[ P ] I miss the green in your eyes

Adeline was full of surprises tonight. When his lips met hers, he fully anticipated her to jerk away, to wrench herself out of his grasp or even nip harshly at him. But she did no such thing. Her warmth seeped into his grasp as his hands settled around her, gripping her with familiarity. He saw the flicker of anger, the way it flared in her eyes but she still didn’t resist, her displeasure didn’t lick at his skin. It was quite the opposite in fact. She melted in his grasp, any reservation she had simply gone. She was the one to deepen his kiss, to pull him closer with a hunger he craved. It would pull a low groan from his throat before he pulled away. The deep sound was replaced by a low chuckle when he felt her huff against his mouth, unhappy for one reason or another the brazen flick of his tongue. But it was at odds with the desire that heated her eyes. There was a mixture of satisfaction and lust on his own face.

His mother in law was spinning on her pencil thin heel to face them. He saw the anger flicker across her face as he so boldly used her nickname as if he had earned the right to do so. But she wouldn’t cause a scene, not in public nor would he wilt beneath the weight of her anger. A smile soon stretched across her lips and her welcome was warm, delivered with sickly sweet vocals. He wouldn’t show how it grated at his nerves. It had been a small mercy that only a few had stopped them along the way, offering brief greetings of their own. Long ago he had learned that it was all too easy to keep others from approaching with their idle chitchat if he was able to intimidate them. Kenzo, darling! She played her part well. She even insisted her call her mother, claiming them to be family now. The idea of calling anyone mother made his stomach roll. He didn’t even address his own mother with the title. ”Mother.” He repeated, seeking to pacify her which the smile he kept in place.

Then she was turning to Adeline. Like a winter storm blowing in, her expression grew frigid and her words venomous. Taken aback, he didn’t know what to do with his front row seat to his mother in laws hostility. Cruel words meant to tear down and belittle fell like stones at his feet. Immediately he bristled. Musculature stiffen and an even colder chill settled in his eyes. Adeline only mumbled an apology, looking like she’d rather be anywhere else. Unprepared, he could only stare at Penny when she directed the conversation back to him, her voice like tainted honey once again. It immediately gave him whiplash.

But Kenzo was nothing if not quick on his feet. She dismissed his apology, claiming this celebration was for men like him, men who kept the Highlander’s at bay. ”My father is doing well, busy as a Colonel often is.” He mused as if that reality meant anything to him. Their interaction was coming to a close as she permitted them a reprieve until dinner. Another charming smile stretched across his pale lips though this one wouldn’t chase the outrage from his eyes. ”Looking forward to it.” He was nudging Adeline away. ”These parties remind me of the ones my grandmother would throw.” He crooned the backhanded compliment with clear innuendo. Old. Outdated. Repetitive. Fluorite eyes bore into his mother in laws. From this point on, he would make it clear, she would watch her mouth when it came to Adeline.

Moving away, he didn’t wait for the aftermath. Ushering Adeline further into the unfamiliar house and away from her mother. Forced to greet a few more familiar faces, introduced Adeline to those she hadn’t met before finding an excuse to part ways from the guests. ”Is your mother always such a delight?” When they finally caught a moment alone, he’d murmur the question into her ear, having insisted on keeping her plastered to his side. Glancing down, he’d seek her eyes, his expression softening for the first time since they arrived.

art + code: clae

Her eyes were like globes as he submitted to the autumn woman’s request to call him the same as she did, making her skin prickle a little along her back as if someone had just trailed a finger along her delicate spine. A fight felt seconds away but both seemed avid on keeping healthy appearances as she watched Kenzo use his words as a knife artfully, crass as he was charming and it managed to soften some of the blows as a distraction. Her focus seemed forever stuck on him until she had been berated for her appearance, noticing the crone seemed to not be hiding who she really was fully. Using Kenzo as a teddy to keep herself feeling safe, despite knowing that he was the farthest thing from a teddy bear but in the confines of fear, he often was one towards her. One that hugged her back instead of leaving her to do all the work to starve the nightmares away. He was a better replacement than the real patchwork one she used to have as a child until her mother destroyed it in a fit of rage.

She started to disassociate away from the room, fading into the past while her gaze never faded from him for long as she took in a few breaths to try to push away the drowning discomfort she felt over this whole situation. Maybe not showing up after all would have been the better option but it was too late to escape now.

Ears would perk at the insult that was molded perfectly into a compliment, causing her to come back fully to reality as she heard a bull like huff flare Penelope’s nostrils. Old fashioned wasn’t far from the truth, nobles loved to repeat the same dance over and over again to show off their wealth and hold their noses up at anyone that passed by. She was near certain her mother’s head was about to twist off with how it jerked, spinning like a owl’s when it fully settled in, half expecting her to march right back and bitch slap both of them for the remark, actively flinching at the scowl that faded into those toxic amethysts, when she felt him attempt to redirect her form away from this conversation.

It seemed any charm he had managed to form with the older woman had vanished in a heartbeat, able to feel the ice that trickled from the glare that bore into their backs as they walked away.

Swallowing, she saw her father, visibly older than her mother on the opposite side of the room, being as dismissive of his guests as ever. Probably not wanting the party in the first place but got sucked into it by not listening and just yes dear his way into it, like he always did with the both of them. Except with her, those yeses rarely held any reality to them, merely saying it to get her to leave him be. Much to her surprise he did glance away from his paper long enough to smile at her before going back to ignoring the world. It brought a faint warmth to Adeline’s chest, so easily happy at any attention he’d give her even into adulthood.

Maybe he was just happy she was someone else’s problem now.

Her ears flicked when Kenzo leaned in to whisper to her, her head turning to focus on him again as she looked up at him with a pensive expression lacing her features. “That was her being tame,” she commented quietly before looking away from him, watching the woman turn into a chameleon as she blended in with the fold, if it hadn’t been for her vibrant vermilions that drew an eye to her.

She remained there in silence for a few moments before taking in a breath, her gaze lacking any luster in them as she looked down to her paws. “There’s a reason I didn’t argue with marrying a complete stranger and why I urged a new home as soon as our union was official. I wanted…” she paused, slowly casting her gaze up at him after a few seconds of nothing coming past her lips. Her ears smoothed down against her skull as she searched his eyes for a moment. “...I wanted freedom from her, even at the risk that my unknown groom could have been more abusive in even ways I couldn’t fathom,” she admitted, feeling like she could have handled a stranger being mean to her far better. At first she thought he might be another craven, someone that would just follow the same path, maybe give her mother a run for her money when hostility had been the first dose of their marriage. That fear subsided in no time at all for the most part.

Gently she would rest her brow against her husband’s shoulder, closing her eyes as she took in a breath, basking in his sandalwood cologne. “I’m glad you proved me wrong and aren’t the monster I feared you’d be, Ken,” she said with a gentle warmth, forgetting the rigidity she had been holding against him for nearly a week, at that moment.

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The faintest hint of amusement just barely lifted the corner of his mouth as he smirked, having caught Penelope’s reaction from the corner of his eye. He would likely pay for it later, but there was nothing she could do to him that would leave any lasting affects on his person. His public image was his own and while he was married to his daughter, he was a respected officer of the Imperial Army first. So he walked away from her with Adeline in tow and dismissive flick of his tail.

A brow would arch, when Adeline explained that was the tame version of her mother. Merrin wasn’t winning any mother of year awards but at least she had never been anything remotely cruel to him or his siblings. When her gaze dropped to her paws, the light in her eyes barely even a flicker now, she dove into a tale that was painfully familiar. Had his father known? Was the Colonel aware that he had married his eldest son off to a woman that lived a life so similar to his own mother? Once again, his mind reeled. Merrin had painted a similar picture, a young woman seeking the escape of her cruel mother, hoping that her husband would be the prince charming she had been hoping for. Nalik fell so painfully short of that dream. It seemed he was already walking a similar path. While he had never raised a hand to Adeline, he had still hurt her, she still walked around a shadow of herself.

She was confessing, pleased that he hasn’t turned out to be the monster she thought. Kenzo wasn’t so sure anymore. He hadn’t realized he had looked away from her until he was looking back at her when she rest against his shoulder. ”Adeline.” Remaining still, he didn’t pull away to draw her gaze, waiting for her to look up on her own accord. Indecision and uncertainty ate him in the worst of ways. He wasn’t built to be indecisive, uncertain, to be so unsure of himself. A Verlice man by blood, a Lieutenant Major by title, he had been crafted to be a pillar of strength with an unwavering self confidence. He made decisions and stuck by them. Now, for better or worse, his life was irrevocably tied to Adeline’s. She deserved better. She deserved his certainty, his self assured confidence, the love of a good husband. He wouldn’t help but wonder if Merrin has found that in Argent.

The chatter of the party faded away, all he heard was the blood rushing in his ears as nervous adrenaline leaked into his system. Telling her would surely bring her some relief, perhaps to them both, though she had been the one taking hit after hit in the last few months. But he knew the cost would come at a heavy price for him. She held a power of him that he hadn’t experienced before. His wife captivated him, she stirred a possessiveness in him that would have him burning Rionnach to the ground to keep her beside him. His need for her was overwhelming, threatening to drown him in the best of ways. And it had all come from nowhere, blindsiding him with the ferocity in which he loved her. He had waited to speak until she looked at him. ”I love you, Adeline.” Those words were both suffocating and freeing. ”I have since before I left for the war.” He would drag in a steadying breath. ”I love you more than my next breath.” It was such a lethal confession. Soon enough a self pitying smile stretch across his lips. ”But you’ll leave me and I won’t survive that again.” Flashes of Natalia rushed, unwelcome, to the forefront of his mind.

art + code: clae

The comfort of her brow against his shoulder would be disturbed by the gentle call of her name, those lovely baritones decorating each note in a beautiful symphony but it wasn’t enough to coax her attention immediately. She wanted to stay detached from everything for a little while longer, to be absorbed by his fur and allow his breathing to chase away the voices from her ears as her brow furrowed and her lip pressed as she swallowed again as if it could allow air to circulate into her lungs a little easier. She had never been this obviously afraid of the hand that fed and it was starting to draw attention, too many knowing her to be boisterous and drunk but now she was clinging to a man some knew while others didn’t. A growing spectacle they were making but far too absorbed into each other to even notice the eyes that would dance to them from time to time, trying to catch a glimpse while equally trying to be discreet in their approach. None dared to get closer, at the very least.

After a few long moments of his silence, she would finally raise her head, her eyes gaining some of their luster back as she peered up at him with a flicker of urging him to speak was clear with the way she gently gestured with her nose and looked at him. She was used to him being a statue, whenever she used him in some form of comforting her, he wouldn’t move and just let her do as she pleased even if his own mood was less than stellar. His ears were always open even if his voice remained away from her own, attentive even at his most distant. It was peculiar when she thought about the rest of his blood she had met, where they held the same habit to take in everything around them without missing a single speck, all of them were fireworks when it came to their tempers.

Kenzo was… almost docile. A completely different entity from the name he carried though maybe that came with the territory of her demeanor being different between all of them. Even that stranger connected to Nalik earlier in the day seemed more Verlice than Kenzo, with her sharp tongue and need for a last word.

Drawing in a breath, she smiled at him sheepishly as he continued that silence for a few more seconds, feeling like maybe she said something wrong or she was misunderstanding what he wanted when speaking her name. Maybe he was trying to get her to not make a scene like on the streets, to divert her attention and not show so much contact with him as she was now. Public displays of affection were often rather vulgar to do around snobs. She was about to pull away when his spell finally broke and he formed words that caught her fully off guard.

I love you, Adeline.

Everything became cold before a rush of heat took it over, feeling as though a wave crashed into her, feeling a bit dizzy and uncertain she actually heard him right. Was she daydreaming so hard she lost track of reality? Gently biting her lip, she winced as a touch of blood pooled into her mouth to make sure she could actually feel pain. She was conscious and this had to not be her imagination. The only phantom she had was one not here and she would sooner think herself crazy than she would hearing things. Her posture straightened, her head raised and doe eyes eclipsed all her other facial functions as she listened to him continue with prettier and prettier words to drive all of it home. The last comment, though, would make her freeze just a touch in mild surprise. Was that what he meant by he can’t love her?

Had Nalik really been trying to help her and not just degrade her as much as possible? She blinked a few times at the thought, head falling down and away from him for a moment, laughing to herself for a moment or two at all of this as a weight lifted before finally gathering herself to face him again.

“Am I that breath in your lungs or the one stealing it away?” she teased lightly, for once not attempting to turn this into some lawyer verbiage to make something logical. They both knew just because they were married didn’t mean she couldn’t run, his mother was a prime example of that and she wasn’t going to touch on that as a comparison either. It would be a piss poor time to do it if there ever was one. Carefully she reached up to cup the delicate contours of his face, drawing him in if he let her. Her tail swayed as she took in the face she hadn’t truly seen all the way since his departure to the battlefield. It was tainted by her ill mind and now it felt clear and lighter. “If I was going to leave you, I would have already the moment you made it sound like I was worth nothing to you. I’m a woman that knows what she wants, and I want you more than anything. Even all the wealth in the world can’t replace you, but I can’t prove that unless you let me love you,” there was a soft coo to her voice, ears tipping back with a subtle shyness.

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Slow to look up at him, he waited patiently. Where he found the patience, he wasn't sure. It came so effortlessly for her. Sure he was generally charming to those around him, but he didn't completely lack the Verlice temper. Though it was true, by the rest of his familys standards, his temper was far less prone to igniting. But when it finally did, the world felt the wrath of the eldest son. There was just something about those green eyes that now peeked up at him, a sheepish smile lifting her lips, that quieted the beast within.

I love you, Adeline. The words echoed in his skull.

First, she froze. Then like a summer flower getting the first drops of rain, she perked up, standing a little taller, her doe eyes a little brighter. Eyes flicked briefly to her lips when she pulled it between her teeth and bit down, as if she were pinching herself. Lips twitched with faint amusement. How easy she was to please in that moment, just a few simple words breathing life back into her. He struggled not to eat up every moment of it. Immediately he found himself addicted to her reaction. The silence stretched on though and he felt his anxiety grow with each passing second. It felt like an eternity.

Around them, the party continued, guests chattering about nothing while their gazes wandered. Their proximity to each other hadn't gone unnoticed. But he had long grown used to having eyes on him. He no longer felt it. Thus far, no one had dared to approach, to intrude upon their obviously private conversation. Though it would only be a matter of time. Already he had visions of his darling mother in law storming up to them.

Dozens of scenarios ran through his head. What if he had said it too late and now she didn't feel the same? What if she had decided he wasn’t worth loving? The lack of displeasure in her features was a small comfort and would quiet some of his thoughts. But then she froze again, some thought passing through her mind, though what it was would forever be a secret to him.

Am I that breath in your lungs or the one stealing it away?

He scoffed, not truly annoyed that she chose this moment of all the moments, to crack a joke. "Depends on your mood." A low growl in his voice, though a smile toyed with his lips and amusement danced in his eyes. Dainty hands reached up, cupping his face and he would immediately lean into her, stepping closer than public decorum allowed. Shameless, he palmed her hips, the flexing of his fingers against her skin was the only outward hint to his anxiety. Her next words, as beautiful as they were, did little to boost his confidence on the matter. Her expression was earnest, shy in that naive way were she genuinely thought her words would be enough. Skepticism remained a shadow casting itself across his features. She wanted a chance to prove it to him.

For several breaths, he would consider his next words. But what would he even say? There was no nice way to tell her he didn't believe that. Such sweet words, he had heard something similar before. Heartfelt promises had a way of burning away. Still he couldn’t bring himself to deny her the opportunity though, even if deep down he knew he’d live to regret it. So he did what he did best. Leaning down, he pressed a kiss to her lips, unfazed by the murmurs of those closest to them. As much as he wanted to, he didn't linger, not quite so willing to cause a full blown scene in her mothers home. ”Anything for you.” He would concede but not really. He meant to pacify her.

"We are drawing attention." He murmured, ears twitching briefly. For a moment longer, he'd ignore those around him. There was nothing he wanted more than for those words to be true. Oh to be so consumed by the knowledge that she would forever stand beside him. It was intoxicating. It was a new high that he suddenly didn’t want to live without. He knew then that she would leave him in utter ruin. Just as she turned his world upside when she waltzed in, she would burn it all down when she left.

art + code: clae

His scoff made her ears perk up, tilting her head just a little in mild confusion, having not meant for it to sound like a jest but a flirtatious question more so that would bring more understanding in how he felt. One would give him life while the other would starve him of a well needed resource to live, killing him little by little until the body was entirely deprived of oxygen in every cell, perishing in minutes. Still, he would answer with what sounded like honesty despite his smile indicating he was only joking in return at the thought. Her gaze shifted away from him for a second in thought, not sure how much she should take that seriously but she felt it was very much a reasonable answer. Moods truly did affect the tides of everyone.

The silence that followed her, fur wanting to bristle, that steady hand upon his cheek clearly showing a hesitancy in its gentle tremble, as if she was second guessing being so forward in her emotions a second time. He had already rejected her once when she had so swiftly stated her feelings toward him and her heart was holding out for him to do it a second time, starting to think she didn’t understand at all and it wore on her internally, trying to hold it in from showing on her countenance in those moments where the world was white noise. The chatter that started to include them not catching her ears.

She let out a surprised gasp as he pulled her into a kiss once more, eyes widened before half shutting, peeking past her lashes at him in a curiosity if he was trying to hide his face from her by doing this. Her feet felt light until he pulled away, suddenly the weight of her body pressing down on them as her vision batted full back to attentive saucers. A smile etched it way onto her lips at his late response, hiding the frail suspicious of his choices and that twist in her gut was coming. That faint anxiety he was doing this, just to get his way back into her bed. She didn’t want to believe such a cruel thought so she’d shake it off for now in hope he didn’t prove that worry to be true, despite most of his actions this evening felt almost like he was.

Would that be so bad if it were true?

“Let them stare,” she said brashly, her smile becoming far more mischievous as she caught notice of her mother starting to make way toward them, more than likely to tell them they were being inappropriate in this display. There were a few other options that played in her mind about how the crone would approach them, not sure which to land on as the most likely, wanting to hear her for once and not dodge her.

“Now darlings, I know you are practically newlywed and I’m so glad I and Nalik made such a wonderful choice pairing you two but there’s a time and place for everything. By mingling with guests, I didn’t mean mingling with each other by providing such a vulgar exhibit,” the viper said with a false amused and understanding tone. “Why don't you come with me, Lina, so we can speak for a moment alone and let prince charming meet the rest of the guest in the meantime without you distracting him,” Penelope's smile was thinning the longer she waited for Adeline to be obedient and come to her heel like a good daughter.

Adeline about laughed at her attempts to be entirely civil but instead she would lean up to kiss Kenzo one last time before whispering to him with a hanging breath. “Kenny, do you want to have this date here to continue playing house to her wishes like everyone else here, or somewhere we can be a little more free?” she asked with a soft innocence to her own voice, as if she was not offering to outright leave this hobble after her earlier statement of having to be here. If they left, both their pockets could be hurting but right now, she was willing to risk that to prove he was worth more than money to her and that was saying a lot for a woman that based her entire life in luxury thus far.

She could already hear the impatient click of her mother's nails but her gaze would never stop searching his till he gave her an answer.

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Despite the surprise that was so blatant in her rounded eyes, her words were bold. Let them stare. A wolfish grin would spread across his lips despite the doubt that still lingered in his mind. It was easy to fall back into a comfortable routine with her, to pick up their banter and games as if they had never stopped. She offered no resistance, not when he invaded her space, not when large hands encompassed her hips, not when he pressed his lips to her. but he had felt her hesitancy, the slight tremble in her touch as if she expected the worse from him a second time.

He hadn't shared much of anything with her, nothing that would truly explained why he insisted on keeping her at arms distance despite how he felt about her. But pale lips remained tightly sealed. It was a story he kept close to his chest, a story that not even Ryker knew all the details of.

The click of nails against stone snagged his attention. Like the clack of heels against tile, the soft rustle of fabric as a woman walked with purpose towards them.

Their private conversation would be invaded. He would take notice of his approaching mother in law, though he wouldn't address her. Not right away anyways. Now darlings... He would look towards her then. Her words were sweet, her tone understanding, as if she had ever truly been in their shoes before. He couldn't quite picture her as the type. Then she was trying to coax Adeline from his side and he momentarily stiffened. It was subtle enough that not just anyone would notice, though surely his wife would feel the pressure of finger tips pressing into her hip, gripping her just a little tight.

Rather than acknowledge her mother, defiance glittered in her eyes as she looked up at him before leaning in for a kiss. He would smile against her mouth, toying with the idea of causing a scene that would surely scandalize her. But he had a part to play, so when Adeline offered him an out, an opportunity to leave this party, he wavered. They both had roles to play, duties to fulfill. There were hands to shake, cheeks to kiss. It wasn't just her that brought titles and responsibilities their marriage. He was the first born son of a respected Colonel, who hadn't been shy about building the Verlice name. He also would never hear the end of it if he caused a scene.

"Your mother spent so much time preparing this dinner, we shouldn't miss it." He knew full well the Lady of the house hadn't lifted a well manicured finger to prepare anything. It didn't stop a smile from stretching across his lips, the humor leaving his features before he looked at Penelope. "Though I do regret that we won't be able to stay late this evening." It had been years since he explained himself to anyone. When the Lieutenant Major said no, there was a quiet finality in his lack of explanation why. His gaze would stray, peeking over Penelopes shoulder, as if someone had caught his attention. "If you'll excuse us, I see someone we should say hi to." The smooth baritone of his voice offered no room for argument as he nudged Adeline gently, in an effort to move around her mother.

art + code: clae

A smile she might have found mocking less than a half hour ago, seemed to morph along his face with a challenging vigor she had seen more than once tonight but this one was a little different. She couldn’t quite make heads or tails as to why that was as her green gaze flitted away from him for a second to glance around the room before winding back onto him with a small raise of a brow. He was energized with something mischievous, she could tell that much, it wouldn’t compare to the stir that mixed within her belly, wanting to crash this party in ways she hadn’t before. Even emboldened by such a mindset, her ears would flick a few times with an uncertainty, a feeling she wasn’t used to when it came to her daily choices. Usually every decision she made was full of resolve yet with Kenzo, she always staggered as if each step was drunk. Doubt in her actions, especially as of late, seemed to be constantly rising.

He really was changing her.

Her mother’s approach had drawn him away from her, bringing forth an ire to her as she looked between them, not liking his attention away from her. It was such a shift from how she felt on the way here, whiplash making her fur want to ruffle but it wasn’t until her mother tried to get her to heel that it truly fluffed up a little in protest. Her husband would tense alongside her, making her attention flicker to him for a second, pressing all the more into him as if that was enough to keep her there as well as comfort him in some way. When she had pulled him into a kiss, she half expected him to push her away to regain some kind of semblance of preservation in high society but instead she felt a smile against her lips she wanted to inhale into her very soul.

The moment he seemed to decline her offer for escape was the moment her stomach sank and any confidence she had would fall into a pit, not wanting to be here even more right after offending her mother. Not without a drink in her claws painting her lips a deep toxic plum. She was disappointed and it showed on her face, far from wearing the poker face she kept well polished in court as she was tempted to just leave them both there stranded like a bratty child angry she hadn’t gotten her way just without the flashy tantrum. Out of the corner of her eye she could see her mother had a pleased smile on her face as he played the gentlemen, soothed over in second though there was still that beckoning gaze to yank her away from him in those venomous potions. She didn’t remove herself from the grip that remained on her hip, not eager to depart into those of talons.

That pacified expression would suddenly falter when Kenzo would suddenly change his narrative, seeing her mother break as her own body returned some of its energy to be no longer angry or deflated. “Where could you possibly need to be that’s more important than-” Adeline held back a laugh by only showing a satisfied smile as Kenzo cut her mother right off, watching the woman flail for a foothold that would make her look deranged and controlling in the eye of company. Once he tried to guide her away, her mother would begrudgingly trip a waiter that had been walking past to crash right into Adeline and splatter her in a wine he had been restocking. The man frantically scrambled with apologies and to fetch another supply. Adeline about screeched at the large stains in her coat. It took everything in her to not lose her sanity over her appearance being wholly ruined!

“Oh my poor dear! What an absolute mess, I’ll be sure to reprimand him for you. It must be absolutely embarrassing, why don’t you go home and clean up and distress…” that fake kindness was buzzing before she’d lean in and whisper into her daughter’s ear. “...before you embarrass me even more with this mockery and show. You aren't meant to be the entertainment. Next time I see you, darling, you better hope this man is with you or that face of yours will never be pretty again.” She pulled back with a smile on her face, giving Adeline a kiss on the cheek before bidding Kenzo a teary-eyed farewell to walk away.

Adeline stood there in an internal freak out, not speaking, not doing anything at all. Unable to process everything and she was close to snapping.

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Angry Townsfolk

Three yearlings scamper by and then appear at a nearby ridge. They start kicking rocks and dust down onto you and cackling madly. "Go back to where you came from!" One jeers as he kicks down another large stone. "Oh no, we are the fae here to haunt you!" Gasps a girl as she giggles before aggressively kicking down a thick, pointed branch.


This event affects only HIGHLANDER wolves. To interact with them and/or engage in a fight with them, please post in #updates.

The disappointment was clear as day on her face. Her expression fell the moment he denied her offer to leave. Regret had his stomach dropping and his expression turning apologetic. Penelope was pleased though, if he was to believe that smile that stretched across her lips. At least until he was done playing the Matriarchs games. Moving away from Penelope, he ignored her as she began to protest, her outrage falling on deaf ears. It was painfully obvious that his mother in law was accustomed to getting her way in all things. It seemed she wasn’t told no often. In the grander scheme of things, she meant little to him. Her value to him was based entirely on how Adeline felt about her mother. He could afford to live just fine without his wife’s family fortune. Kenzo played the games of court well, he knew it when it was best to yield instead of causing a scene. But the Lieutenant Major was well acquainted with his limits and wasn’t afraid to uphold his boundaries.

When it came to his wife, it seemed others were far too comfortable with pressing those boundaries. A waiter would stumble, spilling the wine he had been carrying. If he hadn’t spilled it all over Adeline, Kenzo wouldn’t have blinked. But he had and she stood beside him, oddly silent but looking like she was going to explode. Pale lips lifted, his snarl drawing the attention of those nearest. Terror crossed the waiters face as Kenzo stepped towards him, looking as though he might mop the floor with the poor wolf. All too quickly, Penny was there, fussing over Adeline with honeyed words. Displeasure colored his features and set his eyes ablaze, a quiet surrounding them as guests watched the spectacle. It quieted just enough that when Penny leaned in close, whispering in Adeline’s ear, he got a few words. Embarrass me more… hope this man is with you… yours will never be pretty.

Like a spark over a puddle of gasoline, his Verlice temper ignited. His movements were smooth, slow even, as he stepped into Penelopes path. She was trying to leave, He moved with the grace of predator, the finesse of a seasoned soldier, the confidence of a man, Fluorite eyes narrowed as he let his imposing size unfurl. "You can stay that again." He would instruct. "A little louder this time." He crooned. There was a venom to his low words, a dangerous rumble in his baritone. The eyes on them didn't matter, he was all to content to make it public knowledge that his wife was untouchable.

art + code: clae