Secret Falls The snow is falling like I am for you

Your Gift is: The snow is falling in thick, fluffy flakes! It carpets the area around you, making the world feel quiet and cozy. On a day like today it might be nice to curl up with someone special...

The wolf briskly trotted through the light snowfall as fluffy flakes fell and clumped on his silvery pelt. He was set out with no particular direction in mind, his sooty paws crunching through the white carpet. The trees up ahead were giving way to a clearing and he found himself breaking out into a full-on sprint. He rushed through the treeline carelessly, like he owned the place and hadn't a worry in the world.

The man sashayed to a stop, greeted by a sight that made his jaw fall slack with a soft coo. The frozen falls cascaded down into the equally frozen water below, dusted lightly with the fresh snow. Luca approached casually as he took in the scenery. This place felt quiet and cozy and he couldn't help but feel at peace here. It was like the wolf had stepped out of reality and into a storybook with the white powdery flakes that fell all around him.

"HE SPEAKS"

had a dream so big and loud

JUMPED SO HIGH I TOUCHED THE CLOUDS

She had wandered without any particular care for direction. She knew she should try and seek out Woya and @Adelard now that she was back in the Lore, but it meant climbing the mountain and she wasn't ready to do that yet. She remembered how hard it was during the last winter she'd made the trek. She probably should have gone with Leo, just to make sure he made it, and maybe she would turn around and find him...

She paused, glancing over her shoulder and thinking about doing just that when she heard rapid paw steps crashing through the sparse growth, crunching over snow. Her head snapped up, ears pricked as she sniffed the air - and her eyes widened. She recognized that smell. It wasn't nearly as intoxicating as it had been in the spring, but then again she wasn't in heat now. Still his smell was nice, and yet another familiar face wouldn't go amiss. Especially one she'd had a good time with. She again sought for a name, this one a little harder since they'd only met the once, but as she trotted forward it came to her. "Luca?" she called into the drifting snow, following where the running had gone off to.

Permission from Fly to PP Enera coming into view

The man stiffened at the sound of his name, wracking his mind over possibilities of who it could be. He inhaled deeply and recognized the scent, but despite that and the familiar voice he was unable to place it. Like a word on the tip of the tongue that could not be recalled. He shifted his weight, an ear drawn back to listen.

The steps were drawing ever closer and despite his initial reluctance to conversate, he couldn't get over that scent. Curiously he turned around to face whomever was approaching. He squinted at the pale figure as she appeared from the horizon. The closer she got, the faster his heartbeat. He knew those lovely green eyes anywhere. His tail immediately betrayed him, giving a soft wag, while a mixture of emotions bubbled. Anger, hurt, excitement, giddiness, and sadness all crashed together to wash over him. A shiver ran down his spine, "I...I looked for you." His voice was strained and confused. Why now? Why now when he'd all but given up?

He looked over and past her, all around, but there was no one else. He could confirm such with his nose. He hadn't expected the disappointment he felt to crop up. Had...had he wanted there to be a child? The man gulped. Not just at the thought but as his eyes traveled over the woman to meet her own. Butterflies swarmed his belly and he found himself speechless. His mouth was dry as he lost himself in dark emerald depths.

"HE SPEAKS"

had a dream so big and loud

JUMPED SO HIGH I TOUCHED THE CLOUDS

She wasn't sure what she would have expected - certainly not that she would run into the mysterious man she'd shared a single night with. She didn't think she'd see him ever again after that night, unless she went to his pack looking for him... which she had not. He looked at her as she approached, a small wag to his tail as something complicated twisted over his face before he spoke. Enera paused, leaving a respectful distance between them, even though she'd originally been moving in for a more familiar hello. Silly, since they had quite literally only spent a single night together.

Enera blinked at him. "You... did?" she asked. "What about your pack?" He'd mentioned there might be trouble... she really hoped he hadn't been banished on her account. She hadn't meant for him to get in trouble.

The moment felt surreal and time seemed to tick a little slower than normal. The man looked down and away at the question, a heavy sigh leaving him. Of course, he had looked for her, to him their one-night stand was a little more. Luca knew it sounded silly, even in his head, for him to feel an attachment to her still. Was it as fundamental as being because he'd never slept with a woman before? Was that his hang-up, or was there something deeper behind brown eyes? "Yes...until I ran into..." Did he really need to say it? Surely she could piece together the event of smells he'd encountered. His gut twisted with anger and betrayal. A wave of nausea flowed over him. He'd given up his pack for what? A woman who was pleased to sleep with anyone she so wanted? He shook his head, he didn't want to think of the beautiful lady in such a harsh light. He wasn't being fair to her.

"I was ousted, I tried to grovel to no avail, I'd hoped they would've taken me as lowest...but no." He rolled his shoulders in a shrug, an attempt at appearing nonchalant. The reality was that it greatly bothered him. "After looking for you I left the Lore to find my brothers, joined their pack, and left them when the fires started happening. I wanted to make sure that you..." He wasn't sure whether to keep talking or not, sighing again before finishing his thought, " And any potential children were okay." There was more he'd done since then, but he left out the giving up on finding her and instead helping Pan. How hopeless he'd been feeling as of late without purpose or direction in his life. The young girl had given him something, if only temporarily, and now the emptiness could fill the space once more.

His gaze lifted to meet Enera, and he took a deep breath before stepping to close the distance. If the she-wolf would allow him, the man would approach to drape his neck over her shoulders in a wolfish embrace. There was no point in holding a grudge against her. He hugged her tightly, eyes squeezing shut. Her scent still sent shivers down his spine and the touch made his cheeks hot. He had more self-control now that she wasn't in heat, but that didn't change the attraction he felt. "I hope you and your sister have been faring well?" He vaguely remembered a mention of a family member and hoped he'd gotten it right.

"HE SPEAKS"

had a dream so big and loud

JUMPED SO HIGH I TOUCHED THE CLOUDS

Luca sighed and looked away and immediately Enera's stomach fell. When his sentence trailed away her ears swept back and it was her turn to glance to the side. What could she even say? Her evening with that second man had been very different than with Luca. Luca was memorable, the other man really hadn't been. She hadn't expected to see either of them again anyway. But of the two of them, it she was glad it was Luca.

When he spoke of his pack she stepped forward to offer a sympathetic embrace, only to hesitate. What if he didn't want her sympathy, or apology? Maybe he was angry with her? Then he continued to explain where he'd gone and she glanced over her shoulder, as if looking for the ghost of a child she'd never had. "No children," she said quietly.

And then he closed the distance between them and embraced her and Enera melted against him. She'd missed having someone beside her - missed her sister's warmth at night. Almost as if he sensed her thoughts he asked about her and Enera shrugged without moving away from him. "Sova found a place she belonged," she explained. "It just isn't somewhere I also belonged. But she's safe and she knows I've come back here, if she ever needs to find me." Or wants to, she thought.

(This post was last modified: Jan 15, 2024, 01:28 AM by Enera.)

His brows furrowed as she glanced over her shoulder, his eyes following to scan the trees with a semblance of...hope? With her words came that funny feeling of disappointment again. Perhaps he was only feeling this way because he'd enjoyed having Pan around. The idea of a child made him want to smile, but in reality, that child would likely hate him. If a pup had existed, and he was just now coming into its life? They were better off in this case without a pup. He nodded solemnly.

He could feel her shift her weight into him, their fur mingling together. It felt so nice to hold someone close after being alone for so long. He'd slept close to Pan, but for obvious reasons that was much different than this. Sova he repeated the name in his mind, hugging Enera closer to his muscular frame. Being the older sibling wasn't always the easiest thing in life. He'd wished his brothers to follow him, but understood where they too belonged and that it wasn't the place for him. It seemed in some ways their lives reflected the others. He wanted to tell her that he understood the bittersweet situation, but he knew that there were differences between their tales. Enera had always been there for her sister, as far as he knew, and he'd lost his brothers. Failed them. They were better off at the Meadow.

He was at a loss for words, searching his mind for what he could say, but nothing. There was no bandaid for the loneliness except, perhaps, what they were already doing. So Luca simply kept holding her, hoping that it was enough to lessen the weight of her burdens. After a moment of silence between the pair he begrudgingly let go of the woman, cocking his head to the side. "Where is it you are going?"

"HE SPEAKS"

had a dream so big and loud

JUMPED SO HIGH I TOUCHED THE CLOUDS

They sat in a very long, strangely comfortable silence. Enera's mind wandered, circling over her sister and how well she'd fit in with the savage pack that Enera could never find peace in. She wondered where Adonya was and if she too would have found a place in that pack. She knew Sova missed her twin. Maybe if Enera found her other sister, she could send her that way.

Finally Luca spoke again, another question, and again Enera shrugged. "Just... wandering," she admitted. "I was thinking I might find my second mother, or my dad. I ran into one of my adoptive brothers a few days past, and a childhood acquaintance..." Enera thought about him, and about how @Leo had been in a terrible state. She should have stayed with them. It was what her mama would have wanted. "I might go meet back up with them, help them get home. What about you?"

She was just wandering, something all too familiar to the male. It felt like his paws had been taking him around aimlessly for a while now. He listened patiently, his eyes trained on her in a way that suggested she had his full attention. She was telling him more about her kin than he'd known prior, painting a family portrait in his mind that came with many questions. Poitletly he kept them to himself. She mentioned going back to help her friend, his smile fading, it was a mere reminder of how she'd be gone again. For now, he could reach out and touch her, but this was fleeting. Just like his time with Pan had been. Luca was tired of being alone. It was taking a heavy emotional toll on him. It didn't matter that physically he was handling the life of a loner fine, wolves needed company.

"Well" He said thoughtfully, choosing his words wisely as he answered the creamy female, "I hadn't thought about that too much, I figured if I ever found you with pups I'd step in to help." He paused, not waiting to sound desperate, "I'll probably keep exploring the Lore. Maybe settle down somewhere and build a den site." The man was reaching a point in his travels where he wanted to conclude his nomadic lifestyle for a least a little while. The idea of joining a pack was not lost on him, he just hadn't found one he wanted to commit himself to. Not after everything that transpired with Paradise Falls. The Meadow had always been temporary, he just needed to know the boys would be okay without him.

He looked up towards the snow that fell from the sky, "For now, perhaps we could find a place to wait out the storm?" His dark eyes met her green. He'd considered offering her help on her adventure, but it didn't feel right to invite himself.

had a dream so big and loud

JUMPED SO HIGH I TOUCHED THE CLOUDS

Luca was a good listener, something Enera was glad to find wasn't unique to their original meeting. It was part of why she'd fallen into his embrace so quickly. He was kind, and she found herself wishing she'd spent more time with him, perhaps followed him back to his pack to try to plead his case. Only, she'd had Sova to care for at the time, and it was important she returned to her. At least they'd found a save place for the yearling.

He spoke of his own plans, or current lack thereof. She frowned at him slightly, thinking. Especially at the mention of a densite. Her ears flicked. "Well," she said slowly, "If you wanted to come with me... I would enjoy your company. I don't plan on settling down anywhere at the moment." The Cove was nice, but she wasn't sure she wanted to stay for longer than a visit, maybe get a clue to finding @Woya. "My friend was hurt and I feel bad for leaving him behind, even if my brother was going for help. If you come with me to check on him, we could travel together after we know he's okay?" That's really all she needed, was to make sure Leo wasn't going to die on his own.

Then Luca offered a suggestion and Enera nodded with a shy smile. "I'd like that," she said.