you touch the bump I punch your throat

Absinth felt Aresenn’s tension and reluctance as he agreed to her request. She knew she was asking a lot of him, especially considering his exhaustion. Pressing her head more firmly against his chest, she inhaled deeply, taking in his scent and drawing comfort from him. “Look how easy it is when you indulge me.” The woman murmured, her voice a low rumble of amusement but carrying a note of urgency. He was doing a lot of indulging her as of late. She hated that; it felt like he was pitying her. Absinth pulled back just enough to look up at him, her eyes meeting his with a mix of gratitude and mischief. “Bear with it?” Her voice came, a bit louder now and wholly pleased.

She could see the fatigue etched in his features, the weariness in his eyes, and felt another pang of guilt. But this hunt wasn’t just about distraction; it was about preparing him for the news she had to share. The news she didn’t know to articulate right at this moment, nor how he would process it. Hell, she didn’t even know how to process it herself. It wasn’t as though she’d ever held dreams of being a mother, of nurturing anything other than her bloodlust. “Come on,” She huffed, her tone taking on a more taunting edge to lighten the mood, even if only slightly. With a quick, reassuring nudge to his side, Absinth led the way out of the den, her steps more purposeful now; her charcoal tail like a banner waving behind her. The cold air bit at her fur, but the thought of the hunt invigorated her. She needed this, and she hoped the action would help settle her nerves.

As they moved through the forest, the silence between them was heavy with unspoken words. Absinth stole glances at Aresenn, offering him her usual impish grins. A semblance of normalcy, you understand. And when finally she broke the silence, her voice carried notes of the coy nature she usually displayed. “If we catch one each, I’ll tell you my secret. Deal?”

She did not wait for an answer in particular, instead opting to continue through the forest while her thoughts whirled. She knew she was being unfair, dragging him out like this when he was clearly exhausted. She could have said it outright, could have had Caedes break the news to him. But she couldn’t help the cynical edge that crept into her mind. Life had never been fair to her, so why should she play by the rules now? The fresh scent of coyote drifted into her nares then, setting her senses alight, her body moving to follow suit. Where were those slippery bastards?

“You know,” She said, her voice taking on a darker, more sardonic tone, “I’ve always found it funny how we’re supposed to find solace in numbers, like a pack can solve all our problems. Maybe it’s true, maybe it’s just a load of shit. But hey, if it gets us through the night, who cares, right?” She prattled on as she tracked their quarry, wondering what he thought of that whole strength in numbers idealism. Because, there were about to be more of them lingering around, like little fuzzy leeches whose sole purpose was to consume and slumber. Haha.



wormwood