Return or Regrets (tagged and open)

[Blood]

Meds

Zeus;

Zeus woke up. His fur was sleek with due and glistening with the shining droplets of moisture. Stiff muscles forced a grimace on his face as he slowly stood and stretched his body with a long groan ending in a deep sigh. The grass beneath him was imprinted from where he had slept that night under a large spruce that stood tall in the soft gray sky. Still below the horizon, the sun had not yet risen allowing the air to hold its crisp chill of early spring. Hardly awake, the woods around him were silent. Only a single bird called to another who replied with a far off distant chirp.

Zeus’ ear flicked once, then he ignored any further bird calls as he silently padded a few steps through the tall wet grass. The dew collected on his paws and legs and soaked them through. Quite an irritating and unpleasant feeling, but it was unavoidable. He sniffed the air once and trotted on. On to his destination. His destination that he had planned to return to seasons ago, but situation after situation had hindered him from completing. Of course the situations wouldn't have hindered if he wouldn't have let them; If they wouldn't have been important to him. But this was the most important, most detrimental time in his life. The decision he made would be the determining factor of what was more important in his life. But was he too late in deciding? Had he already made the decision by not returning sooner?

Zeus smelt the border markings all too soon. It was still the gray light of early dawn, and the cold air sent a ruffle down his back. Or was that just the nerves he was feeling from the familiar scent of his Alphess? He crossed the border without hesitation, but with the anxiousness that stirred in his gut, he was surprised he didn't stop and howl for her presence like a stranger. He was still a part of the pack. He was still one of the members. If Koa wished to band him from the family and expel him from the territory, then he would take her words with honor. He had little imagination of what she would say to him, or how forgiving she would be to his absence. No, he just didn't want to imagine it. He knew her well enough to know she would not be pleased, and his stomach tightened even more thinking about it. He had made such a big step. A step that he feared he had lost all of the ground made, if not even lost more than what he had before.

Her scent grew stronger to his left, and Zeus forced himself to follow it. Forced himself to confront what needed to be dealt with.

[Meds]

Koa;

Early morning.
It was a time when most others were still sleeping. Koa was no different, usually. But on this particular day, she sat awake, an old nurse log to her back, and her stormy fur soaking up the grey of the morning. She had roamed beyond her borders the evening past. With her gift activated, she had sensed Zeus almost at the limit of her reach. She had not gone to seek him, but she had concluded that he had settled for the night and was coming no closer nor getting farther away. It was with this knowledge that Koa returned to Ivory Wild land. She had not been able to sense her absent-Recruit any longer, for the distance had become too great, but she had a feeling that if he was so close, he planned to return. She had not slept—merely dozed, and awaited his presence.

Proving her right sometime close to sunrise, she felt him pass onto pack land. As soon as he was near enough to sense, Koa let the Awareness go. If he did not come to her, she would find him...
But he did come to her. As any proper subject should.

"Zeus," She spoke his name before he had fully left the trees. She knew it was him.
Koa continued sitting against the log, unmoving. She and Zeus would be able to have a private conversation, because of course she was alone—she had taken no Alpha Male in the time Zeus had been gone. One vine-marked ear flicked, and her minty-eyes narrowed slightly. Before the large male had even broke through the treeline, she could picture his own stormy fur, as well as the curved line of Sheba that adorned his face.

((It was on his face, right?))

[Blood]

Zeus;
His own name tickled at his ears. He remembered Koa had a gift and his chin took a small dip when he fully realized that his presence was already known to his alphess even before she physically saw him. So much for surprise, but he wasn’t returning for that. He wasn’t trying to surprise his alpha with his presence after such a long absence. No, he was returning because his alphess deserved his respect, because she deserved his full devotion and apology. She deserved much more than he was giving her, but he was coming here to set that straight.

Zeus brushed past a low hanging branch and as the leaves swept over his back, he stepped through the tree line and beheld the clearing that was open and covered with a light gray stillness of early morning. It was filled with silence and it almost seemed peaceful if it weren’t for the situation that was taking place. Zeus locked eyes with the she-wolf that sat in the middle of the clearing leaning against a log, probably where she had rested during the night. Her pelt was hazy and camouflaged with the gray misty surroundings, but her eyes flashed with detail and demanded his full attention. He dropped his eyes in respect and dipped his head and shoulders in a low bow as he came up before her, stopped some distance as to not invade her personal sleeping space.

”Alphess Koa.” His voice almost choked, as he gruffly spoke her name. He cleared his throat and a few moments passed before he found words to speak next. “I greatly regret not returning to your side sooner. And I offer my absolute apology for disregarding your authority. I will give you as much explanation as you are willing to hear so long as your forgiveness lasts.” Zeus ended his appeal with respect in his body language and a solemn gaze as he dreadfully awaited his leader’s response.