Sway to the Rhythm of Love [Alluri]

Slowly, he padded beside the gently-rolling river, chunks of ice breaking off the shore and getting caught by the current. The male stopped for a moment, gazing into the river to see his reflection. What he saw was nothing different than what he expected; a brown and black wolf with dark aqua eyes. Blinking, he turned and walked away, letting his mind amble. They seemed to come back to a single thought; Alphess Alluri. The beautiful white fae with golden yellow eyes that seemed to turn amber in some lights. Paw prints trailed behind him as well as how he thought the Alphess' feelings for him. She didn't seem to express anything that hinted that she had any emotions that tied into him. Leaping over a fallen tree trunk with ease, he wished it would be that easy to make her experience infatuation. He remembered the words his mother would whisper to him at night, telling him to say it to the female he had any affection for. Achak's demeanor changed, and he paused, glancing behind him, looking for something or someone. He was going to say the words to her, and he wondered if she would come. He sat down once more, the bitterness sending a tingle up his body. He waited--for nothing in particular--and watched as the snowflakes drifted down slowly and peacefully.

The fallen snow was beautiful at this time of day. The snow flakes seemed to fill the air, landing themselves delicately on the white females coat and nose. It was sort of funny. How wandering through the blizzard days that the Alphess was no more than a ghost in the wind. Her pelt was well hidden against the storm, only a few patches of gray sticking out, almost invisible to the eye. Though, Alluri couldn't complain. It was perfect for hunting, though she could hardly see the prey, the prey couldn't see her at all. Small white paws traveled effortlessly through the snow, her tail held in a relaxed state as it swayed in the gentle breeze behind her.

So many things had been coursing through the females mind, it was great to get away from it all for a while and clear her head. As she came across the river, a small smile crossed her maw as she saw it was mostly frozen over, but every once in a while, a sheet of ice would break, sending the entire river into ripples and tiny waves. Everything about this area was beautiful to the Alphess, it was a great place to relax. Lowering her muzzle toward the water, she flinched slightly at the sudden cold, but relaxed as the crystal liquid slid down her throat and replenished the strength into her muscles. It was when she raised her head that she noticed the scent of her Delta, Achak.

Curiously, she threw her head around, wondering what he would be doing so far from the camp, and off on his own. No wolves had been on the border recently, it was simply just the three of them; Alluri, Nazareth, and Achak. Surely he wouldn't hunt here? It was the most dead of the area when it came to finding prey, unless he had a taste for fish. Alluri spat at the thought, she hated fish. They way their scales seemed to slide all over her teeth and down her throat like a piece of soggy prey. It was just flat out nasty, at least in her opinion.

Picking up her paws steadily, she lowered her maw to pick up the males scent, then began to track him. She was bored and there was no prey around, so company couldn't really hurt. Once she was close enough, it was easier just to follow his paw prints, and soon enough, his dark pelt came into view. It stood out like a blackbird in an empty field. Giving her tail a happy wag, she let out a small bark of greeting, waiting for him to turn around and say hello.

Word Count: 446

Achak sat, staring off through the white flurries, shaking his pelt to clear off the gathered snow. Ears pricking, hear heard a quiet bark of greeting, and he turned, seeing the outline of a wolf, whom of which was the color of the snow. The wolf that his thoughts seemed to wander to every time he had a moment to. Eyes dancing with happiness, he stood, padding over to her and touching the tip of his nose to her in acknowledgement and slight submission. Looking into the golden yellow hues, he remembered the exact words he would whisper to her. The thought of his mother gave a slight pain in his chest, and the same colored orbs seemed to elevate it, but he knew it would be all right, as long as he was with the wolf that stood in front of him. Glancing up at the sky, his eyes grazed upon the sunset, the sky which was on the opposite a navy blue already. He sat back down, evaluating the Alphess. Frowning, he smelled the Beta upon her pelt, and knew that she had, inevitably, been with him. Of course, she was everyday, due to their duties, but it still left anguish within him. He desperately wanted to let their pelts mingle together, his overwhelming obligation to her coursing throughout him.

"How are you, my dear Alphess?" he murmured softly, a wisp of vapor coming from his parted jaws caused from the cold air. It rose slowly, disintegrating into nothing the higher it got. He glanced to her, watching her orbs as they followed the tuft of nothingness. She was so beautiful and didn't even seem to notice the affection he payed to her. He had a tight competition, as he knew Nazareth had his eye on her, too. He seemed to need her, as if she could fill the void in his heart that he had lost when his adopted mother died. Flashes of the memory came back, and he tried to ignore them. He focused on the present; the here and now. He concentrated on Alluri the Alluring. He remembered how his mother would say the words in a beat; in a tune. Gently, he spoke once more, letting his words roll off his tongue, "May I sing you something?"

Casually and calmly, he walked, letting the fae walk beside him, waiting for her answer. He led her along the river, the sun catching on the scales of the fish which swam in it. He found fish beautiful--almost as beautiful as the female he was next to--but nothing more. He surveyed her, watching the way her muscles moved beneath her pelt, the way she gazed back at him, the way her eyes danced with light and shadows. Oh, how he truly loved her. Or at least, he seemed to think he did. He had never loved a female that he could actually mate with. He smiled slightly, thinking of what the future could bring if she loved him, too. He could be her mate; he could be the Alpha. At the moment, all he wanted was to quench his wish. He wanted to be with her, and have her all for himself. He thought about the Beta, and let out a silent puff of air, like a sigh. He had to win her over, which would be a challenge, that he was willing to win.

A small smile crept onto Alluri's maw when Achak turned around to face her and made his way over. Her fluffed up tail gave a slight wave, a small yawn escaping her throat. Even though she was yawning, the small female was bouncing under her skin. She was ready to run and play in the snow. To feel like a pup even though she wasn't exactly "young" anymore. Her leadership of the Moonstone pack took that away from her, yet she was still feeling it when the others weren't around and duty was over.

As the male approached and touched his nose to her fur, Alluri whined happily and gave the male a response lick on his ear. Then he offered to sing to her, and the white wolf found herself curious of what he meant. But, she wasn't about to deny it. "I'm great, and of course." she murmured with an excited sway of her tail as she followed the male on his way. It was beautiful out. It wasn't too cold, though they could all go for a filling meal. The snowflakes landed gently on the ground as they fell from the sky and Alluri followed her delta with an excited bound underpaw.

When she licked his ear, his heart beat seemed to accelerate. The male could tell she was was excited. He had no idea why, but she was energetic and hyper; two clear indications. She seemed like a different wolf; a pup, almost. He gently brushed beside her, light and dark pelts colliding. It made a beautiful color, and he paused, turning to look at the water source beside him. He felt the sway of her tail, the bounce of her body, and the bounds of her paws. Turning back to her, a small smile grew upon his face. She accepted his proposal, and he was going to fulfill it. His look said, it's long, and he gave her a small lick on her ear, like she had done, before letting the words flow from his mouth like the river beside him:

"I love the view from up here,
warm sun and wind in my ear.
We'll watch the world from above as
it turns to the rhythm of love.
We may only have tonight,
But 'til the morning sun, you're mine, all mine.
Play the music low,
And sway to the rhythm of love.
Well, my heart beats like a drum, guitar string to the strum,
A beautiful song to be sung."

He paused, watching her reactions, before reciting the rest of the song his mother sang to him all the time.

"We may only have tonight,
But 'til the morning sun, you're mine, all mine.
Play the music low,
And sway to the rhythm of love.
When the moon is low,
We can dance in slow motion,
And all your tears will subside,
All your tears will dry.
And long after I've gone,
you'll still be humming along,
And I will keep you in my mind,
the way to make love so fine.
We may only have tonight,
But 'til the morning sun, you're mine, all mine.
Play the music low,
And sway to the rhythm of love.
Play the music low,
And sway to the music of love.
Yeah, sway to the music of love."

He finished, looking at her with begging eyes, the sky behind him a dark blue now. Millions of stars were above them, as well as an almost-full moon. It was a perfect moment for him, and the background sound was a soft, rushing sound of water. Aqua hues searched golden, compassion and feelings seeping from them. He let his thoughts, hopes, and emotions run wild; letting himself believe she might have anything for him, too. But he knew now was the time to find out. He stared at her, waiting for a reply.

As they were padding on to where ever Achak was taking them, the Alphess allowed him to brush her pelt. She didn't mind the closeness. As they came to a halt, she allowed him to move forward and take on a position of his own as she lowered her belly fur to the ground and rested her head on her paws. She was curious to what he was going to do. No wolf had ever sung to her before, it was a completely new thing. But, the words that he sung confused the small female. Of course, she loved him, too. She loved every wolf in her pack. But, she had just gotten a similar discussion from her Beta, Nazareth. And what she had basically told him was that she didn't want a mate, or an Alpha right now, she was strictly working on taking care of her pack and helping them through the winter.

But, Alluri didn't interrupt his singing, it was beautiful anyhow. And she looked at him with loving, golden eyes that were shining. Though, she let out a couple small whines as well. Her mind was 100% confused here. She didn't know what she wanted. She loved both of the males, but just about equally. Alluri was afraid that if she denied his song, that he might leave the pack, or their bonds would be broken. So basically when he was done, she gathered herself to her paws and shook the snow from her pelt. The small female trotted over to the Delta, allowing her muzzle to rest against his for a few moments. "That was beautiful, you know." She whined, licking the middle of his head.

After a few moments, she took a couple steps forward, resting her head on the small of Achak's back as she was trying to find the correct words for her tongue that wouldn't hurt the male. She hadn't denied Nazareth's love. And she wouldn't deny Achak's either. But she wouldn't accept either of them as her mate. At least not yet. There was too much on her plate right now. Too much to worry about. The last thing she needed was to worry about a mate, pups, and an Alpha. Finally, with nothing coming to her head, she simply lowered her haunches to the cold ground and faced him with a semi-hard face. "The thing is. I love you. But, I love all of my pack members equally. At least at this moment. I would love to be somebody's mate at some point in time, but that moment just isn't now. We are hardly getting by with prey, imagine trying to bring pups into this, or appoint an Alpha only to have a fight break out between my two strongest pack mates over the rank. At this moment, it's just too risky right now. The time will come for something like this, but the time is not now."

The Alphess' voice as smoother than it had ever been before, her tail gave a small wag as she went to rub her face against the males neck fur. Allowing it to sit there for a few moments before she backed up and allowed him to react to what she had just laid out on him. Small whines escaped her throat, she was basically terrified that he would just up and leave them.

Word Count: 574

He watched her closely, lowering his haunches to the cold ground. Her eyes are lying, he thought, the unfortunate truth coursing throughout him. He watched them carefully, seeing a flicker of untruthfulness within. He knew she didn't feel the same way--and she never would. He let her lick him, and rest her head on him, but didn't move a muscle. Then, she spoke. At first it was nothing, but then all the emotions came like a waterfall. Hurt and betrayal was apparent in his eyes and he pulled his body away from her, before she could do so herself. Staring at her with pain, he blinked, then looked away. Whines were being produced from the Alphess, but he did nothing. The little voice kept nagging him; she doesn't like you and she never will. He watched the ice cracking, a large chunk collapsing beneath the current and disappearing in the distance. Silent lay heaving between the two, no words being exchanged as the snow drifted down quietly. Suddenly, realization came to him; she picked Nazareth. He glanced at her, eyes filled with too many emotions to name. He got to all four paws, and turned away. He began to pad down, along the shore of the river, and listen to the sounds that consumed them. His ears flicked, trying to hear whether or not the fae was following him. The dark brown wolf opened his mouth for a moment, then closed it, not being able to say the words he wanted to.

The scenery was beautiful around them, but it was ruined by the mood caused by what had happened. He was able to listen to the animals that surrounded him; the creatures that were unseen by unwanted eyes, but could see predators. His thoughts were working hard, words popping in his head. "Love is a strong word, one that is tossed around a lot, everyone having their own description of it," he murmured, knowing the Alphess could hear him. At the moment, Achak didn't know what anything meant anymore. He thought she was going to be the one; but the truth came crashing down, harder than expected. He paused, one paw in mid-step, and he glanced back to see the female trailing slightly behind him. Saying his final words, before leaving, he raised his head, speaking without a wavering voice. "I hope you enjoyed the song," he said, face emotionless, "because it won't be sung ever again." He turned once more, padding away and not caring if the female followed him. He wasn't going to leave the pack; he had made a mental oath that swore him to be responsible for the well-being of Moonstone. He kept his head high, trekking through the snow easily, no feeling present upon him.

He didn't even say anything. That was the worst sign she could imagine. She would rather he swear at her, scream, yell, something rather than just silence. The pain in his eyes were completely obvious, but what could she do, lie to him? That would only hurt him worse in the end. She knew he thought she had chosen the Beta, but the truth was she hadn't chose anybody. She wanted it all to remain mutual. As he pulled away from her, Alluri let her head hang, what could be done now? For a few steps she would follow him, listening to him mumble under his breath, yet her ears were strained to hear ever word. She flinched. It was noticeable, but she didn't care. Right now she was feeling as though everything had been taken away from her, like the world was slipping right through her small, white paws. There was nothing she could do. Her maw opened as she watched him walk away. The female wanted to call him back, but no sound came out. Even if she called out and he turned, what would she say? What could she say.

Her tail lowered into a drooping position, her ears finding the back of her head. But, before she could turn the opposite way, her paws were following him. Golden hues held an obvious upset look. She could feel the sadness radiating from his pelt while guilt and depression fell from hers. But, there were no words. Nothing she could say right now would fix this. Nothing. Suddenly he turned around. I hope you enjoyed the song, because it won't be sung ever again. She flinched again, this time her head jolting away from him, paws bouncing to the side as a heart aching whine escaped her throat. The words stung, they stung her deep.

All she did was stare now. Eyes wide and hopeless. Once again her maw opened to say something, but no words came out. Instead, she jerked around and raced in the opposite direction of where her delta had been going. Could she even call him that now? Her delta? Things just felt weird and painful now. Her heart ached something terrible and honestly, she just wanted to break down. Her white paws came in contact with the white surface below, as it flew behind her in a whirl of snowflakes. Nothing could make her feel better when she already felt this much worse.

Word Count: 416