Dalila had kept her distance for a couple of weeks after the crystals began to grow from her crown purely out of precaution, mostly keeping to herself or only the wolves she couldn't avoid seeing like Rusalka or Siren. After the first week or so when she still continued not to not develop any other symptoms from the illnesses that plagued the children during the long night then she began to relax and spend a bit of time with Siren's children here and there, but it wasn't until she was fully certain that this was just a strange, lingering gift from those times and not an illness did she go to seek Chimera out. Her worst fear was giving some sickness to him when he had so much to care for. She had filled in for him when he was sick before, but what would happen if they were both out of commission? She couldn't let that happen.

Now that she was feeling better and the crystal horns around the top of her head had seemed to stop growing she decided to gather a few supplies and set up a little something for her King. She rolled up a couple of furs and gathered a few refreshments before she carried them out to the other side of the island where a secluded gazebo stood within sight of the beach. She rolled out the furs as a makeshift bed on the floor of the gazebo and set the snacks she brought along with a bottle of wine and a bottle filled with fresh water off to the side on one of the benches. It wasn't much, but she didn't think he'd mind. She had asked Siren to watch Ruse for the evening just in case since she wasn't sure how long she'd be staying with Chimera—especially considering the last time she was alone with him she hadn't gone back to her room until nearly the next afternoon.

A little smirk pulled at her lips at the thought, her ears flicking back shyly as a flush crossed her face. That wasn't the only reason she wanted to see him and catch up on the time they had missed while she was in her self imposed quarantine, but it was certainly a factor. She adored Siren more than life itself, but Chimera always managed to find a way to make her feel like she had never felt before. The more she was with him the bigger the space for him in her heart became and the more comfortable she became with these physical needs and desires that he had unlocked for her. She tipped back her head and called for him before she laid down on the furs, stretching out on her stomach with her hind legs behind her as she looked out over the beach in front of her, waiting for Chimera to join her.

"Dalila Vista Rocha"

The late evening sun was bright, but thankfully there were a fair bit of clouds to keep from blinding the sensitive eyed man. He had been working all day, as was his way. With most of the structures having been cleared out on this end of the island, he'd taken the day to help with the queen's gardens. There had been issues with Siren's deer and other island wildlife stealing the crops, so Chimera had constructed fencing around the large patches of earth. The island inhabitants could find other things to eat.

Crafting and playing in the dirt was messy work, so the black and white giant had bathed himself in one of the many freshwater streams that crisscrossed through the island. Sparkling, but still damp, Chimera lifted his head in the direction of the call that came for him. Dalila beckoned him to join her and, with his task complete, he had no qualms with doing so. Shaking out his coat one last time, the big brute loped across the island, coming out onto the beach and looking down its length.

Dalila had settled herself upon the large gazebo and Chimera walked slowly down the beach towards it, taking the time to let the sun dry out some of his damp pelt. He would still be a bit moist when he joined her, but oh well. If anything, he could sit on the stoop while they spoke and let the sun dry him further still.

"My Queen," he greeted the woman in a low rumble as he stepped up onto the wide, wooden platform. He'd been informed of the growths on her head, but he hadn't yet seen them. Stepping up towards the mottled woman, Chimera lifted one paw and gently touched one of the crystals to inspect it. His paw then slid down the side of Dalila's face, cupping her cheek for a moment before dropping back to the ground. "I'm glad these weren't something worse," he admitted.

"Chimera Klein"

There was no rush for Chimera to join her and she had no doubt that he would so she had no problem with waiting for her King to appear, relaxing across the soft furs with her head resting on her paws. Eventually his large form did come into view and she smiled as she lifted her head to greet him. Her tail wagged and her ears gave a shy flick when he addressed her as his queen. She was slowly adjusting to the new title, no doubt with Siren's help, but it was still a bit weird for her to hear him call her a Queen. It was a good kind of weird though—flattering in a way that made her heart skip. "My King," she replied softly as he walked into the gazebo toward her. She noticed his coat was a bit damp, clumped in places where it was drying, and she wondered to herself what she had pulled him away from.

Before he could ask though he came to stand in front of her, making her head tip back to look up at him while his paw lifted to touch the crystal growths along her crown. She knew this was his first time seeing them and she wasn't sure how he might react to them, but she supposed his paw stroking her cheek while expressing how glad he was that they weren't something worse was as good of a reaction as anything else. "Me too," she admitted with a relieved smile. She had been genuinely afraid for a short time after the crystals revealed themselves, remembering how deeply Viper's illness had run from the autopsy Aliana had done, but luckily the crystals reached a certain point and seemed to stop, creating a small row of horns in their wake. She hadn't had any other symptoms or illness and she was feeling fine now that the headaches and tenderness had gone.

"Will you join me?" she asked with a nod of her head toward the empty spot beside her. While he got settled she got to her paws so that she could retrieve the food and drink she had brought with her. She knew he didn't usually drink so she sat the bottle of fresh water in front of him and put the wine off to the side, thinking she might have some herself later. The food was just simple pieces of cooked meats, but she thought he might like something to eat after working through the day. She leaned in to kiss his cheek as she offered him the food, giving him a smile before she went over to the bag she had carried some of her supplies in. She had brought a towel with her just in case she needed to dry off the benches in the gazebo from the frequent rains they had been having, but since she hadn't needed to use it she could repurpose it for him.

She brought it over and sat along his side and started running the towel through his damp fur, wicking away most of the moisture from his pelt. Her paws worked steadily over his scruff, back, and sides, putting a bit of pressure into the motions as well so it could be a bit of a massage as she was drying him off as well. "What have you been working on?" she asked curiously, glancing up toward his face as she spoke. When he was about as dry as she was going to be able to get him she put the towel off to the side and came back to where she was laying before, settling down onto her stomach at his side with her shoulder leaning into his. She reached for one of his large, dark paws, taking it between her own and beginning to rub and massage his paw pads. She always marveled at just how much larger his paws were than hers, the black dipped toes dwarfing her pale, speckled ones. She smiled as she worked, happy and content while she spent time with him like this.

"Dalila Vista Rocha"

Settling into this relationship with Dalila had been surprisingly easy. It was as though she was always meant to be one of his queens and somehow, he knew it. He'd always known it. Even before Dalila admitted that she was his, she belonged to him. It was good to have them both on the same page about the matter. Apparently all it had taken was the mottled woman getting drunk during her heat and him being a little more understanding and less of an aggressive ass. Now Dalila was right where she belonged; with him.

The invitation was given for him to join her and he hesitated only a moment, thinking about getting the furs wet, but eventually he moved and sprawled out beside the crystal crowned fae. Chimera made himself comfortable, stretching out on his long, taut stomach, both forelegs and one hind leg extended fore and aft. His damp tail brushed lazily back and forth over that extended hind leg as Dalila fetched a meal for them. The cooked meats smelled delicious. Some wolves preferred their meat raw, others preferred theirs cooked. Chimera just preferred meat in any form, though he would admit that cooked meat smelled much, much better.

Once the platter of meat was placed before him, Dal kissed his cheek, eliciting a pleased rumble from the giant brute. He watched her walk away again, his pale pink eye fixed on her shapely rump before the smell of the meat became too enticing and his stomach roared. He popped a piece into his maw, rows of serrated teeth turning the morsel into mincemeat. The man released a pleased moan as he ate, not having eaten that morning. He'd also skipped lunch today, being fully immersed in his work. Chimera ate a few more pieces of meat, watching as Dalila returned with something in her paws.

The mottled fae seated herself beside him and began running a piece of fabric over his still wet fur. Rather than just try to dry him off, the woman was pushing into the sore muscles of his back. Food forgotten, Chi pushed the platter away with one big paw, stretching out to enjoy the impromptu massage. For the second time today, Chimera released a groan of satisfaction. He hadn't known how much he needed a massage, but Dalila's skillful paws were letting him know how hard he'd worked today.

Dal asked him what he'd been working on as she stopped drying him off. He frowned a little as the action ceased, but she was once again beside him and took up one large, ebony dipped paw which she then began to work with her own paw. If she kept that up, she was going to lull him to sleep for sure. "I was working on your garden," the man spoke softly since they were so close. "I noticed that deer and other things had been getting into it, so I built a fence." He hadn't been asked to do so, he'd simply taken it upon himself. The garden benefitted them all and needed to be protected. Aside from that... he enjoyed doing nice things for those that he cared about. Dalila was now within that group.

"Chimera Klein"

Every time he reacted positively to what she was doing, whether it was the taste of the meat she had prepared or the way she was massaging his sore muscles while she dried him off, it made her chest warm with happiness. She had always found a lot of fulfillment from taking care of others when she was a servant and a slave, but now that she was free to just care for the wolves the truly cared about and loved there was so much more joy in the things she did. These little acts of kindness were no longer out of obligation, they were purely because she wanted to and enjoyed feeling like she was the reason that they were happy or feeling good. Chimera was always so stoic in his expressions and reactions to things so when she managed to get him to relax or react with these satisfied groans it was like a special kind of victory in knowing that she had found something he really needed and desired.

While she was massaging his paw he told her that he had been working on a fence for their garden since the deer and other animals had been getting into the plants recently and she gave him an appreciative grin, her tail wagging gently in response, her tail brushing his hip with each pass. "Thank you! That will be so helpful." She had noticed lots of hoof prints through the soft soil of the garden and portions of their plants and herbs eaten away, but she of course didn't want to hurt Siren's deer so she had mostly just been chasing them away when she caught them and fixing the damage they caused. Of course Chimera would find a solution to the problem instead which she certainly appreciated. She finished massaging one paw and sat it back down on the furs they were laying on before she reached for the other ebony dipped paw to repeat the process.

As she massaged his calloused paws she shifted closer so that her side was against his, leaning her smaller frame into his while a little smile lingered on her lips. A little part of her had worried that the one night they spent together after he named her Queen had been a strange fluke, that they wouldn't fall so easily in together again when they were able to be alone with each other again, but that wasn't the case. She felt comfortable and at home at his side caring for him much the same way she would Siren. Chimera and Siren both had slowly become nearly equally as important in her life and she couldn't imagine being without either. Her tail brushed against his hip again while she gently leaned her head into the side of his neck and once she was satisfied that she had throughly massaged his paw she released it to let her own paw trail up his foreleg. Being like this still make her heart skip wildly and butterflies flare up in her stomach, but in the best way. It was exciting and wonderful and she loved it.

"Dalila Vista Klein"

Pleasured groans and growls were drawn from the giant as Dalila massaged his paws before moving on to his forelegs. The woman was igniting a fire within him and he was pretty sure that she knew it. Why else would she go to all this trouble? He wasn't complaining though. This whole little outing that she'd prepared for them was very pleasing. It seemed like she had missed him and, surprisingly, he had missed her as well.

Dalila thanked him for tending to the garden and, as she leaned into his side, Chimera curled his neck to place a kiss upon her crystal encrusted crown. "I enjoy doing things for those that I love," he admitted softly. The patchwork woman had worked her way into his heart. She had shown her competence and devotion by running the pack in his absence. She cared for Siren, Aliana and all of his children. She mothered the most beautiful daughter for him. As if that wasn't enough, Dalila showed him regularly that he meant something to her. She wasn't just giving herself to him because he was the King of Fenmyre or because she felt obligated. She truly wanted to be with him. He could see it in her beautiful blue eyes.

Shifting his big frame, Chimera slid one foreleg over Dalila's body, drawing her in close while rolling her onto her back. He kept his leg wrapped around her, pressing them chest to chest. The brutes pink eye bore into the fae's blue gaze. "I love you, Dalila Klein," he spoke softly as he stared down into her eyes. "It took us a while, but I love you." Did she love him in turn? Did it matter?

Lowering his head, Chimera stole a kiss from the woman in his arms. His tongue darted into her mouth and he tasted the flavor that was all Dalila. The kiss was short, but it brought a low growl forming in his chest. He spoke softly, his lips brushing against her own with each word. "If you had other plans, we should get to them before I make a mess of this place," His tongue flicked over her lips, "And a mess of you," he purred darkly.

"Chimera Klein"

Her ears perked a bit as he kissed her crown and told her that he enjoyed doing things for the ones he loved. That was something she could easily relate to. Everything she did and had ever done had revolved around taking care of the wolves she cared about or was charged with tending to. More recently it had evolved in dedicating her life to this small group of wolves she could consider lovers and family that had become her entire world. Still, something about hearing Chimera say that to her caught her off guard and made her heart skip. She had grown to care for Chimera and she knew that at least to an extent he felt the same for her, but love…?

As these thoughts went through her head, Chimera shifted to wrap his strong foreleg around her, pulling her in close and making her gaze lift up to his again. There was absolutely no resistance as he rolled her onto her back, feeling him steal her breath away as he pressed his chest to hers and looked down at her with an intensity that told her that he truly meant what he said. He spoke the words she had inferred from his previous statement, removing any doubt or question. It was also the first time she had heard him call her by her new name and something about that alone made her smile. She was blown away by the evolution their relationship had taken and couldn’t keep herself from just looking up with awe at this brute that was secretly just a kind, soft hearted wolf when it came to the ones he loved.

Before she could manage to actually respond, he claimed her lips in a deep kiss that brought a surprised but pleased hum from her. She tasted him on her tongue, the feeling of him kissing her like this while her much smaller frame was wrapped up in his embrace was a heady experience on its own, but her own experiences and memories told her where this was quickly heading and that made her stomach do excited summersaults while her core tightened with that need and fire that she had slowly become more and more familiar with. The growl he gave made her heart flutter and skip, a soft gasp passing her lips when he eventually broke that short, but intense kiss. She was quickly becoming more acquainted to Chimera’s lustful nature, but each time they were together like this it was like he was showing more and more of it to her.

It was hard to breathe as his lips brushed hers and he promised to make a mess of this place and her, but in the very best way. Every nerve along her skin felt like it was on fire and it was like riding a high even though she knew this was only just the beginning. “This is the only other plans I had,” she admitted breathlessly, her delicate paws slipping up to rest on his broad chest and trace his shoulders. “I love you too, Chimera,” she added now that she found her voice again. She loved Siren and she loved him. In different ways, but it was love all the same. Their protector, the father of her child, and the only man she had found it in herself to fully trust. Taking a bit of initiative, she pressed her lips to his this time, claiming another kiss from him with a quiet moan.

"Dalila Vista Klein"