I would die before you

As soon as she saw him take a step away, a puff of air leapt forth from her lungs and her mind screamed stay, but her throat clenched, stopping the air before it could reach her lips which also remained pursed. The air pushed at the back of her throat, begging to erupt with a scream should she let it go any moment soon, but stubbornly, she held onto it. It didn't seem as though he was going to go any further and so, shoulders relaxing, she slowly allowed her throat to relax, allowing the air to pass quietly, slowly. It was hot and somewhat shaky still, but at least she'd controlled that little part of her that had wanted to shout.

It surprised her greatly, then, when his next step was not away but toward her. In disbelief she raised her head, eyes once more turning back to him but as soon as he stepped within reach she accepted his presence and all tension melted away as she closed her eyes, feeling his muzzle trail along her jaw to the nape of her neck and along her shoulders. The hair just behind her ears stood on end and she had to try to suppress a shudder but the weakness in her knees gave her all the more reason to lean into his embrace, slipping her muzzle along his own dark shoulder blade and resting it at the base of his neck where the fur was thickest.

She drew in a breath and it fought its way back out, and this time, she allowed herself to vocalize what had once threatened to emerge as a shout and not presented itself as a quiet plea. "Stay."

Avatars by Arla!

He was astounded that she did not reject his attempt at comfort, but accepted it. He could feel her breath on his nape, warm and heavy, causing the small line of hair along his spine to raise. Her knees seemed to fall from beneath her lithe frame and she leaned into him, his own body easily supporting the weight of them both, creating an immediate coaptation of their two opposite bodies. He couldn't bring himself to say anything in that moment. His heart thrummed inside his chest cavity, his ears pulsing with each beat, and he was sure Sage could feel it also. He watched as the fur along her spine rose but it didn't feel that it was a protective instinct to warn him away - but a surprised response to his affections.

He remained with her a moment, standing in silence, until she spoke. Her words broke the sound of the pulsating inside his ears but he didn't remove himself just yet. Many a time the black wolf had thought about this and what he would say given the opportunity, but it had come and nearly gone and all he wanted to do was savor it. His reality for once had surpassed the expectations, but he couldn't bring himself to tell her that just yet. He didn't know the intentions of her affections and so it encumbered his own; he would save it for another time, just in hopes of not causing an unsettling moment. Her own confession was soft and caused his heart to nearly come to a complete halt.

He reluctantly removed himself from her embrace to look her in the eye. Using his muzzle to lift her own gently his ears fell backward in an affectionate gesture,"I will always stay with you, Sage. If you will have me that is," he said a small smile splitting his maw to show that he was genuine about his promise.

(This post was last modified: Jul 29, 2013, 03:02 PM by Faol.)

Acceptance. She could feel him soften against her in a tender way when he said that he would stay with her.A small smile pulled at the corner of her lips when he put the decision in her ballpark, but there was no need to reply- of course she wanted him there. She knew that she alone could not accept him into the pack but she felt compelled to stay with him a few moments longer so that she could enjoy his closeness, the feel of his fur against her cheek and the strength of his shoulder under her chin.While it was not the instant, passionate need she'd felt when she first met Rhysis, her affection for Faol was still warm, tangible and delightful.

Naturally, the woman would need permission for her friend to join the pack and she felt her heartbeat quicken for a moment, until she realized that it would not be such a scene- it wasn't as though Faol would make an idiot of himself. She prayed that it would be Naira, not Mapplethorpe, who came to accept Faol into the pack, she knew that even Mapplethorpe, that man of many masks, would have a difficult time finding fault with Faol. She also baguely remembered speaking with Naira about a stranger she'd met, and that stranger had been Faol, so perhaps it would make his introduction easier.

Finally she pulled away and tilted her head back, releasing a summoning howl for one of the leaders so that @Naira or @Mapplethorpe would be able to come and potentially accept Faol into the pack.

Avatars by Arla!

my milkshake brings all the boys to the pass

and they're like, it's better than your ass

It was not unusual for Naira to be somewhere near the borders at this time of the day so when Sagacity’s call went up, it did not take her long to pinpoint where the scout was located. When another wolf came into view she momentarily paused, taking in the sight before her. Recognition was quick to dawn on her face although she could not find a name for the stranger she had last seen at Arbol Rosado. A smirk was quick to crack her serious facade as she casually approached, her usual banner-like tail even managing a slight wag for the ‘not-quite-a’ stranger.

“So you found us...” She couldn’t keep the warmth from her voice as she moved to press her muzzle to Sagacity’s temple in greeting. She suspected her casual nature may throw her loyal second but she never expected her to allow it to show. Clearly she knew the stranger better than Naira herself - she may even know his name, but she made it perfectly clear that she was far from displeased by his presence. She had a feeling the male before them had been chosen as a potential recruit, but she would not jump to conclusions. Allowing her golden eyes to drift from one to the other, her brow arched in question. Clearly there was a reason she had been called.

Ooc: I'm so sorry for the delay! xxx

Ic:

It wasn't long after Sagacity's call split the air that a form arrived on the horizon. The black male could almost curse his eyes for betraying him until he realized that the female standing before him was the same that stood cloaked in snow months ago. A faint smile pressed on her lips, her tail limply swinging in non aggressive manner, as she approached his silver friend and pressed her maw to her head in greeting. It was almost surreal seeing the two standing before him at the same time. Oh, how the Lore had toyed with his mind. What are the odds?

His expression didn't changed much from the stern look he regularly possessed, but his eyes were still softened from the moment he had previously shared with Sage. He turned to the familiar female, with a jovial chuff to accompany his words. "I suppose I have," he said, his eyes flicking to Sage for a moment. "I didn't expect to see you again after our meeting in Arbol Rosado. I suppose it was just meant to be," he added with a small blackened grin.

It wasn't time for conversation. Even though they were acquaintances, she still was an authority in Sage's pack, and he returned back to their original reason for meeting. He could feel the tension slowly pulling every muscle and tendon in his body tighter at the approaching question. Gathering himself inwardly he kept his eyes from searching for reassurance in Sage's and turned directly to the nameless female before him. "I have come here with Sage to seek acceptance into your pack. I am sure that if you found pittance for me within your family I could be useful," he stated. He fell silent with his request being made clear - and felt as if for once his life hung in the balance.

Sagacity stayed close by Faol's side as they waited for one of the alphas to arrive- and much to her pleasure, it was the lovely Naira who greeted them. Sagacity's tail waved from side to side as soon as she saw her and for a moment she completely missed the look on Faol's face, as she was so relieved to see that it was the alpha female, not the alpha male, who chose to greet them. She knew she had a lot more favour from the queen than she had from Mapplethorpe. It was from Naira's face that she read the first tips about the relationship between the queen and Faol- there was a light of recognition in her eyes and, as soon as Sage looked at Faol, there was the same in his. Fortunately, it seemed as though they'd gotten along the last time they'd seen each other, as neither looked displeased with the reunion.

She rumbled a low, appreciative note as Naira greeted her and lifted her muzzle to lick the underside of Naira's jaw in appeasement. While she knew the Pass preferred to remain secretive, she still felt as though the pack would come to no harm should they welcome Faol into the ranks. Faol spoke for himself and gave Sage a bit of an explanation as to how and when they'd met last. Needless to say, it pleased Sagacity to no end to see the two getting along. She'd been worried that Faol might not take kindly to having a queen, but considering this was someone he already knew, it might make the transition easier.

"I'll make sure he gets put to good use," Sage said, with a small smile. She knew she would have to be responsible for him, to a certain extent, as she was the one who'd revealed the pack's existance to him to begin with. And with that, she waited for the verdict.

Avatars by Arla!

Sorry to hold you up, this will be Naira's exit and you guys can post again or archive <3

my milkshake brings all the boys to the pass

and they're like, it's better than your ass

I suppose it was just meant to be...

The declaration left a smile on her features as the dumpster-mash male went on to request a place amongst their ranks. Sagacity’s response while welcome wasn’t needed, and was met with a believing smile. Despite how tense her initial meeting with this male had been she held faith that he would find a place amongst the wolves of the Pass with ease and so she moved forward without hesitation to run her flank along the dark male’s side, marking him as one of their own.

Turning her attention back to her second, “I’m sure you are capable of getting... your friend settled...” She did not want to cramp their style and with two adventurous pups running about she was hard pressed to remain in one location long. Since the male would be staying with them, she would make time for less formal introductions later, confident that eventually they would learn each others names. With a final nod to the two wolves she turned to head back to her border patrol before she would need to return to the den to feed her daughters. Short and sweet - just the way she liked it.

{Naira Out}