It had been some time since Arian had been invited into their home, and thus far she had been welcomed as though she were family. Initially she had felt hesitance at the thought, being a new mother herself -- but quickly she grew fond of the young girl. How badly she reminded her of Natsu! It was as though part of him remained on this earth in her, and she wanted to cherish the girl for as long as she could. What other option did she have, anyway? As the children were given free roam to explore this morning, she lingered near the den, lowering herself to her belly. Slowly she reclined, lying on her side in the leaves that had begun to litter the ground, painting in a lovely warm spectrum of colors. Slowly the green was fading, giving way to equally lovely reds and yellows. She could only hope Maverick would arrive soon, for they had much to discuss on this morning.

He had grown accustomed to rising early, going out on a quick sweep of the landscape (which usually took a while given his thoroughness) and then returning to his den to waken the children and his wife, and sometimes offer them food. This morning he brought nothing with him, for in his travels he came across only a single rabbit which quickly evaded him. He knew that Epiphron wouldn't mind his empty paws, so long as he spent a little time with his family when he could. A smile crinkled on his face as he neared the den, wondering idly which pups would be awake and ready to greet the day. Amalia and Arian, certainly, and possibly Quintus. It was likely that Cassius would be snuggled up against his mother, though he would quickly rise when beckoned. However, he noted with interest that Epiphron was already outside of the den, which meant the children were probably out exploring. How marvelous, time alone with his wife!

Quickly he brought himself to her side, lovingly swiping kiss after kiss upon her crown. "Enjoying a quiet morning?" he would croon in her ear. His paws folded beneath him, allowing his bodice to relax upon the earth next to his wife, head craned toward her with a dash of excitement in his eyes. It had been ages since he'd had a solitary conversation with Epiphron, and he did not intend on missing this opportunity. Idly his mind wandered to where the children might be, worrying that they would get into trouble - paternal things like that. These thoughts almost always clouded his mind now, try as he may to shun them from his skull. It seemed he would be a perpetual worrier now, though he supposed he'd get used to it after some time.


"Speech,"

Slowly her attention would shift from her children, who were basking in the morning sun and romping about. They would have to enjoy the nice weather while they could, for soon the cold would be here and the ground would be littered with frost and snow. Though she knew she could not keep them cooped up in the den the entire winter, for they would be considered adolescents soon enough rather than babies, she would certainly keep an eye on them more during the most dangerous season of the year. As she lifted her head from the cool earth, it was impossible to miss Maverick approached. His fur was a brilliant shade of red, and seemed to brighten as she saw the glimmering light of the sun hit his pelt. Immediately a smile graced her features, tail beginning to wag behind her, slapping lightly against the ground. Her blue gaze followed him as he drew nearer, her expression brightening drastically as he settled beside her and kissed the crown of her head. "Indeed," she murmured in response, leaning to press her nose lightly into the side of his throat. "Much more quiet than I am used to." It was not necessarily a bad thing, and she was glad to have some time to herself with her husband. A pause followed as he settled comfortably by her side, and a happy sigh escaped her lips. "These past few months have gone by so quickly," she noted quietly. So much had happened in the last year, and sometimes she found it still hard to believe she was here, with the man she loved so dearly. "Speech,"

He heard them giggling and romping in the distance, and chuckled slightly. He should have known they wouldn't be far off, though it was likely that one or more of them would venture farther than he thought they should. Maverick had had every intention of keeping them locked in the den forever, but somewhere along the line sanity had kicked in and he realized that he had to let them go or they would rebel against his authority and leave for good. He didn't think his heart could take that, and so here they were - frolicking in the forest only a short distance from both of their parents. This way wasn't too bad either.

"Much nicer than I'm used to," admittedly he had been lonely on his patrolling - this was a much more wonderful alternative to the solo career life he'd been living lately. She would comment on how quickly the time had passed, to which he would cast his vision at the children - eyes falling on Quintus who was easily the largest of the blood-children. "Yes it has, I can hardly believe how quickly they have grown." Leaf gaze would shift back to her as an ear flickered back. "I love them, but I have missed our time together. It's different now, isn't it?" Of course the question was partially rhetorical, as she couldn't possibly hope to deny that things weren't different now.

Perhaps he understood now what had happened between Gerhardt and Adette. The two of them had poured themselves wholeheartedly into their adopted children and their responsibilities, Maverick could hardly imagine they had much time to kindle their own relationship. He would make a silent vow in the confines of his mind to never let that happen to he and Epiphron, that would be the end of everything he ever knew and loved - and he wouldn't allow it so long as his heart beat in his chest.



"Speech,"

Things certainly we different now -- but that didn't mean they weren't just as good. She knew all too well how quickly they would grow up. Very soon they would begin to accompany them on hunting missions ... either with them, or other hunters from the pack. Soon enough they would want dens of their own, want to explore the lands outside of Seracia. She could only hope that they had instilled enough love for family and Kingdom within them that they would never dream of betraying their pack, their loved ones -- that even if they wanted to leave home, they would always come back in the end. A happy sigh escaped her parted jaws, and she was content to lean into him. Since she had met Maverick, he had always consumed her attention, giving her reason to live despite everything else that happened around them. "Different," she agreed, leaning to place a kiss on his cheek. "But still so incredible." There was so much more to their lives now, which seemed to give everything so much more meaning. Silence would follow, settling comfortably over them. They didn't have to talk; they talked all the time. Perhaps sometimes it was mostly superficial, trying to keep their children in line, dealing with pack affairs ... but the silence was comfortable and safe. But she broke it after some time, turning to watch his with question eyes. "I know we haven't really talked about it," she started, her tones hushed. "But ... about Arian. I'd like her to stay with us. I can't imagine her with anyone else." At first, she hadn't known whether the arrangement would be a permanent one, but now it seemed nothing else made sense.

He knew that things would forever be different, but that didn't mean he didn't like it. Children grew up every day, his especially, and he knew eventually they would grow to be the age he was now - and have families of their own. There would be a day when they fell in love, moved out of the shared family den, did things that he and Epiphron would disapprove of. He knew it was coming, this was part of life, and yet somehow he knew it would be the most bittersweet moment he would ever face. He didn't like to imagine it. Especially since he knew they would probably face those moments more than once, since he had counted on at least two litters in his lifetime - if not more.

He would nod as she said it was incredible, because indeed it was. He couldn't imagine his life any different than it was now, and he didn't want to. She began to speak again, this time more hesitant than before. She wanted to know about Arian. He nodded quickly, "I couldn't imagine her with anyone else either. She fits in with our little trio perfectly, I'm sure she'd love to stay." He hadn't honestly thought about making it a permanent situation before, but now that she'd brought it up he was positive that Arian belonged with them.


"Speech,"

Perfect was an understatement. Epiphron could ask for nothing more from her life -- she truly was content, even despite the rapid changes that had occurred over the last year. It really was amazing that it had been almost a year since her wedding. How quickly time did fly! While part of her dreaded the mere thought of her children growing old, part of her missed spending time with Maverick, and knew that their alone time would only grow more frequent in the coming seasons. As he spoke, she couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. They hadn't gotten to talk about it yet, but she had grown to be as much as a daughter to her as Amalia. She knew the girl was happy, too; she couldn't imagine having to search for another home for her. Even in Seracia, among wolves she trusted, she felt much more comfortable knowing the girl was under her and Maverick's care. "I love her more than I ever imagined I could," she murmured softly, a quiet admission. "I am so glad you feel the same." Another soft breath of air left his parted lips, and she buried her nose in the side of her neck, content. "We will have to enjoy the freedom while we can. You know, being away from you so often makes me desire you so much more..." She teased lightly, eyes gleaming as she sought his gaze. "I see more children in our future, whether or not we plan on them..." Perhaps not next season -- or even the season after. But eventually. Even if they had an empty den for awhile, she was all too certain it wouldn't stay that way for long...

Admittedly the child had been taken in on a whim, as a temporary sort of situation until something better could be decided on. But it was clear to both of them that there was no 'something better' as Arian truly thrived within their own tight-knit family. As a second daughter, she brought a whole new dynamic to their trio - which was now a quartet. He admired her spunk and tenacity, and her ability to remain strong despite all she had gone through in her life. In a way, she reminded Maverick of himself as a child. He had always been chipper and optimistic despite the horrors he had seen and known.

She would murmur on about Arian, soft words that would receive a bubbling purr of approval. Words weren't always necessary, and he knew that his wife felt the same. She went on to talk about wanting him more now that their time was limited, and a familiar warmth in his nether regions burned hot and strong. "I know the feeling," he would say with a chuckle. He had long since dreamed about or recalled the moments that had brought the children to life in their mother's womb. "I agree," he smirked, leaning in closer to ensure that only she could hear. "We didn't exactly plan for the three - now four - that we have," Epiphron hadn't even been in heat when their intimacy had occurred, but it seemed whatever divine beings there may be had preordained their children to come into the their lives regardless of whether or not the parents were prepared.


"Speech,"

It was incredible just how far they had come in a year. It was just the following winter that they had been married, since she had turned two years old then; it was alarming to think she was already going to have spent three years on the earth soon. But despite the changes, she was content. Arian had quickly come to feel comfortable within their family, and she couldn't imagine her leaving them -- not until she grew into adulthood, and even then she hoped so badly they would remain in Seracia. One of them would need to be placed as the heir, but they were still so young; she didn't want to burden them with such things. Fostering animosity among her children would do no good whatsoever. Things would never remain quite so happy -- of this, Epiphron was sure. Life was never so easy. She could only hope that their family would persevere through it all, and remain healthy and all-around content. "Planning is boring," she teased rather gently, sighing into his side as she snuggled closer. Perhaps they should have planned better -- but it had been nothing short of a miracle that they had conceived children when she was not in heat. Behind her, her tail flicked, moving to curl around her hindquarters. "But we will see if we can keep ourselves under control this winter..." And if not? Were they prepared for more children, if they happened to become a reality? The woman's blue gaze was curious, and a bit questioning as it shifted to seek his own.

A smile would twinkle upon his face as she scooted closer to him, teasing that planning was boring. Planning was perhaps his whole life - except in the realm of children. How funny it was that the one thing he hadn't planned had been perhaps the most wonderful thing to ever happen to him in his entire life. She mentioned keeping themselves under control when her heat came in the winter, to which he gave a laugh. "Or maybe we won't," he teased, nipping at her ear flirtatiously. Of course he knew they would have to, or risk having more children while their own were scarcely six months old. What insanity that would be! Still, with all this talk of love-making the king found the burning in his loins quite difficult to ignore. "It's been so long," he would whisper into her ear in effort to keep their playing children from hearing. Winter was coming soon, and they would have to wait yet another season - though clearly it didn't always matter what season it was. Tongue would seek her warm flesh repeatedly, finding his desire for her becoming more persistent now thanks to the line of conversation they had begun.


"Speech,"

More children ... could she handle that? In honesty, their own four were growing rapidly, and could generally care for themselves. But that didn't keep her from wanting so badly to care for them continuously, perhaps more than was necessary, but such was the life of a parent. Epiphron was certain that they could find a way to handle more, but the thought of ... five, six, seven, eight children ... was a bit daunting. And yet she couldn't help but feel a familiar warmth spread over her as they flirted, but she would not let herself be ruled by passion, how badly she wanted it. 'It's been so long,' he said, and she grinned deviously. "Too long," she said softly, voice rather husky and almost needy. She was glad they were not totally alone, though she couldn't quite see any of her children right now -- because she was certain where things would lead. But there was always room for harmless teasing and affection, especially when they were alone. The fact that they were not totally alone only thrilled her a bit more. Her own tongue sought his warm flesh, placing kisses wherever she could reach. "But ... today is not the day to remedy that. Soon, though, handsome." She smirked a bit, though wouldn't deny she too was feeling a painful amount of longing for him now.

He would have to change the subject, or else this would turn into a far too tantalizing moment. He would not, could not press the matter further with his children frolicking nearby, likely to run to them at any moment. Besides, it was broad daylight and the pack could very well summon their king or queen if they wanted - and Maverick did not wish to be caught in a compromising situation, or worse, to be caught in the middle of an enjoyable situation. Much to his dismay, he knew the likelihood of anything happening right now was less than zero, and so he tried to keep his mind from wandering too far. She would mutter into his ear, 'too long' and instantly he faltered, taking in a sharp intake of breath. Why was she so alluring? A groan would fall from his lips as she caressed him, leaving him breathless and speechless. Soon enough she would let him down, speaking the words he already had told himself. Today was not the day.. but tonight just may be. "Sooner than you think," he would jest, hinting that perhaps he had a plan. The children would be asleep by sundown and it was less likely that anyone from the pack would require their attention. Not to mention the cover of darkness would conceal them. Oh, it was perfect. Already he began to plan it in his mind. As it was the last time, children weren't much on his mind, though the possibility was always there. She had, after all, conceived out of her season before. With haste he would peel himself from her side, unwilling to allow his mind and body to betray him any more. Tail fluttered lower than normal, concealing anything that might appear differently in his aroused state. "There is much to do before bed," he would huff dismissively before sauntering toward the nearest border. If he got everything done ahead of time.. his wish may just come true.

Exit Mav unless stopped


"Speech,"