After he got Serenity settled into one of the spare rooms for the night, he knew what his next stop had to be. He'd introduce Serenity to his children in the morning, but there was someone he needed to tell first before he did anything else. He paced through the castle, trying to gather his thoughts while he followed Eska's scent out of the castle and into the grounds that surrounded it. Even though Serenity seemed to hold no grudge against him for how things had ended up in her life without him, he still held so much disappointment in himself. He had been a younger man back then and had never been with a woman before Bella so he tried to give himself some slack for not following up with her after what he had been just a single, spontaneous night together, but he still managed to find plenty of self loathing for something he had unknowingly done.

He went out to the usual paths that he and his pack members would patrol the ground, his silver eyes looking for the woman he loved. He hadn't spoken the words out loud, but it was firmly planted in his heart, a space carved out only for her. Maybe what made him feel even worse over the whole situation was the fact he seemed to find more and more that he had to bring to her, constantly fearing that the next thing that was uncovered might be the last straw. The way she had handled Aranea and the situation that had followed had cemented his dedication to her, his desire to repay that forgiveness back ten fold, and it felt like too much to ask of her for her to forgive this too. He knew it was something that had happened way before they met, even well before he met Azariah for that matter, but he still couldn't shake the feeling that he was walking into heartache as he sought her out.

It was late in the evening, the last of the sunset had just disappeared from the sky, revealing the full brightness of the moon and stars above him. He finally spotted Eska's brindled form and for a second he just took in her beauty and the way the moonlight glimmered off of her silver markings, longing squeezing at his chest. He wished he could erase his past, start over his life with finding Eska so he could be the man she deserved - not someone weighed down with terrible decisions and judgement. He approached her feeling like a pup preparing to be scolded by his mother, his expression apologetic and guilty as he stopped in front of her. "Eska... I need to talk to you."

Ulric Adravendi

"Eska"

Days ran by and Eska threw herself into her work. She patrolled, hunted, made sure that the alpaca's were alive and well, and helped where she could. This was her first pack experience and she was determined to give it her all. Perhaps it was the industrious nature passed down in her genes, but Eska wouldn't have felt worthy of the Hallows if she hadn't done her best to contribute.

The castle and the wolves within had quickly become her home, her family and her friends. A lot of that had to do with Ulric and his acceptance of her. More than acceptance, really. The pair of them had developed an unspoken relationship. They didn't need to label it or say anything in particular about it, but it was definitely there. The pair of them shared all of their spare time together. They talked, ate, rested and simply enjoyed one another. Their time together had quickly bloomed into something deeper. Eska, however, wasn't rushing anything. Ulric had said that he was one to rush into things, so she was forcing him to take it slow.

As she returned from her evening patrol, day had given way to night, though the night was almost as bright as day with the giant, full moon. Eska had run hard today and her paws were sore. She wanted to head back to her room and get some much needed sleep. It seemed that this wouldn't be the case, however.

Golden pools rested upon the approaching earthen man. Eska's demeanor lifted when she saw him, but dampened again as she saw the expression on his face. It was... apologetic. The silvered woman stopped in her tracks, not coming a step closer. Ulric spoke. He needed to tell her something. Gods... she knew it. His fiance had come back. That was what he was going to tell her. That was why he had such a guilty look on his scarred face. Eska said nothing. Her mouth merely pressed into a hard line and she continued to stare at him.

Ulric's ears flicked uncertainly when he saw the hard expression on her face. Had she smelled Serenity's scent on the border? Had she seen him with her already while he was showing her around the castle? He jumped to his own conclusions she same way she was, unbeknownst to him. He sighed and sank onto his haunches, frowning as he tried to figure out where to even start. "While I was out hunting down more saber cats this morning I stumbled upon a young woman named Serenity. I've... I've never met her before today, but she's... She's my daughter." All he could really do was tell her the truth at this point. As ashamed of this fact as he was there was no way to sugar coat it or say it any easier. This poor girl had grown up on her own because of her mother abandoning her and his own lack of forethought or restraint.

His gaze shifted down toward the ground in-between them, clearly feeling a heavy guilt for having to bring yet another dark spot of his past into his life that he just wanted to share with her. But, he felt like Eska deserved to know why this woman suddenly appeared and why he was trying to incorporate her into his family. "For the first few years of my life I spent it taking care of my mother after my father was killed. That took me away from Boreas and Auster because being near our old home was too painful for her. It was just the two of us for a long time and I didn't really allow myself to do anything other than take care of her. When I was... around four, I guess I met this woman - Bella. She lived in the forests we were staying in at the time. We only crossed paths a couple of times but one night I couldn't sleep and we found each other while I was out wandering around the woods."

It was memories that he hadn't thought about much since the night they happened, but he still remembered them pretty vividly. He supposed it was probably pretty hard to forget a first time like that. "I had never been with a woman like that before her. I was attracted to her, but I didn't really know her so I didn't think much of it. A few days later my niece found me and that brought us back to Boreas to find my sister so I never saw Bella again after that night. Apparently I got her pregnant and never knew about it. But... Serenity is definitely mine. Same coloring, same markings, and... and my father's markings are all over her legs. I've never seen anyone with markings like those besides him." He had known it from the moment he saw her and knowing that Bella was her mother only cemented the fact.

He brought his apologetic gaze up to hers, his head lowered with guilt. "Eska, I'm sorry... I... My poor decisions keep coming back to haunt me and I'm just so afraid any of it is going to come between us. I just... I don't want to lose you." There was no title between them, nothing official, but she had become more of a fixture in his life than anyone else. He never truly felt like himself the way he did when they were together. "This is it. I swear, there's no one else. Bella was the first, my former fiancée, then Aranea... That's it." There were no more skeletons to uncover. He didn't realize a one night stand over two years ago would ever come back to haunt him, but now here they were. He waited for her reaction, his silver gaze searching her face.

Ulric Adravendi

"Eska"

Eska listened and Ulric began to speak. Her brow slowly furrowed as he told her about his past returning yet again. A child from a once lover? She had said that his past meant nothing to her and that his present self was what mattered to her. It was difficult to hold to those words sometimes. Times like now. Why was she upset though? He didn't know about this child so he couldn't have told her about it beforehand. Maybe it was because she felt somewhat insecure in her position with him. If the past continued to come up, it wouldn't be too long before his fiancé resurfaced. Rather than keep that concern to herself, Eska was woman enough to voice it.

"I'm not upset about this sudden child," she began, her tones even. "I worry that, with as much of your past that keeps springing up, your fiancé might return as well." She fixed the man with her piercing sulfur eyes. "If she does return, would you push me aside for her?" It was a valid concern, she felt. If he would choose the other woman over her, Eska might as well stop wasting her time with Ulric rather than continue to let him bury himself deeper and deeper into her heart.

Perhaps he wasn't that surprised that she didn't have an issue with him uncovering a daughter he hadn't known about. He remembered her reaction to finding out about Aranea and her pregnancy, how she had easily forgiven something that had happened before their time together, but he had lost so much that anything that might threaten his chances at a future with her scared him to death. He clung on to the few good things that remained in his life with a tight grip that he was afraid to loosen. What he hadn't been expecting was for Eska to bring up Azariah and the possibility of her return.

Surprise showed in his silver gaze as her striking golden gaze found his, boring into him as she questioned him over what he would do if she suddenly returned. Would he leave Eska in favor of returning to the relationship he had with Azariah. He thought that question would be harder to answer, but as even after just a moment of looking into Eska's gaze he already knew who he would chose. He got to his paws and walked across the small space between them, his expression resolute with an unshakable certainty. "No," he told her quietly with a small shake of his head, looking down into her gaze. "No, I wouldn't push you away. I thought I loved Azariah and if she hadn't disappeared I'm sure I would have made myself content in our relationship, but... I never felt for her the way I do for you."

He settled back onto his haunches again, one paw lifting to gently brush her cheek, his ears flicking back as the emotion that pulled at his chest mixed with the relief he felt that Eska was as understanding as she was. "Eska... I don't want to be with anyone else. You're more than I could ever deserve, but... If you don't mind settling for a broken man that makes terrible decisions from time to time and is often an emotional mess..." A little lopsided grin pulled across his lips at his own self deprecating humor, feeling his heart beating harder against his chest.

His question wasn't planned, but it was something he knew he wanted to do - he just didn't know when. He was tired of waiting for the right time and waiting for life to slow down to a point where he wouldn't feel like he was sacrificing something to take time for himself. A large majority of their time together had been in stolen moments like this or time that was carved out for a date at the end of their days. As long as he led this pack there would be no changing that, but she didn't seem to mind. If anything she seemed more than willing to help him and had been more supportive than he could have ever asked for. "Will you be in a relationship with me?"

Ulric Adravendi

The appreciation on Ulric's face was soon replaced by shock. Had he never considered the possibility of his fiancé returning? It took him but a moment before he spoke the words that she wanted to hear. No, he wouldn't go back to the woman from his past. Eska would be his present and his future. The silvered woman was a little surprised to hear that he realized he didn't love his former woman. Sometimes it took brutes a little longer to mature... maybe that was what happened to Ulric. Maybe, once he saw what a real woman was supposed to be like, he put the pieces together and realized that he hadn't loved his fiancé.

Ulric would never have to take care of Eska. She could stand on her own and was happy doing so. It would have been beneath her to allow another to look after her. It was a trait that many women held; portraying themselves as weak and less. To Eska, that was laughable. She was just as capable as a man, if not more so. From her glimpse of Aranea, she imagined that the pale woman had also held that trait. She wanted attention and adoration, devotion... Eska was a simple beast. She wanted a partnership. She wanted someone that would be the key to her lock. She wanted Ulric.

A rough padded paw found her cheek and Eska leaned into it as the man before her continued to speak. He told her that he wanted no one but her. He wanted no one else. And then... he asked if she would be in a relationship with him. It was... sweet. Ulric was so unsure of himself and his emotions, but he didn't need to be. Eska could handle his emotions as long as he could handle her lack of emotions. They could continue to balance one another out.

The brindled fae slid her cheek along the paw that held it before moving forward to claim Ulric's maw with her own, pulling him into a deep kiss. Her tongue danced over lips and teeth, tasting him and, in a way, sealing their contract with the action. Only when she'd had her fill of the kiss did she break it and pull back just enough to speak. "A partnership," she reiterated. Eska didn't just want a relationship. She wanted and needed a partnership. Two halves of one whole.

"For me, there will only be you. I ask that you do the same for me. Agree to this, and we'll be as one." A lot of wolves dealt with and accepted open relationships. Eska was not one of those. She would be the only one or she would be alone. Her sulfur pools searched his silver gaze, hoping that he would agree to her minimal terms. If he did so, then she would be his just as he would be hers.


Eska Datura Timber

As soon as Eska's lips met his he knew he had his answer. So many emotions ran though him - relief, joy, love... But above all he felt like this was one of the only good decisions he had ever made for his life. His lips pressed to hers in return, the paw that had been resting on her cheek shifting to gently cradle the back of her head as they made out with every ounce of passion and gratefulness that he could muster, tasting her on his tongue and savoring the feeling of her lips on his. He always loved her kisses, but this felt different from the others - a sign of this devotion that they would have to one another.

Eska was the one to eventually break their kiss and he blinked open his eyes to look down at her again as she spoke, clarifying that she wanted a partnership - not just a relationship. The only other request she had was to have him entirely if she was going to be exclusive to him in return, something that was easy for him to agree to. "A partnership," he agreed, giving her lips another soft kiss. "I'm yours and only yours," he vowed quietly, his signature lopsided grin pulling across his features. She was beautiful and carried herself with such a grace that he could barely understand, but she was also strong and independent and could fend for herself - traits he had never experienced in a woman he had been with. He felt like he could love and take care of her when he wanted to, but he could also leave her to her own devices and not have to worry. For once it felt like he could lean on her as much as she could lean on him, balancing one another and making each other stronger in the process.

He remembered how many times he had felt drained each and every day with Azariah, shouldering the work for them both around the pack to keep the others around them from questioning her place in the pack. Eska had hit the ground running from day one, proving herself, meeting everyone, building relationships, adding to their food stores without him asking. He could comfortably entrust her with the pack for short stints of time while he took care of other matters and he knew that wasn't something he could have done with anyone else. They would have a partnership and he knew that he would be putting his heart and trust into good paws this time around. There wasn't a shadow of a doubt in his mind.

That didn't mean he didn't want to sweep her off her feet and shower her in affections from time to time though. He was a romantic at heart and no matter how strong or independent she was he still wouldn't give up the chances to treat her like the goddess she was in his eyes. He grinned as he slipped a strong foreleg around her lower back, pulling her into him till their chests and stomachs were pressed together, cradling against him as he looked down at her with absolute adoration and a thankfulness he couldn't begin to describe. His lips brushed against hers with a soft, tender kiss before he whispered, "I love you." They were words he hadn't uttered to anyone other than his children since Azariah disappeared, words he had wondered if he would ever say again. He knew that Eska would most certainly care about actions more than words simply because that was the kind of woman she was, but he still wanted to say them regardless.

"Speech"

Ulric agreed to her demands and Eska shot him a little grin of her own. He was a good man, this she knew. If he wasn't, then they wouldn't be in this position right now. She never would have given him the time of day. Ulric loved his pack. He loves his family. He loved her. For Eska, that was enough. It was all that she needed to know that she could take the next step and devote herself to him without hesitation.

A big paw slid behind her back and pulled her body against his own. Eska raised up, allowing their chests and stomachs to press into one another. Both forelegs wrapped around Ulric's thick neck, claws pulling lightly through his earthen pelt before simply draping there. Gold and silver eyes met, locking upon one another. Ulric placed a gentle kiss upon her lips and spoke three words that she hadn't been expecting to hear.

The pair of wolves were still so new. Eska was learning new things about Ulric every day. Not all of them were good, but the good outweighed the bad. That was enough for her. She had promised to judge him on their time together, not on his past. Eska would hold true to that promise. He told her that he loved her and, rather than answer aloud, Eska kissed him again. Sulfur yes drifted closed and she poured herself into that kiss. All of her emotions, everything she felt for him, she transferred through their dancing tongues. Words were hard, but she hoped he knew. If he didn't...

Keeping her arms wrapped about his neck, Eska tipped backwards pulling Ulric along with her. With Eska on her back in the long grass, she stared up at the hulking brute, something lustful and dark rising to the surface of the woman's citrine pools. They'd been waiting so long and he'd been so patient with her. It was time to reward his patience. Time for them to both get what she knew they'd been thinking about since their very first picnic together. "Anything that you want of me," the brindled woman purred softly, "It's yours for the taking."

Eska Datura Timber

Her kiss was all he needed. Her lips pressed hard to his and he melted into her like she was what he needed to breathe. His forelegs held her tighter as silver eyes slid closed, tasting her lips and tongue against his, every emotion and desire that had been building over the last season building up to this moment. He loved her. Truly loved her, more deeply than he had ever loved anyone else. He poured that into this kiss and he felt the same reciprocated back to him. Her actions spoke volumes and he was hearing her loud and clear. As she tipped back, pulling him down with her, he caught himself with one paw and cradled her across her back with the other, gently lowering her into the plush grasses below.

His eyes found hers as their kiss broke, looking down at this stunningly gorgeous wolf laying across the grass under him. His paw trailed along her side, his claws slipping through soft, silver marked fur. He had been with others, but no one had put such a constant, insatiable lust in him like she had. He had wanted her from the first time they laid together, passing a bottle of wine back and forth, but they had waited and deep down past the desire he was glad that they had. He had learned her heart and soul first and he felt that they were better and stronger for it. She taught him patience - something he sorely lacked before her. The look in her eyes made fire run through his veins and then she spoke the words that he had been waiting to here for so long that he almost didn't believe them.

A lopsided grin pulled across his features as he allowed himself to fully feel the love and desire for Eska that he had been holding back and stifling to respect the boundaries they set. But with her laid out beneath him, purring these enticing words, riding the high of finally telling her how he really felt, it was nearly impossible for him to resist her. He pressed his lips to hers, tasting her for a long moment while his paw slipped under her and wrapped around her waist, holding her body tight to his with a quiet, needy growl rumbling in his chest. Each passing second felt like it might burn him alive and she was his only relief.

His lips eventually left hers, leaving a trail of kisses and licks down her neck and throat as he began to experience her and explore her in ways that he hadn't yet been able to enjoy. The way he held her and showered her in affections spoke to how much she meant to him, treating her like the most precious, special wolf in his life. His kisses continued on past her neck and throat, down her chest, along her stomach. He slowly and savoringly tasted each part of her, every new inch he uncovered taking his breath away. He spent quite a while exploring and tasting the most intimate parts of her with his lips and tongue, his heated silver gaze memorizing her beautiful form in the moonlight while he listened to every sweet sound she made.

Only when he was satisfied did he pull away, swiping his tongue over his lips as he settled himself over her once more, deep, fathomless desire breathing life into his pale gaze. He held her tight to him again, the feeling of her stomach and hips against his own making it difficult to wait even one more moment. But she was worth it. She was worth every single tempting, maddening moment and he didn't want to rush a single second. They had waited so long for this, he wanted to make sure it was perfect. He pressed his face into her neck, losing himself in her scent, as his hips slowly pressed to hers, melting together with her with a pleasure he didn't know was possible, any other thought in his mind immediately falling away and only leaving room for Eska.

- fade -

Even the grass felt like clouds with the light tingles that continued to dance across his skin when all was said and done, laying on his side with her cradled to his chest, occasionally giving her ears tender licks or catching her lips with sweet kisses while he grinned like an absolute fool. The cool night air was actually very welcome in this moment while he caught his breath and came down from the most unbelievable high, letting his paws wander over her sides, back, and hips, marveling at the fact that this gorgeous wolf was his. And he was hers. He kept waiting to wake up from a dream and realize that this was all just a wonderful figment of his imagination, but it never came.

"Eska," he rumbled quietly against her ear after awhile, "We should probably tell my kids about us first, but... After that... Would you move in with me? Come live in my room?" Secretly he was already picking a larger, more grand room in the castle for them both in his head, but at least for now just having her to sleep beside at night would be more than enough. He wanted to make sure they did things right though. She had given him the world and he refused to do anything less than have her be a real part of his family. He couldn't replace his children's mother - or mothers now, he supposed - nor would he want to, but Eska was who he loved and she would be a wonderful role model for them. He didn't just want her to be someone he loved emotionally and physically. He wanted her by his side always. A partnership.

Ulric Adravendi

Eska was not a virgin. She had lain with men during her travels but none of that had compared to this. Between herself and Ulric there had been an emotional connection first. Having that as the roadway heightened their physical connection tenfold. Everywhere he touched her burned like fire and she met that fire with the cool embrace of ice. Together they tempered one another, neither erupting into flames or freezing solid and yet somehow their love was tumultuous and heady.

As Ulric touched her, she touched him right back. The earthen brute worked his way down her body, drawing little gasps and growls from her. All the while her paws touched his neck, head, ears. Only when he pulled away too far did she pull them back to her chest. By then her breathing had become staggered as he brought her to new heights of pleasure. She wasn't a virgin, but she wasn't that experienced. No one had ever tasted her quite like that and gods... she hadn't known what she'd been missing!

Only when she was left panting and wanting did he shift his thick frame above hers once more. Golden eyes met silver as he pulled her body against his. Their bodies melded and Eska released a shuttering gasp, sulfur pools drifting slowly closed to savor the moment. She was an active participant. The brindled woman didn't just lay there and take it. She moved, she writhed, she rolled those hips. They worked together and in the end they both reached bliss thanks to the culmination of their efforts.

--

Later, as the pair lay there together, Eska's eyes remained closed. Ulric's paw trailed up and down her side and the feeling both tickled and brought her flesh to life. She loved the feeling and could have stayed there until sleep claimed her. Her lover's voice spoke softly beside her ear and Eska's eyes opened again. Pulling her head back slightly, she met his gaze with her own, one brow quirked in question. His question was a little shocking, but she responded with a nod. "I would love nothing more." Raising one paw, the black and silver woman cupped the man's cheek. "I look forward to building a life with you, Ulric." She wanted them to build a life together. To build a home together. To eventually have a family and for his existing family to look upon her as part of their own. They would have to tell his children, but she wasn't terribly worried about it. If they didn't like her now, perhaps they would eventually. Raising her muzzle, Eska claimed Ulric's mouth once more. They would be able to do this every single night and day from now on if they wished it. They belonged to one another.

"Eska Datura Timber"