Moonspear In a cloud of green

Green orbs flashed as the petit femme glanced around the clearing, wary of any pack wolves that may be lurking just out of sight. It had been a couple days since she had last seen Harley, nervous to approach him lest they be discovered. The sun had barely dipped below the horizon when she was slipping like a wraith through the woods, and now found herself near to @Harley Quinzel's den. Her steps were nervous, her heart pounding, as she slipped carefully closer to where she hoped Harley lay. She reached the rear of his den, and crept silently its mouth, her ankle twinging on occasion as it twisted or too much pressure was put on it. It would heal, with Harley's assistance, but it would never truly be what it had been. She had sacrificed that for a measly fox she hadn't even gotten to taste.

Harley had taken a few days away from Althaia since their last talk, but it was under the cover if this night he planned to seek out the pretty grey fae. He'd also been thinking of different therapy methods she could benefit from. They could leave pack lands, find a lake or some other still water for her to swim in, but he wouldn't dare leave without the okay from Charon, not if they planned on coming back. The next he thought of was having her lay on her back and move her legs as if running, and it seemed that was where the ideas stopped. 
So, just as the sun was dipping down, he went out to hunt before meeting his girlfriend. He was successful in stalking and running down a rabbit by the time the sun sank lower, and the proud man trotted of to see if Althaia was home. Sticking his head inside, he mumbled around the rabbit pelt.
       "Thi?"
She was there, though her scent was fresh: it hadn't been long since she was. Heading out and following her trail, taking almost halfway there to realize it was his den they were heading for. Was she looking for him? 
Picking up speed to a trot, Harley finally spotted her vanishing into his den. His greeting chuff was muffled by the pelt in his jaws, and he hoped not to scare her as he slipped into the rockfall afterwards. Tossing the rabbit towards her, a smile blessed his already beaming face. 
                   "There you are Thi, I was just looking for you."

She slipped inside, eyes adjusting quickly. He wasn't here, but she would wait inside until he returned. Waiting outside would put her in plain view of whoever passed by, but inside she was simply a lump in the dark. She had barely stilled when a voice and the presence of another made her tense, but it was not the voice of Charon or Amekaze but Harley. Relaxing, she chuffed softly in greeting as he approached, something clutched in his jaws. 

Her stomach growled, a hungry beast, for as thrall and omega she seldom ate. The famine would have left her weak, dead, had it not been for Harley, and on occasion Dash, helping her. He tossed it in her direction, a rabbit, and she could not contain her savage hunger. With a breathy thank you, she was on it, tearing flesh from the prey with a savage intensity. When she had finished half of the creature, did she look up at her friend and mate. "Harley, thank you."

Harley knew very well how important his tending to her was, having the place she did in the pack. Dash was scented on her here and there, but it seemed the hybrid was the sole provider for Althaia. It didn't bother him, if anything it made their lives easier. If nobody knew about their secret mateship, they could lie low for a few more weeks. The stronger he could make her, the easier their escape would be, the less of a toll it would take on them both. 
The patched femme tore into the rabbit with ease, and thanked him. 
             "I promised I'd always help you, Althaia. I meant it."
Reaching down to bump his muzzle against her cheek gently, the hybrid man settled on his haunches parallel alongside her. 
                        "Plus it's my job as a mate to take care of you, even if I didn't strive for it anyway."

He nudged her cheek lovingly and settled alongside her. This time, she touched her side to his with ease, unlike when she had first shared a den with him all those weeks ago. She stretched out her neck and lay her head over his neck, sighing contentedly. After a moment, she begun to rake her teeth through his fur, half-heartedly grooming the fur by his neck. Her eyes, though he could not see them from where he lay, were distant, and as she gently preened his fur, they focused on something outside.

After a few moments, she paused in her movements, looking at him with her green gaze. "Harley, you said you could help me, with my leg. Do you think-" her sentence trailed off, and after a moment, she paused."I want to be with you, Harley. But what if we ran, escaped, and my leg simply couldn't hold up? We'd get caught" This had been bothering her for quite a while, though she had not shared her thoughts with Harley as of yet.

Harley could feel the faint tension in the air and the lack of enthusiasm in her grooming, but sat silent and awaited whatever she had to say. Eventually, she would say it, and until then the hybrid was very much enjoying her touches and affections. They didn't last long and Harley was proven right at her next words, and with a sigh he met her gaze with his amber one. It wasn't something he hadn't thought of, worried about, but in truth his only solution was that he might have to fight his way out. 
                   "That's why I'm gonna help you with some exersizes to make it stronger. And.... If it comes to it.... Well, I'll fight our way out."
The last part was said with reluctance, since he knew damn well right she wouldn't be happy. Would the Moonspear wolves side with Charon and attack on order, or could he really be so lucky as to have to fight the alpha one on one?
Or, would the pale man surprise them all and let them go?

The idea that Charon would let them go freely had not even crossed Althaia's find, but when Harley spoke of a fight, her breath quivered a moment. She knew, that in a fight between Harley and the rest of the pack, even with whatever assistance she could give, there was no way they would be able to escape. The odds were mounted against them, like a mountain they could not climb.

But exercises, healing , she could focus on now. That, she could control, that she could do. Glancing at him hopefully, she asked "Can we start that today? The exercises, I mean. I want to get better as fast as possible."

Althaia didn't seem so keen of his idea of fighting the way out, but was as eager as he hoped to start her exercizes. After all, it was the reason, or at least one of them, he came to find her this night anyway. Harley licked her cheek before standing, stretching, and answering her question.
                   "That's why I was looking for you, other than to provide and spend time with my mate."
He tested the new title, wondering if it was one she would prefer to leave in the dust or if she was as affectionate as he was. That and, well, he silently hoped she was okay with it, cause inside he really is a big soft teddy bear. 
                                   "Swimming and water therapy is the best option, but I'll have to talk to Charon or Amekaze about your leaving the borders. For now, you'll just have to lay on your back: I'll show you what to do from there, but you'll need help anyway."
                  

He offered her a quick peck on the cheek before speaking, his last words causing a smile to touch her muzzle. My mate. He stood, and Althaia gave the side of his muzzle a quick lick. Her mate. She listened attentively when he spoke again, of asking Charon and his mate to leave the borders to swim. She doubted the alpha pair would allow that, but she kept her doubts to herself. At Harley's next words, she slipped out of the den and melted to the ground a short distance away.

She rolled, so that she lay on her back, legs tucked toward her lithe body. This position felt odd, though she did not complain, and looked at Harley curiously. "Like this?"

There was no words one way or the other, but the smile that lit up her face and the kiss on his cheek was enough to know she was accepting of it. He was hers, and she was his. HIS, not Charon's. The thought of the pale man anywhere near Althaia, even if he was personally okay with the alpha and respected him in every other way but this, made his blood boil. Never had Harley ever thought of taking a life, but if it meant defending his mate.... Then perhaps the choice would be made for him, by someone else or even just by instinct. 
Instead, she went outside and did as he asked, curling onto her back with her legs facing the sky. She looked at him like she might doubt him, and asked if she was doing it correctly. 
                         "Just like that. Now, I'm going to put my paw on top of yours, put some pressure on it. I want you to move your leg as if you were swimming."
He did as he said, standing above her with a tiny smile and placing his paw gently on hers. After a nod to make sure she was ready, her started out with a small amount of pressure. As time passed, he would ever so slightly increase pressure. She likely wouldn't notice, being as her leg would be growing stronger by the day. 
That is, if all went as planned.

He approached her, speaking gently and placing a paw over hers lightly. She felt the pressure he put on, and knew that it was light, though on her injured ankle it felt ten times as heavy as it should have. Carefully, slowly, she moved her kind leg, imagining that she was swimming in the ocean she so loved. As she got the hang of the circling motion, however odd it felt on dry land, she increased the pace, so that she was going at a steady rhythm. A small smile touched her features, this felt good. She liked the exercise, the feeling that she would grow stronger. 

Her front legs were tucked close to her chest as she smiled at him, her small form still except for her hind leg which kept up the steady rhythm. For once, her soft grey pelt was cleaned and fairly smooth, except for a tuft that stood up by her ear, and another by her shoulder. With his help, her form was gradually rounding out again, and perhaps she would be back to what she had been in a couple weeks.

It didn't take long for her to fall into an easy, constant pace, and Harley's tail wagged. He looked down at her with warm amber eyes, passion filled and hopeful. She would recover, perhaps be as strong as she was before? Harley had no comparison, of course, hadn't first layed eyes on her until after she'd tresspassed, but she would know. 
Perhaps maybe she would get used to this, though, and forget? Not likely. 
             "You're doing great, hun, just lemme know when you want to stop. Don't push yourself too hard this first time."

He told her not to push herself too hard, but she ignored this. She would get stronger, if it meant using up every bit of her spare energy, she would do it. She couldn't rely on the others anymore, she wouldn't. So she continued the exercise until she was panting and her eyes were flushed. Her ankle throbbed, but the exercise warmed up the muscles and dulled the ache. But her paw slipped, and she suddenly found her leg beside Harley's. She pulled it toward her, tucking all legs close to her body, not wanting to accidently strike Harley with a wayward leg.

Harley let her go as far as she wanted, knowing that one way or another she'd do it. They went on for a good while, and soon she was flustered and straining. He took a little of the pressure off of her leg, and at the same time she slipped. Althaia curled up and fell to her side, missing him completely. With a whine, he reached his head down and sniffed at her leg. It was warm, but not too badly inflamed. 
           "I think that means enough for today."
Turning his face to hers, the wolfdog licked her cheek gently.

She smiled half-heartedly at his words, her smile growing larger as he planted another kiss on her cheek. She returned the gesture, rising to her feet and tenderly placing weight on her injured leg, the one that felt warm to the touch. She knew that, somehow, the exercises would strengthen the limb, but that would take a while. Good thing she was committed. "Thank you, Harley. I mean it."

She felt confident in her decision to take him as her mate, he was proving to be the wolf she had thought of him. With a smile, she stepped toward his den, squeezing her form inside and huddling against the far wall. Surely Harley didn't mind, and if anyone caught them...well, there were many excuses to chose from.

Harley blushed a little when she returned his affection, and was hot on her heels as the grey woman vanished in to his den. He fully believed her thanks, and it gave him a sense of pride that he was doing good by her.  
            "It's my job as your mate, lovely. I'll do what I can to get you back to 100%."
Slipping in after her and going right to her, the hybrid placed himself in front of her. The placing kept himself in between the entrance and her, keeping her safe and at least parially hidden from anyone, or thing, that dared come to his den. He felt safer with her here, not for himself but that he would know that Althaia was not a few feet from him. 
                         "I love you, Althaia."

He slipped in after her, his words reassuring her. Her eyelids grew heavy, the steady rhythm of Harley's breaths lulling her into security. And so, though she was not completely sure when, she soon fell asleep, troubles forgotten as she slipped into a deep slumber. Before she did, however, a few words fell from her maw.
"I love you too, Harley"