When he reopened them, he started. The sky seemed dimmer. Yet when he lifted his dusky blue-green eyes, he saw no clouds and no hint of blustery weather. And still the day was gradually leeched of its color. Peregrine grew very tense, his fur prickling, as he wondered if he should rise and gather his family... but then what?
his latest interlude with peregrine had left him wanting, but taltos had put himself toward the task of gamekeeping, as was to be his lot. the caches nearest his den were stocked well, as was the one closest the rendezvous site — in his desire, the earthen male intended that peregrine's sustenance should come mainly from his efforts.
the day changed quickly, however, and the man left off the hares he had been tracking to gaze skyward at the greying sky. he had only seen this once before, and there had been no name for it among the denziens of donnelaith. steps quickened, hackles bristling, taltos thrust himself through the trees, emerging near the panther quite by accident. the spirits were at work here, and though he wished to cower from their might, lasher forced himself to stand taller. what is it? he asked of his leader, though he knew at the heart of him there was no answer.
"I'm not sure," he replied honestly before dropping his gaze, his eyes finding his companion's face. "My father knew a lot about the sky but I didn't take after him that way. It makes me uneasy but..." He paused, then let out a slow, faltering breath. "It seems harmless so far."
lasher steadied himself beneath peregrine's touch, his breath coming somewhat easier despite the turmoil that brooded within. the devil spoke of his father, and taltos nodded — it was a rare thing indeed to find a wolf who could gaze with aptitude upon the skies. where i am from, this happened once before. i feared it, but those around me did not. they were druids who danced beneath the changing skies. no harm befell them, for they believed it heralded the birth of a god.
the murkwater gaze drifted to peregrine's face; lasher sidled alongside the other, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the panther beneath the odd colour of the heavens. he himself did not know what to make of it, but he would do whatever peregrine decided. though he had relaxed whilst in contact with the devil, a strange electricity had come over him, an invisible current that leapt roundabout them and charged the air with its potential.
Peregrine's breath hitched in his throat when what resembled an overcast day soon became false twilight, then began to turn into the full dark of the deepest midnight. There was no moon to brighten the depth of the darkness, though when Peregrine tipped back his head to study the sky again, he saw a ring of white that lent this preternatural night a modicum of brightness.
Slowly, his eyes trailed back down to earth and when he turned to look at Lasher now, something stole over him. Peregrine growled lightly as her thrust his snout now against the other male's ear and nibbled lightly at its root. His warm breath pulsed against Lasher's earlobe, a bit heavier than normal.
ah, the circle of brightness came as it had before, and beneath its eldritch glow lasher passed first his tongue across peregrine's muzzle, his own plume swaying behind his hips. the burn of the devil's breath upon his ear was titillating, humbling; he was worshipful of peregrine as he had not been of eismitte, only julien, though the frenchman had never met his intentions as the dark creature did.
the embrace of the strange light was galvanizing, and again his eyes fell to lidded pleasure. taltos ducked his muzzle beneath that of peregrine, his senses filled only with the texture and fragrance of the devil; he slid his lips in featherlight motion toward the proud arch of peregrine's neck, toward the mortal pulse of verve and passion there.
Lasher allowed Peregrine to nip at his ear for a moment before turning and planting his own lips against the Alpha male's throat. At the touch of his lips and teeth, the swarthy leader purred deep in his throat and his tail began to swing harder back and forth. He arched his neck slightly to give Lasher easier access while angling his own snout downward to nibble now at the tip of Lasher's ear.
For a few moments, they were caught up in the equivalent of a hot and heavy necking session before Peregrine slowly withdrew after a final, broad-tongued lick to the bridge of Lasher's muzzle. The Alpha male retreated into his own thoughts for a few beats, feeling his heartbeat picking up pace even as his thoughts raced and that pale, burning ring sailed in the sky like some strange omen.
"All right," Peregrine said softly, his voice husky. "I can't take it anymore." Swinging to fully face Lasher, the Alpha male cleared up any confusion by swiftly stating, "If the offer's still good, I want you to show me what you can do with that nimble tongue of yours," he said, breathless despite the dark stillness as the double entendre left his lips.
it was no simple task for lasher to chain himself, to restrain himself to the touch of teeth and tongue and muzzle, the flicker of tonguetip and the gentle sounds that rose in his throat as his ardor mounted. when at last peregrine pulled away, taltos was left heated, bereft for a single moment, but the words that floated forth beneath the odd glow of the deadened skies brought a small hitch to his breath.
he said nothing, merely stepped forward, his muzzle brushing against the devil's own with deliberate sloth before he stepped into the darkness cast by the trees around them, inviting peregrine to follow with a soft tip of his head. the other's passion would be his own, even unto the very zenith.
murkwater eyes watched peregrine sometime later; they reclined in the cool grass, though taltos had laid himself down some few inches away, unless some unwitting member of the plateau clan should come upon the pair. however, their mingled scents were thick in the air, a telltale puncture in the attempted discretion. he needed no words, only the nearness of the panther, and here lasher basked in complete, quiet pleasure.
A while later, the males relaxed in the grass. Although he secretly wished to sit nearer to Lasher, they maintained a small distance between them. Despite this, their scents (which included Peregrine's distinctive sexual musk) lingered on the air. Presently, the Alpha male was too caught up in the afterglow to care much. He had never, never felt anything as satisfying as his inter-lewd with his ocher cohort.
They hadn't said a word since ducking away. Finally, Peregrine broke the silence by saying only a quiet, "Damn." He glanced slyly at Lasher, prepared to say something else, then tipped his head skyward as the day began to lighten once more. "It's passing," he said a bit inanely before dropping his gaze and finishing his earlier thought by quipping, "That was fucking amazeballs, Taltos," and smirking slightly.
the flash of peregrine's white teeth against his dark fur, and the subsequent words that followed, brought a low rumble of laughter forth from the male. he too glanced skyward, though his commentary was for peregrine. i am humbled by your pleasure in my skill, he told the devil, eyes dancing in the lightening atmosphere. he did not think of what he had done in terms of perfection, only in growing affection, a thrumming lust.
at length lasher reclined among the velvet blades of emerald, flicking his tailtip toward the panther with a softly fond look in his eyes. he was both pleased that peregrine had taken his offer, and sated with an ability that had not waned. the pursuit of pleasure, for taltos, was collective, not a singular intention, and if such things never occurred again, he would be content.
"I feel bad," he said, then said something perhaps unexpected, "because I'm not about to return the favor. I don't see myself ever doing that. No offense," Peregrine added hastily. He knew it was selfish to receive without giving and he also knew he may change his mind someday (just look at how far he'd gone in the past several weeks) but, for now, reciprocation was definitely out of the question.
"Is there anything I can do for you, Taltos? I could always go the route of corrupted, sleazy leader and give you promotions in return for sexual favors," he joked.
taltos was not surprised to find that peregrine was not wishing to mimick what he had done; he nodded his cheek against the grass, a sated light in his eyes. i do not need reciprocation, peregrine, lasher murmured. i need only what you will grant me. his was a reverent lust, redemption through pleasing the flesh of the one who had chosen him for such. he would serve the devil in whatever capacity was wished, though the desire was there for more intimacy.
his teeth flashed in a grin at the panther's suggestion, but he said nothing more, content to look upon peregrine, to feast his eyes there and satiate the detailed need of self for the visualization of ardor.
"I'll think of some way to show you my gratitude," the Alpha male vowed. He lapsed into silence for a few beats, then said, "If it wasn't for this damn paw, I'd bring you the choicest meat for taking care of my meat." He laughed quietly at his crude joke. The two of them were so different, particularly when it came to their speaking styles, yet Peregrine thought they made a good pair nonetheless.
A pair... he mused. Was Lasher his lover? The swarthy leader shied away from such labels. There were many reasons why the idea made him uneasy and they didn't all have to do with Lasher's masculinity. Peregrine wasn't ready to pair up with anyone, be they male or female. He just wanted to explore, he supposed, and obviously he was one for experimenting.
"I hope you know," he spoke after a companionable silence that stretched on for a few minutes, "that I'll be hunting you down at least three times a day for a repeat." His eyes burned. "I won't be able to help myself. You're that good."
-- a proverb by kat
he lifted his head from the grass, true mirth shaking him now. and when you are better, i shall take your offer of meat, taltos laughed, eyes shining in the dimmed shadows cast by the trees. their scents had faded somewhat, but peregrine was still redolent within his nostrils, and he hoped it would not fade for some time.
he appreciated the easiness between them — the camaraderie that had always been, and the softness that had sprouted following peregrine's succumb to lasher's invitation. but still the panther retained his strong masculinity, his appeal; he had not become less in lasher's eyes. he had become more.
and i will be most pleased to oblige you, taltos said softly, lifting himself from the grass to pad his way toward peregrine, reaching out quietly toward the leader's muzzle with a lap of salmon tongue.
When Lasher reached out to him, Peregrine craned his neck to meet him in the middle, receiving the lick and returning it. Their tongues braided together for an instant, though it wasn't a sensual exchange so much as one of affection and companionship. When the moment passed, the Alpha male withdrew and sighed, a quiet, happy sound.
"I think I'm going to take a nap. You drained me in more ways than one," he quipped, though truthfully he'd been a bit tired before Lasher had come along, due to his long walk. "You're welcome to stay or go; it's up to you." Offering Lasher a final content smile, the swarthy leader let his chin sink down to rest beside his outstretched forelegs and closed his eyes.
lasher gave a soft smile as peregrine reclined, reeling somewhat from the wolfish kiss exchanged. while he wanted very much to curl his body 'round that of his lover and enter the realm of slumber, that was not something that could occur, for many reasons. and so he was content to lower his muzzle to take the alpha's scent once more. sleep well, he whispered.
drifting into the shadows, he departed, though his heart remained in the verdant grasses with the slumbering panther.