walking on eggshells tester repost

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Magg’s tone and the step she took forward only continued to strain the leader’s nerves, but he held his place. A silent guardian over the entire exchange, yellow eyes narrowing slightly in warning when Matos turned to meet his gaze. All of this was forgotten at the confirmation that Nash and Aquene were gone. Salt and pepper ears flattened against his skull in shock, they had not been old, or sick that he had known of.

The trip down the mountain must have taken more out of them than their bodies could take. Viorel felt out of place now in this family matter, but it also felt wrong to leave in case his subordinate needed some kind of support. His shoulders relaxed, he doubted at this point that the Eastfall-Slayer was about to do something rash towards Magg, she didn’t need physical protection, she needed emotional support.

And he wasn’t sure that he was the right wolf for that job, but he stayed. Yellow eyes trailed off onto the tree somewhere above Magg’s head, trying his best to make his presence unintrusive.

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'They're gone,' 'they went together.'

It felt like her heart stopped and her lungs lost all their air, all at once. Both? Her brown eyes had flown open wide, and froze just like the rest of her. They didn't leave Matos' face. Both of their parents were... how?

As she regained her breath, a sob promptly left her. Magg wanted to wail, to scream, even to pin her brother down and demand he take it back. Yet while the tears flowed freely down her cheeks, she fought the rest of it all back. What was the point in losing her composure, especially when she still needed answers.

"How?" she pleaded the single-worded question ringing over and over through her head aloud, stepping closer. Was there a twister, did that stupid, fucking river flood? Had there been a rival... ? To take them both...

Another thought hit her then, and her eyes finally left Matos to peer past either side of him quickly. If Nash and Aquene were both gone and Matos was here alone... A note of panic crept into her tone.

"Wh- Where's Sam then?"

His tawny littermate who took after the grandfather they never knew stood frozen as the news hit her. Her caramel brown eyes widened as it settled over her. His own dual gaze held hers, the pain clear in them. The tears that had welled spilled over the instant the sob left her maw. Twin rivers to her own as the silence hung between them. This was not how it had gone between their father and uncle. The two brothers did not share this amount of emotion with one another. Maybe it was because they were older? Their mother passing as part of life instead of ripped away before her time? This was worse though in this moment for the dark man.

The way she pleaded the single worded question had Matty’s heart shattering beyond what he thought was possible. The still too fresh image of his parents curled together flashed in his mind. It would haunt him for the rest of his days, how they laid together, peaceful as if they were asleep. As if they happened upon them in between their deep sleeping breaths. Instead that next breath never came…

He squeezed his eyes shut the tears flowing hot and fast a stark contrast to the air between them. He knew where her mind was going, struggling for a reason to rationalize it. But there was none. They were simply gone. ”I don’t know” his voice barely above a whisper as he met her stare once more. Guilt, agony, remorse all shone with in them. ”They were here then they weren’t. They went to sleep and never woke up…” he elaborated only a smidge louder than before. As if he said it any louder it would crush the small part of him that still clung to the hope this was all a bad dream.

Another wave of guilt clung to his very bones as Magg connected another piece of the puzzle that was now his life. ”She disappeared, we’re trying to find her. I found Ally and hoped that maybe Sam had been seen by the Backwater.” His emotions were a raging wildfire within his mind. The burning inferno of guilt, of his lack of being the brother he should be to his sisters. They all have disappeared for one reason or another. He would fall apart later. Right now, despite feeling crappy about his big brother skills, he would keep trying. Keep trying for them all when he could.