The Elder's Mate

Twenty-Nine - Orumack

Rhage arrived to find Artemis, Leoni, and Mira playing with their pups, giggling to each other in rapid English. The pups were in a dog pile wrestling one another while Orion was being snuggled by Artemis. Their little infant pup, still a newborn, was fast asleep.

Drogaxe and Kar'tuk joined him at the entrance, the both of them standing there in surprise. Leoni's kids were wrestling with Mira's, the two women cheering them on as the little pups growled and hissed at one another.

Dhare stood off in the corner looking unamused. His yellow eyes were narrowed in the direction of the women, his tusks tight over his mouth. The Elite approached Rhage and the other males as they walked in, his shoulders relaxing considerably.

"They woke all of the pups to play games with them. I tried to bring the females back to where they initially were, but the dark skinned one tried to fight me. Artemis became very emotional and tried to fight me as well, then the fire headed one somehow..." he trailed off, his tusks rapidly clicking against each other in irritation.

Rhage chittered in question, "Somehow what? What did she do?"

Dhare snapped his teeth as he folded his arms across his chest, his golden eyes sliding to the side to glare at Leoni across the room. She was oblivious to his menacing glare. Drogaxe smirked when Dhare turned his glare to him.

"Your mate swept me off my feet. That little—"

The sharp and sudden snarl from Drogaxe cut him off. "Do not insult my mi'esui. She killed one of our females in jehdin jehdin. Of course she could knock you off your feet, Elite."

Kar'tuk wrapped his arms around Drogaxe's waist and held him back when he tried to advance upon Dhare. The Elite took the challenge and tried to advance as well but was held back by Rhage, a simple touch of the shoulder making him stand down, muttering choice words to himself.

"Drogaxe, my friend, let us not fight with our hosts. Leoni and Mira would skin us alive!" Kar'tuk punched his friend in the shoulder before he walked to retrieve his own mate.

With Kar'tuk by the women, Dhare and Drogaxe were free to advance towards one another. Both males were of similar height but with Dhare being taller by a head. He snarled at the fellow Elite as they circled one another.

The Elder watched on with his own irritation. He watched the women to the rear of the room where they were situated on a mountain of furs and pillows with the pups. Mira was licking Kar'tuk's abdomen as he tried to talk sense into her, the female too high to care and instead focus on his body. She protested when he swept her into his arms but returned to her ministrations except this time biting at his chest as he left the room with her, their four toddler pups following behind.

Rhage ordered Dhare and Drogaxe to break it up or take it to the kehrite at a later time.

The females were more important than checking each other's egos. Their mates were not sober and needed to be returned back to their quarters with the pups.

Seeing the two trying to fight in the Creche pissed him off. This was supposed to be a place of refuge where females could drop their pups off to be babysat. The room was a decent size with oval cribs off to the sides of the room in groups with a large conversation pit full of pillows and furs, each an exotic pattern and color. Low ambient lighting emitted the ideal light for the young pups' eyes, a soft blue light simulating daytime.

"Babe!"

Hearing his mate's own voice drew Rhage's attention, turning on his heel quickly to find her trying to stand up. A wide smile stretched her lips as she met his eyes.