She stepped away, her tail dropping. "What?" She spun, watching the wolves draw closer to her. "Wait."

"For what?" Frost purred, plucking his son off the ice with just a tiny whimper. Sky fell limply to the ground, his nasally whine the only noise to note. "You certainly didn't. In fact, you are supposed to get permission before beating the shit out of another's packmate. Especially when you go after the heir."

Swift's breath caught in her throat, a fierce burn sinking into the claw marks. Her eyes panned the grounds, finally settling on the one she needed. "Kiri."

He slipped through the crowd, pressing his head against her chin. "D'vala, can you weave us enough of an illusion to get out of here?"

"Kiri, if we do this there is a good chance she won't make it. Look at her. Really look. She's fading on you. How many more times can we make this kind of a run? We are wearing out. We have no home left to go back to."

"You can't keep running little kits." Frost shook his head slowly. "You want to know what punishment I claim? You stay right here. You help the pack heal, stepping into the place you pulled my heir from."

"We go home D'vala. Home to the tall trees. To the nests of bracken, safe up in our tree stump. The bipeds don't have to know we came back." He glanced back to the front, to his best friend trembling violently behind him. "She's already prepared to run. I'm not going to- Wait, what did he just say?"

His pack fell silent, each wolf watching him with open mouthed astonishment. The elder stepped up, "You can't be serious. Just kill her, you do it often enough to others."

Frost's form blurred, the elder sparking away in a shower of blood and a scream. He gave himself a good shake, blood splattering the wolves around him.

Ice cracked, coating Swift as she fled in a cloud of shards. Kiri swore, taking three steps before launching himself after her, "Swift! We have nowhere to run! Where are you going!"

"I'm taking your idea Kiri, I'm going home. It's hurting more, I need to... I need... I need Bladen back. Or Illandria. Frost took both out cold."

He caught up, his formless body gliding under her, holding her in the air. "This place could keep you alive. This place could keep your kits alive, Swift please stay."

She ignored him, running on less then nothing. The chill rolled over her, tiny minds already fading away. "Little ones." She called, "Don't go. It'll be safe soon enough. I promise. Just wait."

One mind paused, curling back up in the coolness. "Tell me a story."

Illandria's voice slowly began to speak, "There was once a dark, little prince. One with gifts that could bend our realities. He could take many forms with shadows that reached out, each one listening to his every command."

Swift headbutted her with a trill of joy. "You're back! You're safe. I was...."

Agony coursed through her form, dropping her from the fog. Her paws hit the branch hard, rattling the leaves as they crumpled under her.

Kiri shifted fast, catching her by the scruff. He pulled her further along, just out of sight.

Fish turned her eyes upwards, her hands catching her brother's. "Demons... They returned. Look."

Brother narrowed his eyes, his voice raising the war cry. "We can't let them settle."

"But it's the one that saved me. The one that met up with dad. Can't we just..." Her eyes widened, "Call dad. Now."

Brother's hands stuttered as Frost leapt through the branches. He pulled his bow, readying an arrow with shaking hands. It flew true, sinking deep into Frost's chest.

Frost let himself drop from the trees, his form breaking steadily as he drops. He tilts his head to the left, his smile gleaming in his bipedal form. His hands raise up in front of him, gleaming metal armour melting from his skin. "Run."

They turned and fled, a sharp blade sinking into Brother's back. His scream drew the people, sharp with agony.

The chief was among the first to arrive, a trip wire slicing into his throat.

Frost laughed gleefully, pulling his knife from the young man's back. A few quick slices, a good sharp tug and the man's skin peeled free. His body flopped, blood spurting with great abandon with every twitch and gasp it attempted.

Kiri stilled, Swift's mind fading on him. "Don't you dare leave me, you understand? You made me come back through the pain, don't you dare leave me alone now. You hear?! SWIFT!"

He caught her by the scruff, her shift taking her hard. Flames burned him, leaving fresh welts as he held her still. "No.... NO! D'vala, help. The true form.... That's very bad."

D'vala gave a slow nod. "We are losing her."

Kiri snarled, shaking her hard. "Oath upon my soul Swift, if I lose you I will follow you. No matter if you have kits who make it or not. I'll send them with Frost. Don't you dare leave me."

She stirred slightly. "Frost is going to hurt little Fish. I'll be ok for the minute. Go. Help her. She tried to help us."

Kiri pressed his head to hers, already so cold against his fur. He took to the trees, pacing his way along to drop back down in front of Frost.

Limbs littered the clearing, bodies scattered in a gruesome semicircle around the alpha Dukari. Kiri retched, bile escaping him at the beast's glee. "Why? Why do you do this? They have done nothing to you. They are not hunting your kind."

"Our kind." Frost corrects offhandedly, casually pulling the arrow from his chest, "Because they are liked by you two, they shot me, I'm not murdering alpha Dukari, and I desired payment of some kind for the damage done to my heir." He tossed the human cape, skull attached, from hand to grisly hand. Fresh blood wept, the eyes overcast, mouth still desperate for a breath of air.

Kiri angled his body between Frost and the last few, taking a bipedal form. He brushed back his hair, fingers deftly forming words to the people behind him. "Back, back people. He is demon. Skinshadow. Run to the clearing to the east! Go now!"

Frost laughs, flipping the pelt so the skull rested upon his head. He watched the last scant few drag their wounded away. "Look at you! So tiny! You look like a whelp, begging for his mom and dad to return. But they never will, will they? These people, the ones you so desperately you try to protect, they did that. They destroyed your home. Your family. Now they will ki-"

"ENOUGH!" Kiri snarled, throwing power behind those words. "You know nothing of these people. You know nothing of even your own people. You come, seek out those who have no pain, no fear to feed you, so you make your own. You play and twist, filling that empty spot you call a soul with the agony of thousands. An abomination. A savage plight amidst a noble species. Go! Die and take your heir to your grave. We have alphas right here to replace you."

Frost rubbed his eye, deep violet gleaming past the black mask he wore for the rest of them. His breath paused, barely discernible, as ruby lines traced his cheekbone. He froze, not a muscle twitched as he examined the child. The only known unrelated Alpha minded child, he reminded himself. Not one suitable to die, not by his paws at least. So powerful and the same age as his own blood. "Inferior alphas you mean. Inferior alphas for an inferior pack. You can't even protect one of your alphas." Frost's voice coils, power winding through it like a hidden hook in an an ocean soaked in chum. "Look at her, whelp. Listen to her scream."

Kiri flinched, his hands flying to cover his ears as his knees buckled under him, her sobbing voice deafening his mind. "Stop. Stop it! It's not real! D'vala, please, make him stop." He begged, his own tears escaping him.

Frost knelt by his side, his fingers hooking under Kiri's jaw. His claws dig in, ripping into skin as his smile grows. "It is. It's always been real. You killed her. Let her be torn apart just like your family."

Kiri's eyes flickered open, meeting the rich violet hues so similar to his own. He drew a shaky breath. "No! It's your fault. It's all your fault!" He pulled away, dropping back to his hands and knees. "Leave us alone! She should've just killed your son."

Frost's smile widened, nimble fingers flexing with a subtle click their newly formed claws ripping through bone as Kiri screamed, his kicking fading into basic reflexive moves. "Such sad words for such a sad child. Come home with me, little one, and I will teach you power you could never imagine."

Pain blinded the boy, his own mind muddled, drowning beneath the onslaught of twisted memories. He whined as he left the controls, retreating into the whirlpool begging him to let go.

"Kiri! Do you trust me?" D'vala called, her voice ringing with the sirens screaming in his head. She stumbled, dodging a memory as her thick black tail strayed dangerously close to the suction slowly gaining traction in their mind.

He reached out, paw extending as far as it could to her. "Yes, D'vala, please. I have since our first shift."

She gave him a gentle smile, "Then come back. Let me take over. He has your abilities. Study him. You'll learn something." She sank her teeth into his scruff, throwing him back into their mind. "Watch Kiri. He will fail to us."

She turned, her silver specked coat swaying softly as she summoned their abilities. A thick violet haze swirled around her, bubbling out of every twisted, perverted memory surrounding them. Lines of power rippled along her spine, boiling down to her paws as she rests them on the controls. Violet eyes met violet eyes as Kiri's body stared Frost down. D'vala spun Frost's command back on him, smacking him back with his own powers.

Frost tossed them aside, watching the body slam limply into the ground, leaving scarlet streaks.

D'vala hissed softly beneath their breath, her eyes gleaming as she struck out with their abilities.

Frost flew, muscles across his back writhing as he tumbled. He skidded, sliding to a standstill before laughing. "There's the one I wanted! What does he call you, Delana? What new name have you chosen to possess this time to break their tiny minds?"

"He sees nothing except a name that starts with D, don't let him in." Kiri croaked.

"He's very accurate." D'vala points out softly.

"No, I see what you mean. He can twist our memories to manipulate us. You are D'vala. You are one of the soul of a crazy ass child Dukari. And you are pissed." Kiri whispers.

D'vala turned to look back at her headmate, how the tiny little orbs grew and spread, trapping mental energy within, feeding them with it, bolstering their power. And it was all him.

Kiri stepped up beside her, leaning against her side. "Let's do this."

"And now the shared control. What, too weak to even think about taking me on alone?" Frost taunted, drawing them east. His eyes flicked over, centring on the little cat.

She shuddered, unable to stay silent as the pain ramped higher.

Frost paused, ignoring the child threatening him, his eyes focusing on his daughter. Her pain delighted him, feeding into his power. But, he forced himself to ignore the euphoria, she was fading. The pain was too high, and her packmate wouldn't be able to help as long as he came after Frost.

So Frost stepped back, his half smile all knowing. He bowed his head. "Good luck little fox. You'll need it."