Feeling a lil nostalgic

Azure's torn ears flicked back, a subtle sign of his readiness for the impending confrontation. His steely gaze, typically wielded as a weapon, held a different kind of intensity now; one that was attuned to her every reaction. He followed her startle and then her indignation, suppressing the twitch of his lip as her body shifted. Go ahead, run. He willed her silently. Azure had always been better at the chase.

But she stood her ground. Azure found himself caught between relief that she was willing to face him, and disappointment that she was unwilling to play their game of cat and mouse. The defiance in her eyes was familiar, yet in this context, it struck a different chord. He'd seen that look before in a hundred other wolves, but never on her. Was she truly wishing to strike him, his once docile and compliant mate?

Azure's gaze lingered on her, extending the silence, a rare moment of uncertainty flickering in his eyes. He grappled with what to say - of course he wanted her, but his only evidence of such was the drug he had been feeding her to keep her addicted to his presence, and that was not exactly a conversation he was itching to have at this moment.

Finally, he stepped closer, deliberately lowering his massive head and angling it slightly to the side, offering his muzzle. "You get one," he stated plainly, his voice a deep but steady rumble. This gesture, simple yet significant, was Az's way of acknowledging her anger. Of giving her a rare moment to express it. From the corner of his eye Azure watched her, readying himself for the potential impact, and contemplating how else he could earn her forgiveness if this gesture were to fail.