"Jyriah, don't. This is-" Joss didn't even bother to continue his plea as he watched his mate blaze towards Metas at full speed.
"You sweet idiot...." he murmured and then followed in suit, but not nearly as fast or as urgent.
Metas was by himself for once. It was nice have Lara's comfort, but he just wanted to be alone today. He had stopped his own run just moments before he had been spotted, and heard a fellow wolf run towards him with heavy breath that bleated each time the paws that approached hit the ground.
'You think you're going to best me today? Haha, not a chance' Metas boasted silently with glee as he hoped it was Silas who ran towards him foolishly.
....but the closer Jyriah got - the more Metas recognized his familiar scent. He immediately turned to leave - but due to his delay, it was a little too late for him to move out of the way entirely as Jyriah crashed into his hips, which forced both the wolves down in a chaotic frenzy.
It took no time for either of them to regain their ground and both stood across from each other on all fours with bared teeth.
"Have you lost your damn mind?" The Prince growled in annoyance. "If you want fight - you should let opponent know. Is cowardly otherwise."
"Cowardly? Your hiney-ness wants to talk cowardly? How about you explain why one small outburst from my very traumatized baby sister would send you running? Sounds pretty pathetic and cowardly to me," Jyriah returnd with a snarl, and stayed in a stiff stance, ready to fight.
Metas didn't even look slightly afraid of the little fireball before him. In fact, he merely dropped his lower half into the snow, and looked as though he were ready to take a nap.
The protective brother pushed again when silence prevailed. "Answer me. You devastated Myranda. I know she can say some stupid things - but you want to throw her away over one bad encounter? One? You're a real piece of shit if that's the case, Metas" Jyriah did not hold back his disdain in each growl and push of air from his nose.
"You have no idea what you are talking about. You're as foolish as your sister, it just happens to be attractive on her," Metas stated with a bored expression.
"Don't talk about her like you know her. When we all found out she was your mate we encouraged her to speak to you. We made her talk to you because Syrana and I thought you would be the answer to her sadness. For the first time, we thanked the moon Goddess for blessing our family just a little bit -- but here we are anyway. Why have you hurt her so badly? Do you even care?"
Joss eventually had caught up to his mate, and took a seat next to his frozen partner. "Jyriah, stop. If you keep asking him questions, he can't answer them."
"Whose side are you on here?" Jyriah shot back.
"Your sister's. Are you going to hear him out before you tear him to pieces, or...?" Joss trailed off and challenged Jyriah with an intense look.
Jyriah grumbled as he looked at Metas with a menacing glare. "Well - go ahead. Answer."
"I don't take orders from anyone - especially you," the Prince returned coldly and in his typical signature move, he turned his back to them to run off - but was stopped by Joss' logical tone.
"Could you please at least tell us if we should help her move on? Can we at least do that for her?" He queried with worry. His voice held such a tender calm, that even Jyriah relaxed his stance as the air lost its tension.
Metas' eyes set his tone for him when he replied sullenly. "You've got it all wrong. Why is it that your entire pack distrusts me?"
"Because you hurt Myranda. I know it was hard to tell in his angry tone, but Jyriah just told you how much he and Syrana trusted you when they encouraged Myranda to speak to you," Joss interpreted for Metas simply as though the silver wolf were merely a secretary that read back a script.
"....You trusted me that much?" Metas realized as Joss' words dawned on him.
'Fire' started with anger, "yeah, dick-weed. You took that trust and smashed it into a-" Jyriah was cut off harshly when Metas growled in offense.
"Enough. I understand your hatred. If I answer you, will you trust me again? Once more - just give me a chance," Metas waited in hopes Jyriah would agree, but Joss answered for him.
"I'm game. What is your answer, then?"
"I'm trying to protect her from Silas. The further away I am from Myranda, the safer she is. Silas plans to kill me, and then take my place on the throne. I plan on besting him at his own game, and taking your sister as my Luna. I love her - I've loved her the moment she told me to 'fuck a hike'. Her fire - her beauty - it's all so perfect. She is perfect," Metas answered proudly, and even straightened his back.
"Silas? I knew he was pompous, but I didn't think he'd want to ever hurt Myranda - or start a coup," Jyriah didn't sound like he doubted Metas much, and with a common enemy in mind, it made it easier to let his guard down.
"Isn't he your brother in law? Aren't you a pack?" Metas seemed genuinely confused.
"Yuck. Don't remind me. Guy has a God-complex a mile long. Syrana doesn't see it, and Myranda and I don't want to ruin her happiness, so we stay silent. He's only in our pack by the loosest terms," Jyriah grunted with displeasure.
Joss looked over to his mate with a hint of worry. "I've never seen you this grumpy, Jyriah. Calm down." Then he nuzzled his head into his mate's briefly.
He then turned his attention back to Metas."Why don't you just fight the old king and take his place? He's half-dead anyway, and none of us in the lower levels like him at all. The deader, the better -- no offense."
"None taken," Metas replied, but paused briefly before he continued with his deep, powerful presence. "Titles mean nothing in the upper wrings. Harbinger and my parents have a tight clasp on society. I would be killed quickly. Historically, no alpha has ever ruled successfully without a Luna. Lara may be my best friend, and great choice for a Luna -- but not my Luna. Myranda is the only one for me. I'd leave my duty behind, but that would truly be cowardice."
Jyriah looked unimpressed with the answer, and pressed him further. "So get your friends and kill your enemies first. What's stopping you?"
"I have two friends. Silas has an entire brigade. What should I do about that, hmm?" Metas challenged with annoyance at Jyriah's insistence.
Jyriah rolled his eyes at the mere mention of his pack-brother again. "Uhg, Silas. You know, he's not as popular as you think. He's disliked by most of us lower soldiers. I just play nice to get perks and not hurt my sister's feelings. We don't like the current leaders, either. If you really want to make things better - then why not ask us to join?"
"Jyr....Your brother in law is Silas - how do you think that would go?" Joss answered and put a paw on his mate's back gently.
"Indeed," Metas echoed with an unimpressed look on his face.
"Ah. Okay... if you need friends, let's get you friends. If you told my companions that you were ready to throw out the old establishment, they'd be excited to help. The way things are, it's either get lucky and go up, or die in the mines. Our current system of hierarchy sucks. " Jyriah spat.
Metas nodded in agreement, and followed his body language with words. "There shouldn't be a tier system. I don't want that - is stifling, and only keeps unknown strong members of different packs hidden, which weakens our forces in long-run. Harbinger wants to run this place. Silas is fool if he thinks the General is on his side. He plans on selling what he feels is our 'low status' citizens to the Feral Tribes as food in exchange for protection and wealth. They have begun to run out of food."
Jyriah and Joss both looked at each other with belief and shock. That sounded like something the old male would do. The General had always been cruel to the weak, and spouted about how they were only good for fodder.
"Silas is such a cub-scout he'd never suspect that Harbinger would do something so vile. That idiot is pretty much his surrogate dad - he thinks the world of him," Jyriah informed, as all the information came together everything started to make sense. "Does Harbinger want Myranda gone?"
"Yes. My parents do, too. It's why I'm making her think I'm considering another mate. I'm sorry - I plan on making it up to her for the rest of my life, please trust me. I have waited my entire life to find out who my mate was meant to be - and I accept your sister as mine, I just can't tell her yet. I can't repay her if she is dead," Metas pointed out.
Joss looked impressed, and his words matched the same emotion he conveyed. "Well, it looks like now you have two more people to count on. I believe you, Metas. I'm with you - if you really are serious about changing things, then I'll die for your cause."
"What he said," Jyriah added and nodded towards his mate, who was a much better speaker than he was.
"You can't tell Myranda. I have feeling she'd do everything in her power to try to help me, and it will only get her hurt - or worse. If you can convince her that I will come back to her in some way, I'd do anything to repay your kindness, and your loyalty," Metas promised - and he sounded sincere.
Jyriah had never heard someone so high up speak to someone like him with such respect and honesty, and his smile finally returned as he asked, "Anything?"
"...Yes, honestly - anything you want. No matter how ridiculous," Metas swore.
"Peanuts."
"Agh, damn it Jyriah - no..." Joss put his paw over his nose as if he were face-palming and let out a whine.
"I can get you peanuts," Metas replied easily and looked as though he had offered them the keys to the kingdom, and instead - he was asked to retrieve peanuts.
"Then you've got a deal,"
"He meant to say - please treat his sister with the utmost respect and care for her until your death," Joss corrected.
The fiery counterpart waved off his mate lackadaisically. "He already said he was going to do that. I believe the male - now come on, if we don't bring Myranda those nuts in time, she won't be able to make that peanut butter. Let's go. Peanuts today, troops tomorrow.