home is where the sleep is

She liked to pretend pain didn't scare her, that she could take on the Warlord. But the flash of Wilders teeth had her flinching, and her heart picking up in speed. It reminded her that she was prey, and wolves like Wilder were predators.


She froze, hampered by her emotions. Fear, pain, rejection, anger. She knew she was an emotional idiot, but she didn't know how to navigate these feelings. Anger and fear were easy, it as the rest she struggled with.


While she froze, Wilder took the opportunity to move into her space. His words sunk in, and she flushed. Sex didn't embaress her, but love and commitment did. What was he saying? Why. Why was he saying these things? She didn't speak for a moment frozen as he started to pull away. “You want…

… me?” She clarified. Surely he didn't mean a relationship. He couldn't. “If you want sex, Wilder, all you have to do is ask.” A challenge, a deflection. A scrambled for something she could hold onto that wasn't terrifying. She didn't meet his eyes.