Blood dripping, bones snapping, skin ripping and tearing. The surroundings had long gone silent as the nightmare predator enjoyed her fresh meal, her tongue flicking out to taste the hot red liquid that had settled on her muzzle. The deer had met its end in her jaws, it was short and quick work. The adrenaline from the chase buzzed in her veins, her ears on a swivel as she feasted greedily, still ever vigilant. She was not about to let anyone have what she so rightly earned.

And then, it happened. On the edge of the Chimera Fields, young, thin trees shook and some snapped, emerging from them a large grizzly. Its lips pulled back in a snarl, its dark eyes trained on Scortia and her kill. The bear roared its challenge, hot breath steaming its his maw, spittle flying. The ursine was like a volcano about to erupt, much like the one from her homeland.

And erupt, he did. 

Thunder rolled as his massive paws trampled the earth, a tremor felt in her bones as he barreled towards her. She dared not back a step, it was not the time to show fear. It was her kill, her prize. Hers to defend! Fuck this bear. Her own lips pulled into a deep, guttural snarl, blood dripping from large, pointy canines.

“You motherfucking sack of fur, I will rip your fucking throat out!” She screamed at the gigantuan, paws steadfast and splayed defensively. The bear charged faster and once he was within reach, he skidded to a stop to rise on his hind legs, bellowing his challenge. The black shadow knew that bears bluff first, or most do, for this one did not give her time to truly think of her next move as he feigned to run. 

She was caught off guard as he swiped, his claws connecting with her left eye and cheek. The sting and the strength behind the swipe dropped her to her elbows, a yelp forced its way from her throat. Her eyes stung, her vision blurry. It couldn’t be helped now. Pushing the pain down, she became the nightmare once again. 

Dropping fully, with hind legs underneath her, she built energy before bursting upwards, the bear’s forearm trapped in her jaws as it crossed his body. He attempted to shake her, but her jaws were like a vice. Her body swayed with him, her own paws scrambling to connect with any part of him she could reach. Eyes of ice and fire widened as she watched his jaws open, heading for her own.

This caused her to let go, springing away from him as soon as she landed. She ran, hoping to distract the bear from her kill, and lead him off. It was a stretch. The scent of blood followed the wind, she knew there was a possibility it wouldn’t be a successful tactic, but she had to try.

The deer was hers.

He rumbled after her. The chase was on. Hopefully, she could keep him distracted long enough to forget the carcass and she could circle back.

His efforts with the other two females to produce young had been foiled either by fidelity or another male and the beast was more than irritated as he walked searching for food now. But instead he heard a woman swear at what he did not know until he seen her race past him with a bear chasing close behind. “What the fuck?” He quest wondering if he was actually seeing this and not imagining. 

Being the man he was he ran after them like a dummy. Why he would get involved even he didn’t know but he needed a distraction and he followed. “Need help!?” He called out to the woman if she agreed he would try to scare the bear off, he was a pretty big wolf and he’d done it before

As she ran, her head whipped to find the voice that called to her. Mixed eyes found the source, a massive male the color of earth tones, watching her as the bear gave chase. Is he fucking serious right now? The female couldn’t help the eye roll, the pain from the slash burning her left eye, and she yelled back to him. “Don’t just stand there, you dumbass! I’m being chased by a damn grizzly! DO SOMETHING!” 

As she spoke, she tasted the mix of deer with her own blood, the sweet taste turning tainted. Scoria stopped and turned, spitting in the face of the bear as he reached her. The mixed liquid hit its mark for the bear retreated a few steps, shaking his head to dislodge it, using a paw to wipe away the spit, temporarily occluding his vision.

The nightmare took her chance and charged the bear without preamble, making a jump to land on the back of his neck and shoulders as her teeth clamped on his ear. It was a very precarious situation, one wrong move could send her sailing, but the hope was to cause enough pain to get the bear to flee. There was no way she alone could end this bear’s life.

If only the male would make himself useful…

He chuckled a bit at the woman and turned his eyes now to the bear chasing her. The thing to look out for was the bears claws and the big brute jumped onto the Ursine's back and dug his teeth into the bears neck and went off to the side  and pulled the bear down tearing at its neck in the process.

Once the bear was on its side he backed up to see if it would run off or try and fight. He hoped that the bear would be smart and go attend to its wounds but they were unpredictable. The male continued to snarl and snap his teeth at the bear while also puffing out his chest to make himself appear bigger.

The shadow released as the bear dropped, her paws scrambling to make distance between herself and the felled beast’s weapons. The male has finally become useful, she thought to herself. She couldn’t help the way her eyes travelled his body as she watched his attempt at dominating the bull of a bear. 

Through her bloodied vision, she watched as the bear stood and bluff charged the male, and, realizing that his bluff had not worked, he changed direction and ambled off quickly, attempting to run from the pain both she and the male dealt him. Her eyes watched as the bear disappeared back into the Deepwood Weald. A long and heavy sigh of relief escaped her, her body sagging from the weight of dissipating adrenaline.

“I need to do something about this wound on my face. Stupid, fucking bear…” She continued to grumble as she walked off, forgetting the male entirely as she focused on the pain and blood that ran down her face, searching for a water source. She thought of her kill and decided to leave it, the whole ordeal making her a bit queasy.

The bear had retreated and blood dripped out of the brutes mouth as he watched the creature run off. He looked back at the woman and seen she was injured and she was already walking away. “Esperar!” He yelled but then realized he said it in his native tongue and ran after the woman. “Shit I mean wait!” He said again in common now.

He came up to the woman’s side now. “I can help you with that wound.” He mentioned. Now he didn’t know much but his sister taught him enough to take care of himself.

She paused with a groan as the male yelled after her. When he reached her side, her lip curled in warning. It was an empty threat, of course, as she was exhausted from the ordeal. The pain was making her extra grumpy, though it wasn’t truly out of character for her to tell him to fuck off.

Closer now, she got a better look at him. He was handsome. Huge. His scent wrapped around her, enveloping her in everything masculine. Curse the devil who made men so delicious! The pain stabbed again and she cursed, reminded of what she needed to do.

“Fine, just get me to some water. I need to rinse off.” She eyed him, nodding to his body. “Looks like you do, too.”

The woman had bared her teeth a little at him but he didn't flinch however he did move his face. He already had one scar from his sister he didn’t need another one.

He couldn’t help but smirk as he licked the blood from his muzzle not that he minded being covered in blood that was quite normal for the male. It served as a warning to others to leave him alone. He gave a quick nod and went over the nearest source of water which was moonstone quarry and motioned her to follow. After washing off his body he gave a quick shake away from her of course  “I’m gonna go grab a few herbs real quick.”

He quickly searched for some oak leaves from some of the nearby trees and brought them back. “This should help stop any bleeding and prevent infection.”

Scoria couldn’t help her gaze, the way it watched the nameless male wash off the blood of the bear, scouring his body from head to toe as a primal heat curled in her belly. It wasn’t soon after his words to her that she threw herself into the water, praying that by some miracle that it would take her, sparing her from the embarrassment she would sure meet once she resurfaced.

But, it did not, much to her dismay. She came up sputtering, just in time to watch the male return with the leaves. Again, he proved to be of some use, and possibly worth to keep around. The shadow lifted from the water, shaking as much wetness from her fur as she could before sauntering over to him, head lowered. She would allow his nearness, if only to scent him again and allow him to tend to her wound.

She is was rather receptive this time and the male began to prepare the leaves now that the woman was cleaned off. It was easier to see the wound now. “This will probably sting a little.” Or a lot depending on pain tolerance but the man left that part out. “It’ll probably scar but not too bad.” Not knowing if she cared or not about scars, but he thought they were hot.

 Now that she was all clean he looked at her and this was woman was beautiful. She didn’t smell like she was in heat but her scent was almost intoxicating to the male.

After applying he looked to the woman. “So why was a bear chasing you anyway?” Most of the time they left him alone whenever he came across them but then again he was also huge so. “I’m Hashut by the way.” 

“I don’t give a shit if it did. As long as I keep my eye, I’m good.” A hiss passed her lips as the poultice hit her wound; it took all of her to not swipe at the male for causing more pain. He looked at her, then, and, she couldn’t help herself.

“Jesus, stare much?” As if she hadn’t been doing the same thing not only moments ago. The attention was intoxicating and she couldn’t help the seductive swish of her tail, her body curling around him as she answered his questions. “Maybe the bear wanted a piece of me? Could you blame him? I am called Scoria, by the way.”

The woman was a feisty one and he found himself even more attracted to the woman. He looked at it and the wound looked like it barely missed her eye which was good. “keep it clean and you’ll keep it.” If not she’ll probably die from infection.

She seemed to snap at him and all he could do was bare a smile at the woman. “Well you’re an interesting one to look at muy hermosa.” He hadn’t seen a wolf that had looked even remotely like this one. 

He could feel the heat of her body and his heart was racing. He was always a softy when it came to women but this one was different. “I know I do.” He said in his own seductive way. “Well too bad for him huh?” He smirked the bear got lucky though the male wouldn’t be surprised if they’d find him later after bleeding out the man got him pretty good.

“Mmm,” she murmured, continuing to circle the man, enjoying the feel of him, his large frame towering over hers. “You’ll have to earn it first.” She moved off of him, sauntering away, flicking his nose with her tail. She laughed, enjoying the cat and mouse game she was playing. It was one of her favorite things to do with men. They were so easy to manipulate, their one track mind on their genitals made toying with them all the more fun.

“So tell me, Hashut,” she paused to stretch, overly dramatic in the way her body moved, showing off for the male gaze. She laid down, head on her paws, eyes that of a siren as she regarded him. “What are you all about, anyway?”  

Normally he didn’t like small talk or never got to know a wolf long enough to do so. “Still figuring it out.” For once the male wasn’t fighting. “I left with my sister and children before but now I’m here.” Wasn’t much else to talk about. “Im a mercenary by trade.” Which was pretty obvious by his size and scars. “And you?”

A man of few words. 

No matter, she didn’t really need his words anyway. She had felt it coming on suddenly—the heat in her belly and the unquenchable need. For the last few weeks, Scoria had felt off, her hormones going haywire. It needed helping, and this male may be of great use. Deciding then and there, she did not need the small talk. 

She needed him. For now.

The female made of shadows and nightmares sauntered over to the exceptionally large, bear of a male, eyes unwavering as she regarded him. “I’m just here to have a little fun.” With a flirty smile, she reached up and nipped his chin, turned tail, and ran.

Oh, the fun they might have should he catch her.

The hold that this woman had on him was unreal and he almost didn’t like it but she was just so enticing he continued this little game she played. He watched as she came closer feeling the heat of her body next to his and as she ran he chuckled. “What’s with women and wanting to run.” The brute shook his head softy and would oblige the woman a little longer.

The shadow’s laugh could be heard for miles as she fled, slowing down just enough for him to catch her, only to speed up again to continue the chase. He was hot on her heels at almost every moment. The fields were a blur as they sped toward where she would soon relent, to give in—not only to his manly desires, but also to her own womanly wants.

Soon, she found what she had been looking for: a spot underneath a felled tree, secluded and earthy.

She plopped down into the terra bed, rolling herself onto her back. Her eyes were half-lidden, waiting for the male to arrive. Scoria called out to him, “Come find me, lover boy!”

He could hear her laugh travel as he ran after the dark woman and it drew him in more. The hold women had on him was unreal and she was toying with him. He couldn’t hear her footprints now so he was sure she’d stopped somewhere and he followed the sound of her voice. 

He followed her scent and found where she lied down at. She looked beautiful just laying they in the leaves as he walked up crawling over her just slightly and laid a gentle lick onto her muzzle. Almost like he was asking for permission to continue. He may have been a bad guy but consent was necessary to him.