had all unraveled rather quickly. In a matter of seconds, their relationship ran deeper than what he had ever imagined. This wasn't part of any plan of his.

But, here he was, forehead to forehead with Fallon, eyes closed and enjoying the moment that would come to shape him as much as his first encounter with Rose had done.

"I always need help," he murmured softly, his tail curling. He joked, "You must've already noticed."

He didn't want to talk anymore. It was as if talking would disturb the moment. He might say something stupid and she'd slash at him again. But, he had everything in the world to talk about and the excitement of having someone else was realized. With Rose, he could certainly talk about much, but she didn't have as much time for him now that Raiden was back and she was expecting. Perhaps they'd drift apart finally. He felt very sad at the thought, and slightly fearful, for that would mean he no longer had a best friend. But the warmth of Fallon's fur reminded him that he was so much further from being alone, so much more than he'd ever been. Even if he lost Rose, he'd always have Fallon. That was also Fallon's promise to Justyn.

Or...did he?
Did he really have Fallon?
Or just Fallon's future, momentary allegiance?

Surely this moment couldn't mean any less. But, Justyn felt a burst of courage and the need to know. He opened his eyes and stepped away a pawstep, peering into the depths of her face.

"Let's make our own den together," he announced, ears perked forward. He was tired of sleeping alone.
This question may answer it for him. Unless, of course, she was afraid of committment. He also wondered if, in the end, they'd drive each other nuts? He highly doubted it. Still, he began planning an escape route, in case she scoffed at his offer, the Point of No Return. His heart was molding itself for rejection...

{ Woah Justyn, you brute }

[Malo]

A jolt of warmth spread through her body, and she was glad he had not backed away. She had never felt so relaxed in her life, besides when she was with her father. Her shoulders slumped, and the tension that was usually wound tight in her body was washed away, if only for the moment. “Oh yes, I’ve noticed. It’s kind of hard not to.” She let out a chuckle, softer than her usual sarcastic sneer.

She had never experienced this feeling before. Justyn’s acceptance had meant a lot to her, and now she had it, now that she knew for sure…things were in a new perspective. Fallon had always found herself attracted to Justyn, his size and looks alone could guarantee him any mate he wanted, she was sure. But his faults, which he would not openly admit, intrigued her. His history, his presence around her…all of those components had pulled on her heart, without her knowledge. She was perplexed by him yet she loved it at the same time. She’d found herself attracted to him more than she originally planned.

Plans…hers had been to simply use him and gain her birth right, by will or by force. She probably would have gotten rid of him after she’d taken the Beta position. Yet, things had changed when she actually got the chance to talk to him. She couldn’t help but like him, even if he threw snow in her face. Even if he pounced on her and disrupted her thoughts. Even if they made each other so angry they would put themselves on the verge of killing each other.

She looked at him as he pulled away, longing in her eyes. Fallon let herself relax further, more comfortable than she’d ever been since the earthquake. Her ears perked, and she tilted her head. So, he wasn’t just being nice. He had meant what he said, at least she hoped. The thought of sharing a den with someone who wasn’t family, for the first time, scared her. But she was tired of crying herself to sleep at night with no one to know her pain. Fallon took a step closer, and let a smile shine through.

“I would like that Justyn…a lot.”