He wasn't even sure how long he had been out of the picture in the going on's in Donostrea, how long he had been wasting away in his den, but his legs felt like jelly and he knew he had a long way to go before he would be at his full strength again. He was told that Anais hadn't appeared at all well he was sick, and he knew that she didn't know what had happened to him. He found himself worrying about her, anything could have happened to her in the weeks he had been out of it, and if something had happened to her well he was lying helpless in his den... well, he would never forgive himself. He didn't intend to be gone from his pack for long, a day, maybe two at the most depending on how long it took to travel to where Anais now was. Honestly, he couldn't spare any more time then that away from home. As it was Voltage had been sole charge for long enough, and he worried about his brothers stress levels. Voltage always took too much onto himself, and he didn't want his brother to have to stress any longer. So Glacier wouldn't be gone long, and the moment he was back he would be helping his brother once more with all pack business. He just.. he had to know that Anais was okay, that the transition into pack life had gone smoothly. If anyone could understand that need it was Voltage. The journey was long and boring, he spent a lot of it in the slow effort of strengthening his injured paw and stretching out his other three that where no longer accustomed to such a journey. He arrived near Ebony in one peace however and set up shop outside Ebony's pack lands, enough distance away not to frighten any members with his presence before he hunted and settled himself into a good place to spend the night, after seeing Anais he would rest here before moving back to Donostrea, his body wouldn't be able to handle the return journey without nourishment and rest. He did a quick assessment of his fur, grooming down any tangled bits, through feeling sheepish with the act. He wanted to look as healthy and strong as he could before he saw her. This done he would at last raise his head and howl for her. "Words"

  

Walk | Talk | Think They should have been settled into the pack, Lior working toward learning more of her healing trade and Anais exercising her skill with hunting, but instead they were as Glacier was, camped outside of the border. The golden girl was sure her sister was having second thoughts, and since it was such an important decision she did not pressure her one way or the other about it. Instead, Anais gave her time, trusting that her little sister would end up choosing whatever suited her best in the end. And with her brothers sticking close by, ever watchful of their siblings, she felt safe in their new environment. There was something missing though, or rather someone, and the sound of the howl that called for her, only her, excited the butterflies within her as only that missing piece could. Was it really him? Eagerness sent her rushing off to search, hoping she could find him easily, and the moment she spotted him the excited little hunter's expressive face broke out into a smile of pure delight. "Glacier!" All things considered, she should have added a little touch of caution to her approach, but in her excitement she did not think things through. Too much time had passed since she had seen her closest friend, her crush, her secret love, that she could only think to race right up to him and greet him with an attempted hug. Which was just what she did. Anais slowed just before she collided with his shoulder, still bumping into him rather forcefully, and immediately nuzzled into his deep, midnight blue fur indulgently. Only, as she did it, she realized everything felt different. There was something...more to her need to be close, her need to be embraced by him. And it was not altogether like the friendly interactions they had had previously. She drew back from him slowly, hesitantly, confronted for the first time with the full effect of her season, and as her slow movements were not making enough of a difference fast enough she scooted back a couple steps with more haste. Embarrassment turned her cheeks pink beneath her fur, and her ears tucked against her head. Did he know? But how could he not! She was knowledgeable enough now, particularly after everything she had been through, to understand that her season was not something easily masked or hidden. It was obvious, and for that reason she had to be her most careful during that time. And here she was, running quite literally into the one that she harbored secret feelings for while right in the midst of it! "I-I'm sorry, I," she stammered, embarrassed further that she could not get the words out without a quick stutter, "I just...I haven't seen you in a while..." Anais fidgeted on her paws, wanting to avert her gaze but finding she could not, and though she was still embarrassed and uneasy because of everything she made herself smile, albeit sheepishly. "I've missed you."

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The call didn't get a verbal response, but the brutes wait turned out to be only a short one. She would appear before him in a hurry, and his face was barely breaking out into a delighted smile at the comforting and familiar sight of her before she was onto him. He only had a moment to take in the sight of her, to confirm she was as healthy and radiant as ever before she collided with his injured paw. His breath left him in a gasp and he felt his paw go numb as pain tingled up his arm. He took a deep breath to steady himself and regain his compose, he could only hope she had missed its lapse. She was nuzzling into him and he responded in kind, pulling her close, through even more mindful now of his numb paw as he drew her in close and nuzzled her forehead in a greeting that could still count as one between friends, even with the added kiss to her forehead, which in truth was similar to the ones he would bestow upon his siblings - even if his feeling for Anais was very, very different to his ones for family. She was pulling away from him in the same moment his pain cleared fully and he realized the fragrance in the air between them. Before he knew what he was doing he pulled in a deep breath of its intoxicating beauty, and immediately felt the light headed effects of its power. His eyes, which had slipped closed for a moment opened to show the radiant shinning silver of his pupils, alight from within by desire. He shuddered as he realized he was reacting to her, and struggled to pull himself under control. The scent of her was different to anything he had ever experienced before, the smell of his sisters in heat was different.. he was impartial to it, and the scent of unfamiliar females, well sweet, wasn't a great temptation to him. Anais... Anais was an entirely different matter, it was like the scent if her was made to be his own personal kryptonite, and he knew it would take every bit of his will power to fully hide this from her, which he must do for fear of pushing her away. Knowing his eyes where currently burning heatedly into hers he blinked repeatedly Well glacier fought his own demons, Anais in turn fought her embarrassment, he could hear that in her stammer and tones and he breathed shallowly through his mouth, despite the urge to take in that brilliant, wonderful scent. He couldn't allow himself even that, for fear of losing his self control and scaring the one girl that had ever captivated him. Here he was suppose to be the most subtle and controlled of his siblings, yet he was reeling and uncontrollable in his head, it took his everything to remain calm outside and smile in return at Anais. He shook himself, he was being selfish, here he was speechless and over turned well she stood there stammering and embarrassed by something out of her control. He lowered his rump to the earth, still smiling at Anais "My little mouse! I missed you so much too, I want to hear everything, how have you been, what's happened since we spoke last?" It was unlike glacier to gush but he was starting to sound like he was with his onslaught of words, and he was definitely getting light headed. By the gods, he wished with all his heart voltage was here to ground him, he could do with the pillar of support voltage stood for. "Words"

  

Walk | Talk | Think Oh goodness, if the look on his face did not make everything worse! It was bad enough that Anais was feeling things that she had never felt before, the awakenings of a desire she had only heard of as warnings from her parents, but she was familiar enough with Glacier by now to see the change in his own gaze. She knew without entirely knowing what the strange, new look meant, and the heat of it caused her blush to deepen as it nearly caused her to shiver. Was it bad that it made her want to get closer to him again? That it fueled her suspicion, her hope, that he might share similar feelings to those she felt for him? That she feared it was only a natural reaction to her altered scent and nothing more than that? It was entirely confusing and made her uneasy when she wished to be comfortable and relaxed in the presence of her blue friend. It felt wrong not to be that way around him, and yet she was too conflicted by her thoughts, her wants, to chance giving any of those feelings ground. What would Glacier think if he realized what was in her mind, if she gave away this new side of her that existed in this state? Not even she trusted or understood it; Anais could only imagine that it would over-complicate things more. In typical Glacier fashion, the mountainous, silver-eyed wolf matched her smile with a seemingly tight one of his own and spoke in his cheery voice as he sat before her. Too polite to mention the uncomfortable elephant in the room, he spoke to her as she suspected he would have even had she not been in this state and he not there to witness it. His kind effort was not overlooked and it made her nervous smile become more sincere, just a little more natural, and she fought the urge to wag her tail in her happiness. Surely that would do nothing to help their situation. She only wished her answer was a little more promising. "We...haven't joined yet," she stated a little haltingly, disappointed herself not to be able to tell him she was officially a pack wolf again. "I think Lior's nervous about it." Her poor sister. It was a tough decision to make for anyone, let alone someone so young who was leading her family along with her. But it was far too important for Anais to step in and make it for her. "I'm not sure what she's going to do," the worried elder sister admitted, turning her head to glance over her shoulder as if she could see Lior even across the distance. Turning her head back around to glance upward at Glacier, she was struck again by a longing to be near him, by his welcoming air and his handsome smile. Oh, if only everything was not so muddled up by her heat; it was all things she had noticed before, only now they were made so much harder to ignore. "How's pack life?" she asked through her smile, changing the subject from her pack troubles and offering Glacier a chance to fill her in on everything that she had missed. There was still that awful temptation lingering in the back of her mind, and knowing she would be nearer to him always if only she would join his pack was of no help to her either.

Art by Arin

Anais always had, in his eyes, contained a delicate beauty that entranced him with its innocence and the purity of her wonderful nature. Well that hadn't changed exactly there was definitely a more seductive tone to the underlying emotions and view he held her in. As glacier witnessed that, he found he didn't want to be contained and subtle, he wanted to be bold and outrageous, to sweep her off her feet and admit all his feelings for her, even well keeping himself perfectly in control and impartial to the scent she gave off. Instead, the boy kept to his nature and remained contained, forcing himself to relax and continue to breath in only shallow breaths of air. His attempts to regain normality and sooth Anais where not in vein as he watched her relax further, and then respond to his questions. Her sweet voice gave him something else to concentrate on, and her words especially where important to him. He found himself really relaxing and smiling as he fell into the familiar rhythm of conversation with Anais. "That's understandable, and I too would advise she took what time she needed to think it through - but are you comfortable and do you feel secure waiting on the borders in the mean time?" He knee her sisters wishes where important to her, but it was Anais who was that to him and he had to ensure that she was comfortable, and most importantly that she felt safe, he knew better then anyone how easily she could fear the world around her. As she cast a look over her shoulder, with her words perhaps leading her eyes in the direction of the distant wolf he would look at Aanais, really look at her, in a way that would make her uncomfortable if she caught his gaze. His look was fierce and protective, loving and a touch anxious with his worry for her, and it took her in and found every part if her already so familiar to him. It was also gone the moment she moved to look back at him. She turned the conversation onto him and he immediately obliged by answering. "Its the same as it always is, voltage worrying and taking on the burdens of the world, the rest of them finding their way to settle in" he answered. He had kept a straight face through that speech but the corners of his lips began to twitch now in an amused spasm "oh, and I tripped in a rabbit hole, which no doubt voltage would tell you if I didn't" he would admit to his little accident, but down played it by an impressive amount, he would give her no reason to worry. "Words"

  

Walk | Talk | Think Leave it to Glacier to remind her of her own concerns for herself when her thoughts were so focused on catering to those around her. At least in this instance, she was happy to note, her answer was much more positive. Her smile turned soothing, reassuring, as she too sat and spoke, "I do. My brothers followed us here, and they're sticking close. They won't let anything happen to us." Anais hoped it would be as much of a comfort to him as it was to her. Training for a moment when they would need to defend their family was all her brothers ever seemed to do, and she trusted their ability to put those practiced skills to use when the need arose. Eager to hear about a day in the life of Glacier's pack, she attentively listened as he went on to explain it, using vague answers that were at least amusing though they did not hint at much specifically. She almost chuckled at the overly anxious image of Voltage that his brother brought up, able to see it herself. The electric brother might have given off the impression of being carefree and energetic, but she knew better now than to think he was as shallow as that. He cared just as deeply as Glacier did, just in his own way, and she knew he was placing all that care, all that love, into his job as a leader. It made her happy to know that both Glacier and Voltage shared the responsibility. They were two opposites of a completed whole; together they could make anything work. But what she seemed to take as the amusing part did not appear to be the same humorous bit that Glacier had found. It was only after he had spoken that he very nearly began to smile, as if tickled by some secret that only he knew, and it became obvious that it was his final statement that was intended to be funny. Anais, unfortunately, did not quite see it, but she almost laughed because he seemed so amused by something only he understood. And his whole humorous reaction just made him that much more irresistible. "You tripped in a rabbit hole?" she echoed just a bit incredulously, confused but clearly infected by Glacier's good mood. Her smiling face brightened just a little, and through a chuckle she asked, "Did you at least catch the rabbit?"

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Glaciers first concern was easily soothed as Anais explained that she felt safe and why she did so - she had her brothers for protection. Glacier had never actually met these brothers, but with his own experience of family to be a good one, and with Anais herself having full trust in them it was easy for glacier to do the same - even if a small part of him perhaps thought that the safest place in the world for her was by his side, it was only a tiny selfish little thought that he easily dismissed. As for his own speech, Anais in turn eagerly listened through perhaps he found her to be a bit mystified at his amusement. He didn't really want to tell her about his broken leg and head injury, about how Terrae had given him herbs to keep him asleep well his head healed, instead he found amusement in down playing his silly little tragedy. Talking really did help distract Glacier from the elephant in the room, through it didn't keep his thoughts from it for long. It was impossible to wholly dismiss when the delicious aroma of her swirled in the spaces between them, where it could both taunt and dare him and send tingles down his spine. He snapped back to the moment when she spoke, almost unaware of the fact that he had actually started to drift under her spell again. “I did exactly that, apparently i'm not nearly as infallible as I seem” he replied, the same amusement dripping into his tones, and he even winked at her, even well wondering just how much trouble he would be in when or if Anais found out the full details of that little incident. Anais began to shadow his amusement, and he went with it, loving the sheer fact that he could put a smile on her face, and he definitely enjoyed to see it there. He was also perhaps a little intoxicated by the sight and scent of her, which of course aided as he dug himself deeper and deeper into a hole. “Rabbit? Who hunts for rabbits in a rabbit hole? I was hunting me a Puma” he told her, which was the truth, if not all of it. "Words"

  

Walk | Talk | Think She much preferred to smiles and laughter to the awkwardness that had engulfed her when she had first ran up to greet her friend. This felt much more natural, more comfortable, and almost she was able to forget that things were still different. That the more she laughed, the giddier she felt, the more relaxed she became to the point it verged on carelessness, even recklessness. But it was still so much better that Anais went with it, choosing to ignore what should have been warning signs in order to continue to be easy and comfortable in Glacier's presence even at the expense of not entirely thinking clearly. More chuckles bubbled up from within when he confirmed that he had indeed tripped in a rabbit hole, just as she had heard. It was such a silly accident that, though she believed it entirely possible, she still could not fathom the significance. Or the humor behind it. But he still did. Oh, she wished he would smile a different way, a way that would stop her from being compelled to smile back, that would stop her from being unable to look away from him. Combined with her growing giddiness, his puma comment finally made her laugh aloud, the absurdity of what he said at last getting to her to the point she could no longer hold it in. "A puma?" she asked, even more incredulously now. She scooted just a little closer, narrowing her eyes speculatively as she peered upward at him even though she continued to grin brightly. "Are you making this up?" It sounded like an awfully silly story. Maybe now she finally understood what he found so amusing!

Art by Arin

Glacier was starting to feel the distance between them, something that hadn't been there since their first meeting. Since that first faithful day one or both of them seemed constantly to be finding excuses to bump shoulders or sit side by side, pressed into each others fur. Despite his wish to close the distance between them, he knew also that it would be dangerous to do so. Right now, he was essentially charged up on the delightful scent of her, and the touching of their coats would go a long way to helping him lose his head – something he vowed never to do with Anais. Even that little touch of serious thought wasn't enough to calm the high he was working himself into. He was grinning at his sweet young friend, and he would listen intently to ever sound of laughter she made, drink in the sight of her smile. He was taking in deeper breaths the longer he was with her, he just wasn't focusing as much as he should be on control now. The more he relaxed, and succumbed to the scent and taste of her on the air, that harder it was for him to remember why he wasn't suppose to be relaxing in the first place, and the further he fell. As he told her some of his tale, and mentioned a puma, she would seem incredulous, and would scoot closer. They weren't touching, but he could almost feel her over that little distance. “Would I do that?” he teased her, his eyes where dancing and he lowered his head closer to her height and would find himself gazing into her eyes. The longer he looked, the harder he found it to tear away. Did Anais know she was the most beautiful girl he had ever laid his eyes upon? Her eyes weren't just gold, they where radiant, they where shot through with a thousand tones, and they where alive with everything that made Anais herself, her curiosity her love of live, her light humor and her fascination. He wasn't admitting to anything he didn't already know, but he suddenly found it that much more impossible to lock away the respect and amazement he found for Anais. His breath hitched and stopped in rhythm before it started out again and he found his voice once more, through it perhaps sounded a little more breathless this time. “It was a puma alright, a small female, I was actually bigger then her, I was chasing her away” he admitted to more then he might of if he was still in his right mind, but reality was far away from him now, and he aside from the need to blink he was yet to break his gaze from the beauty before him. "Words"

  

Walk | Talk | Think Boy, he was sure good at keeping his charade going. She very nearly forgot what she was so convinced about as he questioned her accusation, the teasing quality of his voice a distraction that easily got to her. It made her stomach do another of its funny little flips, as if the butterflies that had taken residence there had decided to all fly at once, and it caught her mostly off guard. It was not anxiety but an unexpectedly strong shyness which stole through her along with the odd, fluttery sensation, and the golden girl shrank, lowering her head slightly, as she chuckled over his response. Oh goodness, was she blushing again? It would have made more sense to look away, to hide it, but still she found difficulty in taking her eyes away from him. "Yes," Anais muttered through an almost timid smile, meekly sticking with her opinion on the matter. How odd that though she now wanted to shrink back away from her friend shyly she also wanted to get closer to him even more strongly. Despite her conviction that he was telling her stories, Glacier stuck with his facts, attempting to explain further in the hopes of changing her mind. It was a slow process, but seeing that he refused to give up what she took as false, what he was trying to tell her had actually happened, Anais started to wonder if there was some truth to it after all. Her brow pinched just a little as the seriousness of the matter began to sink in, as she started to believe what he had believed all along. He had chased away a puma. A puma. And here he was trying to tell her he had only tripped in a rabbit hole! Forgetting her shyness, the smile upon her face smoothed away and something closer to worry took its place. If he had been chasing a big cat large enough to be a threat to a wolf...and he had tripped and put himself in a vulnerable position in the process... "She didn't... You're okay, right?" she asked quickly, needing to know and to be sure of it. All over again she wanted to leap forward and nuzzle into him, to show her gratitude that he was safe and whole, but it was unwise. Instead she only fidgeted in place, a poor substitute for what she really wished she could do instead.

Art by Arin

Anais had his whole and entire attention, and he could actually see her getting shy, it was adorable to watch even if he would rather see her head held high. It was down right sweet to watch her blush and dip her head a little lower, and the teasing little Yes that slipped from her lips raised the temperature in his chest as his heart warmed for her. He couldn't help the almost seductive chuckle that slipped softly through his lips in response to her determined, if shy answer. Well.. perhaps it wouldn't be beyond him to have her own, but he really was telling the truth on this one – he had tripped in a rabbit hole chasing away a puma. As he got close to convincing her that his puma story had happened, he could see the amusement being replaced with worry. His own brows furrowed as he watched it steal away her laughter and he wanted to reach out and smooth away the lines of worry he could see on her sweet face. Her next question was serious and he tilted his head, still watching her and smiled a very soft, gentle smile. “It would take more then that to break me Little Mouse, i'm fine, I promise” he told her softly, and again this also was the truth – his paw was a little tender, but his head was fully healed and very soon the pain in he leg would be but a memory, nothing permanent or serious had come from his accident, no matter how much it might have scared his family. He would watch her fidget in place, and well he was still a little light headed and entranced by her spell, he was also himself enough that he needed to make everything okay for her, to put a smile on her lips again. He reached forward to swamp the little paw she fidgeted in one of his own massive ones. Her little paw vanished beneath his, and the distance between them had definitely shrunk, he watched his paw for a long moment before raising his gaze from it, and back to Anais's eyes again. He felt a funny twisting in his stomach, and his eyes fell to her lips – he could almost make himself believe he was searching for a smile, but the truth was he was wondering what they would taste like. Beyond his control his face moved a little closer, close enough that her next out-take of breath brushed against his face, that he breathed it in and tasted it, and he could smell nothing but her, his sweet little Anais. His heart was hammering in his chest, but he paused, an inch from her lips, and his eyes would flutter up to look through his own lashes to her eyes, to look for any sign that this was not what she wanted. "Words"

  

Walk | Talk | Think With the same gentleness that he always seemed to carry with him when around her, he smiled. It was so sweet, so inviting to her, that she was dangerously tempted to succumb to her wish to tuck herself against his side and bury her muzzle into his fur until his scent was all she could smell. There was just something about it that wheedled right into her heart on any given day, and the effects of the season only amplified it until it was almost overwhelming. And combined with her anxiety, her worry over him now, even as he assured her in such a soothing voice that was just as alluring as his smile, it was so terribly hard to ignore. Anais tried to relax herself, to take comfort in Glacier's calm as he promised he was fine, and slowly it seemed to work. He's fine, she repeated to herself, her golden eyes at last lowering from his in an attempt to look him over and see it for herself. Instead they fixed upon his paw as he lifted it and watched with a distant sort of curiosity as it was placed tenderly over her own. How small she felt in comparison to him then, with her whole paw covered so completely by his that she could no longer see it, and yet as she lifted her gaze to look upward into his face, so close she could have reached out and touched his nose, she felt, as always, no danger or fear because of his size and strength. He was her friend. She loved him. He would not harm her. His quiet touch did the trick. She fell still as she looked at him, entranced by his closeness and by the look on his face. But there was something there in his expression, something she could not place, something that, the longer she looked, seemed to gather a weight to it that settled somewhere in her chest and made breathing a little trickier. She had still not been able to place it by the time she realized he was moving, drawing nearer, his muzzle inching closer to her own. She watched, holding perfectly still, feeling her ears turn meekly against her head and her heart speed up the closer he got until, when he nearly touched her muzzle, he stopped. Expectation, anticipation, of something more left her feeling tensed, as if she teetered on the edge of something wonderful, something that she wanted badly, and she wondered through the newly found fuzziness of her mind why he had stopped. Anxious with a new longing, all she could manage was another fidget of the paw that was still pinned beneath Glacier's and a quiet, breathless whine, a desperate and timid plea that he continue.

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Pausing in front of her took every ounce of his will power, and every breath she exhaled he would breath in, in return, he could feel, scent, touch and taste her before him, she owned every one of his senses and with that he could also read every intention in the flicker of her movements, every emotion through the beat of her heart and hitch of her breath. He could feel her heart beat, could feel it through the sole of his foot that covered her own tiny paw and he could all but taste it in the air around them. He could feel it spead up, could see her little ears tuck against her head and her eyes where upon him. Once again he was brought back to that first moment, when everything about her reminded him of a scared little mouse ready to flee or hide. He might have pulled away in that moment, reading her anxiety in every moment and breath she gave, but before he could do so he read something in her eyes. Something in that golden glimmer fixated upon his own molten silver stopped him before he could even begin to pull away. He drew in a deep, shuddering breath and before anything could compel him to do otherwise he moved those last few inches and owned her lips. She tasted like sunshine, hot and pure, she also tasted like clouds, soft and yielding. For Glacier, a being who loved once and for life, it was like nothing he had ever experienced before. It was overwhelming, his senses where reeling and already he felt light headed with the need to breathe. His lids had slipped closed the moment their muzzles had touched, and as he gently pulled away and took in a ragged breath they fluttered ever so slowly open. His entire world was still reeling with what he had done, and shock and realization took over the fantasy and he searched her eyes desperately, searching in her for any sign of regret and pleading he would not see it. Glacier had to control himself, he had to prove to her that this was real, and not created by her seasons heat, and he had to hold back and do nothing that either might regret until they where both of clearer heads. Well, unless of course it was too late for that... "Words"

  

Walk | Talk | Think She felt as if she waited forever for him to move again, as if time had suddenly become sluggish and was now dragging on in order to test what meager patience she possessed in that moment. It was a cruel test, Anais thought, as her patience had all but vanished the moment he had started inching closer to her face, distracting her with the burning, molten depths of his silver eyes and the heady, drunken look on his face that seemed to intoxicate her in turn. She wanted so badly for something to happen that would put an end to the wait and building tension, for him to touch her or say something that would confirm for her what she had suspected all along and now was mostly convinced was truth. That he loved her, just as she loved him, and he had, at last, been unable to hide it anymore. It was so hard trying to read his expression when her mind felt muddled up by such strong feelings of desire that were new and unknown to her. All she could be sure of was that she wanted him to do something, wanted whatever it was that he was trying to offer her, and when at last he moved her bright, golden eyes closed on a whispered sigh of relief. His gentleness extended into the touch, so soft and careful and sweet, and immediately the longing ache she had for action was soothed. The concept of time vanished in that moment, along with everything else around them, and all she could think about was his touch, his scent, and the sense that, at long last, the feelings she had been harboring for him finally had a proper outlet. All too soon Anais felt him begin to pull away. In a feeble attempt at prolonging the contact, she reached after him, her eyes fluttering open to stare with anxious longing into his face. Why had he stopped? Why had he drawn away so soon? She had so much more love in her, so much more emotion that she needed him to know, to see and feel as she showed him. Likely it was an effect of her heat, but the golden girl could only think in terms of action, of what she wanted to do and not what she could have said instead. Even now just staring at him was making that ache to touch him return, tempting her beyond everything else so far. And because she knew now what it felt like to have those built up anxieties soothed, to express those feelings unabashedly, she wanted it too much to fight it. She gave him only a short moment before she acted. It was as long as she could wait until her need for another kiss overrode her other senses. Without thinking about the consequences, without thinking at all, Anais quickly leaned in and kissed him, her eyes closing as she poured her love and compassion for him into the gesture. It was not slow or careful, as Glacier's had been, but passionate and rather desperate. He had to know how she felt, all of it, everything. Even if he pulled away too quickly again, he just had to know.

Art by Arin

As Glacier pulled away and his eyes fluttered open, he would see Anais whose movements followed his own – to bring her closer to him. As her own gaze met his he would see in them a desperate need for answers and would know that he had not been wrong. Anais felt as he did, his sweet little Mouse loved him and he in turn loved her with an ache that hurt his chest. As he caught his breath he felt a wild grin full his expression and his burning gaze would hold her own. He was teeming with the love he felt for her until he felt like he might burst. It was back at his home, on the cliff top that he had realized his love for Anais, and holding it in all that time, waiting patiently to see if she felt the same way – at long last here he was in the moment he had been waiting for. As he treasured the moment, he would miss the signs in Anais's eyes until she was upon him, and her lips touched his again. He would feel his lips tremble with a soft laugh he kept inside and his eyes slid closed as he pushed himself closer to her, meeting her kiss with his own. Anais's kiss wasn't as slow and sweet and gentle as his own, it was more passionate and heated, pushed into him and he returned in kind, through his giant gentleness was always there, that soft little reminder that came from a life lived with little siblings that would not allow him to hurt her even by accident, that little reminder was not lost even in the heat of all this. He was the one who pulled away again, but only so that he could nuzzle into her neck, breath in the scent of her. He was shaking, if almost barely perceptibly with the rush of emotions that fulled him. He pulled her closer to him, needing their fur to be touching, to be able to drape his head over her own and hold her close. “I have been waiting a long time to kiss you, Little Anais” he told her softly. "Words"

  

Walk | Talk | Think As she had hoped, her kiss elicited a similar response from Glacier, prompting him to drift closer and return the fervor behind her actions. The sensation of it made her giddy all over again, to feel in this definite way that his feelings matched her own, that he cared for her in the same way that she cared for him. It was everything that she had been hoping for, just what she wanted, and yet it nearly overwhelmed her. Had she truly expected him to? Not entirely. Despite so many hints and guesses that he did feel the same, she had been too worried that he would not to believe that he did. But all those worries, all those doubts and fears, were finally put to rest, and it was all so much more than she had expected. When he drew away a second time, it was only to draw her fully against him, and she went with it immediately. Anais tucked her head against his neck, turned her face into his fur, and let the feel of him surround her. She had missed this so much without fully realizing to what extent. How had she managed to be away from him for so long? Worse yet, how was she ever going to go back to her sister, her brothers, Lebrah, after this, and pledge herself to a pack where Glacier would not be there? It made her cling to him even more, and caused her eyes to mist with tears. Oh, she loved him so much, wanted never to leave his side again now that she knew he felt the same. But she had told Lior she would go with her, and Lebrah's comfort was still her responsibility no matter what. How was she ever going to make this work? Her tucked ears flicked just slightly as she heard his deep, soft voice admitting to a want that had been within him for a very long time. "So have I," she whispered, though she was not at all sure at what point she had finally realized it. She had known for longer that she enjoyed being around him, that her feelings for him had grown, that she wanted any and every excuse she could think of to get closer to him and touch him, but everything had finally reached the breaking point today. Their feelings - mutual feelings, no less - were entirely out in the open, plain as day for each other to see and feel and know. And nothing was ever going to be the same again. It was a bit staggering for Anais, realizing that her friendship with Glacier was likely never to feel the same again after all this, that whatever happened now was going to be foreign ground for her. It made her nervous, but elated. This was not going to be a journey she would take on her own, not at all. Glacier, who loved her as much as she loved him, was going to be there every step of the way. Still overcome by the extent of her feelings for him, with her eyes misty and her heart a jittery mess of love, excitement, anxiety, and anticipation, the little wolf sighed somewhat shakily and drew back only enough so that she could look up into his kind and gentle features. In then, she could see everything, all of the feelings he felt for her reflected off of his face, and she wondered if hers was as telling. A soft, half-timid lick was placed against the side of Glacier's muzzle, and though she hesitated for just a few seconds, her shyness rearing its head yet again though she was sure he already knew, she spoke softly in a whisper, "I love you."

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Glacier would hold Anais close, feel the beat of her heart through their contact and feel each rise and fall of her breath. He could truly call her his now, and he hers, and everything else in the world was forgotten in that moment – the dull ache in his leg, the worries of the day, everything was gone but Anais. Anais however couldn't quite forget so easily and he could feel a light change in her emotions and would search for her eyes to find the pain there and would know what she was thinking – family. Never would he ask her to leave her family to join him, and never could he abandon the siblings he had pledged to guard and protect and love. It was a cruel situation to find themselves in and he couldn't help but wonder if he had done the right thing in kissing her, or if in doing so he was setting them both up for suffering. She would admit to the same thing he had, and he brushed aside the worry again, to let them consider it at a later date – for the moment they both just needed to enjoy this. He dug his head into the back of her neck, breathed in the scent of her, felt the rising of his heart beat and knew he was still giddy with elation and love, but also knew he was in control of himself. Admitting what he had to Anais had grounded him, gave him something to hold on to and strengthen his will to do right by her. He would lift his head when he felt her pull away slightly, and she would tilt her head up to look into his eyes and he in turn would look down into her soft ones and his lips would twitch in gentle amusement. He didn't say anything as they looked into each others faces, through his eyes would dance when she kissed the side of his muzzle. Then she would open her maw, and speak, and his heart would break. I love you she whispered, and he knew that they both would be suffering all too soon. He hadn't wanted to hurt her, he wanted only to comfort and love her, to let her know she was loved and cherished, but he also could not leave his family for her. His own eyes misted over and he leaned his head down to rest his forehead against hers, still searching for her eyes despite the closeness. “I knew I loved you on the cliff side of my home, little Anais” he whispered. "Words"

  

Walk | Talk | Think Anais was sure now that he felt the same, and her admission was spoken with the expectancy of hearing the same words back. Just another quiet I love you to match hers and confirm for her, in words, what she now believed without a doubt. But it was not in the same way that he said it. They were far too close for her to miss he sudden emotion that filled his eyes and made them mist over with the intensity of it. If anything, he made it more pronounced as he leaned his head in to hers and pressed their foreheads together so that she could look squarely into his eyes and see them even more clearly. And his manner of telling her, bringing up the one night she had stayed with him, the one night upon the cliff, made her heart swell. For a second time, her eyes misted over with unshed tears and a quiet, quick laugh broke from her smiling face before she stopped the rest. If she laughed too much in her current state, she was sure to begin crying in earnest, and she did not want to do that, even if they were happy tears. But she was amazed that Glacier had said what he did. The cliff side? Was that not when she began to question it too? And that whole time, she reflected, she had wondered what his feelings were like, whether he might have liked her then as she was just starting to realize the feelings of "like" that she had for him were actually "love." As her thoughts reflected back to that time, the game that they had played, some things that had failed to click then started to fall into place. He had asked, point blank, if she had ever been in love. He had admitted to it himself too, though she had been too nervous to ask then. Now, however, knowing he did, knowing he had then, Anais realized she finally had her answer. Her golden eyes widened just a little as she looked across at him, her forehead still resting against his. "You mentioned it," she said with obvious surprise, "you said you knew what love felt like. That you'd only felt it once." And she had been too scared to think of who he had been talking about when it had been her all along.

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The intensity of the moment burned in him and his skin felt hot enough that hers was almost cool to the touch. Leaning against her like this, every breath burned of her scent and filled him, but now his mind was sharp and clear, if a little shaken and amazed. He remembered his doubts, his reasons for not admitting his love immediately, and well most of them hadn't changed it seemed his will to keep them in had. He never lifted his gaze from hers and he could almost see the wheels of her mind churning as she took in not only his answer, but so much more as well. He did laugh softly as she spoke, as she pointed out that he had indeed mentioned it. He was a little surprised she made the connection, through all the dots had been there for her to do so. “Well done, Little One, yes, I was talking about you when I said that. I've known all my life that I would only love once, its in my nature, and it turns out all along that it would be you” he said simply, and just like that he confessed to her that he would always love her and no one else, or rather no one else in the same way – his love for his family was as strong as ever. He closed his eyes, letting out a soft breath as he gently pushed his head a little further into the soft fur of her forehead, just resting it there and breathing, immersing himself in all that was her and the relief in finally telling her how he felt, admitting these essential truths to her. "Words"

  

Walk | Talk | Think The well of emotion was so strong within her that she had to close her eyes as Glacier did to stop herself from crying outright. Glacier loved only once in a lifetime, and he was in love with her. Could she have ever imagined the depth of his feelings going that far? To know now that she had someone who would, always and forever, care for her with all of his being? It was even more surprising to her than realizing their relationship was forever changed, though in neither instance was the change bad. She had known since she was younger that she wanted a love as strong and lasting as that which her parents had shared, that she had wanted to follow in their footsteps and be fully committed to the relationship that she ended up in. After the scare she had been given, she had wondered how it would be possible, but Glacier had shown her. With patience, and fun, and an endless supply of love. Just a little more forcefully, the large blue wolf pushed his head against hers, and she pressed back to match him. So easily, she could have set about to kissing his face, placing lick after tender lick upon his muzzle, his cheeks, his forehead, more little pieces of the affection she felt for him, but even the thought of it stirred her desire for him in a way that was less innocent than anything that had happened between them so far. It was her heat that caused it, Anais knew, and eventually it would fade away into something more tolerable, more bearable. And, if she was being honest with herself, she knew she was not ready. She might have craved it strongly because of the nearness of him and the fully realized extent of her feelings for him, but she was not ready. But...maybe she was ready for something else. Leaving his side to go back to her family, particularly in the state she was in, was going to be torture. The grey-gold wolf wanted nothing more than to stay with him, to curl up here against his side and never have to leave for anything. But he was a leader, an alpha alongside his brother. His place was back on the shorelines of Donostrea, and eventually he was not going to be able to stay here with her any longer. "I don't want to leave you," she whispered at length, her longing to stay with him heavy within her voice. "Maybe...maybe we can talk to my family," she stated speculatively, desperately trying to formulate a plan, "tell them everything and...and maybe they'll let me go." She loved them all, whole-heartedly, but what she felt for Glacier... She wanted to be surrounded by it always.

Art by Arin