FSE

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Back at the manor Raijuro watches over Kitara as she recovers, gently stroking her hair and shoulders every time her nightmares send her into a fit of whimpering and clawing at the sheets. The normally raging hybrid is awkwardly calm, his head cleared of everything except concern for his sister and worry for his brother. Even Alex notices the change in her unwanted son, and it encourages her to approach him.

"Raijuro, are you alright, son?" She whispers, gently brushing her ruby hair back from her shoulders as her formerly vicious son looks at her with apprehension.

"Yeah, Mom, I'm alright. I'm just worried. I should have been able to protect Kitara, that...that THING never should have gotten close to her!" Raijuro snarls, causing Alex to protectively wrap her arms around him in the first embrace she's ever given the eldest of her Zoroark kits. Raijuro stiffens at the sudden touch, but relaxes into his mother's embrace.

"Raijuro, listen to me. You are still only a child. You are old enough to take a mate, old enough to breed, but emotionally, you're still a child. It's not your fault that Kitara got hurt, son. If you hadn't been there it could have been so much worse, that monster would have killed your sister. You've done enough. I'm only sorry it took something like this for me to realize that you, your brother, and your sister are still so young and fragile. I haven't been the mother you three deserve, the mother I should be, but if you let me, I can at least be here for you two, and Ithal when he returns, alright?" Alex explains, still holding Raijuro in her arms as the two of them walk over to the sofa in the corner of the room by Kitara's bed. They sit down together and for the first time, talk to each other as family.

Nearly two weeks have passed since Ithal and Jade left the manor, and by the time the two make it back, both of them look as though they've been through a war. They both can see the changes the manor has gone through during their absence, the most notable being that Alex is standing to greet them with her arms around Raijuro, the oldest kit leaning against his mother affectionately as Layla and Conleth stand next to him, Jeovi in front of them all allowing Raijuro to stroke her thick cream colored fur. Arkanon and Kitara stand together with Cerberus, newly evolved into an Arcanine and sporting a lime green bandana around his neck. Saki, sporting even more changes since her pregnancy started, rests her hand on her swollen belly, her tail curled around her as her ruby gaze softens at the sight of her two beloveds.

Saki immediately notices the change in her mates, and leads both of them to her room and its adjoining bathroom to clean and tend to their wounds. Alex and Jeovi on the other hand, exchange looks that make it clear they know exactly what the other is thinking. Nameless is back. Meanwhile, Arkanon has decided to see how his daughter is doing.

"Raijuro, son, how is she?" His voice rumbles with concern, causing the Zoroark to lift his head and sigh. Standing up from the chair, the eldest of Nameless's sons walks over to his Arcanine father and hugs him.

"She's resting, but she keeps having nightmares. I feel so useless right now, Dad. I don't know what to do anymore." Raijuro confides, his rage completely burned out and leaving him feeling hollow. Arkanon nods and allows him to rest for a few moments before clearing his throat.

"Well, Rai, Ithal's returned, though I can't say he's in good condition right now. Both he and Jade managed to be pretty badly damaged. I should warn you though, your brother, he looks more like...you know, Nameless, than you ever did, son. Alex and Jeovi both were given a pretty nasty shock seeing him return like that." Arkanon explains, almost choking on the demon Zoroark's name as he speaks it. Raijuro pulls away from Arkanon, looking the fire dog in the eye before turning and walking out the door towards Saki's room.

"Watch over my sister, Dad. I need to talk to my brother." Raijuro calls back before breaking into a run. As he reaches Saki's room, he's startled to find Saki standing in the doorway with tears streaming down her face, her ruby colored eyes glowing in anger. Raijuro places a hand on his aunt's arm only to be embraced in a tearful hug.

"Raijuro, Ithal...he killed that Suicune, but more than that. Rai, he enjoyed it. Jade's injuries were caused by Ithal, he dug his claws into her and if she hadn't been able to heal herself she'd have..." Saki stops there, just holding Raijuro to her as if trying to ground herself in reality. The eldest Zoroark just stands there completely confused as his aunt clings to him.

"Aunt Saki, Ithal's always been afraid, gentle, timid, hell normally I would say weak. There's just no way he'd turn like that. Are you absolutely sure that's the truth?" Raijuro questions, a snarl in his voice as he sees Jade sitting on the bed, running a hand over her own belly where a trio of claw marks has scarred over.

"Why don't you just ask me yourself, big brother?" The voice makes Saki and Raijuro both turn around to see Ithal with his long hair wrapped in a towel as he glares at his older sibling and chosen mate. Raijuro is stunned by the terrifying form in front of him, more Zoroark than human, and far more fearsome than himself, the very picture of Nameless at his prime.

"Well? Are you just going to stand there and stare at me or will you ask me what you're dying to know? Ask me how it felt when I ripped Storm's body apart and took revenge on him for hurting our sister. Ask me if I enjoyed killing just like our sire. Ask me if I'm a monster too." Ithal snarls, his pointed fangs a truly menacing sight as he moves closer to Raijuro, stalking his brother like a liepard stalks a buneary.

"Ithal, that's quite enough." Saki snaps, her eyes narrowing at her terrifying mate. Ithal turns to her and chuckles darkly.

"Aunt Saki, you're afraid of me now. After I gave you such wonderful pleasure and put my kits in you, you're afraid of me. I guess you just can't handle what a real male can do. That's okay, I'll take my gift back from you." Ithal snarls as he lunges at Saki, stopped only by his older brother's claws at his throat, preventing him from striking.

"I was just kidding, Rai. You used to know how to take a joke." Ithal grins, turning and brushing himself off before slapping his brother's hand away from him. Saki for her part is trembling in fear, her newly sprouted tail puffed up behind her. Ithal snorts in disgust before walking down the hall, tossing the towel on the floor.