Walk | Talk | Think Three days. That was how much time had passed since the visit upon the border that had shattered the stability of Tahlia's world. For three days she had busied herself with pack duties, hunting, fishing, watching potential prey. She needed the consistency of it to focus on, to distract her from what had otherwise become a meager existence compared to how life had been before. For three days she had slept without the presence of her mate nearby. She had not known what to expect that second night when she had finally tried to return to their den, and finding it empty she had curled up inside to sleep, waking to find things just as when she had gone to bed. If the children noticed anything amiss she did not try to explain. If they asked, she would only offer a smile that was as much pleading as it was placating and assurances that there was nothing to worry about. And for three days she did not know the status of her own relationship with her husband - if he still considered himself that way at all. That crucial bit of uncertainty had been, by far, the worst. Bane had been so angry with her, filled with such rage and malice, that he did not seem to have thought twice about bearing his weight on her and pinning her wholly against the ground. He had not held back in his verbal assault either, threatening her not only with his words but with the very sound of his voice. Whether he had intended to make good on everything he said she was glad to never know, though the cold lace of doubt made her wary of her own judgment. She had never suspected him capable of harming her, never thought he would turn on her at all, but he had. Would he again, when next he saw her? Fear kept her away. Strangely it was not so much the physical violence that she feared most but simply knowing he was angry with her at all. For so long they had been on good standing with each other, maybe becoming irritated or frustrated but never to the point that things had reached on the border. She did not know just how deeply his anger ran or how long it would take for it to wane, and the uncertainty was slowly driving her mad. She wanted very much to confront him, to ask, beg, plead, whatever it took to know where she stood with him. At the same time, however, if he looked at her with even a hint of the expression he had worn at the border she knew she would fall apart. He may have hurt her but beneath the pain she still loved him, still wanted him in her life just the same as he always had been. If he wished to be done with her she would have been devastated. So for two days and two nights after her return to work in Ebony she gave them both space, cowardly justifying her avoidance of him as necessary for them both. By the second day she could hardly bare being around his scent as it lingered within the territory, and that final night had been spent longing for his touch, wishing he would come to send her off to sleep with a goodnight kiss. By morning she had reached her breaking point. Whatever he felt for her, wherever their relationship intended to go from here, was better than this cowardly game of avoidance and false complacency that she was playing with herself. She waited until the activities of the morning were fully underway before she slipped away on her own, searching and seeking out a quiet, secluded place for them to speak. Whatever happened, whatever was decided between them, she did not want eavesdroppers. Everyone would find out in good time. After finding the desired location - one that painfully reminded her of the place Bane had brought her at the beginning of winter - she made herself raise her muzzle and call to him, only him, quietly and anxiously. She was too nervous to sit, her tail and ears uncharacteristically low as was her overall posture, and so she stood, her tail fidgeting and her gaze staring about in search of the one she loved but feared would reject her.

The pale elder hadn't seen his mate in three days. Haveing been away after an... incident, at the border involving harsh words at a familiar face by his mate. And for the three days since during that time the elder hardly did anything around Ebony. It came with the job of Sola knight and being old. Eir. That was the word for his rank now. He should remember that. But one thing he would always remember was the touch of his mate. How he missed it. After such a time away from Tahlia he was beginning to crave it. The nuzzling and caressing as the fell asleep. To see their smiling and curious young again. Bane had thought himself to sleep each night just wondering how he could've handled the situation on the border differently. He shifted in the small depression he had scraped out in the pine needle covered ground. Once drooping ears?would perk forward as her call was heard, Tahlia having caved and reached out for him.

And he didn't deny her. Not for a second. Bane shot to his paws and shook his pelt in a halfassed manner before heading to her. The male was a ghostly blend of fur as he headed towards where she had howled. By the border near Ebony's lake. The cold of winter was gone. And the comfortable warmth was beginning to punctuate the evenings. But Bane felt hot all over, nerves about what his mate's state was and how she would react to him the only thoughts on his mind. The russet pelt behind the bushes where she awaited, Bane feeling the twigs scrape his cheeks as he swallowed anxiously. His paws brought him towards Tahlia, head low and eye having a searching gaze about it as he stared at his mate.

Walk | Talk | Think She had not the slightest clue what she ought to expect of her husband. Fear had painted a picture of nightmares, in scowls and silent snarls, disdain and disappointment, that had been haunting her from the very second she had made up her mind to call for him. And, to her excessive, pessimistic mind, it seemed most likely to be the reality of things as well. How could it be possible for Bane to greet her with anything less? How could anger the likes of which she had never seen before be so easily snuffed out and cast aside like cleanly picked remains? It was too much to hope he might forgive her. She had done wrong, regardless of the fact she had done her part already to make amends, and she knew he was disappointed in her. But it was the severity of those sentiments that she could not determine, and how they might manifest themselves when, and more importantly if, he intended to answer her. When finally she spotted him, his greying frame hurrying to answer her summons, Tahlia felt a quickening in her heart that started as relief and transformed once more into worry. He came! That in itself seemed a small victory she was ready to claim, though it was only the first of many hurdles needing to be cleared before she could feel satisfied. But another was clear, and the realization of it nearly drew a whine from her lips. He was uncertain too. There was no haughty sneer, no tall stance that spoke of justification for what had transpired between them. Instead his head was low, similar to her own, and there was worry within his single blue eye, visible across his anxious face. Somehow it gave her hope. It was difficult for Tahlia to remain still. Her weight shifted from one forepaw to the other in nervous movements, her tail unable to decide if it was simply fidgeting or wagging. Her ears remained pinned while her head lowered further with her upper body hunching to accommodate it, a means to physically appease the anger she still saw in her husband despite it no longer being visible. It could not have gone in only three days' time. "Bane." His name was whispered on a shaken voice, her anxiety just as high, if not higher, than it had been when he had threatened her. So close. She was so close to having her answer, to him, that she hardly knew how to continue. What did she say to keep him here? To make him see worth in her again? So badly she wanted to step to him, to kiss his chin, his neck, to mold herself against his side and let him know without words that she was sorry. But would he have tolerated it? She had not known how to continue - it was overwhelming enough simply because he answered - but words found her, tumbling out before she could manage to piece them together into more orderly, coherent thoughts. "I spoke with her. Destruction. I apologized. I felt...awful afterward, when I ran. I should never have... But she listened. She forgave me." That alone was still a miracle in and of itself. Tears collected in her eyes as she spoke it, knowing just how important this story was to the both of them, how much influence and sway it held in what her future might be. So much was riding on those words...but was it enough? Staring desperately at her husband, her life, she hoped it would be.

The elder wolf noticed that the wolves body language matched similarly as they saw one another. Head low, tail indecisive, the miserable air that hung about the air between the two wolves. They were uneasy with what had happened three days ago, rightfully so. Though Bane had been rough with his mate and she had left him and Des at the border of Ebony in tears, the fact that she looked... better, was a start. And then she spoke his name. A cold pit forming in his stomach. It didn't sound how lovers greeted each other. Only strangers. His mate began to speak about how his once-mate had forgiven her. And that was it.

Tahlia returning to silence after that, tears forming in her eyes. "Tahlia... I..." Bane began, face contorting to a pained expression. He had withheld this information from her, and it would explain the majority of how he had reacted to Tahlia. But it had also been the previous reasons he admonished to her three days ago.?"Destruction and I were really close once Tahlia. I want to let you know that I still love you, but I felt a surge of protectiveness at the words you spoke to my once-mate. And I'm sorry. I'm sorry for keeping that a secret. I'm sorry for the way I reacted and I'm sorry for the pain I've cause us these last few days." Bane felt the tears falling down bob sides of his muzzle, taking a nervous step forward.

Walk | Talk | Think Bane appeared just as uncertain of what to say, where to begin, as she had when she finally finished speaking, attempting to begin only to stop no sooner had he spoken her name. What was it that went through his mind? Desperation to finally be rid of the fight that had separated them the last three days? Or perhaps desperation of a different nature, one wishing to be done with the problem entirely? But Tahlia had made an effort, for herself and for him; it should have counted for something? Wherever she thought his train of thought to have been, it was not on the path of speech that he started. He spoke not of his actions at first, but of the short-lived relationship he had had with Destruction, of its influence on his reaction to her treatment of her. It stung to know his attachment to her, even after their relationship had already run its course, could still be so strong to illicit such violence, especially considering Tahlia was his mate, his wife, and not her. How could he so easily justify it like this? She still wanted his forgiveness, still wanted his love so badly, and yet she could not entirely rid herself of her jealousy to let it go. How was she to do this? He drew closer, tears falling down his cheeks, but rather than try to comfort him she drew back, flinching inwardly and averting her gaze from his. "I knew," she stated simply, her voice steadier than she expected it to be though no less coated in emotion, "I knew about you and Destruction. She told me once, out of kindness. She thought I had a right to know." And suddenly there was doubt, a new fear that had never crossed her mind before. Not until Bane had snapped at her in Destruction's defense. The confidence she so naturally wore abandoned her as the doubt settled within her mind, causing her to shrink more noticeably inward on herself. She was terrified to ask, terrified of what the answer might be, but she needed to know, needed to be certain that she was not wasting her time, had not wasted her time from the beginning. "You say you love me," Tahlia muttered quietly, closing her eyes and lowering her head a fraction further, fearful that she might somehow spark his rage again, "but are you sure? Are your feelings for her simply those of friendship?" She had never suspected it before; he had never given her reason to doubt. But with the way he had treated her...might she have had a true reason to feel jealous all this time?

He gave a sniff of his runny nose and wiped his eye with the side of a faded black ankle, head rising to look at Tahlia. There. He had said it. Finally speaking to Tahlia his attachment to Destruction. It explained his decision of why he had made her Godmother, and why he had reacted so at Tahlia's snatching of the title away from his friend. But the she-wolf he'd pledged his heart and body to already knew, and it shocked him. Could it have been when he was banished that the two females met? One telling the other? But even at hearing her admit that she knew his relationship, he was to be the strong mate that she had accepted to be his those years ago. The elder took a step closer to her, all the while his single milky sapphire eye watching his mate.

Her doubting words, of whether he loved her or not were hurtful to hear. How could she even think those thoughts. All the memories of their nuzzling and cuddling. Actions that resulted in young or renewed their bond that they had as mates. "She is now a friend who I'm looking out for. Des is, well. She appears to be struggling. I love you Tahlia. I showed you twice that resulted in two young. I showed you by the river before we came to Ebony." Bane's head dipped slightly. "I don't even know what to think right now. I've proved myself to you time and time again, but then this comes up and you question if my feelings for you that I've had for several years? It was all a lie I was living?" The pale elder took several steps forward, almost right next to her. With a tensed up breath he touched his cheek to her, muzzle rubbing up the side of her face so that his maw was right next to her ear. "No. No. No. No." Tahlia... when I was banished Des came to me at the river in heat. Nothing happened. For your are my partner. And it would rip apart my soul should I turn my back on that and live my previous life."

Walk | Talk | Think He drew closer, seeking comfort or to be comforted, but Tahlia leaned away. Her eyes clenched tightly shut, blocking the sight of his tears, his own pain, from her view. It was difficult to see him so beat up over his own actions, so sorry and seeking atonement, especially after she had laid her accusation bare before him. But what would his apologies and his requests for forgiveness mean if he cared less for her than another? What would her entire life to this point mean if she found that the man she had so wholly fallen in love with did not return the sentiments to the full extent that she did? She had not meant to cause another rift; she had simply needed to know. He did not touch her, though she had almost expected him to, and a weighty silence preceded his answer. Friend. It was how he had described the woman then and it was how he described her now, nothing more and nothing implied. To him, at least as he explained it, Destruction was a friend suffering through a hardship. It made Tahlia feel some comfort though not by much, the doubts that had taken hold of her stubborn with their grasp. The sound of his voice as he professed to loving her was enough to bring fresh tears to her closed eyes, to bring a little of her defenses down and show outwardly and unbidden how much at conflict she was with herself. He was right, again, in his own way. He had proven his love to her time and again through physical means, but, she thought, he had also proven his anger, and she was so afraid of which might win out in the end. She could hear the confusion he felt within his voice, the hurt and the disbelief, and of course it made her feel worse. Upsetting him had never been her goal, not even when a part of her, the prideful, vengeful part, claimed he deserved it for her humiliation, for her three days of doubt and loneliness. An apology was there on the tip of her tongue, ready to be said for having even asked, but she held back, listening as his final question was followed up with soft steps toward her and the sense that he was close enough to touch. Tahlia tensed, quiet and still, with worry and uncertainty still about her face, and shivered when his muzzle passed against her cheek to whisper into her ear a fact that she had never known, a private fear that had always been on her mind during their forced separation. Her husband had been given the perfect opportunity for infidelity, where no one would have known and with the very woman that she was accusing him of harboring feelings for, and he had denied it. It was almost too much to believe. She had been nervous about it from the start, that somehow Bane's habits from before their marriage might resurface if given the chance, and she had feared during that time that something would happen. But nothing had, even though it could have. She felt suddenly shameful for thinking that he might be capable of it, for doubting his love for her, and with a sob she turned her face into his neck, pressing close against him as she finally cried freely. "I was so afraid," she said through her tears when at last her voice was within her control again, "that you loved her, that you loved me less. That I might have lost you." She nuzzled him roughly, tucking herself against him. "I never want to feel that again." Tahlia nuzzled the greying male again, turning her head to kiss his cheek, his jaw, to trail them softly all the way to his lips. She drew back then, just enough so that her single seeing, golden eye could meet his blue one, and poured her adoration, her desperation, her desire, into the look. "I love you," she told him, quietly and simply, "so much." But, as often seemed to be the case, words were hardly adequate. Mimicking him, her muzzle moved across his cheek in a soft caress and traveled up to his ear to ask, "Let me show you. Please."

She had drawn herself back when he had spoke though her legs were static, but still Bane's uncertain paws had brought him close as he drew back from her ear and rubbed his muzzle against hers. No stepping away or a bite. Progress. Both of the wolves eyes had some remnants of tears, golden to milked-over sapphire. He took a step back to fully look at her, head tilting slightly to see Tahlia before him. Fresh signs of sorrow came up, the she-wolf having tears bead up and fall along her fur to land at her paws. "I find her presence pleasing, and especially if she's with our young and being happy..." Whatever Bane was going to say was lost as Tahlia rushed forward and pressed her neck and muzzle against him.

He was slightly taken aback, returning the gesture with equal affection. "I never want to feel this again too, I..." Tahlia pressed her nose against the corner of his jaw and placed a kiss. On his jaw and below the nose. Surprise held him still for a moment, the male sensing what she wanted to go with this. And he didn't deny her, even after she had whispered that she loved him she didn't stop. Only confirming her want with a murmur into a ear. And he wouldn't deny her, Bane taking stock of their location with a few glances. It's was moderately early in the day of Ebony, and his mate had chosen this place well for what she asked if it wasn't its original intention. With a rumbling growl, confirming her statement, Bane pressed his muzzle firmly against her in a deep kiss. His tongue dined upon her maw, eyes closed and he pressed up against her. Licks were administered to her nose, cheeks, eye, neck. And all the while Bane would vocalize the growl he knew she loved to hear. The wolf nipped her throat and ran his fangs along an ear, hot breath breathed as he withdrew an intruding tongue from her muzzle. A certain gait was administered to his stride as he moved to her side.

The pale wolf brought in legs around her chest from across her back and drew himself behind her, faded black forelegs gripping the crook of Tahlia's hind legs with purpose. Bane felt his fangs sink into his mates russet and black neck and pulled, chest pressing against her back as his breathing quickened. He shifted on his hind paws and leaned forward to bring her chest to the ground, feeling Tahlia's tail being held to the side for the coming act. The pale wolf's belly molded against her rump as he brought reestablishment to their shaken relationship with but a gentle and purposeful press of his hips. And all that was felt was bliss.

And after a score of stolen moments together as one flesh, it was over, their bodies finally freeing up. Bane opened his clenched eyes with a rumble and rubbed his forelegs along her sides to further dishevel the fur. Jaws slacked and he slumped off Tahlia's back to land on his side in the dirt. Vigorous. Rough. Loving. Prolonged. Heated and passionate. A peak that he had skillfully made her experience with him. And it had been about her during the act, all he did was preform. To assure her that even after his violent episode three days past that he could still love as skillfully and tenderly as before. Ears would unpin from his skull and he let out a shaky sigh. And the empty ache in his heart was gone for the first time in a three days.

Walk | Talk | Think He said nothing at first, merely cast his gaze around in a way that seemed distracted against what she had suggested. As if he needed the convincing, not quite realizing that he was merely assessing their location for what would occur, Tahlia drew her tongue again across his cheek, hesitating after to see if it had had any effect. She wanted very much to show him that she still loved him, that she was able to set aside what had happened and move forward into greater things. Physical affection had always been his means of conveying his feelings but now she wanted to make it hers, taking a page from his book so there would be no question in his mind that she still loved him. If he would only look at her-- The sudden growl that stole through Bane, low and deep and full of desire, caused the black and russet woman to shiver on instinct, ears folding, as her anxiety that he might somehow still be angry with her got the better of her. But as she remained tensed, still as stone, expectant of the worst, he caught her off guard with a kiss. It was firm, coated with his passion, but soft and sweet and gentle. So unlike what she remembered from three days past. New tears sprang into her eyes, relief at knowing that the man she remembered was still here, still wanted her just as he always did, and as a shameless whine was breathed she felt her body relax, fears giving way for desire. She forgot entirely that she had wanted to lead them, driven to absolute distraction by each kiss, each caress, each rough nip against her that her husband made. Her heart might have already begun racing, her body alight with need as he set her ablaze, but she matched him touch for touch, nipping along his chin, kissing his neck and throat, hoping his desire would burn as brightly as hers before she allowed him anymore ground. But already he was everywhere. His teeth grazed against her ear, nipped at her throat, his tongue caressed her cheek, her eye, her mouth, every touch slow burning, always soft and intimate. Before she even realized it, he was already slipping behind her, his paws moving along her sides to fit against her hips while his teeth took a firm hold upon her neck. Already breathless with anticipation and just a little anxious, she let her front half be guided to the ground, tensing beneath Bane. Just fleetingly she wondered if his gentle demeanor would linger, especially now that he had her in such a compromising position, so utterly at his mercy. But she had nothing to fear. He was just as gentle if not gentler than he had ever been, bringing her to tears with the tenderness, the consideration, behind every action. He had catered to her every want, her every desire, picking up on even subtle cues she had not realized she had made, and left her wholly satisfied. Her sides tingled as his paws passed once again along her sides, feeling the familiar sting against her neck as he released his hold on her and quickly sunk to the ground beside her. Eyes still closed, devoting her attention to feeling, she let herself do the same, sinking completely to the ground to rest her chin upon her paws as she attempted to get her breath back and listening to her husband at her side. Cracking her eyes opening and turning her head to look his way through her good eye, Tahlia drew herself closer, reaching out to softly kiss Bane's nose.

The sounds of a she-wolf panting were all that Bane heard, never mind his own heavy breaths. Nothing about him didn't matter after they were done. Knowing that her toes were flexing and her body quaking in the afterglow of climax was all that he wanted besides coaxing the rising burn during their actions into a peak. Bane fought his way to that shared point with caresses of his forelegs along her hips and the kneading of his teeth in the scruff of her neck alongside the obvious stimulation. Simultaneous enjoyment was what Bane strived for each time they mated to symbolize their union. Tahlia could say for him to go do something after all was said and done and he would simply go do it. It was a treat to do what Tahlia's said after letting him take her up the mountain. Like their time by the river before Ebony. She had wanted him that morning. And four times he'd been more than pleased to send their hearts racing with the peak of physical union between lovers as they had stolen the dawn away together. Because she had wanted it so. Away from any responsibility other than to satisfy one another. Bane felt that this was one of those times after what had happened between them.

His one good eye gave a slow blink when she licked him. New purpose in its milky gaze. A paw was reached over and touched her right shoulder, both of their eyes free of the freshly kneaded and churned dirt to stare at one another, the sky at the corner of his eye through the shielding tree branches. And they would block them from the world for a little longer, Bane's intention probably realized by Tahlia with the continuous growl that suddenly bubbled up naught but a few moments after recovering and gathering themselves up again. The male's intention was clear, and he wasn't hiding it. The resting forepaw of the male skewed and dug into the fur if her shoulder, worn limbs bringing him over her. Claws and teeth would urge that she quickly lay upon her back, Bane taking a step back to firmly grip her throat as he adjusted his hips and shuffled forward to began. Jaws left her throat, the tip of his muzzle tilting as he pressed himself against her, tongue intruding past her fangs as he squeezed his eyes shut.

The lustful actions were a little more rough and urgent than before. Time was precious for the two pack wolves. But it had been enough time without anyone stumbling across them the first time, and that was more than reason enough for Bane to assume their luck would hold for the second. With skill, his muzzle pressing as firmly as his hips, kept her quiet from whatever noises she was trying to voluntary or involuntary vocalize. The more sound she made the more firmly Bane preformed, muzzle tilted against hers to press his tongue into his mate's maw. Tahlia would lose this battle she warred with his body. The grey wolf trailed his muzzle against her cheek and neck, continuously rumbling to keep her all the more quiet from his actions. And after another moment of continuous and unbridled movement he made them share a flow of ecstasy, leaving another burn in her belly as they stayed in the union of one flesh. Bane's limbs shook and he collapsed, waiting the moments with tense anticipation before their bodies finally freed up. They were muzzle to muzzle, the male drawing back, rapid, heated breathes washing over his mate's face. Words... he didn't have any words. Beyond speechless by the satisfied lust that hazed his mind.

The pale wolf adjusted himself atop Tahlia, forepaws roaming under the she-wolfs neck to tilt her head back, exhausted nibbles and licks being traced up her throat. "Mhmm... Tell me how that was for an apology and reconciliation." With an agonizingly slow roll Bane eased himself off and slumped onto his Talutah scarred side, just trying to catch his breath. "..... when's your bleeding season again? Might want to set aside a few days for your needs when the time comes for the ripe days to conceive young." The paling grey wolf raggedly breathed into an ear. Such a fire they had revived with the physical side of their relationship with what had happened, and neither wind nor rain nor fire itself would ever put it out. His tongue lapped at the side of her jaw. "If you wanna gave a go at me like you first wanted I won't complain." Bane was... exhausted at this point. But if Tahlia wanted a more he'd be more than willing to let her perform.

Walk | Talk | Think She had settled there upon the ground where she had ended up, her neck stretched toward the side and her head beside Bane's where she had kissed him. Her seeing and unseeing eyes stared at him half lidded, the remnants of tears still lingering there upon the lower edge. Tahlia could not say in words just what exactly she felt. There was such a strong level of relief in her at knowing that they had finally been able to make up after what had happened, that she had been able to forgive him and he forgive her so that their relationship could be mended and brought back as strongly as it ever had been. There was a deep and undying love as well, directed wholly upon her husband. It was nothing like the first marriage she had had, nothing so shallow and pointless, and those feelings had unknowingly consumed her. And, of course, there was the pleasure that only he could bring, made stronger and more amazing for everything else. A little smile curved gently across her lips as he reached toward her with a paw and placed it against her shoulder, her gaze falling shut for a moment as she drew in a heavy, steadying breath that she released slowly. Tahlia felt content and joyful, her hope renewed and feeling more sure of everything she and her husband stood for. She easily could have settled herself within the curve of his body and let him hold her for hours, basking in his warmth and his love. At least until he growled. Eyes opening slowly, a searching look within them, the smile about her face slipped away into a blank stare, reading within the look Bane sent back that they were not quite done, that his plans involved more. The sound of his growl alone was enough to cause her stomach to flutter responsively, excitedly, her body stirring quickly after the high it had just reached. She tensed as she watched him, feeling the paw against her shoulder push in an urgent gesture to get her to roll over. Her gaze never leaving his, the russet and black woman shifted and wriggled her way onto her back, her breath beginning to quicken again as Bane got to his paws to loom over her. Her own forepaws settled upon his chest, kneading through the soft fur there as he situated himself and reached forward to take her throat in his jaws. Her body strung taut, Tahlia breathed his name pleadingly, unsure whether she wished him to slow down or keep going but there was no time for her to decide. He had already begun. He took her quite by surprise for a second time. There was a new urgency to his actions, a new rush that had been missing before, and it only seemed to cause her need to burn more strongly for it. He muffled her moans with his intimate kisses, kept her too breathless to do more than whine airily when his attention shifted to her cheek and neck, and continued to fill the air with his rumbling growl. And as he did she encouraged him, arching, pawing, breathing his name when she thought he might hear. So easily he seemed to be able to please her, and by the time it was done for a second time she could do nothing more than shiver beneath him, breathless and spent and utterly satisfied all over again. She could feel his warm breath upon her face, could see within his dazed expression that he had been no less pleased with the outcome than she had. A quick kiss was placed upon his chin before he eased her head back, her eyes closing blissfully as lazy kisses and nips were dragged along her throat. She might have laughed when he spoke of his apology but she hardly possessed the energy, managing only the hint of a smile about her lips as he shifted his comfortable weight atop her to roll off and onto his side. Another shiver coursed through her body, his whispered words drawing about an automatic response from her. "Autumn," she answered breathlessly, "It's in Autumn." And yes, they would need to set aside time for that. Bane was quiet for a moment, Tahlia taking the time to make an attempt at quieting her own breathing, and softly his tongue passed against her jaw. His offer this time did draw about an airy chuckle from the woman, and she smiled a little more easily now as her tail gave a few wags. "I am not so sure I can," she responded quietly, her tone teasing though there was a certain level of honesty in her words. "I feel...wonderful but weak. Like I might melt right here."

Bane thoughts were on the last few moments, before the waiting game that was played.?The musk of mating had hung heavy in the air, clinging to their fur, the only thought Bane had was of simply pleasing her. He'd felt the moans against his muzzle, the she-wolf shivering as he moved against her hips, arching her back and gasped his name with the whines she voiced. Tahlia had tucked her forepaws in a coy manner when they first began, now pressing her claws into his chest as the sensation of ecstasy grew with each movement until finally her back had arched with release. Bane then kissed her, moving slowly now to ease her down from the high as he lay himself upon her. And they waited. Trading licks and holding one another close, Bane gave a wince at where her claws had scraped him as he shifted off of his mate.

A paw reached out to touch her throat, the fur damp with his kisses and nips, his own chin tingling from where she had gave him a kiss. Tahlia gave an answer, Autumn. The season before winter, and it wasn't to far away. They would try for a few more pawsteps to follow after them and their older siblings, full of questions and curiosities. Regarding his last question, Tahlia had said she was unsure, and Bane couldn't help but smile at that. She was pleased. It was all he could hope for after what their relationship went through, his paw moving down to her chest to give a few circles in the fur. The pale wolf shifted closer so his chest was touching her side. A heavy sigh left him as he closed his eye.

They lay there for a moment in the waxing dawn, Bane getting up with a grunt and shake of his pelt, leaning over Tahlia with a quick kiss to her chin. "Wanna go laze by the lake? Catch a few fish for old times sake and just exist for today? I'm not doing much and your a hunter. That also means fishing, and if anyone questions it just say so." Bane spoke, stepping away and giving a glance behind him. He'd make this day enjoyable for Tahlia, just like old times by the river before they came here. Fish was a good place to start. Bane figuring that salmon would do them good for the afternoon. As for the evening... the old wolf didn't know, but it would have to be something where it involved the both of them. With a toss of his head to look back Bane took the lead toward the lake, looking forward to this day of just bonding.

Walk | Talk | Think Another shiver, another smile, was expressed as her husband's paw settled upon her throat, her cloudy and golden eyes opening in a lazy sort of half-lidded stare to look up into the tree cover and vegetation that hid them away from prying eyes. Everything felt right in the world again. She had been wrong about her husband, thinking that he might still be angry with her, thinking that his feelings for her had been falsified all this time to hide an attachment to the woman he had previously been with. And he had apologized for hurting her, for attacking her as he had. Everyone was forgiven and bonds were once again renewed. And Tahlia was sure she had never felt so wonderful. Bane moved beside her, drawing closer so that she could feel him press against her side while his paw shifted lower to draw circles within the fur of her chest. Turning her head, Tahlia placed a couple soft kisses against his muzzle as she rested her head beside his, closing her eyes once again in a moment of rest. Easily she could have stayed like this forever, within her husband's embrace and enjoying the feel of him close, basking in a moment of their renewed vows. She roused only when he moved beside her, and lazily she shifted her head to peer at him as she blinked her eyes open. His tongue rasped against her chin and caused her to smile upward into his face, her contentment and happiness evident about her being. The idea that Bane suggested, a day spent between the two of them at the lake, sounded wonderful, a perfect way to finish out a morning that had started off so horribly and had already turned around into something fantastic. Her tail wagged as he drew away, making it apparent he was ready to lead the way. "That sounds perfect," she answered him, rolling to her stomach and then pushing to her paws. She shook herself off, vaguely wondering in what state of disarray she might have been left in but already making plans to clean up in the lake. Padding over to Bane and brushing against his side as she fell into step with him, only stopping long enough once they were there to nuzzle him softly before she led them into the water. -End Thread-