Blood & Carrots - Silverpaw Ep. 10

I pursed my lips and nodded. "To answer your question about... us." I looked away awkwardly. "I've only laid with two others before you... courting and sex are still somewhat awkward for me. That said, I would like to see you again... uh... does dating sound too juvenile?"

Alice set me with a bright grin and I saw her eyes sparkle at the words. I could tell she enjoyed the idea, but she set me with a question instead of an answer. "Will you grow jealous? You must understand my love is not finite. Not just those here in the house, but Val and Lorelai as well."

I flinched at the mention of her name and shook my head. "N-no... I do not mind. I am a married woman after all. Having you as a partner is already asking too much."

She gave me a sad smile and put her hands to her hips. "Sarnai... as long as Elias and you are happy, do not worry so much about titles. Live and love whom you please... that includes a certain sheep."

The mention of her made me wince and I shook my head. "That ship has sailed, Alice."

"So go sail after it and board it. Isn't that what you used to do for a living, Captain Sarnai?" Her words came to me with confidence and pride.

I met her eyes and felt her will pushing against me, trying to fill me with courage. I gave her a nod and focused my eyes on hers. "You, you are right... perhaps I should talk to her when the time is right."

"There will never be a 'right' time, my fox. I can tell you with certainty that only being forward and direct will reach her. She has softened over the decade she has been with me, but she is still very guarded." Alice clicked her tongue and raised a finger. "Annnnd that's all the advice you're getting about my girlfriend. Any more personal details would be rude and I will not disrespect her like that."

A grin showed on my face as I shook my head. "You're a kind rabbit, Alice. I'm starting to understand why so many love you."

"Kind?" The rabbit snorted a laugh and gave me a lazy look. "More like dumb and horny."

We shared a grin and I hesitated before turning to leave my chamber. She came to me right away and I felt her fingers lock into my own as she held my hand. The rabbit gave me a cute smile, her eyes red as she focused her will, pushing her comfort into me as we strode out into the house hand in hand.

"Alice said you wished to speak with me, sister. What's on your mind?" Katrina spoke the words politely, but I could hear the edge in her voice.

I frowned at the cat and put my hands upon my hips. "Would you like to break my arms so we can call it even?"

The black cat showed her teeth as she hissed out a reply, "I've suffered much more grievous injuries in battle, do not concern yourself with it."

"Very well." I nodded and tilted my head. "I will cut to the chase, what can I do to ease your mind?"

She snorted out a bitter laugh and flicked her tail, her fingertips lazily running through her crimson hair. "Why should you care, fox? You have your husband back and apparently even get my only other partner in the deal."

"Does it bother you?" I quirked a brow, folding my arms.

"You fucking know it does," She hissed the words, her gaze growing sharper and her body language shifting as well as her eyes.

"If you are jealous-"

"It's not jealously you stupid bitch." She sneered at me and clenched her fist. "Decades I watched my master withdraw in upon himself and suffer. Now you stand to hurt him all over again, only now you also have my rabbit's heart involved."

The madness had left me but I still felt the surge of anger from her insulting words, but I quickly reminded myself she was valid in them. "Katrina, sister... you have my word-"

"You're word doesn't cut it, Sarnai. I can forgive you for what you did to me, but you hurt him deeply," She hissed the words and clenched her teeth in anger.

I frowned and shook my head. "You hate me, I get that. However, if my word isn't sufficient, I can do little more than simply try to show I am genuine with my actions."

Katrina sighed and eased her stance slightly. "I do not hate you, Sarnai. If anything I respect your fortitude for what you had to go through. Alice... she told me what happened between you two. She told me that you had conquered the demon in you."

"Conquered? More like, came to an agreement. Ah, but that is its own matter. Yes, sister. The madness has left me and I can clearly see how terrible I have been to all of you, especially him." I gave her an apologetic bow once more, my ears folded.

"What do you want from me, Sarnai? He is your husband and I can't tell him what to do. Likewise, I will not try to tell Alice what to do either," Katrina grumbled the words and set me with a calculating look.

"I cannot even say if Elias and I can fix this. However, I simply wish to ask you to give me a chance to try. You are his lover now and I will not try to come between the two of you." I gave her a point-blank look, resting my hands upon my hips.

"So... if you do not receive my blessing, you will fuck off and stay out of our lives forever?" Katrina tilted her head, raising her eyebrow curiously.

I snapped my teeth together and looked away. "If that is what it takes to keep my husband and his family happy, yes."

"Tempting... but no, so long as you don't hurt either of them, go ahead and settle up with my Master. I simply want my family to be safe and happy." She set me with a hard glare as she folded her arms. "All of my family... Even the new ones to the name Blackpaw."

I grunted at her words and folded my own arms. The two of us stood there for a long moment before I gave her a nod. "Thank you. I am sorry you came to the family in my darkest days, sister."

"I... it is fine. No, had it not played out like this, I would never have known his embrace. I truly hope me and Alice do not cause you pain, but realize how much I love them. Consider it, a silver lining." Katrina shrugged and turned from me then looked over her shoulder. "Will you speak with him soon?"

"Soon, but not right now. I have to tie up a few loose ends." I gave her a cocky grin and flicked my tail.

"Loose ends, eh?" Her black ears lifted and she looked away. "You know... it will be messy, but I hope it works out. I hope we all can just be happy together."

"Thank you sister, that means the world to me. I hope for that as well." I bowed my head respectfully.

"Did Alice return your powers in full?" Katrina asked me curiously, still looking away and at the city in the distance.

"She did... everything but the small bit she took a decade past." I clenched my teeth and made a tight fist, black flames pouring off my hand. "Keen to test yourself against the full might of nearly six centuries, when it's not clouded by madness?"

"I am. I would like to see what you're made of when you're not a slobbering mutt and actually using that mass under your ears." She showed me a cocky grin and snapped her black tail a few times like a whip.

"Ah... this family is full of fledglings that think they're stronger and older than they are." I huffed the words with a haughty tone in my voice, my arms folding, the black flames now rolling off my tail and ears.

"The night of several weeks ago should have taught you it's not all about age, sister." The cat lifted her fingertip as she spoke, the tip clearly dripping with blood.

"I jest with you, I have indeed been sufficiently humbled. I do wish to spar with you in earnest to see what you are capable of. I never had the chance in my madness."

"Here I am." Katrina turned to me, cocking her eyebrow expectantly.

"Indeed you are..." I growled the words and looked her over. She was indeed a fine woman, a little taller than the rabbit and much curvier. I found my eyes wandering her form, admiring her chest, it was around the same size as my own but in a smaller package.

Katrina seemed to see what I was doing and licked her fingertip, sealing the wound. "You stare upon me as if you are ravenous, sister."

I clenched my teeth and felt my cheeks darken. It was unlike me to hunger like this. Elias and I had always had a healthy sex life, but it remained between us. I questioned if this was the side-effect of laying with the rabbit and taking on her energy. "I- I do... I apologize, sister. This sensation inside me... I don't quite understand it fully."

She gave me a knowing smile and sauntered over to me. I felt her pull me into her arms and embrace me. The faint push of will and energy filled me, similar to what Elias had done. An inkling of what the rabbit could do, but it was there. "You will grow used to it, sister. I also find myself eager. It is something Alice has reawakened in all of us."

My arms held her and I drew her head against my chest, my fingertips lacing into her hair, enjoying the scent of the cat while I pressed my face against the top of her head, feeling her ears flick. "My life... it is going to grow complex, I can feel that."

"Is that what you feel?" Katrina purred the words and pushed closer, her face looking up to my own as her palm brushed my cheek.

"Amongst other things." I gave her a gentle smile, feeling my own hand drift to her cheek, our lips drawing closer to one another.

She drew in a controlling breath and pulled from me, shaking her head as she broke from our embrace. "N-no..."

I bit my lower lip and felt my heart sink as the moment crashed down around us. "Ah... my... apologies? I did not-"

"It's fine!" She snapped out and held a hand up. "Look... I've always found you beautiful, Sarnai, always had- Look, I'm even interested, as crazy as that sounds... Until now I've only wanted her and him, but I've always-" Katrina shook her head and sighed. "Now is not the time for this, I need to see where things go between you and him."

My arms folded and I tilted my head. "What if we cannot fix things?"

She gave me a cocky smile. "You will... However, to humor you. I would still be interested, it just would take on a different dynamic. Do you understand my reasoning?"

"I do... all of this is new to me, but I admit hearing those words. It makes me happy for some reason. I suppose it's because next to Elias, you are the one I have known the longest here." I gave her a genuine grin and reached a hand out to her.

Katrina grasped my hand in her own and quickly pushed to me, her lips pressing to my own. My ears lifted and I started to draw her closer, but she pulled away before I could, parting from my fingers. "You should, you should settle things with him. We can have that sparring match later, Sarnai... T-then maybe we can go out and have a girl's night together, take a movie in or something." She quickly spoke the words out and spun on her heel, fleeing from me at a rapid flight.

"S-sounds good..." I spoke the words softly, touching my fingertips to my lips. My mind whirled with conflicting thoughts. In all my years I never would have blatantly pursued like this, but something in me hungered for her. Perhaps it was the aura of my husband and the rabbit coming from her. Then again, it could just be something in me had changed since the demon in me was silent now.

I took a controlled breath and calmed myself. There was much left to do and this situation would have to wait.

"You played me pretty well, Rachel," I growled the words to the angel as we sat at a table together in an all-night coffee house.

"I was just as unaware of things as you were, Sarnai." The platinum-haired fox spoke to me gently while sipping upon an elaborate sugary coffee drink.

"Willful ignorance is it? You knew the magi were feeding you falsehoods." I drummed my fingertips on the table, my untouched mug of coffee growing cold.

"I was aware but was trying to relay messages in the way they were told to me. It was not my job to analyze them." The fox stuck her nose up as she spoke out dutifully.

"Indeed... so uh... let's cut right to it then." I set her with a business-like look. "You know why I'm here."

She set her mostly drank frappuccino down and gave a nod. "I do indeed..."

"How long have you known? From the start?" I lifted my ears, my eyes softening as I looked upon her.

"No..." She looked away and set her jaw. "I was not supposed to ever know... that's kind of how things work when you become a celestial. You sign on and you lose those memories for the greater good."

"So now you have them?" I tilted my head, my tail growing rigid, showing my anxiety at the topic.

She lowered her head and gave a pitiful bark of a laugh. "I- I do... well some of it. Toroah and the other archangel's let me have the last few years back."

"I don't... when was this?" I focused on her, feeling my ears lower and my heart start to beat inside my chest.

"Shortly after Samantha finished the scry... right before we told you about Elias." Rachel clenched her teeth and folded her ears. "I desperately wanted to tell you, but Torah made me give my word. Said it would work out... said I needed to wait." She sighed and ran her fingertips through her hair, rubbing her left ear. "Said if you knew too soon, we wouldn't be able to save you."

"So... I'm saved now?" I cocked my brow and showed her an amused grin.

"As saved as a damnable abomination can be, yes." She huffed the words at me, showing her own grin.

"Hell of a way to talk to your daughter, Mom." I barked the words, feeling my voice already cracking.

"You were... you were much less disrespectful as a teenager, I don't know where... I went wrong." Rachel huffed the words, shaking her head with a smile, her eyes clearly showing tears as were mine.

"Fuck it..." I growled the words and climbed from the table. She did the same and we embraced. It burned a little but I was surprised to feel that it wasn't nearly as painful as it had been in the past.

Rachel sighed and hugged me tightly, nuzzling my cheek, her wings folding around me as she held me, of course, the mundane couldn't see that part. "I have longed to hold you... to tell you... I'm such an awful mother..."

"Shut up... you were amazing... you and father saved me..." I growled the words and nuzzled her back, the warmth of her embrace leaving me euphoric in a way I had not felt since I was a child, nearly six centuries ago.

"You grew up strong and intelligent, as a woman of our tribe should. You hit some bumps in the road, but you are a good fox, Sarnai. I am proud of you." She growled the words, her hand moving through my hair as she petted me while we clung together.

I shook my head and gave a ragged sigh. "I've... I've killed a lot of mundane, Mom. I think calling me 'good' is a stretch."

"The eye of the beholder, my pup... All the same, I am proud of you for growing to be such a strong vixen." Rachel whispered the words into my ear, then pulled from me, obviously to ease the pain for me from our touch.

"Th-thanks, Mother..." I huffed the words and wiped my eyes, composing myself as she did the same. I took a controlled breath and looked upon her. "Any idea... What happened to father?"

Rachel folded her arms and shook her head. "We were both called upon, but I do not know if he accepted or if he chose not to serve. He could be amongst us now, lost to a war, or who knows."

"I'm sorry to hear that, it must be tough on you." I frowned and folded my arms, thinking about the possibility.

She gave me a sad smile and put her hands before her, clasping them. "It is not... The archangels only gave me my memories of you, my pup. I know he was a strong and kind fox, that is all though. I hope whatever path he chose, it satisfied him."

I gave her a nod. "Well... it would have been nice to get you both, but hell if I'm complaining."

The angel gave me a grin and then nodded her head as she stepped from the table. I followed her as we left the cafe and began to walk through the streets of the city. "How are things between you and Elias?" She spoke out conversationally, the barriers around her all stripped away, speaking now as if she were genuinely interested.

"T-they're okay as can be. I've not approached him to actually validate if we are still a thing and getting back together." I grumbled the words and walked next to her, still trying to come to grips with this situation. I was having a family talk with my mother who died nearly six hundred years ago and was now an angel.

"Why ever not? Do you not long for his arms again?" She tilted her head as she looked upon me thoughtfully.

"Of course I do... However, he has Alice and Katrina now. Shit... he and Val are even seeing each other." I grumbled and felt my cheeks darken. "I wonder if he even has any room left for me in his damn harem."

Rachel gave an amused laugh and smiled upon me. "How complicated... still, you and I both know he keeps that fire burning strong for you. The situation may be more complex than before, but I think you both know that you can't be without one another."

"S-sure... but he's got so many lovers now... I'm not the jealous type but-"

"You feel you're not enough?" She spoke out, interrupting me.

I sighed and shook my head. "Yes... what if-"

"Doesn't Alice have plenty of lovers he doesn't share in?" Rachel hummed out the question.

"Well yes... he says he's okay with it, so long as he is her only Master." I nodded at the question.

Rachel cleared her throat before speaking in a deeper, more masculine tone, "It's okay my love, I don't care who you're with, so long as I'm your only husband."

I snorted at her tone of voice and grinned. "Yeah... sounds about right, but that impersonation was shit."

The fox pouted and put a hand to her chest. "Sarnai! How could you talk to your mother in such a vulgar way?"

"Yeah yeah... you've heard and seen me do much worse, Mom." I showed her a playful grin and we both stopped and faced one another.

The angel smiled and tilted her head. "Sarnai... my pup. Where does all of this leave us?"

I frowned and rubbed the back of my head. "I have no idea... Mom. I'm an arch-vampire according to you guys, and you're a high bishop. Should we even be meeting and hanging out like this?"

"Fuck it," The angel barked the words and stuck her nose up.

I barked out my own laugh and grinned. "Such vulgar language!"

The fox opened one eye and smiled at me. "Well, I'm the parent. Do as I say, not as I do, my pup."

"Yeah yeah..." I gave her my best sassy teenager voice and we both grinned at one another before we embraced once more. I growled and pushed into her throat, taking in her scent. I thought back to all the nights I had seen her mutilated body and felt myself shudder as I held her tighter.

"It's okay, my pup... it's the past and I'm here now..." She cooed the words dotingly into my ears, rubbing them while I nodded against her throat.

"This isn't a dream... right? I'm not going to wake up am I?" I whispered the words in an unfamiliarly timid voice while she held me.

Rachel cupped my face, my cheeks burning faintly from her touch as she lifted my head and kissed my forehead. "It is not a dream, my pup. I am here, as are you."

I bit my lower lip hard and nodded, blinking the tears from my eyes. "Can I see you again?"

"Of course you can. You may call me anytime and I will try to get together with you as often as my schedule allows." Rachel pulled from my arms and gave me a warm smile.

"How will I call you?" I frowned and folded my arms.

The angel blinked at me a few times, then withdrew her cell phone from her pocket. "I'm a celestial, Sarnai, not a barbarian. Your Mother knows how to handle modern technology, don't worry my pup."

I couldn't help but laugh at the words and gave my mother a cheerful smile. "That's good, because I'm not the one to call when you need tech advice."

We both shared a long moment of just staring at one another as if processing this exchange was really happening. Rachel cleared her throat after a minute or two and smiled. "I should go, my pup."