Sore muscles ached and pained as the brute made his way home. A long day of sparring, patrolling, and even a bit of hunting left Incubus as tired as can be. He knew the pain was a physical sign of progress, but that did not make it hurt any less. What would make him feel better is some tea made by his lovely mate and maybe he'd be able to convince her to give him a massage. The idea caused a tiny grin to flick at his lips. He looked forward to seeing her at the end of each and every day. Inc even made it a point to pop in and check on her progress with the Apothecary throughout the day because he couldn't seem to get his fill of her.

It wasn't long before Incubus moved through the threshold of the den. Pale eyes flicked from each corner of the room as he discovered the Riva wasn't home.  He figured she was likely out on a herb hunt or whatever else the little healer may do. Thus, he moved towards their cooking station to light a fire to make his own tea. Upon approaching the table those pink and blue eyes took in the sight of an unfinished tea cup resting on the surface. Once again, Inc brushed it off and carried on. But, as he turned to light the fire something blue took his focus. Riva's ribbon hung on a makeshift hook. Incubus squinted at the tendril of cloth for a long minute. His skin prickled with anxiety and a small shiver of worry flew down his spine. She never leaves without her ribbon...

Inc's heart pounded in his chest as he tore his eyes away from the ribbon, only to look over to the unfinished cup of tea. A small snort of agitation left his nose as the brute began to pace around the den. Slowly he circled in deep consideration and contemplation. The clues led him to believe she left hastily, in a rush. He hadn't heard any howls for help while performing his duties, nor did he smell any scents of another Wolf that may have come by to ask for help..

Incubus quickly slunk out of the den and into the clearing in front of it. His eyes were sharply pointed down at the ground looking for unfamiliar paw prints with his mouth hung open to allow any strange scents to land on his tongue. Another snort flew from his nose as he came up short. No sign of a struggle, no other smells... She left on her own accord in a hurry. Incubus stomped back inside and began the pacing once again.

His skin was hot and his breathing was ragged at this point. Incubus was not fearful of her having left him to spend time with another or anything of that sort. He trusted her with everything he had. But, the fear of her mental health and the potential of her getting into that dark head space again... It was consuming him. Upon their first meeting he had saved her life and now he was so incredibly scared of repeating that. Or... being too late. - Incubus stopped the pacing and took in a long breath. Agitation bubbled deep within him in those moments. Agitation with himself and with her for not telling him she was going to go somewhere. In efforts to calm down Incubus oved towards their bed of furs. The slinky dark male laid down with his head pointed towards the door. Narrowed eyes watched the doorway as he did exactly the opposite of calm down... He stewed in anger and panic. Incubus determined if she was not back by the time the moon was high in the night sky he'd go find her...

"Speech"

She had barely had a few sips of her tea when her feline companion came trotting through the door. A hint of a herb sitting gently in his maw. He placed it on the bench and she put down her tea to inspect it further. "Trillium!" She said, delight in her tone. "You found Trillium! Show me!" She was already making for the door. She paused once, looking back at her bow regretfully. She felt strongly naked without it. But it was wet, if she pulled it down now it would wrinkle. She'd be back for it soon. Soon. And with Trillium to make more cleaning salves. She bustled out the door after her companion, falling into a quick lope as she chased him out of Ashen territory. Her tea discarded and forgotten in her haste.

Whe found the first batch and spent her time picking it gently and storing it carefully in her pack. Then, she spent the next few hours scouring every inch of the territory. She needed to ensure she wasn't missing a batch of it. If there was one, then there had to be another to pollinate it. After many hours of scouring, night fell. Her knees were dirty, and her paws were sore. It was time to give up the search. Her find of Trillium was small. But that wasn't unsurprising. Rare as it was.

With a light jump to her step, she started back to Ashen. Already planning out a use for every single crumb of the Trillium. And then some.

It was very late when she arrived back at the apothecary, and she slowed her steps. Inc would be asleep and she didn't want to wake him. So she crept through the door. She would store her herbs, and then she would fall into his arms. She would see if he stirred when she kissed the nape of us neck. If he didn't, she would let him sleep. If he did, she would enjoy what was turning into a vigorous and healthy night life between them. She was so lost in her thoughts, she didn't even notice him waiting there.

Time ticked away and every second seemed like an eternity. Every few minutes or so he would shift positions or shut his eyes to try and sleep. Yet, even after such a long time of waiting he was unable to keep them shut for more then a few seconds. Anxiety had all but consumed him at this point and kept his heart racing enough to ensure he didn't feel the slightest bit tired. It was well past his normal bedtime and the male was wide awake. Pink and blue eyes staring at that threshold in pure anticipation for her arrival. It took everything in him to not get up and track her down. The only thing stopping him was the fact that he felt she deserved her alone time. If she was merely taking some time away he didn't want to show her that he didn't trust her and go searching all of the West for her. That being said, once the moon got high enough he would go find her. Her safety was all that mattered.

A breath caught in his throat and his heart pounded so loud he could barely hear the pad falls of the tiny healer entering the room. Pale eyes were wide for a moment, shocked to see the Riva walk in. It was as if he truly believed this moment would never come. Anxiety had sent him into such a spiral that he was convinced he would need to go to find her. Yet, here she was. Covered in dirt? Those wide eyes slipped into narrowed slits.

Incubus did not move and his lips did not flick up into that usual smile. No, they were pulled into lines of anger. "Where were you?" His voice was deep, a serious tone that he rarely used.

"Speech"

She jumped a foot in the air when a voice called out to her. Stirring the apothecary with tones of anger. Her eyes searched and found him lying where he could watch the door. There was no smile on his lips, only narrowed eyes and anger. She paused a few steps into the door and froze there a moment. Feeling strongly like a chastened child. The feeling was so peculiar she almost laughed. Luckily, she was wise enough to keep it in. Understanding how it would fuel the situation.

"Inc?" She said cautiously as she eased further into the room. She wasn't sure what to do with this feeling of uncertainty bubbling up inside of her. His voice was so angry. "Do you want to talk about it?" She said softly, easing her bag onto the floor before making her way towards him. She told herself she wasn't afraid of Incubus. Of his anger. She loved him.

It took a time for her eyes to find him and the brute merely watched as they did. That hardened stare unwavering as she spoke his nickname. There was something deep within him that wished to forget all of what he'd just been through and wrap her in his arms. But, he'd just suffered for hours... Hours of panic and worry. Waiting for the woman he loved to come home... Thinking that she was gone. That he would have to go searching for her and perhaps be too late.

Incubus stood as she slowly approached. There was a chance if she moved to cuddle with him his resolve would break and Inc was fuming. This was something that needed to happen, he needed to express his anger. This cannot happen again. "I thought you were gone Riva." Inc's voice remained deep, void of any usual softness or endearment. The male padded past her towards their cooking station. He flicked his nose towards the half empty cup of tea, "What am I to think? When you leave your ribbon and unfinished tea out on display. It looks like you left." His heart raced as pale eyes moved in her direction. "Hours..." A grumble moved through his chest as those narrowed orbs poured into her own, "I waited hours." His voice was now gravely with anger and desperation.

"Speech"

She realised in an instant that this was to be their first fight as a couple. She stood there a moment Indecision in her bones. How she approached this would shape their future. She knew how much she owed him, and she had more then a little desire to roll over at his paws and lick his chin - a full submissive pose. But there would be times where she would be called out. It wasn't just about her day to day freedoms, it was her livelihood. It he wasn't home and a call came in for her that a patient needed her, she would go. She could not make any promises that she wouldn't. It wasn't in her nature to deny someone in need.

The hurt in his voice moved her, she found herself responding to it. She did not like to see Incubus in pain. She crept forward, lowering her body. She would pick somewhere in between. Submissive to this darling wolf, but lay out her lines in the sand as she did so. She arrived at his paws and curled up in them. A tiny creature compared to Incubus. She gave his chin a quick lick, looking up at him. Only then would she speak. "I am a healer, Incubus. I will be called out at odd hours, or I will chase leads on difficult to find herbs. I won't promise not to, but I will leave behind messages to let you know what I am doing. We could work out a system. Leaving out a piece of meadowsweet, for example, would mean I'm assisting in a childbirth." She kept her voice soft, and it dipped softer still. "I'm sorry. I never meant to make you worry."

Incubus would sink so low as to controlling her every move. That's not how he wanted their relationship to work, by any means. The lass was a grown woman and he really had no say in how she spent her time. But, for his mental health there needed to be some sort of communication. It wasn't her fault that this happened and as he sat there looking at the woman he loved stare at him with those beautiful blue eyes he felt that rush of anger start to fade away.

He remained still as pale orbs watched her every move. Riva submissively moved to his paws and laid before him. Incubus looked down at the inky woman and she met with him a lick to his chin. A little grin flicked at his lips but he forced it away with all the power he could muster. The brute quietly listened to her as she explained her stance on the situation. There was nothing she said that he disagreed with and he liked her idea of having a system. Thoughts churned in his mind but they seemed to soften as those final tones left her lips. The sweetest of apologies... Incubus let out a long breath before leaning down to plant a kiss on her lips. Finally the male would speak, "The thought of losing you..." A pause. "I cannot handle to think of a reality without you." Incubus sighed, "And I am so scared of you becoming unhappy again... Like the day we met." A tear threatened to fall from his blue eye. "I apologize for getting so angry with you." The tear fell and soaked the black fur beneath his eye. "I don't want you to think I don't trust you." Feeling insecure the male moved his gaze from her own and looked off to another room. Gathering his thoughts as he swallowed the lump in his throat.

"Speech"

It would take a little time to hammer out a system with Incubus, but the idea was growing on her more and more. It would be something that was theirs, and theirs alone. A love language, of sorts. When he leaned down and gently kissed her, she knew that everything would be okay. She could imagine the fear he had felt, seeing the little signs and drawing a picture from them that had not been the truth. “I can not be that unhappy, not when I’m with you. And if I'm ever feeling depressed, I’ll talk to you about it, Inc. I won't simply walk away. I promise you that.” She said gently.

She looked up at him, and she could see the way his eyes watered. She leaned lightly against him. Rubbing a paw gently across his muzzle. A gesture of comfort. “It’s okay, Inc. I understand fear. All of this is new to the both of us, but we’ll work through it. A team, right?” She said gently.


"Incubus" | "Riva"

Riva's words continuously soothed the male. Tension seemed to slowly release as his pale eyes settled on the beautiful babe before him. How could he be mad at such a sweet woman? Incubus selfishly took her in as he spoke, watching the way her face worked with each word that left her mouth. It comforted him to know she'd discuss her mental status if it ever dipped again. "Please never be afraid to discuss such with me Riva. Even if it you feel as though it would hurt me or anything of the sort. I'd rather know how you feel then blindly allow you to slip from me." Incubus feared she would hide her depression from him in order to maintain their happy dynamic. He knew how much guilt weighed on the little woman and he didn't want anymore guilt to weigh her down to that low point again.

As the question left her lips Incubus offered a nod, "Yes, we are a team." The brute pressed into the paw that was placed at his muzzle. Pale eyes shut as he simply enjoyed the feeling of her touch. A soft hum came from the beast before he allowed that pretty gaze to flutter back into view. A smirk swept across his lips, "You need a bath, troublemaker." The male playfully wrinkled his nose, "Actually, we need a bath. I think you owe me a massage after the stress you have just put me through."

"Incubus" | "Riva"

“I know. I know.” She said softly, silently vowing that their relationship would be one where communication was allowed to flourish instead of suffocating. “Good” She whispered softly at his agreement. She would need to start teaching him some basics on herbology. Ensure he could identify some herbs, or at least understand the meaning she placed on them. They could easily communicate that way, since their days end would always bring them here, to where the message would wait for them.

“I happen to be trained in the best ways of relieving tension” He purred at him, lowering her lashes as she got to her paws. Letting her tail trace a line across his muzzle as she moved away from him. She suspected he would be following immediately. It wasn’t a far walk to the lake, and the bath Inc demanded of them.

"Incubus" | "Riva"

Incubus was pleased with her ability to communicate and compromise. He'd enjoy coming up with a system of communication. But, what he would enjoy more is the switch he witnessed in his partner. As he spoke of her troublesome behavior and the need for bathing her eyes grew heavy with seduction. That gaze caused heat to swim through his core and down each limb. A greedy tongue moved along the side of his own muzzle as he took her in. It was hard for his mind to not drift towards intimacy. The woman was intoxicating, she was his drug. After such a horrific night he needed her, even if it was just her time and company he got. But, he'd welcome more.

As those sultry tones were purred his way his Incubus felt his heart thud. She could likely sense the heat radiating from him but Riva merely egged him on more. The little healer got lifted to her paws and turned. An inky, soft, tail slid along the length of his muzzle and he felt himself leaning towards it as she drew away. Heavy eyes consumed the sight of her hips flicking back and forth as she moved towards the exit of their home. - Snapping out of his daze the hungry brute got up and slinked after her. "You temptress..." Inc quickened his stride and moved to land a nip at her rump. A low rumble left his throat as he followed after her.

"Speech"

She turned back to see his heavy lidded eyes and the scent of desire that rose from him. She grinned at him, happy to shake off the worry that had clouded the both of them from the miscommunication. She didn’t bother grabbing her bow, having no desire to get it wet again when it had barely finished drying. “You're insatiable.” she accused him, but there was honest fondness in her voice.

He finally shook off his haze and came after her. She felt his teeth graze across his rump and playfully kicked out at him. Picking up speed as she trotted away from the apothecary. “If I don’t hurry, we’ll never get there.” She explained as she flashed him another teasing grin and fell into a ground eating lope, racing him to the lake. She could hear the sound of paws hitting earth as he raced after her. She laughed, feeling younger than her years


"Incubus" | "Riva"