We Will Break Away Together.

While Mariah listened to Caedes repeat the descriptions of her family members back to her, a soft sigh of relief bloomed within her. His clinical attention to detail was admirable and a skill that she admired about him, and it only deepened her confidence in their ability to face whatever lay ahead. As he brushed a kiss against her cheek, his suggestion of rest seemed quite tempting indeed. It seemed her body was still heavy with the euphoria lingering from their earlier encounter. She held his gaze a moment, eyes playfully narrowing a moment before nodding. “I suppose you’re right.” she murmured, a trace of weariness seeping into the edges of her voice that she hadn’t realized she had been carrying until now.

Just as he stood up, she was immediately left with the chill of his absence. How could it be possible to already miss him? Yet that was precisely the sensation that washed over her. She leaned into his kiss, feeling the firm press of his lips against her cheek before he pulled away, her heart fluttering at the fleeting contact. The warmth that emanated from him was comforting, steadfast in its consistency.

She watched him as he prepared to leave, silver eyes lingering on the rippling of muscles under his obsidian pelt as he stretched, the way his emerald eyes sparkled with a softness reserved only for her. She felt a surge of affection for him, a feeling so intense it made her chest tighten. “If you encounter any trouble...” she began, but her words faded into silence. She trusted his abilities, that wasn’t it. But her feelings were irrational given his strength and skill, but they were feelings nonetheless. With a soft sigh, Mariah nodded at him. “Be careful," she finished, the words lingering in the air long after they had passed her lips.

-end thread-

"Mariah Mendacium"