One of the things Alastor had promised to do when he and Manea had patched up the rift in their relationship was to give her the attention and affection he should have given her on their anniversary. His wife did so much keeping the pack running and their family together, she deserved more than what he had given her. So while the Mendacium Matriarch was out doing her duties to the pack that day, Alastor had snuck off to begin preparations for their evening together. He had found and slaughtered a mountain sheep, butchered its carcass, and was now roasting lamb chops and loin over an open fire just outside their den entrance. He had a bottle of the wine Briar had brought them from the Hallows on their last visit here. Secretly, he'd fluffed up their bedding with fresh furs of the softest textures, scattered with rose petals. Beside the bed, Alastor had gathered some of his massage oils for later use, as well as a bottle of Ambrosia, in case Manea wanted to let loose even more than they usually did.

With everything prepared and in place, Alastor laid out in the early evening beside the fire, watching it crackle and keeping an eye on their cooking dinner. Manea would be home soon, and he hoped she would be surprised by what she found. Dark twilight crept over the land, and soon it would be night. The black dire wolf crossed his paws, breathing in the crisp autumn air while he waited for his mate.

"Manea & Alastor Mendacium"

Manea sighed as she trudged back up the path that would carry her to the cave she shared with Alastor, Fia, and Irilyth—notably without Saracyn and Avacyn. Part of her rounds today had taken her to check on their oldest children to make sure they were settling in to their new cave on another part of the mountain range. It was so strange to not have them be a part of their dens any longer, but with the turn of the season the twins had wanted their own space so for their second birthday she had helped them arrange just that. Of course with the onset of fall that also meant that she was going into her heat season as well. Just as their first litter was moving on to their adult lives and Fia was taking her first steps into adulthood it was time for them to start thinking about the next litter of pups to add to their family.

That was lingering on her mind as she stepped around the bend in the path that put their den into view and she saw the fire in front of the cave already burning. She perked up a bit, smiling a touch as she realized that meant Alastor was already home. More often than not she was the first one to make it there at the end of the day, but not this evening apparently. As she got closer she began to catch the scent of the meats he was cooking and by the time she reached the top a grin was pulling across her lips. Her aqua gaze roamed over the spread he had prepared—including himself stretched out by the fire. She chuckled and sauntered over to him, that building heat already beginning to gnaw at her and rile up her instincts. "What's all this?" she purred, giving him a sly smirk.

"Manea & Alastor Mendacium"

Keen ears twisted and perked when Alastor heard the familiar click-click-click of claws coming up the mountain path toward him. Head turning, dark eyes fell upon the violet form of his beloved mate, taking in the sight of her just as she took in everything he had laid out for them. The corner of his mouth twisted up into a grin when she came closer and asked what this was all about. Alastor rose smoothly to his paws to greet her with a nuzzle of his cheek against hers. "Making amends," he informed her with a low rumble in his voice as he breathed in her scent up close—and noticed the growing scent of pheromones lacing the air, indicating the start of Manea's heat season. The grin on his lips turned and twisted, evolving into a far more lustful smile while he nibbled at the edge of Manea's ear. "I promised you I'd make up for missing our anniversary. This is me keeping my word."

Alastor lifted a giant black paw to wrap around Manea's side, pulling her body closer to his while he nuzzled through her neck fur. He breathed in deeply again, unabashedly drinking in her scent and letting her pheromones trigger the more primal instincts dwelling within his brain. The urge to mate, to breed, rose up within him, a feral need hardcoded into his DNA demanding satisfaction. As he nuzzled Manea and held her close, Al waited until he felt his wife's muscles relax slightly, and then he acted, snatching Manea up in his strong arms and turning them so he was pulling her to the ground beside the crackling fire. Once on her back, the dire wolf held himself above his mate, grinning down at her while lust shone in his obsidian eyes. He loved the sight of her below him like this. "I was planning on having dinner first, but with you smelling that good, I think I'd rather have you as my appetizer..." Alastor teased, his voice rumbling and husky with his lust.

"Manea & Alastor Mendacium"

Another grin pulled across her lips as Alastor got up and moved closer to her, leaning into his touch as he nuzzled her cheek. Another quiet chuckle left her as he told her this was his way of making amends, her tail wagging gently and fanning her scent more prominently around them. "You might have outdone yourself," she replied with a sensual purr to her words, grinning happily as he went to pull her into him. There was no resistance from her and she leaned into his larger, more muscular form, relaxing into his embrace as she gratefully forgot any of the responsibilities and work that had been cluttering her mind all day. In a move that showed off his strength that she loved so much, he suddenly swept her off of her feet and got her down onto her back, pulling a soft gasp from her as she grinned up at him, a primal heat flaring in her cool, blue gaze. That instinctual desire roared to life with his body now over hers and her large paws slipped up around his neck with a chuckle at his comment about making her the appetizer.

As much as she appreciated all the work he obviously put into planning their evening and the meal that was waiting for them, she couldn't agree more with the fact that there was really only one thing on her mind. Her hind legs lifted to hook around his waist pulling him down into her and making it very clear that she didn't plan on letting him go until he began quenching this always insatiable heat. "I think you should stop talking and start making your amends to me in another way..." she told him quietly with her lips against his ear before she slipped her muzzle down to catch his, kissing him passionately as they immediately began to tangle up together and solidify their reformed relationship in the only way that really fit them.

-fade-

"Manea & Alastor Mendacium"

The look of surprise on Manea's face and the soft gasp she made when he literally swept her off of her feet made Alastor's grin widen. It delighted the dire brute to know he could still turn her on with such simple actions. The desire that shone in Manea's aqua gaze was reflected in his own dark pools, a low growl reverberating deep in his throat while a foreleg wrapped around beneath Manea to hold her hips up to his. No sooner had he gotten into position above her, he felt her hind legs wrap around his waist, a familiar strength and tightness pulling him down to her. Her intentions were shown, and with a lecherous growl in response to her purred words, Alastor aligned their hips and pressed forward until he felt himself sink into her, melding with his mate in the most intimate way possible. His lips locked with hers in a deeply passionate kiss, returning all of her passion and heated fervor while they built their rhythms of lovemaking together, tangling up in one another and reforging their relationship in the fires of their lusts and love in ways that were quintessentially them, stronger than ever.

- fade -

"Manea & Alastor Mendacium"