Even as he silently took the glass of milk, he still radiated his unease and without realising it, that power so expanded far beyond the pillow fortress. Dominant were's could certainly fill a room with the supernatural energy that flowed through them, that it was damn near palpable. The man seemed entirely lost with the war of thoughts raging in his reeling mind as he teetered on some unspoken ledge. The biggest betrayal one could ever experience was by blood or from a bonded love.

His striking emerald eyes peer up to look at her in that startling way he could, as though he could weigh you down with the weight of the world. Disbelief flooded her golden eyes, as she processed his story. No, she might not have known the novel of his life front to back but she tries to understand as best as she could and perhaps relate with him. One human to another. Pain was after all, pain. They could all relate to that. Even though the man would never admit it, he needed someone this very moment. Even if that person was still practically a stranger. He hardly seemed like a man who often needed that borrowed ear. In truth he seemed more like a vault sealed up tight, holding all those painful secrets and memories deep within. Perhaps this was a trait they had shared.

She does try to lighten that heavy mood with the option of kidnapping his sister. Only part of her was joking, the rest was entirely serious. The mischief could not be contained within the confines of those near glowing golden eyes. It did however, earn her a snort what seemed like that of amusement. Yet there is such sorrow in his response despite that fleeting amusement. His words echoed his pain as he spoke the grim reality that his sister would not be returning. There was such finality to the way he spoke it. In that very moment, the mere thought of being betrayed by your own flesh a blood caused a sympathetic dagger form within her chest. She could not help but wonder if there would ever be a day when sibling would have to face sibling in that vicious ongoing battle against Frost. She didn't dare speak those thoughts for fear of absolutely shattering the already fragile state of the man. Somethings were better off left unsaid.

She felt the need to create some kind of silver lining and felt utterly helpless in it. If she couldn't create hope than perhaps, there was a chance of a semblance of peace. At least for a little while. "Perchance there will an unspoken truce with their... union." Okay, now she was grasping at straws and even she realised how ridiculous she sounded. Frost would forever be an enemy in Tetradore's eyes, this much she could see. But wouldn't it be a lot better if they were not continuously plotting against one another? A chance to have a moment of reprieve. However, she knew that there were some selfish men that simply could not be stopped. They would continue to take and even if they won, they would still only thirst for more.

She did not dare venture entirely into the threshold of that plushy fort just yet, as if she were testing the waters by only partially entering. Hey, wouldn't you want an exit plan if Tetradore wanted to go all furry fury? She was used to were's being mercurial in every sense of the matter, they clawed their way to dominance, often with little warning. They could switch from jovial to murderous in seconds. She always needed to be ready at a moment's notice as fights erupted anywhere. Being a lone wolf with no pack was no different. But in the turbulence of that past pack, that wolf alpha had wanted it that way. He wanted his army and subjects sharp and dangerous. It was why the wolf within her always lurked just beneath the surface, alert and ready. That wolf catered to their feral nature, feeding their fears and using that hopelessness to control them. More often than not they would die by challenges from within the pack. They would fight for the right to possess a mate to the death, they would fight over scraps, they would fight to simply rank just one man higher than the next. They were ruthless and so was she. She had to be.

Now, she is entirely out of her element and the more she finds herself less in harm's way she can't help but wonder the possibilities of a future. A taboo thought she would never have allowed herself to dare dream of. There was no such thing as hope or a life outside of that pack. Anyone who tried to leave were captured and devoured in every sense of the matter. They were not honoured in death, they were simply ripped apart to shreds. Not a single piece remained except for the blood that stained the dirt beneath their paws and stained their fur.

However, the Alpha did have his favourites and they were treated significantly better than the rest. They had their own rooms, a bed and were allowed to feast whatever was left of the king's leftovers. She was one of the few and many would have deemed her lucky, but they had no idea just how unfortunate it was to be on that sadistic man's radar.

But there is a moment, when she nibbles upon that cookie almost too eagerly, ignoring any thoughts of the past that dare entered. It was just her and Tetradore now, and that soft and chewy piece of heaven, the chocolate made her mouth water as she all but gobbled it up. Seemingly, she could not help that enjoyment of such a simple cookie. Enough for the were-panther to notice and chuckle. What a sound to cross his lips, she couldn't help but feel it wasn't too often that the man laughed. She peered curiously at him a near sheepish grin upon her face.

She cast her gaze down to the cookies and then back up, the hint of that somewhat guilty grin failing to leave. "Yeah..Waaay too long, apparently. You kind of forget the simple things after a while. I got used to the way things were for me. Now I am starting to realise just how much I was missing." A constant slew of battles for survival, she hardly had time for things like cookies or her favourite decadent hot chocolate. It had been years since she had such luxuries in which many would have taken for granted.

Surprise flitted across her features at the mention of her damaged ankle. She took that moment to slip into the fort as she pulled her knees toward herself, the scent of cookies filling her nostrils. She lifted up the pant leg of the damaged leg to show the man her ankle. It appeared smooth and her skin had almost perfectly healed except for what looked like a pale band of a scar. Like all things, time will heal every scar and dry every tear. "I haven't gone out running yet so I am not sure if its 100% yet. Oh, but I did get a spiffy new silver band where the scar is in my wolf form." She paused as she reminisced, a memory that almost seemed hazy even if it was only a week. "That poison was potent, unlike anything I have experienced before. I hallucinated for at least two days after you left. I am surprised I didn't damage anything. I am glad; this is the nicest place I have lived in, in a long ass time. I think I slept through the most of it though." At least, if she excluded her childhood home. Of course, it wasn't a big home even though her parent's could afford far bigger, they chose to live modestly. It was an attribute she cherished. It was also a way to be off the radar, up until the fateful moment they were exploited by the werewolf king.

She tucked a stray strand of that rich mahogany coloured hair from her face behind her ear. That rich colour was so unlike the dark fur of her wolf form. "So, you built the fort, you get to name it." She bestows this great honour to the man she hardly knew, but he couldn't be that bad considering he built an impressive pillow fort. It meant the man could play and a man could play was far superior than any of the men in her old pack. "I have to admit you have some pretty good fort abilities. You must have made quite a few when you were a kid. I know I did. She suddenly laughs at a memory that flooded into view. "As soon as I would crawl in I would be instantly somewhere else. Not even the dragon's I thought were under my bed could get me.. Yeah, I know I was a badass dragon slayer since the impressive age of 6 years old." Maybe it was the fort, or the cookies, or perhaps she simply felt safe that she felt like a child once more. As though the outside world, for but a moment wouldn't dare touch her, and she was once more invincible. With that thought she grabbed another cookie to dip into that milk and damn it was good, perhaps even better than the last.

Mira Ramos