Blacktail Deer Plateau st ashlar [m]

Lasher whispered his own name and though Peregrine couldn't drag a smile out of his facial muscles, he tucked his snout toward his chest and buried his face against the other male's spine. He clung to his partner this way for a moment or two, snuggling him from behind, and then tried to slide free only to find he couldn't. He somehow hadn't anticipated this and shifted awkwardly, applying a few nips to Lasher's back before finally pulling away.

He withdrew a few feet and sank to his haunches, gazing almost speculatively at his lover. He felt peculiarly heady for the experience and said lightly, "That was not much different than being with a woman, honestly. It was... amazing," he admitted a bit tentatively. "You were amazing. And that was exactly what I needed," he added with a soft sigh.

After a moment, he shuffled nearer to Lasher, tucking his head against the other male's. He liked that Lasher was his lover. He knew he was selfish, though, and that their relationship only seemed to go one way. Lasher didn't seem to mind; he seemed happy to offer the Alpha whatever he wanted. Nor did he seem bothered by Peregrine's request for discretion, even secrecy.

Yet the swarthy leader simply couldn't linger on these thoughts, nor could he even worry about his emotions following such a taboo act. With their fervor played out, his mind immediately returned to his daughter and whatever joy, guilt or whatever other emotions he might have otherwise experienced following such a tryst, he knew none of it. He felt only an onslaught of fresh grief.

"Come with me?" he said and found his feet. With Lasher presumably in tow, he led the way back out of the trees and back toward Osprey's grave. Although he felt a tremor of guilt for bringing his lover here, the sight of the flowers quelled it quickly. He sprawled himself beside the plot and invited Lasher to join him, then laid his head near the spray of drying, moonlit lilacs and somehow found his way into a restive sleep.