Words – 300+

The day was dreary. All day the sky had been tossing down gouts of rain. Off and on the icy water patted the earth below. Jaden was in a foul mood because of other reasons. Across his body were splayed many different marks of battle, some fresher than others. His ribs ached where a cougar had struck him and cracked three of them. Now the rain threatened to drench him and leach the warmth from his broken skin. And, on top of all this physical discomfort, his emotions tore around inside him like the angry feline he had killed only a week or so ago. Where was home? That question stung more than any other. He had damned himself to a life of wandering, but that loneliness had been broken by none other than his dearest friend. Now every moment he spent by himself in the cold rain seemed infinity longer. He longed to go and rejoin his pack and to be a part of them again but knew the wants were selfish. He had left with good reason. Ichika didn’t need a danger like them constantly threatening their peace.

Jaden wouldn’t freeze even if the possibility was there. He had taken cover under a tree near the edge of the Dampwoods. From where he sat at the tree’s base he could see the ocean and the angry waves that clawed up the shore. The water was something he loved to watch. It reminded him of home and spurred a happiness that only came with something close and familiar. So, even when the air calmed and the small droplets of rain relented like they had so many times before, he sat there in his long black jacket. He had removed the cold metal from his arms a while ago and the obsidian pair lay next to him, unfairly matched while he sat cold and alone.

Jaden does. Jaden speaks. Jaden thinks.

Words – 400+

A cold wind brushed along the top of the waves and blew its way inland in buffets, a new and chilly addition to the lousy weather. With the rain starting and stopping on a whim, the new addition wasn’t something Jaden enjoyed. He pulled his legs up a little bit closer to his chest from their previously lain out positions and watched as his breath now cast a white ghost into the air just in front of his warm muzzle.

With his fur dry everywhere except for a little area below his knees, the tundra wolf would easily stay warm against the wind’s caress. His fur hadn’t even begun to shed it’s winter layers off yet. The disdain he felt with the wind was simply because it ruined his picture of the sea by marring the perfect waves. That and it pushed at his hood. The buckles along his body would keep the jacket closed but the hood pulled irritatingly back and muted his hearing with the rubbing of it on his ears. It was only a moment before he took it back and exposed himself, hoping the rain wouldn't return this time.

Without the hood rubbing and blocking out the sounds of his surroundings, the Alaskan quickly noticed quiet footsteps wandering in his general direction. He didn’t stir except for the flicking of his ears to hear it better, whatever now approached. The wind hid the scent, blowing into him as it did, and the steps were deceptively delicate. Jaden hadn’t the slightest idea of who he might be looking at when she finally came into view.

The man couldn’t help but look her up and down, surprised by her size from how little noise she had made. The trained muscle had to be it. Like him, she was a fighter. It Showed with the scarring on her face and the good amount of strength she looked to have to her strong, yet beautifully feminine body. He didn’t bother standing for fear that she might be looking for trouble. He didn’t want to expose his wounded state this early if she did. After all, she wouldn’t be the first finely shaped killer to try and have a go at him this week. The thought wasn’t comforting and Jaden drew his cougar-slashed thigh closer, hiding it from the woman’s view as she spoke.

Company? The words were sweeter than a bladed greeting but that didn’t make them any less dangerous. He was suspicious despite being able to find no malice in her. Company? His low tone hummed, In my travels, few have approach me for something so simple. Who are you, and what is it your looking for exactly, stranger? His voice wasn’t hostile but it showed the simple distrust he had for someone so apparently dangerous offering something so innocent.

Jaden does. Jaden speaks. Jaden thinks.

Words – 200+

The woman was drenched. As he watched her carefully, judging whether she was worth trusting, he noticed just how similar they were. With all his white and grey fur dyed pure black they looked almost like they could be a matching pair. The only differences between them were obvious from gender and their scars. He wasn’t sure where the woman’s origins might be but she had the build to be a tundra wolf too. The similarities and the fact that she wasn’t armed, drenched in the cold rain, and fairly beautiful pushed his mind down the road of sympathy and the warm beginnings of trust.

With a small sigh that was of a reluctance to move his sore body, he reached down and picked up his metal gauntlets. He pulled them out of the grass and dumped the small amount of water that had collected in the before scooting himself over and setting them on the other side of his body. What was left was a still warm spot next to him that he offered to female with a wave of his hand. The weather has that effect. Come get out of the wind before the rain starts up again. I actually wouldn’t mind the company. He returned her respectful nod with an inviting smile.

Jaden does. Jaden speaks. Jaden thinks.

Words – 200+

Thana shook herself and rid most of the rain from her dark pelt before coming to join Jaden under his tree. He looked out on the raging sea while she got situated and made his mind up. The Alaskan had a weakness for trusting women, something he inherited from his father’s teachings. If there was one thing that wasn’t dark and worth forgetting he had been taught by that ruthless assassin it was respect toward women. They could be just as dangerous as any man and deserved more regard simply because of their beauty.

The waves appeared to keep his attention but Jaden was really watching the woman from the corner of his eye, analyzing her careful attempts to keep a comfortable distance between them and further growing to like her. But he had offered to warm her. If she desired to stay so distant from him, that was fine, but he wouldn’t let her just shiver. How rude of me, he said kindly, leaning forward and beginning to shrug of his long black jacket My name is— he had to pause again to stifle a wince when his cracked ribs flexed. Jaden Ohanzee. he sighed his own name and leaned toward her. With a sweep, he tossed the mass of long back fabric up and brought it down around her shoulders. Only a moment more did he spend to straiten it on her then he retreated back to the comfortable distance she had set forth. He admired it for a moment, hoping she wouldn’t reject him. It looked good on her. It’s nice to meet you, Thana. Confidant it would sufice to keep the beautiful wolf warm, he leaned back against the tree and felt the cool wind on his chest for the first time that day.

Jaden does. Jaden speaks. Jaden thinks.

Long is good =) Words – 300+

The stranger caught Jaden as he pulled away. A small kiss of gratitude that caught him by surprise.Your welcome… If he could blush, he would then. He cast his gaze down briefly in embarrassment before bringing his blue eyes back up to hers. He offered a smile to show that he wasn’t offended before turning back to his view of the sea.

It was a useless attempt though. He could feel her move closer even with his eyes averted. There was something odd to the feeling. His stomach fluttered a bit. Jaden hadn’t had the experience in quite a long time. Thana was beautiful despite her scarring and the respect she offered him was a refreshing change from the lone wolves he usually had to dealing with. When she spoke he listened, turning his view back to her where she met his gaze. Alaska. His voice was still friendly. He had learned to talk about it and ignore the painful parts, even if he had so many terrible memories of the place. Full blooded tundra wolf. I spent the first two years of my life dealing with harsh winters and… interesting wolves. His past was something he couldn’t talk about easily. Not a single person truly knew what he had come from and why he had run across a continent to escape it. It wasn’t truly anyone else’s business. What about you? What tough place sired such a strong, beautiful wolf? The complement was delivered with a sincere smile.

No sooner then the last words fell from his muzzle did the misty rain return again. The leaves of the tree above them shivered and rattled. Jaden unconsciously scooted a little closer to Thana’s warming body. The long claw slashes on the right side of his ribs and his thigh on the same side were extra sensitive. The chilly air sighed on them as it passed and took robbed the wounds of warmth.

Jaden does. Jaden speaks. Jaden thinks.

See----> Words – 600+

How often had the Alaskan sat alone? How often had he reflected on the first years of his life and what he should be doing with all the time he had left? So many times. Nightmares of it kept him awake some nights. All this time reflecting and never had he shared until now, with this nearly complete stranger.

He really liked Thana. The woman was… special. Special in the sense that he could sit this close to her, so recently after meeting her, and feel that he didn’t need to watch her as he usually would. He even felt the need to reassure her of her own beauty when she down played his complement so quickly. But he held his tongue despite the sincerity he had shown. It might have been out of place and insensitive with her scarring to begin with and he once again felt a little embarrassed for it. Maybe the reason they got along so well was their up bringing. As he learned when she spilled the key parts of her first years to him, they had a lot in common.

When the woman was done with her recap, it looked as though she might be in quite a bit of pain from her memories. He looked away to give her a little privacy. He wasn’t sure what to say. He had given the bare minimum for his life and she had poured out what he thought might be something she didn’t tell just anyone. Was it fair that he stayed so strange? He felt her nuzzle him and then the quick finch away when she realized again that they were still only acquaintances. He glanced at her with eyes that showed the conflict within him. Why couldn’t he tell her of his life? No really deep detail needed to be given and if she disapproved or they ended up never meeting again, why would it matter?

There was a few moments of silence while he made up his mind. He didn’t bother telling her that her nuzzle wasn’t disliked before starting. I was born in northwestern Alaska to a pack called Uva Atka. Spirit Guardians, they called themselves. Claiming to have the favor of god, they used traded goods and knowledge from across the sea to suppress anyone they could and take whatever they wanted. I was one of them. It isn’t something I am proud of now, His ears folded back in shame, but it was all I knew.

We didn’t call ourselves assassins but the title is fair enough, killing those who apposed us for no other reason. And I was to be Alpha of them, He sounded sick with it now, the words like bad meat in his mouth, but my brother wouldn’t have it. He framed me for the murderer of my sister and I watched him kill my mate before escaping them. I guess that was a little more than a year ago now.

The man fell silent for a moment. He let the trade of words settle on Thana just as she had for him. The pain was fresh again and he couldn’t avoid it. It was now her charge to judge him and oddly he cared what she thought of him. He was vulnerable and a little uncomfortable so he turned and nuzzled her under the jaw lightly without looking up to meet her eyes. We are both trained to kill then. Our only difference is you chose not to. I… He trailed off before finishing with a discontent-filled sigh, I had to be forced.

Jaden does. Jaden speaks. Jaden thinks.

Words – 300+

Dangerous people were a bad thing to be attracted to. This wasn’t the first time he had found himself feeling it though. Something about knowing that someone had killed or maybe knowing that they could inspired a kinship deep within the dark man. It had something to do with growing up around such wolves, having a pack dedicated to brutality like murder. But the emotions were counterintuitive. Dangerous wolves were the type to be avoided, not sot after for their devious or bloodthirsty ways. This was something he would definitely have to curb.

Discovering that they were even more similar then he had initially thought only drew the ex-assassin closer to the woman beside him. He watched her speak with endearing blue eyes, so very glad she hadn’t rejected him for a monster and not as embarrassed about her kiss as before. When she confessed to killing recently and sported a similar vulnerability as he had moments before he wasn’t about to dash her aside. Not when he was guilty for the same crime. I’m sorry you were forced into killing. I know what it's like to be punished for sparing life, He didn’t know what her punishment had been, but his hadn’t been anything more than blunt pain. Some idea of how bad her punishment had been did reach him when he saw the pain in her expression and noticed her inability to talk about it. It becomes so easy. I would like to say my hands have stayed clean since leaving Alaska but can’t honestly. I didn’t plan it and have since given up my blade but I am guilty too. It’s why I am all alone and without a pack in this cold weather, The wounded wanderer glanced up from where his eyes had fallen and smiled charmingly threw the somber feeling that had settled on him once more. But, if I were still occupied with pack life, I might’ve never met you. That would have been a tragedy in itself. He closed the last of what little distance was still between them purposefully before nuzzling her once affectionately once more.

Jaden does. Jaden speaks. Jaden thinks.

Words – 300+

The rain drops began to fatten and plummeted to earth with more and more force. There was a good few minutes of comfortable silence between the two wolves as they sat together under their tree. Jaden was watching the sea again and listening to the rain. With the warm body next to him with whom he had so much in common the weather wasn’t dreary anymore. His mind wandered everywhere except to where the woman next to him thought it might be. He had no interest in using her for anything, even loving her was a far off prospect. And it wasn’t because she was undesirable. It was because he hadn’t the trust in himself to love so easily. His first mate had sacrificed herself to let him live. He blamed himself harshly for her death and would give anything to keep those around him safe from the monster he believed lived within.

But he wouldn’t push her away. No, he was quite interested in the woman. Have you ever watched the ocean? He broke the silence with a low question. She was close enough that he didn’t need to speak very loud for her to hear the deep rumbling of his voice. You said you grew up on an island? I suppose you couldn’t have gone long without seeing it. I think it’s absolutely peaceful, very beautiful too. The waters were a constant. No matter what he was dealing with, or what might be going on around him, they never changed. Sometimes she had an attitude but that was usually only with the bad weather. If he didn’t have such a heavy phobia of the unseen depths, he would probably spend days just swimming and roasting on the beach. It is something I take comfort in, just watching the waves. But I could just be odd that way. He smiled at her, Do you have something similar? Something you do just because it relaxes you?

Jaden does. Jaden speaks. Jaden thinks.

Words – 200+

Jaden’s calm eyes were called from the sea as the Thana began to speak again. He listened as she recounted what the sea meant to her. Nothing pleasant. That didn’t bother him, everyone saw things differently. What set a fire in his blue eyes were her father’s deeds. He had to look away from her as the idea turned his stomach. It took a special kind of monster to take that from a woman but for a father to do it to their daughter? What could possibly be worse to do to your female kin? Your father deserved a slow death. I hope you didn’t spare him that. He growled darkly.

Rape, thievery, and slavery were all crimes Jaden looked at as completely unacceptable. Yes, he had killed, but he would never make someone suffer in such a way. Death was the way of life. Taking what you want and bending others to your will were only cruelty that came with intelligence. He tried to put it out of his mind as the woman gave a few things she enjoyed. Singing and running could be expected as most wolves love these things, but he hadn’t any idea she was a horse rider. You have a horse? his voice leaked a bit of the anger that still lingered in his thoughts, where is the beast now?

Jaden does. Jaden speaks. Jaden thinks.

Words – 200+

He had blinded her too? What a piece of work Thana’s father had have been. The scar over the woman’s face was the only thing obstructing an otherwise absolutely beautiful body. Jaden was still irritated about it up until he wondered if his family could have done something similar. They had been monsters too. His brother had betrayed him, killed and raped his sister, and killed his own mate. His anger fleeted a bit under the heavy, painful thought and he decided it might be easier to just redirect his mind.

The large horse that came trotting towards them after Thana’s call was enough to distract him. If he hadn’t been expecting it, he might have jumped up and growled. But as it was, he just inched a bit closer to Thana before she got up and left him for the monstrous animal.

She looked quite dashing with his coat about her fit body. He admired the horse and her rider from the ground before using the tree to help him to his feet. The long period of little movement had left his muscles tight and his aches sensitive but it only took a moment before he was up and facing Thana. I might not be too comfortable on horseback with my injuries, but I wouldn’t mind a walk. That is, so long as it’s alright with your big handsome man, he teased with a charming smile.