Mudminnow River too sweet for me

all welcome! she needs more interactions. tag for mention!

it was a calm, early morning. the sun sat at the horizon, casting the land in gold and orange hues. her favorite time of day, purely for the beauty. the gentle sylph had awoken with a luxurious stretch, her mind lighter than it's been in weeks, months. @Cole was heavy on her mind, the mountain man a dream she wouldn't push away. 

a certain wistfulness she felt now with his encouragement. just a bit more confidence in her stride, and she held her head higher as she rest upon a slab of cold stone beside the river. in the grasp of winter it laid frozen, but the faint sound of water rested beneath. it eased her plight, a wistful, soft smile on her lips.

He had been tracking her for a while, keeping a respectful distance as her scent led him through the quiet, gold-touched morning. The sight of her, poised gracefully on the stone beside the river, made him pause. For a moment, he simply watched, his amber eyes studying her delicate frame and the quiet confidence that now seemed to shape her movements.

He approached slowly, his steps deliberate but soft against the frost-coated ground. When he was close enough, he spoke, his deep voice breaking the stillness without shattering it.

You shouldn’t wander during this season, he said firmly, though there was no edge to his tone, only concern. He stopped a few paces away, his amber gaze steady on her.

It’s not safe, he added, softer now. The unspoken worry in his words lingered between them as he looked at her, waiting for a response but ready to ensure her safety, whether she welcomed it or not.

a deep voice, one that had come to instill her with warmth, with wanting. with a turn of her head, the resting woman met him with a warm smile. one only he could pull from her, it seemed. "cole," she greeted with a sigh. her tone was warm, affectionate even. "good morning."

his concern warmed her heart. she arose from her perch and meandered over, lightly brushed against his side with a soft hum. she'd wear his scent now, hopefully a repellent toward any unwanted advances. "you're right," she murmured. with a soft giggle, she struggled to hide her amusement, her affection that his concern brought forth. 

"but this should hopefully solve that problem?" perhaps she was selfish, but she quite enjoyed wearing his scent. it was a warm cloak, one she'd wear for as long as possible.

When she brushed against his side, his breath hitched—a subtle, unbidden reaction. Her affection, so freely given, stirred something raw and instinctive within him.

Mild alarm prickled at the edges of his thoughts, but it wasn’t enough to push her away. Instead, with an almost unconscious motion, his forepaw moved to rear her closer, a firm but careful gesture that left no room for misinterpretation. He kept her taut, his frame steady, as though instinct demanded he anchor her there.

Why’d you come out here so far? he asked, his voice low, but there was a trace of something more—concern, curiosity, and the faintest edge of possessiveness.

His gaze softened slightly as he studied her, but his grip remained, the primal need to protect her holding firm against the rational thoughts stirring in his mind.

there it was. something in cole's tone that made her heart pitter and patter, as if there was a butterfly trapped between her ribs. an inkling of something she'd heard before; a possessiveness that she once feared. her old fiancé saw her as property. something to be kept and to show off, but not to love. 

but she didn't fear it, not with cole. quite the opposite; it was such a funny feeling. one that made her bashful. skin beneath willowy fur burned hotter, despite the bitter cold. a feeling that made her chest bloom with a warm, fuzzy feeling. 

she hadn't felt this way since...long ago. since the first time she'd found herself falling for a man who only wished to hurt her, to cage her.

she's thinking too much. she knows she should step away, to put space between them, but...she's greedy for the touch and attention she never received. she leans against his tall, strong form, breathes in shakily as his warmth envelops her. she's daring—or perhaps foolish—enough to press her nose into his fur. 

"i...i don't really know." she murmured quietly, voice muffled in his fur. another breath in, and her eyes shyly flicker upward to seek his. searching his. "maybe because i'm foolish, and i wanted to see if you'd find me."

"is that...a bad thing, cole?" she asked shyly.

She was such a little thing, fragile in a way that tugged at something deep inside him—something protective, something fierce. Her breath was warm against his fur, her words soft, hesitant.

He let her stay close, didn’t pull away. Instead, he lowered his head slightly, brushing his muzzle against her as if to ground her there, to reassure her. It’d be bad, he said, his voice low, a quiet rumble meant just for her ears. For anyone else who’d found you.

There was a pause, and then his tone shifted, softened further, a warmth threading through the roughness of his words. But no, sweet thing, not for you.

He let the moment linger, let her scent fill the cold air between them. She was searching for something in his gaze, something he wasn’t sure he could name, but he didn’t look away. You’re not foolish, he murmured finally, his voice steady. Not for wantin’ to be found.

her heart melted; an amalgamation of warmth and affection that was nearly overwhelming. he was unlike anyone she'd ever met before; he was the type of man she had once  daydreamed about. it wasn't something she could help, and it wasn't a warmth that even the bitter cold could snuff. 

sweet thing. a hitch of her breath, a flutter of her heart akin to that of a birds wings in her ribs. oh, how she wished to hear him call her such again and again. a bashful but hopeful smile graces her soft features, and her eyes glimmer with something unsaid. she was afraid, truly, because it felt too good to be true. 

and what if she was reading him wrong? what if he didn't—or couldn't—feel the same swell in his chest? history seemed doomed to repeat itself; good men were a rarity, and even rarer were men that wished to cradle her heart and keep it safe.

"you shouldn't call me that," she laughed breathlessly. nervously. not that she wished him to stop, but she feared what would happen if he didn't. "i might just have to keep you." a gentle tease, though it was a thin veil. and it held truth. 

with a soft sigh, she allows herself to bask in his company, his presence. just for a moment at least, she'd let herself dream. "i am glad it's you who found me, cole." she murmured, her eyes falling shut as she soothed against him.

A'right then, he murmured, tilting his head slightly as he looked at her. What 'bout Winnie? Got a ring to it, don't it?
There was an ease to the way he said it, but his amber eyes held a serious, protective gleam. He shifted, brushing his nose against her soft fur with a intentional gentleness, as if she were to spread her wings and soar from the ground beneath them.
I'd kill any son of'a bitch who tried, he said plainly, his tone both matter-of-fact and charged with a weight that only his kind of certainty could carry. It wasn’t a boast, nor an empty promise—it was a vow, plain and simple.
Because that's what he was. Simple. Plain. Steafast. There wasn't any questions to be had about his nature. Would it frighten her? 'Yer hearts beatin' fast.

"winnie...my father used to call me that." she smiled, a tad bittersweet. "i like it." she hummed gently. there's another painful swell in her chest at his touch; it's gentle, something she selfishly believes is garnered just for her. and she hopes that she's the only receiving it, even though he wasn't hers. 

he'd kill for her? she never condoned violence. had long ago vowed to herself and her people that she wouldn't allow it, should she had stayed to rule kathhara. but she's a different woman now, and...maybe she likes that savage protectiveness he's offering.

she should be frightened, shouldn't she?

"you're talking as if i am yours." she chided him, gently of course. it made the ache all the worse, yet all the more blissful. she wasn't sure if he meant it. she wasn't really his to protect or to warm. is it bad that she wishes to be, or is it just her aching heart that desires him?

"it's your fault, you know. you keep talking to me like that, and—and you're charming. it's almost insufferable." or perhaps she meant insatiable. with a sigh, she shifts to move away, a sad smile on her lips. "my heart doesn't know how to feel, when you're around."

Eyes darkened, a weight settling over his features as he leaned toward her, closing the space between them. The faintest twitch of his lip betrayed a smirk, though his voice carried no humor when he rumbled, 'Yer daddy's a good man. Gave you somethin’ to hold on to, somethin’ that made you strong.
His gaze locked onto hers, unwavering, unrelenting. Listen t'me, Winnie. His tone dipped, the growl of a wolf who knew his place and was staking a claim. You are mine. Same as all the Bearclaw women are mine—to protect, to keep safe.
The shadow of his body was cast upon her— commanding, dominating. But there was a shred of light, ripped from his skin, meant to shine upon her. Ain't the man I was, lil' girl. But I’m the one who’ll stand between you and the world, teeth bared, bloodied if it comes to that.
His voice dropped lower, gravel thickening his tone. To keep that heart safe o'yours, you gotta stay in the valley. Am I clear?

you are mine.

her breath hitched, a widening to her sage eyes. gods, did he know what he was doing to her? to her heart? it aches for him now, something fierce and unrelenting. it hurts, and yet, she hasn't felt so alive since she left home. she was not his, but now she couldn't help but pretend she was. that the little girl that used to daydream about being swept away could finally be satisfied. 

it wasn't fair. it felt like torture, and yet, she wouldn't pull away. a shiver ran down her spine at his declaration, and his question was hardly that. it felt like a command, and she was subservient enough to obey. 

"i will." she nodded, breathless. gazing up at him with starry, awe-filled eyes. she'd follow him as if she was his shadow, if that's what he wanted. "b-but, you can't leave, either. okay?"

you can't leave me.

He let out a low grunt, his voice carrying the weight of a promise he didn't make lightly.
Good, he said simply, the word gruff but firm, a single syllable that spoke volumes.
His gaze softened just slightly, enough to betray the steel behind his next words. They'd have'ta pry my cold bones from the ground to get rid of me.
There was no room for doubt in his tone. It was a vow as unyielding as the mountains surrounding Bearclaw Valley. For a fleeting moment, his nose brushed hers, the gesture both gentle and claiming, before he pulled back, leaving the air between them charged.
You're stuck with me, Winnie, he murmured, his voice low, gravelly, yet somehow tender. And I ain't goin' anywhere.

fade?