Oak Tree Bend hurricane

@Serach March 1st

SERACH & APONI DONATA

 

Despite knowing that this season was too come and for once clearly looking forward to it there was nothing Aponi could do to really prepare. Instead she could only allow the waves of her heat to wash over her, rolling emotions of irritability, playfulness, anger, a solemn need to be alone. The females she bullied into submission, to a point where some had taken to avoiding her completely, the alpha didn't mind. The males she warned off with barred teeth and aggressive vocals, all except for Serach. He instead was treated to a special cocktail all his own, some days she avoided him or warned him away with cold eyes, other days she sought him out to wrestle and play, running her snout all through his ruff and breathing in his intoxicating scent.

Aponi's own scent had changed dramatically in the last couple of weeks, from her usual to a sickly sweet smell that she knew made it dangerous for her to leave the territory. Instead she spent most of her time alone when she wasn't torturing her mate with her play fighting or spending time with Lila who as a juvenile female was safe. Today though, today it had reached an all time high and it was like small bugs danced on her spine, leaving behind footsteps burned into her skin. No matter how often she dragged her teeth and nails through her fur it could not alleviate the feeling and that's how she knew it was time to seek out her husband.

The moon left the fog a milky colour within the boughs of the trees, blending into the silver pelted woman as she paced within the territory. She hadn't called for him yet but she knew that he would come. Just the smell of her alone would be enough to draw him near, that mixed with the trail she had marked with her urine to bring him to her. It was the first time she had marked since her heat started, and it was purposely meant to send him into a frenzy.

love has a quiet voice

This got long...oops. No need to match length! Serach just has a lot feelings. :)

It had been a slow change, at first. The first time Aponi had snapped at him in irritation, he had been taken aback but had not registered it as anything requiring more sensitivity than a bashful apology. The second time had been more intense, and quicker on the heels of the first occurrence than he had felt was fair. His attempts at apology were not as willingly accepted, and he had slumped away in a quiet, confused defeat. By the third time though, his wolf brain had registered what was going on and for the first time in his life, he found himself anticipating spring and the summer that would follow with more eagerness.

Although less obvious than Aponi's transitory mood swings, the male Bend leader had undergone a transformation as well. His head and tail were held a little taller and his nips and muzzle grabs had gotten stronger - no longer playful in their bite. He had grown more aggressive around food, snarling and snapping at his packmates until they moved away from a fresh kill, allowing them to eat only when he and Aponi had eaten their fill. They had all been on the receiving end of his dwindling patience, in one form or another.

One thing that had not changed, though, was that Serach took no pleasure in rebuking his packmates. It felt strange to him, and made him feel uncomfortable in his own body. More than once he had tried to recall if this was how Drestig and Triell had acted, once upon a time, but things had always been so chaotic around the spring that he had a difficult time recalling. Regardless, he did not want to run things the way they had. This year, if he ended up having to care for five puppies, he was determined that they would be his and Aponi's alone.

That fact had worn on him a lot more recently too, and more than anything worked him into an uncharacteristic rage. He had watched Aponi like a hawk. Even when she snapped and snarled at him to leave her alone, he had only allowed her to go so far before he followed. Sometimes he was seen and sometimes he remained out of her sight, but he was always there as an ever present reminder that she was his. He had no idea who Lila's father was, but he was not going to allow that to happen ever again.

So that night had been no different - she had paced and he had followed along at a distance behind her. There was a new intensity in the level of her scent, and more than once he found himself brushing himself against the trunk of a tree where she had touched it, driven to both cover her scent in protection and to bask in it. It was an obvious trail, and he was keen to follow. His heart rate accelerated as did his speed, the logical and rational part of his brain growing quieter with every step while the voice of instinct grew louder.

It didn't take him long to find her and catch up. Pale eyes finding her in the patches of moonlight, he whined earnestly as he forced himself to slow down to a walk as he approached her, cautious despite his eagerness. "Aponi," he breathed quietly, reaching out to touch her cheek with his muzzle.

@Serach no problem! Aponi also had a lot to say

SERACH & APONI DONATA

 

Aponi had seen the way that Serach's face had swam with confusion and hurt when she snapped at him the first few times and while at the time she felt no remorse once her heat was over she would. Now though her mood swings left her head swimming, quickly irritated with everyone as her body surged with hormones. Different than any other year before though was impatience mixed into the typical emotions, impatience to really consummate the life that she and her mate had been building. This spring when her sides became swollen and she brought life into the world it wouldn't be with confusion but with pride, the children of leaders.

The male alpha was never far behind her, even when he was out of sight the silver woman could still smell him nearby. Possessive in a way that would have normally infuriated her but in her current state became like a game of cat and mouse. He would come too near and she would warn him away or invite him in to wrestle before scolding him off. Then the cycle would start all over, Serach would fall back into the shadows until enough time passed for him to approach again.

It had been odd sleeping away from him, something she hadn't done since even before she had become the alpha. Aponi had removed herself from the communal den and chose instead to retire at night in the den she had birthed Lila in. Even then though the woman knew her suitor was not far off, his scent still teasing her senses in her dreams. Oh and the dreams, vivid enough she awoke with a start every morning sure that there would be wriggling bundles of pups at her belly and Serach at her side.

Now though, within the murk of the fog their game of cat and mouse was coming to an end and they both knew it. His whine caused her muzzle to raise in silent acceptance of his approach, the soft touch into her cheek met with a soft sigh, "Serach, my love." Turning to meet his gaze Aponi's blue eyes burned intensely, she wasn't ready to give in and declare him the winner of their game right this moment. Growling playfully at him the mother's tail beat wide arcs into the air behind her, her body tensed and ready for the wrestling match that was sure to come.

love has a quiet voice

His lips curled upwards into a smile as his greeting was returned with acceptance. He hadn't realized he had been holding his breath until his nose touched her cheek, but as soon as he made contact with her skin, he exhaled in a rush. Tilting his head downwards, he buried his nose deeper into Aponi's black and silver scruff, his forehead against her cheek. Sniffing greedily, he was content to spend a few seconds simply breathing in her scent. "I've missed you," he murmured quietly, licking her cheek in a soft kiss. She had been taunting from a distance, but up close being near her was like a sweet release. Or at least, he hoped it would be soon.

Her growl was a message to him that it was not yet that time, although he was relieved that it was playful more than aggressive. Now that he was this close, his nose pointing towards her waving tail, he didn't think he could go back if she had wanted him too. His own tail began to wag above his back as his jaws parted and he grabbed onto the loose fur of her scruff and tugged gently. "You're mine now, love," he playfully growled back at her, his voice muffled by the fur in his throat. It was alluring all of its own, knowing that he held her to him, but it lasted for only a moment before he let her go. However he did not step back from her, but rather leaned in with his whole body to push her down beneath him, his own body tense and ready for the inevitable pushback. The Aponi he knew and loved would not let him win so easily. Lifting a forepaw into the air, he attempted to bat at her wagging tail, clearly falling for the intended taunt.

There is a family of deer nearby. Hunt Opportunity

SERACH & APONI DONATA

 

The smell of Serach near her was intoxicating, as he buried his nose into her scruff the blue eyes closed for a moment. Breathing deeply her whole body felt as if it had been ignited with anticipation, all of her impatience coming to a crescendo that practically left her quivering. Laughing gently at his quiet words she murmured in response, "I'll make it worth the wait my dear," The tone she used was light but it was clear that the words themselves were a promise for what was to come. Not only tonight but in the coming months, and finally at the end of it all a family all their own.

As he pulled on her scruff a grin adorned her muzzle, silver paws batted playfully at her mate and her banner beat with ferocity in the air. It was like being a child again but with a much more mature undertone. As leaders they didn't often get to enjoy moments of pure playfulness as they had a pack to run and manage and Aponi would relish every second that they had now. Suddenly Serach's weight was upon her and the mother giggled like a school girl, already knowing what her next move would be. Her mate would expect her to pushback and so instead she dropped her weight down, waiting until they hit the snowy earth before rolling.

With any luck she would have surprised him, giving her enough advantage to half-lay her body across the man's. Face to face like this with their bellies pressed together Aponi reached out to lick Serach's chin her eyes alight, "You'll have to try harder than that Serach" Again the trees around them lit up with her laughter, never before had the spring been this much fun.

love has a quiet voice

It had been more than a year since the pair had first met. It didn't seem to matter how many conversations they had or how close they became - Serach would always be foolish to think he understood her completely. It was evident now, as he pressed his shoulder against her in an attempt to wrestle her to the ground. Where he was expecting resistance, he felt none and so he fell forward from his own momentum. Kicking up snow as the pair fell to the ground, the Bend leader had no words but laughter. She came down on top of him, her own laughter sounding distinctly smug to Serach's ears.

Peering at her, he accepted her kiss to his chin with an eager wag of his tail and an attempt to lick her muzzle back. "Nobody ever told me it would be so difficult," he chuckled, batting at her left ear with his forepaw. Tilting his head back against the snow, he looked upwards at the dark sky and the branches of the trees. For just a brief moment, he was content to simply lay there with her and feel her incredibly close. But being that close meant that the smell of her heat was hitting his nose full force, and within a few seconds he began to squirm in the snow, the faintest sound of a whine rising in his throat.

Had this been a spar, Serach's reaction would have been to use his hind legs to kick Aponi's stomach to push her off of him. But doing that now would get him nothing but his face ripped off, and so instead he shifted his weight to the right and rolled. Taking Aponi with him, he rolled her off his chest and onto the ground beside him. Quickly working to disentangle his legs from hers, Serach got to his feet and wasted no time moving so he could loom over her haunches and tail. Bending down, he ran his muzzle against the outside of her leg and nipped at her fur in an effort to encourage her to stand up, his bites a little less playful and a little more insistent than they had been before. "Get up," he urged her, quietly and earnestly. The muscles in his body tense, he waited ready to pounce if she attempted to try and get away from him now.

Well this insecurity was surprising, your next post should start the day after portion :)

SERACH & APONI DONATA

 

Though the night itself was clear, flurries fell around them as they tumbled down into the snow; their own personal blizzard. It held for only a second as they laughed, tongues sweeping against each other's muzzles in affection and then the snow had resettled upon the earth. Laughing in response to his remark she settled her head in the dip underneath his chin for a moment, "Perhaps it would have been if you had taken a different mate." Aponi had meant to say it teasingly and yet when the words left her mouth they had sounded serious, too serious for the mood they had just been in.

It was an odd feeling that over took her now, the trembles that threatened to shake her body had nothing to do with her heat. Suddenly she was so unsure of what she had built with Serach, he knew so little about her and her past, would he still be here if he knew about Aesire? About that white bitch on the mountain? She had no regret about either encounter and yet she still felt that she needed to keep what happened a secret. Aponi wasn't an idiot, the Donata loved the woman who was fierce, but he probably didn't love the one vindictive enough to kill.

Ripping her from the insecurity she had hidden behind her mask, one buried in his ruff for good measure she toppled to the snow once more. Silver head whipped around in surprise as Serach touched her, sending a chill down her spine. The two words were enough for her to come undone, ready to tie herself to him forever with this simple act. She stood, tail already raising.

love has a quiet voice

Body shaking, his eyes never moved from Aponi's face as she rose to her feet. For just a second, he was afraid that she was going to try and draw out the game by giving chase. But then it became clear that she was ready to end the game, Serach silently exhaled a sigh of relief into her flank. On the verge of going completely mad, he did not trust his ability to hold it together for much longer and any more chasing would have driven him over the edge. Allowing instinct to take over, the pair finished their game and took another step forward on the path they had created for themselves.

------

A mess of cream and black fur, the Donata couple had fallen asleep against one another after the events of the previous of evening. Resting his head on top of Aponi's back, Serach buried his nose into the black fur of her scruff as he struggled to try and fall back asleep. He was exhausted, but incredibly content - not unlike how he felt after a successful hunt. The adrenaline rush had been like nothing else he had ever experienced though, and as he attempted to snuggle closer to his mate, a dopey smile formed on his lips that was broken only by his fail attempt at stifling a yawn.

Still tired, but unable to fall back asleep, he nosed Aponi's ear for a moment to attempt to gently rouse her from her sleep. "I love you," he whispered in Aponi's ear before licking her cheek.

Just a fade and archive from you and we're officially done!

SERACH & APONI DONATA

 

Aponi awoke with a start to the nuzzle into her ear and the quiet words, her heart racing as her mind tried to configure where she was. Never before had she laid with a male and woken the next day with him still at her side, let alone cuddling along her shoulder and neck. It was different and for a moment the woman had to fight to slow her heart beat from the surprise of it all, but she could not deny that this was preferable. This wasn't the one night stands that Phineas or Samu- Skoll had been, this was Serach.

Sighing in content the blue eyes fluttered close, adrenaline replaced with the warm feeling of loose muscles and satisfaction. The woman knew that in the next few days the smell of her heat would return and with it so would the itch, but soon it would be replaced with the scent of their growing family. Still, even with closed eyes she chuckled at the feeling of Serach's breath blowing hot on her ear, "I love you too my dear, but soon you'll have to compete with a child on who will be the one to pull on my ears and wake me up." It had never occurred to the woman that she may have more than one pup this year as she never had in the past. She was certainly in for a shock.

love has a quiet voice