Lost Creek Hollow baby please come home.

Though her little adventure away from the Hollow hadn't been the least bit stressful for the druid, she still felt a wave of relief wash over her upon stepping into the shade of the trees. Harlyn smiled to herself as she strode into the shady quiet of her home. Silently, the greeted the wood and thanked the gods for a safe trip. Unfortunately, the agitation she had set out to deter had not subsided. if anything, it had grown steadily stronger. Harlyn was thankful nonetheless, humbly accepting that it was her mistake to think the excursion would calm her, not that the gods had been cruel by not giving her the relief she sought. She would have to try something else - perhaps a pack hunt or a good "workout" with her co-alpha.

...or maybe a bit of fun? Harlyn paused as she came across the scent of @Luke in the air and on the underbrush. It was fresh enough to suggest he hadn't passed by too long ago, and so Harlyn gave a short, tentative howl for him before following his trail, her tail wagging eagerly at just the thought of seeing him.

HI!

He was not far when his companion's howl beckoned him, his ears swinging back upon hearing the druid's soft call. The blue-nosed wolf had been taking a leisurely stroll, aimless in his steps as his mind wandered in turn. But now his lithe form bent as he turned to retrace his path, his strides purposeful and lifted with the excitement of seeing his dear friend. She had been away from the hollow, and he had missed her in her absence. When his silver eyes found her, he sang out to her. "Harlyn!" His tail danced as his pace quickened to bring him nearer to her, and he slung a forepaw about her shoulders, his muzzle seeking her ears before his blue tongue flicked against her nose. "I am so happy to see you!" He grinned.

Wine may have influenced some of this post *sloshes glass at you omg it took me five tries to type "sloshes"*

It didn't take her long to come across her friend.  He leapt out at her from the dark foliage like a marshmallow from a marshmallow cannon.  A grin spread across her face as he came to her, and she returned his excited admonishments with a laugh.  She felt his nose against her ears, felt his arm over her shoulder, and finally his tongue on her nose.  Something stirred in the pit of her stomach - so forcefully that she felt shocked for a moment and could scarcely breathe.

She caught herself quickly enough - hopefully that he wouldn't even notice.  She returned his gestures with a nuzzle and kiss to his cheek before stepping away, almost worried to remain in his embrace for the strength of the feeling that had taken her.  Shaking her head, Harlyn pushed it away and carried on as though it had never happened, even though it was still humming softly in her belly.  "I'm glad to see you too!  It's only been a few days, but it feels far too long," the alpha replied happily, "Did I miss anything exciting?"

Marshmallows from marshmallow cannons... nah I don't think wine had any influence at all! ;)

Luke was unaware of the stirring in his companion's belly, but aware of something tugging at his own self as she nuzzled him in return and licked his cheek. He paid it no heed however, gazing warmly at the druid with a wide smile upon his face as he settled to his rump. "It does feel longer," he agreed, though he could not fathom why and chocked it up to his lack of timekeeping and great fondness for the girl's presence. "Oh not too much," he said. "I've been teaching one of our newer members to fish. Ilya, the black female." His tail drummed. "How was your trip?"

I let my friend read that line and he laughed at me for some reason.  SO MEAN.

The sensation she felt at his touch was not exactly one she had never felt before.  There had been moments before where he'd said something sweet or touched her ear accidently in just the right way when she'd felt that stirring.  It had never been so strong as in this moment, but she had always been just as taken by surprise.  Luke was her friend - her best friend, truth be told.  There would never be anything between them, of that Harlyn was absolutely sure.  Her heart belonged to Mordecai, and the druid was utterly loyal in that.

Probably.

"Of course you have been," Harlyn replied fondly, shaking her head with a chuckle.  Luke was a self-proclaimed "fishkeeper" and likely had some fish blood running through his own veins for how much he loved being in the water.  She wouldn't have been surprised to learn that he taught everyone he ever met how to fish.  "It was good," she answered after a beat, "I met a couple of nice strangers, tried to take them home with me.  We'll see if either of them show up at some point."

He chuckled with her. Indeed, if he had been up to something that did not involve fish or the water, it would likely seem a bit odd. Likewise, it would not have been like Harlyn to not try to bring home any strays she had met on her travels. "Of course you tried to adopt them," he mused as he stuck out his blue tongue. "Hopefully some of them will show up." Their pack numbers had dwindled since their founding, though the optimistic Luke was not concerned at this time. "I mean, who could resist your company?" He grinned as he stepped in to rub his cheek and muzzle against her shoulder.

In truth, Harlyn was not too worried about their numbers. They had dwindled since the pack's conception, but those that had left had done their part to make the pack strong while they'd been there. The alpha was grateful to each of them and wished the spirits to care for them wherever their paths had taken them. Her desire to welcome more wolves into their pack was simply a desire for her family to grow. She had always wanted a pack of her own to provide a home and support to others, and that would continue to be true no matter how few or many called the Hollow home, or called Harlyn their alpha.

She laughed warmly at her friend's response and nodded. His touch took her by surprise, though it shouldn't have. The heat tugged at her stomach again and she felt very nearly overwhelmed by it. She turned her head to press her muzzle into his ruff, breathing in his scent. She dropped her jaw to pant when her sense returned to her with a sudden jolt and she became quite determined to distract herself immediately from whatever for hidden places her mind was attempting to tread.

"Be our beta," the alpha blurted, pulling away with a fixed, but earnest, smile, "Mordedai agrees, we've discussed it. We want you to be our beta. You will?"

He was affectionate always, but he was not aware that the subtle shift in her scent as nature prepared her for the future encouraged him all the more. She pressed her nose into his neck and he found himself nipping lightly at her shoulder. Fortunately for them both, she blurted out a request that caught him by surprise and he drew back to catch her eyes. For a long moment he simply looked at her, but then a wide smile did he form.

"I would be honored!" he said as his tail wagged eagerly. He had never lead, and was never sure if it was something he aspired to do, but he was quick to embrace the idea and be excited by it. Without thinking, he suddenly leaned forward to lick her nose.

Harlyn watched the process of dawning comprehension on her friend's face with amusement and slight anxiety.  What if he said no?  What if he said he wasn't going to stay - that he missed the freedom of a lone wolf and desired to return to it?  What of that male from the Plateau?  What if he wanted to leave her to join him?  The druid felt strangled by the thought (an unusual sensation), but before she could begin insisting that he take the job for one of the slew of reasons that were bubbling up in her throat, Luke accepted with an excited trill.

The alpha released the breath she hadn't realized she was holding with a broad smile and a laugh.  "Oh, wonderful!  I'm so happy!" she crooned, forgetting her prior moment of desire and stepping forward to embrace him.  He planted a kiss upon her nose, stopping her in her tracks.  And before she knew it, she was pushing forward and planting a kiss upon his muzzle - the corner of his mouth to be exact.

The touch caused her muscles to tense as desire burst rapidly through her veins.  Like flames upon kindling, she felt her nerves light up as time seemed to slow.  She froze beside him, slowly turning her gaze to meet his with obvious shock and apprehension upon her face.  "I'm... I'm sorry... I don't..." she stuttered as her heart pounded in the pit of her stomach, of all places.  She was mortified of what she had just done, but more than that she was astounded at herself.  Why had she done that?  What was happening to her that she wanted him.. like this?

It had been a gesture of appreciation, of affection, of companionship, of a beta's respect for his alpha. As far as he was aware of at least. It was well within the realm of possibility that what he was compelled to do was very much driven by instincts that were so commonly dormant in him. When she reciprocated with a kiss to the corner of his mouth - a much more intimate gesture than his own - he felt a sudden heat upon his skin, and a desirous stirring within his belly. His reaction was just that, a reaction, not proceeded by thought, and he leaned into her to nuzzle where her jaw met her throat. But she froze, and that tension caused him to pause and draw back.

He met her eyes, her expression causing him to wilt, and he only then became aware of the quick rhythm of his heart. "It's okay," he murmured with a reassuring smile. He was torn then. Somewhere in his mind there was a sensible voice telling him now was the time to leave. But he was rooted, unwilling to distance himself, wanting in fact to be closer. Impulsiveness, living in the moment, was his dominant nature, and he let his mind close to reason as he stepped toward her, his muzzle seeking her spine with a nip.

Luke seemed also surprised by her action, but not nearly like Harlyn was.  He gave her a gentle smile that warmed her tension.  He paused, as though deliberating something.  She assumed he was deciding what to say to fill the awkward silence that was beginning to stretch between them while her own mind reeled with conflict and instinct.  She needed to leave; to walk away from whatever this sudden heat was between them.  And yet, the druid stood still, unable to move as Luke came towards her again.

She felt his fur brush against hers as he moved his muzzle past her neck.  The touch upon her spine was undeniably sensual, but forbidden, but.. electrifying.  Harlyn didn't trust herself to move, but without even realizing it she had - into him.  She tilted her chin up with a heady breath, her eyes closing as she returned the ministrations upon his neck and shoulder.  Her tail swung high as want and primal instinct drove her.  Somewhere in her mind, her better sense was reaching desperately to regain control.  But for the moment, she was a young wolf again - free of attachments and lost in the beauty and celebration of love, beyond consequence.

Sense was chased out, dominated by impulse and the pursuit of the moment's pleasures. She moved in to him and his mind ceased to think; his body reacting to the sensation of touch, and his heart reaching for more closeness, more intimacy, more of that physical connection the white wolf desired most in life. She moved into him, her teeth playing at his neck and shoulder, and he responded with a lustful croon as his nosed and nuzzled at her spine and flank. There was an increasing intensity to his actions, and he nibbled and preened her hip with an indescribable haste, unwittingly driven by her ripe scent.

Harlyn had always determined that in her entire life, she would only ever be with one man.  That man would be her mate, her co-alpha, and the father of every child she would ever bear.  Were she to lose him too soon, she would never take another.  She had devoted herself long before she'd ever even met him, and she'd held true to her personal standards every day of her life - having trysts with only women when her carnal cravings arose and never allowing a single man to touch her, nor ever letting them believe that they could.

It was Mordecai who had changed that.  He had caused her to deviate when she had chosen to follow him instead of the path she'd always walked.  All signs now seemed to be pointing them both towards that goal again, but what were they really?  Alphas yes, but mates?  He had never returned the confession she'd made to him before they'd left the Plateau, and she did often wonder if there was a reason for that.  But he'd followed her here.  He'd stood to lead by her side.  There was obvious affection between them, and yet they now seemed.. stuck.

Harlyn felt the ministrations on her flank and tried to realize that she only felt so pessimistic towards her relationship with Mordecai because of how she wanted this moment with another to move forward.  This moment, which wouldn't last more than a handful of minutes, was so inexplicably difficult to resist that she willed herself to believe it would do no harm to everything else she held dear to lose herself in it.  Harlyn was not an impulsive woman, but she was passionate.  She pressed herself back against Luke's chest.

Mature Content Warning

This thread has been marked as mature. By reading and/or participating in this thread, you acknowledge that you are of age or have permission from your parents to do so.

The participants have indicated the following reason(s) for this warning: Luke wants to... whats that word you used with Finley and Elwood? Kerflomple? SEXY CONTENT AHEAD YO

The blue-nosed wolf, on the other hand, had made no such promises to himself or another. He was as much a free spirit in this department as he was in any other. Lasher he had taken for a lover, but this bond did not forbid him from seeking the pleasure of another's touch, and left to his own devices, he would seek this most intimate contact with any for he thrived on it. He was an exceptionally physical individual, and never once had he truly contemplated a singular relationship, the more traditional sort.

She pressed back again and his response was almost reflexive. He lifted up and hugged her around her waist with his forelegs, serenading her with a growling croon as he his muzzle reached forward to nip at her neck and toward her ears, which were just out of reach. Holding her now ignited the flame, and he drew her back towards him and himself toward her. As his hips rocked, his desire seeking to bind them, there was not more than a moment for either of them to decide this had to stop.

Leaving the ball in your court lol. Your choice if it happens!

*disappoints the masses* Awwwwwh no who's the daddy games for the Ostrega babies lol

Maybe it was the sensation of having him climb onto her.  Maybe it was the feeling of his hips rocking against hers.  Or maybe it was scent of heat between them - probably the latter as it was that word that resonated in her mind just as she braced herself for him.  Heat.

With a sudden growl, Harlyn snapped at the arm he had placed against her side and pulled away.  She hurried forward a few steps until there was a few feet of distance between them, at which point she whirled to face him.  Breathless, she fixed him with a shocked stare, though she was clueless as to what it was that shocked her the most.  Their behavior or the fact that she was coming into her heat and she hadn't even realized it until it was nearly too late.

"You don't want me as your mate," Harlyn said finally.  It was partly a statement, but also somewhat of a question.  They were friends.  Only friends.  What had just happened would seem to suggest otherwise, but... No, she couldn't analyze yet.  She just needed to know if what was happening was because he wanted her to belong to him.  As much as she and Mordecai played at it, she was yet an unmated woman.  She wanted Mordecai to step up to that spot, and now that her heat was upon her, he would have to or he would lose her.  But what happened if he didn't?  The white wolf before her was her best friend.. But would he be more if Mordecai wouldn't?  Did she want him to be?

lmao! No little surprise blue-nosers.

He was just about there, they were just about united in a moment of passion, when she growled and snapped at him, her teeth barely missing the unsuspecting flesh. She fled from beneath him, whirled on him, and stared, and he stared back. He was suddenly jolted back to reality, but the amid the rapid beat of his heart and his slightly shaken breath, there was still a thrum of fierce desire, and also a sharp pain.

Still in a haze and not thinking clearly, he tried to step closer to her again. "Why wouldn't I," he murmured. His head lowered, his ears flattened, and a soft whine passed his lips as he tried to soothe her, appease her, still commanded primarily by his instincts. He continued to sneak closer, his muzzle reaching for her.

Her limbs froze at his words.  She couldn't move as he stepped forward in spite of how she demanded her legs obey her logic instead of her hormones.  Her heart fluttered at the confession that slipped off of his tongue, and in spite of herself, she wanted to take what he'd said at face value and throw herself at him.  But there was too much huskiness in his voice, and too much need in his movements.  He wanted her, maybe.  But he wouldn't want the consequences.

"You don't want to father my pups," Harlyn said, even as she leaned the smallest fraction of a centimeter towards him, "You don't want to challenge Mordecai for Alpha.  You don't want to be my mate; only mine."  The memory of seeing him with his lover at the Plateau flashed through her mind and though she was trying to convince him of what she'd said, jealousy rose in her breast like an angry lion at the thought.

He wanted her. He was not deterred by her words, even though he did not know either if he wanted what had to come with her: pups and the lead rank beside her, which would not come without confrontation. It was what she said last, the emphasis on only that caused him pause, that broke through his singlemindedness and made him wonder.

"What?" His brows furrowed. He advanced closer again, just a tentative step, confusion writ on his features, but desire still evident as well.

Another step, and still Harlyn didn't leave like she ought to.  Clearly she was not having any luck stopping him, and part of her didn't even want to.  Her ears pricked when something she said caused him to hesitate.  His words didn't clue her in to what exactly had made him pause, but she had a pretty good idea based on the timing of her words and the moment of his reaction.

"I do not share my mate," Harlyn said firmly as she gazed steadily at him.  "If you claim me, you claim only me.  No other woman.. or man."  She added the last bit almost as though it was an afterthought, though it was the issue at the forefront of her mind.  She knew of no other that he'd given his attention to, and she had always worried that he might be a threat to their relationship.  Maybe if Luke's lover lived in the Hollow with them she may have felt differently.  Hell, maybe if she weren't so muddled with instinctive desire she might think differently, but in any case.  This man could take Luke away from her, and Harlyn would not let it happen.

His expression was one of consternation, his mouth pursed as he considered what she had said. He was reading between the lines, but it seemed like she knew of Lasher, perhaps even disapproved of him, of their relationship, of something.

She had been unable to leave Luke, and Luke unable to part from her, but her words effectively doused the fire that had sprung up within him. He retreated back a pace, his tongue still unable to form a response.

"Okay," he murmured, half in acceptance, and half in questioning. Under most circumstances he was not shaken by rejection, but he felt decidedly different this time. It stung somehow. But as his head cleared, the fog of passion lifting, he was assaulted by a dozen thoughts.

He uttered a soft 'uhh' and then shook his head. He was unable to talk and so quietly turned and left, seeking alone time to make sense of what had happened, and had not happened.

LOL poor drunk-on-hormones Luke *pats him* I'll close this up :D

He left.

Harlyn watched him go with widening eyes. She was crestfallen; her heart sinking deep in her chest as the truth of what his abandonment meant. He wanted someone else more than her. Luke valued something else more than her. If it was his freedom, his lover, or some other future he wanted keep open as a possibility, Harlyn didn't know. All she knew in that moment was that he had not chosen her.

As much as it hurt and as much as it confused her that it hurt at all, the druid was not one to wallow in her sorrows. She took a breath and steeled herself against the wall of pain that tried to close in around her and turned away herself. Luke didn't want her. Alright, that was fine. The gods had chosen another wolf to be her mate, as Harlyn had known all along. It was meant to be Mordecai, and it was time to leave this madness behind and get back to her destiny.