Horizon Ridge You need it so believe it

No more than seconds after they'd parted had she found herself missing the feeling of being connected to him, fearing that their physical separation may very well result in his immediate departure. But, he had not left, remaining by her side instead. She'd drifted closer, but left some space between them still, interest piqued as a smile had settled across his lips. She related the expression to some degree of happiness, and was relieved upon understanding it for, to her, it meant that any future meetings really would be welcomed. With him, she felt as if she was not a vessel, but a simple being on the earth. He had introduced her to play, and so, even if she were not to seek sexual release from him again, she felt as if some form of comfort would still be found in his presence.

When it seemed as if her query was being pondered, she'd waited patiently for an answer. The one given, however, had her glancing away in slight embarrassment. She should have seen it, was her belief, despite the fact that no clear signs had existed. "Oh." It was all that she could say at first, slowly looking back towards him in the process. "I had not realized, but I feel more confident visiting you now that I have" She'd not taken the time to add onto his words, to share of her own status or even display it in any way. No, she hadn't felt the need to, deciding to leave some things to be spoken of during their next encounter.

He did not leave, nor would he. Her scent kept him bound. Hiram would not go until she departed from him, and even then, perhaps he would follow her -- forget about his task for a week and follow behind this woman until her heat subsided. This hold she had over him was a powerful thing. Even physical relief could not shake it. He desired more from her. Even now, with little time to recover from their last pairing, Hiram reached out with his muzzle to silently preen the fur on her neck once again.

She would come for him: in more ways than one, he quickly thought. When he returned to the grotto, with children in tow, he would wait for her to return to him. "Good," he muttered, smiling as he trailed his touch lightly along the length of her spine. He breathed in; her scent, stronger than ever -- but now, her perfume was intertwined with his. His claim over her was obvious to anyone with a nose.

Once again, consumed with desire, Hiram threw a forelimb over the woman's back. Their sinful coupling would only be the first of many.

Into his touch she had leaned, welcoming the preening. No longer could she blame nature for her remaining there, for their previous entanglement had led to her believing that it was she who wished to stay there with him and not just her body. He had offered her a release, and she had enjoyed it. A distraction from the world was offered just by being near to him, a period of time in which she would not be left to wonder of Noctura or anything else. And she embraced that, being there with him—even if it did eventually turn out to be a result of hormones alone, she knew she'd be unable to forget how she was currently feeling. He would remain within her mind as a friend, though one that she could certainly get closer to, if necessary, than any others that she knew.

As his touch lingered along her spine, she'd relaxed, hesitant in no way any longer. And when his leg had found its way over her back once more, she'd been ready, welcoming him and the sensations that he could offer her. For as long as she could, she'd remain near to him even after the fact, offering herself whenever he desired her and leaning against him in between. Though eventually they would need to part ways, she'd reveled beneath his claim all the while that they stayed together within the woods.

Once again, with the virility of a young man half his age, Hirm was ready to take his newfound lover for a second time. He moved, hooking his forelimbs tightly around her waist as he pulled her hips into close proximity with his. For a moment, he teased around her opening; slowly and tenderly. The second time around, he was not so hasty to make his entrance -- he would not give her what he wanted until he knew she was ready for him. Until anticipation burned at a fever pitch.

With his jaws slightly parted, he lightly grasped at the scruff of her neck and ran his teeth down through her fur. Then, he moved his hips forward -- sliding the length of himself into her body's warm embrace after some positioning. Chasing satisfaction a second time, he moved against her roughly; the rut of his hips moving her forward slightly with each thrust. Through his movements, she would know she was his.

The distance between her legs was kept even, bracing herself more properly than the last now that she knew what to expect. His weight had since grown familiar to her, his grip around her waist having been anticipated and wanted. She'd prepared herself for him, desperately awaiting the feeling of his entry, but it had not come as quickly as their first round. He was slow, his teasing having led to a low whine slipping out from her maw, insisting that he take her. He was what she wanted, as well as what she expected, and so she'd shifted beneath him with the intentions of drawing him closer.

Grasped by his teeth, anticipation began to swell within her. When she'd felt the movement of his hips, she'd grown impatient, her mind being settled only when his entrance was recognized. He was rough with her, his thrusts having been enough to literally rock her form, and yet she took pleasure in it. Every time he'd pulled back, she'd wanted him to delve deeper, developing a sort of attachment to what he was capable of. With being his, there were benefits, each of which she felt inclined to reap.

Delve deeper he did. Each motion, growing in intensity as he gave her exactly what she wanted. Surprisingly, Hiram found himself with more control over his actions then he had before. Their initial dance had been selfish, unrestrained, and uncontrolled -- but now, the man wished to give more than he received. Still, he did not hold back. Her scent had planted the seed of desire in his mind, and now, it had taken root. He wanted to please.

He panted, breath hot against her neck, but he did not falter in his rhythm. Nor would he, not until she slipped over the precipice of pleasure.

The difference had been noticed, his motions seeming more refined, rather than hectic. She found satisfaction in both ways, wishing that their time together might never end. And when there came his breath upon her neck, a chill had raced down her spine, but quickly was it eliminated by the warmth he provided her with. Each motion drove her closer to the edge, but the edge of what, exactly, had eluded her. When the feeling had finally hit her, though, she'd felt herself waver, only to grip at the earth with her toes at the last possible moment.

Asterr's limbs felt heavier than before, yearning to fold in on themselves, but were forced into remaining locked. Though he'd accomplished that which he'd set out to do, she'd not allowed for herself to fall as her body desired, keeping herself upright until he'd achieved the same.

He drove her over the edge -- he could feel it in the quake of her limbs. She wavered, swaying. Her svelte muscles tensed and Hiram could feel her clench around him. Somehow, against her body's desire to collapse from pleasure, Asterr remained upright for him. Not far from his own release, Hiram did not relent. In fact, he quickened his pace as she was wracked with wave after wave of ecstacy. As his breath escaped him in short spurts, her name was carried on the breath of a moan and he drove further into her body's embrace. Two soon became one, connected at the hip.

Reeling from the intensity of his own release, he rested with his chest against her back. His heart thrummed with violent intensity. For a moment, the only sound that passed his lips was the sound of his heavy breathing, but after a short span of silence, the man spoke. "Stay with me," he said, almost pleading. He was lonely -- always had been, and she, a sinful temptress, she was the cure.

Never would she understand how she'd managed to hold out, to keep from falling down especially when his pace had picked up. The begging of her limbs had been ignored, an attempt at forgetting their pleas made. Though they'd lingered still within her mind, disinterested in fleeing, she'd subdued them well enough to get by and enjoy the rest of their moment. She'd steadied herself as his own release was achieved, but the moment she'd felt him swell within her, she'd began to struggle. The girl stumbled under his weight as he'd rested atop her, eventually having been able to stay upright no longer as her frontal half began leaning towards the ground.

She'd refrained, still, from collapsing on the spot, the potential outcomes of doing so not settling right within her. Moments later, she'd been offered something else to think about, his request taking her by surprise. "I–" She'd shut her mouth, further pondering her answer before speaking it. Could she stay with him? At the moment, the idea appealed to her, but after looking at the bigger picture she knew that she couldn't. "Those of my home need for me to return," said she. Not immediately, of course, for she'd cause nothing more than trouble at the moment, but eventually her presence there would be necessary.

As she drooped forward toward the ground, so did Hiram in turn. His chest followed the curvature of her spine flushly: he, a puzzle piece who had found his match. After a moment, he slowly pulled himself off of the woman's back, adjusting himself to stand at her side while their hips remained intertwined. Her answer was soon recieved and the man couldn't help but feel the sharp sting of dissapointment. She could not travel with him -- nor would she return to the grotto to stay.

Of course, he could understand why. He had wolves who relied on him as well. "Just for a while," he pleaded. She did not have to stay with him forever, but he thourogly enjoyed her presence. "These wolves from the mountain, do you lead them?" He asked. It seemed likely.

When he'd moved from atop her, it'd felt almost as if a weights had been removed from her legs. She'd been able to slump forward without a problem, allowing her forelimbs, at least, a small break. She could not see his face, gaze having been locked upon the ground, and so any emotions upon it had gone by unnoticed. Though she had a fairly good idea of how her words might have effected him, she'd not voiced her assumptions for any confirmations to be given. All she'd done was remain there, silent, up until the point in which his voice had once again reached her ears.

Just for a while.

She was tempted, that was for sure. She wanted to, but thoughts of home kept her from agreeing right away. If she could check up on her tribe, then perhaps it would not hurt to seek him out again afterwards. The thought was toyed with, a decision unable to be made in that exact moment. "Maybe," she'd offered, it being the only thing she could say for sure. More thought had to go into what she was doing, and a decision made on how long she might stay with him, should she choose to do so. It came as a great relief when a different question had been presented, it being one that she could answer far easier than the last. "I do," the girl had replied with, a ghost of a smile lingering across her maw as she'd thought back to them. One had betrayed her, and another had, perhaps, left, but the tribe was still important to her.

A maybe was certainly better than a no, even if it was not definitive. The Cardinal's face soon lit with a smile as he looked down at his paramour. Maybe, she could travel south with him -- at least for a time. Or perhaps, they could meet again on the road. Each scenario was found favorable, especially while the the tendrils of her alluring scent wrapped around his mind, clouding his thoughts with lust.

However, after posing another question, the cardinal dropped the subject for another time. An answer came and she smirked, pridefully -- much like the Cardinal had when he spoke of the grotto. It was a tell-tale sign she cared for her wolves... Or her status as their leader. He couldn't quite tell. 

"What are they like?" He asked, overcome with curiousity. He knew nothing of the mountain packs and little of what lay below, save for Redhawk Caldera. He moved in to nose behind her ear as he waited with interest.

For the moment, the topic of her going with him had been dropped, which she had appreciated. Some time to think would be good for her, the idea being left to marinate in the back of her mind. She'd been able to think primarily of her tribe and those that lived within it. She was their leader, but also their equal, and for that she was proud. A family had been created, she'd believed, but thoughts of the two dark males had her opinion wavering. Perhaps her inner turmoil had flickered across her face when asked of what they were like, but she'd not been aware enough of her own doings to tell for sure.

"They are kind," she'd decided on. "They are loyal and devoted—a family." They were her family, and she cherished each of them in a different way. "But I worry that I have lost one of them, and another..." she'd trailed off, closing her mouth for a moment and offering a slow shake of her head. "He had not listened to me." Asterr did not elaborate, leaving it at that for the time being. A part of her knew that she could not blame him, and yet, there thrived another part of her that wondered if she'd be able to view him the same as she once had. For now, she tried to keep her thoughts from wandering back, giving her attention back to Hiram and not allowing for it to stray. "What are yours like?" she'd asked, finding herself curious of his home now. Did they share similar traits?

She described something that all wolf packs desired to be. "A family," he repeated, "it must be nice." There had been a time in which Reek believed Larksong Grotto to be a family, but the wolves who had made it so had mostly left; Tavi, Luna, Charley, Skeet, Zaavier... All had left him behind. Each had made their choice -- none would be allowed to return. Still, there were those who's loyalty had not been shaken: Jhala and Vuk. They were his family.

"There was a time when I believed my pack to be a family," he said. "But now I'm not so sure." He shook his head. "There was a schism -- on the night of my cleansing, my family split in two." Even though they had all turned their backs on both Reek and Raas, the Cardinal still found himself thinking about those who abandoned him from time to time. "But, the Lord has blessed us and those who remain are strong."

A nod had been made in response to his comment, for truly was it nice. Well, for the most part, anyways. There was still a matter in need of being taken care of, something she believed could cause for further discord within her home, but such was meant for another time. For the moment, she'd fallen silent, having nothing more to say about the tribe she led. Though she enjoyed it there, and believed that they really did exist as a family, her previous ordeals had left her to wonder if things were just as pleasant as they once had seemed.

When his turn to share had arrived, she'd paid close attention. At one point, they'd shared a similar setting, for he'd lived with his pack as a family. Yet, as the story unfolded, she'd felt a frown pulling at the corners of her lips. Due to a cleansing—a ritual that she'd witnessed a Miko complete once during her days as a child—his home had been broken. She could not understand why others had abandoned him, nor what issues they must've had with a cleansing. While she could see no reasoning for why Hiram would have needed to experience such a ritual, she believed that those he'd deemed as his family should have stayed with him throughout the entire situation. Ridding a soul of malicious spirits was not an easy task, she'd learned, and so often was strength found in the number of supporters. "I am sorry that they had been unable to support you during your time of need," she'd eventually said, believing that they shared in their definitions of a cleansing. "They should have stayed with you, for you... their abandonment was a terrible act." Asterr had refrained from asking of who the Lord was, but was curious nevertheless.

Her response was compassionate -- something Hiram felt to be in short supply as of late. He smiled wistfully. If the rest of the pack had just accepted Raas, allowed his light to heal them all, then perhaps the grotto wouldn't have become so fragmented. But, they were all so resistant. "I'm sorry as well," he spoke, but he was sorry for them, for they had removed themselves from the blessings of Raas and would surely face hardship by the Lord's vengeful hand.

"I suppose it isn't their fault. Wolves are but fickle creatures," decided the man as he shifted his weight, moving his hips comfortably against her own. "They flit from one thing to the next -- consumed with their own wants and fantasies." This was something he knew personally, as his own selfish desires ruled his actions. It was simply the condition of being mortal, he supposed. Thankfully, Raas was a forgiving God to those who asked.

Asterr had wondered of those that had left him—where they'd gone or if they even still lived. She'd not known them personally, nor did she have any desire to after having learned of their departure. Often did she give second chances, but not to them. Their act of leaving had been more than just that, in her mind, and so they were undeserving of being heard out. If ever were she to encounter one of them, or if she'd done so already, never would she know. But she knew that, in death, their souls would be found with ease and then denied access they would be into the dragon's kingdom.

Though his following words had made her rethink her decision, wondering if, perhaps, they truly were in need of a second chance. She was no longer certain, figuring then that the decision would be best left up to Draco. If he wished to claim their souls anyways, then so be it. "Are you the same?" the girl had asked soon after he'd fallen silent. "Do you allow for yourself to be consumed, and then move on to the next desire without a second thought?" Why she had asked, she did not know. Perhaps she was merely curious, or maybe she'd wished to make sure she'd not be so easily disposed of. While they were connected only by physical binds, the idea of being a simple want had not sat well with her.

Deep down, he knew he was a fickle creature just like the wolves he described. A man without conviction; spineless, just as Vuk had accused him to be. He had been ready to throw away everything -- to bend the Lords will to his own so he could lay claim to the aforementioned woman. But in the end, Hiram chose Raas over her, despite his feelings. However, with the allure of temptation assailing his senses, the cardinal had not been as pious.

"No," he lied, embarrassed of his true nature. "I'd like to think I'm different." This, however, was no lie. He liked to think of himself as a good man, but time after time he proved himself wrong. "And you?" Diverting away and shielding his sensitivities. "Are you a woman of conviction and commitment?"

Not enough time had yet been spent with him for her to pick up on his tells, and so his lie had gone by undetected. She'd simply taken his word without question, relating his thoughts to that which was true, leaving her with a good image of him. Any other day, with any other being, surely she would have questioned them further—requested confirmation on their wording, even—but with him she'd not gone so far.

With the question having been returned, she'd considered her answer. "I believe that I am," the girl had offered. "I was raised to be devoted, loyal, and so I continue to stand by my word." Devoted to the dragons, her family, her home, and her beliefs. It was the way in which her life was meant to operate, her early days having been used as a time to drill such a lifestyle into her. "Though, after this, I am sure that others will not view me in the same way as I view myself—if ever they were to learn of this exchange of ours, that is." It was doubtful that she'd tell anyone herself, but she'd spotted Noctura a distance off, and wondered what he might do. Certain was she that he'd felt betrayed, and so, perhaps, she was just the same as those that had left Hiram.

He nodded, listening as she answered his question. Devotion, loyalty, and honesty were all traits of the honorable. The Daystar expected His followers to be guided by similar tenants -- many of which Hiram had broken when he gave into temptation and partook of the woman's body. Strangely, he felt no guilt for his broken creed. Not yet, at least. Not when the fingers of desire still worked across his warped, mortal mind.

It seemed she was in the same boat as he. He would remain a secret from her pack, just as she was to remain one from his. "There are those who would bar me from the priesthood if they knew." The swell holding them together had slowly shrunk. Hiram pulled and found himself withdrawing from her hold with a slight shlorp. "Are you a woman of faith?" He asked, wondering if it was the same belief that held her to secrecy.

It was learned that, were they to be found out, he would suffer far worse consequences than she. Her wish to keep quiet became more than just that, having slowly grown into a necessity. She would not allow for herself to be the reason for his banishment from the priesthood that he'd spoken of. For even though it was a religious foundation that she'd never partaken in herself, she had learned of them, and understood their importance to some. Words had been prepared to be spoken in return, but swiftly had her maw closed as they were separated. Shifting, she'd allowed for herself to look upon him better than what she'd previously been capable of. "I will not speak of this for the both of our sakes, but primarily yours," the girl had stated, a hint of a smile gracing her lips with its presence. Her silence was ensured, so that he might not be cast out from his sect.

When again he had spoken, she'd hesitated slightly. "I suppose that I am," was her reply. "I am different from you, though." At first, she'd left it at that. Asterr felt mixed feelings concerning the notion of sharing her faith with the male, only to realize that to do otherwise would be unfair. "I could not be rid of, only looked upon with disappointment or disgust," she'd began explaining. "In these lands, I am a simple leader of my wolves, for none have requested the knowledge on my faith. In all lands, however, I live as a vessel for the one I respect. I am his body on this plane that we walk upon, and so I am his only living equal, as well as the only connection to him that exists." No matter if those from her birth tribe, or even those that were simply apart of her religion, viewed her actions as some vile act, they'd not force her way. Until her heart no longer beat and a new vessel had been born, they were stuck with her.