Larksong Grotto American Eagle

Jhala hummed softly to herself, finally back on the borders and finally being a normal wolf again... mostly, anyway. She spent a lot of time sitting in the den with her two little boys, but when Nova came and babysat it always made her a bit brighter. Not that she didn't absolutely adore Tapat and Astik... it was just nice to feel like she was actually doing something once again.

As she walked, she kept her ears perked and nose a-twitchin', keeping a look out for anyone who dared get too close to their borders. It was rather bare, however, the only scent that wafted by being @Hiram's, who wandered through her mind.

Hiram had briefly strayed from the border to pay visit to one of the nearby caches for an afternoon snack. He had unearthed the haunch of an old hare that had just begun to decay. But, food was food, and Hiram wasn't really that picky. When he had his fill, Hiram buried the remains and set himself back on track toward the border to get back to work.

After scaling the ridge, Hiram spied Jhala in the distance. She must have left the boys in Nova's care. His tail wagged as he approached. "Bet it feels great to be outside. Doesn't it?" Hiram asked with a smile before affectionately greeting her with a gentle touch. It was good to see her out and about again. No doubt she felt the same.

Hiram didn't sneak up on her, but she was a bit shocked when he came up to her. He nudged her gently, and she paused where she stood, sorting out a handful of emotions before she smiled back at him. "Yup," she answered with a wag of her tail, studying his expression curiously. She stepped forward to give his cheek a quick nibble, retreating only to raise an eyebrow and study his reaction. It wasn't much, but she remembered it from that week a while back-- it seemed to have a certain response, one that she wanted to test. Trying not to make it too obvious, her face a bit red, she asked him a question, "What've you been up to?" 

For the sake of my wonky-ass timeline, this takes place before the inquisitors show.

There was contact. Brief, yet heated with a rare hunger that Hiram hadn't felt since Jhala came to him in full bloom. She retreated coyly and raised a brow as she examined Hiram's somewhat surprised reaction. He smiled. A brightness that had been in short supply recently returned to Hiram's muddy brown eyes. He moved toward her as he addressed her question.

"Just doing the dailies I guess," he answered. "I uh -- I've been collecting stuff for the ceremony." The cleansing she had recently asked for. Just as the last word passed Hiram's lips, he returned her gentle touch with fervency as he began to nip his way down his wife's neck.

thank god, same.

"Yeah?" Jhala said, tail waving a bit as her actions were perceived accordingly. She bathed in his touch for a few moments, warm gaze fluttering as she sorted through more emotions. They were easier to tell apart now that she had experienced everything-- and though she didn't have names for everything they made sense now that they had happened. "How far along are ya?" she asked him, twisting her head to avoid his nips and tug gently at his ear, teeth moving to below his jaw-- fairly certain that 'taking turns' was the way this situation worked. 

"Far-ish," he replied as he continued his way down along his wife's flank. He had collected many herbs and trinkets in preperation for the ceremony. However, Hiram was still somewhat far off from being completely ready. The physical preperations were only the first step. Soon, he would have to purify himself before he could preform the sacred writ -- but right now, Hiram wasn't really thinking about purity.

Curiously, she pulled away from his wanting touch and began to nip clumsily along Hiram's jaw. He smiled and chuckled slightly to himself as if a joke had been uttered and he had been the only one in the room to the get the punchline. "You know, you're really bad at this foreplay thing," he prodded lightheartedly as he slowly began to sink into Jhala's ministrations.

Flustered, Jhala shook her head, eager to explain her take on the situation-- though she was sure that she was still wrong about it, so she didn't. Instead she gave a huff and gave his face a big, sloppy lick. If she wasn't good at it, why pretend! Though it was with mostly good intention as she eyed him, tail waving. "I didn't know that's what we were doing," she told him, tail wagging mischievously as a smile tugged at the edges of her muzzle, curious what he would think of that.

Clumsy as she may have been, it wasn't that bad. Any form of intimacy was accepted and enjoyed. She made Hiram feel loved, and after everything (misguided failure after failure in the hopes of finding fulfilment), had always been what he had wanted. Jhala was obviously flustered, but Hiram could tell that she was simply being coy. So, he played along as well.

"Oh," he returned, cutting his eyes playfully at his wife. "I must have, uh, misinterpreted." Of course, he knew he didn't. It was obvious to see what Jhala wanted in the mischevious glint in her eyes. "Think you're ready for... you know -- after the boys and all?" he asked.

"yes," she replied with a bright smile and a puff of her chest, "i'm ready for everything." her tail waved and she nudged Hiram softly, eyes studying him. "and the boys aren't here-- they're with Nova, they're totally fine," she added quickly, unable to make a comment on her children. they were angels--and though she normally fake-hurled at every mother who called their kids perfect, they totally were. she couldn't help make a comment on them-- they were just too perfect.

"you'll just have to take the lead, if i suck so bad," Jhala said finally, tugging on his ear again.

While the boys were away, the parents could play. Knowing that the kids were safe and sound with Nova was all Hiram needed to know. He looked back to his wife with a spry, frisky grin spreading across his face. "Ready for everything?" he repeated excitedly. "I mean -- that's a lot. I'm afraid I might, uh, dissapoint you." Those were incredibly big shoes to fill, he thought. Hiram was more of a medium shoe type of guy, to make the metaphor blunt.

She nipped his ear and instructed him to take the lead. That he did. Working his way along her flank with his muzzle, Hiram moved with purpose toward Jhala's rear. Then, he threw a single leg over his mate's back as he began to work his way into position.

had that metaphor been spoken directly to her, it might've gone directly over her head-- not that she'd had anything to compare it to to begin with. to her, it was just a shoe, and as long as the shoe did what it was supposed to do it was a damn good shoe.

holding back a child-like excitement to wag her tail like a crazy person, Jhala held still as he moved his way down her back, beginning to move into position. she pushed against him, a silent urge to continue, maybe even hurry. she was mostly in this for the pleasure and for her fondness of her husband, but now that she had learned what this was, it was kind of like a fun adult secret she had. like, oh, my name is Jhala and i partake in activities only adults take part in, haha to your childish naivety. she kept that thought to herself though. 

she let out a soft whine, a final sound of encouragement to let him know she was ready to get this ball rollin'.  

He scrambled atop her, pulling his wife close as both of his forelimbs hooked firmly around her waist. She whined and pushed back into Hiram's hip. They connected briefly, but in the clumsy tangle of their bodies, he failed to hit his mark. He winced and his breath fell heavy from his mouth and on to the nape of Jhala's neck. Then, with the exploratory motion of Hiram's hips, he was finally granted purchase -- and there, he swelled within her. "Oh shit," he murmered, voice breathy as he was nearly overwhelmed by the sensitivity of his swelling nethers.

Truly, there was no one else he'd rather share his body with than Jhala. He set himself to motion and fell deep into the rhythm. In their embrace, there was no God, no sin, no judgement -- just passion.

when jhala arrived at the wilds she was pretty shit with emotions and relationships and pretty much anything that had to do with other wolves-- unless, of course, it involved fighting them. she kinda had a thing with anwyl and then kinda had a thing with skeet, and then she'd been shoved into a real, mature, adult thing with reek... like head first. she still didn't fully understand everything, but when his forelegs wrapped around her waist and he pushed himself against her she felt like she made all those relationship woes her bitch. she had everything under control, and she and reek were great. 

it took a handful of tries, jhala didn't think anything of it and just whined a few times because she thought he was making her wait-- and she didn't like being teased. but his fires finally took aim, and she let out a heavy breathe as they began the same dance they tried months ago. she had been informed (by nova, most likely) that the kid thing would only happen when she was in heat, and considering how she felt that day versus today, she was pretty sure she was okay. then again, even despite all the mishaps they'd had, jhala was positive that if they had more kids, she wouldn't even care.

damn right there was no god, despite what reek thought outside of the bedroom-- but it was true. in that moment she felt like they were one, rocking together out in the open territory.