Awake My Soul

Mariah's breath caught in her throat at Caedes' touch, electric and tender all at once. She leaned into his paw, silver eyes fluttering closed for a heartbeat. "I slept," she whispered, voice still rough with sleep and the lingering effects of the herb. "Didn't dream. It's just..." She trailed off, grasping for the words to articulate the gnawing emptiness inside her. The need.

Eyes opening again, Mariah tilted her muzzle up to meet Caedes' intense gaze. In the green depths, she thought she could see understanding. A shiver rippled through her. Mariah pressed herself against Caedes, the heat of his body seeping into her bones, chasing away the chill that always seemed to linger no matter how many furs she piled on the bed. "I need..." She swallowed hard, the words sticking in her throat. "I need to feel something real." Her voice wavered, threaded with a vulnerable desperation that at some point along the way became a sin to show.

"Mariah Mendacium"