Redclaw's Truth (Eclipse)

[Redclaws]

Redclaw didn't notice her snarl, but he did notice her worried tone and darting eyes, as if something was going to jump at her even when they were sitting safely in their den. "Eclipse, what's wrong? It's just me. No one's comming to get you. I promise, as long as I live, no one will ever hurt you!" He went forward to kiss her, but Eclipse shied away. Redclaw cocked his head and whined sadly. Sighing and realizing that he wasn't going to get the answers he wanted this way, he sucked in his breath and blurted "I saw another wolf in the forest. He seemed to know you, and you seemed to know him. However, you looked scared and ran from him. I got a good whiff of him and when I smell you..." He walked up and took a big whiff of her coat. Yup, there it was, the musty smell of the strange wolf. It was VERY faint, hidden by years of lies, but now the truth was making everything clearer. "I can smell his scent. Answer me honestly Eclipse. If you truly love me, don't lie. Was this wolf your mate?"

[Eclipse]

Eclipse ducked her head swiftly as Redclaw's lips came in for a reassuring kiss, feeling too guilty to show him any affection. She didn't feel deserving of the amazing feeling of him touching her right now...

"I truly do love you, but I do not want to talk of that varment now, or ever!" Eclipse cried out, surprising ferouscity and rage raising her voice greatly, fire flashing in her eyes as she spun away from her mate's touch.

[Redclaws]

Redclaw was very confused and was starting to be a little hurt. Who was this "varmint" she was talking about? Redclaw got the sinking feeling in his stomach that there was way more to Eclipse then met the eye. Had she really been lying to him all this time? What was going on? "Eclipse... What varmint? Who are you talking about?" Suddenly, a voice sounded from the entrance to their home. "Eclipse? Eclipse? Are you here?"

Redclaw watched in horror as the tall brown male stood in their cave doorway, blocking all hopes of running from his troubles. Not that he would've anyways, but had he needed to, the option would've been there. Now there was nothing to do but watch as the male moved closer to his mate, at least so Redclaw hoped.

[Eclipse]

[OOC: I'm gonna have Irv start posting in here now ]

Eclipse froze, all hopes leaving in the instant he stepped towards the cave entrance. "Tharin." She whispered, her words a breath across her lips, eyes narrowed.

[Captain (Irv)]

Tharin stood peacefully, his slim frame easily blocking the narrow entrance. Dark ears flicked back and he raised part of his brow, as if he were honestly amused with this whole thing. He took a single step foreword, but remained at a safe distance. Tharin was not the brightest bulb, but he knew if a fight broke out he would have no chance against the two of them.

"You still regard me as scum? ...Eclipse, I tried to patch things over with you. I've done everything in my power to forget about you, but there is one nagging thing that I cannot leave in the past... and now I've come to ask you of a favor." Tharin's voice was soft almost loving, though it's boom echoed through the dark cavern. He ignored the male for the most part, after all, it was not him that Tharin was seeking.

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[Eclipse]

Eclipse bared her teeth, but stayed silent for now. "Go on." She wanted to know what he wanted. the sooner he was gone, the better. That meant she would hopefully have time to explain to Redclaw, before she made the same mistake Tharin had. How could she have done that? Run away, then ended it all in the same way as him. She shook her head, disgusted with herself.

"How could I not regard you as scum?" Eclipse asked, wonder in her eyes. "You fled in the time of bravery, and in return your pup was killed, and your mate disrespected. Because of you."

[Redclaws]

Redclaw's head was spinning. What on Earth was going on? There was no way he was Eclipse's first mate anymore, and this bothered him. She had lied. After all they'd been through she didn't trust him enough to tell him that? How stupid he'd been! He wasn't going to let her lie to him again. He was done. Maybe not in the most serious sense of the word, but for now, he was done.

Teeth bared, he approached the wolf. Redclaw was much smaller than he was, but he was much faster too. A fight between them would be very close, and Redclaw wasn't even very sure how much he wanted to fight for Eclipse at this moment. "What do you want you stupid brute? She's my mate now, and if you can't deal with that I'll fight you for it."

[Captain (Irv)]

Tharin ignored the last part of her comment. He couldn't change the past and every time it was brought up was like a knife in his heart. He stayed in the entry-way, his head turned thoughtfully to the side in submission.

"I've come to see you about our cubs. You were pregnant when you left me... I just... I just wanted to see them. I need to redeem myself and show you --- and them, that I can be a damn good father if I had the chance." the brute murred.

As the other male spoke and approached him, Tharin kept his teeth sheathed, but could not hide the fact that he was clearly disgusted with Eclipse's new mate.

"You don't know who you're dealing with, boy." The wolf growled as he drew himself to his full height. Tharin was a fairly thin, but imposing figure. "I don't want her --- I did in the past, but it's clear she's not the one the fates made for me. I just want to know what happened to my kin when she left. I've as much a right to raise those cubs as she does."

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[Eclipse]

Eclipse was standing stiff, almost frozen. Suddenly she moved, gently touching Redclaw on the shoulder. "Please, give us a minute, and I will explain. This is the male you scented in our territory, and yes; on me. We used to be mates [haha put pups here by accident xD], until I discovered something. He made the same mistake I've made here, and I didn't want to. He hid secrets of his past from me, because he wasn't proud of them, and because it was his fault that his first mate's pups died. I didn't know he had even had a mate before me. I told him everything, he told me nothing.

"I am ashamed to admit I have done the same thing. But not for the same reasons. After I left Tharin, I wanted to pretend it had never happened. That's why our pups," Here she paused, swallowing. Her eyes avoided either male's. "No longer live with me. They haven't been with me since they turned one. They left me a short time before I met you Redclaw. I didn't tell you about him because I am ashamed that I ever fell in love with him, ashamed that I can't face my own young because they remind me of him too much, that his son looks like him. I didn't tell you because I was trying to lie to myself, like it never happened. Which is why I told you that I was running from my father when I met you, not that I was leaving my pups to the cold world. Because the day I met Tharin, I was running from my father. And so Tharin ran with me. You fought for me. I hope that you will not doubt my love to you, because it is there. For you, not this male."

Then Eclipse sighed, eyes meeting Redclaw's. Finally, her gaze went to Tharin's. "As I just said, they aren't with me. They are a year and a half now, and they are somewhere in this forest. Last I saw them was the edge of our old territory. I don't know where they are now, they left me. Their hearts are like yours, wanderers. They will never settle down with a mate, and never stop wandering. Probably will break plenty of hearts and lie along the way. Like their father. Be proud." She said, eyes serious as they could get. When she was upset like this, the ice blue flecks shone out, brighter then the silver, and caused her to look beautiful, especially against the darkness of her coat. On her hind leg her white crescent moon mark glowed, white as ever, and her slim sides moved with shallow breaths of upset.

[Redclaws]

Redclaw could hardly handle how much information he was expected to absorb. "So... I wasn't your first mate? You lied." Redclaw felt rage boiling up inside him. How dare she?! After all they'd been through! They'd had pups together! They'd lived together! They'd "expressed their love" countless times, and now she was saying it was all fake? Technically, he had done the same thing with Tiegan, but she was different! He had literally just forgotten. She didn't want anything more to do with him and he was done with her. If it were the same kind of thing, it would be Tiegan standing here, not this stupid heartless male.

"Eclipse, no matter what you say about how much you love me, it can't change the fact that our entire relationship was based on a lie. I trusted you... When I was most vulnerable. I never lied to you. I've been honest. Yes, I slipped up with Tiegan, but I admitted my fault. You tried to hide it when I obviously knew something was going on. I'm sorry it took him..." He gestured to Tharin, "To finally get the truth out of you. Eclipse, do me a favor, and don't talk to me for a while." With that, he went over and sat in the corner of their cave, staring at the wall. Not even acknowledging hers or Tharin's presence. Just staring off into space. Hoping for an escape.