[ P ] Eat your young

do not press this,
I am relentless.

More often than not, he was in and around the barracks nowadays. With the draft in full swing, soldiers were busy. And their energy was being poorly directed. The crown had called for a draft, every able body was to become a soldier in preparation for the impending war. The news had shifted down the ranks and most of the veteran officers met it with displeasure. They were preparing canon fodder. The common farmer was being dragged in and told to go stand on the front lines. These new recruits were sorely unprepared. Most would die.

Today, he traded one depressing job for the next. Leaving the recruits with another solder, he headed to the medical den. The smell of blood and herbs were heaving in the air. He didn't linger any longer than necessary, Just outside, his pace slowed. The Colonel didn't rush back to his next task.

In the weeks since the protest, he hadn't had time to locate Merrin. Most nights he was too exhausted to do anything beyond falling into bed. But she quickly shot to the forefront of his mind. It had been too long since he had last seen her. He had meant to find her sooner, to keep her from getting too far out of reach. It was more than likely going to be hell to find her, again. In the distance, someone shouted his name - Nalik!, forcing his ears to rotate forward as they beckoned his assistance. With an inaudible sigh, he started walking back towards the barracks, paying no mind to the other wolf that walked with a limp.

@Pixel

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ith Merrin's gentle care and love, Argent was finally able to walk without assistance. His injured leg was still much weaker than the rest so he walked with noticeable limp. The ex-captain was reluctant to place too much weight in his leg, fearful of the pain and the memories it stirred so he held his leg up and hobbled awkwardly for a few steps then gingerly placed it on the ground for half a second. Rinse and repeat all the way to the barracks. He was here to check up on Lenora and see if her fellow soldiers were treating her alright. She was taller than her dear old dad by now, but he never stopped worrying about his pups. Silvery ears twitched when he heard someone bark a name that he didn't expect. Nalik. Merrin's bastard of a husband.

Without thinking he hobbled towards the man, a deep growl rumbling like thunder in his chest. "You!" he snarled, grey eyes flashing angrily. Why was he so close to the barracks? That man had no business in a place of law and order unless he was behind bars.

@Nalik

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

do not press this,
I am relentless.

You! The venom behind the singular word had his skull lifting as he looked towards the source. A white and grey wolf approached, or hobbled rather, towards him. Anger flashed in the strangers eyes. Brows pinched together as he looked at the man with confusion. He didn't know this wolf. He wasn't even entirely sure was the wolf was doing out and about, he clearly had an injury to his leg severe enough that he was hesitant to put weight on it. He would slow his return to training, letting the man catch up without making any effort to make the three legged wolfs journey shorter.

"Me." Came his dry retort. Ears pressed forward, his interested piqued ever so slightly. It wasn't often he had a stranger approach him with such fury in his stare. The stranger was about his size, though his frame was somehow diminished when he hobbled around awkwardly on three legs.

Emerald eyes were trained on the others ashen face, curious though impatient. Whatever had this man all riled up, he surely didn't have time for it. The barracks were crawling with wolves, and plenty of younger ones that were eager to fulfill whatever menial task this man was likely to want.

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H

is growl rumbled like thunder in his chest, chest tightening with rage at the presence of a man he'd never met, but hated with every fibre of his being. Grey eyes swirled like a raging storm, body shaking with anger. It took every ounce of self control from his military training not to barrel into the man and pay him back for every tear that Merrin had ever shed because of him. Argent knew that if he did fight him that it wouldn't really be for her, kind, sweet, selfless Merrin. She wouldn't want him to. For her sake, for his family, he reacted with words instead of fangs. "Why are you here, Nalik? Did they just let you out of jail?" he questioned him, grey eyes narrowed into hateful slits.

"That's where you belong. In the darkest, deepest dungeon. No sun, no sky for the rest of your days," Argent retorted coldly, having no qualms about telling the man what he really thought about him. It was the only thing he could do with his broken body, spout impotent hatred at a man likely wouldn't care about what a stranger thought of him.

He was the perfect target for Argent's frustrations and that was all that mattered to the silver point wolf in the moment. He wanted in some small way to defend Merrin's honour from the beast who had broken her spirit.


@Nalik

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

WARNING: brief language.

do not press this,
I am relentless.

Why are you here, Nalik? Did they just let you out of jail? At first, he laughed. It was a sudden outburst because that was the last thing ever expected this man to say. To this day, no one had ever spoke to him with such audacity. But his laughter was quickly engulfed by his displeasure. Eyes narrowed and his lips pressed into a thing line as his ears turned back. "Bold words for a man with only three good legs." His emerald stare would drop pointedly to the leg Argent favored. Who did this man think he was? Making insane accusations, as if he were a common criminal. "But no, if you must know. I probably wouldn't be a Colonel if I spent any time in a jail cell."

A grey brow would arch, when the injured wolf spoke with such hatred, his seething claims that the Colonel be cast into the deepest, darkest cell in the dungeons. Evidently he had done something to this man, but no matter how hard he thought, he could not place this wolf. "I'm flattered, really, to know that you wasted so much of your time hating me," His tone was condescending at best. "But I don't have the slightest clue who the fuck you are and I don't have time for your delusions." He spat the words at the stranger, wasting not another moment in his presence.

Walking away, he couldn't help but bristle. He made a mental note to tell whoever was in charge of the nurses to keep in his sickbed, even if it meant strapping him to the damn thing.

-exit until Argent inevitably stops him-

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f Nalik thought that pointing out his crippled limb would humble him he was wrong. He was too full of fire to feel any shame in his weakness. "I broke it protecting people, not threatening others like you do," Argent sneered at the man who had dared to threaten his lover. The pure white fur along his shoulders bristled and bushed out as adrenaline burned through his body. He expected to hear some form of denial, but it came with a revelation that made his hot blood run cold. A colonel. That bastard was a colonel. Nalik was one of the most powerful men in the army and Argent was merely a retired captain, now a civilian. A long silence filled the air and his grey mask contorted into an expression of horror and then disgust. This man held power over his children. He only needed to find out their family names and he could make their lives hell. Lenora who wanted to protect people could have her whole army career ruined before it even started. Riften who admired his father and wanted to follow in his footsteps could be stuck as a subordinate forever just because of his name.

He clenched his teeth and glared at him. "I'll find a way to bring you down," he swore, to protect Merrin and his children he had to get this man out of the army. Nalik acted as if Argent was merely a bothersome fly and that angered him. "Running away because I'm not a woman?" he called after him, knowing that would rankle him enough to come back. "What would your subordinates think if they knew what you were really like?" Argent dared to ask, silver eyes glinting dangerously. He'd never spoken to someone like this before with so much venom and hatred, but he'd never known feeling this much vitriol for another wolf was possible before. Even the highlanders who had crippled him and forced him into retirement didn't make him feel like this. It was a dark and ugly emotion, one that tempted him beyond the boundaries of his lawful nature.

@Nalik

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

do not press this,
I am relentless.

At first, he could only sigh. Yet another protestor sympathizer who criticized the soldiers defending the peace they so desperately claimed to be after. Though the man was soon silenced, clearly not expecting him to be a colonel. It caused Nalik to look at him a little closer, his eyes narrowing with quiet suspicion. Several emotions crossed the strangers features as he processed this information, though he would eventually settle on disgust. The ranking wolf couldn't help but wonder just what he had done to piss this guy off.

Walking away, he could only laugh when the wolf promised to bring him down. The deranged man wasn't worth his time or his worry. The crippled wolf wasn't capable of toppling him. However, it was Argent's next words that would give him pause. Running away because I'm not a woman? A younger, more inexperienced wolf might have pulled the 'don't run away like a girl' card. This was different. The mans rage, his hatred, combined with a jab that was just a little too specific. "Luciel." His wayward wifes "husband". There was simply no other explanation.

A sneer would curl the corner of his mouth as he looked over his shoulder. Luciel would threaten him then, a foolish move. "I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about." He looked at Luciel in a new light now, assessing as he took in the man that was fucking his wife. "I can only guess Merrin has spun some tale in an attempt to make herself feel better about abandoning her children." He sighed, as if it weighed heavily against his conscious. Few knew the story regarding him and Merrin, at least from his own lips. He was already a private wolf so when he didn't share details on his marriage, no one was surprised.

While he longed to rip into this man, to make sure that leg never healed properly, he made no move to approach Luciel. It was only age and experience that kept it that. This man was fucking his wife undoubtedly, her proclaimed husband. He should be dead. Naliks mouth watered at the thought. "As fun as this has been, I have an actual job to do." It took every ounce of self control to walk away. "Oh, tell Merrin I'll see her soon." He just couldn't help himself, returning the precise jab, intending to goad the man into a reaction.

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he familiar scowl that wrinkled the skin between his eyes was far more intense. It transformed into a hateful glare when faced with the man who had crushed Merrin's hopes beneath his paws. Argent watched Nalik's expression, waiting for a sign that he realised who he was. He wasn't going to give him the honour of an introduction, the man wasn't worthy of his respect so when his first name passed through his lips his brow twitched in revulsion. That name was for his friends and for Merrin. He was Argent to everyone else, but Nalik couldn't know that. It tied him to Lenora and her safety was more important than his pride. "Been asking around about me?" Argent questioned him, wanting to know just how much he knew and how he knew that name.

Nalik acted dismissive of his accusations and it angered him on Merrin's behalf. This was the man her parents had inflicted on her. Marriage with him was a life sentence, not the loving husband she deserved. The ugly darkness swirled to the surface, taking over his tongue. "Maybe if you weren't such a failure of a husband she would have stayed and raised your pups," he remarked, cold steel eyes staring him down. It was a cruel thing to say and one that Merrin would hate to hear coming from him, but he couldn't hold back. "You are just some fancy nobody her parents liked the look of. She didn't choose you. She chose me," Argent stated, intentionally being spiteful to hurt him. He had made Merrin cry countless times. The man deserved to be torn down from his high horse. He wasn't untouchable and Argent wanted him to know that.

His jaw clenched when Nalik taunted him with a promise to visit Merrin. "Over my dead body," he growled, intending to protect her with his life if he needed to.

@Nalik

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

do not press this,
I am relentless.

The sneer on his lips was taunting. "No, though I will admit hearing another mans name on my wifes lips was a bit gut-wrenching." He didn't share this tidbit out of the goodness of his heart. "I prefer her whimpering my name." He would turn to face Luciel then, in open challenge, his words carefully chosen so that the innuendo would dig in deep.

The strikes Luciel threw his way were cliche at best. If he hoped to unravel the Colonel, he would have to do better than calling him a failure as a husband. To Nalik, Merrin had simply been too weak, incapable of finding her own backbone. She had been the failure. Her running had only solidified that belief. She should have been better. That gave him the excuse to take his children from her own mother, she had been a failure in raising Merrin. She had never gotten the chance to ruin his pups.

She chose me. That would hit a nerve he hadn't expecting to be so raw still. It had always bothered him, that she ran, that she left him. Her mother was a stone cold bitch, she manipulated Merrin's father like an expert puppeteer. The woman was impressive, even if she was infuriating. Merrin was nothing like her. That had been his initial draw to her, her submissiveness. But he soon found himself running over her, his touch growing too rough, her cries too soft. It fed a dark desire he hadn't entertained before. Her attempts were too feeble against the beast she had helped create. And then she had left him, with three young pups and totally uncertain. Not to mention that she had been carrying his unborn pups. That thought alone was enough to incite his temper. He had never gotten to ask Merrin what had become of his pups. Had Luciel raised them?

A dark laugh would fall from his parted lips and his emerald eyes glittered dangerously. "One day." He crooned. "And then Merrin will be back home with me." Luciel had spit venom at him with the intention to hurt. Nalik didn't want to verbally hurt him, Nalik wanted to goad a reaction out of him. He wanted to rile up Luciel until he snapped and in a lapse of judgement, attack him. So he would pour salt in the wound that was easiest to inflict. Taking Merrin back. Taking her back home, and everything that entailed.

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t was Merrin. Nalik had gotten his name from Merrin. Rather than being surprised or upset he was relieved. It meant that Nalik truly didn't know his family name and that would protect their children. It was Nalik's next words that brought a surge of anger so hot it stole his breath. Momentarily he lost control and charged over to Nalik using all four limbs, anger blazing in his silver gaze. He'd forgotten about his weak leg and the pain that flared through his limb brought him back to his senses. Attacking a colonel in front of the barracks was foolish. "I'm glad she left you. At least then your pups didn't have to see what a pathetic bully their father is. Or did you use them as a replacement?" he growled, truly believing that Nalik was the kind of man to threaten his own children because it amused him.

Argent released a sigh and began to walk away from Nalik. "Her home is with me. She doesn't love you and never will," he replied, confident that Merrin would never willingly return to that monster's side. "I'll always be the one she looks for, thinks of and wants to be with. It'll never be you," he snarled over his shoulder at the man. There was nothing more to be said. If Nalik insisted on bothering Merrin again then Argent would be there to stop him.

- exit

@Nalik

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