I have always been a selfish creature. At heart, that would never change, despite the way that Exodus has tempered me. I still remember the fear of losing him while I crept back into Iromar where Aranck had stayed. Any affection I had once held for the male had been snuffed by his madness and desire for power. His cruelty had left me weak and open and I did not appreciate it. One day, perhaps, I would admit my part in his death to Exodus. But for now, I kept secrets safe and tucked between my lips, my darkness having become less so in the midst of my mate and youngest child. Myrria knew some of what I had done if only because I was more open to sharing it with her - she had told me of her tastes and while I wished she could change, I know she has the blood of her father. Of everything I had done wrong in my life, Exodus was perhaps the only right I have done in the male department.

I feel him shift next to me and groan which causes my pink eyes to narrow on him, knowing he is about to try and sooth me. It isn't irritating, but I pretend it is because otherwise he might realize just how soft he is making me. When he turns that charming smile at me with eyes full of emotion, well, I tend to yield to him. This love was unabashed and never withheld. Exodus had never made me feel as if I needed to change who I was to please him and I had never asked him to change: he just had a very open and devoted manner. It befuddled me sometimes why he might wish to stay with someone as grumpy and argumentative as me, but I would never question that out loud lest he question it to.

"Bah, two," I reply smartly back at him with a growl, flicking my ears back and flicking my tail down on the ground as I sit and glare at the empty spot that was my daughters. "That is what I am worried about. Puppy love that brings home more puppies," I say, though I know I am being petty as she was too young for such procreation. Still, my eyes stray back to my mate as he rises, asking me to join in and suspicion takes form on my face. He is about to do something incredibly cute and ease my mood, I know he is, and I make a sour expression to let him know I am on to his games.

Yet I dip my head to the side in an open gesture so he knows I am giving in, as I always do, and the moment that he rubs against my side I lean in with a sort of content groan in my throat. His nip makes me duck my head on a giggle, his breath tickling the inside of my ear as I nip at the base of his jaw, sliding my teeth across his firm bone gently and letting the taste of his fur seep into my mouth. The moment he pull away and bowed down I grinned, forgetting my earlier ire as I give him a slow yet seductive look, standing up and sidling towards him with swaying hips.

What? Just because it was play didn't mean I couldn't use my beguiling wiles on him. As I near, hopefully having driven some thoughts into his head to distract him, I leap forward suddenly so that I land on top of him, forelegs trying to wrap possessively around him in an odd piggy back style that was more like me teetering on his large back and starting to slide off, giggling into his ear as I nip at his ears.