She had no idea why she felt the need to come to this place. It was dark, foggy, and stupidly hard to navigate through. Mercy had just wandered away from Imperium territory, feeling rather... bored. It wasn't like she didn't have anything to do though, she had been constantly patrolling the borders and hunting while she could. But she wanted to fight, to bite and rip and tear. It made her anxious and more irritable, she had been picking more and more on the members of her pack. It would only be a matter of time before Valentine pulled her aside for a talk. That is not what she wanted, after all she wanted to rise in the ranks, not fall down them. So she just... walked. She would have been stomping around, but the tangle of undergrowth clung to her pale legs. Her purple eyes were squinted against the thickness of the fog to try and see where she was going, but it was nearly impossible. The pale woman let out a huff, coming to a standstill while she inspected the area around her. Well, what little she could see. She felt like turning back and heading home -- she wasn't too far from Imperium's borders, but she had already come this far. Plus, it was quite a work out trying to pull herself from the plants that clung to her limbs. Mercy raised her elongated tail, trying to keep it out of the way of the tall grass. She could feel a few branches and such break off and stick in her fur, the damp ground squishing between her paws. Her nose wrinkled upwards, she really did pick a wrong place to go for a walk. Squinting down at her legs, she growled when she saw how dirty she was getting. Ugh, she was going to have to go for a cold dip to wash off. Picking up her pace once more, she finally made it to a small clearing. The undergrowth was shorter here, and the dame let out a big sigh. Finally! She could move a lot easier here, and she quickly jumped out of her tangles. At last she was able to bend down and yank the vegetation from her body. When she had pulled out all she could reach, she glanced around her. It was a strange little clearing, it looked like a giant wolf had laid down here and flattened everything around her. Interesting... Sniffing at the ground, she walked around in a wide circle, but there wasn't much here at all. It just smelled... damp and marshy. Pulling her head back she scowled, flopping down to her rump in the very center of the mini clearing. Hopefully something would come by and entertain her, otherwise she was going to have to move on and find something else. Or someone to bite into. Mercy smirked at that thought, slowly shaking her head back and forth. She needed to find a chew toy or something, soon Valentine was going to smack her snout and stick her in a corner. Speech

ooc: I'm just going to assume that they at least left with a pretty positive impression of each other during their last meeting? xD Gethin wasn't a moral wolf by any stretch of the imagination, but he kept his promises. He had kept his promise to Isolde, but he needed to get out. Stretch his legs. Something, anything. He couldn't stand this inner turmoil any longer. He had never dealt with feelings or emotions well in the calmest sense of the word and the last could of months... he felt numb to it all. He blocked it all out of his mind for at least a moment, put it all behind him. He'd face it later. That's what he was best at wasn't it? Ignoring his problems and covering up his emotions and pain with his hungry desires? He settled into the quiet, brooding saunter that he had accustomed himself to years ago. He had been broken down young and this was the mindset that made him feel the most comfortable. The most confident. He wandered slowly through this misty, foggy forest, paying no mind to the brambles and brush around his legs. He wasn't really paying much mind to where he was going anyway, he was just getting some distance under his paws and space between himself and his problems. It took a while and just when he was beginning to wonder if this dense forest would go on forever he noticed a brighter light ahead, the beginning of a clearing. As he go closer he suddenly caught a scent that he was fairly certain would be ingrained in his mind for a long time to come. A slight smirk touched his lips and when he stepped through the last of the brush and into the clearing he saw the pale woman sitting in the middle of the clearing. He chuckled, the sound low and rumbling in his chest. "Well, this is a surprise," he commented as he padded closer, his tail swaying slowly behind him. "Look at you, all picturesque sitting in the middle of a clearing, sun glittering off your fur." He chuckled again and a sly grin stretched across his muzzle as he stopped in front of her. His ruby gaze met her violet eyes easily. "If I didn't know better I'd say you were waiting for something." "Talk" "You" Think

She was just about to turn back towards home when the bushes rumbled, a gray form wandering out from within them. As soon as she saw who it was, a sly grin spread across her maw. She watched him carefully, openly looking him over. He commented on her sitting in the sun and she laughed, slowly shaking her form so that her fur moved this way and that, wagging her elongated tail behind her. She was about to greet him when he spoke again, moving closer. Raising herself to her paws, Mercy's purple eyes hungrily looked into his. "Or someone ," she said in a silky smooth voice. Letting out another, lower laugh, she moved to bring herself closer to him, standing so close that they almost touched. "Last time I saw you, you were coated in blood," she whispered, no need to speak any louder than that, "and I had the taste of you on my tongue." Mercy licked her lips, her tone dropping into a silken whisper. Her pale capt shivered with anticipation of seeing him again, that hunger burning in her eyes as she thought of their fight. He had seemed awfully surprised to see her turn on by blood and pain, but then again most were. Mercy stepped back slightly, turning around and aiming to trail her long tail under his chin as she did so. Taking a few steps away, she turned around and looked at him over her shoulder. Batting her long lashes in his direction, she offered him a rather toothy grin, shoulders shrugging as she flipped around to face him again. She adored to play with men like they were mice and she the cat, and it was a dance she knew all too well. "So, did you come to the foggy forest to brood in its darkness? Or are you not always lurking in the shadows?" she teased. Now this is just what she needed. While they hadn't gotten far into their conversation, if this went anything like their first meeting, she would definitely get to bite into something. Speech

Her sly response was just what he had been expecting. He didn't get to experience much of her commentary the last time they were together, but this was the same kind of feeling he got from her before. She moved closer and said just enough about their last run in to bring all those vivid memories back to the surface. He'd smirk and chuckle at the thought. He had only recently completely healed from all the wounds and bruises she had left on him and something told him that he wouldn't leave without a few more scars today. He had come across plenty of women in the past that liked to play a little rough now and again, but this pale beauty was a whole different level. Not that he minded in the slightest. In fact, it added an unexpected twist that he liked quite a bit. She'd turn and flick her tail under his chin, pulling a quiet rumble of a growl from him, a grin playing on his lips and showing the smallest bit of his teeth. He was so used to being the pursuer, the hunter, that he never really experienced this teasing and flirting from the other side. It took a little bit of self control on his part to not tear into her when she looked back at him over her shoulder. He would move closer to her once again as she turned back to face him, chuckling at her question over his possible constant state of brooding. "Well, I have to have a good motivation to come out of the shadows," he commented in a low whisper, his eyes tracing the shape of her body from head to tail. "Like a certain blood thirsty wolf I know for example." He'd bring his eyes back to hers as a slight smirk tugged at his lips. "Talk" "You" Think

Mm, it would seem that her little mouse wasn't quite used to her game. She could see that he was getting easily wired up, his unsated list wasn't hard to see. Hungrily she licked at her lips, unable to help the small shiver that ran down her spine. He had only seen a touch of what she could do during their spar, that was only the tip of her iceberg. There was so much more in store, and he had no idea, did she? It was then that she realized that they had never exchanged names, they had been far too occupied by other things for such plesenteries. A single black marked brow rose at the thought, and she wondered if she even cared to learn this gray mutts name. There was no need for it the first time, but now that they seemed to be bumping into each other again... "I don't think I ever told you this, but my names Mercy. Kind of ironic, no?" she asked with a smile. She hadn't had much mercy on him during their fight, nor did she ever really possess that quality. She moved away from him, but not before her movement was able to pull out a growl from him. Her jaws snapped together in excitement, her elongated tail twirling behind her. It normally wasn't this easy to tangle up a brute in her web, but it would seem that her previous thought was right. Humming softly, her head tilted a touch to the left, pale ears flickering. "Not used to the chase, little mouse?" she asked teasingly. When he spoke she focused on him, watching his hungry red gaze drink in her form. When he looked back to her face, she was smiling softly. Obvious desire was alight in her purple gaze, her body practically thrumming in anticipation. "Blood thirsty doesn't even begin to describe me, my dear." Mercy whispered, leaning forward and attempting to drag her teeth across his left ear, seeking to place a rather hard pinch to the tip of it. Not enough to draw blood, oh no. It was too early for that just yet. Speech

He grinned with a slight bit of amusement when she mentioned her name. He hadn't really thought about finding out her name before since their entire interaction had been entirely physical, but this time he supposed it would be a good thing to learn, especially since he hoped he would continue to bump into her like this. "That is incredibly ironic. Mine is Gethin, by the way. No ironic puns to be had with my name unfortunately." As he was taking her form in, he heard her taunting comment and a chuckle rumbled deep in his chest as a knowing grin tugged at his muzzle, his tail flicking behind him from excitement. It had been far too long since the last time he had a woman that was as much of a tease as himself. "Oh, quite the opposite, gorgeous. I'm not used to my mice chasing back." His eyes met hers again and he loved the eager anticipation he saw there. Expression never quite reached his own eyes, at least not like it seemed to do in others. Even still, the same anticipation was visible in the flick of his tail and the sly smirk on his lips. She surprised him yet again, reaching forward till he felt her teeth on his ear. Another growl sounded in his chest as a fiery shot of desire went through him. It was something that he had done to women on countless, countless occasions, but very rarely did someone tease and tempt him like this. It took some self control on his part to not grab her scruff then and there, but he didn't want to rush too much. He was enjoying this game, he was going to keep it going for a little longer at least. "Doesn't even begin to describe you, huh? Sounds like we're going to have a lot of fun together then." "Talk" "You" Think

A velveteen chuckle left her lips at his mention of lacking an ironic name. Shoulders shrugged in an elegant way, moving up and down slower than usual. Oh, she knew what she was doing. The movement made her muscles ripple across her upper back, her scars flashing in the pale light. Had he even noticed her impressive v like scar before, or was he too taken away by her pretty looks? She smirked at her own joke, attention drawn back to him as he rumbled. Ah, so he was used to easy prey, wasn't he? "I'm afraid I won't be as easy as your other prey, dearest. As you already know, I bite back... hard," she whispered, snapping her jaws together to make her point. Yes, she adored to bite, to draw blood. It made her body tingle with anticipation at the mere thought, blood running hot in her veins. Yes, she had a very fucked up way of showing her admiration. Thankfully, Gethin didn't mind, as least that's what she gathered from their first meeting. There was still a lot that she didn't know about this man, nor did she care to hear his life story. They connected on a different level, a much more... basic level. Primal, hungry. Purple eyes sparkled, her claws digging into the ground as a delicate shiver worked its way down her spine. A sly laugh left her lips as he growled yet again. She could almost feel the tension crackling between them, a heat that was only burning hotter. He obviously wasn't used to being teased, and how Mercy adored torturing her prey before she took a bite. Knowing this, she tried to push her chest against his, shifting her limbs so that she could raise her left front leg. Ever so slowly she dragged her paw down his front right leg, aiming her paw so that her claws would be the only thing teasing his skin. Eyelashes fluttered with innocence, but her smile spoke of things not so soft. "I think fun is to gentle of a word," she mused softly, head tilting up slightly as she thought. "The direction that we are heading has a lot more destruction in its path. That is... if you could handle it." Using both her body and her words to egg him on, it was clear that Mercy was an expert in this dance. A single lack marked brow rose expectantly, waiting for some sort of retaliation. Speech

Gethin hadn't had this much fun in quite a while. At least not like this. He enjoyed all of his encounters, but this was on an entirely different level. He couldn't say that he liked this more than how he was with other women, it was just different. It was like comparing apples and oranges, or in this case mice to lions. A rumbling chuckle left him when she snapped her jaws just to emphasize her point of how hard she could bite. "Oh yes, I've been on the receiving end of those teeth once already... I can't say I'm disappointed that I'm going to get to feel them again," he'd murmur with a chuckle. He'd let her press her chest to his own while he enjoyed the tingles her claws sent over the skin on his leg. She was absolutely intoxicating with her proximity and tempting. It really did take all of his self control to let this tempting last and not push for more immediately. She had his blood boiling. His claws dug into the soil under his paws from the light tremors that ran over his skin while he watched her head tilt and her brow raise. He took that as his own invitation and he brought his muzzle to where her neck and jaw met in that open space her head tilt had left him. The end of his muzzle traced her jaw, his lips parting just enough for his teeth to catch the fur that covered the tender skin on her throat, grazing the skin lightly while a low rumble of a growl rattled in his chest. "I assure you, I can handle anything you throw at me, my violent beauty," he'd reply with a chuckle, ending his sentence with a nip to her throat before he let his gaze come back to her violet eyes. "Talk" "You" Think

Every shiver and growl that left his mouth was because of her. This is where she felt the most powerful, where she could twist and bend men to her every whim. He made a comment about having felt her bite before, to which she let out a sly chuckle. Of course, she could never forget that. That had been one of the first battles that she had seen another be as turned on by blood and biting than she was. Her chest shoved against his, and she felt each breath against her skin. Her hackles stood on end at the rising excitement bubbling around them. When she invited him to have another taste, she was not disappointed. A breathless moan left her lips as his teeth grazed against her flesh. Both brows rose as he said that he could handle anything, calling her a violent beauty. She tossed him a toothy grin at the nickname, shivering at his nip. Now the fun was really going to begin. She bumped her chest harder against him, a growl leaving her throat. Her head tilted downwards, jaws parting as she sought to clamp down on his right shoulder, hard. The little teasing nips were done now, she wanted true pain, to paint a macabre image on his coat with a mix of their blood. Her tongue sought to lick across the area, before she lifted her head back to try and meet his red gaze. He had said that he could handle it, and she didn't want this encounter to end. As much as she wanted him to mount her right then and there, she wanted to taste him for a little bit longer. Speech

Gethin's ears would flick at the sound of her breathless moan, the sound sending a tremble of white hot heat through him. He'd never met a girl quite like her, that was for sure. He spotted her grin at his words and a smirk touched his lips in return. His tail flicked back and forth behind him, trying his best to hold himself back for just a bit longer. He kept telling himself to make this last and enjoy this woman and their chance meeting because he had no idea if they'd ever cross paths again. She had his full attention and he watched as her jaws parted just before her head dipped out of his line of sight. A flash of pain hit him next, flaring up from where her jaws clamped down on his shoulder. He grit his teeth and a growl got pulled from, this one louder than the last. A light shudder ran down his spine and his claws dug into the ground on reflex as her teeth left his skin, her tongue running over the fresh wound adding an extra bit of sting like a punctuation mark at the end of a statement. He felt his blood running down the length of his leg and a wide grin would tug at his lips when her gaze came up to find his once again. Some women were all talk about how they liked things rough, but she was no joke. He'd bring his head to her shoulder then, opening his jaws to bite down where her shoulder and neck met to give her a matching wound. He'd let his teeth slice through her skin till he tasted her blood, letting go just to give a firm lick over the teeth marks and watch her blood stain that pretty white coat of hers before his ruby eyes glanced back up to hers. "Talk" "You" Think

Mercy's tongue lapped at his blood that poured from his shoulder, it's coppery taste filling her mouth. She licked her chops then, savoring the flavor that was uniquely him. Her energy spiked with the smell of his blood now in the air, the taste of it filling her very being. Her purple eyes took on a whole new light, shivers racing down her form. Now this was her kind of partner, one who could dish it out as well as take it. His teeth cut into her own flesh, her head shooting back as a louder moan vibrated in her throat. She quivered when she felt her own blood being spilled, the sharp rasp of her tongue sending her further into ecstacy. Her need for him grew, her gaze burning for desire for this monochrome brute. Her lips smacked together as she looked back down at him, leaning forward to send a shower of nips across the line of his jaw. As her need grew, so did the speed of her movements. Her chest pushed against him harder, a sharp gasp leaving her mouth as the fresh wound bumped against his form. She craved more pain, more touches and more blood. To say that Mercy was fucked up was an understatement, there really was no word for the girl. A sharp growl left her maw as the rest of the world fades away, until it was only the two of them. All over thoughts left her mind ad Gethin entered it, longing for his teeth once more. Stretching her neck passed his she aimed to place a few harsh nips to his scruff, pinching at the flesh and aiming to draw a bit of blood with each bite. As much as she wanted to tear into him, there was a more reasonable part of her thst knew that that could kill him. Her breath came out heavy and hard as her tail curled upwards, the length of it making the tip of her tail tickle her back. The scent of their blood now filled the air, but instead of the usual snarls thst joined a battle like this, there were only moans and groans. Lust. Need. Desire. Mercy felt them all, as well as some darker feelings. "SPEAK"

Art by ARGENTICIDE

Gethin was a bit more steady than Mercy seemed to be, but just the fact that he had a wicked grin on his lips and his tail was flicking behind him spoke volumes for the normally stoic and deadpan brute. His hackles bristled with his lust and excitement as she started to shower him with sharp nips, each one bringing little beads of his blood to the surface. He took them all low growls and rumbles of quiet moans of his own. The harder her body pressed to his and the more she bit at him the harder it was to hold himself back. He gave her similar nips along the side of her neck across her shoulder, more and more small beads of red coming to the surface of her fur. She wanted rough, she wanted pain. He'd give it to her. He left her scruff alone for now though. There would plenty of blood spilled from there soon enough. He'd break away from her chest then, slipping past her as he made his way toward her haunches. Gethin placed a trail of small nips down her side as he made his way slowly down her body, making sure he devoured every inch of her before he had her completely. With a smirk he added a particularly sharp bite near her hip, where her side and thigh met before bringing his parted jaws to her haunches and biting in deep to her hip closer to her tail, similar to the first bite he had given to her shoulder. Before he did anything else to slipped around behind her till he reached her other side and he gave her another sharp bite in the same place where her hip and thigh met just on the opposite side of her body. Satisfied with his work, he finally came back to her haunches and let himself finally give into the lust he had for her from the moment he stepped into the clearing. He climbed over her and his front legs pressed into those two bites he made on either of her sides while his claws dug sharply into her. He noticed the large scar across her back then, but that was probably the least of his concerns at this point. That was conversation for later- if ever. He grabbed her scruff and his teeth bit into her skin before he finally had her entirely. -fade- "Talk" "You" Think

The satisfaction she received from him was unlike any she had had before. He sent similar nips across her neck and shoulder, each one bringing forth small droplets of crimson liquid. Her neck arched at the great deal of pleasure he was giving her, never even questioning her fetish for pain. She savored every movement, every touch an bite that spilled her blood. Her claws bit into the soft ground, her muscles growing ridged as a sense of urgency grew within her. If she didn't have a release soon, she was surly going to explode. She could feel it building up within her, screaming to be let go. But each grace of her teeth brought her further and further, until she started panting from it. Gethin moved from her chest, coming back towards her rear. A thrill shot down her spine, and then the first hard bite was delivered. A loud gasp was followed by a delicate moan, the next bite almost making her limbs give out. She quivered under his touch, until a whine came free. Turning her head to look over her shoulder, she watched as her blood poured from the bites, coating her hind legs in its crimson colour. He moved to her other side, delivering an equally hard bite. She felt as if she was going to pass out from the amount of pleasure that coursed through her. Her teeth gritted together, and she longed to give him another bite, to taste his blood on her tongue once again. But she could feel his heat pouring off of him as he pressed against her hindquarters and knew it was too late. Her elongated tail was still raised, but it sank lower to graze tenderly across his cheek. Mercy knew that the time was finally coming to draw this meeting to a climax, as his legs and claws dug into the wounds he had made. She gasped again, nearly buckling from under him at the mix of pain and pleasure. And then, at last, he took every part of her. -fade- This time, Mercy couldn't stop her legs from giving out from under her. She collapsed to her belly, panting hard. The pain really caught up to her now as the ecstasy began to ebb away. The dull pain became sharper, but it was really nothing to her. She had had worse, and still being here in his company made it all seem better. Catching her breath, she looked over and beamed up at Gethin. "Well now, let's not make this our last meeting, eh?" she said in a low, gruff voice. She was glad that she was so close to pack lands, otherwise she might not make it home. In fact, it seemed rather tempting to just sleep here. "SPEAK"

Art by ARGENTICIDE

Gethin panted hard as he settled on the ground with Mercy still pressed tight to him. The small wounds that dotted his form and the deeper bite on his shoulder really began to ache and sting once most of the pleasure had passed, but he didn't mind in the slightest. Her voice pulled his gaze up and he saw her looking back at him and he grinned a little at her words. "Absolutely, vicious," he replied in a similarly rough voice, still slightly out of breath and ragged. He liked his little nickname for her. It was something he tended to do with women he particularly liked and she certainly fell in that category. He tipped his muzzle to lap his tongue gently over the bites he had left on her scruff, cleaning up the blood from her pale fur. "Do you have to run off so soon?" he asked, between licks, his gaze glancing back up toward hers again. "Will your pack miss you if I keep you for the night?" The pack scent on her fur was unmistakeable so he knew he wasn't going to be able to keep her all to himself like he really wanted to without dealing with some pack coming after him, but perhaps he could hold onto her for a moment more. "Talk" "You" Think

She chuckled softly at the nickname that he had given her, eyes closing for a moment as she settled against him. He leaned down and began to lick at her scruff, making her hum softly as he did so. This was a level of intimacy that she usually didn't get, as well as tried to avoid. But with a coupling like theirs, there was no way she was just going to up and leave. Plus, the feel of his gentle licks were soothing and gentle, the exact opposite of what they had just experienced. When he asked if she had to go, Mercy's eyes shot open as she looked back at him, genuine surprise written all over her face. He... he wanted her to stay? She blinked at him slowly, too shocked to say anything right away. She wasn't used to this at all, it was much... closer than she had ever experienced. Usually she just left after her encounters, most didn't even really want her to stay afterwards. Finally gaining the ability to speak again, she smiled softly at Gethin. "No, I can pretty much come and go as I please. Just as long as I'm not gone for weeks at a time," she said softly. She realized that she probably would have to explain her sudden shift of mood, but she tried to play it off like it wasn't a big deal. She shrugged her shoulders, wiggling herself closer to him. "I guess I'm too used to being humped and dumped, you just surprised me is all." Her voice was airy, really trying to downplay the whole ordeal. "SPEAK"

Art by ARGENTICIDE

One of his brows raised quizzically when he saw the clearly shocked expression that came to her face at his question. He didn't quite understand her reaction until she began to explain it and slight surprise touched his face this time. He wasn't so much concerned with her obviously trying to brush off the significance of her surprise at his request for her to stay with him. He was more bothered by the fact that someone had "humped and dumped" her as she put it. Or many someones by the sounds of it. He was about as unemotional as it came about most things, but he was too possessive and too scarred to just take what he wanted and leave most of the time. Especially when it was from a woman as unique and memorable as Mercy. He draped one of his forelegs over her as she pressed tighter into him, continuing to groom the fur on her scruff before bringing the soft licks up along her neck to get the small patches of blood he had left with his nips. "I've never heard a one night stand referred to like that... Humped and dumped, hm?" he muttered thoughtfully between soft licks. "Whoever "dumped" you is certainly missing out," he added with a slight smirk. It was a true statement, but he did try to lighten the mood a bit for her since she seemed so put off my his genuine requests before. He let his muzzle shift away from her neck so he could find her gaze with his again. "I like to look after the women I'm with," he added softly, feeling like he needed to give a little bit of his own explanation since she had given him some as well. "I saw my father "hump and dump" as you put it far too many times to count. I try not to be like him when I can." "Talk" "You" Think

Oh how the mood had shifted. It had gone from very much a rough and tumble to something a lot more serious than that. He had looked just as surprised as she was, but that reaction had been expected. In fact if he had been anything but surprised she would have questioned the truth to his words. But it would seem that he really was genuine, which did nothing to set her mind straight. Gethin was a very complex man it would seem, although she could say the same thing for herself. Or maybe this was completely normal, and she had been getting mixed up with the wrong type of males. Gethin held her closer to him by draping a leg over her, making her feel safe and secure form all three emotions that came bubbling to the surface. He seemed amused at her term for one night stands, which brought a smile to her maw. It had been true though, besides her brother there weren't many males that she had literally slept with. According to Gethin she was worth it, his words bringing a flush to her pale cheeks. Batting her lashes as she looked up a him, she leaned forward to place a small kiss on the side of his muzzle. She wasn't used to being this close to a male, and not just in the after sex way. He really seemed to want to spend time with her, which touched her in a way no one else had before. Sighing softly, she couldn't help but pick up on the daddy issues. "Well... thank you Gethin. For opening my eyes," she started, fully relaxing into him form. He had cleaned off a lot of blood from her coat, and while she wanted to return the favor she didn't really want to move. "And we seem to be more alike than we thought. I don't want to be anything like my parents either, it's why I left them so young. " Mercy had never been an open wolf before, but there was something about what Gethin had told her that made her want to return the favor somehow. "SPEAK"

Art by ARGENTICIDE

Gethin felt strangely at ease as Mercy kissed his muzzle and snuggled closer to him. The only other time, at least recently, that he had really gotten into this sort of situation where it had settled into something a bit more serious had been with Isolde and that had only been out of possessive worry and strained, haunting memories. He wasn't sure what caused him to feel like this with Mercy, but if he had to guess his only assumption was that they both seemed to have some kind of similarity in what they liked and how they felt. They were both a little messed up in some way. He moved on to gently grooming over the top of her head and the upper part of her neck. There wasn't really any more blood for him to clean up, not that he could reach anyway, but he was enjoying grooming and caring for her in this small way as long as she'd let him. He made a soft "hmm" noise of understanding as she spoke of her parents and how she left them when she was young. It seemed their similarities were coming up more and more. He hadn't really opened up to anyone besides Isolde and even then he had only spoken about his past out of a feeling of needing to warn her what she was getting herself into with him. It felt more like speaking out of a kinship with Mercy. Although he also wondered if maybe he was reading this entirely wrong. She could get up and leave at any moment, he knew that. "I never really knew my mother," he replied after a moment of silence, speaking quietly since they were so close and there was no need to speak any louder. He continued to place the gentle licks all over her neck and face on and off while he spoke. "I have very, very fuzzy memories of her, but I was very young when my father took me from her." He gave a little shrug of his shoulders in a 'what can you do?' sort of gesture. "Then I killed my father to protect my half-brother so... I never really had parents." "Talk" "You" Think

Her eyes slid closed again as his gentle grooming, wiggling her head closer into his chest. A soft sigh left her lips, she could almost fall asleep from the soothing motion of it all. It was only the soft murmur of his voice that kept her awake, eyelids fluttering as he spoke of his mother. She scoffed at that, she never cared for her mother. That bitch collected pups to fill the empty hole in heart, a hole that was too big for her and her brother to fill. A low grumble rumbled in her throat, but she didn't speak on it. Her ears flickered when he said that he had killed his father to protect his brother, her head lifting at that. She slowly blinked open her eyes, a frown on her maw. While Mercy had been in far more fights that she could count, she had never actually taken someone's life. But if anyone threatened her brother, she would mow them down without hesitation. "I... I would have done the same thing. I would do anything for my brother," she said softly, almost gently. She placed her head back down, purple eyes sliding closed again. She lapped at his limb that lay under her head, humming softly as she did so. Revenge had been more than just a little distant, and that had been her entire reasoning for wandering off. She had been looking for a distraction, something to fill the void that her brother had left. Huh, maybe she was like her parents after all. Internally growling, she tossed one of her limbs over her maw, shutting herself up. With another sigh, she shifted so that she lay on her side instead of her belly, her body protesting at the movement. She flinched, but didn't say anything else. "Do you mind if I stay with you for a little while?" she whispered, almost afraid to voice it out loud. She needed just a day or two away from the pack, nothing too large. He was kind to her, and well... she would be lying if she didn't say she didn't like his bite. Maybe it would clear her head a bit, give her time to think. "SPEAK"

Art by ARGENTICIDE

Gethin felt the silence settle over them once he finished speaking and he watched Mercy curiously as she lifted her head to look at him. He honestly didn't know what to expect from her. It was the first time he had told anyone that he had actually killed his father. Not that he had really set out to do so, but it didn't change the fact that he had done it. He didn't regret it. It had freed himself and his brother of their father's torment and kept their father from doing the same thing to any more of his "sons". All the same, he was still a little relieved to hear Mercy say that she would have done the same if it came down to it before she rested her head on him again. He paused for a moment, peering at her while she began to lap at one of his forelimbs. What an interesting woman she was. He hummed quietly and rested his head on the ground near hers, his ruby gaze still just watching her. He was pleased and a little surprised when she asked to stay with him. "Of course," he replied without hesitation. What did he have to lose? He had been simply wandering constantly since he left Isolde and gave up on looking for Seneca. It wasn't like he had anywhere to be or anyone to answer to. "I've pretty much been alone since my brother left," he added, "It'll be nice to have some company." He smirked slightly and gently nibbled at her cheek. "Besides, who am I to say no to my vicious beauty?" "Talk" "You" Think