Surrender what you are,
#1
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Sexy Drey. (: The Dampwoods. Backdated sometime in early march. 300+

Alexey had to get as far away from Dahlia de Mai as possible. She needed some fresh air, a sacred place where she could escape from her problems. There were many things she could handle, but getting into an argument with the Lillium was not one of them. Poor excuse of a leader! Lousy father! Oh, how she regretted not saying those things out loud. Thankfully, she’d had enough common sense to just walk away from him. She had no set destination in mind; her paws were leading her north and that was good enough for her, even if Inferni was a little too close for comfort.


The sun shone brightly, consequently turning some of the snow into a slushy substance. Add plenty of mud to the recipe and you’ve got yourself a pretty messy combo. It didn’t take her very long to realize that she did not like the gooey mess she was stepping in. Not only did it taint her golden pelt, but it also screwed up her balance. Walking on two legs was hard enough without the unnecessary obstacles.


As she ventured a little deeper in the forest, an oversized root caught hold of her right foot. Things evidently just kept on getting better. Alexey wasn’t sure if she should worry about the pain that jolted through her leg as she toppled over, or the embarrassing possibility that someone might’ve actually seen her fall. She couldn’t hold back the high-pitched squeak that escaped her throat as mud splashed in her face. Fuck! Bringing her hands up wipe away the earthy matter from her face, Alexey couldn’t help but let out a “Damn you!” aimed at her tree assailant before using her other leg to kick the root.


Tears welled up in the corner of her eyes. Her eyes were stinging and her leg was hurting, but no physical pain was greater than the hit her ego had just taken.
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#2
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OOC: WOOT excited!


Her scent was definitely getting stronger. It had taken the russet male weeks to track his younger sister down, but he was sure now that he was headed in the right direction. The forest was thick here, and Kol's scent, though faint, clung to the trees and rocks unmistakably. She'd known where she was going too, as the trail had never wavered in confusion or uncertainty, instead remaining nearly straight on as the male had followed it from the Valley.


The Stormbringer male made the journey now in his full luperci form, finding that it had been much easier to navigate the fire-ravaged previous territory when one had hands to grasp things for balance. The silver trinkets and colored beads clinging to his long mane shot beams of light around the area, an obvious signal to any curious person that he was there. Normally, when in unfamiliar territory, these glaring signs were removed from his pelt, for unfamiliar territory usually meant a scouting foray. But here past the ruined lands of the original Bleeding Souls he was scouting for something much different, and wished to let the inhabitants know that he was not sneaking around for some diabolical purpose.



The quiet peace of the forest was suddenly broken by a squeal of distress, and the male's ears shot up. Emerald eyes darted wildly for the source of the sound, finally coming to rest on the rather raggedy form of a female luperci. It was hard to tell what color she was under the mud, and the blood red male found himself hurrying over to make sure she was alright. He arrived just in time to hear the female's little curse at the offending tree which had apparently caused her tumble. He supressed the witty comment he would have made, opting to make sure the girl wasn't hurt before attempting to lighten the situation with any sort of humor. "Hey, are you ok? You didn't break anything did you? You came down pretty hard." A quick overview gave him the impression the stranger was unhurt, but you could never be positive.
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#3
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Alexey silently cursed herself as she caught sight of a chestnut-colored figure headed her way. Her shriek had more than likely alerted anyone in the vicinity, including whoever this fellow was. Mud-covered ears instantly flattened against her head as the imposing male closed in on the distance between them. She couldn’t recognize him, although there was a familiar aura that now tickled her nostrils. “I’m fine, thanks,” she said with a pout, wrinkling her nose in annoyance as she tried to break free from Mother Nature’s grasp.


It was then that she finally mustered up the courage to finally get a look at the stranger; honey-hued eyes locked with his emerald gaze for what seemed to be an eternity. There was definitely something familiar about this male, his presence was oddly comforting and yet Alexey was positive they’d never met before. She was shamelessly scrutinizing his face, looking for anything that might give his identity away: Beads. Silver ornaments. His jewelry was similar to Kol’s, now that she thought about it. But there was no blatant physical resemblance.


Extending a hand toward the other male, Lexey waited patiently for some assistance. “Help me up?” she asked, using her benign injury as an excuse to get to know her knight in shining armor.


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#4
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As the female's eyes locked with his own, the male felt his heartbeat quicken ever so slightly. Whatever color her fur was beneath the mud, those eyes were an unmistakable vivid gold that brought to mind the sweetness of honey. For a moment, the Stormbringer's usually suave and debonair demeanor around women completely evaporated. Bright green eyes blinked softly as he lost himself in those warm pools of citrine, until the girl's words broke the spell. In an instant, he collected himself, reaching out his hand without hesitation to help the female to her wobbley feet.


"Lemme guess, you weren't born a luperci, were you? Either that or you've never spent much time shifted before." The male wrinkled his nose as he looked her over. There was no denying the beauty in her feminine body, but it was shadowed by the clumsiness that coated her stance and movements. "You're a gangley thing, aren't you?" Ah yes, the old addage about a male picking on a girl just because he liked her. Truth be told the luperci wasn't intending to be hurtful or rude, but he also didn't know exactly how to react to the way this strange girl had made him feel only moments before. He felt oddly out of sorts...and he didn't quite like it.
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#5
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Alexey closed her hand around his, using his help to lift herself off the ground and onto her clumsy feet. She’d never felt this drawn to a complete stranger, which is why she held onto him for a good moment before finally loosening her grip and letting go. From a standing point of view, he didn’t seem so intimidating anymore. The tawny girl nodded curtly as to confirm his assumption but she provided no specific answer. Telling him about her relationship with Aiden and how it had caused her to turn into a luperci wasn’t a subject she wanted to discuss with someone she barely knew, especially not him.


Men seemed to have this infallible talent when it came to ruining the moment. Lexey felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment when her white knight described her as “gangly”. What bothered her the most was that she had absolutely no idea what to answer him. Not being able to retort with a witty comment of her own annoyed the hell out of her. “I guess you could say that,” she admitted, suddenly feeling quite awkward.


The Dahlian female tentatively applied pressure on her injured leg, checking to see if she could walk normally. It seemed okay. She then turned away from the green-eyed male and started walking toward a nearby stream. Washing her face seemed like the way to go so she did just that, taking the time to clean her precious necklace also. “I’m Alexey by the way,” she said, suddenly turning her attention back to the chestnut-colored luperci.



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#6
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I couldn't resist making sure Drey was CERTAIN who that necklace belonged to. XDDD We can just say Lexey didn't noticed the initials on it or did know they were there, doesn't matter which. ^^ I love drama. XDDDDD The initials stand for "Rain" and "Fly."


He couldn't help but follow the girl as she walked to the stream, watching from a few paces away as she cleaned the mud from her form. He had no idea what it was about this particular female that held him in such awe, but it was like nothing he'd ever felt before. He warred within himself between the way he felt and the way he usually acted around women, supressing the way watching her made his heart do backflips.


The sun glinted off the girl's silver necklace as she wiped the muck from it, and his emerald eyes narrowed. The necklace was in the silver shape of a triskele, a symbol long beloved by the female descendants of the Stormbringer line. Was she...family? How? No...she hadn't the look of his bloodline about her, and Kol would have mentioned her if she were related. The fact that she bore a triskele necklace may have been put aside from that moment on, except for the details the male noticed upon closer inspection. As it spun in the girl's hand, tiny imperfections were revealed on its reverse side.


The girl's name barely registered in the male's head as he suddenly closed the gap between them. He snatched the pendant in his hand, turning it for a closer look at the inscription he'd seen. The crude forms of the letters "R. F." were unmistakable as he peered at them. "Where did you get this? This belongs to my cousin, how the hell did you get it??" Aiden had been ambushed by a group of Dawnrunners on his way to the Valley to aide in the war. The male remembered his ebony cousin never once taking off his mother's necklace, and he'd quite vividly remembered the absence of it when he and Wraith had found him severely injured. No one had questioned the whereabouts of it, figuring that Aiden was simply too devistated by its loss to inquire about it.


The crimson luperci's eyes blazed angrily as he towered over the gangly female, the wonder and enchantment she'd cast over him completely vanished as he stared her down. How else could she have acquired Aiden's most valued possession? She had to have been involved with the Dawnrunners...and she would pay...
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#7
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There were very few things Alexey held close to her heart: that necklace was one of them. There was no way in hell she would’ve let go if she hadn’t been taken by surprise. What was the meaning of this? His demeanor had changed dramatically and the tawny girl did not know what to make of it. Whatever his problem was, he had taken away something that belonged to her and she wanted it back, now. Curling her upper lip into a snarl, the Dahlian femme did not hesitate to show him that she meant business. “That’s mine! Give it back or I’ll-“ Wait, what? She almost choked on her own threats as the stranger revealed who he was. Aiden’s cousin?


From the numerous talks she’d had with Kol about her family, Lexey knew the Stormbringers were a big clan. But if he was Aiden’s cousin, there was a chance that he was one of Kol’s siblings too. Her snarl turned into a helpless whine as she shook her head frantically. “Give it back,” she repeated, almost begging him to comply. “Aiden wanted me to have it,” Her lower lip quivered as she vainly tried to explain how she’d gotten the necklace. God, why were things so complicated?


“It’s the truth. Kol brought it home,” she continued, eyeing the silver triskele. Then the Lierre felt a sudden pang of guilt, finding it morally wrong that she felt so attracted to her former lover’s cousin. Oh, she would burn in hell for this.



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#8
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The big male growled threateningly as the girl tried to grab at the piece of jewelry he now held. He kept it easily out of her reach, his emerald eyes hard as ice as he stared her down. Then suddenly it was as if something palpably snapped in the air. The female's entire aura changed, her face falling from enraged to confused, and then finally to desperate and pleading. The Stormbringer's eyes remained hard, but his snarl faded as he watched her every move, her words settling into his mind as his eyes glared.


Taut muscles rippled beneath his crimson fur as he refused to relax his stance. He'd been caught off guard many times by similar tactics from the Stormbringers' longtime enemies, and this situation was no different. It mattered little that the tawny girl knew the names of his cousin and sister, for he probably knew the names of every one of the Dawnrunners that inhabited the Valley as well. But something in her eyes caught the male and held him, a sincerity he'd never seen anyone able to fake before. Ever so slightly, his stance began to loosen.


"So my sister brought it back to you, did she?" Still wary, he took a moment to finally take in her scent. She bore the same unmistakable pack scent that Kol had, and more than that, his sister's scent was intertwined quite intimately with this female's own. It was almost as though the two females shared a den or some such together. But still..."Why then? Tell me exactly why Aiden would give his most precious belonging to a female from another world whom no one even knew existed? It's a pretty story, little fugl, but just how much of it is true? And I'm assuming you're from the same pack, but exactly how close are you to Kol?" Kol had always been one of the smarter and more cautious members of his family, but she also had a notorious naive streak. Even she could be fooled and tricked if she'd place all of her trust in the wrong person.
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#9
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300+

Alexey couldn’t help but release an exasperated sigh when the male spoke once more. He was merely repeating everything she’d just explained to him, making her grow even more impatient. Unfortunately, the necklace was still in his possession; she had no choice but to comply and give him the information he wanted. “Yes, she brought it back to me. Are you deaf or something?” she quipped, folding her arms beneath her chest to demonstrate her mounting annoyance. What else did he want from her? Her life’s story?


Now that she knew who he was, she didn’t feel so intimidated anymore. Actually, she was quite confident that Kol would personally make his life hell if the male tried harming her in any way. The questions just kept on coming and Alexey ignored them for the most part, until the chestnut-colored wolf referred to her as a “fugl”, whatever that was. “Little what?” she snapped, a suspicious frown settling on her face. If it wasn’t for the jewelry he still held in his hand, Alexey would’ve walked away right then and there.


He infuriated her! Her relationship with Aiden was none of his damned business and yet, he still insisted on knowing every little detail. “Aiden and I were-“ she paused for a moment, wondering why she was even telling him anything. “We were intimate for a while.” Lexey then turned her eyes away from her best friend’s brother, as if embarrassed by the sudden revelation. “And if you must know, your sister happens to be my best friend. I can’t say she’s ever mentioned one of her brothers being a complete jerk though,” she spat, her gaze returning to the piece of jewelry in the male’s hands.


The attraction was still there but the Dahlian female did her best to ignore it. No male was going to control her like that. “Now give it back,”




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#10
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His expression never changed as he watched the shifting emotions play across the girl's face. Her honey eyes bespoke nothing but honesty in her words, and a pang of guilt lanced through his heart as she mentioned her time with Aiden with obvious regret and pain. His cousin must have hurt her badly when he'd left, and the anger he'd felt toward Alexey was quickly redirected at his blue-eyed kin. If he'd felt committed enough to the tawny girl to give her the one possession he treasured above all else, then why the hell wasn't the asshole coming back for her?


The muscles in the male's jaw clenched tightly as he pulled himself away from the female's face, his large paw-hand opening as he gestured for her to take back the necklace. His rumbling baritone was tinged with controlled anger and annoyance at the disregard his Oriel cousin had had for one who'd apparently meant so much to him. "Forgive me. Aiden was ambushed on his way to Solbjorg Valley, and when we realized his necklace was missing, we all assumed the ones responsible had taken it as a sort of trophy. No one had any inkling that Kol knew where it was all along. I guess that's what happens when everyone makes an assumption and no one asks a question; you look immensely stupid."


He sighed as he finished his apology, releasing the rest of his anger and tension as he did so. "My name is Dreyrugr, and I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me for the misunderstanding. Aiden must be the most foolish male on earth to abandon a woman like you." He bowed deeply as he spoke, finally introducing himself properly, his green eyes twinkling as he complimented the girl. He spoke the truth as he saw it; Alexey had intrigued and impressed him so far, and it was probably a good thing Drey wouldn't see his cousin for a very long time. He was furious on behalf of the Koios girl, and Drey was not known for controlling his wild temper.

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#11
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300+

She had won. Relief washed over the Koios girl as the male’s hand opened, revealing the piece of jewelry that had once belonged to Aiden’s mother. She glanced up at him for a moment, wrinkling her nose suspiciously. Was this one of his tricks? It didn’t seem like it, but she exerted caution nonetheless. Alexey didn’t know what he was capable of. After all, he’d gone from unbelievably charming to the devil himself within a split second. Shaking the negative thoughts out of her head, she hesitantly reached forward and took possession of what was rightfully hers. A ‘thank you’ almost escaped her mouth until she remembered that he deserved none.


Alexey felt a little better when the Stormbringer male finally apologized. However, the pout adorning her face did not fade away. It was his next comment concerning Aiden that finally got her speaking once again, a worried expression replacing whatever resentment she’d felt a few seconds before. “Is he okay?” she questioned, a hint of urgency present in her voice. The Dahlian woman assumed that he was in no critical shape or else Kol would’ve said something. That didn’t change the fact that she still worried about him.


The male introduced himself and Lexey repeated after him, attempting to pronounce his name. “Dreyrugr,” she murmured to herself; an odd name indeed but it had a nice ring to it. “A woman like me?” Now she was intrigued. What exactly did he mean by: “a woman like you”? Surely he couldn’t have meant it as a compliment! All he knew about her was that she was unbelievably klutzy (or gangly according to him). Lexey didn’t know if she should return the compliment. She was too shy to say anything coherent and referring to his good looks would only make his ego even bigger.





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#12
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OOC: *loves on to death*


Drey felt a twinge of jealousy as the woman's eyes suddenly filled with worry at his mention of the attack on his cousin. It was his opinion that the louse was undeserving of such care at this point, but the heart could be a strange and constant devotee. "He's fine now. Aiden's one of our best fighters, and he managed to take one of them out before they roughed him up and left him unconscious. Took him a few weeks but he's back on his feet and being annoying as ever, no permanent damage. Hopefully he learned to be a bit more cautious when he's alone. I doubt anyone will ever get the jump on him again." The corner of the male's lip pulled back in a slight hint of a smile. He was trying to assuage the girl's worry, as he thought she was far prettier when she was smiling as she'd done before their misunderstanding.


Sighing deeply, the male stretched out his large form as Alexey repeated his name, her attempt not terribly far off the mark but not exactly right either. It always amused the Stormbringer to hear others try their hand at the language of his ancestors, and the honey-eyed female was probably one of the closest mimics he'd come across. He chuckled as he said as much. "Not bad little fugl, far better than the majority I've come across. You can just call me Drey if it's easier." He winked softly at the female, always having preferred his simpler nickname over the full pronunciation.


Alexey was definitely a woman of contradictions. She'd gone from shy and demure to confident and forceful in a moment's time, then back to seemingly full of self-doubt all over again. Drey raised a brow as she repeated the words he'd spoken about her, crossing his arms across his chest. "Yes, a woman like you. I've known you only a few minutes, but I can already tell that you're committed, loyal to a foolish fault, bold, unafraid to speak your mind, and both confident and humble at the same time. Yet you fill yourself with self-doubt at the drop of a hat despite what you've proven yourself to be. Aiden's an idiot." He knew she'd probably get defensive at the last comment, but right now he could care less. He spoke bluntly and pulled few punches, and this girl seemed like she needed some sense knocked into her thick skull about just who she was and who she could possibly be.
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#13
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xDDD <333333

It seemed Aiden had gotten lucky. The Koios girl had a hard time understanding why his opponents hadn’t finished him off while he’d been unconscious though. Had it been her against a mortal enemy, she probably would’ve executed him without thinking twice about it. Did compassion really exist in times of war? A smirk crossed her lips when the male mentioned how annoying Aiden really was. So he really was Kol’s brother after all. Her best friend had said something similar; however the word she’d used to describe her cousin was “dimwit”.

But that smirk quickly vanished when he referred to her as a “fugl” once again. She really didn’t like that word. Add a “y” at the end of that word and you’ve got yourself an insult. “You know, you really need to stop calling me that. Especially if you have no intention of telling me what it means,” she said, although her tone of voice was nowhere near as harsh as it had been initially. She was warming up to him again, slowly but surely. He was just so damned charming.

His explanation left her speechless for a moment. She hadn’t expected him to provide her with such a thorough answer; words flowed out of his mouth effortlessly. Lexey couldn’t help but watch him intently as he spoke. Dreyrugr was an eloquent man indeed. Her face remained impassive when he referred to her former lover as an idiot. She was getting used to it by now.


“You sure know how to impress the ladies, don’t you? Bet you’ve got plenty of women at your feet with that kind of talk,” she stated, a little suspicious of his motives. Maybe it was her turn to be a little jealous.







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#14
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The crimson-kissed male couldn't help but chuckle as the woman chided him for calling her names. He always seemed to forget that people were more likely to let you create nicknames when they actually knew what said nicknames meant. But the girl's tone and very demeanor had calmed a bit, and he decided to keep his little pet name a mystery for now. Besides, if she really wanted to know, all she had to do was to ask Kol at some point. Until then, he could just keep Lexey in the dark and tease her with it.


As the Koios female commented on his blunt explanation, his green eyes darkened a little and he moved away toward the little stream the girl had used to wash herself. She'd been right about the last part of her response, but it hadn't been because of the talk he'd given her. Drey had never lacked for company on cold nights back in the Valley, but it was never because of the blunt honesty he'd given to Lexey. His silver tongue was usually employed for lies and outright flattery. But for some reason, he just found himself unable to use the same glib tongue on the honey-eyed female he was sharing the woods with. Oh he wanted to, but something in him kept telling him she deserved a lot better than that.


Rather than remark on her words, Drey decided to simply let them drop. After all, he'd probably just say something arrogant and the last thing he wanted was to alienate this woman who fascinated him. He thought briefly about inquiring more into the pack Alexey and his sister belonged to, but he didn't want to make a decision to remain in the territory or not just yet. And he didn't want Alexey running back and telling his sister that he'd decided to stick around when he more than likely would not. Instead, he dipped his hand into the stream for a few swigs of sweet water, then splashed a bit on his face to bring him back to reality. "You know, it's not exactly wise to wander around alone in a form you're obviously not comfortable in. Why didn't you bring Kol with you, or someone else for that matter? You'd be in a world of trouble if it turned out I didn't have the best of intentions, don't you think?" Not that he would ever do anything of the sort unprovoked, but not every beast that roamed alone had honorable personalities.
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#15
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D'aw! End with your reply? Then we can haz a more recent thread!

A change of subject had been executed smoothly. Her question (or rather irritating comment) obviously hadn’t fazed him. And if it had, the male was an expert at keeping his feelings under check. Alexey felt pang of guilt when he suddenly turned and walked away. Had she gone too far? Holding her breath, the girl watched quietly as the distance between them grew. Needless to say, said guilt was washed away by relief when her best friend’s brother kneeled over to dip his hand in the stream's crystalline water. The expression on her face was softer now.

“Kol wasn’t home when I woke up this morning,” she explained, hugging her arms across her chest. Even if her roommate had been around at that time, the Koios girl probably wouldn’t have asked her to tag along. She wanted some alone time to think things through, which she obviously wasn’t getting right now. But it didn’t matter. Lexey had found something better. This male’s company was quite enjoyable and she couldn’t help but wonder if he planned on staying for a while. “Even if you didn’t have the best of intentions, I’m sure I could take you on!” she added with a giggle, fully aware that she wouldn’t stand a chance against him.

She was smiling once again. Her fox-like tail flicked back and forth as she finally mustered the courage to ask something. “Will you walk me home, Drey?” Lexey could feel heat radiating from her cheeks. Had she really said that out loud?

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#16
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OOC: AHMAGAD they're so damn cute! XDDDD I love these two so much!


The Stormbringer male nodded at the girl's explanation as to her solitude. He couldn't truly fault her for setting out on her own anyway, as it was something he probably would have done as well. Then again, he was also a rather large, young male who could obviously take care of himself. She was a young female who moved far too cautiously to be comfortable in her own skin, despite the well-toned muscles that rippled smoothly beneath her fur. She could probably handle herself to a point, but it was still dangerous. Curiously, Dreyrugr found himself making a mental note to sort of keep an eye on her if he stuck around, just to be close enough should she wander off by herself and walk smack dab into the middle of trouble. If she was anything like her best friend, she'd do just that at some point.


The male's face stretched in a charming and amused grin as the woman made light of the situation, the grin becoming a genuine smile as the lady posed her request. His emerald eyes twinkled as he crossed the distance between them easily. Without waiting for her permission, he gently reached out and took her hand in his, bowing a little and brushing his lips across her knuckles in a hint of a kiss. His voice was soft as he rose, lips still pulled into a warm smile. "I'd be honored to walk you home, fugl. Besides, I supposed I'd better make sure my sister is staying out of mischief, regardless. Lead on lady, and I'll keep the beasties at bay." With a wink and a grin, he settled in beside her, matching his pace to hers as they left the beauty of the woods for the path to Alexey's home pack of Dahlia de Mai.
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