Eyre had been claimed by Phobus.

The outlaw who had ultimately caused the war that Tarben had faced, and ultimately lost. The outlaw who had raped a princess of Dawnshire. The starry, dark beast, that her father warned Eyre about.

But there was not much she could do, except live to her role as a female of Tarben and produce children.

She sighed. The coolness of the rock that she lay on in this dark night was the only tactile thing she could ground herself to and her mind whirred. Her slate-grey, blue toned body stood out enough from the snow, and was also distinguishable enough from the dark, starry sky, her white belly atop the rock and white tail curled along her side. She was happy to have a moment like this to cope with the fact she was chosen by the worst male possible in Tarben, while him not being around. Or at least that’s what she thought. She laid her head down onto the rock, and it did not stay there for long, as Phobus clearing his throat caused her to jump up in fear and turn herself to face the source. ”There’s my little dove.” She settled rather quickly, part of it natural because it was someone she knew, but also part of it forced because it was Phobus, and with what she had heard, it was only natural for her to be nervous about what he might do. ”Good evening, Phobus.” She spoke, turning back the way she was originally facing and sitting down. He had sat down next to her, wrapping his tail around her haunches, which was when Eyre noticed how small she was in reference to Phobus, who was a Dire wolf, while she was only half and had gotten her dad’s size. Her sea blue eyes widened for only a moment when she came to this realization. She really could not escape him, for he was large enough to hold her down and prevent her from going anywhere. He’d easily catch up too.

Brought out of her thoughts, Eyre’s ears perked as Phobus spoke. “How’s my puppet doing this evening? When I saw you up on that podium, I couldn’t resist taking you for myself. I really hope that you and I can have a good time together, Eyre. You’re beautiful. But I want to get to know you, to know your personality. I want to know every little thing about you.” Eyre cocked her head slightly in surprise at this kindness from the pitch brute, which was accompanied by a flushing of her face and also a toothy, sweet grin. Was he really as bad as some people had spoken? She knew at least Beartooth applauded Phobus’s ways, and all Eyre wanted to do was gain respect from her grandfather and live the ways of a true Dane. However, there was still that tiny voice in her mind, tugging for her attention and begging for her not to fall for his ways. But Eyre was too innocent, too much of a hopeless romantic, that of course she would fall for Phobus’s intricate web of lies easily. ”Thank you~!” She started, cooing at the compliment he had given her about her beauty.

The smile faded to a gentler grin as she attempted to meet Phobus’s gaze again. She would have to face her future in one form or another and knowing that Tarben females had to be obedient to be respected, she did not have much of a choice for her behavior. So, she would cope with it the best she could. ”I’m okay. Just enjoying the night sky. It’s much easier on my eyes compared to the daylight, being part albino and all.” She giggled softly, closing her eyes for a moment before she turned to look at the sky like she was a few moments ago. ”It seems you’re more of a night time enjoyer too. It’d be ironic if you weren’t, given the starry pelt you have and all.” Eyre teased slightly, chuckling at her own jab towards him. She prayed he took it as lightly as she had meant it, and to possibly ensure this, she wagged the tip of her white tail slightly and had a smile on her face.

Frankly, Eyre did not know how to feel about her being claimed by Phobus, especially after just the small interaction they had. He did not seem like he was ridden with ill intent like many had made him out to be. Sure, calling her a “puppet” was a little concerning – she was not sure if that was a red flag or just his normal lingo. He was kind of quiet in Tarben, keeping to the outskirts of the pack, after all. Surely, he had no reason to, because Beartooth respected him and had taken him out of Hawthorne’s custody, bringing Drevis too from there. At least, Drevis seemed to be having a happy ending despite the horrible situation – being forcefully taken from her homeland as a prisoner, but finding comfort and peace in the Delta, Wendigo. They even had two lovely pups. Perhaps Eyre could get to that point with Phobus? It was a high hope to wish for, and probably would never be reached due to the manipulation tactics that Phobus had become an expert in.

Actions and Thoughts and "Words"