“Why the hell are you doing this!?” Snowhawk yelled as she pushed Quillen away.

“I already told you, love, I want what’s mine.”

“And who’s to say I ever was?”

“I am, dear Snowhawk. The wolf won’t have anyone to help him steal you away this time.”

“He didn’t before either. Or has your mind twisted so much you forgot? You left. I was alone.”

“So are you saying he’ll be coming after you again?”

“He never came after me in the first place!”

“Regardless,” he replied with a smirk.

“What happened to you, Legacy? You used to be so kind, so gentle.”

“It’s amazing what can happen when the one you love is stolen from you,” he darkly replied. “So,” he continued a moment later, “why didn’t you fight him off?”

“What was there to fight?”

“Plenty. I had figured he simply grabbed you by the throat and held you down when you went to ‘visit’ that night. That is one of your weaknesses, after all,” Quillen grinned as one hand moved to her neck and gently stroked it. “Don’t be afraid, dear bird,” he half chuckled at the look of fear that crossed her face at his touch. He leaned down and gently kissed her again. “And my name is ‘Quillen’ now, love. Can’t have any of the others finding out, can we?”

Snowhawk clinched her eyes shut as tears began to well up in them. “Don’t make me choose. Not again.”

“There shouldn’t be much of a choice, dear Snowhawk,” he stated as he pulled her to him. He lifted her chin up with one hand, leaning down to kiss her again as his other hand reached up and pressed on her neck as he had some hours earlier. She was instantly dropped into a deep sleep. “I’m sorry, love. You have to stay. Goodnight, my sweet Snowhawk. You shall see our son soon.” He lowered the partition again and informed the driver to return to the estate.

*********

Elsewhere in the city, a very angered Janus jumped out of his vehicle and entered his estate. “That damn fool picked the wrong wolf to screw with,” he growled as he stormed into his library and to his maps of the city. “There are only so many places in this city where a Delphin can be hidden. And there are only so many beings in this city named ‘Quillen.'” He sighed. “This will require more work than finding her the last time.” He just hoped that who ever this guy was working for had no intentions of hurting her.

He eventually fell asleep while looking over all the maps, trying to figure out where they could be and who could be the responsible party. The thought came to him in his sleep: what if Nytehawk was behind this? Would she have been the one to suggest it, or could someone have manipulated the power she held to their own advantage? “What if Legacy hadn’t died then?” Snowhawk’s voice repeated in his mind. Given what had been said about personality and appearance chances, there was a high chance that the man Quillen was Legacy. His anger and frustration at losing Snowhawk brought on a severe obsessive state. Though what he might do to try and hang onto her was forethought in Janus’ mind.

Quillen was much larger and most likely much stronger than Snowhawk, if he had kept those traits from Legacy, assuming they were indeed one in the same. Legacy had also been highly intelligent. But what else? he thought. What else makes him such a threat? Then he realized Legacy knew Snowhawk almost as well as he did. And Quillen’s intentions would most likely not be with her best interests in mind.

*********

Trying to understand why a broken horn causes a shift in personality is about equal to trying to understand the logic of a three year old human child: It just is and any further reasoning will leave one with a migraine. The cause had never been discovered, but the effects were widely known. An alternate personality formed, a mirror dredging up everything the injured one was not. In Legacy’s case, his kindness was tossed away, leaving a hurt, vindictive soul determined to reclaim what he felt was rightfully his. And willing to do so at any cost.

Buried somewhere in him was his kindness, his gentleness, everything that had made him Legacy. However, this old self was so far locked away, and his new persona of Quillen was so strongly attached, little hope could be held out for the old Legacy to ever return.

Quillen cradled Snowhawk’s unconscious form as the vehicle pulled into the Society leader’s estate. The car stopped in front of the grand mansion. Quillen carefully picked her up and carried her out of the vehicle. He was met on the steps by Nytehawk, Hunter, and Jerome.

“She looks smaller than I remember,” Hunter commented.

“Two years can really change someone,” Nytehawk near whispered as she gently touched her cousin’s arm. “Did you have any trouble, Quillen?”

“Only from her. I found her asleep and she was very– disoriented when she awoke.”

“I guess that explains why she’s unconscious then,” Jerome stated, glaring at Quillen.

“Yes, it would,” he replied, returning the glare.

“I had a room prepared for her upstairs. We can take her there and wake her up,” Nytehawk said, not having noticed the glares.

“Lead the way,” Quillen responded.

Nytehawk nodded and walked up the stairs leading into the estate, the other following her. As they walked, Jerome very casually mentioned, “You took a big risk by putting her under like that.”

“Who’s to say I don’t know her better than any of you suspect?”

“Even if you had Guardian training, the only way you could know her that well is if you had had an extended, intimate relationship.”

Quillen smirked. “I have my secrets, Jerome. Just as you have yours.”

They reached the room that had been set up for Snowhawk and turned in. It was a moderate sized room, furnished with a queen sized bed, a desk, various chairs, a couple small tables, and various lamps of varying intensities. Quillen carefully laid Snowhawk on the bed, then gently brushed her bangs from her eyes, his hand lingering near her face almost too long.

“Quillen, could you wait to awaken her for a moment so I can bring Valerian in?” Nytehawk asked.

“Most certainly.” Nytehawk gave a small bow of thanks and quickly exited the room. “Soon, bird,” Quillen quietly said to the still unconscious Snowhawk. “Soon you will see your son.”

The use of “bird” caught Jerome’s attention. Only two ever referred to her like that: Janus and Legacy, and the latter only rarely. The Golden Guardian narrowed his green eyes slightly. He was beginning to piece everything together and he didn’t like the picture. “You’ll only be able to fool her for so long, then the consequences won’t be pretty,” he half growled under his breath.

“I’m sure you’re right, Jerome,” Quillen returned.

Hunter was at a loss. “What?”

“Nothing,” Quillen responded. “Just a little friendly rivalry”

“I’m sure,” Hunter warily replied.

A half moment later, Nytehawk returned with Valerian. The boy ran to the bedside when he saw Snowhawk. “Mom?” he said worriedly. “What’s wrong with her?”

“Nothing. Just asleep,” Quillen said reassuringly, then reached to her neck and awoke her as he had earlier.

Green eyes fluttered open again and she slowly began to see who was around her. First a flash of gold, Jerome, then her cousin’s pale blue fur, followed by Hunter’s gray fur, then a young, lavender-furred Delphin. “Where am I?” she half moaned, then felt a pair of small arms latch onto her.

“Mom,” the young one whispered.

“Wha– Valerian?”

He nodded and she could feel his silent tears on her shoulder. “You’re home.”

“It would appear I am,” she whispered, still waking up.

“Snowhawk,” Nyte began, “welcome back.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“Snow–”

“Nytehawk, this is not my home, it’s yours. I don’t belong in your world anymore. Not this– Society. I never did.”

“Snow, you do belong. This is your destiny. Here. Not off in some cabin in the forest. You’re a Royal.”

“No. You are, Nyte. I never was.” She flinched almost imperceptibly in pain, then sighed as she closed her eyes. No point in being awake for now.

“Mom, don’t leave. Please. Not for a little while anyway.”

Snowhawk replied with a soft smile. “Don’t be afraid, son,” she whispered, then drifted to sleep as the stress of the day caught up with her.

“Mom…”

“Don’t worry, Valerian,” Hunter reassured, “she’s just asleep.”

“She sleeps a lot,” the child commented.

Quillen nodded. “Your mother needs to rest for now. She’ll be better in the morning.”

Jerome rested his hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Come on, Valerian, I’ll teach you more about the Guardians of the old Society.”

“Okay,” he responded, somewhat sadly since he didn’t want to leave his mom.

“Go on, Valerian,” Quillen told him “I’ll stay here and make sure she’s safe tonight.”

The young Delphin nodded and followed Jerome out of the room, stopping at the door to look back at his mother.

Nytehawk turned to Quillen. “So you’ll watch over her tonight?”

“Yes. As if it were my life’s purpose.”

“Good, I would hate for anything to happen to her so soon after getting back.” She took a hold of Hunter’s arm and walked out of the room. “Do you think he’s changed, Hunter?” she asked as the walked to their room.

“Yes. Jerome suspects too, I think. They were doing a lot of glaring at each other.”

Nytehawk nodded. “We’ll just have to see what his intentions are.”

Back in the room, Quillen walked to the bed after locking the door, and then brushed a stray lock of Snowhawk’s hair from her face. “What will I have to do to make you forget him?” he quietly asked to no one as he ran the backs of his knuckles along her jaw. “What indeed,” He pulled her chin up and leaned down to give her another kiss, then looked at her face for another moment, softly stroking her cheek. Then he pulled his shirt off and lay down on the bed behind her and wrapped his arms around her. He held her tightly, then drifted to sleep, his head on her shoulder.

*********

Back at his estate, Janus now sat in a state of quiet contemplation. He had an idea of where to look for his bird, but didn’t want to make a move until he was certain. He was awaiting a call from one of his informants to verify Snowhawk’s location. The waiting was the hardest part. He clinched his fists at the thought of what that– Quillen may have done, or be doing, to his bird. The jealousy was almost overwhelming, but he fought it away again. He needed a clear head to think and act here. The mere fact that Quillen had laid a hand on her in the first place was enough reason to beat him to a bloody pulp. Adding in how he had done it was enough to beat the bloody pulp within an inch of it’s life. Had he done anything else to her… “If he has, I will kill him personally.” His phone beeped at him and he quickly snatched it up, answering the message. “Yes?”

“We think we have her location,” the man on the other end replied.

“Good. Continue monitoring. I want to be certain on this.”

“Yes, sir,” the voice replied, then the line clicked.

The two had come too far for someone to screw this up, especially someone that was supposedly dead. Janus had no idea just how simple it would be to discover exactly where Snowhawk was. And all in thanks to the evening news.

*********

Several days would pass. During this time, as Quillen tried to make Snowhawk forget about Janus, he also convinced Nytehawk that the time to move against the remaining slavers was now. She gave him the authority to essentially begin a war.

With that completed, he stalked off to the separate house Snowhawk had been moved to. There was one other thing he wanted to accomplish.

*********

Snowhawk dozed somewhat peacefully for one of the first times since she had been taken. Valerian slept, semi curled, next to his mother. It was another unseasonably warm, lazy afternoon, one that simply felt like the calm before the storm. The door to her bedroom swung open, a quiet creak awakening Valerian. He sat halfway up, trying not to disturb his mother and looked to the doorway. “Quillen, what are you doing here?”

“I need to speak with your mother on a private matter,” he evenly replied.

“Oh, okay,” the young Delphin responded, frowning, then carefully slid off the bed. He still had no idea of Quillen’s true identity.

“I think Jerome wanted to show you a few new things today. He’s in the gardens if you want to find him.”

“Okay!” he smiled, then sprinted from the room, his small hooves sliding around on the smooth stone floors.

Once the boy was gone, Quillen grinned darkly and stalked to the bed, sitting on the edge. He gently touched her human face, awakening her. “Good afternoon, love.”

She sat up slowly, pushing herself up until his hand caught her chin. “What are you doing?” she groggily asked.

“Nothing, love,” he said as he leaned to her then kissed her. His hands reached to the back of her neck and unhooked the velvet choker Janus had given her. As he tossed it aside with one hand, he removed a collar from his pocket with the other, still distracting her with the kiss. He moved his hands back to her neck, one wrist resting on each shoulder, the collar trailing down her back from his right hand. He leaned forward, as his other hand took a hold of the free end, and pushed her back onto the bed. He brought his hands to the front of her throat and locked the collar onto her.

She heard the quiet click of the lock and forced him off her, sitting back up. “What the hell are you doing!?”

“It’s for your own protection, love. We’re about to go to war. I can’t have you running off on me in the middle of a battle. You could end up getting hurt. Or worse, killed.”

Snowhawk glared at him. “I can take care of myself. Now unlock this damn thing,” she demanded as she tugged at it.

“I think not, dear bird,” he smirked. “You know, that’s a good look for you.”

“I assume you convinced Nyte into letting you do this.”

“Actually, she has no idea. You see, dear,” he began, running a finger along her jaw, “Nytehawk is just a figure head for us. I have been given as much power I need to strengthen the Society. I’m going to turn this into a full Empire.”

“With you at the head, I assume.”

“No. Nytehawk will remain as the leader, I’ll be the one ‘working to defend’ as it was in our past.

“You make it sound so noble,” she dryly remarked.

“Oh it is, dear Snowhawk, it is,” he returned, the sound of another lock clicking was heard as he fastened a chain to her collar. “An even better look,” he grinned.

Her eyes narrowed and she glared daggers at him. He gave a small smirk of amusement. “So I guess Legacy really is dead.” She drew her hand back to slap him, but he caught her small wrist in his hand.

“I don’t recommend that, love.” He pulled her to him, grabbing her waist tightly with his free hand. “You can’t fight me, dear bird. And I will never let you get away from me again.” He again reached to her neck and dropped her into a deep sleep.

A half minute later, Nytehawk entered the small house, intent on speaking with her cousin. Quillen sensed the female and carefully turned Snowhawk so she was facing him and the chain and collar were hidden. Nytehawk turned into the room and was surprised to see Quillen there. Even more so to see Snow apparently asleep in his arms. “Quillen, is Snowhawk alright?”

“She’s fine. Just exhausted herself.”

“And so she fell asleep on you?”

“Pretty much,” he replied and he gave her a very slight squeeze. “I don’t believe she’s properly rested in years.”

“Your intentions had better be nothing more than honest, Quillen,” she warned, noticing the squeeze.

“And I assure you, they are,” he grinned. He paused for a moment, then began, “I’ll need to take her with me tonight. I feel it would be safer for the both of you.”

“Do you suspect Janus knows?”

“The news last night said ‘at least one slave had been recovered’ then continued on to say her relationship to you.” His grin turned to a smirk. “And quite honestly, how many cousins do you have alive?”

Nytehawk sighed. “Just her that I know of. Damn, not the most opportune timing, was it?”

“Not in the least.”

“Very well,” she sighed, “you may take her with you.”

He grinned and gave a nod of thanks.

*********

Quillen left the estate late that evening, driving to an end of town where she once had an apartment. Two days ago, he came here to have everything prepared. He picked up the still sleeping Snowhawk and carried her into the building, then to her former residence. He further carried her into the bedroom and carefully laid her on the bed, then reattached the chain to her collar and connected the free end to the bed. He bound her hands behind her back, then re-awoke her. “Good evening, love,” he grinned, his hand slipping through the flap of her dress and resting on her rear. She gave a small cry of pain as he flipped her onto her back. The look of fear in her eyes was quite apparent as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a dagger, then brought it toward her.

*********

A half-inch stack of papers landed on the desk in front of a half asleep Janus. “We have her location. And we’ve discovered the Society wants to start a war against all the slavers,” the tall, dark furred Lupino female standing opposite him stated.

“Thank you, Nyx,” he groggily replied.

“Quillen’s on the move. He’s taken Snowhawk to the far side of town. An old apartment of hers. You know what he’s planning, do you not?”

“He wants to reclaim her. And he’ll probably not be gentle about it.”

“Are you moving now or will you wait?”

He paused for a moment to think. “If he does what I think he’ll do, it doesn’t matter when we move. We’d never make it on time. If he hurts her…” Janus sighed, “But he won’t be expecting a move so soon, so we’ll leave now. I’ll be counting on you and your crew for a diversion.”

“Shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Thank you.” The other Lupino bowed and turned, then quickly exited the library. Janus waited another moment as he fully awoke, then stood and half ran to his garage.

Nyx greeted him there. “We’re ready to go at anytime.”

“Good. We’re moving now. Maybe I’ll catch the son of a bitch in the act so I’ll have more reason to kill him.”

The female turned and gave her crew a signal as she trotted over to them. A small fleet of vehicles moved out, Janus following several minutes later in one of his personal cars. After some forty minutes of driving to reach Snowhawk’s location he sent a signal over a radio to Nyx that he was ready when they were.

And halfway across town, an explosion blew several of the windows in the Society Leader’s home and set off every car alarm within miles.

*********

Back in Snow’s old apartment, Quillen let go of her now naked, half-unconscious form. She fell to the side, her raggedly cut hair draping across her neck. Her body ached from the abuse she had been subjected to. Quillen stood from the bed and stalked out of the room. Breaking her was just half the fun. He looked at the hair in his hand and grinned, then tied it together with one of her old ribbons. He set the bundle on a table, then looked to his computer and the message flashing “urgent.” He growled lowly as he had been called back across town.

Quillen re-entered the room and tossed a blanket over Snow’s bruised and bloodied form. She was crying softly, he noted, as he leaned down to give her a small kiss. “I shall return soon,” he whispered, then left the room, grabbing his sword and tying the sheath to his belt on the way out. She heard the front door unlock, open, close, then lock again as he left.

With that, she was alone. Helpless. She hurt too much to move, not that she could go very far if she could. While it was true she had been raped and beaten before, it was never by someone she had once trusted. She lay where she was for a few moments, then her stomach twisted in fear as she heard the door unlock and open again.

*********

Janus tentatively stepped into the old apartment, looking around for any others that might have been inside, after narrowly missing Quillen in the hallway. He knew Snowhawk was here, as he could faintly smell her. He listened carefully for a few moments, then heard something like quiet cries, of both sadness and pain. He also caught the scent of blood. Janus followed scent and sound back to a bedroom. He slowly opened the door and the smell of blood was strong enough to force him to shift from his Lupino form. His gut wrenched as he realized the blood he smelled was Snowhawk’s. The figure on the bed lay nearly motionless. “Sn– Snowhawk?” he almost whispered. She made no movement. He slowly moved toward the bed and could see long cuts on her exposed shoulder and her raggedly cropped hair. He gingerly touched an uncut place on her shoulder and she whimpered in pain. He knelt next to the bed and brushed her hair from her eyes. “My poor bird, I’m so sorry. I should have gotten here sooner and stopped him. I couldn’t find you.” She made no response, the shock of not a half hour earlier still held her in a near paralyzed fear. Slowly, he pulled the blanket off her, revealing just how much damage had been physically done. He caught site of her bound hands and first tried to untie them, then cut them with his pocketknife. Blood stained the rope and her wrists bled from the thin, wiry rope. He carefully pulled her arms from behind her, hating to hear her cries of pain. One of her hands immediately went to her face and covered it. Just from that movement, Janus knew how much she was hurting. Not physically, but mentally. She most likely felt as if she had betrayed him, that she should have been able to fight her attacker off, that she was weak for allowing this to happen to her. He didn’t want to further harm her by touching her, but he felt that he had to at this time. He carefully gathered her in his arms and held her as she cried and whimpered in pain.

“Well now, what have we here?” Quillen’s voice interrupted. “I thought they killed all the wolves around here.”

Janus bristled, a feat strangely accomplished in his human form. “What did you do to her, you son of a bitch?”

“I figured that would be obvious, slaver. I took back what’s mine,” he grinned. “By the way, the explosion was a nice touch, but not enough to keep me gone. Especially from a creature as sweet as her.”

“You can’t take back what was never yours, Legacy.”

“Right,” he replies sarcastically. “And Legacy’s dead, wolf.”

“Along with his gentle sincerity, I’m guessing.”

“Mostly.” Quillen’s face darkened. “Now let her go. I have unfinished business.”

“There’s not much more you can do to her.”

“I will be the judge of that. Now move aside.”

Janus growled and shifted forms again, fighting the sensory overload of the room’s scents. “You won’t touch her again.”

Quillen simply smirked and withdrew his sword from its sheath. “Your brother almost killed me, you know. With this very sword.”

“And just what does that have to do with anything?” Janus growled, carefully laying her down, then standing.

“Just a distraction,” he returned, lunging at Janus.

The Lupino dodged the strike, but was caught in the back of the neck by the edge of Quillen’s hand and sent across the room. He spun around, the blow having disoriented him for a moment. Quillen was amazingly strong. He was also dangerously close to Snowhawk. She was still too weakened to fight back and could only cry out in pain as he roughly flipped her onto her stomach. “An audience wasn’t part of the plan,” he darkly began, laying the blade of his sword across her legs, halfway between her rear and her knees, “but I think I can cope.”

“Let her be! She’s hurting enough as it is!” Janus warned advancing a couple steps forward, realizing just how far he’d been hit across the room.

“Don’t take another step, wolf.”

“Or what?” he defiantly asked, stepping forward.

“This,” Quillen responded and drew the razor-sharp sword across her legs.

Janus froze as she cried out in pain. “What the hell are you doing!?” he demanded.

“I’m making a point.” He sat down on the bed next to her and pulled a small dagger from his boot. He ran the blade along her arm, the razor edge easily cutting through her skin. “It wouldn’t take much to kill her, you know.” Quillen paused for a moment. “But death is far too easy. She’d be escaping me again and I simply cannot allow that.”

“And by doing this the only point you prove is that you’re many times worse than I ever was to her.”

“Maybe,” he nonchalantly replied, cutting diagonally across her back, enjoying the look of helplessness on Janus’ face. Her cries her grew weaker, though Quillen didn’t seem to notice. “But it also proves that I know her better than you ever attempted to.”

“So you would destroy everything about her. Crush her spirit.”

Quillen narrowed his eyes and stated, “Fine, you may have her for now. But always remember I will return for her one day.” He stood and glared at the Lupino for another moment, then seemed to vanish into the shadows.

“Nice trick,” he growled, then rushed to Snowhawk. She had lost a great deal of blood. Her body was cool to the touch and her heart rate had fallen drastically. She wouldn’t survive without care from a doctor, and she needed it soon. However, he couldn’t carry her out with out further injuring her. He fumbled around and found his phone then called Nyx. “Nyx, I need you at the old apartment. Now. Snowhawk is badly injured and I don’t think she’ll last long.”

Two uneventful months would pass until one not so sunny day, a paper flyer managed to reach the cabin. Janus has awoken quite early that day, intent on finding something his bird had hinted at wanting. As he left the porch of the cabin, he was somewhat surprised and amused to see a piece of God-awfully bright, neon orange paper tumbling down the drive toward a cabin on a gentle breeze. Figuring this paper must have some important message to have traveled this far from the city, he trotted toward it and snatched it up. His eyes widened as he read the message. Printed in bold, black letters, the text read, “Coronation! Em’bar 25th! The Delphin Society will live again!” then continued with the time the ceremony was to happen and where it could be watched. He folded the paper and stuffed it into his pocket. Hopefully, he could run his errand and return before Snowhawk awoke.

However, he didn’t make it back in time. Snow’s eyes fluttered open soon after he had left. She lay where she was for almost an hour before deciding to sit up and beginning the daily battle of deciding if she should even get out of bed. She’d been very tired over the last two weeks. She knew what it was but hadn’t said anything. A sharp breeze howled over the roof and she looked at the ceiling. “Hint, much?” she mumbled, swinging her legs over the side of the bed, then standing some twenty minutes later. “Wonder where he’s gone off to…” she mused, wandering toward the nearest television and couch. She flipped on the TV as she passed by, then flopped down on the couch, sinking into the soft cushions. After a minute of searching, she found the remote control and surfed to one of the educational channels she often watched. “Ooh, lightning,” she mumbled, still half asleep. She watched the show, comparing what it was telling her with what she already had in her mind from other sources, until she drifted back to sleep on the couch.

Some three hours later, she was awoken to the feeling of a pair of hands sliding around her neck and what felt like velvet between them. “A gift for you, love. You said you’d like one,” Janus half whispered.

As he pulled his hands back, she reached up and felt a velvet choker studded with a few small gems. “Oh!” she quietly gasped. “Thank you!” She reached up and hugged him, giving him a soft nuzzle, quite glad he remembered she’d mentioned something like this one day as she looked at the scar on her neck.

“You okay, love?” he asked, concerned. “You’ve been so quiet the past couple weeks.”

“I’m fine. My body’s just preparing for something.”

“What?”

“A child.”

Janus held her as he sat in stunned silence for a moment. “Snowhawk–”

“It wouldn’t be a repeat of my last pregnancy.” she added quietly.

It should be known that Janus had mixed feelings about children. While he did want them, eventually, now was most likely not the proper time. Especially with the news he had discovered earlier. “Love–”

“If you’d rather not, I’ll understand.”

“Love, it’s not that. I don’t know if now is the right time or not. With what’s going on in the city right now, I’d worry it might place you under too much stress.”

“What’s going on?”

Janus mentally smacked himself. She probably had not been awake for any of the local news, and he had taken the flyer with him. He pulled away from her slightly and removed the folded paper from his pocket. After opening it up, he handed it to her. “This is what’s happening.”

Snow’s jaw dropped as she read. “This is tomorrow.”

“The city is being prepared now. But apparently, no one knows who will be at the head.”

“Nytehawk, most likely.”

“What about you?”

“They would have to drag me out of here unconscious. I have no intention of leading, especially a Society that’s died once before.”

“Are you thinking history will repeat itself?”

“Considering the leaders never changed how they ruled, even at the end, yes. Times have changed. The Society’s been gone for how many hundreds of years now? Very few remember it anymore. They’ve all died, or forgotten. A few of us have memories of the past that were never told to us by anyone.

“You included?”

“Of course, I’m one of the Royal line, though I never understood why I had the memories until you mentioned it. I’m haunted by nightmares of her, rather my, death. Darkness, night I’d guess. A fire. Men, humans mostly, with weapons. Cuts on my arms, blood pouring down my back, a gash on my right thigh. Part of my horn was gone, broken off. Then, I’m hit by one of them and that’s where the nightmare ends and I wake up.”

Janus thought for a moment, then nodded slowly. “I remember hearing a tale from one of the old men that had served in my family’s army of a Delphin that died like that. Silver fur, black points, deep blue mane and tail, and the rare black dorsal stripe that’s almost impossible to find today. Black feathered wings. Her horn was emerald and her eyes colored like sapphire.” He paused for a moment. “She was a fighter by choice. She was supposed to be the Society’s leader, but refused. She was captured one evening while out by herself. They tortured her, trying to get information. All she did was laugh and taunt them. One of the men lost control and hit her in the back of the head with the butt of his gun.”

Snowhawk nodded slowly, then sat for a few minutes in silence. “I wonder who the hell instigated this,” she said, not really questioning.

“Hmm?”

“The rebuilding.”

“Could it have been possible for Legacy to have spoken with someone before he came to get you?”

“I’m sure he did,” she shrugged. “He always had a big mouth.” She sighed and looked out the window for a few moments. “I thought my fighting ended two years ago.”

“I know love, I know.”

Snowhawk sighed quietly. Her mind was nagging her with a single thought: What if Legacy hadn’t been killed and that he was alive now. It was a well known fact that often after having a horn broken, a Delphin would change in coloration and appearance as a human. She would be able to recognize him, but most likely only by scent. If that was the case, then no one else would know who he was since they didn’t know the scent intimately. “Do you think–” she trailed off.

“What?”

“That it could be possible that Adian didn’t kill Legacy.”

Janus didn’t really know how to respond. “Adian never would have thought to actually make sure he was dead before he left. So, there is the possibility. It was a closed-casket funeral, was it not?”

Snowhawk nodded. “They said they couldn’t get the blood out of his fur.”

“We may just have a ghost on our hands then.”

“Only he’s not dead. Which would make him all the more dangerous. Almost every Delphin that survived a broken horn turned–” she paused, looking for the right words. “It’s like whatever darkness they have in them takes over.”

“Their appearance changes as well, does it not?”

“Yes. Scent too, but, someone that knew the scent–” she paused again as she searched for the kindest wording, “Someone that knew their original scent intimately would be able to confirm.”

“How close would you have to be to know for certain?”

She didn’t respond for several minutes, looking away from him. Then finally answered, “Too close.”

“Tell me, love, please.”

“Close enough to sleep with him,” she shuddered. “A risk I’d prefer not to take.”

Janus was silent for a moment, then squeezed her tightly. “No one’s going to make you, love.”

*********

The following evening in the city, species of all kinds gathered to show support for the rebirth of the Delphin Society. The remaining members of the Guardian Counsel appeared to crown the new leader of the society, and commend her Guardian for his work. After a long, drawn out, and somewhat boring speech by the Counsel leader, the crown, which in all actualities was an elaborate tiara, was placed on Nytehawk’s head and she stood overlooking her new subjects as they applauded. Once their applause died down, she began speaking to them, her voice strong, clear, and powerful. “I thank you all for being here. Today, we celebrate the rebirth of the Delphin Society. This is for what I pray to be the good of all beings. And so, I say to you now that we will not tolerate the enslavement of our kind or any other race. This is an issue that will no longer be sluffed off as a problem for the so called ‘lower classes.’ I have been there, I was born into that life. Yet here I am, free. Many of you have been slaves as well, yet you stand here, free from the bounds of your owners. This problem will not be taken lightly and we will see to it that no other race has to suffer our pain.” By the time she reached “suffer,” her words were nearly drowned out by the crowd. Knowing that their enthusiasm would last for hours, she gave them a bow of respect after several minutes, then headed off toward a waiting vehicle.

Once inside, she flopped down, leaning back against the seat. “Well, that went well. Wouldn’t you agree, Jerome?” she asked the other as he climbed in.

“Yes, but no one reported seeing Snowhawk,” he replied as he sat down across from her.

“Didn’t figure she’d come.”

The opposite door of the vehicle opened as Jerome reached to close the one he entered through. Hunter slid inside and next to Nytehawk, closely followed by the head of security.

The head of security had appeared one day some eighteen months ago, intent on helping with the rebuilding. He was a mysterious fellow, only giving his name, Quillen, and his age, twenty-three. “You intended on seeing her, did you not?” he asked.

“I did.”

“They why not use the power at hand and retrieve her? We do know where she is.”

“Do you have a plan?”

“Always.”

“Then do it. That bastard’s kept her away far too long.”

“Nyte,” Jerome began, “what are you going to say this is?”

“A raid. Proof we will not stand for any slavers. Should word get out, that is. Which I trust it won’t,” she said warningly.

“Snowhawk is hardly a slave anymore, and Janus is hardly a slaver anymore, if at all. She’s there because she wants to be.”

“Do you really believe that, Jerome?” Quillen asked. “That someone would willingly stay with a known slaver.”

“Yes, Snowhawk has her reasons for staying.”

“What? Love? He’ll only hurt her. Use her to his own ends.”

“I would have to disagree with you.”

“Why?”

“I know Snowhawk. Better than most would think.”

“‘Once a slave, always a slave,’ is that not what goes through her mind? And as for Janus, once a slaver, always a slaver. He’ll slip up and she’ll see that.”

“I won’t give him a chance to harm her,” Nytehawk stated. “Quillen, once you are ready, take your team and retrieve her. I don’t care about the cost, just bring her back to us.”

Quillen nodded in response, “I will.”

They pulled into the garage of the recently renovated estate, the home of the reborn society’s leader. Quillen stepped out of the vehicle first, followed by Jerome, then Hunter and Nyte. “Where’d you get the ribbon in your hair, Quillen?”

“What does it matter?”

“Just has a very familiar color. Like one of Snowhawk’s ribbons.”

“So what are you implying, Jerome?”

“That you have some ulterior motive in this. Your own personal reasons for wanting her around.”

“And if I did?”

“Then you’ll wind up the same as Janus’ brother.”

Quillen smirked. “I wouldn’t worry to much about that.”

“Then you’d be a fool,” Nytehawk added in.

“We’ll just see. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a mission to complete,” he smirked, then promptly vanished into the garage’s shadows.

“I’m somewhat suspicious of him,” Jerome stated.

“As long as he does his job, that’s all I’ll ask of him.”

*********

Quillen quickly walked down the hallway toward his quarters. He could have this planned out and underway in less than two hours. Two hours and he would be on his way to being able to touch her again, to hold her, to kiss her. It had been far too long since he could. “I refuse to let that son of a bitch win,” he growled as he turned into his room. The door was closed and locked, then he sat down at his desk and began to make his phone calls.

*********

Back at the cabin, Snow awoke in the middle of the night to moonlight illuminating her room. She smiled softly and slipped away from Janus, quietly walking to the window and looking to the night sky. She felt the opened the window, finding the night to be unseasonably warm, the night air filled with the scent of earth and fallen leaves. She glanced back to Janus, then deftly slipped out the window and hopped to the ground.

Outside, she wandered into the forest toward a small pond she knew to be surrounded by honeysuckle and the tiny wild roses she enjoyed so well in the summer. She soon came upon it and stopped at a natural arch of dried honeysuckle vines. She crawled under the arch and lay down, soon drifting to sleep. A dream crept into her mind, one of a fourth child, a girl this time, and one she could actually raise. The dream sent a bittersweet tear down her face.

A moment later, she felt something she hadn’t felt in two years. Not a feeling of movement, per se, but just knowing. A feeling of life. Her eyes snapped open and she sat straight up. “Shit.” She searched for the feeling again now that she was awake. However, she could no longer sense it. She blinked a few times, then lay back down and closed her eyes, drifting back to sleep. She never knew when a deep, dreamless sleep overtook her.

*********

Back at the cabin, Janus awoke alone. “Snowhawk?” He felt where she had been, finding it to be still slightly warm. She had not been gone long. He then caught the scent of earth and leaves through the open window. Sitting up, he climbed out of the bed, then walked toward the window. He could also smell her scent here, then leading out the window. He exited the cabin as she had earlier, then followed her scent through the forest, soon realizing where she was headed.

He reached the pond and could see her across it, asleep under the natural arch. Such a beautiful image, he thought. He watched as she suddenly sat up, then went back to sleep a moment later. Soon after she drifted back to sleep, however, a darkly-clothed figure emerged from the forest and stalked toward her. The figure knelt next to her and appeared to touch a spot on her neck, just behind her jaw. Janus growled and ran toward the figure. He neared the dark one and lunged at him, but soon found himself tossed to the water’s edge. “Leave her be,” he growled.

“I can’t do that, slaver,” a male voice returned. “I’ve been given orders to bring her back.”

“Then I guess you never thought she might not want to go back.”

“Hard to believe, wolf. Now,” the man began as he picked up the Delphin-formed Snowhawk as if she weighed nothing, and grinned, “I’d suggest not following me. Never know what might happen to her.”

“The least you can tell me is who you are so I’ll know who to kill.”

“The name’s Quillen,” he replied, then turned and ran into the forest. “This time, Snow, I’ll make sure you’re safe. And that you’ll never leave me again,” he whispered to her as he swiftly moved through the trees. After a half hour of walking, he reached the rest of his team, then climbed into the back of an SUV, setting her beside him. “Go,” he instructed the driver, then flipped a switch and closed off the rear of the vehicle from the driver’s compartment. A moment later, he lowered the divider again and instructed the driver to take a meandering route through the city. He needed to finish up a few things with Snowhawk before they got back. The driver gave an affirmative response and Quillen again raised the divider.

He folded the rear seats down, then placed Snowhawk on her stomach. After finding a specific spot on her neck, he ran two of his fingers down either side of her spine to the bottom of her shoulder blades, resulting in her shifting to her human form. He carefully turned her onto her side, facing him, leaving his hand on her hip. He touched her throat again, as he had earlier, only on the opposite side. A grin crept across his face as her eyes fluttered open. She slowly awoke and began to piece together where she was, or rather, was not. “Hello, love,” Quillen said to her, touching her face. “It’s been too long since I’ve seen you.”

“Who–” she slowly began, pushing herself up on her arms. The man greeted her semi-upright form with a long, deep kiss. Her eyes immediately snapped open ad she tried to pull away, but he held the back of her head too tightly. She clinched her eyes shut and could do little more than wait. When he finally broke the kiss, she broke away from him and attempted to merge with the vehicle’s opposite wall. “Who are you?!”

“I’m hurt you wouldn’t remember me, love,” he grinned as he slowly moved across the vehicle to her. He gently took her chin in his hand and leaned toward her. “But I have a few ways to make you remember.” She gasped as he leaned to kiss her again. He moved over her, a leg on either side of her, pinning her legs down, then held her arms down. Quillen laughed as she whimpered. “Still nothing? Do I have to get closer to you? Poor thing can’t remember. And at such a critical point too.” Her eyes widened at this. “Did you think I wouldn’t be able to tell?” One of his hands left her arm and he gently rubbed her stomach. “Really love, you underestimate me.”

“Why are you doing this?” she half cried.

“You left me, Snowhawk. Yes, he captured you, but you left me. You were never going to come back.”

She began to piece things together now, then gave a ragged sigh as tears of realization rolled down her face. “Legacy.”

“Precisely, dear bird. Though everyone knows me as Quillen now. If you value your wolf’s life, you won’t let anyone else know.” The hand on her stomach slid around to her back and rested just above her rear. He grinned as he spoke, “Especially that bitch of a cousin of yours. You’re not getting away from me this time, love.”

“You were dead. Adian killed you.”

“Almost dead. That stupid wolf never thought to check.”

“So whose idea was this? Yours or Nytehawk’s?”

“Her’s, with a bit of assistance from me.”

“And she really doesn’t know?”

“No. Neither does our son. He’s been asking about you, you know. Really interested in meeting you.”

“Regardless of how his mother was brought back against her will, I’d assume.”

“Don’t be so harsh, love.”

“Fuck off. You realize you’re a thousand times worse than Janus all those years ago.”

Quillen growled lowly at her and the hand on her back wrapped itself into her hair, and he forced her to look at him. “I am a thousand times better than that bastard will ever be.”

“Are you now?” she asked, her eyes full of contempt.

“He will never take you back,” he stated, then pulled her into another forced kiss.

Deep in the forest, a lone Delphin sat on the bank of a quickly moving mountain stream. Two years ago, she found her life being turned upside down again, and had sometimes questioned if it was all worth it. The death of her Guardian, then the death of her love’s brother in the same day was still quite hard for her to handle. It’s not that she wasn’t familiar with death, she just wasn’t so used to it any longer. “This should have ended peacefully,” she said to the forest.

“Snowhawk?” a male voice called out. “Where are you, love?”

“Nowhere far,” she replied. With a tired sigh, she laid down on the cool, soft grass.

From the underbrush emerged a pale-furred Lupino. “Are you ok, love?” he asked quietly, kneeling next to her.

“I’m fine, Janus.”

“You’ve been awfully silent the past few days.”

“Just been doing a lot of thinking.”

“Care to share your thoughts?”

“He’s two, now,” she said after a pause.

Janus took a minute to realize what Snowhawk was talking about. “Having some regrets?”

“Just wondering what it would be like. I’ve had three children and not been able to raise any of them.”

He sat down beside her and lightly rubbed her arm. “I’m sorry. I took you away from them.”

“No. I could have left at any time.”

“Why didn’t you?”

“What would I have gone back to? Even though Legacy is gone, I’m sure he some how manage to plant the idea of rebuilding the Dephin Society into Nytehawk’s head. And she’s part mule, I swear,” She sighed and turned on her side, facing him. “This will pass soon enough. It always has before.”

He nodded slowly and gently stroked her cheek. “Please don’t forget I’m always here for you.”

She looked up at him, then sat up, twisting around, and wrapped her arms around him. “Of course not.”

He wrapped his arms around her and felt her nuzzle him. Then, he felt a moist warmth on his fur. At first, he thought she’d injured herself, a not uncommon occurrence, then felt her faintly trembling. His bird was crying. “Snowhawk, tell me what’s wrong.”

“Just feeling– old, I guess.”

“You’re not thinking about giving everything up, are you?” he asked, his voice sounding decidedly concerned.

“No. I wouldn’t live through a third time.”

Janus never really said anything to that, just hugged her tightly. Then he gave her a small lick on her neck and nuzzled her softly. Eventually, she fell asleep in his arms. “My poor bird,” he silently whispered.

*********

Nytehawk sat on her balcony railing, looking to the sky. She hadn’t seen her cousin in more than two years. Yet, she was reminded of her everyday by the two year old child that scampered about her home. Valerian didn’t remember Snow or Legacy, but he had been told the general story. His mother was with a man other than his father. His father was dead. He was with his aunt because his mother wanted to protect him.

Nyte looked back to her feathered wings and sighed. “So much has changed since this all began almost four years ago.” Four years since she had been recaptured. Almost three since she’d been set free. She idly wondered where they would all be if Snow had left Janus and if Legacy hadn’t tried to kill her.

She looked up as she heard Hunter behind her. “Did he finally go to bed?” she asked, referring to Valerian.

“Yeah. He’s as stubborn as Snow– and you,” Hunter replied, nuzzling her and wrapping his arms around her.

“Comes by it honestly, I guess.”

“Will you ever tell him the full story?”

“Dunno. If he asks, I will. I just don’t want him thinking Snow or Legacy were ‘bad.’ They were both in a really awkward situation. And Snow was so doubtful of their relationship at the end. They both made mistakes Unfortunately, Legacy died because of it. I don’t want Valerian to blame his mother for Legacy’s death, or him to blame his father for her not being around.”

“Is that really what happened?” a young voice asked from the doorway.

“Valerian,” Nyte said quietly. “Yes. That’s pretty much it.” Hunter moved off to the side, sitting in a chair nearby.

“Do you think there’s a chance I might be able to see my mom?”

“I’m sure she’d love to see you, and to see what a handsome young man you’ve become. But I don’t know if her mind or her heart could handle it. Its getting closer to the anniversary of Legacy’s death, and the birthdays of her other two sons.”

“I have two brothers?”

“Half-brothers, but yes. If they’re still alive, the youngest is about ten years older than you. She got to name them, but not raise them since they were taken away from her after a few days by our first owner. She never handled that well.” Nyte looked off. “Tried to kill herself on several occasions, both directly and indirectly, until Janus got us. Then she was trying to kill him for the first few days. She hated everyone. Became bitter and aggressive. Something happened between them, never found out what, but she just, stopped. What developed between them was more than a physical relationship. Some sort of screwed up form of love, I guess. She had refused to show it, he didn’t know what it was. But there it was.”

“If he loves her, then why is he keeping her from her family?”

“I don’t think it’s just Janus keeping her away. I’d guess she’s hiding. Trying to get things sorted out, to rest, to recover.”

“Was– Is she strong?”

“One could say that, though she’d never admit it. Had she been prepared when she got pregnant with you, and had she not been under so much stress, her pregnancy wouldn’t have been as big of an issue. Between Janus capturing me, her doubts about Legacy, then being basically captured herself she certainly wasn’t in the best of situations. Though she didn’t think to actually use what time she could rest for resting. That was her spirit, and something they could never break. She was so stubborn, and so scarred from the slavers trying to beat it out of her, she was pretty much given away.”

“Did Janus ever hit her?”

“No. He never laid a hand on either of us, even the times she would attack him. That’s not to say she went unscathed. She’d go on these missions. The last one nearly cost her her life. I’d say she still wears the ribbon to cover the scar on her neck.”

“What happened after that?”

“She healed for a few days, then escaped, taking me with her.”

“How old is she now?”

“Twenty-three.”

Valerian blinked and yawned. “Hey,” Hunter finally said, waking up from his light nap. “I thought you were supposed to be in bed.”

Valerian grinned innocently and gave a soft chuckle.

“Hunter’s right, dear. Go back to bed.”

The young one nodded and, with another yawn, wandered back to bed.

“Snow would be proud of him,” Hunter idly mentioned. “And of you for doing such a wonderful job of raising him.”

“I would hope so. I just wish she could have raised him. That’s what should have happened.”

Hunter slowly walked to her and hugged her. “I know, but apparently, Fate didn’t agree.”

*********

Two weeks later, Snowhawk stepped out of the shower, quickly wrapping a towel around herself. She wiped the condensation off the mirror, looking at herself but gasped at her reflection. The Delphin in the mirror wasn’t her. Her pale fur had darkened in hue, but she was shocked most by her mane and tail. The color had changed to a pale blue tinted with lavender. Her legs went weak and she collapsed to the floor, falling against the wall with a dull thud.

The sound of her fall brought Janus running into the bathroom. “Sn– Snowhawk! What happened, love?!” he worriedly asked as he kneeled next to her. She was too stunned to speak. Janus shifted to Lupino form and wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly as tears began to stain her fur. “Snowhawk, love, what happened?” he quietly asked her again.

“… I’m getting old.” she near whispered after a few moments.

“Older, love. You’ll always be young to me.”

She nuzzled against him and held onto him tightly. “This is something I should have been expecting,” she mentioned as she shifted into her human form, then nuzzled her face into his fur. She couldn’t bring herself to tell him the real reason her aging scared her so badly. The older she got, the less time the two of them had. Lupino didn’t live as long as Delphin, even when one adjusted for the shortened lifespans of the average slave.

He hugged her again, subconsciously more carefully. He was always reminded of just how small she was. Even as a Delphin, she was only a few inches taller than his human form. “My little bird,” he quietly said with a gentle nuzzle. Janus felt her breathing finally slow as she began to calm down. He smiled softly and shifted back to his human form. He slowly stood, bringing her with him, then picked her up and carried her to their room.

*********

Snowhawk awoke several hours later and smiled softly as she found herself still in his arms. She cuddled closer to him, nuzzling him softly. Her mind soon began to think This is how my life should have been. But what if she hadn’t acted the way she did all those years ago, when she’d escaped. They had both had many strong revelations over the past couple years. Neither of them would have had any of those had they taken different paths. If I had it to do over, I’d change a few things, she thought, but I wouldn’t change the outcome. She gave him a small nuzzle and drifted back to sleep.

*********

Back in the city, a twitch of life made its presence known in Snowhawk’s abandoned apartment. A male figure moved silently through the living area, stopping at a coffee table and picking up a dusty picture. He brushed the dust off the glass, revealing two Delphin, one lavender-furred female shyly trying to hide her face from the camera in the shoulder of a tan-furred male. The figure gently touched the face of the female. “Snowhawk,” he whispered. Another moment passed, then he broke the glass of the frame and pulled the picture free. He folded it in half and slid it into the pocket of his black overcoat. He continued through the apartment, entering what had been Snowhawk’s room. The man walked to her nightstand, opening the drawer. He pulled out a slightly dulled piece of crimson ribbon, placing that into his pocket as well. He turned to leave when a flash of silver caught his attention. Further inspection revealed the silver ring she had been given to signify her mateship. After a moment’s pause, he took the ring and dropped it in the pocket with the other items. He turned to leave, then stopped at the two year old bloodstain on the floor of the living room. He knelt next to it, then gingerly rested his fingertips on the stain. His old scars began to ache again as he thought of the events of that night. He bowed his head, recounting his past. A moment later, he stood and quickly left the room.