Redsand Canyon you were baptized in ice [m]

She hated the idea of leaving the safety of the den, his presence, and his embrace… she hated the idea of being separated in that moment because of the uncertainty that came with it. He was a soldier; his job was to defend Mereo and fight where the Imperator asked him to… and it was inherently dangerous. She had seen weeping widows over the bodies of their loves before, and in that moment she realized it could one day be her.
 
Still, she tried not to think of it. She tried to reframe her mind, to think in terms of spars and patrols with no action involved in them… safety. He grunted and she raised a brow amused, nipping a little harder where his jaw met his neck, though not enough to hurt. “I prefer this too.” She confessed softly, knowing when she did meet with the Matrona, she was going to have to explain the thick scents bathing her pelt. It was worth it, and she was more than happy to clarify and explain anything the woman needed to know so long as she did not take him from her.
 
He insisted that she did not need to thank him but she did not agree. She needed to thank him. She had needed it for herself. His nose brushed her cheek, the promise fluttering around in her mind as her heart raced softly against her chest. She placed a soft kiss in the spot she had nipped not too long ago, pressing another one to his cheek as the question came through. She heard it in his tone, how much he wanted her back… just as she knew how much she wanted to come back. Perhaps, if they both hadn’t experienced so much in their lives she might have joked or teased, but that was simply not her.
 
“Of course.” She promised softly, resting her head briefly against his chest as she just inhaled his scent once more. “Barring any complications, my work will not keep me up too late.” There were certainly days where exhaustion found her passing out on whatever remotely comfortable surface she could find, but unless soldiers started to rip each other limb from limb, she did not see complications arising. “I’ll sleep here any night you’ll let me… I sleep so much better in your embrace.” Once more, she needed him to know that, to know how safe he made her feel… how comfortable she was in his arms.