Twas the Night Before Christmas

Spider had felt lighter than air since meeting the mysterious Hannibal, and the promise that the male would come back for him was still fresh on his mind. He wasn’t sure how long he would have to wait but for now the male’s scent still clung to his silky fur. He tended to the herbs in his garden with a slight hum, his tail waving like a fine sheet behind him as he toed the morning frost away from his plants. Once he was satisfied with his work he left his den to walk along the border, under the self-imposed pretense that he was only getting fresh air, and not secretly searching for flashes of alabaster and ebony.

His idle walk came to a sudden halt when he came across Rhyme, an unsure whine escaping him as he looked the male over. His intense gaze was fixed ahead of him, beyond the border. For one terrible moment he wondered if the alpha had chased Hannibal away; confusing him for an invader or worse injuring him. He couldn’t smell blood on the air but he still approached Rhyme uneasily, his head lowered between his shoulders, cautionary but no longer overly submissive. “What are y-you looking at?” He asked quietly, his eyes fixed on where Rhyme had been looking, searching desperately for any sign of Hannibal.

Spider speaking
you speaking Toad's voice