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It had been months since Andre had felt like he could fully control himself, but the longer he had the excess energy in him the more he felt he could control it. He imagined that this was what newly made wolves must have felt like, rather than wolves who were born. It would have been awful to be transformed rather than born. Still, he felt he was gaining control and wanted to test his limits with his wife… but they had a guest. Only one guest, in fact, but Addie had to go and bring up Celebron. Andre shrugged nonchalantly. “He isn’t missed.” If only he knew the trouble that had gone down in the woods almost a mile away. The scent of the enemy pack had lingered, but he assumed it was from the days prior when they had nearly attacked Addie.

He followed her down stairs, copping a feel from behind then chuckling lowly before he behaved himself in front of Indris. “I hope you’re hungry, Indris. I made enough to feed an army.” But it wasn’t like he couldn’t shovel it down himself. Instead of grabbing the food and bringing it in he brought the plates and silverware outside, and began making plates for both Addie and Indris. They may not have had ‘help’, but Andre didn’t mind catering to his feminine guests and wife.

Go find him?! What was she thinking? Andre groaned a long, dramatic sound as he followed his beautiful wife down the stairs. "No. You won't be goin' out to find anybody. I'll go look for him tonight. You just gotta relax with your Momma while you still can." His grumpiness was easily soothed by hr teasing, but it only directed his energy elsewhere and for a few minutes he wished Indris wasn't there.

The wolf continued making the women's plates, filling up Indris' with mostly grilled vegetables and applesauce, and a little bit of meat. If he gave her too much it would give her the shits just as it had Addie. The memory made him chuckle as h handed the girls their platees then went back to make his own. "So you think you will move to Louisiana with us now, Indris? Its a great place to live." Even as they sat around on the porch the evening was hot as it darkened, and the toads and frogs chirped and sang in the swamp out back. "It's a good place to raise a family." He said and glanced at Addie, winking at her playfully right before digging in to his overstuffed plate.

Of course Andre didn’t plan on looking too hard for the lost king. He didn’t give a damn if he didn’t come back, but he did worry that Addie and Indris would feel guilty if the man didn’t show up. What if Indris went home without him and he came back with a vengeance, only this time where would be no Addie to protect her. He supposed he could go into the woods and look for him, but he wanted to enjoy another bottle of beer and some more dinner first.

Out on the patio Andre kicked his feet up, placing his plate on his lap as he ate like a lazy male lion. He sipped his beer and watched Adella and Indris chat, then scowled playfully at Adella. “It’s not so bad. I enjoy the heat. You only don’t like it because you’re pregnant.” The heat was harder on pregnant women… right? He gestured to her belly and smiled, leaning across to touch her stomach before he went back to his food. “Is she being still now? Your mamma said she was giving you trouble while I was gone.” For the rest of the dinner andre continued to make idle, relaxed conversation. All the while the sun went down and the swamp became alive with a choir of creatures, calming the nerves of the old alpha just as thoroughly as his second bottle of beer did.

It seemed that Andre couldn’t win. He growled playfully at Addie and scrunched his nose, rolled his eyes, then went back to eating his dinner. The wolf was starving after such a long night and day. He chimed in here and there, “She likes the heat because I like the heat.” but mostly went back to eating.

Once he was finished he leaned back in his chair and drank his beer, stretching his long legs under the table and crossing them with a lackadaisical attitude. He smiled at her when she said he was the best father, but an unnerved feeling still settled in his stomach at that phrase. Any father had a fear that his child wouldn’t like him, didn’t they? He reached for his beer again only to realize it was empty and he sighed, standing up and grabbing his now empty plate. “Ya done?” He questioned Addie and waited for a ‘yes’ before taking her plate, then doing the same to Indris. He took their dishes inside and dumped them in the sink before heading back outside and rolling his shoulders.

“I suppose it’s time I go look for the fool. ” Though by the sound of his voice he was obviously not happy about it. “I’ll be back later, my love.” The wolf leaned in and kissed the top of Addie’s head, and nodded to Indris. Then turned and headed off the porch, unbuttoning and removing his shirt as he walked off towards the forest.

The man barely reached the woods before he shifted into his dark, domineering wolf form. The animal shook it’s coat out, then stretched it’s legs. It seemed no matter how often he shifted the wolf within him still couldn’t get enough. He leaned his head back and howled a low, sad tune before taking off into the forest. What he found there left him shocked and speechless. The scent of the neighboring pack was littered in his territory, but only near the outskirt of the furthest reach of Louvel’s forest. There were tracks, and blood, and flesh… and a sick, familiar scent.

Death lingered in the trees. It was not the death of the wolf who turned on Adella, but death of a fae. Death of a king. Andre found Celebron scattered, mangled, and lifeless.

It took the wolf at least an hour to get home. How would he tell Adella? Would she jump for joy, or would she break down? What about Indris? He paced as he walked, stopping to howl a low, sober song as he moved. If Addie’s wolf had still been within her she would know something was wrong.

When he finally reached home he pulled on his pants but didn’t bother with his shoes or shirt. He went inside, dragging his feet as he did so and he motioned to Addie.

“I need to talk to you, Adella.” The look on his face was more sober and stoic than he had been in weeks. Pushing the porch door open he waited on the wood deck and crossed his arms over his chest, breathing slowly.

It had been a long time since Andre had to give anyone bad news (but the devil on his shoulder asked him if it was truly bad news at all). He ignored Indris’ question and remained silent until they were out on the porch. The wolf paced, then stopped and put his hands on Addie’s shoulders.

“Do you remember those wolves that were here? The one that tried to go after you?” He ran one hand over his beard, scratching as a nervous tick and he cleared his throat. “Their scent was all over the edge of the woods, and I found Celebron… He’s dead, Addie. He’s dead.” Andre Louvel was not a malicious man, and even though he hated Celebron he was not jumping for joy to see him go. There was still worry in his eyes, worry that Indris would be heart broken or that Addie would feel any sort of pain. He swallowed hard after dropping the bomb of information on her, and reached down to take her hands.

Was it really wrong to feel happiness in the death of a man who had tormented her? Andre crossed his arms and took a few steps along the deck. His feet dragged along the wood as he walked, tired though running on adrenaline from the sheer scent of death. “I can’t tell you what to feel, cheri, but you know I won’t judge you for your emotions.” He would still love her even if she jumped for joy.

The wolf glanced inside at Indris, then back to Addie as he ran a hand over his chest. “How are we gonna tell her? Do you want me to help?” What was going to happen? Where would she go? Who would she talk to? “If she asks to see the body tell her no. It’s a mess, ain’t nobody should have to see that sight. Especially no woman.” It was hard enough for a man to view it, but women were so much more fragile. He hated even telling Addie that but he assumed Indris would ask. What did faeries do in the time of death? “Will there be a funeral?”

Seeing Adella so speechless left Andre with guilt deep in his gut. Why had the pack gone after Celebron? Surely they couldn’t be so stupid to think he was associated with Louvel and go after him for spite of killing one of their wolves. The wolf that had died deserved it, he had gone after another wolf’s mate. It was an unspoken pack law that mates were untouchable. You would end up with a heartbroken lycan after you, thirsty for revenge of it’s lost mate. The wolf that died had deserved it, and Andre was comfortable with that judgment. The loss of Celebron left him baffled, not sad, just baffled and he ran over the thoughts as he helped Addie up.

The wolf opened the door for Adella, as he often did, but kept his head down. His mind was lost in thought as he gave her a head start then followed her in. Instead of traipsing after her he went to the kitchen to stay out of the way, but was still close enough if there were more questions. As polite as he tried to be he couldn’t help but look at Indris with morbid curiosity as to how she would react to the news of her husband’s death.