The Story of Lily & Rowen: Amarusa

Chapter X: Two Betrayals

Rowen started to step back as the unknown wolf approached them, but found resistance from Lily's foreleg, keeping him from retracting his own any further. Thus, he abandoned the effort and returned to his previous position. There was a tremble throughout his body – something that was entirely absent from Lily at that point. She was fixated on the wolf in front of them with her lips peeled back slightly in a threat display. The other wolf was aware and seemed to reassess his course of action. There was a slight growl coming from Lily.

"Where is Angelo?" Rowen broke the silence.

"Coming. Don't try anything, and I won't have to hurt you." he warned.

"Good, as that would be unwise of you. So long, I suppose, that your intention is to walk away from this alive. If you so much as breathe the same air as him..." Lily didn't finish the sentence, but instead offered a more threatening growl.

Rowen was taken aback by her hostility, but then, he figured, he'd just been threatened by the wolf. He couldn't promise his response would be much different had the wolf threatened her. There was something empowering about the female's display, even if it was somewhat confrontational and uncharacteristic. Primarily, the lengths she would go to simple see him unscathed made him proud to stand beside her.

"A bloodthirsty Akaru." he observed.

"I think you should just stick to your job without the commentary." Rowen suggested rather diplomatically.

"Oh, to be a favorite of Angelo, only to throw it all away for some puppy love. A waste." he criticized.

"Maybe I didn't deserve to be. I didn't ask for it." Rowen countered.

"Wolf! Your simple directions were to watch him, not to converse." came Angelo's voice as he approached.

"I'm s-sorry sir." the wolf shuddered in reply before making way.

"Leave us." Angelo commanded.

"But what if-" the subordinate persisted.

"Leave!" he repeated more forcefully.

The guard wolf yelped and ran away without further ado. Rowen watched as Angelo approached himself and Lily, not looking at either in particular. The golden wolf came to a stop and sat down rather laboriously, considering the injury Rowen had visited upon him earlier.

"Rowen." Angelo sighed and looked at the male. "Whatever the reason for this course of action, affirm for me...please affirm for me, that you are not part of this coup within our pack. I have done...everything...I thought possible to demonstrate to you that I care about this pack and all of its members. How they could have managed to gain your allegiance over me, I could not say, but..." he sighed once again, almost helplessly and seemingly defeated.

Rowen caught a glimpse of Lily turning her head to look at him, and she looked sad. Rowen, too, felt somewhat softened by Angelo's display. Her expression was one of pity.

"He is not with them. Rowen would not betray you." Lily interjected.

Angelo's ears perked as she spoke and for a moment shared a glance with Lily, before his sky-blue eyes turned to Rowen, presumably for confirmation.

"I'm not with them. Never was. Never will be. How could I be? They don't care or represent anyone in the pack but the betas and other nobility." Rowen explained. "I would never forget what you've done for me."

Angelo nodded a tired nod, but one of relief and satisfaction. "This is all I wanted to know. It will be a happy thought to know those closest to me did not betray me before my end. But – I forget my manners. You must be her. The one he so adamantly protects. I am Angelo, but you already know this. As I'm sure you are aware, you stand beside the best this pack has to offer, in perhaps every sense of the word."