h.ow }{ about another R O U N D

Grey grey grey and grey. That's all Sky saw. It blended with her pelt perfectly. It was dusk and the femme appeared to blend in with the side of the cave she had wandered in. It had a slight scent of other wolves but they were long gone. This had been a den in the past. If she looked at the floor and the low walls of the cave, she could see very small scratches. They were definitely those of a wolf pup. A smile lit the female's face as she noticed them. Pups were definitely her soft spot. She'd never had any herself, but it was a nice thought. Besides, she thought darkly, being a mom would require me to be an alphess...

Deep down it was a wish, but she would never admit that. Most of her life, she had wandered. Her problem with authority was a serious handicap. Especially if was a female telling her what to do. Sky didn't even follow her mother's orders when she was a pup. Some wench she didn't even know would get a faceful of Sky's teeth. No one could tame this spirited bitch. No one had had the balls to try. Sky shrugged and laid down in a divit. It only took a few moments for her to drift into a deep sleep. Usually, she didn't sleep this deeply. Afterall, she'd spent four years on her own. Her hunting skills lacked becuase she'd never been taught how to hunt in a pack. Her fighting skills were spectacular.

But, she was used to barely sleeping. Her scarred pelt showed how many times she'd been attacked in the past. No wolf with any amount of brains would ignore the consant threat. A noise woke her. She glanced up, completely alert. It was only a mouse in the cave. She shrugged and relaxed again, drifting back into sleep...

Having left the grassy moorland where Blue had stalked off Esper had chosen to further his ventures into the wilderness, this time in search of suitable sleeping arrangements. His mind was still in uproar over the encounter with the she-wolf. He couldn’t fathom why he had even bothered trying to rebuke her for that childish display idiocy. She didn’t even posses proper combat capabilities to compensate for her foolhardiness. The male gave his golden mane a languorous shake of condemnation, lips curled in their perpetual snarl at the vexation that was the opposite sex. Albeit not all of them were brainless sons of curs who lived in a totally separate dimension, no there were others that exuded actual comprehension for their lifestyle and made decisions in accordance to those experiences.

Dusted white paws carried the relatively lithe Esper on his nomadic crusade through the territories spacious forest. Nostrils flaring assiduously for traces of prospective threats he easily deciphered the fragrant tang of another who had recently taken this route. That information was further elaborated as the wolf touched his nose to the churned loam, eyes closed as he sought out the information he craved out of necessity.

Yet another female, again this one was alone and whereabouts likely closer than she might be comfortable with. Or maybe this one would be similar to Blue and want to give him a place to stay this time. The notion of another perturbing encounter as his previous one drove a shiver through his spine and a grimace to his face as he glared off into the distance where dusk stretched the shadows before him. He wasn't eager for anymore company, but his tired muscles urged him forward into shelter.

Grunting he noisily chuffed, beginning to wonder if the universe was against him on this particular day or if it was simply his poor luck. He was hoping it was the latter for the universe he couldn’t change. Amber tail flicking nonchalantly at his heels he pursued the aroma with tentative, unhurried strides before catching sight of the gaping maw set before him. The stonework withered from the elements was the perfect settlement – if there wasn’t already someone dozing off inside. Ears pivoted, straining for all their worth and confirming the barely audible sigh and inhale of another’s slumber.

He was so very close to the opening it was a wonder she hadn’t already sprang to life and charged him. "Yohoo, sleepign beauty...." he cooed sarcastically as he inched closer to the mouth of the cave.

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After waking up the first time, Sky slipped into a restless sleep. She was fully aware of the intruder long before he had come in sight of the cave. In Sky's mind, there were three kinds of wolves: those who had no clue, those who thought they had a clue, and those who actually did have a clue. Sky was found in the third category. Yes, she could charge him before he reached her, but for what purpose? The scent that had awoken her once more was that of a male wolf. She didn't recognise the scent at all. Who was she to judge on scent alone whether or not she could fight off a fully grown wolf?

No, it was better to wait. Most wolves wouldn't come into a cave where a loner was already staying. Sky sat up. She was deep enough in the shadows that she couldn't be seen from the mouth of the den. On the other hand, she could see him perfectly fine. Crap...here we go again, she thought. Sky took a deep breath and sneezed. His words sent a shiver of disgust down her spine, but she didn't show it. "Thankyou for the compliment..." she flashed her ivories. Her lyrics were dripping with as much sarcasm as she could muster. "Though I'd love to know how you can tell I am beautiful."

Making sure to stay in the shadows and out of his sight, she shook her fur. "It's getting late, stranger, what do you want here?" The sarcasm was gone from her voice. Her tone was now a warning though there was no true hostility. She was merely letting him know that she wasn't in the mood for games. "I have no patience for idiocy. Do not play with me." She was on full alert, but there was no fear in her. No male would ever scare this wench.

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Now that was what he’d been expecting, pure unbridled hostility and a thoroughly executed twinge of sarcasm. Ah, he could almost bask in how unreceptive she was toward him. Black lips felt the gentlest tug at their respective corners and obliged the urge to smile fully, knowing that she could see him despite his inability to do the same. Obviously she was either too far into the cavern for him to distinguish her silhouette or she was simply colored in the way of the gnarled stonework that observing her was much more difficult.

Vaguely he registered the whispering of her body moving further into the hovel in the rocks, distancing herself. “If I said you smelled pretty would you be nicer to me?” was the male’s sardonic retort as he took another step in her direction. Cranium bowed and ears wilting backward he squinted in the vain hope of catching a glimpse of the elusive female whose eyes were all he could discern from the gloomy interior. Light refracted from them and performed their mirroring effect which made their color impossible to decide as they flashed out from the darkness looking every bit as unhappy to see him as he was.

And yet here he was poking the viper with a stick wondering when it was going to bite him. Rather later than sooner.

“My so suspicious you are.” He muttered mirthfully but found she didn’t quite appreciate his humor. Most didn’t actually, vacantly he wondered why. “If I was an idiot I’d be in there with you trying to snuggle.” He returned swiftly, wrinkling his nose as he leaned his head into the cave. “Stop being so bitchy and lemme see you. And I mean that in full respect.”

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Oh...he's not the average. A smile tugged at her lips. This meeting was going to be fun. She was actually going to enjoy it. "But of course I'd be nicer to you deary. But you have to say I smell pretty." Again her voice was dripping with sarcastic humor. It was completely normal for her to reply in such a way. Her fur ruffled as he took a step toward her and she emitted a low growl. Thankful that she loved to fight and was fairly good at it, she didn't move. Sky was not overly confident, and she was careful to size up any potential oponant. Combat was her specialty.

"I believe any loner has the right to be suspicious. Especially to another of my kind, love." She flashed her teeth once more. His next lyrics brought a laugh from deep within her core. If he had've tried to cuddle with her she'd've been like "WTF!?" and then she would've probably killed him. "Now, darling, why on earth would I think you weren't showing a female full respect?"

She stood and shook herself. "I don't think I can trust you...yet. But I'll stop being a bitch for a moment." A few steps and she stepped into the beauty of moonlight. Her silent paws carried her extremely close to the male. She brushed his pelt and ran her tail seductively under his chin. Hey, you can't blame her, it is season. "I think you could stand to be a little more respectful though, deary..." Yep, nice moment over.

Apparently he’d just provided the barely visible female with a positive influence, who would’ve thought Esper had it in her to be so cordial? Furred lobes pert in accordance to her laughter that resonated within the cavern walls and echoed with an eeriness that made him prickle. She was certainly shrewd; he listened as he fed his words to him and spared her another smile before fulfilling her request. ”You smell nice, like something that’ll taste delicious if eaten fresh.” he purred caustically leveling his wary gaze on what he could only assume was the females contour.

Sinew and tendon flexed involuntarily as again the grating noise of her claws to the gravel floor issued a subtle forewarning that she was making her move. Aware of the movement now Esper thought better of his proximity and lethargically began to retreat from the fissure’s opening. Although their banter was thoroughly entertaining he didn’t necessarily want her to be that close to him. He was aware of his own fighting prowess but hers were unknown to him and fruitless battle was not how he’d anticipated spending the rest of his evening. Nor did he want to bleed for being an ass and antagonizing her.

A sharp intake of breath was drawn as the first rays on sunlight caressed the Sky, almost torn between an instantaneous lust and a quick shock of ambiguity that threatened to choke him. ”Well my nose didn’t lie.” he whistled as he tried to look past that female debonair to trace the less genial part of her that had previously wanted to gut him. It probably still did.

He decidedly presented her with a deadpan expression, neither impressed nor disappointed. He almost faltered when he realized that instead of stopping where he had once been standing she was still padding toward him. The silent alarm in him reacting blared that she was much too close for either of them to be comfortable but he could hardly back down to her – that was just plain unmanly. Tension locked his body in place and left him rooted as Sky twined around him, some leviathan serpent out to eat him, a metaphor that was scary accurate.

”More respectful, eh? And how exactly would you like me to respect you little Lady?” he breathed trying to think past the cloying aroma that was luring his thoughts down a separate path. One wholly unconcerned about self-preservation and more along the lines of how many wolves would hear them in the night if he swept her away into the bowels of the cave. He gritted his teeth, the pain in his gums steadily retrieving his thoughts from a murky place. ”If I thought you were truly flirting with me this would be quite enjoyable.” he said as he flashed a mock love-nip to the shoulder before he shied off to the right. His side was still warm and it tingled faintly where she’d touched him.

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Suddenly, the female got an idea. He had just sidestepped from her. A pouting look crossed her features. "What makes you think I'm not being sincere?" As much as she wanted to, she couldn't tell herself that this was a game. Her own hormones were beginning to cloud her thoughts. It had been a while since she was tempted by someone. She took a deep breath and continued, "You seem to be a big strong male...I think you can be more respectful to a sweet innocent fae. Don't you?"

She smiled. There was a little bit of sarcasm in her voice now. Yes, she was thinking about being taken to the back of the cave, but she was fairly sure he wasn't. If he actually did something back it would take her completely by surprise. "Why not enjoy it...? I'm only a little helpless female." She took another step towards him.


ooc{{ I'm SO not proud of this post...but it's a post, and my lil' bro is hounding me to go get somethin' for supper.

’Oh great…How do I breathe again?’

His heart was throbbed almost painfully so as anxiety and other emotions began to crowd him, sensation that were an unwelcome addition to his thoughts. Forcibly swallowing the air in the hopes that the chilling night would clear the fog that was slowly impairing any form of logic and rationale was in vain for even the atmosphere was perforated with her scent at this point. His stomach clenched uncomfortably as she questioned his suspicion of her.

”I don’t suppose you’ve heard about the female Praying Mantis have you?” he said heavily, his body feeling leaden as he tried to move further away. She was playing him. At least that was what repeated itself in his mind, what he wanted to believe was true so that he could escape the woven trap she had thrown over him with her feminine wiles. Damn it being the rutting season where most males willingly allowed themselves to be baited by the procreating scent of their female counterparts. He had no desire to be drawn into such a compromising disposition seeing as the one he was in now wasn’t much better. But there was still a chance.

The aroma was thick in the air, tasting it made it worse for it was sweet with an unexpected spice. ”Sweet, yes. Female, yes. But never would I think you innocent and that goes for the helpless part too.”ted through his teeth as his resolution wavered and permitted him to take a step toward her. He whined softly, wanting to get closer and fighting to stay away from what was luring him deeper into the mist that would surely change everything. This meeting had been fun, now it was dangerous, albeit it had been dangerous from the start as well.

Panting now, Esper watched her step into him and couldn’t stop himself from leaning his head down and turning it sideways to partially expose his throat, licking at her snout in the same action. It was a perfectly degrading thing to do, acknowledging her as an equal if not a superior to him as well as asking for the closeness.

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"Of course I've heard of the female Praying Mantis..." Sky could see his discomfort. His mood change showed his true colors. He wasn't as much of a dickwad as she had originally thought. For a moment, she faltered. The game had ended. He saw through her act. He saw deeper than just the game...it was in his eyes. She stepped back and reevaluated. Was it worth it? If this continued, what would happen? No single mother in the history of motherhood in the wolf world saw her pups reach adulthood. It didn't happen.

Sky was scared, but she couldn't help herself. That is, until his head lowered and he showed his throat to her. At first, as all wolves do, she raised her tail, expressing her dominance. Immediately, she lowered it and her ears and whined. It was embarrassing, but she didn't like it when another wolf submitted to her. She stepped closer to him, brushing her fur against his pelt. Her tongue found the soft spot under his chin. It was a sign of several things. Firstly, that she was accepting him as her better.

She could feel his strength beneath the thick tan fur. He could probably over power her at this close a range. She smiled and whispered, "I'm not her though...you're the one that said I smell good enough to eat..." Careful not to stand still for very long, she kept brushing against him, giving him that closeness he so desired.

’Mine.’ the possessiveness and general aggression that surrounded that thought was frightening even to him. As infrequent as he had ever considered taking a female he had never contemplated the notion of truly claiming any. Most wolves went through their lifetime without ever mating and he was no exception to that rule so it had naturally never crossed his mind that he should ever mate with a female. A growl filtered through his ivory molars, the husky noise domineering as his tongue ran across her white muzzle.

He was sinking and dragging her with him, or maybe it was vise versa? Did it honestly matter anymore? Questions were unwelcome and easily discarded as she licked at his chin. He felt his heart sputtering, ready to give out on him. As if being breathless wasn’t enough he was going to die from shock and lust at the same time. What happened to him being the outlaw that nobody licked and didn’t like anyone? Apparently the façade had shriveled and left him bare and naked for her eyes to see. Her eyes, those twin gray pools that captured storms were focused on him and he nudged her muzzle in an awkwardly affectionate manner.

“You know snuggling with you doesn’t sound half bad right now.” he breathed, burying his nose in the nape of her neck and absorbing the fragrance that poured into his lungs. Suddenly he could breathe again, air was no longer being restricted and vaguely he was aware that he could think again. “That’s true, you do smell good enough to eat…I think I need to learn to keep my mouth shut.” he murmured through the plush layers of fur.

Blinking languidly he pulled back and nuzzled the warmth in front of him. "At this rate we're both gonna out of our preferred comfort zones so how about this." he said after clearing his throat that was taking on a listless drawl. "I'll stick to one side of the cave and you stick to the other and if by morning we still want to do the nasty we'll at least be somewhat sane?"

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Sky smiled. She was through playing the game. Now she had several choice. She could walk away and never look back, sleep with him, let him get her pregnant, rip him to shreds, or any combination thereof. His last phrase caught her off gaurd though. He could actually resist her. That was something she wasn't expecting. Well... she thought. I kinda like that. Her smile turned into a grin. "Eh...you woke me up...I'm going back to bed. I don't care where you sleep."

Quickly, she turned and sauntered off back into the cave. She found her divot at the back wall. The den wasn't huge, so he'd be within her sight no matter where he laid down. In the back of her mind, she hoped he'd lay with her, but she didn't expect much. Almost subconciously, she left room in the bedding for him. Turning away from the opening was something she wouldn't dream of doing if she were still alone.

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That was . . . unexpected.

She smiled and for a second Esper considered retreating to the forest, masculinity be damned. Although he liked to think himself a light sleeper there was no guarantee that he would survive the night if Sky got the impulse to kill him rather than screw him. If digging an early grave was the goal in mind then he was doing a phenomenal job. Sleeping with the enemy it was called and she was, indirectly, giving him the okay. Could he place his faith in her or was giving her that much power over him going to send him to the afterlife sooner than he wanted?

Eyeing the back of the retreating Sky he felt his wit dwindling, the crotchety blonde male loosing his trademark confidence. Looking less than pleased with his situation he fell into step behind her once she was obscured by the gloomy interior and out of his line of sight. He was tired of today’s strenuous activities and the heat that had bothered him along the way had sapped his strength.

Reluctantly he padded into the cave to find that Sky had already gone further back to her divot and settling in – though keeping her face toward him. Understandable, the logic in the face of adversity brought a smirk to his lips and he strode in to select a space for himself. It wasn’t very large at all; the deceptive darkness had given the impression of something much larger than the little fissure that it was in truth.

”You know, you never did tell me your name? Strange bedfellows should at least know each other on a name to name basis. I’ll go first, Esper.” he introduced, trying to smooth his own mounting caution.

Nevertheless he was happy to be somewhere that wasn’t an open clearing where others could stumble across him, with another set of eyes trained on him being snuck up on wasn’t likely. Another dilemma quickly presented itself. How was he to sleep? With this nameless female in her corner and the mouth of the cave just behind him, he couldn’t watch both threats at once. If he faced the opening she’d have the advantage, if he faced her than whoever came about might get an opportunity that he didn’t necessarily want to give. The stretched scar on his back was a faint reminder of that.

Dismayed he cast a furtive glance in Sky’s direction, certain she was laughing at him in her mind. He wouldn’t relish that thought, but he could make her uncomfortable. Esper ambled closer to her, much as she had done when she’d revealed herself to him upon request and chose a spot alongside the wall and pressed his back to it. He was facing her now and still capable of watching the entrance on his left.

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Hmm... she thought. I can have fun with this. Yes, the game had disappeared for a moment, but now it was back. She could make sure he remembered this meeting. Of course, they'd probably never meet again, but no matter how she looked at it, it was going to be hillarious. Watch, we'll meet again a year from now when I have a mate and have been accepted into a pack. Inwardly, she laughed. That would never happen.

Sky was too much of a rebel. She thought authority was stupid and hated it and blah blah blah. The main reason she hated it was becuase she hated being submitted to, but at the same time, she hated submitting. Sky figured that if she wasn't in a pack, she wouldn't have to follow orders by someone she didn't truely respect, and no one would have to follow her orders. That was just wierd.

Sky was exhausted. She was fairly certain he was scared shitless of her. If he wasn't he would be shortly. "Oh...if I attack you in the middle of the night, don't be alarmed. Usually, I'll only rip the pelt from your body and they'll be finding pieces of you years from now scattered across the contenent." She sounded as tired as she was, her voice barely above a whisper. "I know that's something that should frighten you...but I'm fairly certain it'll be a quick death." With that said, she drifted off into sleep.

"For the record my balls are functioning properly, its the head atop my shoulders that knows better than to let myself tag every female that wants a piece."He smirked languorously, like some golden maned feline who lived by unknown laws that were obeyed when it so suited them. Tail curled in an acceptable fashion, neither conveying interest or aggression nor looking to appease with a placating wave it was self-assured and confident in his actions thus far. She was conniving and cheeky, her blatant disregard for her physical disadvantage made this game unendingly interesting.

"Ah, so your saying that I'm too small but would've let me be a hound out of what, pity?" Lazily his scrutinizing eyes fell on the female as her resonating vocals lost their teasing lilt, slipping into a guttral ruckus that he presumed was supposed to serve a purpose. Thoroughly unimpressed by her displayed aggression there was no indication that she was a daunting aspect to be reckoned with. Instead he shook his head and chuckled before his chin touched his grayed digits.

"Say what you will but dawn isn't going to be late and I'd rather like some shut eye before then. So kill the death threats and I'll chill my raging hormones long enough for us to get comfy and quite." he muttered decidedly.

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Sky had just drifted into a light sleep. She was awake enough to feel the dog scoot across the floor of the cave away from her. The games were still in play. In the concious part of her mind, she smiled. This was entirely too fun. She hadn't jacked with another's head like this in years. It was too enjoyable. I have to do this more often... she thought happily. Then he had to go and open his mouth again. If he hadn't've spoken, she could've stayed asleep, and in the morning they'd probably go their separate ways.

But he was a dog, and all males have to jack their jaws at the worst of times. Her eyes opened and stared at him. A malicious grin spread across her features. "Well, deary, I believe I gave you the chance to find out...it's not my fault you didn't have the balls to go through with it." She shrugged. A thought crossed her mind. What if she got up and went to lay by him? He'd move away... she answered herself. But what if he didn't? It would be mildly awkward, but Sky was a pro at dealing with situations like that.

"If I gave you the oppertunity to have me in that way, you'd probably jump." She picked her head up and looked him over. "Besides, honey, you're a little small for my tastes." Yes, now she was insulting his doghood. "Oh, and if you were actually so stupid as to assume I would sleep deeply enough to let you even get within about a tail-length of my body, I'd like you to try it and see what happens. Just a warning..." Her voice went from feminine to a growl in an instant. "I'll kill you."

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