In the span of what felt like a single night, the Phoenix Maplewood had seen a true return to form. The all consuming blanket of snow had finally melted away, leaving a streak of new life in it's wake. New and healthy growth burst forth from both tree and ground— filling the empty spaces of the Maplewood where snow once choked the opportunity to grow. Reek saw the return of leaves to the trees and heard a symphony of songbirds announcing the wonderful change of season in their very own way.

It had been so long since Reek had seen this sea of green, he had almost forgotten the color entirely. A time of plenty would soon be upon them, and Reek's spirits were perhaps brighter than ever with the recent snow-melt. He spent his morning— and a fair chunk of the afternoon traipsing around the Maplewood, admiring the new life wherever he went.

Well into the height of the day, Reek spotted a grouping of several maple saplings; young and pliable. His own little saplings would enter the world soon and woud join this explosion of spring, so he couldn't help but make the association between the two. Unlike his mate, who had become distant and grumpy (no doubt as a result of the physical changes of pregnancy which, thankfully, Reek would not have to endure), Reek was absolutely elated for what was to come. Even with so much time to spare, Reek already felt like a proud poppa— ready to welcome his litter into this beautiful world with open arms... well, metaphorically of course.

He bent down to admire one of the saplings.  Touching his nose to the springy offshoot, it bent back in wait. As soon as Reek pulled away, it released and sprang back into it's original place. Hardy and healthy. The alpha male smiled, unable to keep himself from bending down again to sniff the sapling as if it were his own son or daughter.

When it became clear that Tavi wouldn't be able to find either Reek or Saena following the altercation with Esaro, Tavi had settled in for sleep instead. That would, at the very least, pass the time until she had the time and energy to actively search again. After returning to her den, the Beta curled up tightly and settled in for the night; her dreamless sleep came and went, and while she woke expecting to feel rejuvenated, she did not. There was an ache to her back that must've been because of her tightly coiled position, and when Tavi unwound herself she felt the tightness there - an ache that didn't go away even as she stretched and preened herself. The next thing she noticed was a smell, and that made her hastily check herself, but she could find nothing amiss. Maybe it had just been the spring air playing with her nose? She checked herself all over a second time, and then gave up.

It was time to find one of the leaders and speak to them about Esaro. Tavi knew how Reek felt about the boy, but not if Saena cared for him to any degree - and for the life of her, couldn't fathom how anyone could enjoy his company - so at first she was seeking out Saena with the hopes of talking to her about everything. Tavi made some short rounds through the trees, her search pattern extending outward like an oval from her den, but there was no sign of the woman. Instead, Tavi spotted the familiar silhouette of Reek, nose-down. It was odd, but maybe he had found another cool thing - or eating some more bugs - so she chose to slip up behind him as inconspicuously as a big lady could. 

When she was close, she called out. Looking for breakfast, Bug-Muncher? as she said this, she peered around him; Reek's figure was ragged and thin, which made this easy. His nose was softly bupping a little tree. Or... You could molest a baby tree. I mean that's cool too. Squint, cue confused expression.

He examined the sapling for a time— his attention, however, wained with the introduction of a new stimulus. Reek could smell Tavi's approach long before she made herself known. Previously, the faint smell of pheromones dragged Reek in pursuit to the plains, but by now the strength of her natural perfume had amplified exponentially. The call was difficult to ignore. Playing into Reek's latent, yet somewhat innocent attraction to Tavi, an unsettlement wormed it's way into Reek's stomach; turbulent and churning.

Here though, in the Maplewood, Reek was forced to sweep his own instincts under the metaphorical rug. Too much was at stake. He forced himself to ignore his own desires and he did not pursue further, but he did not stop himself from letting Tavi come to him.  

Reek noticed her behind him, but finally turned his head around his back to see her when she spoke. Regarding her with a bright and happy smile, Reek the Bug-Muncher shot back a cheery, "Of course!" Perhaps it was a little late for breakfast, but Reek was always on the lookout for his next meal, wether it be second breakfast, lunch, snack-time, or dinner. "But, uh... I don't think this stick moves like the other one I found... so— I guess it doesn't feel right to eat it." His brow furrowed and shoulders settled into a shrug.

Motioning for Tavi to join him in examination of the sapling, Reek uttered a clipped, "'Mere. Check this out!" His scrutinizing gaze returned to the young tree that would one day tower over him and his future generations. Reek was absolutely fascinated by this natural process and simply assumed everyone else felt the same way, Tavi included. "What do you suppose it wants to be when it grows up?" he asked, chuckling as his tail wagged lax behind him.

She approached, tail hanging like a pendulum behind her, only to come to a halt when she did next to Reek. The girl looked down at the new growth expecting something amazing - but it was just a little tree. It was cute, but when the herds came they'd probably sweep through this part of the forest and nibble away at that shoot, and the sapling would die like so many others. She didn't mention this grim thought though, seeing how engrossed Reek was. Tavi let out a forced chuckle, which no doubt sounded more fake than it felt, and nodded. Yep, that's a tree. 

It probably wants to be tall. If it had a brain, which Tavi didn't think was likely. Or maybe it wants to be an apartment for birds? Maybe if it survived long enough, they could check on its growth every year or something. Hey, lets help it out -- she took a few quick steps and lightly shoved past Reek, standing over the sapling while it's top bent askew, and let out a stream of pee. Now it'll grow up big and strong, haha. She was only joking, obviously. Urine wasn't a good substitute for plants though, and could very well lead to the sapling's demise - but Tavi didn't know that. The girl's tail was raised to keep it away from her pee-stream, but happened to be right in Reek's face instead, oops.

Tavi was very quick to ascribe simple aspirations to the tiny sapling; each far more realistic than the lofty goals Reek silently hypothesized. "Ah, dream big!" Reek retorted, expelling a hearty snort in the place of laughter. The sapling bent back slightly with the force of his breath, but quickly rebounded into place. "What if it wants to be a party planner? A maple syrup factory? A politician?!" Of course, all the words that spilled out of Reek's mouth were only for the sake of jovial stupidity. "Who am I to hold ol' Sappy back from his dreams?" The sapling would more than likely die, but the jokes made in its expense would live on forever... or at least until the end of Reek's tired life.

He felt a nudge and Reek quickly bowed out of the way. Tavi scooched forward and squatted over the sapling with a misinformed attempt at speeding up the tiny tree's growth. Her tail lifted and Reek was immediatly hit with a wave of oestrus. He could smell it before and it had been easy enough ignore, but a wolf's scent was most concentrated in urine. As Tavi let loose the flood-gates, Reek was overwhelmed. When she had finished the deed, Reek kept his body low and took a shakey step forward. The whine that passed his lips, far beyond conscious control.

Misjudging the sound of Reek's whine as an indication he felt far too much for the tree, Tavi felt a sudden guilt clutch at her heart; it was brief, mostly because her piss stream was also brief, and soon enough she was dismounting from her position above Sappy and giving her butt a little shake. Oh come on, Sappy will be stronger now that a piece of me is in 'im. Maybe she could correct the situation? So without further ado, Tavi's steps rounded back towards Reek and she dipped in to a play-bow, putting their faces in line with one another. Does that make me a tree-mother? a silly question really - and you'd be the tree-dad! Little Sappy, one day he'll rule this forest! With that, she lunged towards Reek, deftly avoiding the sapling as best she could, and slapped at the soil - trying to invite him to play. Had she known better, maybe Tavi would've avoided thrusting her butt up in the air like that -- alas, she was still a bit dim on the whole adult thing.

Sure, whatever didn't kill Sappy might make the tiny tree stronger, but the sapling was now the furthest thing from Reek's mind. Sappy who? he almost caught himself saying, despite having named it in the first place. Instead, his attention was carried away with Tavi's scent; buffeting Reek in waves with every shake of her rump. Instinct carried Reek away in a swiflty rushing current.     

Soon, she turned and the two were face to face; each with body low and butt shimmying in the air. Carrying on the trend of misinterpreting signals, Reek saw her play-bow as an act of reciprocation. He quickly mirrored her actions and happily bounced on nimble forepaws before repeatedly dipping back into his low bow. Without warning, Reek reared back on his hind legs and lunged toward Tavi, mouth wide and forelimbs outstetched.

He seemed to take the bait, and dove towards her with the intent of maybe grabbing at her; it was all in play, of course. Tavi did not see any fault in his behavior as he came close, her tail flicking to and fro as he reared up and she tried to dodge. After two or three shimmies, she suddenly remembered something vaguely important - the message from the black wolf. Oh! she gasped, spinning a crescent shape as she tried to align her face with his. You had a visitor, although now might not have been the place for it, Tavi was in a playful mood and she was reminded of the dancing Smash because of the angle of her own body. So without further ado, she began mimicking what she remembered of Smash's dance, and added in the off-key message, She said --

I can show you the world, Tavi tried to drag her paws through the soil the way Smash did, although it took a lot of effort to simultaneously sing and dance. Shining, shmmering, splen-did, She was so concentrated on getting the dance right, her singing drifted in to the realm of conversation, and she watched her feet more than she watched whatever Reek was doing. Tell me princess -- but you're not a princess -- when did you last let your heart decide? And with that, the message was concluded. The beta fwumped one final slap at the ground with her paws to make a dramatic ending, and then smiled awkwardly up at Reek. Did that.. make sense?

Countering Reek's attempt at tangling himself with Tavi in mid-air, she quickly dodged the coming onslaught with a side step, allowing gravity to take its course and Reek's forelegs to meet the ground once more. With tongue lolling and butt wiggling with elation, Reek bounced around like a pup and quickly levied a counter attack. This went on for few rounds. They nipped, growled, and laughed in play; jubilant like children. He didn't want it to end, but his breathing soon drew labored.

Tavi, however, was so quickly able to shift gears that it left Reek nearly jarred. Their play stopped and Reek suddenly skidded to a hault when Tavi's expression lit with realization. A visitor? There were so few who traveled this far north to visit the Maplewood, especially to see Reek himself. He realized Smash was still in the area, so he could assume it was her, but once Tavi launced into song and dance— Reek had his answer. Of course it was Smash; who else would go to such great lengths as a musical telegram to bring a smile to Reek's face?

Her off-key delivery, coupled with the awkward enthusiam of Tavi's movements, prompted Reek's grin to widen even further. By time she had finished relaying her message, Reek could barely hold in his laugher. The message, however, made absolutely no sense at all, but Reek chalked it up to being a normal Smashism— Light-hearted and fun gibberish. "Not a damn clue," he answered, sniggering. Reek playfully shook his head. "I swear, that Smash likes to speak in riddles or something—" He paused and rolled his eyes, before finally adding, "She's absolutely nutso, but a wonderful friend."

His laughter was enough of an indication she'd done a good thing, so Tavi was pleased, and only half-listened to what Reek was saying. That, and his chuckling was infectious. Tavi found herself laughing with him for a beat or two, although her laughter petered out in to a small sigh. She also said that she'd leave soon, but was still in the area, and she'd give a howl before finally departing. Which to Tavi, was good. The entire message didn't sit right with her, whether it was intended as a love note or simply as random gibberish — surely Saena would've been offended by it. Maybe it was just Tavi that was offended, but she couldn't discern why it bothered her so much. It shouldn't have bothered her at all.

But the message had been conveyed, so that was that. Tavi bowed to her friend while he spoke, creeping sideways around him, and then with a few bounding steps she charged — intent on tripping him up, or grabbing at him in the manner of their earlier game. Her tail wagged with every near-success, and before long Tavi's forelimbs and chest were dulled by dirt and grass stains.

To be frank, Reek was surprised Smash had stayed in the area for as long as she had, especially with a family waiting for her back home. Still, it was nice to know his old friend was nearby and that she had not forgotten about him in her time away. To be remembered made Reek feel warm and loved. Of course, soon Smash would be gone, and with promise fulfilled, he wondered if this message would be the last (apart from her parting howl) that he would hear from her. It was a sad thought, but Reek didn't dwell on it for long, because as soon as Tavi finished, she dipped into a play-bow. With that, the Maplewood's dynamic duo of snark could resume their playtime unhindered by interruption.  

Together they romped and rolled in the newly uncovered grass, giggling giddy the entire time. With every move Tavi made, Reek levied a counterplay, sending playful nips directed at her tail, neck, and flank. In short time, the two became stained with a thin patina of green and grew filthy with dirt. Reek's breathing became heavy once more; his movements slowing considerably.

In their play session, Reek became taken once more by Tavi's scent. The beginning of her heat cycle had begun, and Reek could no longer surpress the desire that had been slowly building within him since the night they spent together in Tavi's newly dug den. The biological will to reproduce still burned strong in Reek's stomach, and as soon as there was a lull in their playful romp, Reek drew near and licked beneath Tavi's chin before lifting a foreleg and draping it across her shoulder, signaling his intent.

They played for an hour, maybe two. She lost track of time in a way that hadn't occurred since being back home — they both did. Jumping, snapping, spinning, chasing. Tavi would dodge at every chance, or dive in and try to grab, and in turn they danced together. A far better dance than what she had displayed for Reek, in service to Smash. The primitive beating of paws against the ground, or the tug of her chest through the grass, coalesced in to one moment of utter exhaustion. Nobody won the game - it wasn't that kind of game - but Reek eventually stood there, panting and out of breath beside her, and draped one leg across her.

Had she been anyone else, maybe Tavi would've realized what he was doing. Back home, she'd had her fun with boys. Nothing overtly promiscuous — she had always been a naive child, eager to romp with the boys but oblivious to their desires — and if she had managed to squirrel herself away with a boy, there'd always be Lex. He'd inevitably swoop in and come between her and whatever misdeed had been aligned in her mind; and in this case, within the maplewood and cavorting as she had been with Reek, a part of her had fallen back to youthful endeavors. She expected her brother to come charging through the woodland, a swift word upon his lips, a grunt or growl for her companion.

Maybe it was the hormones running through her system, amped up by her furious pulse. Maybe it was her need for a connection — the absence of her brother, and of Ukko, and of any ties that felt substantial — but she did not stop Reek from whatever he began to do. Yes, a part of her was still naive. But she was overwhelmed by her biology - and looked back at him, mouth agape and breath puffing from her lungs, as if to grant silent permission.

It was simple biology that compelled him, but Reek was not completely devoid of the emotional trappings he felt necessary for this sort of act. An attachment had formed far beyond Reek's control; the feelings blossoming for Tavi were much different than the ones he held for close friends. Yet, Reek was a happily mated man— or at least, that's what he told himself. The sanctity of his mateship, however, was the last thing on Reek's mind when he recieved Tavi's consent on the wings of a heavy breath.

He wasted no time. With one foreleg already draped over Tavi's side, Reek pulled himself on top of her and lightly gripped the scruff of her neck for balance. Breath heavy with anticipation and yearning, he moved his hips until a connection was made, the two becoming intertwined— stuck until their torrid affair was over and nature dictated release.

If anyone had asked Tavi prior to her days in the maplewood if she could see herself as the other woman, she'd have laughed in their face and gone on with her life. Had they told her point-blank that she'd be making her own way, a trusted confidant of a pack she was not in any way related to by blood, she would have snorted and probably gotten in to a fight with whoever was spouting nonsense. Somehow all of these things had happened - were happening - and Tavi wasn't at all phased by it.

She enjoyed her place among the maplewolves, and even coveted what brief moments of Reek she could get. It was a friendship. Or maybe it had been a friendship; as he raised himself across her, holding tight to her hips, she wondered with a fleeting thought about what they were now — but there was no time for labels or contemplation.

They were together in a new way. He seemed to know what to do, and so Tavi let him — for all her playfulness, she was still an inexperienced lover, and could only brace herself as he embraced her. The ensuing reaction of their bodies together caused a wave of ecstasy to crawl gut-first through her body; and though she tensed with a sudden apprehension, Tavi soon relaxed, and they rocked together until exhaustion overwhelmed them both.

It was with a tiny bit of excitement, and a tiny bit of dread, that Saena sped through the maple wood in search of her mate. The conflicting emotions pummeling her from all sides were momentarily put aside because, for once, she had some news for him that wasn't bad news. It wasn't particularly thrilling news, either, but it was something she wanted to share with the man she was considering leaving and also considering staying with because that was just what Saena did. She also wanted to talk about the scent of a wolf in heat and how they would deal with that, but that was not on her mind presently.

She wound through the trees, tracking his scent, until she spotted him romping with Tavi between a pair of maples. Slinking toward them, cut off from sight momentarily by the thickness of the wood, Saena opened her mouth as if to speak but clapped it shut again when next she caught sight of them. Reek was no longer romping with the beta. He was on her, rocking his hips against her, within her.

Though she had not been faithful to him, and had been entertaining the notion of leaving with Luke, Saena was nothing if not a hypocrite. She sank back into the trees, out of sight, with the feeling of ice settling in her stomach. She could hear them still, the sounds of Reek fucking someone else, but tried to drown it out the way that anger and hurt drowned her vision out. It was easy to forget that she was as guilty as him and for the moment she didn't even remember her affair with Luke. All she could think about was her mate, the father of her children, with his dick in someone else, someone Saena had considered a friend.

With angry tears pricking inexplicably at her eyes and her emotions churning again, the alpha female turned and tore off into the maple wood with clenched jaws, no longer even remotely excited to tell Reek that their children—the children of a cheating bastard (and his cheating wife but who was paying attention to that anymore)—had kicked her this morning.

With the scent of Tavi's heat ensnaring Reek's senses, he was blissfully unaware of his own mate's eyes boring into him a distance away. His secret, perceived to be safe, would die with him if given the chance. While they rocked together to nature's rhythm, Reek did not try to rationalize his actions, nor did he dwell on the implications of what it would mean to be found out— but even in his lusty haze, Reek knew Saena could never discover his infidelity. He loved his mate deeply and would do everything within his power to protect her feelings, but strangely, Reek felt no wash of regret or guilt while he was locked with Tavi's hips.

Time was no concrete concept in Reek's mind during their interlude, he had lost track. Wether it was minutes or hours, Reek didn't know (though truthfully, much closer to the former). The only stimuli evident was the sound of Tavi's voice pouring from her lips and a growing sensitivity in Reek's nether-regions. His breath soon quickened with shallow, yet satisfying heaves. Reaching the point of no return, Reek let loose a gratified moan before nearly losing control of his extremities. He swayed, but stayed upright with Tavi under him for balance. A satifying wave of dopamine flooded Reek's system, and for a brief moment, he was in pure bliss.  

His motion stopped and Reek gasped for breath. He slid off Tavi's back, the connection between their hips still withstanding (and would for the next few minutes at least), until their tangle could be broken. The wave of guilt that threatened to crash over Reek in the wake of his actions did not come... In a way, he compartmentalized himself. There was the Reek of new: a loving family man, who wanted nothing more than the best for his family and pack. But, there in the back of Reek's consciousness was the Reek of old: A selfish, but charming hedonist, pursuing pleasure in all forms. Tavi brought out the latter. Hips still connected, Reek nuzzled his face into the scruff of Tavi's neck and felt a satisfying chill down his spine. With a secret like this, he felt alive.

There was no way for Tavi to know the damage she was causing. The sensations brought upon her by Reek were overwhelming her, flooding her system with all sorts of chemicals — she was lost in bliss, and even when he dismounted the girl was breathing heavily, wishing it would continue. She knew it was wrong on some level, but with her heat in full swing and the biological need trumping any others, Tavi was ravenous. She would have continued had he wished to, and turned, dreamy-eyed with a racing heart, to stare desirous upon him.

All she got was a brief connection, as Reek nuzzled in to her. She melted at his touch, sliding to the ground as if in realization that she was no longer supporting him. Her legs felt weak, like jelly, and she wouldn't have been able to stand even if she'd very much wanted to. Only her front half was down though, while her rear limbs trembled. Tavi breathed in to the grass at her chest, almost purring, ignorant to what came next — more pleasure, or some form of pain.

But she was lucky; Saena did not linger, leaving the two adulterers to continue their dangerous game uninterrupted.

Cast away on a sea of satisfaction, Reek's heart worked in overtime to regain it's usual, steady rhythm. The chills brought on by the sudden rush of adrenaline that rushed down Reek's back did not abate— instead, they intensified; he would soon find himself craving this feeling, especially after they parted at the hip. There was something about having a secret and partaking in something clandestine that spurred this reaction from the alpha male. Despite loving his mate and the pups growing in her belly wholeheartedly, Reek knew he would be coming back for more of this sort of satisfaction; like a moth to flame, it would be his undoing.

Tavi's front end drooped low, but Reek found it difficult to follow with their connection still made. Exhaustion, however, tugged at his standing bones. He wished to withdrawl to Tavi's den for rest of the night; to gather close to both her and Mortimer before drifting into the throes of sleep, but Reek's mind was beginning to work with a little more clarity. It would be far too much of a risk. Their illicit affair would be discovered in haste if he were to be so careless (unbeknownst to him that they had already been discovered). Instead, they were firmly rooted to the spot until their tangle loosened enough for them to move. In the meantime, Reek showered Tavi with affection, allowing his teeth to rake through all the accessible fur he could.

After a while, Reek was able to withdraw and he took his place beside Tavi, lying down. "Next time," spoke Reek, breath still heavy from the intensity of their act. "—We should be more careful. We can leave the territory... Go to the plains, or the marsh." He smiled before resting his head in the crux of her shoulder and neck. Unknowing of the irony behind his words, Reek said, "This time, we got lucky."

They decoupled, more or less, and this allowed Tavi to flatten herself in a heap of parts upon the ground. She didn't know if she wanted to stretch out or curl up, and so she just lay there -- clearly pleased with herself, but quiet. She felt her entire body humming; or maybe not humming, maybe that was just her pulse and all her muscles reacting to what had just occurred. The girl didn't know. But she sighed, and felt Reek slump down beside her in his own heap. They puddled together, with the Alpha able to speak in a somewhat coherent manner as he nested close.

It took a second for his initial statement to catch up with her, drifting as she was. Next time? There would be a next time? More of this? Tavi rolled over partway, disturbing Reek's resting chin while she shifted to be belly-up, and let out a deep sigh. Next time, she drawled, almost as a confirmation or maybe even a promise, nibbling softly at his throat and jaw. 

Eventually she would get up and find her den, maybe sleep for a while, reflect -- or so she thought -- but for now, she was happy.