She returned to her daily life however different that was without her husband. He had been gone for far too long for her to remain as if she were in a daze. Venom didn’t feel like she had recovered, but her body had fallen back into old habits as much as she had formed new ones. Life went on and nothing stopped the unending march of time. She either had to get moving or get run over. It felt like whenever she woke in the morning it was the latter. Nothing felt right anymore.

Venom kept up with her habit of exploring the lands around Ashen. She still hadn’t seen everything her world had to offer. Her trips were short but they got her away from the dark memories that haunted Ashen’s borders. The Empress made her way towards the gully, keeping to the ridge the best that she could as she paced through the lush lands. Even in the fall season greenery remained thick.

Thick enough to obscure her path. Venom felt herself falling, her paw going to step and she not realizing there was no earth to take her weight. There was no backpedaling though she tried, and Venom went tumbling down the side of the bank with a startled whine. She pulled her limbs into her torso and tumbled hard down the sheer ravine and landed in a heap at the bottom. The air rushed from her lungs and as the world stopped spinning pain laced through her body. She landed on her hip, reminding her of a wound she thought was long healed.

Venom gasped for breath, unable to guess she wouldn’t even be able to get to her paws once she did inflate her lungs. Really, she was lucky to have consciousness, her head missed the jagged rocks by the stream by mere inches.


"Venom"

Fern Gulley/ early evening/ chilly

The late fall evening was cool and clear, the air crisp with the chill of approaching winter. Trees had begun to change color en masse, with many beginning to shed their leaves in preparation for the colder months of snow and ice and darkness. It was what drove Maverick to pace about the lush valley of plant life on a little grocery trip of his own, seeking to gather a small stash to get him through the winter. Though not a healer by trade, there were a couple herbs of the… shall we say recreational variety that he was intimately familiar with. That was what he was after tonight, and it had been a fruitful day for the renegade of a wolf!

Carrying a leather pouch full to the brim with fresh cannabis, Maverick had begun to make his way south to the neighboring province of Algoma Prairie in search of a place to winter without having to travel all the way south to Auster. Well, he had been going that way, until he heard a startled whine from somewhere nearby and stopped on a dime. Now Mav was no hero by any means, but he wasn’t heartless either. The sound of someone in distress warranted investigation, and with a nimble turn, the dire brute hurried off in the direction of the cry. He came to the top of a ravine, peering around the empty area. There was no one here except him and the nocturnal insects beginning to sing their chorus. With a pensive expression, Maverick began to sniff about—and blinked in surprise when he recognized a familiar scent.

No fucking way… the lone wolf thought to himself and hurried along the top of the ravine, following the scent of the woman he’d met once before. Though he was large, his feet were deft and agile along the dark edge of the drop. The scent got stronger and stronger, until eventually it dropped right off the edge. Mav came to an abrupt halt and peered down, spotting the dark crumpled form of a wolf lying near the stream. Aw shit…! "Venom!" he called down to her, watching for movement or any signs of life. What if she’d hit her head on the way down and was unconscious? What if she was dead? He had to do something. "Don’t move, I’m coming down!"

Navigating down the ravine wasn’t an easy feat, especially in the dark of the encroaching night. Every step Maverick took was measured and deliberate, but also swift and with urgency. When he was halfway down to her, he called out again, "Hang on, I’m almost th- oh fuck!" With a crumble of rock, Maverick slid and tumbled down the rest of the way to the bottom of the ravine, winding up scattered with toned limbs going in all directions, but ultimately unharmed. Not wasting any time, he scrambled to right himself and hurried to the fallen Empress. He didn’t smell any blood, which was a good start. "You okay? I heard a yelp." He turned a guarded gaze towards Venom, a bit of a rueful smirk teasing at his lips. "You’re not gonna bite my toes again if I help you, are you, Your Majesty?"

"Maverick"

She gasped for breath and tried to lift her head from the hard earth but her head was spinning and her chest was heavy. The pain from the fall was secondary from being able to breathe properly and for a moment she wondered if she would die from the fall. Then her vision began to clear and her vision focused from the flash of white. For a moment she didn’t know where she was and then the sharp pain set in and everything came back as she cringed into herself. Everything hurt and she didn’t want to move.

Then she heard her name. The voice wasn’t familiar at first, and she forced her eyes open to look up where she fell from. It was harder to see the details, but she did recognize Maverick’s coat. Her vision fogged again as he told her not to move, and that was an easy command to follow. There was no choice at the moment.

Venom could tell that Maverick was making his way down, and she managed to lift her head higher this second time when he took a trip down the ravine. For a moment she thought they were both done for, but the unforgettable man was on his paws and at her side like he hadn’t fallen. There was much more concern in his voice than she would expect of him, but she was still a little too dazed to take full realization as he looked her over.

The Empress finally caught her breath as he went on to tease her about biting his toes if he dared to help her now. "No, no biting.” She hadn’t said anything before, and her words still came out in gasps as she tried to get her paws beneath her. The front two supported her, though she felt weak, the problem lie in her rear leg. She tried to push herself up on her right hip, but the leg would bear no weight.

"Venom"

Venom was a sad sight as he came upon her. The once haughty alphess could barely lift her head when he approached, listening to the weak gasps of her breathing while she struggled to speak without air in her lungs. Maverick hoped that she'd just had the wind knocked from her and hadn't actually punctured something in her chest, or else she was already dead. Venom promised him no biting and Mav gave her a wry smirk. "What a shame," he remarked with a chuckle, trying to lighten the dour mood while he came up to the downed Empress' side to look her over. He couldn't see any external injuries of any kind, but when he saw Venom try to rise to her paws and fail to put any weight on her hind leg he knew where the injury lay. "Whoa, hey! Take it easy. That was a nasty fall you took."

Moving to place two large paws on either of Venom's sides, he applied a gentle and careful pressure to urge her back to the ground in a sitting position, making sure nothing he was touching was causing her pain. If he found any tender points that brought a grimace or yelp, he would readjust his paws, giving literally no fucks about laying a paw upon the Empress. Once he was sure she had no injuries and wasn't about to immediately expire as far as he could tell, he moved to position himself in front of her, using his paws to help hold Venom up in case her dizziness sent her toppling over again. It wasn't that he cared so much, but now that he'd checked on her, he was responsible for her condition, and the gods as his witnesses he would not fail a self-ascribed mission. His only goal now was to keep Venom alive.

With virtually no knowledge of healing at all, Maverick resorted to the only form of medication he knew anything about: weed. Reaching into his bag, he pulled out a pawful of pointed green leaves, rolling them up into a ball and holding it up to Venom's muzzle. "Open up, princess. This'll help with the pain." Whether Venom took the drugs or not, Maverick knew he would have to get her out of this ravine. With night now upon them, the lands were getting colder, and she ran the risk of freezing if he left her out here. The dire brute shifted to press his larger form closer to Venom's side, being mindful and careful of her injured hip while he slid his head underneath her chest to shift her about, trying to position her comfortably where she was lying across his back. "Okay, c'mon. We're getting you out of here. Hold on tight. If you fall off, it's gonna hurt like a bitch," he instructed her, waiting for Venom to either grab a hold of him, or if she decided to put up a fuss, he'd just have to hoist her up on his back anyway. Sure, that might be more of an abduction than assistance, but with Maverick the lines were always blurred. Then he just had to decide where to take her... try to make it back to Ashen in the dark, or abscond with her to a safe place for the night and return her in the morning.

"Maverick"

He smirked as she grimaced, it wasn’t his poor attempt to lighten the mood it was a wave of pain that washed over her battered form. She didn’t actually have an injury worse than a bruise but they were deep and she was going to be incredibly sore. She had no desire to bite him even if he deserved it right now. As she faltered from her attempt to get up Maverick was there trying to steady her.

She hissed through her teeth as her hip radiated pain and she was forced by the sensation and Maverick’s paws. Surprise replaced her expression as his toes traced her form and he concentrated on finding all of her injuries. He was forced to shift more than once as she flinched and cringed under his touch. It was surprisingly gentle despite the wounds his paws traced over. Part of her couldn’t believe nor enjoyed that this was the man that found her, but the stronger part of her was thankful for the supportive paws that helped hold her weight.

Still a bit dazed there was no protest, only relief as she let him hold her. There were very few moments in her life where control was relinquished, and however frightened Venom felt an unexplainable comfort that surrounded her as Maverick took her into his protection. She held herself up as Maverick turned to his bag to fetch the plants within. Venom recognized the smell but did not refuse, the most she offered was a squinted eye as he fed her the buds. She wanted so badly to question his use of the title ‘princess’ but she was still trying to save her breath.

As she swallowed Maverick was shifting again, sunset eyes widened in surprise as he pushed his head under her chest and hoisted her to his back as if she weighed nothing. Venom used her sore limbs to hold on tight. The role reversal took her back to when she was much younger, and for a split second she lamented the mistake that brought her here, but the warmth of Maverick’s body and his kindness in the darkness brought a small smile to her lips as she embraced him and the role of vulnerability.

"I won’t fall.” She told him, expecting a quick trip back to Ashen. He seemed to pause in silent decision. He was taking her home right? The anxiety over putting her life in his paws was already gone and the sudden realization didn’t really touch her mind. The herb didn’t take long to begin to lace her mind with its effects.

"Venom"

Maverick was glad when Venom accepted his unconventional form of medicine, though the skeptical look she shot him told him that she knew exactly what he was offering her. He smirked again; perhaps she wasn't as much of a stick in the mud as he thought she was if she was familiar with marijuana. But whether she knew from firsthand experience or practical lessons didn't matter much, as she'd soon begin feeling the effects of the drugs, most important of all the pain relieving properties of the psychoactive herb. Hopefully she wouldn't have more than a few bruises and sprains come the morning, but until then, this would help her relax and sleep off the worst of it. Despite the obvious discomfort his movements and manipulations brought her, Venom held true to her word and didn't turn those wicked teeth on him again. She took the brunt of the pain without retaliation, much to the larger brute's surprise.

But even more surprising was when she didn't offer him any sort of resistance when he started to hoist her up onto his back. Instead, he felt the lithe empress' long limbs wrap around him, forelegs around his neck and hinds gripping at his waist. Once she was secure and assured him that she wouldn't fall, Maverick began to move, slowly at first, but when Venom did indeed fail to fall, he moved with more purpose, navigating his way around the ravine and following the creek until he reached a slope gradual enough to trudge up without risking another fall. Emerging back up at the top of the lush valley, Mav realized that night had now fully consumed Boreas and a fur-piercing cold had come over the wind. They were still a good ways away from Ashen, and knowing that trying to make the trip in the dark and cold would be exponentially more dangerous carrying the wounded Abraxas woman with him should they encounter a nocturnal predator, the dire brute made up his mind. Like it or not, Venom would be camping out with him for the night.

"Change of plans. We're not making it back to Ashen tonight. Too risky." Maverick diverted his path northward, heading up along the crest of the valley from one end to the other, moving almost silently through the stillness of the night. The weight and warmth of Venom's body on his back was all he focused on while he moved, making sure she remained securely on him while he carried her to safety. Eventually, Mav reached the den he'd commandeered as his little campsite for his foraging trip. It wasn't large, but it served its purpose. Sliding carefully inside so as not to knock Venom off of him, Maverick moved deeper into the den and gingerly laid the alpha fae down onto the pile of furs and grasses he'd scrounged together for bedding. It wasn't much, but it would do for the night, and it was warm and cozy and protective. "Welcome to my camp. Get comfy, we're gonna be here for a while." Once Venom was settled in, he moved about to a bundle of wild hares he'd caught earlier in the afternoon to serve as his dinner. While he hadn't been expecting guests, he wasn't about to let the Empress go hungry, especially not when she might be experiencing a case of the munchies in a short while.

Grabbing two of the large rabbits in his jaws, Mav carried them back to his "patient" and placed them at her paws. "Eat," he told her, gently yet insistently. "We'll camp out here for the night. In the morning, I'll bring you back home. Promise." The way he said it, Maverick left nothing open to discussion. Venom couldn't even support her own weight right now, so walking herself home was out of the question, and he wasn't about to go traipsing in the dark with an injured woman on his back, least of all a monarch. That was suicide. He was prepared to have to deal with Venom's whinging and complaining about her forced imprisonment for the rest of the night, but he really didn't give a shit. He'd be damned if he got killed over her pride, or let her die like a moron either.

"Maverick"

Maverick gave her another smirk as she took the fresh plants from him. She wasn’t about to reveal the depth of her understanding in this topic. Venom wasn’t one to inebriate herself, she enjoyed a glass of wine on occasion but usually when offered by someone else. She didn’t seek that kind of release. Mav seemed a little surprised, but he didn’t say as much and neither did she. She was quite subdued, differing from her strong personality completely. This was not a usual day, Venom was not in peak condition. Her brain felt scrambled and her body was bruised and beaten.

Maverick made the decision to come to her aid, he held her, supported her, and took charge of seeing to her health. The wounded Empress uncharacteristically yielded all control, and any hesitation left her. Thankfully he had no smart remark to say about her docility. As she settled on his back he moved slowly at first, but as she proved her words Maverick carried her off. At first they were indeed headed towards Ashen, but it didn’t take long before he announced the change of his mind.

He wouldn’t see but Venom’s eyes widened in surprise and she almost gave protest. She was injured, she needed to be home, but what was she going to do? The tension left her limbs as she accepted his decision and he took her to abraxas knows where. The trip was much quicker than going all the way back to Ashen. Maverick carried her into a small cave, room just enough for the two of them.

Venom was lowered into what she could only guess was his own bed. She grimaced as her sore body was placed onto the hard ground, but she didn’t take very long to get more comfortable. "Thank you…” She offered uncertainly as she curled into herself and Maverick moved away. She nursed her aching leg, it wasn’t like when it had broken all those years ago, but it hurt like it hadn’t in a long time. Her attention was on her wound, but Maverick swiftly gained her attention again as he offered dinner.

They were going to be here for the night, and he assuaged her fear by assuring her he would return her home tomorrow. A promise. She had kept her word and now would be his turn to keep his. Venom never thought she would be relying on Maverick. So far he was quite the gracious host, and despite how careless he had seemed there was genuine concern. The thought lingered as she took her rabbit, realizing now as the drugs really took their effect, that she was now in his debt. He saved her life, he carried her, he fed her. Venom owed this man.

"You’ve been very kind,” She offered when she started to slow down in her eating. The drugs further subdued her, the fire in her eyes was but a flicker as she quieted.

"Venom"

Once they were both settled in for the night, Venom thanked him, to which Maverick just gave a curt nod of his head. "Don't mention it." He picked up a hare for himself and began to dig in, teeth tearing through flesh and muscle with gusto. "I'm not a monster. I wasn't going to leave you there. Believe it or not, I do have a heart. I might flaunt your pack rules and push buttons, but I'm not gonna leave an injured lady out alone in the night." A wry smirk crossed his lips as he added, "Or bite anyone's toes off, for that matter." He chuckled and continued his meal, pleased to see Venom eating as well. Rest, some good herb, and a meal and she'd be right as rain again. He had seen the panic in her expression when he brought her here at first, but now she seemed to be settling down. Gods, she really was a high-strung thing, wasn't she? Maybe she needed that cannabis more than she realized.

Finishing their meal, Maverick gathered up the scraps and bones and pushed them to the den entrance. He would dispose of them later. For now, he wasn't going to leave an injured and unguarded woman alone, especially not now that she was his responsibility. Always getting yourself in some sort of trouble, Mav, he thought with a sardonic snicker. The wolves were quiet for some time, Venom being the first to break the silence and comment on his generosity. "Like I said, don't mention it," the dire wolf replied, coming to lie down on the opposite side of the small space from Venom so she could have her personal space undisturbed.

He could see the fire in her eyes smolder down to embers as the drugs began to kick in, a knowing, crooked smile on Mav's face. "You look like you're starting to feel good," he remarked with a chuckle. "I'm no healer, but I do know how to find the good shit. You're in for a good night now, Your Highness." While watching her, another question came to Maverick's mind. "So what were you doing out here so late in the day and so far from your gilded halls and royal palace anyway? You don't strike me as the healer type, so I'm guessing plant gathering isn't the answer."

"Maverick"

Maverick waved away her gratitude, vagrantly disregarding the deep debt the Empress would owe to him. Venom didn’t think he would ever cease to surprise her. Not that she thought they would have many interactions past the first, this was completely the opposite of their last encounter. He ate with heart as she picked at her meal, her stomach still unsettled from her fall. As she slowly consumed her meal Mav spoke between bites. Defending himself like she was frightened of him, or considered him some kind of monster. Venom thought of him as some kind of vagabond; she didn’t think he was evil.

Part of her was uncertain though, especially as he mentioned not biting off anyone’s toes. As he admitted to pushing her buttons he’d do it again, and Venom would finally feel the humor in the situation. Or maybe it was just the drugs he’d given her. "I would.” She told him with a smirk and a giggle as she further began to loosen up instead of being the wounded animal she had been moments before.

Maverick cleaned up dinner after a while, telling her to forget the whole thing again. It didn’t sit right but she did let it slide. As Venom rested her head on her paws the man struck up another conversation. As she was relaxing he didn’t fail to notice. Her sunset gaze flicked up to his features as he settled close but not enough to encroach on her space. Mav didn’t take long to tease her about her current state either. She looked like she felt good, and he promised her a good night. She wondered why he might not be partaking as well, was he taking his role as guardian that seriously? If he was, Venom really did need to reassess her opinion of him.

He asked why she was all the way out here at this time of night and it was her turn to smirk a little in response. The fire wasn’t in her any longer, " You guess correctly. Scouting.. Mostly.” She shifted uncomfortably. "And gathering my thoughts, it's… easier when I am not within Ashen’s borders.” And that was no lie, but it wasn’t the whole truth. The memories still hurt, and she used the excuse of scouting when it hurt too much. "Maybe its late for you, but my family and I are more nocturnal than not. These are prime hours.” She revealed to him softly, hoping he wouldn’t decide to focus on her vague answer.

"Venom"

Maverick had been called and seen as many different things by many different wolves. An adventurer, a scoundrel, a vagabond, a trickster, a lover, a criminal... It was hard for him to tell what Venom saw him as. Not that it really mattered much to the larger wolf. He was just simply Maverick, completely and unapologetically himself. Some loved him, some hated him. But he was true to himself if nothing else. Amidst their meal, Venom made a comment about how she would still want to bite his toes off, earning her a snarky sideways glance from the brute who instinctively turned his paws away from his bitey guest, all in jest. Not that he thought she'd be much of a threat to his toes anyway once the cannabis kicked in.

On the note of the marijuana he'd come here to harvest, Maverick pulled his small bag to his side, grabbing a few dark green leaves of the drug for himself before popping them in his mouth to join her on her trip. It wasn't a sense of nobility or guardianship that had stayed the renegade's paw for some time, but simply his desire to make sure Venom was seen to before letting himself unwind. Besides, he'd intended for this stash to last a little while before needing to come back to replenish, especially with winter approaching. Maverick was used to just getting high alone and staring up at the stars while he contemplated life, the universe, and just what the fuck he was supposed to be doing with his life. This time things would be different. Chewing the cannabis to a fine paste and letting the oils soak into his tongue and gums, the brute settled himself in for a good night as well.

Venom answered his curiosities, enlightening him as to why she was so far from home at night. Scouting seemed like an odd choice of an answer, especially for someone who had their pack established a short trip from here. Surely someone as methodical as Venom would have scouted this far out by now. Her uneasy answer of gathering her thoughts felt much more genuine, and Mav was inclined to believe that was closer to the truth—but not quite the whole truth. Before he could ask further into that vague response, Venom went on to explain how her family were nocturnal creatures, favoring the night. A wry, knowing smirk twitched across his lips as he chuckled under his breath. "That makes two of us," he remarked in passing. Maverick was a night owl himself, and while he didn't know if he'd go so far as to call himself nocturnal as she did, he definitely favored the solitude and tranquility of the night to the bustle of the day. "I like the night better anyway. It's more interesting than the day."

A pleasant tingling warmth began to slowly seep its way beneath his skin then, and Maverick knew the cannabis was starting to kick in. The dire brute stretched out his limbs and flexed his toes, getting himself comfortable with a pleased groan as the heady, relaxed sensations of the cannabis high began to creep over his body and mind. A small smile grew on his lips as did the sense of euphoria and heightened sensations along with it. Fixing his dark turquoise eyes on Venom from across the small space, Maverick asked the question he hadn't gotten a chance to before. "So what's got the thoughts of the prim and proper Venom Abraxas so muddled then?"

"Maverick"

She smirked to herself as Maverick pulled his toes in as if she hadn’t promised specifically there would be no biting from her. It was an amusing running joke, especially as the drugs began to really take a hold of her. It was an oddly comfortable silence that settled between them as Maverick partook in his own dose of the herbs he had given her earlier. He apparently didn’t want to miss out on the good night he offered her. Venom was still quite sore, but she didn’t care quite as much. For the sparse furnishings she was rather comfortable.

Eventually they settled into a little small talk, Maverick mentioning that he had a preference for the night hours as well. Something told her that he wasn’t fibbing about that. He explained himself further, maintaining that the night was more interesting, and Venom couldn’t argue. She wore a little half smile as her belly tingled with euphoria and she snuggled in a little tighter into the den’s furs.

He hadn’t missed her vague explanation though, and very perceptively he questioned her softly. She had been peering up at him from white gloved paws, but her gaze fell as her scattered thoughts returned. Muddled by the drugs she could feel her bottled emotions trying to escape. She didn’t want to talk about what was bothering her, but maybe that was why it was taking her so long to forget. Her life was returning to a sense of normalcy but her heart hadn’t really healed any of its cracks.

"Memories.” She whispered in return, still avoiding his brilliant gemmed gaze. Did she go on and confess what her greatest weakness was? She was already indebted to him, if he wanted the answer… Her gaze narrowed, her silly little smile faded, and the dark pulse in her chest throbbed. "My husband left me unexpectedly. I..” She faltered. Surely that was explanation enough for him.

"Venom"

The more time slipped by between them, the more comfortable Venom seemed to be getting. Maverick noticed how she snuggled down into the furs more, a loopy sort of smile spreading over her face while her sunset eyes slowly hazed over with her drug-induced delirium. He could feel that same sort of foggy relaxation coming over his body, letting stress and cares alike seep away only to be replaced with blissful euphoria. A warm feeling began to grow in the pit of his stomach, that heat seeming to pulse and grow in time with his heartbeat whenever he looked over to Venom. While he tried to make small talk, Venom remained mostly quiet, giving little signs that she was still paying attention to him in the form of a tilt of her head or swivel of her dark ears. But most importantly, she looked like she was unwinding and actually enjoying herself. That brought a bigger grin to Mav's face. He was an agent of chaos at times, sure, but more than anything he was a hedonist, living life for the thrill and pleasure of it. In his mind, there wasn't any other way to be. After all, if you lived in a constant state of measure and expected decorum, were you really alive at all?

The good times seemed to hit the pause button when he asked that ill-fated question about what was on her mind. Almost immediately, the dire wolf watched the grin slide off of Venom's face as if it had never belonged there to start. She withdrew inward, turning her eyes away, but he saw the sorrow held behind them before she averted her gaze. Maverick's smile faltered, twitching somewhere between staying where it was and vanishing completely. It disappeared entirely when Venom spoke. Memories plagued her. Her husband had left her out of the blue. Venom didn't finish her final thought, but she didn't need to. Maverick understood all that he needed to. The brute swallowed the knot in his throat. He'd never loved and lost before, so he couldn't know the pain she was going through, but he was no stranger to pain in general. That had to count for something, right? "Damn... That's rough, Ven..." he murmured in the sudden stillness of the den. Dark turquoise eyes shifted downward for a moment, his hazy brain taking a moment to think of what to say. Was there even anything one could say to a revelation like that?

After a moment of thought, Maverick decided that the best course of action was to do what he always did: speak true and from the heart. The brute snorted in distaste and casually rolled over onto his back, gazing at Venom from his now belly-up position as he made himself more comfortable. "Fuck him. It's his loss. I dunno what sane brute would give up getting wrapped in those long legs of yours all the time." Maverick shot Venom a curious yet teasingly wicked look from his upside-down position, a cheeky grin appearing on his muzzle again. "Was he gay? He sounds like he's gay. That's gotta be it, right? No way any brute with a pulse would want to leave a woman like you. I mean..." Maverick gave a wide, sweeping gesture of his forelegs towards all of Venom from nose to tail. She had the looks, she had the power, she had the wit and intelligence. Venom was what brutes would call a total package. Was he being bold and a little bit crude in his comments? Yes, no doubt. But it was so quintessentially Maverick that he didn't feel any sort of shame or embarrassment for pointing out Venom's obvious attractiveness and beauty. Surely she was aware of it too, right? Someone like an empress had to own at least one mirror. And besides, he wasn't saying anything that wasn't obviously fact.

"Maverick"

She was actually starting to feel good by the time Maverick asked his question. Had her mind not been forced in this direction he might have had her laughing and making a fool of herself. The thought was sobering though, and she visibly sunk in as it overwhelmed her again. Venom felt so weak for how strongly she was affected by Hattori’s actions. She was strong and independent so why did it hurt so bad? The Empress knew immediately that she was bringing down the mood of everything, but it was just as easy to engage in small talk as it was to take a nap to try and recover.

Maverick gave his condolences but Venom just shrugged lightly as she tried to keep everything from bubbling up and out. She pulled her paws in closer to her chest and tried to hide the soft sigh that left her lips. She struggled for a few moments before she heard Maverick reposition himself. Then he spoke up again. Her brow lifted and her glimpsed him from the corner of her eye. Not expecting to find him belly up as he sought her features with his brilliant gaze.

His sentiment was echoed over the opinions of all of those who cared about her except he was the only one to have put it so eloquently. She wouldn’t have expected less from the rough and tumble vagabond, but it felt good. It was refreshing to an extent as she ignored the not so subtle innuendo. At least he was pulling her thoughts away from her broken heart.

Maverick was successful in getting a sad chuckled out of her as he asked for clarification if Hattori was gay. He complimented her again, being completely open about his attraction as he gestured and admired. "Maybe…” Was all she could really say as she thought about their relationship. He helped her build the Empire, they shared a life together, and one day he was gone. Completely decoupling himself from her life, with not a word from him again. It just hurt.

"I don’t know that I’ll ever fully understand.” She told him softly as her sunset gaze returned to his. He was so very different from the man they spoke of. Completely inappropriate and disheveled, and yet he was far more relatable than Hattori ever was. Venom understood him effortlessly despite the vast differences between them. It was a nice thought as she tried to grasp at the euphoria that had fled her. "Maybe more of your herb would help.” Venom found herself suggesting with a raised brow. If Maverick could help her recover so quickly, maybe it would do her some good to indulge in his lifestyle.


"Venom"

Seeing that little smile reappear on Venom’s face while she chuckled at his banter about her ex-husband was all the victory Maverick needed to feel his efforts were validated. Easy grin still on his upside-down face, he was quiet while he let Venom try to process what he was saying. Yes, he was crass and blunt, and yes he walked a vastly different path than she did, but it didn’t mean they weren’t both still living beings, alive in the same world with real feelings and real lives with real pain and real pleasures. It was a base and fundamental level at which he empathized with the empress, and in some ways, that was all he needed to do to bring her back from whatever dark thoughts she had been crawling into. "Not maybe. Definitely," he corrected her with a wink. Venom looked back to him then, sunset meeting dark turquoise, and lamented that she might never fully understand her ex's motives. "I think you’re looking at it all wrong, Venom. Dickhead gave you a gift when he threw away his marriage. He showed you his true colors and set you free. You can be whoever you want to be now, do whatever you want to do! That’s gotta be better than finding out you've been in a loveless marriage for, like, six years."

Maverick didn't know Hattori, and there was a good possibility he would never meet the man. He would never know just how radically different from one another they were. To Venom, it would be comical, but to him, he just disregarded the other wolf as an idiot and a cad. At first, Mav didn't know if his reassurances were working or if they were falling on deaf ears, but then the white-gloved monarch surprised him by suggesting that more herb might help her. The rakish grin on the dire brute's face grew, flashing every pearly tooth in his maw while he snatched up his satchel, pulling out a few more leaves for himself and then tossed it the short distance between them to land beside one of her alabaster paws. "That's the spirit, Ven! Go wild, have fun! Do all the things he'd hate and never let you do! Get high, get drunk, get laid, do everything you've ever wanted to do!"

He was goading her on, but it was all for her own good, really. Venom seemed the type to never have been allowed off her leash—not by her parents, not by her former mate, and not even by herself. He planned on changing that, if for no other reason than he wanted to see if he could. Plus the idea of the prim and proper empress behaving like a wild beast was extremely amusing to the man. While Venom helped herself, Maverick consumed his second dose of cannabis, eager to deepen and intensify the heightened senses and feelings of warm euphoria and relaxation he'd been chasing with her tonight.

"Maverick"

Her heart just hurt so badly, as she thought about Hattori it even overwhelmed the bruises of her flesh and the ache in her bones. Maverick was the right wolf to help her forget, he threw caution to the wind and helped her to view her life from a different direction. He winked as she dismissed his assessment of her, assuring her of his words. There was no lie in his words and she believed him. Mav reminded her that she was free, that it was so much better that Hattori had shown his true self before she had spent the majority of her life with him.

The funny thing was that Venom had always had the ability to do whatever her heart desired. She was the ruling monarch, the world was her oyster to pick from. The biggest factor holding her back truly was herself. A forced laugh left her, incredulous as she realized it. "Whatever I want…” Venom didn’t get her heart’s desire. Her heart belonged to her family, to her pack, to her position. Her desire never came first, she was the Empress, her desire had to be the progress and prosperity of Ashen.

Her request for a bit more of the intoxicating drug was met with a wry grin and Maverick’s swift actions. He went on to praise her, not something that Venom was very used to. She was top dog so to speak, there was no one to report her progress to. Maverick goaded her on, listing taboos that a proper lady like herself did not indulge within. "There’s no need to go overboard, I think one at a time is plenty.” She returned as she ate her herbs along with him, not unaware of the one she was enjoying now.

"Venom"

The notion of doing whatever she wanted seemed to baffle and befuddle the white-gloved empress, who gave a curt laugh and mumbled to herself. Maverick chalked that up as another victory for himself. He was slowly working his way into her mind, helping her see things from a different point of view. When one gets so pigeonholed into one facet of their lives, it tended to take away from all the other sides of them. That was all Mav was helping Venom realize. She'd become so used to being the alpha of Ashen that she no longer knew how to be anything else but her title. Was he using his charm and charisma to manipulate her into going down this path of thought? Technically, yes, but in this case he was using his talents for good! It wasn't every day that Maverick took it upon himself to do something for the sole benefit of someone else, and in this case his altruism came with a side of cannabis, but it was for a good cause. There was nothing sadder than a woman who forgot how to be who she was.

Once he'd passed the bag of drugs back over to her, he watched while Venom consumed another few leaves of the herb after some gentle chiding from his patient. She claimed she only wanted to pursue one taboo at a time. Maverick snorted and rolled his eyes with a groan. "One at a time? My gorgeous, repressed lady, vices are meant to be enjoyed in combination, like a fine meal! The real experience lies in the sum of the parts. You'd be missing out to enjoy them individually." As if to prove his point, Maverick rolled over onto his belly again, then rose to his paws while he sauntered over to his small collection of personal belongings. The dire brute rifled through them for a moment, head down in his belongings and rump held high in comical fashion, complete with wagging tail swishing back and forth like a metronome. Once he found the small brown bottle, he exclaimed in triumph and ambled his way back to Venom with a little swagger in his step.

Unlike last time, Maverick did not settle down across the small burrow from Venom, but instead came to lay right beside her on the furs. Not quite close enough for their bodies to be touching, but definitely close enough that they could touch with ease. He held the bottle up and popped the cork with his teeth. The sweet, spicy scent of the drink inside wafted from the bottle along with the tang of aged alcohol. Maverick lifted the bottle to his lips and took a long swig of the mellowed rum. It was smooth and spiced with just the right amount of sweetness to keep it from being too bitter, and it created a pleasant warmth that settled in his belly along with the heady sensations of his high. Pale turquoise eyes glancing back to seek her sunset jewels, Mav offered the bottle to Venom.

"This is your chance to be who you want to be," he spoke in a husky murmur to Venom, just barely above a whisper. He fixed her with eyes shimmering with excitement and encouragement. He wanted to see the prim and proper lady go fully wild. Gods knew she fucking needed it! "Just for one night. You've spent so much time being Venom the Empress. Now it's time for you to just be Venom." Venom was so much more than just a face to a title; Maverick was determined to get her to see that in herself. She was a living, breathing woman, with real needs that had been left unsatisfied. And speaking of needs, Mav hadn't been noseblind to Venom's scent betraying the fact that she was in heat all this time. The poor fae had starved herself for so long, he knew she must be ravenous to live, yet she didn't know how to let herself indulge. Well, he didn't mind being the devil on her shoulder for the short time they'd be together. Again, Mav tapped her foreleg with the bottle of rum and gave her a sly grin. "Go on, Ven. Take what you want." There was a bit of subtle double entendre to his words. But would Venom allow herself to indulge her hungers, and if she did, which of the two other taboos offered to her would she choose?

"Maverick"

From a very early age Venom had seen where she could go and what she could become. Her position as firstborn made it her divine right to rule Ashen and the Empire. Not only her birthright but Venom had worked tirelessly to prove herself the best of her siblings and she had taken exactly what she wanted. That was the deepest desire she had, and it was attained. Venom had fallen into a state of maintenance; her desire to be the most powerful ruler brought her to a place where her heart no longer mattered, only the Empire. Maverick could see right through that wall, he could almost peer inside and see the part of her that had been chained and suppressed her whole life.

The thoughts were uncomfortable compared to the light euphoria of the drug she consumed. Maverick saw the chink in her armor and he pressed her further. According to him it was not acceptable to to only enjoy one item in his chosen trifecta, and as he stood up Venom realized that he had fully intended to offer her every one of them. She didn’t think he saw her reaction as he stuffed his nose into his bag. There was a sudden nervousness in her belly, but she pressed it down just like everything else as Maverick turned back towards her with his intended goods.

A bottle, something Venom recognized right away. The dire man lowered himself next to her this time, a not so subtle hint of the last vice to be indulged in. Venom ignored the biological signals of her body, she took what herbs she could to subdue her heat. A lifetime of discipline made its effects minimal, but she hadn’t thought about the loosening of inhibitions.

Maverick indulged without hesitation, the smell of liquor affirming her earlier assumption. He gave her just another moment with her thoughts as he downed a swig of the warming liquid. The turquoise gems that were his eyes lowered to her own. His voice took on a much different tone, and it was deeper and softer than before. His gaze sliced through the defenses that were built around her. Their intensity made her feel like the young girl she had once been. Full of fire, passion, and determination. That hadn’t yet succumbed to the assault of reality.

Despite the turmoil within his sweetened voice and piercing gaze dissipated the fog of it. Just one night, be Venom, not an Empress. He seemed to lean in, and he offered her the bottle of rum once more. Encouraging her to drink but it was more than that. Even before she could take a swig of the rum, Mav created a deep warmth in her belly. He was subtle, wanting her to be the one who took the opportunity of her own volition. There was a chance to let go right at her toe tips.

Venom was reminded of the day they met on Ashen’s border, how it had felt the moment she reached the peak of the rope swing. The sense of weightlessness and the freedom of being in the air. Maverick was offering that again. She held his gaze for a long moment as her morals and virtues struggled inside. She closed her eyes then, she felt the cool bottle against her arm, and Maverick’s warmth at her side. The easing of her tense form and the intoxicating fog in her mind.

Hesitantly her sunset gaze blinked open and her paws found the bottle offered her. As she tipped her head back and let the liquor coat her mouth and throat her body shifted slightly. Just enough that she closed the distance between her thin frame and Maverick’s strong form. A subtle acceptance of all that he had to offer her.

"Venom"

Maverick watched Venom's internal struggle behind those rich plum rubies she called eyes, seeing the battle waging within herself. He was turning her whole world on its head and he was aware of it. Getting someone as caged within themselves as far as he had gotten her so far was a victory in its own right. Now he was just seeing how far he could get the alphess to go. It was all in her benefit, of course. Maverick would have been the same with or without her imbibing in his lifestyle and joining him in liberty. He wanted her to join him though, wanted to see that moment of release when Venom set herself free. Ever the agent of chaos and change, Maverick found no greater joy than wolves living life to the fullest. Now it was up to the empress whether she would take that leap of faith with him or remain standing on the ledge watching the world pass her by.

For a long while, Venom debated and battled herself, and Mav began to fear that she would talk herself out of it. She gazed deeply in his eyes and shut her own, her breathing slow yet labored. The dire brute waited, holding out hope that she wouldn't back down now. He wouldn't force her to do so though; she would need to be the one to take that step to the other side. Venom didn't say a word, and a brief moment passed where Mav wondered if he had made a misstep by offering her too much at once. But when those sunset eyes opened once more and he felt her tense form begin to unwind beside him, he knew he'd convinced her. A white-gloved paw took the bottle from him, and he watched with a delighted and cheeky grin while she swallowed from the bottle. What took him by surprise the most though was when she not only began to drink from the spiced rum, but also leisurely shifted her body so her slender form was reclining into his athletically muscled frame.

Turquoise eyes blinked with surprise, but the grin never left his visage while he lifted one strong forearm to drape across Venom's side, boldly embracing the empress to him while she began to enjoy her second and third tastes of the vices he offered. With his foreleg around her side, Maverick went to place his paw upon Venom's opposite side, letting gentle paw pads trace over the feminine curves of her sleek form, both the obvious ones of her waist and chest, but also the subtle ones just beneath her ribcage and along the curve of her belly. Her fur was so delicately soft and well groomed, feeling more akin to silk than fur. With her nestling into him like this, Maverick was able to lean his muzzle in toward her forehead, ever so slowly brushing his snout across her crown and down behind the feathery fur just behind her ear, drinking in her scent while she adjusted to everything. Maverick was a lover of many flavors, and while he did often enjoy a good, rough romp in the sheets, tonight he would go at Venom's pace. Who knew how long it had been since she'd been well and truly loved, and with her injury, he would be doubly careful with her. If she wanted to just cuddle and enjoy their high, he would be content with that as much as he would if he got to indulge in her tonight as well.

For a while, Maverick quietly covered Venom in little shows of affection. His wandering paw never ceased its movements along her side, letting his claws comb through her soft fur to scritch gingerly along her warm skin, treating her as Venom and not as Empress Abraxas just as he said he would. He embraced her feminine form into his masculine frame, keeping her held snug, secure against him in a wordless show of protection while he enjoyed her weight and warmth pressed up against him. Maverick was a rogue and a scoundrel to be sure, but Venom would be safer with no one else tonight. "There you go... You're alive now, Venom Abraxas," he whispered with his lips against the back of her ear, nuzzling into her cheek right where her jaw met her skull. "Tell me to stop at any time." There, he'd given Venom a ripcord to pull if she wanted to back out at any point, though he doubted she'd use it now. Once he got started showing her how a woman like her deserved to be treated, he was betting she wouldn't even remember her ex-husband come the morning, replaced by memories of the night they would share together now. That was his intent. If only the other man had known how badly he'd fucked up by leaving a woman like Venom. Oh well... his loss was Mav's gain, and soon would be Venom's pleasure.

"Maverick"

She hesitated for a long time, struggling within as he gave her an obvious out. He was patient, he was gentle, and he didn’t force her paw. Maverick took his place as guide and nothing else. He offered up the tools that he had to her generously, wanting to see her indulge, relax, and let go. Venom took the bottle and leaned into him, melting into his side. Maverick responded immediately, she couldn’t see his surprise but she felt it in the split second before he wrapped his arm around her. His embrace was as warm as it was welcoming, and she found herself fitting against his side like a missing piece.

Venom lowered the bottle and twisted her features so she could see his face from the corner of her eye as his pale paw began to roam down her body. From shoulder to hip she felt her skin tingle. Despite the intoxicants she still felt herself stiffen at his touch, still fighting with herself. He nuzzled against her head, surrounding her and holding her like she was a precious jewel to behold. She breathed in as he pressed his muzzle against her ear and took her in. She heaved a heavy sigh, and relaxed. She submitted to this path he brought her on and relinquished herself to his grasp.

She found herself leaning into his little affections, letting each one whisk her insecurities away as she relinquished her walls, her defenses, and revealed herself to him. But there was still a hitch in her throat, and fear in her heart. Opening up again meant the possibility of being devastated again. Her breath quickened even as he held her and promised to keep her safe. He whispered in her ear, and she rolled her head so he could nuzzle and mutter against her cheek.

"Maverick,” she whispered his name, the hesitation she was fighting obvious in her sweetened tones. "You’ve promised me tonight, but.. I’m not chasing a high that will leave me lower than before.. Am I?” Her voice wavered, her defenses dropped far enough her fear would linger there. He had asked for her to let go and she was, revealing the soft squishy insides she fought so hard to hide and protect.

"Venom"

The more Venom relaxed and melted into his side, the more Maverick's heart began to thump strong and fast against his chest, pulsing fire through his veins that collected in his core. Having Venom, the empress of Ashen, in his arms in such a manner was a thrilling experience. In his travels and trysts, Mav had shared a fling with a number of lovely young ladies, but never an alpha, and never one that was anything like Venom. The Abraxas woman was wholly unique in who she was, how she behaved and carried herself as if she knew everything the world had to offer her. So when he found a way to get her to look at him with those twilight eyes as if he was showing her foreign things for the first time in her life, it was a rush of delight and entertainment. Pressed into him like this, Venom made Maverick feel positively masculine next to her smaller, slender feminine form. She fit so easily and perfectly against him, nestled into the curve of his body while he practically wrapped himself around her to share their combined warmth. Every shift of one of their bodies would brush their coats together, leaving little tingles across his skin, the sensation heightened by his high state of mind.

From the first touch, he had felt Venom's body go stiff, and then with each subsequent affection he felt her relax more and more as she gave herself up to him, surrendering herself to his insistent touches. He listened to the shifts of her breathing whenever he did something, making little mental notes of what made her gasp, what made her sigh, what brought a sharper breath in and what took the breath from her lungs. He was making a mental map of Venom's body, highlighting the parts and spots she liked the most based on her reactions and sounds. In a way, Maverick was playing with her, not too far off from how he had played with her with their rope swing or the chase through the forest. This time just happened to be much more adult and carnal in nature.

By the time he was whispering his words to her, Venom's breath had quickened to a near panting while his had deepened, breathing in the white-gloved woman's scent as if it was all he wanted to smell for the rest of his days. Her natural perfume was delicious, and Maverick found himself wanting to ravage every part of the lovely empress from now until dawn, kissing and tasting every part of her he could. Venom rolled her head to grant him access to her cheek and jaw, and Maverick exploited it, shifting to press his lips in a slow yet firm kiss right where her jaw connected to her cheek. It was the first kiss of what he hoped would be many he'd get to cover the beautiful she-wolf's body in tonight. Venom whispered his name then. Maverick stopped where he was with his lips brushing against the side of her neck, pale turquoise eyes glancing up while she spoke in fragmented sentences to him, voicing her worry. She wanted to know if she was chasing a high that came with a crashing low, lower than she was to start. In her eyes, Mav saw a vulnerability that hadn't been there before. This was the real Venom. He was getting to see behind the mask, beneath the armor. He could see nervousness, fear, caution. She had been badly wounded by someone she deeply trusted and she was left scared and guarded.

Maverick uttered a quiet growl of appreciation against the side of Venom's neck, then ever so reluctantly pulled his lips from her skin. He shifted a bit more so he could better look her in the eye, a little smirk that never truly ever left his face still painted on his visage. Venom was revealing a part of herself that he doubted many ever saw. He could see her for who she was: a woman in such need of healing and validation because of how raw she'd been left by the cruelty of men and reality. Taking the empress more easily into his strong forelegs, Maverick began to carefully yet insistently nudge and roll Venom in his embrace, turning her while also being careful not to irritate her injury. Once he had her positioned on her back in his arms, Maverick shifted to gaze down to hold Venom's sunset eyes. "I don't think you are, Ven," he whispered back to her, reassurance keeping his deep baritone voice even. "I can't say for sure. Life is unpredictable. I could die tomorrow through no choice of my own. That's why I can't say yes for sure."

The paw that had been roaming over the planes of Venom's body continued to do so, moving over her lower belly and underside now as he stroked from her fluffy chest down over her smooth and toned belly to pause just about her waist before looping the cycle again. "But I can tell you this..." he began, bringing his free paw up to gently brush over Venom's cheek while he gazed down into her eyes with a rakish grin just barely touching his lips, eyes half-lidded in his relaxed and high state but also from sultry desire for the woman in his arms. "If I died tomorrow, I'd be glad I spent my last night like this, with you." Maverick was an incorrigible flirt, but everything he said he meant. He saw the pleading look in Venom's dazzling eyes, seeking some reassurance from him. Shifting again, Maverick lifted to drape his upper half over Venom, half lying over top of her with his paws on either side and their chests meeting while he gazed down into her eyes, their muzzles meager inches apart. They were so close that the dire brute could feel every one of the voluptuous fae's breath's against his nose. "We can keep this high going for as long as you'd like, Ven." Maverick leisurely moved to within an inch of their mouths meeting, still losing himself in Venom. "How long would you like it to last?"

"Maverick"