06-23-2017, 12:28 AM
It was like a beast taking over his body, fighting for control, clawing and rending its way to the surface, and once again, he was slick with sweat. Running himself to exhaustion could only do so much. It didn't stop the primal urge, only gave him something to do to burn the energy. Thrumming, his blood humming with energy. There was a sharpness in his eyes, a wild edge. Hunter, predator. But the beast wasn't separate. Wasn't his wolf trapped away and so quiet.
This beast was him.
It came on slowly, this change. Had been so easy to suppress, to ignore, to brush aside as nothing. But as the season neared, it got stronger, wilder. It had never been this way before, but then, he'd always had his wife. Had never had to fight it off or try to bury it. Had never had to push himself until his legs were trembling just to keep from craving a body beneath his. Many times already, he'd been tempted, caught himself thinking maybe he should just take a stranger and be done with it. But no. It wasn't in him to have casual sex. His daughters looked to him as an example, and that wasn't an ideal he ever wanted to set.
God, but his nose was making things up this time. Maybe he was losing his mind. Maybe he was delusional as his blue eyes landed on her. A vision, a trick of the light and dark twisting through their forest. He froze in place, his chest still heaving, pale shoulders and hips darkened to silver with sweat. Another flare of his nostrils told him the truth though. She really was back. She really was here, and so close.
He walked steadily forward with purpose, eyes trained on her. If he blinked, would she vanish again? But she was still there as he got closer, and closer, and when he reached her, he sank fluidly to the ground and buried his face into the fur of her neck with a sigh. Real, she was real. She'd been gone for so long. He should ask her where she'd been, why she'd left, but he got distracted. She smelled of Jinju, must have met her first before they parted ways. But the rest, she smelled like her, the familiar scent of her skin and her hair and her fur.
"Circinae," he breathed into her coat, the dusky brown of a secret forest. There was a pang of hurt at seeing her again, though he couldn't place why. But it was neatly swept aside for the heat that came next as he nipped at her neck in soft rebuke. Too long without a word. That should have been it, but it felt good and he did it again. He trailed kneading little bites to her shoulder and leaned into her. It was a good thing he couldn't shift to wolf anymore.
But a spark of warning stabbed into him and he paused.
What was he doing?
He pulled slowly back to look at her, searching her eyes. They'd been friends once. Were they still? After so long? After she'd left? He was too close to her, and he eased back more, settling on the ground near but no longer touching her. His icy blue eyes stayed on hers, and he was quiet for a time, watching. Considering. Then he finally spoke again, his voice deep and quiet, but as just as steady and sure as that mountain in the distance.
"Welcome home."
And he watched, intent. And he waited.
This beast was him.
It came on slowly, this change. Had been so easy to suppress, to ignore, to brush aside as nothing. But as the season neared, it got stronger, wilder. It had never been this way before, but then, he'd always had his wife. Had never had to fight it off or try to bury it. Had never had to push himself until his legs were trembling just to keep from craving a body beneath his. Many times already, he'd been tempted, caught himself thinking maybe he should just take a stranger and be done with it. But no. It wasn't in him to have casual sex. His daughters looked to him as an example, and that wasn't an ideal he ever wanted to set.
God, but his nose was making things up this time. Maybe he was losing his mind. Maybe he was delusional as his blue eyes landed on her. A vision, a trick of the light and dark twisting through their forest. He froze in place, his chest still heaving, pale shoulders and hips darkened to silver with sweat. Another flare of his nostrils told him the truth though. She really was back. She really was here, and so close.
He walked steadily forward with purpose, eyes trained on her. If he blinked, would she vanish again? But she was still there as he got closer, and closer, and when he reached her, he sank fluidly to the ground and buried his face into the fur of her neck with a sigh. Real, she was real. She'd been gone for so long. He should ask her where she'd been, why she'd left, but he got distracted. She smelled of Jinju, must have met her first before they parted ways. But the rest, she smelled like her, the familiar scent of her skin and her hair and her fur.
"Circinae," he breathed into her coat, the dusky brown of a secret forest. There was a pang of hurt at seeing her again, though he couldn't place why. But it was neatly swept aside for the heat that came next as he nipped at her neck in soft rebuke. Too long without a word. That should have been it, but it felt good and he did it again. He trailed kneading little bites to her shoulder and leaned into her. It was a good thing he couldn't shift to wolf anymore.
But a spark of warning stabbed into him and he paused.
What was he doing?
He pulled slowly back to look at her, searching her eyes. They'd been friends once. Were they still? After so long? After she'd left? He was too close to her, and he eased back more, settling on the ground near but no longer touching her. His icy blue eyes stayed on hers, and he was quiet for a time, watching. Considering. Then he finally spoke again, his voice deep and quiet, but as just as steady and sure as that mountain in the distance.
"Welcome home."
And he watched, intent. And he waited.
