Father Wolf stalked, padding quietly. But he knew it was futile, he knew he would be heard as he always had been heard before. He knew that that which even he, the greatest predator that ever lived, would be upon him...
"Urf?! Urfarah! Is that you?!"
The great wolf-spirit grumbled as moonlight filled the cave. He turned to see Luna standing in the doorway to the back chamber. She had her nightgown on (the one with THESE FULL MOONS WILL MAKE YOU HOWL! written across the chest), and pink and white curlers in her hair. One fist was on her hip, the free hand holding a silver nonstick frying pan. A cigarette dangled from the side of her mouth.
"Well? Where the hell were you?"
Father Wolf sighed and said, "Look, I was just hanging out with King Rat. I had a long day hunting spirits, and I needed to unwind. Is that so unforgivable?"
She removed the smoke from her mouth and leaned forward, "Urf, it's three in the goddamn morning! Couldn't you come home at a decent hour? Maybe send a Lune by to let me know you're okay?"
"I didn't think I'd be out that late, Lu--"
That's okay," Luna interrupted, smiling. "I've already had a Lune come by. She let me know you were okay. She told me you were doing pretty damned good, in fact." Urfarah went and got a beer and popped the top, not saying anything, knowing what was coming next.
Luna sauntered over and plucked something from Father Wolf's coat, fur the color of pregnant storm clouds. "Wow, what's this? Webbing?" The great spirit, mighty muscles rippling as he moved, stayed silent and pushed past the Moon Mother into the den where his recliner was. Luna followed him. "You and your buddy having a good time with the Spider Queen?"
"Goddammit Luna! I was at the club, okay? She and that black chick Llolth work there. I didn't touch 'em, I swear. I just watch 'em swing around the pole and dance. It's Rat that keeps trying to ask 'em out. I'm just there to unwind, that's all."
"You know, I heard your little buddy's got a bad case of the clap. Got it from that little idagam whore in that trailer park out in the Spirit Wilds. Keep that in mind before you get too cozy with any of King Rat's 'stable'."
Urfarah nodded his mighty head in abject resignation. "Thank you. When I decide to roll up on Ratty's girls, I'mm be sure to use protection."
As her eyes flashed angrily, the eldritch light in the cave reddened. "Do you know what your kids did today?"
Whenever they do something bad, they're my kids. But let 'em ace a test or house train themselves, and they're hers. Father Wolf looked up and grinned with jaws that had been the doom of countless unclean spirits. "Gee, no, how would I? I just got home. So pretty-please, tell me."
Ignoring his sarcasm, Luna said, "Well, Dire Wolf and Fenris got in a fight. Again. This time, Dire ripped Fen's ear open. Red Wolf keeps shitting everywhere and tracking it through the house, he won't use the paper or go outside to do it..."
Father Wolf interjected, "Oh yeah, that's a shame. Red Wolf's a free spirit I tell ya. Rabid Wolf craps everywhere too sometimes, though he's old enough to know better, and dry humps whatever's or whoever's near when he hears the doorbell. And he snaps at the air and talks to himself. But that poor boy ain't right, poor Rab, so that's not likely to change."
Luna was wise beyond the seasons over which she presided, and so ignored his feeble attempt to change the subject. "I have nine kids by you. Nine. They need a father, Urf. Not some absentee--"
"Don't come at me with that shit, Luna! I hunt hard every day to provide Essence for you and my kids. I only go out a few nights a week to unwind and stay sane, because I have this to look forward to every damned day. One day you're fine, the next day you won't shut up about gossip, then the next you wanna fight all day! Why you gotta be fucking crazy?"
*WHAM!* Down comes Luna with the frying pan on Urfarah's head, causing the Scourge of the Shadow to yelp. "Stop making all that noise, or you'll wake up the kids!" Luna snaps. Father Wolf launches out of his recliner, heading for the door, needing to get the hell out of there. "Oh no you don't! You come your flea-bitten ass back here!"
As silent as the morning fog, Urfarah says nothing.
A solid *WHUMP* accompanies the sound of the silver cookware slamming into the back of the mighty spirit's head. Pain fills his skull like mad hornets, worse than the agonies of the Hydra's Venom or the elemental suffering of any idigam, drowning out all but the sound of Luna's continued nagging.
Inadvertently, Luna had just invented Death Rage.
Before he knew what he was doing, Father Wolf turned, drew back and slapped Luna across the face.
The silence following the impact was deafening. The couple was stunned, unable to comprehend just what had happened. For years, Urfarah has endured physical and verbal abuse, and never laid a paw on his wife. The two great spirits slowly turned toward their kids, whom they just noticed standing in the entrance of the tunnel dug to their dens.
Fenris, blonde fur in a buzz cut and wearing a black Opeth t-shirt, leaps forward, murder in his eyes. "Dad, you fuckin' hit mom! That's fuuuuucked uppppp!!"

After the funeral, Luna and five of the nine Firstborn stand by the graves in the morning light. The light was dim; though Father Wolf had never been close to Luna's brother, Helios was sad to see him go like he did, and he didn't make much of a showing today. Father Wolf was buried next to the old oak Luna and Urfarah used to neck under... Urfarah, torn asunder by five of his kids. His last words were, "Thank God... it ends..." as the last of his life was ripped from him. Wheezey Wolf had a stress-induced asthma attack during the melee, and also died that night. He was buried near his father.
Silver Wolf, Rabid Wolf and Dire Wolf -- the only ones that tried standing up for their dad -- attended the service, but left right after without saying anything. They hadn't wanted anything to do with Luna or their siblings since that fateful night, and Luna guessed she couldn't rightly blame them. It hadn't been good for anyone.
Luna finally speaks. "Look, as you know, I lost custody of you all. It's probably for the best, at least until I get my head straight. You all need to find a place of your own and look after each other. But I'll take care of you the best I can, okay? I'll keep in contact, and send you whatever I can afford. I'd take care of your brothers too if they'd let me."
"Fuck 'em" Fenris growls, "If they want to blame you for what happened, they can just sniff my ass. I hate what happened, maybe I should've just bit him, but... mom, he shouldn't have hit you." His brothers and sisters mumble assent.
Through sobs, Luna says, "I know, baby, I know. What he did wasn't right. But I... I shouldn't have been so hard on him. He never, ever hit me before. He was a good husband, he always provided. I accused him of fooling around but I knew he never did..." Her last few words break off as her voice cracks, and Black Wolf nuzzles her mother's hand to offer comfort. They all stand silently until Luna's episode passes.
With gray, tear-filled eyes, she looks at Winter Wolf. "Look after 'em, okay?" He nods silent assent, proud and strong, fighting back whimpers.
"What now, mom?" Red Wolf asks.
"Oh, I think I'm gonna take that vacation I've been wanting for the longest. Nothing to keep me around here, I guess. I hear Atlantis has some good resorts and casinos. Then after that... I'm not sure. Anyway. I love you kids. Take care." She slowly walks away, toward her Lune-drawn chariot.
"Mom!" Luna turns to see Death Wolf run up with a bottle of pills. "You forgot these."
"Oh, those? Toss 'em or sell 'em to your friends. I don't need meds to get my head straight. Screw what the doc says. 'Bipolar' my ass."