Redhawk Caldera (M) Don’t click play.

Mature Content Warning

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The participants have indicated the following reason(s) for this warning: mild sexual innuendos. 18+ only, please!

There would be no running to @Soto. No, this time, Towhee intended to sequester herself and suffer through it. Staying in the Hobbit Hole was out of the question, obviously, but she didn’t want to risk leaving the territory. Doing her best to avoid anyone, she roved the caldera’s western flank and stuffed herself into a shallow cave she found there.

She only made it a couple of days before the searing heat drove her back to the water. She slipped through the twilight, feeling like a torch in the gathering dusk. A chorus of crickets and frogs sang unheard as Towhee plunged into the cold caldera with a gasp. Maybe she could just stew here for the duration, turning into a shriveled old prune in the process.

The inner burn momentarily stifled, Towhee could actually think as she drifted further away from the shore. Why her body decided now was a good time to throw her back into season, she couldn’t fathom. Not only was it late in her life for such things, it was also way too late in the year. Her hormones must be having a crisis or something.

Maybe it’s meno-paws, she muttered to herself, drawing in a breath a moment before dunking her head below the surface.

To be frank, he was never good at resisting temptation. Maybe that was why he lingered close enough to watch after their conversation, though he would tell himself it was to make sure none of the new men in the caldera took advantage.

He always hated this. The way his mouth would water, his eyes glazing over as he stared. Then again, he had only ever been successful when he had wanted to be. There were bastard children to show for it.

The cogs in his brained turned while he watched the elder swim, no doubt attempting to provide herself some relief. On one hand, approaching her could gain him some points; Towhee was a higher rank with a say in the decisions, on the other.. would it get him in trouble? Admittedly, his mind was a bit too jumbled to consider his usual pros and cons.

Rather, the moment she dunked her head under water Cinar found himself slinking forward before he had the opportunity to send the stop signs to his brain.

She opened her eyes but she couldn’t see anything much; the water was very nearly black. Towhee hovered just below the surface until she couldn’t hold her breath any longer, resurfacing with a gasp that was only a little quieter than the first. Her orange eyes popped open and almost immediately narrowed on a dark shape skulking along the shore.

They widened when she recognized Cinar. What the hell was he doing here? Into GILFs, after all? her inner voice quipped. Intrigued—and nudged by the chemical warfare her body waged on her—Towhee paddled back toward the bank. She didn’t fully emerge, instead floating like a sphinx in the shallows.

You’re playing with fire, the Elder rumbled in warning.

Inside her, there were two wolves. One was a mature woman with plenty of life experience and good sense. She identified more as a (great!) grandmother these days than a mother, though she would always be all of the above. The other was lusting after anything with the proper parts, a drive that threatened to overrule logic and reason. If her body said she was good to go, then… well, it knew what it was doing, right?

For the moment, the Redhawk was in possession of her faculties as she said, If there’s even the remotest possibility there’s something between you and Livi, tell me now. Better yet, leave now.

Towhee was quick to spot him as she emerged, her words prompting a quick response; Is it wrong to check on a friend? His smile was coy, but the rest of him emitted his guilt.

One half of his brain, the inteeligent half, was screaming for him to get back to his usual distractions; piss on a rock or three, stick his head in a mysterious burrow, just stop being such a man. The other half of course, did not agree. It should, given she reminded him way too much of his own mother, but old traditions die hard.

The next set of words thrown his way forced Cinar to freeze and think. Was there something between them? He wasn't sure, not yet. They were friends, and Alivia was a good friend who had given him no reason to think she wanted more than that just yet. That, and there was an opportunity right in front of him. What was more important.. moral or instinct?

In Siena, it was instinct. In the Caldera, he didn't know.

If you want me to go, I will. But he wouldn't go far. I want to be helpful to you, Towhee. He had lost some of the confidence from his last attempts, but to be frank, he had more respect for Towhee than he ever held for those women.

She didn’t want him to go, did she? Her body responded to Cinar’s question by razing her with—not heat, now, but a terrible itch. He could help her scratch it. He wanted to help.

But there were strings to consider. Cinar might or might not be involved with Livi, but he was important to the caldera at large. If Towhee gave into temptation with him, she would risk too much.

That thought was quickly followed by another as a realization clobbered her over the head. There was another man in the pack now, one with no strings attached. Her eyes widened in the gloom.

You don’t really want this, she said to Cinar, voice earnest. Go.

Without really considering how it might make him feel—she had a bit of a one-track mind at the moment—Towhee threw back her damp head and summoned @Hotah.

Towhee's response erupted a growl from his throat, the Journeyman turning off to take his leave without another word. If she wanted the newbie over him, fine, he would find somewhere else to lay.

He would gain his sense back with distance and time, maybe.

Hotah heard the call and stiffened, every muscle wired. He knew that tone, the sharp edge of need that came with it. For a long moment he just stood there in the dark, ears pricked, debating if he should even move. He was new here. This wasn’t his place, wasn’t his right.
Still, he went. He found her with his steps, his head a little low though his eyes stayed clear on hers. Towhee, he said, not questioning, but acknowledging. There was a heat rolling off her, strong enough he didn’t need to guess.
I don’t know if I’m who you meant to call, he admitted, taking in the earthy scent of another male who had been here. His tail flagged, looking over his shoulder for only a moment to wonder if there was a creep watching in the background. But he didn't see anyone. 
You don't want the other guy? He looked back into Towhee's eyes, though his focus was seriously depleting!

Oblivious to the ire she’d stirred within Cinar, Towhee waited until he was gone and then waded onto shore. She resisted the urge to shake and simply stood there, drip drying. The night air was cool, though her core burned so hotly, she didn’t even notice.

Her sharp eyes spotted movement in the darkness. Towhee leered at the approaching silhouette, warily at first and then downright lewdly when Hotah’s features registered. He was a man; he was healthy; and he had come when she’d called.

He had some questions, of course. Towhee shook her head, mustering patience she didn’t feel. It didn’t help that her wet skin felt as if it was crawling with fire ants. The burning! The itching!

Orange gaze boring into his, Towhee said, It’s you I want, Hotah. I won’t even charge you a marmot for your troubles. And no strings attached, she mused, eyes flashing almost in challenge, unless you want them to be.

She would give him a solid sixty seconds to decide.

Hotah stopped just short of her, watching the way her eyes burned into him. The weight of what she was asking settled quick. He wasn’t blind, and he wasn’t dumb. He knew what this was.
His jaw flexed once before he answered. Towhee… if this happens, I’m not the type to pretend it’s nothing. If pups come of it, I’ll raise them. That’s not a string I can cut. His voice was even, no judgment, no hesitation, just plain truth.
He shifted his weight, dark shape steady in the glow of her stare. If you can live with that, then yeah. I’ll help you.

That’s a big “if,” Towhee thought, though she kept it to herself. Her eyes flashed again. Once, she would’ve resented his bid for involvement. Nowadays, she would take all the help she could get. It was too bad he couldn’t carry, deliver and nurse any offspring… but there was part of Towhee that sincerely doubted she could either. It made accepting Hotah’s words that much easier.

Okay, she said simply, shifting her weight as the discomfort flared. I doubt we have to worry about pups, though. I think my body’s just trolling me. But on the off chance it isn’t, we can always name it Marmot.

Without another word, she prowled closer to him. He was little more than a stranger, truly, but that had never really been an issue for Towhee when it came to selecting a bedfellow. She wondered if Hotah had any romantic notions and snorted at the thought, her breath ruffling his shoulder as she skimmed her nose along it. If he did, too bad. She wouldn’t begrudge him paternity but nobody could claim her heart.

It would always belong to Maxim.

Hotah huffed a short laugh through his nose, the corner of his mouth twitching. Marmot, huh? That’s one way to keep the pack smiling. He didn’t press on her doubt, didn’t try to dress it up. If it happened, it happened. He’d said his piece.
When she closed the space between them, he didn’t pull back. He wasn’t here chasing romance, and he didn’t expect it from her either. Whatever ghosts she carried weren’t his to touch. What mattered was that she’d chosen him, plain and simple.
He let her brush along his shoulder, his dark frame steady under her breath. Stranger or not, I’ll stand in, he said quietly, more promise than invitation.

I fast-forwarded, hope that’s cool! It probably makes sense to fade here, though if you want to continue and/or have another thread soon, I’m down. :)

She almost told him that the name just happened to suit her theme, though Towhee forgot the thought nearly the moment it drifted through her head. Now that they were so close—the touch barrier officially broken—every thought fell out of her head as she finally let her instincts take control.

When the eastern horizon began to glimmer, the first fingers of September sunlight crawled over a loudly snoring Towhee. She and Hotah had had a busy night and she’d sprawled beside him to sleep off their arduous activities. The days ahead would be similarily busy—perhaps even fructuous? But such vigors demanded rest, especially for an older woman.

Hotah cracked an eye at the racket beside him, the sunrise spilling across Towhee’s sprawled frame. For someone who could barely hear, she sure as hell made up for it in the snoring department. He huffed a laugh under his breath, rolling onto his side.
Guess I should be flattered, he said, kept you busy enough to knock you out like a log.
His jaw stretched in a yawn before he settled back down. Dark eyes tracked the horizon for a beat, then returned to the older woman at his side. Busy nights, loud mornings— he could get used to this kind of chaos.