Meadow

The recognition washes over her like the first summer rains on a parched earth. Though she does not turn to face him, Rougaru senses a relaxation of sorts as it etched itself into every fiber of her being. No longer does the tension hold her on the precipice of her seat, nor does her bright eyes gleam glassy with fear and anticipation. Instead, she relaxes beneath the sound of his voice. A wolfish grin tugs the corners of his gray lined muzzle upwards as her vicious retort snaps like strong teeth into the air between them. Her delicate ears pin tightly against her gracefully arched neck and once more he is reminded of just how beautiful she was. ’Why not be satisfied?’ the question lingers on his thoughts as it has for many a day. Why could he not ever be satisfied with what it was he had? Why was he always chasing ghosts like the wolf hunts its prey in winter? Was that merely the similarities between himself and the old wolf? The need to wander… to find something else? Something better? Anything? Multifaceted eyes roam over the supple curves of Vanya’s womanly figure with the same lust and hunger as he had the very first day they met. The sight of her wetting his tongue with saliva and causing him to swallow back the chuckle that rumbles deep within his broad breast.

’Thanks to you I have nothing to be queen of’ the words come as an angry hiss as she turns to face him. Lightning flashes in her dark eyes as she turns her velvet muzzle up at him. Instantly, irritation washes over him and it is all he can do to keep the growl from his throat. Dark ears pitch backwards as iced fury runs rampant through his veins. She takes a step backwards. ’Find her. Bring her to me’ again, Titania’s words ring like a vicious lover’s whisper in his ears. His own nostrils flare as he draws in a deep, ragged breath. He exhales slowly, sending with it the rising fury from his veins. Dark ears perk once more amid the tumble of cream and caramel tresses that tumble haphazardly down the sides of his muscular neck. Though the desert was a far cry different from the lush greenery of Atlantis, he had learned to adapt and thrive on what foraging was available. No longer did his bones jut clearly from beneath a dull and ragged hide. Though he still lacked the sheer volume of muscle his youth granted him, there was a healthy measure of it throughout his broad form. ”I left YOU in charge” he remarks, leaning on the wolf to bite back the last of the retorting comments that linger in his throat. Clearly a mistake. She need not hear those words now. It would do nothing to convince her he was here for her alone.

Clearing his throat, he gives his proud head a toss to rid his jade colored vision of his wind tangled forelock. ”But that is the past, nothing to do about it now.” he adds, rolling his shoulders as he takes a step towards her, unwilling to let any wandering eyes take her from the very tips of his fingers. She was just beyond reach, something she loved to use against him even after all these years of chasing. His husky tones do not bring the doe-eyed lover he has grown used to since she gained her crown. Instead, her dark brows knit together and a disbelieving smile draws at her pale lips. ’You did not look where you left me…’ once again, she has a biting retort and one that he cannot deny. In fact, he had done all he could to steer clear of Atlantis and the memories that Paradise brought with it. Dark lips press together in a thin line as he blinks silently at her for a moment, taking in the graceful contours of her face and the beautiful arch of her throat. A throat that at times he wanted to sink his own teeth into if just to silence her vicious tongue but then where would he be? Deep down, a part of her reminded him of Monster and the venom with which she usually spoke to him. Once more, the familiar ache begins to rise in his breast and he huffs a hot breath and shakes his head once more.

’Yet here I am… still waiting on you’ her seductive tones draw all thoughts back to that pretty face as his emerald eyes search hers. Primal hunger rumbles in the form of a graveled tone not far different from a beast’s mating growl. She moves towards him now, closing the distance between them until his thin skin prickles with unspent tension at the electricity that passes between them. A cheshire grin slides across his lips as he tilts his head to follow her path, watching her enticing lips as they traveled closer and closer to his side. ”I’d say that is all the reason in the world for you too stay” he purrs. A shiver of pleasure heightens his rising emotions as her pink lips travel over his taunt shoulder. As always, she leaves hims teetering on the brink of abandoning all reason and acting without thought or care for the aftermath. In this moment there is no other. There is no Titania to return to with promises of building a relationship. There is no Solomon to hold a grudge against or even Nyimara to demand battle. In this moment alone, there is only Vanya and the memories of their fiery coupling that seemed so close to happening again.

Yet when he reaches out to touch her, to brush his own whiskered lips provocatively over the sensitive hairs of her beautiful brown and white coat, she withdraws. In an instant, the hunger and softness disappears from her eyes and is instead replaced with a hardness and hatred that draws his own head back in surprise. Her pale lips peel back in a snarl that is far more fitting for his own lips. ’You went to her first’ Even without the venom in her tone he can see the jealousy and anger rising. Damn it. He should have known better. Should have rinsed his coat in the mud or rolled thoroughly in the dirt to wash the stardust mare’s scent from his skin. Yet even with the accusation in her tone, the wolf is ready. ”She found me first.” he coos with soft reassurance. Carefully he lets the mask of indifference fall into place. ”It was she who told me where I might find you. She knows just how dear you are to me.” he murmurs, taking a single step closer to her and stretching his muscular next out invitingly.