His muzzle grazed along her side, breathing in the ambrosia scent mingled into the tawny fur. Her embrace was welcomed as it set him ablaze like dry kindling, and though he might fight for lucidity if he must, he did not wish to. His heart and his mind were the same in this moment.
"I'll stay as long as you like," he answered.
Reade knew he was merely a mortal, and he could not promise her forever. Perhaps, when their hearts stopped racing and their heads cleared, she'd look to make more sense of this, of
them. But she'd already stubbornly occupied his thoughts, and now he felt sure it was more than that.
Nor would he lay claim over her what was not his, for he could not hope to control fire nor would he ever wish to dull her blaze. If ever she did not want him, he'd not resent that day, whether it was tomorrow or far from now. But until then, he would warm his chilled soul at her hearth, feed the flames, defend her from storms, dance and celebrate her beauty. He felt certain of his own fate and feelings in this.
Tonight, there were no more questions, only the two of them and the stars.
-fade-