Is it time

She glanced sidelong at him, eyes sharp and glittering in the dappled light, reading the tension in his jaw and the way he carried himself. She turned to face him fully, her posture fluid and confident as she tilted her head, studying him. “Must mean you’re taking this seriously.”

Her words were edged with that familiar bite, but her expression softened ever so slightly. The charm in his smile, the way he tried to downplay the gravity of his request—it might have worked on others, but she knew him too well. They’d grown up side by side For a time, two restless young wolves testing the limits of their harsh world. For him to ask her anything meant he was willing to put more on the line than just a rank. It meant he was risking his pride and his ambition in equal measure. Delicious.

Absinth stepped forward, closing the space between them as she circled him slowly, taking in the shift in his stance, making her assessments. “Pointers.” She hummed thoughtfully, tail flicking as she moved.

She stopped in front of him, close enough that her breath brushed against his muzzle, eyes locking with his. “Tell me, Flare—do you want to win, or do you want to dominate?” Her smile turned wicked, a dark, playful gleam in her eyes. “Because there’s a difference.”

She let the question hang for a moment, watching his reaction, before stepping back with a low, rumbling chuckle. “I’ll show you how to use their weaknesses against them.” Her grin widened, showing a flash of teeth. “But making them remember you? Well, that’s something else entirely. And it’ll hurt.”

Her gaze held his, daring him to look away, daring him to decide. “So, what’ll it be, Flare? Are you ready to bleed a little for your future?” Of course. She knew the answer. But Absinth likes her games, her tricky words, and she was quite entertained at the moment.


"Absinth Artemisia Inferos"