Mountain of Dire kiss me like you wanna be loved

Private for @Vespertio . Following the discovery thread. Around Dusk, Partly Cloudy — 8° F/-14° C

After she began to lead him towards the mountainside and the path that she usually took, she took a look behind her at Vesper. With a wild grin, she burst out into a run, a fit of laughter in her wake. She hoped he would give chase and the two of them could stretch their legs and just have fun. With the possibility of future stress that Athena was all too aware about, she knew these fun times would be hard to come by for the two partners when the pack was officially founded. She wasn’t sure how Vesper would react to the work load and stress that leading a pack came with, but she hoped that he was ready for it. It was going to be a change from being a loner for so long, but it would hopefully be a welcoming one.

He was right on her tail and whenever he got close, she would look behind her with a mischievous look in her eye and speed off even faster, laughing the whole time. It’s been a while since she’s had a good laugh, or even a fun time with a friend. Everything that has happened to her recently has just dampened her mood and kept her close to depression. But, Athena wanted to change her life around. She had her daughter to live for, but Rory rejected her and wanted nothing to do with her mother. What else was she to do with her life? Watch her former love, work side by side with a beautiful woman that he was probably falling for. The man had a cold exterior, but she knew he had a warm heart and easily fell for women of power or respect. And she had been one of them.

Once they got into the paths that led to the higher reaches of the Mountain of Dire, she slowed down and allowed Vesper to catch up. With her living here for a long time, she was used to the lack of oxygen, however, with their recent run, she too was somewhat gasping for air. With a bump to his shoulder, she gave him an encouraging smile and led the way. When they were almost there, she looked behind her and said, “Not many have been up here with me. I’ve kinda staked a claim to it and it’s usually where you can find me when I’m gone.” She told him just before they arrived at her ledge.

The ledge fit just enough for two large wolves or at least three smaller wolves, so it was still quite roomy for them. As she stepped though the tighter crack that hid this ledge away from those unsuspecting eyes, she gave her head a wave at him to have him follow her through. Sitting back on her haunches, she looked out towards the steadily setting sun. “This is where I come to watch the sun rise and set. It’s a hobby of mine that my mother and I used to share,” she said before giving him a glance to see if he joined her.

|| Ash is welcome to make an appearance in any thread. ||

There footsteps fell light and silent during the walk towards the mountain where Athena had a special spot she wanted to share with Vesper. Curiousness to know this special spot filled his paws steps as he followed her dutifully until her head turned back at him with a wild grin lifting her lips. Then suddenly and unexpectedly his vixen was off, bounding with her ever present grace while filling the air with this sweet tone that was so bizarre yet enticing to him. Was she laughing? This was a new side of Athena he didn't know existed beneath the usual exterior that radiated composer and a strictly business attitude and before he knew it he found his own pace gaining momentum in an attempt to chase this crazy she-wolf while laughter of his own fell from his lips, the sound foreign to his own ears. He couldn't remember the last time he had laughed without forcing it. This time though it was natural. Natural and strange indeed.

His chest rose and fell heavily in his pursuit of the ivory vixen his golden gaze now settled on, the pink of his tongue dangling out the side of his mouth as the muscles of his body strained and contracted from the impact of running. Something else he hadn't done just for the hell of it. When was the last time he ran with someone instead of away from he couldn't place, but he did know that it felt pleasant to stretch out his limbs like this and knew they needed it. Another bout of laughter would occasionally break past his lips whenever the white woman rushed forward anytime he grew close to her, the look of mischief in her eyes only fueling his fire and determination to catch her. "I'll catch you, my vixen. Just you watch." Spoken between pants a charming grin graced his black lips before curling them back to snap at the tip of her tail in a playful manor the next time he grew close to her, the terrain beneath their paws changing from the soft soil of dirt to the harder surface of slated rocks. Oh he was so determined to catch her.

The terrain change was hardly noticed by Vesper as the she-wolf slowed her pace to allow him to catch up and he took advantage of this change in pace, coming up on her good side to give her ear a playful tug while an equally playful growl rumbled in the cavity of his chest. One would think he had acted like a pup again with the way the two engaged each other now, but that was the beauty of the bond that was blossoming between them even if they were so oblivious to it for the time being. "I told you I would catch you." Another one of his charming grins arose upon his countenance while his eyes shown brightly with the excitement and adrenaline that continued to pump through his veins from the run, his chest and rib cage heaving heavily due to gasping for the thin air that surrounded them in this new higher elevation. An encouraging bump from Athena soon followed his statement and the same electric charge that ran down his spine earlier shot through him again when their bodies connected. Man it was impossible to get use to that feeling. So unknown and addicting. “Not many have been up here with me. I’ve kinda staked a claim to it and it’s usually where you can find me when I’m gone.” Her words filled his ears as he followed her towards this mystery spot, panting hard in the process.

With a squeeze through a tight crack that hid a ledge from an untrained eye much like the den they would seen call home, Vespertio found himself staring over the land below. It was a sight to behold for sure. The sun was just starting to set as he rolled backed onto his haunches similar to the way Athena did, situating his body next to hers with his eyes mesmerized on the scene before him. “This is where I come to watch the sun rise and set. It’s a hobby of mine that my mother and I used to share,” A golden blanket was cast over the lore from the last rays of light making everything take on one or more various shades of orange while his ear twitched to let Athena know that he was listening though his eyes rested elsewhere. Silence fell between them for a moment as he continued to soak in the picture perfect scene before he broke from the trance it created and turned his gaze to Athena. "I don't stop to admire the sun all that often, but this is truly remarkable. It's breathtaking." This was something he would cherish for a lifetime. Never before had someone shared something as special as this with him before. It touched his heart though he wouldn't admit it and it melted another layer of the ice that encased his blackened heart. Things were changing.