Cedar Sweep And please believe me when I say I love you

@Nikan

The rain came down torrentially, stalling all movement as every living thing waited out the storm. Athan was no different. He never considered himself that above the other creatures that he hunted and lived beside. Just like them, he was at the whim of whatever being or beings controlled the weather. So he hunched under a cedar, shaking every once and a while as water dripped down the needles, unable to truly avoid the rain lest he find a cave or den to hide in.

There was something about the rain that brought the happiness back out. From the moment she smelled the scent to the second she felt it on her fur she came out and wandered. She shouted, crying out to the sky in joy as she ran through the trees her fur becoming plastered to her body, the slim curb of her hips, every toned young muscle being shown. Slowly she picked up the scent of another on the wind and followed it, curious as to who else was out in the rain. 

It took her a while and she had honestly forgotten what she was doing when she almost ran past the cedar he was under. A peal of laughter as a raindrop splattered her nose broke the silence of the area as she strode onto the scene and she caught sight of him under a tree. She paused and peered at him curiously, water running in rivulets down the fur of her face. "Bonjour! You do not enjoy rain?" she asked looking genuinely upset at the thought of someone being displeased by something so great.

His quiet contemplation of the weather did not last for long, for he was soon spotted by some frolicking nymph. He was aware of her presence long before she arrived, due mostly to her loud laughs. A part of him had hoped to be left alone for the moment, since he really enjoyed the aesthetics of the moment, but he should have have been surprised that it was fleeting. That's a complicated thing, he says quietly. He didn't move from his spot yet. Something began to stir in him as he gazed at the woman, but he had to wait, he had to anticipate more information about her countenance. Today I just don't feel like getting wet,

Something inside of his gaze caused her to shiver as he looked at her and she ignored it as simply her body heat dropping, ears perking at his words and twitching as a particularly large drop fell on them. "Complicated? Enjoyment?" she asked confused and shook her head lowering herself to peer at him, blue and green eyes wide and innocently serious as she studied him "something has you down?" she asked. It couldn't be the rain, you either enjoyed or you didn't. "Are you sick?" she asked suddenly seeming quite concerned and took a few scoots toward him on her belly, head lowered as she showed she wasn't a threat. There seemed to be no apprehension of danger at all, she just trusted purely.

There. Athan wanted to grin as he saw the signs. It was almost by providence that she arrived, though she did break his contemplation. But that could wait. A new hunger awakened in him as she spoke. He watched her every move, his senses seemingly heightened by her presence. Was she even real? The naivete and innocence in her eyes were surreal, almost supernatural. Perhaps she was a nymph. Or perhaps he was exaggerating her traits in his mind — catching a glimpse, finding a nugget of purity and creating a diamond, seeing a smudge of white and painting a Venus. Sick? He chuckled. Nu dragostea mea. I am well. Even moreso now that I am not alone.

She caught the flicker of darkness in his eyes and ignored it. She was born into a family of dark gods and she the pure one, she knew how to make herself at home and that was entertaining and fulfilling their desires. He said he was well especially now that she had arrived and she understood immediately, smiling " rain is best shared" she agreed and then peered out at it, becoming mesmerised. She laughed softly and turned, leaning in close and licking the underside of his throat "May I watch with you? I am Alula" she asked as she pulled away, peering up at him through thick black lidded eyes. She knew how to appeal to power and that was by admitting she was weak and would do what was needed of her to survive.

Alula, he enunciated each syllable, savoring the feeling of them on his lips. I am Athanasius. He was surprised by her forwardness, given that they had only met a few moments ago. Most wolves would never get so close to a stranger, let alone lick them. He was startled by the action but tried to keep his face blank as she settled next to him. 

Are you from here? He asked, probing further. He had a sense of what he wanted from her, but he needed more information, more knowledge of her personality in order to finalize it. The decision to make a thrall was not one to make lightly, he found.

The way he said her name was something she found both cute and pleasing in a unfamiliar way. She turned from the rain and looked at him, his name a mouthful for the poor girl who held a Haitian Creole accent. "Athan..asi..us" she whispered and smiled, what a strong, complicated name. She wondered if that meant he too was a complicated man. He asked her if she was local and she wagged "Now I am. Came from mountains far away" she replied "I am Sahira, we stay close to here" she wondered why he wished to know though she didn't feel a sliver of fear.

Athan is fine, he smirked. She was more talkative than Mazatl — well most people were — but he felt the same energy within her innocent words as in the quiet eyes of his fawn. Though, Mazatl was tainted in his own way, sexually experienced beyond what Athan had initially expected. He could see something within her too, but he had to tease it out.

Sahira, hm? I'm unfamiliar with that name. She spoke it as if he was supposed to know, but he was unfamiliar with most of the politics that went on around here. Did you come here alone then? Further, further, he thought.

Athan...it somehow seemed nicer to her than the big jumble of a word that she couldn't pronounce. She smiled back and when he said he didn't know the name she looked briefly surprised before she gave an embarrassed giggle "I forgot there aren't as many here as back home" she admitted.

Then he asked a question that had her expression crumbling into a sad one. She wondered how many more times she would be reminded of Mars's death. "I did not" she whispered, her eyes sliding down to gaze at the floor. "My brother passed recently. He was my guardian" her voice broke and she sought out his embrace, sliding her head beneath his chin.

She did not expound on who they actually were, which made him even more intrigued. Perhaps in another land, they were the dominant group, or at least in her eyes they were. But here, and especially to Athan, they were just a name, a jumbling of words that ultimately meant nothing to the strigoi. They are your family then?

Another wolf would have flinched at her forwardness. Or perhaps they would have snapped at her, either verbally or physically. But Athan was merely startled for the moment, blinking once more in shock at her actions. He really could only laugh, and wanted to, but he kept his mirth silent. I am sorry to hear that, he said softly. While it may be too soon, perhaps I can be your guardian in his stead?