Morningside Cuesta it's time for a new beginning

And she's in heat. All are welcome!

It was time. There was no longer anyway for Khoe to deny it; her body was ready and so was she. But despite the great urges she felt, she knew that this was something she would need to be smart about, thus she hd chosen to retire to a small crook on the western side of the territory where there was nothing but silence and the bright glow of lightning bugs, calling to each other just before sunset. She sighed and wondered what the next few months might bring, for a slight fear of the worst still loomed over her head.

But then again, she was at home, and there was no better place to begin anew than with the company of those you loved.

His leg wouldn't stop aching. Neither would all his joints. It seemed that the worst of the snake bite had already passed - there was now a grapefruit-sized wound on his left flank, still weeping and bleeding, whenever the scab cracked - but the venom was not finished with him, yet. He felt as though it had dispersed, and a little pocket had found its way into every single one of his joints. Any time he moved, one or another would flare up and make him limp, until - instead of favoring his injured leg - he was walking as gingerly as a toothless elder.

And his chest ached, too. But he wasn't going to kid himself - that was another thing entirely.

Khoe's scent had been drifting toward him all day, teasing and beckoning. Begging, at times. Grayday had done his best to ignore it, but it was difficult, being at odds with himself. For the first time, he was in a position where breeding was his right. Heartha had said it, Sylvas recognized it... he was an alpha. And even though he had another male as alpha by his side, that didn't mean he couldn't - that they couldn't both - carry on their bloodlines.

It's what she wants, a voice whispered in his ear. His heart thurum-thrummed in his chest, and his stomach twisted uncomfortably. Unable to be still any longer, the male turned his nose in Khoe's direction and began to amble toward her. He did not hurry - part of him hoped she would move along, and that he would never find her. But before long, he could see her, and soon enough, he'd drawn close enough to lower himself to the ground, his side pressed against hers.

"It's so quiet, here," he said, his voice thin and hoarse. It seemed a crime to break the sleepy peace that surrounded this part of the territory.

Lemme know if I should change anything!

You're perfect <3

Although initially startled by his sudden approach, Khoe found solace in Grayday's presence. She settled into him as he took his place beside her, taking a moment to enjoy the shared tranquility between them. That's the point, she said half-jokingly in a breathy whisper, her shoulder giving the brute a slight nudge. It always seemed to flow so naturally between them, as if they had been two lost souls waiting for one another, but those smooth tête-à-têtes had seemed to take a break when Khoe most needed them. 

I'm glad you're here, she told him. There was a certain sweetness about her words, though they were uttered with an undeniable amount of intention. Khoe was glad to be with someone else, someone who she trusted, but that same joy was brimming on becoming overwhelming; Grayday was so much and she was so little. It was as if he could swallow her in one bite if he so wished, but the fact that he hadn't was what made her trust him.

The male could not decide whether he wanted to say he was glad to be there, or that he was glad she was there, too. In the end, he simply wagged his tail, hoping she knew that both were true. She had become dear and important to him, and it made resisting her harder than he'd imagined, but easier too, in a way.

"I care for you very much," he said after a moment, his voice a bit stiff and uncomfortable. "Whatever you decide to do, I'll be here to help."

Whether she went to Sylvas or some stranger, Grayday would do all he could for her children.

Whatever you decide to do, I'll be here to help.

In a way, Khoe was pleased with just knowing that Grayday would be there to act as a supporting role, but there was still a part of her that wanted more. He was what she wanted for her children; he was head-strong and bold, and Khoe knew that he could give them the guidance that they would need. Of course, this was possible from a distance, but Khoe didn't want there to be a distance; she wanted this to be something that they could share. 

But then again, that could have just been the hormones talking.

But Grayday, she began, moving only a nudge further into his shoulder, what if what I want is to do this with you?

When she nudged closer, Grayday flopped over on his side and opened his arms legs to the diminutive woman, offering his chest for her to burrow into. As always, he thought back to that night at Easthollow, when she'd fit against him like she'd been made to go there. Sometimes, he laid awake at night unable to think of anything else.

"Can I tell you something?" he asked softly. "Something that... that might hurt, I guess. But it'll always hurt me worse than you."

There was a moment in between Khoe's confession and Grayday's open arms in which she was finally allowed to believe that it could would work. But soon enough, he blew the thoughts from her mind. Although she knew that it was smarter not to move into him, she couldn't help but migrate toward his warmth. There was something so painfully comforting about Grayday; no matter how hard Khoe tried to resist, he always managed to pull her back in.

I don't know, she joked in a muffled breath, I don't know if I want you to tell me. But even though her words said one thing, the gaze she shot at him begged for whatever it was he had to tell her. It was almost as if she wanted him to hurt her, because then she would have a reason to give up.

Day tucked his nose into her fur and breathed in the earthy, flowery scent of her. She was so painfully near. Near enough that he could feel her heartbeat - faster than his, but slower than Adeline's. He couldn't help but think about how easy it would be to take everything back, to give himself over to this girl. To have a full family again. He couldn't help but think of hosw easy it would be to tell her what he sometimes thought, when there was no one around to see what dangerous things were going on inside his head.

I think I'm falling for you.

So kind, so joyful.

"I don't trust myself anymore," he said, his voice raw and hoarse. "I keep telling myself I'm not gonna touch you, but I just keep comin' back. I'm broken, 'kuti - " She had a different name, now, but he couldn't call her that, then. It seemed too impersonal, too strange. " - and I can't be who you want me to be. I'll end up hurting you if I try."

His heart thudded unevenly in his chest.

"But I - I'm done sayin' no to you. If that's what you want... I'll give it to you."

ba-dum tsss!

*laughs at the double entendre*

No, she demanded, I want all of it, not just the good and the bright. I know what I'm getting myself into, and I'm okay with everything that comes with that. But even as the words left Khoe's mouth, she realized that she hadn't had to say anything at all. Grayday knew her and she knew him; there was no need for either to beg or plead, as there were no open ends between them. This is what she wanted, of course, and he had agreed to give it to her. 

Thank you, Khoe whispered, though such a simple expression couldn't even graze the top of what she felt. It was a mixture of euphoria and gratitude with maybe just the slightest sprinkle of lust.

I--Thank you.

Grayday squeezed his eyes shut. What am I doing? he asked himself. Oh, Lord, what am I doing? Somebody stop me. I can't stop myself. He pulled her closer against him, until he could feel her bones knock against his own. He thought about how they were both just fur and flesh and skeleton, and how his leg would be healed, soon. His leg would, but there was an angry, yawning pit living in his chest - no matter what he did, no matter how hard he tried, it just kept ripping open.

He thought about how Steady was dead, now. He thought about how his father had been, for a long time. He thought about his runaway son and his angry daughter. He thought about how Amber had left, and how Sunspot had found him, but things still weren't the same. And mostly, he thought about a girl that he couldn't understand, that he hardly knew, that could never be his, that was grieving just as deeply as he was.

His breaths came faster, and he loosened his grip. Pushed his nose against her skin. Breathed in her earth-and-lavender scent. Combed his teeth through the fur of her neck.

As he preened her fur, Khoe found it in herself to settle into this strange, newfound intimacy. They had been close before, but never with intention. Now, after what seemed like ages of build up, they had been able to find common ground in something bigger than just the two of them.

Khoe enjoyed the silence. She enjoyed the tranquility that seemed to follow Grandly everywhere he went, despite the chaos of what hid within him. There was something to be said about the brute; he was a unique find, even a world so broad.

Khoe allowed soft whines to escape through her maw as she settled further into him and began to mimic his shows of affection.

Cameo.

Everything has become a fog since her return to the cuesta. It had taken a lot of effort to leave the hollow after the news they had been given and she even toyed with the idea of not returning. But what did Easthollow have for her? Her family is no longer there, not a single one, and she knows she doesn't have anything left. Her parents had died when she'd been young and now the only family she had left is gone. Grayday is all she has left and he promised he wouldn't leave her, but she knows deep down he can't make good on that promise anymore than anyone else.

Adeline wanders the territory aimlessly. Her feet simply carry her in no particular direction. There's no one she cares to see, no one that can fix the hole in her heart. If she could crawl into a cave and disappear for good, she'd have preferred, but she knows it doesn't quite work like that.

Her heart is heavy this day as she roams, latching on to Grayday's scent. He's the only one that she'd care to see, the only one that just might be able to help. She craves her his embrace now more than ever as if it will make the world go away for just a little while and it's all she needs in the moment.

However, she does not notice the scent of heat (she knows there is something pleasant she follows, but something that makes her angry to a small degree but she can't put two and two together until it is too late). Her legs stumble to a stop as she sees Grayday in the distance with someone else and they seize up in place. Adeline stares for a long moment to quickly realize what is happening and if there hadn't been a giant hole in her heart before, it would have taken more away from her. She swallows a thick lump in the back of her throat. There's a flicker of an idea to rush forward and try and stop him (where did that come from?) but the world weighs too much and holds her back instead.

As she has seen all she needs to see, a prickle behind her eyes she tries to blink away, she takes a few steps back to leave. She has to force herself to take her eyes from the scene and when she does, she's given enough momentum to quickly rush back out of sight.

He didn't see Adeline; if he had, it would have all been over. He would've come to his senses and told Khoe that he couldn't, that this was wrong. And maybe it was, or maybe it wasn't. All that would cease to matter if he'd just seen her face. He would've remembered that he couldn't love Khoe the way she needed - that he couldn't love anyone because all his heart was taken up by her.

But he didn't see her, and a moment later, he'd rolled so that Khoe was now trapped beneath him - not that he thought she'd be trying to get away anytime soon.

"Ready?" he asked her, nuzzling sweetly at the base of her ear. This felt almost like healing; like balm to a wound.

It took a moment for it all to register, but once it did, Khoe knew exactly what to make of it. She was proud; proud that Adeline had wandered by, proud that she had been able to prove herself over the girl. And although this swelling of ownership and defense was most likely the cause of her heat, the sorrow that came with it was undeniably real. Khoe knew that she would never be able to make Grayday feel the way that Adeline did. He didn't need to tell her with his words, as he already had with his actions.

Khoe took a deep breath in an effort to calm her nerves. There was so much space between them, as if in just the moments past he had grown larger or she had grown smaller and they would never be able to find one another, but in a strange turn of events, that was exactly what they had done. Ready, she whispered back to him, before rearing up and waiting for his response.

She rose up to meet him - she had to, considering the difference in size. Worry - vague and uncertain - made him pause for a moment, but she answered him soon enough. If she thought she was ready, Day believed her. They could always stop, if it ended up being too much.

Hesitantly, one fumbling leg came up to grip her to him. The other remained braced on the ground, her small stature making it impossible for her to support them both.

"Stop me if I... if it's not good," he murmured, changing his mind about if I hurt you at the last moment. He didn't wait for her to answer, but shuffled forward, unable to ignore the urge to buck against her any longer. And he was gentle at first, but there was too much on his mind. By the end, his motions had become stiff and mechanical, and when it was over, he slumped against her with an unhappy sheen to his dull eyes. The leg holding them up wobbled and then gave out, and Grayday collapsed along with it.

Even with the most gentle of movements, there was nothing that he could have done to make it hurt less. Khoe winced, though she hoped that it was a small enough jerk that he wouldn't notice. It was a much less graceful dance than she had imagined; there was no romance or compassion behind the movements of either. Rather, they shared something much more intense. They shared to power of raw intimacy, one having opened up to the other, making them both open books. Where they had once been miles apart, they were now stitched together.

And then it had ended. 

Grayday collapsed to the side, leaving Khoe to try and take up the opportunity and fold herself between his arms. She just wanted to stay beside him where she knew she would be safe, whether Grayday agreed or not.

A soft huff of - of not laughter, but something near it - escaped him as Khoe followed him to the ground, and took up the same position that they'd shared several minutes before. Grayday obliged her, hooking his paw over her side and settling himself around her smaller body. Her scent was fresh and warm and intense, and he remembered, for a moment, how it had been with Amber. How he'd hopped up for another round.

"I am in so much pain," he said after a moment, another huff escaping him. Real laughter, this time. And it was true - his leg was killing him. He supposed he shouldn't have hoped for much from this, all things considered. He certainly wouldn't be looking to begin again. "You have the worst timing," he teased, turning his nose toward her and preening at the soft curls on her neck. His heartbeat began to slow, though his head still swam with the scent of her. And, although his leg hurt in a way it hadn't for days, the pain in his chest had eased.

No, Khoe joked, you do. All of this time had passed and yet he chose now (now) of all times to make his move. Even with everything going on, Grayday still managed to be the most confusing aspect of her life. But if you're really hurt, then I suppose we can just lay here. I'm hurting, too. She thought about telling him about the dull ache and the slight pressure, but she had no desire to make him feel worse than normal. And as far as Khoe could tell, normal was pretty shitty in and of itself.

The sounds around them had quieted, leaving the two of them in a combined silence. It was comforting to lie so close to him with no one but the shining critters to keep them company. Khoe smiled and thought about how much this mimicked her childhood fantasy of love and courtship, but the thought of any of it happening with Grayday almost made her laugh. He wasn't what she had originally had in mind, but nowadays, he was all she could think about.

Day hmmm'd under his breath and continued his grooming. The sharp, shooting aches were fading slowly to a dull throb, but he still didn't think he'd be up for moving again any time soon. And why should he, when he could just lay here and enjoy her company? When he could be loved and feel safe, and try to forget about all the things that still haunted him.

Even when his stamina began to return, he could not bring himself to move. His grooming grew rougher, perhaps - more teeth than tongue - but that was all. He was tired, and there would be other chances for them to make sure they conceived. For the moment, he was simply glad to be beside her, where things were simple and soft.

With a sigh, he settled down, laying his neck over hers.

"D'ya think things will ever get better?" he asked softly. Would Sunny come back? Would Adeline heal? Would the world leave them alone for a bit? "I just want so bad for things... for things to be easy."

Nothing could disguse the raw longing in his voice.

A tiny, yet genuine smile slowly made its way across Khoe's face. That moment of infatuation was one that she had never experienced before, and thus hadn't known she'd missed so badly. Of course, she and Grayday still had plenty to learn about one another, but in the moment, it felt as if all the answers she could ever want were right behind her, preening the soft spots just behind her ear. Khoe was admittedly disappointed as Grayday slumped over, but she found solace in forcing her head back against his arm. Things aren't meant to be easy, she sighed, but that's just a fact of life.

I think that things are only as bad as we let them seem. I mean, think about this. You're all alone with no food and no pack and no one to call for. On one hand, it sure sucks to be you, but on the other, at least you've found yourself a bit of privacy. Khoe laughed gently and lifted herself so as to lick at the fur on Grayday's cheek. There was a thought in the back of her mind that she couldn't quite shake, though; what was he so worried about?

Day pressed a soft lick to her nose, appreciating the sentiment. She was right, he knew - there were only good things where you looked for them. Maybe he just hadn't been looking hard enough, but it seemed, lately, that there had been a multitude of bad things happening.

"It just seems like it's one thing after another lately. Steady's dead, and this bite... Dawn's runnin' all over the place and Sunny actually left. It's hard to see the good," he murmured, his heart sinking. But a moment later, the ghost of a grin crossed his maw. Soon enough, there would be more young in the land. More of his.

He shot up, blinking around at the fireflies and the meadow. "Oh shit," he aloud, ripples of shock washing over him.

Khoe's brow furrowed as Grayday began to speak, a wave of confusion washing over her. Steady? she asked, not sure if she had heard him right. Sure, they hadn't gotten along too well in Easthollow, but she knew the bond that he'd had with Day, and she knew what it felt like to lose something that meant so much. Then, not wanting to press too deeply, Khoe changed the subject to the kids. They're growing up, you know? They're gonna want to strike it out on their own. Just be glad that they aren't stirring up any real trouble. 

Khoe laughed at the sound of Grayday's surprise, though it was a gentle noise amidst the relative quiet. What's that for? she mused, her own eyes trailing the sparks of light.

Her voice drew his gaze, and as he looked at her pretty face, his heartbeat began to slow. "You're in heat," he said, a bit bemused. Somehow, in their little talk, he'd forgotten that this was about children and had begun to think it was about them, about this thing that'd always been between them. But she was in heat, and they'd coupled, and likely, she would whelp just as summer began.

The more he looked at her, the calmer he became. She would whelp, but he'd be beside her, and Dawn beside them, and Sylvas and Heartha, and Kieran as well. They'd manage. She would whelp, even though his heart was sore and heavy, even though the brother of these future-pups had fled from him. Even though the man that would've been their uncle was dead.

Life went on.

Khoe allowed her focus to return back to Grayday's gaze, a different sort of awe beginning to build within her. The young femme stayed this way for a few moments before gently butting her head against his jaw and running a short lick against his chin. Primetime for you to claim your prize, huh? she joked. They'd finally mated, and at just the right time.

For a moment, Day thought about the all the terrible things that had been happening. Valette's anger, Sunny's absence, Adeline's sorrow, his own illness, even. It all seemed like so much. It seemed like, how could they be doing this, when they had so many other things to contend with? Day opened his mouth, ready to tell her no, this was a terrible time

no, he wasn't ready

no

But when he looked at her, he remembered that day at Easthollow, when they'd been at this same moment, this same precipice, and he'd said no. He looked back and he thought, I am not afraid anymore.

And he said, "Yeah." Yeah, it was the perfect time. It was as good a time as any. Day nudged her back and buried his face in her fur, wanting things to stay just like this, just a little while longer.