Horizon Ridge You need it so believe it

Two and a half (ish) hours after this thread.

From the mountain she had departed, finding her way through a forest that was unknown to her before finally reaching something that slightly resembled a demolition site. She knew not how the territory had once looked, nor was much thought put into it. The land, currently, held a sort of beauty to it, but the mass of rubble was most unappealing. It was a danger, too, and so she'd gone around it carefully, sticking primarily to the forest with her gaze being the only thing to venture towards the rocks. She was, to some degree, curious of it, but smart enough was she to not walk into a trap. From her perspective, it looked as if the rocks could come loose and tumble down at any given time, taking with them anyone foolish enough to have settled atop them. Asterr was disinterested in being one of said fools, and so she'd focused only on the woods, inwardly titling it as the only safe space there.

As she'd explored farther, the girl had soon found herself before a pool of water. Though there wasn't much to it, she'd stepped into it anyways, deciding to take a moment to roll through the water. Her intentions were only to mask her scent, and so after the liquid had been felt against her skin, she'd removed herself from it and then her walk was continued—the search for a fresh water source had begun.

Once again, the cardinal rose from his crudely dug temporary shelter and left the river delta to set out on his search. He followed the morning sun, east -- believing Raas would lead him to his family by using His dazzling light as a beacon. It took him back and forth as the sun moved across the sky, perhaps slowing his search in the process, but it kept him moving by the power of faith. Having been virtually alone for a solid week, the man needed to cling to something. The sun was his company. In His light, Hiram would never be lonely.

But faith aside, the man kept his nose tuned to his environment. By now, the scent of the old maplewolves had probably faded and changed, but he hoped to catch the scent of something familiar, and fast. Soon, a scent did cross his path, but it was not what he was searching for. Heat. The scent did however have a powerful effect of him. He was a pious man, but the temptation of the heartless lingered everywhere -- here, the Adversary's temptation was at its strongest. It gripped him, enticing him forward with it's call.

He breathed in deep -- the scent of estrous was faint, but the scent drove him further into the Heartless one's control. And so, he set off to follow the stranger's trail with his tail wagging amiciably behind him.

Throat dry, her pace had been increased, eyes scanning the area after every step. She knew not how deep into the wooded section of the ridge that she'd gone, her mind preoccupied and, in truth, fairly disinterested in the territory as a whole. Her thoughts continued to jump back to the many rocks, wondering just how many lives had been stolen away by them. She'd pondered the answer, considering various estimates, but had ultimately decided that it would do her no good to linger on such morbid happenings of the past. Her attention was required elsewhere, soon having been rewarded once the entirety of it had gone into the task that she'd made for herself. For ahead of her, lingering off to the side of her chosen path, was water that she could only assume was drinkable. It was but a mere puddle in size, but more than enough for her. And so down the girl had gone, crouching low enough for her tongue to just barely skim the surface. She'd felt herself relax as the cool liquid made its way down through her esophagus, but it was for no more than a moment before she'd grown rigid once more. Ready was she to bolt at any given moment, yet she'd only straightened herself back up and then proceeded at a moderate pace for now.

The dragoness' brief stop had served as enough time for the distance between herself and her unknown follower to be lessened, eventually resulting in her having been able to pick up on the sound of his steps. In spite of her body being aflame—or perhaps because of it—she was curious of the being drawing nearer, and had glanced in his direction after coming to a slow stop. Again, the wind had decided to work against her, refusing to pull his scent in her direction, bringing to her an uneasy feeling. Once more was she made to think blindly, considering possibilities that might not even be true possibilities at all. It was her sight upon which she was forced to rely, noting his posture, but never could it make her feel at ease. While the scent necessary to confirm his sex had yet to reach her, his overall physique made her assume the stranger to be a male, and so away she'd turned again with her legs carrying her forward through the woods. A desire to move at a quicker pace was felt, and yet, her lack of knowledge on the land and its potentially mischievous terrain prevented her from doing so.

So far, the Cardinal had done his best to walk around heavily wooded areas. Such places were dangerous for the faithful; taboo. Evil spirits clung to the trees -- influencing the decisions of mortals and corrupting the souls of the pure. It was only fitting that the unknown woman's siren song led him into a wooded copse. He hesitated for a moment, but pressed onward. The grip of the Heartless One was too tight to break free. The allure of sin appealed to his worldly instincts in an all too familiar way.

He took a deep breath and followed the scent over the wooded threshold; his sin already committed in his mind. Finding the source of his desire at a slowly moving spring, Hiram stopped for a moment to look upon him. A pair of striking silver eyes looked back. However, before he could move closer, the woman turned away.

Hiram was not one to give up easily. He was headstrong; when he wanted something, he would have it -- and he wanted her. With his mind clouded with desire, the man followed, keeping pace with her. Her scent, it gave him feel a newfound energy. He was impish, following behind with a slight bounce to his step. Chuffing to grab the woman's attention, the man dropped his chest low in a bow and invited this strange woman to play.

An attempt at departing had been made, but the result was not the one that she had desired the most. Rather than heading off on his own, the male had followed, being led deeper into the woods in the process. Each increase in her speed was met, the tail she'd acquired impossible to lose. Her focus had been so heavily linked to an escape that once he'd chuffed, she'd been caught off guard. Slightly, she'd jumped, her shoulders jolting upwards in a clear display of her surprise. Towards him her gaze had been pulled—primarily out of habit—and then over his physique had it roamed. She could recognize his behavior as being playful, but never before had she truly partaken in such an activity. Her childhood had been full of various lessons and teachings from the tribe's elders so that she would be better prepared for the future and her purpose in life. Still, she'd observed the displays when they'd been made by those too young to start being taught, and therefore had a slight understanding of the expected response.

Asterr had come to a stop by now, turning to observe the male, but otherwise making no move to join him. Her brows had furrowed, wondering if she even could play, before deciding to give it a shot. While a part of her mind insisted that she keep moving, the childhood that she'd never properly experienced had taken the reins of the situation. Shifting, she'd lowered her own frontal half, mimicking his demeanor but knowing not where to go from there.

It was strange to feel so lively, so playful -- especially after having no desire to do so for so long. It was her scent that reinvigorated him, somehow reigniting the bright spark that had been snuffed out in his spirit so long ago. For now, he was not Reek, nor was he Hiram the Cardinal. He was someone else, something different. She stopped in her motion and looked back to him. He returned her gaze expectantly as he waited for the woman to return his gesture. Slowly, she turned to face her body towards him and dropped her stance low.

He returned her reciprocation with a warm smile. Tail wagging behind him, he let his rump sway from side to side as he scuttled around, jumping on his front forepaws excitedly. With a playful bark, the man lunged forward, but was a fake -- he juked right and sprang backwards like a frightened cat. Panting with both excitement and anticipation, he threw his head back and motioned for her to give chace, and if she willed it, he would chase her as well.

I love happy Reek, ahhh. He's so adorable~!

Though she'd acquired the proper play stance, her movements were few, body rigid. She observed, for the most part, watching the male as he moved, retaining the information that she was receiving and planning to mimic what he was doing move-for-move. Yet, he'd sprung towards her suddenly, causing her to scuttle backwards with her ears pinned, only to quickly realize that she'd overreacted as he'd veered off to the side. Slowly had her ears then raised back up, taking a few steps closer when he'd thrown his head back. Little thought went into her choice of action, as her body had lurched forward, planning to do as he'd previously done. Yet, in the last second, she'd pulled back too late and was forced into giving chase instead. She still hadn't the slightest clue as to what type of conclusion she was supposed to draw from their play, seeking and answer where none was present.

Backpedaling, she'd repeated her previous gesture, landing in a play bow off to his left side before jolting back up and taking off. She hadn't gone far, however, stopping after only a handful of meters had been placed between them and then spinning around to look back at him. Was she playing correctly? Is that how it was done? She couldn't tell for sure, but found herself enjoying the exchange anyways.

Sometimes I really miss playing him as a happy little scoundrel :P

It was a rare moment of joy, one he had been waiting for for far too long. He welled with pure emotion as he romped around with abandon along with this alluring stranger, so much so that he nearly forgot about the sinful nature of his intentions. He laughed much like he had before. It was a childish, yet wonderful thing -- this feeling he had believed to be lost to a cold dead world was still there, buried deep down under his thick skin.

She lunged forward and he recoiled back, wriggling and writhing with anticipation as he waited for the woman's next move. She darted off and the man happily gave chase. However, she soon came to a stop, causing the cardinal to come to a clumsy hault. He rolled -- ass over tit -- but he soon recovered his position behind her. Panting, Hiram took a slow step forward and drew his muzzle close to the source of her alluring scent -- of which now he breathed deeply.

Every move that she'd made had been met, drawing from her a quiet sound of amusement as she was delighted by her very first session of play. When she'd lurched forward, he had moved back. When she'd run off a short ways, he'd given chase. When she'd stopped... well, he had stopped, too, albeit with a lack of grace. But she had not care, believing that what they were doing did not need to be proper, it simply had to be fun. A soft bought of laughter had even slipped passed her lips as she'd watched him, keeping still as he'd regained his footing. Thereafter, though, he'd drawn nearer to her, inhaling the cause behind their meeting of one another. It was then that she'd delved into her mind, seeking the dragon that always seemed to hold the correct answers, but finding that he'd forced himself into an unconscious state. Draco had abandoned her when his opinion was needed, leaving the girl to continue on her own, basing her response off of nothing more than her own judgement.

Uncertainty filled her eyes, a whine leaving her maw as she'd turned her head to look at him. Carefully, she'd moved her entire body around, stationing her frontal portion before his own. Though she knew not what to do from there, finding that she had no desire to leave his presence. Instinctively, she was drawn to him, favouring his health and gentle nature. Consciously, though, she couldn't help but wonder if her staying there was a betrayal to her tribe. If it was, she'd cast the notion aside, deciding to approach the nameless male instead and nip gently as his cheek, wondering if she might be able to lure him back into their forgotten session of childish antics. No matter in which direction the situation went, however, she'd find herself unable to depart, tied down by the thoughts of their previous game.

Like the spell of a witch, the woman's scent ensnared the man in her trap. Bound by sheer desire, the cardinal did not fight it, nor could he. The draw of sin was too enticing. He was in too deep to turn away. A shudder passed through his body as he breathed her in once again. His heart thrummed in his chest as he tried to lift a forelimb over her back, but she moved away before he could be granted purchase. A wanting whine slipped from his throat as he took another step forward. His need of her body more evident than ever.

She returned, turning her body to run her teeth gently through the fur of Hiram's cheek. With lips parting with a sigh, he shut his eyes and reveled in her touch. Soon, the man drew forward and pressed his lips along the scruff of her neck; his touch no longer playful, but tender, as he began to work his way down.

As a whine had made its way out of his throat, her ears had fallen back. She'd not meant to do something wrong, and so after she'd returned to him, she'd not gone away again. Her request for play had not been ignored, but it also hadn't been answered. Yet, he'd not left, either, assuring her that by moving previously she had not caused any great offense. He'd moved forward instead, towards her, and she'd allowed it. The touch made had caused her skin to prickle beneath her fur, something that she'd decided was strange given the warmth of the air. Asterr was inexperienced, hardly knowing the touch of another besides those of comfort that had been offered by Noctura.

Carefully she'd turned her head, glancing towards him to, once again, inspect him. No immediate issues were found, and so she'd let herself seek answers in instincts, rather than her mind. Low had her tail been kept, moving back and forth hesitantly, before raising up. She was unfamiliar with the experience, her lessons as a child having never focused on exchanges of this nature, but she didn't get the feeling that she was doing something wrong. Whether or not she'd regret her choice to grant access to her form was unknown, but in the present, it felt right.

Mature Content Warning

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The participants have indicated the following reason(s) for this warning: sexual content from here on out!

Her tail moved, wafting her scent in his direction as he trailed his muzzle across her flank. He moved slow, driven by hungry instinct. As he finally came round to her back-side, the nameless stranger lifted her tail for him, bearing all she had for him to see. He needed no further invitation. Draping a single forelimb over her back, Hiram began to work his way on top of her. His chest slid on to her back, and soon, both of his limbs grasped tightly at the woman's waist.

He drew his hips square against hers, and after some initial probing, Hiram made his entrance. With eyes shut and breath hot against the woman's nape, he began to move within her, dancing to the rhythm intinct had set out for him.

<3

The huge dappled shadow roamed over the mountains that day, tracking what he thought might be a wild moose. Long ago he'd tasted one further East, and some lingering nostalgia compelled him to think this prey the same — though it was from another life he'd best forget. Back then he would have killed other wolves for that moose, driven by a vicious instinct that had caused him to hate his own existence. But now he was a peaceful soul.

So the pacifist knew he would not fight for the moose if it came to it, but he would track it nonetheless. Ryūjin was no longer starving, yet it would gladden the dark Kanpō to bring such meat to the tongues of his packmates — and especially to Asterr, the one he loved. The commanding beauty had missed the latest of their nightly meetings beneath the stars, and for this reason she was on his mind.

Perhaps it was for that precise reason that he suddenly picked up her scent. Faintly confused by the complexity of the otherwise familiar scent, Noctura stood up tall and alert until he lost the moose's trail and decided to follow Asterr's instead. It was rare in his experience that she venture so far in her scouting, and he was curious. She was also near, and he was able to sense her as he moved his large form smoothly but slowly over fallen boulders.

Soon he came to a standstill atop one of them. From this boulder, one that had seemingly come to rest here after a rockslide, he could see over the sapling trees in front of him. Beyond those trees, there blanketed young grass. And upon that grass, a strange male had sex with the girl to whom Noctura was devoted.

He felt his heart vanish entirely. It didn't break, because in that moment it simply went away. He did feel things though. He felt bile sting his throat at the sight of the skinny, dirty stranger claiming the girl's dignity with his wretched thrusts. He felt a growl in his chest so deep that it could not be heard — though perhaps the boulder beneath him felt it. Noctura remembered how he had once been, the type to savagely kill for a scrap of moose. He realised now his foolishness in not succumbing to the instinct to take take take.

In that moment, he would have leapt spectacularly from the boulder and crashed into the entwined pair, immediately digging his wide jaws into the male's face until it bled and shattered. He would have ripped him until his victim's solids were liquids. And he would have killed others, too, whoever crunched beneath his paw. But a semblance of the scholarly stargazer clung desperately to the emptiness where once his heart had beat, and that was enough for him to turn and run.

Noctura did not run to Ryūjin. Instinct drove him in the opposite direction, and the pace of his great bulk did not cease. He ran until his paws bled, he ran until he was lost, he ran until the sky changed colour, and perhaps he's still running.

Elsewhere, another moose roamed free.

Oh, look, there's my heart... breaking in two

He'd made his way back, and her stomach twisted in anticipation. Once mounted, her legs had moved outward slightly, offering herself a better system of support as a foreign weight was placed atop her slender form. It was odd, for only yesterday had she been within her home, observing the plants and then gazing at the stars. Yet now, there she was offering herself over to a stranger, a male that she knew not even the name of. And, though she'd never admit it aloud, she enjoyed it. The suddenness of it all had been thrilling, her usual way of life consisting of careful planning. She'd allowed for nature to control her, and had been awarded with a feeling most unusual. Initially, a whine had slipped past her lips, but quickly was she silenced and left to enjoy her time with the male.

As if by fate, she'd glanced upwards, eyes finding a dark mass that she was most familiar with. She knew him, could tell him apart from others even when such a great distance was between them, and instantly her heart had started to ache. She could not see his face, not clearly, but when he'd turned and gone, she knew that she'd hurt him. Another whine made its way out of her throat, and she'd attempted to move forward, only to find that she could not. The grip of the once playful individual was one that she could not escape, forcing her to stay there and watch as the first, and only, one she had ever shared an I love you with left. Within her chest, it'd felt as if her heart had been crushed, and yet her body as whole still longed for and welcomed the touch of the stranger.

So wrapped up in the passion and pleasure of their anonymous dance, Hiram had not noticed the looky-loo upon the ridge -- but even if he did, he would have hardly cared. For in this moment, the stranger was his alone. His claim had been laid upon her in absolute without even knowing her name. He kept his head down, jaws gripped tightly around the scruff of her neck as he took what was his from her body.

She wanted him, he could hear it in her whine. The sound only heightened his desire and he drove himself further into her; roughly and fast. Curiously, despite her obvious enjoyment of their entanglement, she tried to lurch forward. Hiram pulled her back into the rut of his hips with his forelimbs. He was not done with her yet and he would not let her go until he had reached the culmination of their dance.

The thrusts had grown rough, but she could feel no pain. It was not like the feeling of teeth tearing into flesh, but of something else fully. She had not known just how badly she'd desired him until then, her mind forgetting all thoughts that related to Noctura and filling, instead, with the man that had claimed her. Though her chest was tight, her heart seemingly lost, she felt satisfied by their continuous connections. It was not the one that she'd cared so strongly for that had taken her, but someone who knew what to do and how to guide her without any words. Surely there existed a chance that she would feel nothing more than regret after the thrill of their dance died out, but for now, he held her there both physically and mentally.

Asterr was not the sort to favour being trapped, finding the inability to move as being most unnatural. But with another there to limit her movements, she could not be bothered by it, taking all that she could and meeting his entries with the occasional shift of her hips. There, she found herself wishing to remain, lingering with the male against her, inside her, until no longer could she operate properly.

Deeper and deeper, she drove him further into the throes of carnal desire. Becoming increasingly sensitive as time wore on, his body grew rigid. His pace, in place of his rhythmic motion, became much more haphazard. He lost himself completely to the motion, so much so that his back paws left the ground for a moment. The woman bore his full weight briefly as he continued to move against her. His heart thrummed in his chest and he found himself unable to control his voice. It began as a rumble, but as he reached climax and swelled within her, his voice became a low moan.

Panting, he struggled the catch the breath that had escaped him in a single moment. Wave after wave of pleasure wracked his body as his motions slowed to a stop. The consequences of his sin had not yet been realized -- his crime against Raas, an afterthought.

The motions changed, in a way, but not enough to leave her wishing him away. She could feel his rigidness atop her, but could not question it in any way. Her focus shifted, however, from the ease he provided her to simply staying upright. Though brief, she'd stumbled, never having possessed much muscle mass. Thankfully, he'd righted himself just as quickly, relieving her of his entire weight. She was grateful, both because he'd adjusted himself and because she'd not collapsed, but could not experience the feeling for very long. Thereafter, they'd truly become intertwined, her ears falling back as a shiver of pleasure wracked her body. A gasp had escaped as her jaws parted, surprised by the feeling of total release that was experienced. In the back of her mind, she'd been drawn towards his voice, the moan making her all the more interested in him. She wanted to hear him speak, but could form no words of her own in order to draw something from him—and, perhaps, it was better that way.

By then, he had ceased his movements, and she'd felt her body slump. For the time being, the ache in her chest could not be felt, for her senses seemed honed in on the male and nothing else. Asterr tried to twist her head, to peer at him as her tongue lolled out of her mouth, but had ultimately failed in doing so and looked to the earth beneath them instead. What would happen from there, she'd wondered, knowing not if that would be the end of their exchange. Though they remained linked indefinitely, eventually they would come undone, and when that happened... she didn't know. The girl wished not to leave him so soon—she wanted to stay and play, to learn of him if possible, but not leave. But, she could not find the words to say this, and so she'd settled upon reveling in the present.

Their tie still withstanding, Hiram slunk of the woman's back to stand at her side. Breathing heavily, he placed an affectionate lick under her chin, ears folding back in the process. The anonymity and the mystery of their entanglement had been appealing to him -- especially during the act itself -- however, now he felt the urge to know the woman whom he had claimed for his own.

He panted, sides still heaving from their coupling. "I'm—" he muttered, speech broken by physical exhaustion. "I'm Hiram." With a simple introduction, he broke the spell of anonymitiy. Briefly, he wondered if the woman's interest would wane in him as a result.

When he had slipped off of her back, her limbs had celebrated in silence, weary from his weight. Never, perhaps, would she be capable of not struggling to hold another, but the comfort that she could find in his being there made it worth it. She'd been surprised by the affection shown afterwards, freezing momentarily, only to relax soon after and set her gaze upon him. She sought his own, only to redirect her attention in the last second to a different section of his face. And then there came something that she'd desired, the sound of his voice in the form of words—his name.

No longer could she say they were strangers, really. It was more like they'd become acquaintances, but even that was also not quite right. She didn't know what to label him as other than Hiram, and so there is where she left it until her thoughts could be better collected. "Asterr," she'd returned, far simpler than her usual introductions. Her maw parted shortly after, almost as if she'd planned to say something, but was closed before any words could be shared. What she'd wished to say had been lost, if it'd ever existed at all, abandoned deep within her thoughts of the male. What was appropriate, she couldn't tell, and so the offer was made for him to lead the conversation, should he wish to.

Asterr, he repeated silently in his head. It was a name he wouldn't soon forget, not after this. He nodded and smiled at the woman; a stranger no longer. After a brief moment of silence, Hiram adjusted his positioning -- angling his hips in a way that he could stand comfortably even with their tether still connecting them. His gaze returned to her face, his periphery vision falling upon her brilliant silver eyes.

There were numerous questions he wished to ask, but in his exhaustion Hiram found it difficult to string his words together without loosing his breath. "Are you— are you from around here?" He asked, wheezing. He had never seen the likes of her around -- at least, not in the Taiga where he made his home. Nevertheless, the Cardinal hoped this would not be the last he saw of her, especially if... his eyes fell upon her slender belly, but he made no comment.

Silence had filled the air around them, and while normally she'd have taken comfort in the quiet, too many questions swarmed her mind for her to do so presently. She had things to ask, but no way of making her tongue cooperate. So when he'd spoken, his adjustment having lead into it, she'd been attentive of his words. He had inquiries of his own, it seemed, and she was glad to answer them. She was hopeful that, by doing so, perhaps she might even be able to pose a few of her own. It was with a slow shake of her head that her answer began, followed by: "Not originally." Her voice was quiet, gentle, each breath made even to better calm herself. "Now–" Was it wise to share the location of her home? Surely it could cause no real harm, but even still, she was vague. "The mountains are my home." Nestled along the side of the range, within a cavern that was brimming with life. It was home to the entirety of Ryūjin, but such were tidbits she'd not shared.

When her words had faded away, she'd licked her lips, taking an extra moment to figure out what she would say in return. "You?" came her voice, keeping things short, which was most unusual. "Your home... is it close?" Can I visit you? is what she meant, but had not the ability to say.

The mountains were vast, but this tid-bit of information was certainly a start. He was a sponge, drinking in every bit of information he could get from the woman in case he wanted to see her again -- to engage in her sordid, sinful embrace again. When the time came, he would seek her out again, but first he had to find his children; his mission, even now, was not far from his mind. He shelved the information she gave him away for a later date.

She went on, posing the same question in return. There was some apprehension in relinquishing the location of the grotto. What would the faithful think of him if they learned of his sin? His actions were between himself and Raas, believed the Cardinal. She was and would be his secret. Raas would surely forgive, just as he had forgiven him before. Slowly, he gave her an answer.

"Not too far," he returned, intent on giving her the location of his grotto. It was a risk he was willing to take. "My home is a little less than a day's travel from here if you go straight there." Drawing his gaze away from the woman's face, he made a northward motion with his muzzle. "North," he spoke. "My grotto lies between a glacier and fire-swept mountain."

"You should come by sometime," he invited. Perhaps it wouldn't rouse suspicion if the grotto wolves believed her to be a long time friend. "The lake is beautiful this time of year."

While she had been vague at best, he'd offered easy-to-follow directions. She'd taken the information to heart, playing his voice over within her mind several times so that she might better remember. She wanted to visit, to see him again in the future, and now had the means to do so. Briefly, she'd felt guilty for having not trusted him with the same amount of information, but knew that it was too late to take back her words and replace them with something better. It was left alone, decided that, instead of then, she would share him him the directions to the lair if—when—they were to meet again. As he spoke, she had nodded, silently telling him that she was still listening. And when an offer to visit was extended, she'd found herself seeking his gaze, wishing to ensure that it was with more than just manners that he'd said such a thing. Yet, even if it was only out of such, the offer would still be accepted. "I believe that I may." Again, she'd not said what she'd meant, wishing not to come off as being overly eager.

As her future journey was thought of, she'd come to wonder something of importance. "Will the leader there not be upset with my visit?" she'd questioned, intending not to risk being the cause of any troubles. The possibility that he could be the one controlling the territory had not even crossed her mind—not for any real reason, but because she'd not thought of all the potential outcomes. Her time with him was unplanned, and even as she stood there, her conscious self would not formulate any steps that could be taken ahead of time.

With the passion of their coupling subsiding, the cardinal found that the tether binding himself to the woman had begun to fall slack. Slowly, he withdrew himself from her body's embrace and freed his hips from her vice. Though free from her hold, Hiram did not pull away from her side. Her ensnaring scent soon filled the air once again, distracting him -- nearly completely as she spoke. His attention soon returned however, and he smiled as she spoke of traveling to the grotto. Though he hardly knew her, Hiram was glad to know that he would see her again. Perhaps she would want more of this sinful fun they had shared, but without their hormones muddling their judgement, he wasn't so sure if that would be her intention.

He could see concern flash across her features as she posed another question. The man hmmmed, and soon a spry smile spread across his features. "No," he said, resolute. "He won't have a problem— mainly because you're looking right at him." He shrugged while suppressing a slight chortle. "The grotto belongs to me," he finally spoke with pride.