@Firefly

It was as if her instinct was taking over her mind.The heat had gotten to her a little bit so she thought it best to distance herself from people for just a little while.  As she’s tracked through the forest she started to get tired and lay down underneath tree taking a brief rest. She had it rough for so long she found it hard to believe  that she would ever have a moments peace without something going wrong. Regardless she admires the scenery and watched as birds flew in the sky.

He should've turned around and headed back to the Sound, where he belonged. It was his now. His, Rosalyn's, and in the coming days it would become the realm of their children. It had yet to sink in that he was going to be a father — too preoccupied with the chaos from hours ago; all that bloodshed, the weakness of Caiaphas, getting her closer to home and to safety, it was a lot to deal with so soon after assuming the mantle of Alpha. He wasn't thinking clearly when he departed from the Sound thereafter. Too hyped up after the battle and stressed out, practically livid, and needing some way to run it off.

But yes, to the point — he didn't turn around. Instead of going home he delved further west, and as he went he found himself struck with a strong, heady, overwhelmingly dazzling sense of deja vu. He couldn't remember being here before; the mountains weren't that familiar, nor was the forest that he'd found and began to climb through. Yet somehow the combination of the ocean-scent and the darkness of the woodland caused Firefly to become confused.

He slowed his pace and eventually came to a halt where the light managed to permeate the forest's overgrowth. It was there that his deja vu ended; the sense that he had been here before, knew this place, evaporated. He took a few deep breaths and tried to focus his mind, and in doing so became intoxicated by another scent - something warm, inviting, calling for him to get closer. He thought of Erzulie as he moved, but soon came face-to-face with a dark shape among the trees and with a chuff, alerted the distracted woman to his presence.

Moonshadow was ripped away from her thoughts and diverted her attention away from the scenery she so greatly admired. Her green eyed gaze fell upon a dark pelted wolf. Immediately she stood up and backed away a step from the male. She had gone through too much to believe she could trust anyone let alone believe nothing bad would happen. “Who are you.” She stated as firmly as her posture.

The ebony female was not about let her guard down anymore. She had learned the hard way not too.

Her reaction reminded him of the boy from a day or so ago, anxiety-driven and filled with suspicion. Firefly's brow creased; he was concerned that there was such undeserved skepticism among the wolves he'd recently encountered. Having done nothing to warrant that level of caution, he had to wonder if there was something wrong with the wolves outside of the Sound. Perhaps the world was much harsher and he'd never noticed, considering Firefly spent most of his days on the beach. He'd use his rank to get out more, he decided.

The woman wanted a name and he responded with the first thing that came to mind: Argyle, which didn't make much sense since it wasn't really his name but, for some reason, felt familiar. He'd run with it — not like it was important to be truthful, she already seemed so nervous of him. I live on the mountains north of here, another lie, flowing easily. And he countered with his own questions, Are you alright? You look -- frightened.

Well she had to say his name was really weird but who was she to judge at least it was different than normal names she had heard. The male stated he lived in the mountains. The moment she heard that word she flinched and backed up again. “Where in the mountains if you were a part of Shadow Mountain I will kill you right here right now.” Her expression hardened as the thoughts of what happened to her. What happened to Maegi flashed back into her mind and she unknowingly released a whimper as she reminisced. 

She was frightened but she wasn’t gonna tell him that yet her tail that was now in between her legs would say otherwise along with her shaking body.

His response was meant to ease her nerves yet the opposite happened - as soon as he mentioned a mountain she was backing away and rambling about some Shadow Mountain which he'd never heard of before.

No, not that mountain. I've never heard of that one, but... My family lives on the mountain cliffs by the sea, he side-stepped among the ferns that matted the forest floor, but did not go closer to her. If she needed space that badly then he wasn't going to encroach upon it or make her more uncomfortable. In the dark he couldn't see her trembling, but her scent changed, became sharper as her fear deepend.

I'm sorry if I surprised you. Something about the forest drew me in, but... I can go if you want, miss, It wasn't like he'd meant to intercept her path or anything. He dipped his snout in a farewell and then drew away a step or two, but at a lazy pace.

Her posture relaxed as he explains himself and she immediately felt bad. Moonshadow didn’t know what came over her and began to speak up. “Wait!” She called out. “I’m sorry, I’ve had a rough past. Shadow Mountain did things that were unforgivable to me and a young one I knew. I too come from a pack near the coast I was just recently accepted.” She hoped he would turn back around.

It had been a while since she had company. “I went looking for the young wolf at Undersea but she was not there so instead a found a pack. I’m moonshadow.”

He stopped when she called out, turning to glance at her with his pale gaze, and both eyes widened as she moved to close the distance between them. A bit of a tug-of-war was going on with her, it seemed. Like she couldn't decide if he could be trusted or if she should run off - but then she introduced herself, and Firefly could at least be sympathetic to the story she told.

He'd gone through his own stuff months ago (most of it unresolved because he couldn't remember the events in question). Whatever this Moonshadow had been through, it must have been quite a harrowing experience to leave her this addled. Undersea? Firefly repeated, turned around, and regarded her with a curious look. I've never heard of a place with that name. It sounds like you've travelled quite a lot.

It was true she had travelled quite a bit especially lately. He posture soothes and she made up her mind that this wolf was of no harm to her and with a swift movement she sat down and her tail curled next to her leg. “Yes I guess I’ve seen my fair share of places. I guess you can say I’m looking for a place where I can belong without worry anymore.” She wanted to say perhaps start a family, fall in love. But she kept that tiny detail to herself because deep down she knew that was very unlikely and she tried not to think about it very often it just made her more upset.

She wanted what everyone wanted. Purpose, belonging. The subtle movement of her body as she sat down and shifted her tail caused a bloom of scent to waft around her, like a perfume, and he carefully moved to sit near her but when he did, Firefly drank in the scent without meaning to. It was the same smell that had called to him as he'd passed near the forest - it had drawn him here.

I think I've travelled too, he commented without realizing how odd that sounded, then followed up with, I.. I lost parts of my memory after an attack, so, there are lots of blanks. That's one of the reasons I came to this forest — it seemed familiar in the moment. His expression transitioned in to a look of apology because he still felt bad for startling her. But I don't think I've ever been here before after all. Do you come here often? Was that a pick-up line? He hadn't meant it like that but after he'd said it, Firefly couldn't help but smile and chuckle at himself.

Sorry, I didn't mean... That was a bit forward. Maybe the alluring scent was affecting him a little more than he knew.

The She wolf learned as he spoke that he had been attacked and she understood partially how it felt. “I too was attacked I lost part of my eyesight and gained a scar from it. Shadow mountain kidnapped me and the young wolf I knew. I got injured in the Process of protecting her she got away thankfully.” She then focused on his other question. “And no this is my first time here, I needed a bit of air for a bit.” At first She didn’t know what she was doing, he seemed sad and she wanted to help, without thinking the she wolf nudged the male giving him a gentle lick on his muzzle

He was feeling embarrassed, which was a first. His comment didn't seem to affect her that much - or maybe she heard the words and chose to let it slide in favor of some company. They were both sad creatures; things had begun to look up for Firefly, but overall he was missing pieces and somehow fate had aligned them together. Two lost souls with too much baggage.

Perhaps because she could sense this, Moonshadow leaned in close and kissed him softly, which took Firefly completely by surprise. This woman had been so afraid of him before, so uncertain. Perhaps their shared experiences were enough. If wolves could blush, he'd probably be blushing a little bit - instead, Firefly let himself act in accordance to his whims and to his biology.

He was already enamored by this woman because of her scent. This might've been a tiny act of affection but Firefly's mind was thrown back to the moments of ecstacy, of joy and physical connection, between himself and the Rusalkan women with whom he'd shared a tryst. His young body was already responding, and try as he might Firefly wouldn't be able to help himself.

The man leaned in close to her and began to nibble at her ear, at the line of her jaw, letting himself be swept up in the momentary increase of his horomones.

The male came close to her and she felt as though something came over her but she knew not what as his nibbles sent chills down her spine as her heart sped up a bit. It felt nice, she had never felt affection such as this before. It was different, it was new. Deep down she enjoyed it. Her tail curled next to him and Moonshadow rolled over and licked his face then looked up at him. At this moment she was laying on her back looking up.

He began to take more care in how he showed his affection. Grooming at her scruff, nibbling at her and murmuring softly from his chest, all signs that he was after something. A part of Firefly was too feral to stop himself from pressing against her and trying to shift her in to position — but she, perhaps out of a sense of inexperience, slipped away from him and became a puddle at his feet.

He was looming over her for a split second before he realized what she was doing (rolling on her back, being goofy for some reason) and that broke him out of the spell of horomones for a minute.

Growing impatient, Firefly moved so that he was standing over her. If she was on her belly then things would be all lined up, but she wasn't. So, he began to nudge at her with feigned affection (like before when he'd been nibbling at her), but as soon as he had the opportunity he tried to wedge a limb beneath her and roll her over. Whether this worked or not, he'd keep trying - acting playful, but growing a little bit rougher as his desire to take what he wanted grew.

moonshadow felt her body just plop over and at first she was confused but then she knew and surprisingly she didn’t mind as if on instinct she moved her plush black tail out of his way and lifted her head up to nudge him. She was a little skittish at first but she at eased her body as she felt the warmth of his fur over her and that’s when it happened

Whether she protested or not, he would get what he wanted. The scent of her body (ready and able) had flooded the grove where they had been lingering, and after her playful behavior and his more insistent shifting of her body, they were aligned. Firefly didn't care what amounted from this event; like the others, he was here to provide a service. Yet as he began to merge his body to her own, he couldn't help but shut his eyes and think of Erzulie.

[ interlude ]

He was breathing heavily, bracing himself against her as their bodies finally separated, and then he staggered back, slouching in the dirt while the warm hum of his nerves spread throughout his body. It was a good feeling — a sense of satisfaction like what he'd felt before — and all seemed right in the world. The man didn't think to investigate the woman beyond the conquest of her body, but he was also quite distracted by the good feelings flooding him.

Moon shadow now felt awkward and didn’t know what to do. She wasn’t naive to the ways of men and expected him to leave but he stayed. “So...” That’s all the wolf could say right now.

He lay prone for a few minutes to gather his breath, his heart pounding, his body practically humming with the aftermath of energy; the coupling had been satisfying enough. As soon as the woman murmured a sound though, Firefly's imagination was doused. The images that had been playing through his mind of Erzulie were replaced by this dark-coated stranger, and Firefly felt the rising awkwardness keenly. This coupling concluded, he eventually rolled to his belly and got to his feet, then began to sulk through the trees on his way back towards the coast — not a word spoken to Moonshadow, because he'd gotten what he'd needed from her.