Onward and onward Maverick ran as fast as his legs could carry him. Venom was fast and nimble, and he would need to be at his peak to keep ahead of her and outwit her. He didn't mind sacrificing a bit of his breath during the pursuit to tease and taunt her, enjoying their game of cat and mouse and the reactions he had been able to coax from her far too much to quit now. He hadn't been keeping a close eye on Venom's progress behind him during his acrobatic stunts to gain a lead over her, so when he turned to look back and see how she'd fared with the same maneuvers, he was surprised to find no one behind him. Gradually, the brute began to slow his gait, peering around to try and find where she had gone to as he continued to move parallel to the Ashen border. Had she given up and abandoned him? Had Venom decided to cut the game short and go on about her day? Gods, he'd known she was a bit uptight, but was she really that much of a stick in the mud?

While Maverick was trying to figure out where the Ashen alpha had gone to, a sudden explosive rustling in the woods to his side caught his attention, but by the time he turned to look it was already too late. The next thing he saw was a pair of white-gloved paws shooting towards him, and then the weight of another wolf collided with his side. Despite being larger than her, Venom had caught him off guard and unawares, leading to him stumbling as she impacted him. The world spun, his back met the leaf-littered ground, and they were tumbling about on the ground. Maverick tried to use the momentum and his weight to flip Venom over mid-tumble and wind up on top, but it was to no avail. The rolling wolves ended up with Maverick pinned to the ground beneath Venom's lighter weight, held down by the she-wolf's body sprawled across his almost as graceful as she had been on her paws, more akin to draped over his toned form than looking like they'd been in a crash.

Maverick was breathing hard and panting as he lay sprawled across the grass, a giddy and playful grin stretched across his muzzle while he gazed up at the blue sky through the canopy of the forest. "Okay, okay, you win! You caught me," he surrendered with a raise of his paws up to his head and a laugh. "Fuck, you're fast! Still gave you a run for your money though, Your Highness." Eyes sparkling mischievously, Maverick flashed a pearly, tooth-filled smile up to Venom, doing his best to resist letting his eyes roam over her body again while he hid just how much he was actually enjoying having the voluptuous fae across and over top of him, the lecherous horndog that he was.

She kept half an eye on what she was now considering her opponent. For just a moment they had been conspirators together. The two of them had settled his rope swing into usability to Venom’s surprise and to his benefit she had thoroughly enjoyed herself. Were it not for that Maverick would have been in more real danger. Her sunset eyes watched him race away from the border, and as they were obscured by foliage she knew it was time to strike.

His pace slowed at just the right moment, and even if she didn’t see him looking around for her there was a bit of satisfaction as she realized it. The Empress burst from the greenery as he stalled and the events that unfolded after were exactly what she wanted. Maverick let his guard down and Venom was able to tackle his huge form. The momentum she hit him with sent both of them tumbling over the ground and Venom winced as her body tumbled over the hard ground. She wasn’t about to give up or allow him to pin her. They struggled for power but as they came to a startling halt Venom took her victory. The Empress pinned him in the grass and stared down at him.

One pale paw rested at the hollow of his throat, and she pressed the sharp tip of her claws into his fur. He was looking far too happy with himself considering the position he was in. He lifted his paws and proclaimed his defeat to her with an amused chuckle. "You shouldn’t have doubted me.” She warned him again as he went on and mentioned just how fast she was. "Now you owe me a few toes.” Venom growled deeply so he would wonder if she was serious or not.

"Venom"

Despite the humor he was throwing her way and the good-nature of his banter and demeanor, Venom simply stared down at him in a manner that was cold and stolid, almost frighteningly mechanical. There was no smile or sign of mirth on her face anymore. Her eyes showed no enjoyment or spirit. Venom had become more machine than living being, and it caused Maverick's grin to falter slightly. He had just been having some fun with the uptight she-wolf; why was she being such a poor sport about it all? There was an almost predatory look in her purple-hued eyes while she slid a white paw up to the hollow of his throat and pressed down, not quite choking him but definitely letting him feel the pressure of her weight along with the price of deadly sharp claws against his tender skin. Maverick refused to show any signs of fear or concern though, cocky smirk on his face all the while. If this was where he was going to die, at least Death wore a pretty face to take him away with. Shame he wouldn't get to stick it in her for one last hurrah before he went. She was certainly well more than attractive enough!

Then, as he admitted defeat, Venom chuckled, but still didn't smirk or smile, making the sound very foreboding where it should have been humorous. She warned him that he shouldn't have doubted her, and he scoffed and rolled his eyes. "I wasn't dou-" But the brute's words were cut off when Venom pressed her paw into his throat harder. Now the smile left Mav's face, a crooked smirk remaining as turquoise eyes darkened and flashed with smoldering threat. "Far bigger and stronger than you have tried to take more from me, lass. You are the prettiest, though. You sure you wanna do that?" he retorted, completely unfazed by her threatening growl. Instead, he lifted a paw towards her muzzle, wiggling his digits at the end of her nose. "If you've got that much of a foot fetish, go for it. I can think of much more fun parts of me to put in your mouth though, if you're looking for a good time."

The alabaster and navy brute shot a suggestive wink up to his captor. Perhaps it wasn't wise of him to toe the line of luck with an angry alpha pinning him to the ground, but Maverick never claimed to be a wise wolf. He simply didn't care. He lived life fast and loose, taking every chance he could get his paws on. Life was fleeting. Sometimes it worked out; sometimes it didn't. But one thing he always made sure of was that he got even with whoever wronged him. He was testing Venom now, seeing just what she'd do, what kind of wolf she really was. She could have a few of his toes with a snap of her jaws. Sure, it'd hurt like hell now... but it'd be a pity to have to start doing things to hurt such a pretty lady in return.

"Maverick"

He finally finally began to take her seriously when Venom pressed her white gloved paw to his throat. Her gaze was sharp as her threat and his own smile faded from his lips as she pressed against him, knowing this was not the way he wanted to see her up close and personal. He’d made that quite clear from the moment she stumbled upon him lurking at her border. His smirk remained as he threatened her in return, showing no fear beneath her. He went a step further and tempted her into action as he waved his toes in her face.

Venom reacted swifter than lightning as she snapped at his toes. There was no intention to shear off any toes, just get him into the mindset that she was actually going to take them. She just wanted to make him feel pain in punishment, but there was no intent to cause him to bleed. Though he might if he pulled away from her sharp teeth.

He’d made it clear she would have to kill him if she didn’t wish true retaliation. On the other paw, having someone as tenacious as him as an ally wouldn’t be a bad thing. She just didn’t know if she could see him putting anything beyond himself first. If she had been successful in her bite she’d release him then. From her jaws and from beneath her weight. She didn’t feel satisfied he’d learned any kind of lesson though.

"Ha, certainly not after all of that.” She retorted as she regained her composure. To her surprise it wasn’t an immediate denial from her lips. There was no way she wanted to reward him with a prize as high as the body of the Empress.

"Venom"

No sooner had he begun wiggling his toes toward her snout, a flash of white hot pain seared through his paw as veritable razors cut into his thin skin on his digits. Maverick released a gasping hiss of pain through gritted teeth, turquoise eyes shooting wide as he gazed down the length of his foreleg to where his toes were supposed to be, instead only seeing the end of Venom's muzzle. He felt the heat of her maw around his digits and her sharp fangs in his skin, not biting hard enough to rip them from his paw, but enough to lodge her teeth in his flesh and draw blood to her tongue when his leg tried to pull away on reflex. No doubt the Empress would be getting a taste of him right about now, though it definitely wasn't the fluid he was hoping she'd be after. "Ow! Fuck fuck fuck! Let go of me!" the dire brute hissed out, caught between the reflex of wanting to pull his paw back away from the fangs, but also not wanting to do further damage to himself.

Fortunately he didn't need to make that call, as not long after, Venom released him from her jaws and slid her lithe body in graceful movements from off of him. Maverick rolled to his paws swiftly, not wanting to give Venom another opening to exploit while he began licking the tiny rivulets of blood from his paw. The ache in his foot was bothersome, but not crippling. He'd likely be favoring his other paw for a day or two and then be fine. But gods be damned, did she have some sort of issues she needed to work through! Who the fuck just goes around biting strangers' toes?! Strange bitch... She laughed off his offer of putting other parts of his male anatomy in her mouth, but honestly, he was glad she did. "Jeez, never mind. I rescind my offer of putting any part of me near that bear trap of a mouth," he retorted, flexing his toes to make sure he hadn't lost sensation in any of them. It didn't escape his notice how she conveniently didn't immediately refuse his lewd offer, though after the bite, he wasn't sure he wanted to put anything else soft and vulnerable near her fang-filled maw right now anyway.

Maverick snorted and scoffed once he'd regained his own composure after the startle she gave him. "Y'know, maybe what you need actually is a good fucking to help loosen you up a bit. Or... I dunno, smoke some weed, get drunk, go play on the swing some more, anything really!" Gods, she had some sort of superiority complex! What, wasn't she getting railed enough in bed or something? He figured an alpha could have virtually anyone they wanted. Or was she just that persnickety and dour that she couldn't keep anyone around. A shame, really, because she was far too good-looking to have a stick that far up her ass. Shaking off his paw, Mav moved to stand again and cast a cocksure glance to Venom from where he stood. "Well, as fun as it's been, Your Highness, your biting is a bit too little kinky and playful to be a good time. You've probably got some peasants to go lord over anyway, so I'll let you get back to doing... whatever it is an alpha does. Let your wolves know about the swing in case anyone else wants to have fun!"

Maverick made a display of giving Venom an overly exaggerated bow before turning to walk back off through the forest, not bothering to wait for her to dismiss him or say farewell in turn. What were the odds he was ever going to see the strange and pretty woman again anyway? "Elites" like her didn't run with renegades like him.

"Maverick"

From his reaction it was easy to see that Maverick did not expect her to actually bring her teeth to his flesh, there he was underestimating her again. He truly did live fast and loose, playing with venom as he played with Venom and lost a dribble of blood in consequence. He gasped and flinched as her teeth pinched. Due to his own reaction her sharp teeth sheared through soft flesh and she could taste his blood in her mouth. She wouldn’t torture him though, and she didn’t keep his toes forever as she had threatened. Maybe she was feeling generous after he;d given her such a good time on the swing. Even if he was not her subject he had undermined her, and he’d gotten his just desserts.

His punishment, as she had warned him before he touched her land, had completely changed the lewd thoughts that had tempted him for only a moment. Venom was a beautiful woman but she was like a rosebush, gorgeous but just as dangerous as beautiful. He had found out how sharp her thorns really were. "Good.” She answered slyly as he rescinded any sexual offers. Maybe he’d learned a lesson, but Venom had her doubts. He gave his final assessment of her and the Empress had to use all of her willpower not to reveal how deeply his statement cut. How many times had Hattori touched her before he left her? Was it really because of what this stranger said? The thought that she was actually the one at fault for the destruction of her marriage still haunted her and the flare up made her heart ache with deep painful intensity.

She had already looked away from him as he gave his backhanded farewell and reminded her to tell the pack about his accomplishment. Venom’s thoughts were already a thousand miles away as he gave his exaggerated bow and turned away to leave her there. The only relief she felt was that of being able to release the emotions that built within. The pressure finally released as he disappeared over the horizon. Venom suddenly felt just as overwhelmed as she had the day her husband left. There was nothing but grief and Venom broke down there on the edge of her territory and cried. Grief took her, tears streamed down her cheeks as she tried to catch her breath and find her evasive decorum again.

"Venom"

Something in his response must have hit a nerve, because just before he turned, Maverick saw Venom tense as if she'd just been struck. That cocky, dominant grin on her face faltered, and then she was just left staring away from him, expression stony and impassive. She said nothing in response to his cold retort, showed no reaction whatsoever. Just like that, Venom was back to that same detached, mechanical being she had been when he'd first laid eyes on her, all traces of humanity gone and life drained from her sunset eyes. Mav just gave a sigh and shook his head, lapping away a few fresh rivulets of blood from his paw before trudging his way back into the thicket of the forest. He didn't understand the stuck-up alphess, but he didn't really care to try and figure out why a veritable stranger was acting like such a cold bitch.

However, the dire brute didn't get far before the soft sound of sobbing caught his ears, white and navy auds turning backwards to catch the sound. He froze, paw held aloft mid-stride, and glanced back over his shoulder. Through the branches of the trees, he saw Venom's form quivering and trembling where she sat in time with the crying he heard. The alpha was crying. Something inside him twisted, and dark turquoise eyes softened as he looked back at her. He hadn't said anything that hurtful, he didn't think. Guilt wasn't something Maverick was overly familiar with, but he did know the awful, gut-wrenching emotion when he felt it. Pursing his lips and swallowing hard, he turned back and took a couple steps in the direction of Venom—only to pause just on the edge of the trees. Still obscured by branches and shadow, he watched the sobbing wolf for a few beats. Part of him wanted to go see if she was all right, to ensure he wasn't guilty of doing something awful to her. But then he glanced down at his bleeding paw. If she'd done that to him when he'd been having a bit of fun, what was she likely to do to him if she was actually hurt or upset?

In the end, Maverick just sighed again and turned away from Venom. They were still just strangers passing by like ships in the night, after all. He'd likely never see her again and he'd become little more than a ghost of a memory to her. Perhaps it was better this way. They were so starkly different and it were just as likely to hurt the other. The dire brute padded nearly silently away through the underbrush, casting one last parting glance to the sobbing Empress before he vanished into the woods. Mav actually felt sorry for Venom. Life had clearly not been very kind to her.

- exit Maverick -

"Maverick"