Emberwood [m] I am just a fool, 'cause I could be in love if I really tried

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The participants have indicated the following reason(s) for this warning: Mentions of past SA

She'd opened her eyes to the burn of hormones and desire beneath her skin — and an onslaught of unwanted memory. In the short time she'd spent in the company of @Athens, she felt she still hadn't learned whether to call him trustworthy or not. So the first chance she saw, the woman ran from him.

The woman, who still sometimes struggled to think of herself as Marina, was well on her way to healing. That was what she told herself each day, though the time between healing and healed seemed to stretch endlessly before her. She descended from the mountains with only a little difficulty. Her season, her time of power and new life, followed her all the way.

She'd known the touch of men before, kind and cruel alike. She'd brought children into the world. These things she remembered, but the faces all blurred when she tried to call them to mind. The woman felt powerless, and thus far more strongly reminded of a wretched night under the stars, of a man's breath on her ear and the terrible strength of his grip on her.

But she wouldn't think of that. Not now. Marina found an abandoned fox den and began to dig it out idly, pushing all thought from her mind, at least for a time.

Cambria returned from a foray to the east, hustling restlessly through the familiar maple forest. When he reached its western edge, he glanced northward toward the rise, though only for a second. The yearling pivoted, cruising in a southerly direction now. He paused at the marsh to break through some thin ice and slake his thirst.

He intended to continue toward the creek, though the wind suddenly shifted. It hit Cambria’s nose and snuffed out his thought processes like the flame of a candle. His head whipped in the direction of the neighboring woods half a heartbeat before his paws followed suit. Without really thinking about it at all, he prowled into the trees.

He followed the scent until he came upon a petite woman who appeared to be digging a den. Cambria’s blown pupils lingered on the slope of her silver back as she worked. He licked his lips, his tongue running over a days-old cut. The pain abruptly allowed his ego to overtake his id again. The Dragonling blinked, realizing himself, and took a step back.

The wind shifted, bringing the man's scent to her, but Marina had already heard his approach. She'd expected someone to find her, perhaps Athens, but this stranger was no surprise. He would only be the first, she thought.

The silvered woman turned to meet him, dark eyes lingering for a moment on features that almost seemed familiar. He was pale and tall, like a man she'd once known, with eyes just as beautiful. But different. She'd never seen eyes quite like his.

Marina held her silence, but her gaze never left him.

He only took the one step before stilling and standing there stupidly. His body and mind vehemently disagreed about what to do next. Before Cambria could come to any conclusions, the she-wolf realized he was there and turned to face him. She was as petite as she was pretty. As their eyes inevitably caught, he felt a swooping sensation in the pit of his belly.

He hadn’t had any parents to guide him, though the Dragonling was nothing if not an autodidact. Logically, he understood what was happening. He’d heard stories about women’s seasons, perhaps even caught a whiff or two last year. But experiencing it up close and personal was something altogether different, especially now that he was nearing his second birthday.

His heart belonged with Etienne, yet his body compelled him to step forward again. Cambria moved very cautiously, eyes never leaving the she-wolf’s face. His mind raced, filled with conflicting thoughts. He inadvertently dispelled them by drawing in a very deep breath.

Now words tumbled out of his mouth, unbidden: I want…

A sentence unfinished; the woman couldn't help but wonder. A wife, children? Was that what he wanted, or only a few moments to let nature's whims guide him?

What do you want? Marina asked softly, always peering through veils she didn't truly want to draw aside. Her own heart beckoned her away as much as his, but the soundless song of life was not a thing to be ignored. She too dared a step forward.

Her scent overpowered him again, dimming his senses of propriety and self-control. Nostrils flaring, Cambria drank in another draught of it and prowled closer. He took another step toward her, bolder now, but still wore a cautious look on his face. He didn’t dare move too quickly, lest he spook her away before they could indulge their basest instincts.

She spoke, her feminine voice so different than Etienne’s familiar brogue. Yet it stoked a fire within the Dragonling. He didn’t even try to stifle the groan that eked out of him in reply. He wanted her. The things he wanted to do to her… Ah, he could only think, cheeks warming right along with his loins.

I want to, he began in a voice gone gravelly, only to pause as he literally struggled to find the words. I want you, he finished on an earnest note, taking yet another step closer.

Her. The thought which had strayed so close to temptation suddenly turned bitter in her mouth. Disgust welled in her dark eyes — for him, for herself, for this moment. The man might have been handsome in the eyes of another, or even her own in her youth.

Now she could only see the ways he wasn't at all what she wanted. There'd been a man she'd loved enough to take to her bed, once, but he was gone now. And this stranger — what could he give her?

Marina smirked wordlessly and turned away, half-taunting, to continue digging her den. Easier to pretend contempt, she thought, than admit that she'd entertained the idea of him even for a moment. She hoped the silent rejection would sting enough to send him packing.

Another man was the last thing she needed.

Cambria didn’t pick up on her silent disdain. He took the smirk as teasing, particularly when she turned away as if to tantalize him. He whined low in his throat, the noise making his own ears flick and rousing his self-awareness once more. It felt a bit like breaking the surface after being underwater awhile, though instead of gulping for air, he had the presence of mind to hold his breath instead.

He slid back a few steps, eyes still clinging to her backside. She didn’t react, focused once more on her handiwork. Perhaps she wasn’t actually interested, which was for the best. Cambria needed to get out of here… preferably before he passed out from lack of oxygen.

It was with great reluctance that he managed to tear his two-toned gaze off her and set it resolutely on the distant creek instead. Cambria stood very still, blinking slowly. Still he didn’t dare breathe. Feeling decidedly lightheaded now, he forced his white paws to carry him out of Emberwood with nary a backward glance.