The ancient forest towered high above the ground, thick canopies of the tremendous old oak trees all but obscuring the fading afternoon light and casting the woods in deep, dark shadows. Where the sun did split through the branches, radiant orange light from the sunset pierced through the branches and trunks, giving just enough light for the small fae to navigate the ivy-covered ground with. Roots jutted and sprung from the earth, making each step require a little more forethought, and for one as little as she was, the giant trees seemed even more imposing. Irilyth had no idea where she was now. Her paws had carried her off in one direction when her last owner had expired to his own hubris and stupidity, knowing her options had been to start walking or die where she sat. She chose the former.

Her choice had gotten her inevitably lost, and now she was left wandering this labyrinth of near-prehistoric trees as the day grew shorter and evening prepared to set upon Auster. Her lips pursed into a thin line while deep raspberry eyes searched the humongous tree trunks for somewhere for her to shelter down for the night. Food would be a secondary concern, and she had passed a number of streams to not be worried over water. But there was only so much she could do on her own. Should a predator come upon her, Irilyth's days would be numbered. She needed to find another source of security and survival if she intended to live beyond the week.

And so she walked, stepping over upturned roots and hopping up boulders for a better vantage point. The best thing about being directionless was that every direction was a viable option. The worst thing about being directionless was the same thing. She hadn't scented another wolf all day and had no idea where to turn to next. Perhaps after a good night's sleep, she'd be able to think with a clear head and try to find her way out of this damned forest and into the service of someone who would have need of her. She wasn't desperate yet, but if there was one thing she was good at, it was finding ways to make herself valuable to someone.

"Irílyth"

There was no real reason for Oxx to be in this place of old, fallen trees other than the fact that he wanted to be there. The hulking brute came and went as he pleased. With his sweet mother dead, there was nothing holding him anywhere. He could drift on the wind if he so wished it. For one as large as himself though, drifting took time. And naps. A lot of naps. A whole slew of naps.

Though Isidora was his traveling companion, they didn't spend all of their time together. They walked their own circles, coming together here and there in more ways than one. Oxx was significantly more lecherous when the sandy woman wasn't around, so he tended to go off on his own often. Who knew what wonderful trouble he could get himself into? What lady he could coerce into lifting her tail for him? Whose flesh could his razor sharp teeth pop through today? Each day was a gamble, a surprise. If anyone truly loved life, it was Oxx.

Walking was always tedious work. Easier if there was someone to walk with, but first one had to find that someone to walk with. Walking brought about tiredness and tiredness brought about naps. Hefting his big body onto one of the fallen trees, Oxx followed it upward before sprawling across it in a little beam of sunlight. It warmed him just enough to lull the giant bastard to sleep. There may have even been a little smile on his lips. There were no dreams to make his nap less restful, there was only sweet sleep and relaxation.

In time, Oxx woke naturally. Dark grey eyes opened upon the expanse of woody terrain. A yawn pulled from him and he stretched, digging his claws into the bark of the tree beneath him to send showers down upon the world below. Being in no hurry, Oxx settled back down on his belly. Big paws crossed, he looked down upon the world around him still seeking some sort of entertainment. Oh, and just his luck, there it came. From just ahead, moving down a natural pathway in the forest, came a golden-hued beauty. An appreciative rumble bubbled up in Oxx's chest as he watched the dainty fae move right into his web.

With sunlight waning and night taking hold, the black and white spattered brute could very well have had some camouflage, but it didn't matter either way whether he did or not. Oxx wasn't trying to hide in the slightest. He wasn't entirely sure what kind of mood he was in just yet. If she ran, would he give chase? If he caught her, would she bleed? Would he play the part of chivalrous gentleman? Even he didn't know until the events unfolded before him. So, he watched her. With each step bringing her closer to him, the anticipation of their meeting rose.

"Oxx Carpathius"

Oxx is insanely mature and is prone to
violence,
sexual acts
and degradation of women.
Please don't read his threads.

Irilyth frowned to herself while she paused beside a felled tree, sweeping her gaze around the forest in hopes of finding something—anything—that might give her a clue as to how much farther she had to go to get out of these gods damned woods. Everything all looked the same, and in the dimming light, even the few discerning directions she had been using before seemed muddied. She didn't think she had been walking in circles, but had she also been walking perfectly straight? Navigation had never been her strong suit so anything was possible she supposed. Hopping down from the boulder to the forest floor, Irilyth crunched a few leaves and twigs under tiny paws while she trotted through a natural pathway through the woods. Surely this had to lead somewhere, and if she kept walking straight, then she'd emerge on the other side somewhere, right?

The sandy gold fae tousled her coat and walked leisurely underneath a toppled tree trunk that lay resting diagonally against a standing oak, oblivious to anything above her line of sight, even directly above her head. As she emerged on the other side of the tree, she noted a faint scent that she hadn't noticed previously, just barely noticeable when she crossed beneath the tree. Irilyth paused, nose twitching as she sampled the air again. There, a light trace of something lingering on the still air. But... where? Irilyth turned and glanced back over her shoulder to find... nothing. The woods was empty, quiet other than the chirping of a few birds. Not even a breeze to rustle the branches overhead. But then where was that smell coming from, and why was there no trail leading anywhere?

Confusion furrowed her brow while she stepped under the tree trunk again, sniffing a few more times. Yep, definitely a smell of wolf, masculine and potent. She took a few steps backwards from underneath the fallen tree, scenting the air and finding the smell fading again. But that didn't make any sense. For a wolf's scent to be there, he would have to be right there! A realization struck her, confusion leaving her raspberry eyes for comprehension to replace it. Right here... or above her. Irilyth's head tilted slowly up, eyes peering upward and just barely noticing the splashes of white fur in the dying sunlight against the dark shadows and brown of the tree trunk. She couldn't see him very well from her vantage point almost directly below him, and even then she could only just make out the outline of his shape obscured by dark slate gray fur and darkening shadows, but he was distinctly male and big.

At first, Irilyth didn’t utter a word. She remained silent, staring up at the large wolf with curiosity and caution. Was he awake? Was he even alive? She couldn't tell from down on the ground. If he was, that meant he had seen her coming and hadn’t said a thing to her. Irilyth decided to wait and see if he addressed her now that he had been spotted. If he didn’t, she could assume he was asleep or dead and be on her way. But if he did…

"Irílyth"

The woman was so tiny, so delicious looking, so undeniably lost. Oxx could tell by the look of confusion that crossed her face as she looked back and forth. The behemoth crossed his paws and looked down upon the golden beauty as she scanned the area as though she was looking for something in particular. Silently, the shark toothed man willed her to look upward.

Slowly and hesitantly, the minuscule woman tilted her dainty head upwards. Realization dawned on the woman as her russet gaze fell upon him. She wasn't alone here, that's what her gaze told him. Oxx couldn't help but grin, his long maw curling upwards. The crossed paws moved towards the edge of the fallen tree and the gargantuan man slid over the side, landing surprisingly gracefully on his speckled paws. Oxx towered over the woman. She was so very small. So very lithe. The things that he could do to her...

"The woods at night aren't the best place for a lady of your stature to be out alone," he spoke in his smooth, rumbling purr. Like a shark, he slowly began walking a circle around the woman, not hiding the fact that he was visually inspecting her. She was pretty enough. Reminded him of Isidora in a way, though this woman had a more refined look about her. Oxx was pleased with his find. As he finished one of many circuits around her, the black spattered brute extended his long neck, his bluish nose trailing up the fae's spine as he scented her. A rumble of appreciation left him as he came before her once more.

Oxx seated himself, tail curling around his hip as he looked down at the small, silent woman. "So," he began, his head tilting slightly to one side. "What shall we do with you? If I leave you here, something is sure to come along and gobble you up." He gave her another appreciative once over. It seemed that his mood had let itself be known finally. Today, Oxx was feeling flirty.

"Oxx Carpathius"

Oxx is insanely mature and is prone to
violence,
sexual acts
and degradation of women.
Please don't read his threads.

The wolf above her rose with almost feline-like grace, sliding like a shadow dripping from the tree down to the ground before her. When he rose up to his full height, Irilyth's ears flattened back in timidity and her purple-red eyes widened, her mouth caught in a silent gasp. He was an absolutely gigantic brute, far larger than any she had ever seen before! That heady masculine musk had indeed come from this unit of a wolf, but despite her nerves telling her to stay on guard—or even better, to run away—Irilyth remained frozen in place, drinking in everything that made up this monstrous being. Gazing into his deep gray eyes sent a chill down her spine, and when he spoke, she saw the teeth he had been grinning down at her with just moments ago, though the true horrific nature of them was still hidden from her sight.

The stranger's voice was deep, spoken with a mellifluous purr that oozed charm and charisma. She took a tentative step back, but found she was being encircled by the stranger quite effectively. His large size blocked her in while he circled like a predator waiting for the right moment to strike. In her chest, Iri's heart began to race, a real thrill of fear taking her breath while she tried to follow his movements with her gaze, sizing him up while he appraised her in turn. Besides his size, the rippling of taut muscles beneath luxuriously maintained fur told her that he was athletic and strong and cared for his appearance. He was indeed attractive, a perfect specimen of maleness, something she was sure he had used more than once to lure fans to him. In this case, it had been unneeded. Irilyth had come right to him unwittingly.

As he passed behind her, a sudden press of a cold nose touched the base of her spine, drawing an audible gasp from the lady as her body went rigid. A tremor shook her while his nose followed the ridge of her spine upward, feeling his nares drinking in her scent. Despite her wariness, it was impossible to deny the physical response he elicited with his bold actions. Her mind raced with her pulse, figuring out her options. He was dangerous, she could feel it in her gut. She could run, but there was no doubt in her mind that he would catch her. If she stayed here, did she have a better chance at a good outcome? What even would a good outcome with this Adonis-esque brute look like? Survival. Every choice she made had to be about her survival. Running from him seemed the worst choice, and doing something to try and turn him off from her seemed equally as bad. That left playing along or submitting to him.

Golden tail twitched anxiously behind her while raspberry optics found looked up at the gargantuan man while he sat before her, looking more akin to a perfectly sculpted statue than a living being. She had to tilt her head back just to even look up at his face. If he wanted to, he could just scoop her up and spirit her away to do whatever he wanted with her, and no one would ever know. That sort of powerlessness stirred something inside her, and suddenly she began to see this dangerous wolf as a possible answer to her question of survival. What could she do to make herself useful to him to get him to keep her alive?

"I don't think anything would try to gobble me up with you around," she replied, speaking for the first time in her dulcet voice while she put on a small smile to match her dry wit. Unless he was likely to gobble her up first. "Perhaps the handsome gentleman has a suggestion for what to do about my predicament? I would very much like to live through the night." Her words had been equal measures clever as well as blunt, knowing he'd likely understand her meaning behind her statement. She did not want to die, and that included to this behemoth looking at her like she were the most delicious thing on the planet.

"Irílyth"

Oxx could taste her fear but there were other flavors mixed in as well. It was all terribly intriguing. The mixed reaction to his presence made the man think that she might not be very boring at all. That was a good thing for her. If she was boring, then he'd get bored and if he got bored then he tended to get nasty. She didn't want that. Hell, he didn't want that either. Oxx was in too fine a mood for things to turn south.

The woman's words brought a low, throaty chuckle from the brute and he grinned anew, not trying to hide his teeth in the slightest. She played into his size and his vanity. He knew exactly what she was doing and he didn't mind one bit. Oxx was as vain as they came. He wanted to be told that he was handsome and strong and desirable and all sorts of good things. He loved being catered to and cared for. Loved being fussed over. That was why Isidora was allowed to stick around. She gave him something that he needed as much as he needed food and water. Attention. Devotion. Could this tiny beauty do the same?

Since she'd posed a question, Oxx would of course have to answer. "Why, I do have a very good idea of how you might live through the night, lady." Lowering his blocky skull, he placed his teeth right beside one delicate ear and gave a soft, whispering growl. "But there's a price for everything, isn't there?" Thick implications clung to those words. He wasn't trying to hide it in the slightest. He was simply trying to make her react and to gauge those reactions to see if she would be worth his time.

The beast pulled away, moving off a few paces before looking back over one dark striped shoulder. "So what do you say? Is the lady willing to pay for her protection or will she be eaten by beasts in the night?" Both of those statements would be true if she chose to come with him. As long as she kept up the admiration and witty banter, that was.

"Oxx Carpathius"

Oxx is insanely mature and is prone to
violence,
sexual acts
and degradation of women.
Please don't read his threads.

The monstrous wolf chuckled, a low and threatening rumble somewhere deep within that broad chest. He showed his teeth in a grin that was far from friendly and sent a thrill of fear and awe down the fae's spine. He was so big, so fearsome, so dangerous... Every instinct in her body screamed to run, but that was precisely why she didn't. If her alarm bells were ringing that he was deadly and to stay away, so too would other creatures looking to kill her. This brute could be the greatest means of survival Irilyth had ever encountered. If she played her cards right, maybe she wouldn't have to spend every night afraid she wouldn't wake up in the morning.

Raspberry red eyes danced over those wicked looking fangs, her pulse quickening in her veins til she could hear her heartbeat in her ears. She must have said or done something he liked. He spoke in those tones that she imagined a god would speak in, or the devil himself come to claim a mortal soul. He knew of a way for her to stay alive through the night. The manner in which he said such words left little to the imagination, as did the way he was looking at her like a meal he could devour—or a toy he could destroy. His head came down over hers, and once more Irilyth was awed by the size of the man, his skull perfectly blocking her from the world, trapping her within himself. Those sinister whispered words right against her ear made her entire body tremble, a shaking sigh slipping past barely parted lips. She breathed deep through her nose, her senses flooded with that masculine musk with his body right up on her. He was tantalizing and terrifying, alluring and dreadful. Irilyth knew no matter what happened from this point on, she couldn't say no to him.

Dainty paws clawed anxiously at the ground, her tail swishing nervously behind her while he stepped away and called back to ask if she would pay his price for her protection through the night, lest she be devoured by vicious beasts. Somehow, Iri felt that no matter what option she chose, that would be the case tonight. Swallowing hard, her vibrant eyes followed his graceful movements, and only a moment later so did her paws, carrying the delicate fae behind the behemoth who was both tempting and threatening her all at once. She didn't know if following him was the best or worst move of her life, but something in her gut told her that if she tried to run, it would only end badly for her.

"No price would be too steep for the protection of a wolf so capable, my handsome lord," she replied in that sweet tone, giving him a small, shy smile while she watching him warily. She would have to take her chances with this smiling demon of a brute. With any luck, he would find her valuable and worth keeping around—or at least alive. She was careful to walk close to him, the curvy side of her feminine form brushing against his thigh as she passed alongside him, still in awe at the size difference between them. "Lead the way, my stunning savior?"

"Irílyth"

She cowered before him and he was terrifying. He towered over her, ever-smiling, ever-fierce and cunning and gargantuan. The giant's teeth gleamed in the muted light. Despite his outward appearance, it was almost impossible to discern what he was actually thinking. What was he thinking? That this tiny, simpering woman was boring. She was giving him exactly what she thought he wanted and it wasn't exciting in the slightest. She was predictable and predictable didn't keep his attention.

"No...Price...Too...Steep..." The behemoth purred the woman's words back to her. Did she know what those words implied? Was she some sort of simpleton that was unable to see what he was? Or maybe she was like the pallid fae that he'd fucked not too long ago. A whore, ready to lift her tail and be bred like the bitch that she was. Ah, but Aranea had given him what he wanted against her will. They had played the game and she had lost. In the end, she saw exactly what she was. He was gracious enough to show her. A tiny little hum left the brute as he fondly remembered having the pale fae beneath him. Would he receive the same enjoyment from the woman that now begged for his protection?

As the giant continued to walk along, the light of the forest waned until only fireflies occasionally lit their way. Off in the distance a storm brewed. Periodically the deep reverberation of thunder could be felt through the earth beneath their paws. They moved along, his strides lengthened on purpose so that she would have to move more quickly to keep up. He was so kind to give the woman her exercise for the day. Where had she been before she found him? It was obvious that she was a kept woman. The fear and confusion on her features when he first laid eyes upon her proved that she wasn't the worldly sort. "So what happened to your keeper?" His tones were jovial and conversational, but he was keenly interested in her answer.

"Oxx Carpathius"

Oxx is insanely mature and is prone to
violence,
sexual acts
and degradation of women.
Please don't read his threads.

The way the monstrous brute purred her own words back to her as if repeating a threat put her on edge, but there was little she could do about it now. She could try to run, and maybe she'd get away from him, or maybe she wouldn't and she'd end up pissing him off. It was a gamble; a toss-up that she wasn't sure she'd come out on top of. Irilyth followed behind him, having to walk a good pace faster to keep up with the large man with his long legs. Gods, she could practically fit perfectly beneath him and still be able to walk comfortably, he was so big! As daylight slipped further and further away, night began to overtake the forest, and with it the slate-furred man became more and more like living shadow again. Were she not so close to him, it was entirely possible Irilyth would have lost him in the dying light. The rumble of distant thunder and the static in the air tingled at the ends of her fur, warning her of the encroaching storm. Perhaps it would pass over them, or perhaps it would miss them entirely. Iri quivered a little as the dark thought of what sorts of sounds he could elicit than heavy thunder could cover up.

The still nameless brute asked where her keeper was. Not her name, not anything about her, where her keeper was. That suited Irilyth just fine; she hadn't asked his name either. She shouldn't have been surprised by his question. It was painfully obvious that she was not built for survival on her own. Of course someone had to be keeping her alive. "He met with an accident. It was quite a shame, really. Messy too. I'm on my own for now," she remarked, her words cryptic and yet also glaringly obvious with the meaning. Yes, her keeper had met an untimely fate. But had it been an accident, or an accident by design? Was she innocent or culpable in the outcome? That was a mystery she didn't reveal. A girl had to have some secrets, especially if he was the type of brute she would have to keep interested or entertained.

Keeping up with him was becoming a little challenging. Irilyth frowned, putting her mind to work to try and figure out how to solve her problem. The answer came to her as the two voles began to pass the silhouette of another toppled log, this one significantly smaller than the one he had been sleeping on. Grinning at her own idea, Irilyth rushed up and climbed the log with smooth leaps until she was about as high as he was tall. When he walked by the log, Irilyth gracefully dropped her lithe body down across his back, her paws wrapping around his muscular neck while she straddled his back with her thighs holding snug around his midsection. She could feel every powerful cord of muscle and sinew under her paws as they trailed through his coat, marveling at his brute strength and Adonis-like physique.

"It was getting a little hard to keep up with you and I didn't want to lose you in the dark," she spoke from his back while dainty paws rubbed along the muscles in his shoulders. "I hope I'm not too much to handle." Of course she knew a wolf like him would have been able to scoop a wolf as small and light as her up and carry her off at his whim with no effort, but the little teasing challenge for him to prove his might was her way of playing with him in return. But would he continue to play along, or would he try to throw her from his back like a wild mustang?

"Irílyth"